LoRG 3

But if nothing else this experience of existing as several images in addition to my body has prepared me adequately to deal with all manner of mental strain Randidly thought with a sigh But even so the Nether cores in his chest spun Aether radiated outward slowly restoring life to his body that had been so long suppressed

Abiodun bowed deeply while Randidly was catching his breath Thank you for assistance both with this victory and with the issue of the Class We will not forget these favors

ItÆs no problem but I feel like we havenÆt even bought ourselves very much time Randidly said lightly while looking up at the swirling mass of darkness above Nether Beasts had briefly ceased their assault with the deal of three Nether Gatekeepers but that was likely akin to bandaging a man who had been run through As long as the stomach wound remained that man would slowly die no matter how many bandages he possessed

Then he turned and looked up at the headquarters where Lord Miln and that fuck Cail Tweocs waited Enemies on all sides

Which is why we should use immediately Lady Iellaya said with a smirk Nodding toward Vualla she continued by saying After you drop her off somewhere come to my Command Tent IÆm willing to begin the ritual immediately The sooner I have the strength worry of my status the better

Scratching his ears Randidly ran through YggdrasilÆs memories to try and get a grip on what had been promised The more time passed the more the images began to integrate back into him As he familiarized himself with Lady IellayaÆs situation he chewed his lip From what he could remember the prospect was daunting to say the least And Yggdrasil hadnÆt been able to get much prep work done

For his part RandidlyÆs consciousness had largely been consumed with an elaborate and losing game of chess with the suppression array inscribed on the pod inside of which he had been trapped Although early on he was relatively free to act it slowly created complicated Aether constructions to bind him

When Randidly had broken those it would create more sophisticated ones that would eliminate the weakness he had exploited Certainly it had pushed RandidlyÆs Aether Manipulation Skills to the limit and earned him the Runic Rarity Skill Aether Surgeon but it had also left him increasingly unable to follow what was happening with his images So most of the details that he was now learning from Yggdrasil came as a surprise

It wasnÆt just that she was stealing Aether from her subordinates Rather she was stitching all these individualÆs Aether directly into the substance of herÆ Dangerous but I suppose I somehow managed something similar with the Alpha Cosmos To make a Class large enough to encompass all of that isnÆt impossible but without time to experiment

or more importantly rest

Outloud Randidly said I think itÆs best that I take a little more time with my physical body to acclimate myself before we can commence with your new ClassÆ creation Especially due to the matter of adjusting your Fate IÆm admittedly unfamiliar with the inner workings of Fates but I have a few ways to address that

Before Randidly could continue Abiodun stepped forward with glowing eyes and heaving shoulders His rocky fists were still splattered with the dark matter of the Nether Beasts After everything that we have done for you If you think the return of your body means

Abiodun peace Lady Iellaya laid a hand on his arm and considered Randidly I donÆt believe our friend wants to back out of his promise he simply wants a chance to rest Truly having the images separated from the body is not an easy thing To have them return is a boon but there are costs with that too IÆm sure

That is correct Randidly said simply to Lady Iellaya His gaze at Abiodun was heavy For all that he is a stone man he has quite the short temper

However perhaps we donÆt have much time Randidly continued Turning around Randidly looked up toward the rocky outcropping on which the headquarters sat and gestured sharply If Lord Miln attempts to come after me even with the threat of the Nether forces here

Ah at the very least I can assure you that Lord Miln will no longer be an issue Lady Iellaya said with a smile She flexed her feathers along her arms and flung some of that same Nether gore that covered Abiodun off her body As a heretic your punishment was to be completely separated from your rights upon arrival But reclaiming your body has seen you once more elevated to your rightful status under the System and not even Lord Miln is so bold as to antagonize the Nexus Tribunal Even with an old monster backing him he will take some time to stabilize his position before he comes for you

Randidly nodded slowly to that It was reassuring to hear but Randidly had difficulty believing that it would really be that easy Lord Miln didnÆt seem like the type to give up

Perhaps noticing that Randidly didnÆt seem entirely convinced Lady Iellaya chuckled and shook her head But rather than pushing the issue she instead asked So how do you plan on addressing the issue of Fates If thereÆs anything I can do to help please ask

Randidly waved his hand No need itÆs just that IÆm only Level 49 I believe I should have at least condensed my own Fate before I attempt to change yours

You Lady Iellaya gaped at Randidly and leapt a full meter into the air like she had been thrown by the stone ground beneath her All of her feathers were sticking up as she regarded him Randidly could only chuckle wryly in response

After a few seconds Lady iellaya managed to gather herself Again she shook her head now almost helplessly Indeed You arenÆt even Level 50 How how are you able to no I suppose thatÆs not a fair question to ask Yes please take your time in preparing We will be waiting back at the camp

Without waiting for an answer Lady Iellaya gestured sharply toward Abiodun and began walking away from the smoking battlefield Randidly chuckled and watched them go

Yes I still have a few handicaps keeping me from rivaling some of the powerful people here and itÆs time I get rid of them But for now

Randidly picked Vualla up and began to whistle While he slowly walked back toward Lady iellayaÆs camp he examined his Status Screen

Level 49 (51%)

Health(/R per hour) 5046/7628 (3679)

Mana(/R per hour) 3986/7384 (2177)

Stam(/R per min) 4713/6244 (1325)

Vit 725

End 645

Str 602

Agi 1020

Grim Intuition 790

Reaction 662

Resistance 672

Willpower 1072

Control 1111

Focus 619

Skills (Soul Skill) Figure of the Alpha Cosmos Lvl 10100

Combat Spear Mastery Lvl 209 Heavy Blow Lvl 124 Iron Skin Lvl 47 Dodge Lvl 121 Fighting Experience (Un) Lvl 165 Block Lvl 77 Calculated Blow Lvl 117 Roundhouse Kick Lvl 87 Idiosyncratic Cut (Un) Lvl 126 Stalemate Breaker Lvl 86 Talon Strike Lvl 90 Counter Lvl 94 Flowing Momentum Lvl 15

LoBW Class Skills Spray Holy Sap (Un) Lvl 27 Sharpness Lvl 132 Earthquake (Un) Lvl 48 Invigorating Call (Humanity)(Un) Lvl 14 Reach of the Jade Slag Lvl 119 Erode Image Lvl 71 SpriggitÆs Tinkering « Lvl 139 Aether Understanding Lvl 128 Aether Infusion Lvl 47 Volatile Ash Lvl 44 Visualization « Lvl 224 Fruit of the Planting of Enmity Lvl 45 Absolute Timing Lvl 100 Cycle of the Gloomy Wood « Lvl 43 Riders of the Baleful Court Lvl 110 Lantern of Harsh Truths « Lvl 34 Sigil of an Approaching Fate Lvl 29

Descent of the Grim Chimera Chimeric Avoidance Lvl 216 Cursed Appetite of a Wraith Lvl 260 MonstrosityÆs Appalling Physicality Lvl 233 ReaperÆs Mantle of Catastrophe Lvl 101 Molten Fang of the Pariah Lvl 195 Man is Proud but the Chimera Takes Lvl 180 The Chimera Weeps as Man Mourns Lvl 157 All Else Succumbs Yet Time Whirls the Earth Lvl 150

Aether Skills Aether Detection Lvl 170 Aether Manipulation Lvl 199 Living Aether « Lvl 151 System Interference Lvl 88 Aether Surgeon Lvl 65

Spells Yggdrasil Soul Seed « Inspiration « Ignition Bolt « Lvl 126 Verdant Nova (Un) Lvl 85 Burning Footsteps Lvl 23 NetherÆs Caress Lvl 111 Influence of the Molten Core « Lvl 103 Eruption of the Blazing Leyline Lvl 111 Ignition of the Emerald Essence Lvl 139 Mana Physique (Un) Lvl 19

Crafting Potion Making Lvl 73 Farming Lvl 34 Analyze Lvl 29 Refine Lvl 106 Extract Lvl 92 Mana Engraving Lvl 245 Experienced CreatorÆs Ingenuity Lvl 68 Touch of the Ghosthound

Yggdrasil the Tree of Upheaval Glittering Leaves of Yggdrasil Lvl 173 The Golden Roots of Yggdrasil Lvl 210 the Emerald Sap of Yggdrasil Lvl 190 the Yyrwood Flesh of Yggdrasil Lvl 238 the Deific Mien of Yggdrasil Lvl 249 the Cruel Indignation of Yggdrasil Lvl 202 Reign of the Eidolon Crucible Lvl 189 Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil Lvl 258

Auxiliary Sneak Lvl 56 Acid Resistance Lvl 22 Poison Resistance Lvl 21 Pain Resistance Lvl 139 Fire Resistance Lvl 179 Sewing Lvl 11 Digging Lvl 9 Cooking Lvl 101 Clockwork Mastery Lvl 30 Aether Connection Lvl 21 Soul Bond Lvl 135 ChefÆs Palette Lvl 36 Nether Acclimation « Lvl 190 Child of the Rain (Un) Lvl 59 Chosen of Ash Lvl 141 Engineering Savvy « Lvl 154 From Darkness Genesis « Lvl 17 (Domain) Crossroads of the Alpha Cosmos Lvl 148 Connection to the Alpha Cosmos Catalyst of Agony Lvl 10 Nether Sensation Lvl 35 Nether Rituals Lvl 55

Chapter 1124

One fact that immediately jumped out to Randidly was the fact that Nether Beasts counted toward experience A significant amount of it Which put into question some of RandidlyÆs theories about how experienced was gathered

Killing them today on the battlefield with Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil had earned him enough experience to grow to Level 48 and then 49 before stopping halfway to 50 And considering the sharply increasing experience requirements to reach 50 it was clear that he had gained a huge amount of experience in a very short amount of time Most of it was probably gobbled up by the half Level toward 50

In addition as was indicated by the notification that Randidly received as he repaired his Class Level 48 had given him no bonuses All of those were used up in order to repair the damage to RandidlyÆs prayerÆ that had resulted from that brief moment of the attention of that being seeking the Creature But the Level up gains for 49 were as they should be so at least the brief damage was repaired now

With the knowledge that Randidly had gained from his extended use of Nether Rituals Randidly made use of the return walk to examine his Class with an even more exacting gaze But it seemed to him that his previous efforts werenÆt in vain the ritual had been prepared Once more the core desire of his Class had been restored All that remained was to see it to the end

Which in the SystemÆs eyes meant condensing a Fate

But of course there were quite a few things to do before then

When he finally made it back to his tent having been left in the dust by the shocked Lady Iellaya and Abiodun the first thing Randidly Ghosthound did was set Vualla gently down on the ground and gaze meaningfully at her With a trembling hand he did his best to corral the mass of her azure hair

Then he shook his head and turned away This is a problem for another day For now

RandidlyÆs Perception turned inward At the core of him where an Aether Crossroads still calmly flowed four cores of Nether spun slowly around the Aether Crossroads Where there should be violent rejection there was just calm contentment The Aether animated the communication and synchronicity between the cores and the Nether added weight and balance to the crossroads

Even now looking at it and sensing the strange symmetry and balance of the arrangement Randidly was thrown Although the evidence was clearly before him it was difficult him to currently understand what was going on It was like showing algebra to a child You could believe it worked from seeing it work but there was no true understanding

But that was also an issue for another day So Randidly moved forward with his Perception the balance between Aether and Nether was interesting but not why he came

Deep within the four swirling cores was another small pseudo core made not to hold Nether but to hold image And Randidly quickly popped it and gritted his teeth When the core was shattered what was held within quickly exploded outward Trembling Randidly fell to his knees as the strange sensation rocked him

And then there they were Salazar and Zauna blinking and disoriented

We are b b back Salazar exclaimed excitedly The p place that you p put us was a b b bit

It was the best I could do on short notice Randidly said quickly to cut off Salazar before he could work up a head of steam And honestly IÆm exhausted from it Please give me some peace to recover

While both nodded shortly after a brief hesitation Salazar seeming extremely disappointed by RandidlyÆs brusque response Yet it escaped neither of their eyes that Randidly had reclaimed his body since they had seen him last And it didnÆt escape RandidlyÆs notice that Zauna was looking at him with eyes that were burning with questions

Perhaps due to his change in status now that he had recovered his body both listened when he looked pointedly toward the door They filed out casting slow glances over their shoulders as though they expected Randidly to change his mind halfway seeing the pitiful state of their departing forms But Randidly just stared forward with his mouth in a thin line

What he had to do next he wanted to do alone

Although maybe the reason they are listening to me now was because they are afraid of me Randidly thought rather sadly It wasnÆt exactly me but the Grim Chimera but he did leave Zagnal there with the Aether Key so that the Nether forces wouldnÆt believe something was wrong when there was a dramatically weaker Aether Key that also possessed no defenses

But itÆs not like I wouldnÆt have made the same decision Randidly shivered at the certainty of the knowledge My situation in the pod With those learning restraints it was only a matter of time before they would have overwhelmed my ability to manipulate Aether And then there werenÆt just restraints there those Aether constructs were designed to fish out secrets Certainly a chilling reception for Heretics here at the front lines

A decision had to be made and shortly And I was in no shape to fight my way through the army of the Nether King But I sacrificed a life for my own I cannot deny that ThereÆs no point not when this is the Path IÆm walking

Taking a deep breath Randidly sat next to Vualla and rubbed his thumb along the ring that was still present on his metallic left arm Rather than dwell on Zagnal his first priority was preparing for the future Immediately Randidly grinned because his equipment was all dutifully stored within Some part of him was somewhat worried that the equipment would have been kept separately from his body so it was a relief to find it all here

Randidly carefully removed Acri and Sulfur both of which cooed happily and wriggled across him Only when they settled down did Randidly begin to remove his other equipment from the ring

His White Steel Greeves IradakÆs Tinglesilk Gloves SunÆs Teardrop Belt The Ancestral Circlet of the Broken Ridge Piece by piece Randidly slid the equipment back onto him Although he hadnÆt gotten the chance to wear this equipment for long it was still his equipment Wearing it was part of who Randidly Ghosthound was

Finally Randidly produced ChulroonÆs Chisel and the fingerless leather glove with a hole in the palm and placed them on the ground in front of him Hissing his breath out through his nose Randidly then began to concentrate After quite an exhausting series of mental conversations Randidly pulled the hiltless blade out of his image area and laid it on the ground next to the two gloves It flared up briefly but Randidly was able to convince the will within to enter into a dormant state

The weirdest part of the whole process was how abruptly cold Randidly felt after he removed the blade from his chest Shivering he leaned forward to stare intently at the three Fates IÆve gotten more reliant on the bladeÆs energy than I thought But it might be time to think about how to use these Fates for my own benefits If each one forms the core of one of my images to help me condense my own Fate

Randidly wasnÆt sure it would work like that But from his experience with Nether and Nether Rituals he suspected it would be possible assuming he was willing to put a sufficient amount of effort into the attempt

And faith It would take quite a bit of faith

The only problem with this strategy was the indeterminate Status of the glove Fate that Randidly had found in the trunk It had clearly saved his life and it felt extremely familiar to him but that didnÆt make him want to use it at all

Right now sitting in the lonely tent with VuallaÆs wounded form next to him Randidly could practically taste that sense of familiarity in the Aether of the glove It was uncannily familiar But no matter how much he cast his mind around he couldnÆt figure out of whom it could remind him

The complicated part of it was that considering the three Fates to the three images plan the glove would go to the Grim Chimera Yggdrasil and ChulroonÆs Chisel seemed matched together and Ignition Essence could use the heat and power of the phoenix fire in the hiltless blade

To have the Grim Chimera who seemed to have become the most dominant of RandidlyÆs image be possibly influenced by whatever familiar sensation was in the glove it was difficult for Randidly to wrap his mind around it It seemed much riskier than necessary

Randidly sighed Too many questions One thing at a time

Gingerly Randidly reached forward and picked up the hitless blade As his fingers touched the slate grey metal his skin began to hiss and spit as the heat rapidly overwhelmed his bodyÆs defenses But Randidly didnÆt waver Still keeping a careful grip on the blade he turned and cautiously walked to the far end of the tent

There waiting was the thoroughly cracked almost paper mache ball that housed the wounded Ignition Essence With a sense of solemnity Randidly approached the cracked egg with the blade raised above his head

Although you meant well Yggdrasil you arenÆt the best at things you donÆt understand RandidlyÆs eyes glowed emerald as he looked down at the cracked egg You are a creature that grows from sunlight and water Your growth is even and considered Inputs follow outputs It possesses none of the erraticism of Ignition Essence

Because Ignition Essence is perhaps the true wildness of my personality It is the part of me that believes I can stand against the System Yggdrasil and Grim Chimera provide me the backbone and bravery but Ignition Essence gives me the spark I need And that spark canÆt survive in a vacuum

It was hatched in darkness but it was birthed from the memories and desires I held from my time on Earth and Tellus

As he raised the blade above his head RandidlyÆs bare foot moved forward and he tapped the egg lightly with his big toe From a single touch it sighed and scattered to ash and flaking paint In a split second there was nothing but a pile of expended and dried gunk on the ground in front of him If Ignition Essence had been hiding within there was no outward sign

Yet RandidlyÆs grin was vicious Your second mistake Yggdrasil is that you were afraid of the wrong thing It is not such a terrible thing for the light of inspiration to flicker on and off Inspiration is not a constant companion no the most terrible fear should be the death of progress That the will that drives toward that epiphany should disappear That the soul will no longer crave that the world be better than this

Which unfortunately was exactly what had happened Cut off from memories Ignition Essence had forgotten itself Yet Randidly didnÆt feel any sadness Ignition Essence had vanished But it was still an image that he had made Although it would expend quite a bit of energy it could be recreated And in this case he didnÆt even need to use his own energy during the process

When RandidlyÆs personality had been removed from the Ignition Essence that drive had disappeared The fire had slowly faded All that was left was emptiness and darkness those same elements that had given birth to Ignition Essence in the first place

Yet that wasnÆt all that went to this solemn moment of holding the blade high above the ashes of his image Randidly now had his understanding of Nether to guide his hand The gunk egg had been the bubble and those sensations of emptiness and darkness had been the core With the egg shattered now emptiness and darkness expanded to fill that same space Those qualities became the bubble

And there was always another core laying within

The hiltless blade began to glow cherry red and release heat as though sensing RandidlyÆs emotions His grip tightened on the weapon so much so that it cut his palm open and blood began to drip down onto the dust in front of him

Slice through the darkness cut apart the emptiness RandidlyÆs face twisted and he laughed Rise for me Ignition Essence

The blade left a red trail through the air as it cut The wind of the bladeÆs passage blew away the remnants of the egg and cut a deep gash into the ground Those ashes that were blown away quickly ignited into a shower of sparks that exploded outward and singed small holes in the canvas of the tent

For a second there was silence RandidlyÆs hand tightened on the blade as the fire in it continued to build His skin even with the benefit of his Endurance was quickly being overcome His brain warned Randidly that soon his muscles would be damaged And he was oh so tired

Congratulations Your Skill Fire Resistance has grown to Level 180

Yet sometimes all you could do is wait Inspiration might only visit those who worked for it but that didnÆt mean it was predictable

Then as Randidly watched a small emerald spark began to glow in the scar on the ground The visual variances in the air slowly stilled as that emerald tongue of flame began to flicker unevenly upward

Randidly smirked and tossed the burning blade to the side He flexed the hand to the side waiting for Yyrwood Body of Yggdrasil to heal the wound Welcome back Now letÆs get to work

Chapter 1125

Of course the first real order of business for Randidly Ghosthound was a nap In more ways than he could count he was drained to the limits of his endurance So a long nap one that finally allowed RandidlyÆs physical body to rest and settle back toward equilibrium

Because he had not been able to take even a second break while he was locked within the pod resisting the steadily learning Aether constructs If he had he likely wouldnÆt have been able to escape so easily from the bindings

So Randidly laid down next to Vualla and slept letting his internal merge and settle

At his core he was still Randidly even after his images had been allowed to grow independently of him they still were born of the same shared history Randidly was still the boy who had sat alone on his bed while he listened to his motherÆs drunken laughter in the other room He was still the boy who followed Sydney across state lines only to surrender her to his new best friend and then he was the same young man that kept SydneyÆs illness a secret despite the fact it created a rift between him and Ace

He was still the same man who learned from ShalÆs knee and then returned to Earth to plant the seeds that would become Donnyton He was still the one who lost his temper and hurt Tessa his ex girlfriend

He was still the one that returned to Tellus twice once to fight for ShalÆs honor and the second time to fight for the Fate of the planet And he had won both times Not alone but he had rapidly grown to the point that he could affect the outcome of the contests Hell from the way Shal talked before he went through the portal to NexusÆ trial it was only due to Randidly shifting ShalÆs perspective that this outcome became possible

Randidly was still the same man who with a growing sense of responsibility and the weight of his prior SoulskillÆs collapse on his conscious returned to Earth and analyzed DonnytonÆs characteristics He found them wanting So he destroyed their confidence and cast Donnyton aside switching to the Order Ducis as the main vehicle for the influence he wanted to have on Earth

He was the man who created Kharon the moving city He was the one who would guard the Earth from themselves creating an influence that would stand apart from the established practices He was the blade that hung above the Orders watching for the inevitable slide toward the abuse of power

Very few of RandidlyÆs actions earned him goodwill from the people he left behind But he felt relatively confident in his choices on Earth There was a reason for all this and that was the terrible existence of the Nexus that hung over all their heads Because they prodded Earth toward a doom Randidly had no choice but to grow callous in order to prepare to buckle the yoke thrust upon them

But he was also the man who had killed Ki Kunot because he was distracted and sure of himself And that continued to temper his outlook

That was the man who Randidly Ghosthound was slowly being woven back together from the three core images that formed him That history had set them on a path and now they returned having had the opportunity to follow that path on their own

From Yggdrasil Randidly earned the trait of kindness in the broadest sense kind in the way nature was kind that if you werenÆt tragically unlucky you could make a life in the wild Also from the World Tree Randidly learned about steady growth and progress He learned about the importance of a strong base that could support a world Because of Yggdrasil Randidly had an endless desire to live

From Ignition Essence Randidly earned his faith in the impossible Although he sometimes didnÆt know how some goal would be accomplished the Ignition Essence was the endless nuclear reactor that powered RandidlyÆs drive forward He also learned how danger and beauty could walk together as one from the fickle and aggressive image

The newest arrival the Grim Chimera brought with it less new personality traits but more accurately license to finally unleash parts of himself that Randidly had long buried in his heart His natural aggression buried by a childhood alone and the fixation that he had for Sydney Defiance buried inward as RandidlyÆs childhood logic steered him away toward rebellion and toward slow sedition

But the Grim Chimera was not a patient creature not when it didnÆt need to be And perhaps that was the greatest strength that the Grim Chimera brought an absolute certainty in his own judgment Self confidence earned from a life of surviving Or in RandidlyÆs case years of struggling not to be turned into a tool or killed

These personality traits were like wide bands of colors slotting together to form Randidly In his dreaming state Randidly watched the idly was they wrapped closely together lively eels of energy that wove themselves through his Skills and Class

Forest green and gold from Yggdrasil Emerald and scarlet from Ignition Essence Grey black and a dark purple that looked like the sky at dusk from the Grim Chimera

And when the colors finished weaving themselves together RandidlyÆs eyes snapped open to see the bland canvas of the tent on the frontlines

Once more he was whole He sat upward and brought his not metallic hand to his face closing his eyes for a brief second with the fingertips of his pointer finger and ring finger In a way that hadnÆt been true before he was finally recovered from the ordeal Everything inside of him finally settled back to its full recuperated state

now we just need to hope that Lady Iellaya was right about Lord Miln taking it easy for a while Randidly thought idly Then he glanced at Vualla and couldnÆt stop the small smile from creeping across his face Shaking his head Randidly stood and stretched

God it feels fucking good to have a body again A body that can move Randidly muttered Then his eyes widened abruptly Does that also mean that once more

Randidly checked his Skill Absolute timing told him he had been asleep for a little less than six hours 1

Congratulations Your Skill Absolute Timing has grown to Level 101

Grinning viciously Randidly walked out of the tent and put his hands on his hips Knowing exactly about the passage of time couldnÆt be underestimated Especially considering the fact that they were on an active battlefield

Randidly glanced up at the sky Since Lady Iellaya had driven them back and weakened the Nether forces infringing upon the AetherÆs land the blue veins had withdrawn somewhat from the air They no longer transformed the edges of the Nether army into a forest of spectral algae But certainly the Nether army wouldnÆt stay passive for very long

Randidly rubbed his forehead So many fucking things to check

The first thing he did was open up a Skill description for Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil which was the evolved form of Infinite Fingers of Yggdrasil

Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil A powerful Skill that allows the user to channel the near infinite energy of Yggdrasil and create powerful roots and vines to attack the target As long as the user can sense the target plant matter can extend near infinitely to chase In addition it is possible to extend roots from any dirt stone plant matter or object that the user has touched in the last twenty four hours Mana cost decreases with Skill Level Damage vastly increases with Skill Level Limits on range ludicrously increase with Skill Level

Nodding to himself RandidlyÆs eyes focused on the line about any object he touched in the last 24 hours He turned around as he spun the possibilities slowly in his mind But there was simply so much other reflection to do Returning back into the tent Randidly lay himself down next to Vualla and entered into his Soulskill

With a light pop Randidly found himself standing in a familiar office towering like a titan amongst two dozen Spriggits who stood around wearing brightly colored party hats As he suddenly appeared they all leaped back with gasps and shots scrambling backward in order to avoid whatever calamity had suddenly descended upon the office

But as the crowd of Spriggits parted Randidly was given a straight path forward to view a single individual who was sitting primly behind a desk In front of that individual was a cake covered in lit candles Her cheeks were puffed out as though she was about to blow out the candles and make a wish

Due to RandidlyÆs arrival Wendy could only sigh The candles wavered but didnÆt go out

Happy birthday to me I guess Wendy grumbled She pushed the cake to the far side of her desk as though the whole ordeal now disgusted her Her gaze on Randidly displayed a clear irritation Likely because he had promised to visit quite soon after he had brought her back to his Soulskill I suppose youÆll be wanting something yes Maybe a mechanical planet that has the ability to shrink Or better yet a perpetual motion machine that also generates energy and can play the piano Well IÆm not interested in such trivialities any longer

RandidlyÆs smile was forced even as he felt a thread of irritation at the obviously hostile reception Not that he could blame her he had broken his word Look Wendy I know I promised to check in more often and provide you resources for your research but I was removed from my body for a time This is the first chance IÆve had to rest somewhere safe

Uh huh Wendy said skeptically Her thin face wrinkled up as her paranoia demanded that she be suspicious of everything that Randidly said Randidly waited

Eventually she sighed Well thatÆs fine then I believe you But this is a private event IÆll be perfectly happy to have a normal discussion with you as soon as you schedule one with my secretary For now IÆm sure you know this building well enough to see yourself out

Although her words were still grumpy Randidly could easily tell that this was just Wendy reacting to the suddenness of his arrival not the fact that he had come altogether Which is why he smiled confidently and leaned forward But itÆs your birthday Surely

You canÆt seriously expect me to believe you remembered it Wendy said with a shake of her head

Randidly didnÆt even bother to lie But does it matter if I brought a gift

At her core Wendy was a simple woman who was motivated by her curiosity and desire to understand the world Beyond that she was simply a stubborn scientist There were a few seconds where suspicion and desire warred across her face but the victor was obvious from the beginning

Well Wendy said slowly She stood up from her desk I suppose youÆve come all this way and if something was enough to bind you it must have been troublesome and about this gift

Chuckling at her sudden change of heart Randidly stretched his hand forward He wasnÆt sure about both whether it was possible or his chances of success in a short time frame but he had faith that the result of his efforts would be a gift that Wendy would find fascinating

Nether roped together once and failed But on the second attempt the pieces intertwined perfectly and set and a pseudo Nether core appeared in RandidlyÆs palm The small thing appeared like a royal blue marble already warping the surrounding air with the energy that it threw off It might be a very much watered down source of Nether but it was still an energy that reacted very violently toward almost any substance

And it was something that Wendy had never seen before

Just something I picked up in my travels I would treat it carefully Randidly said with a small smile It releases a powerful energy field that will neutralize and corrupt most normal energies and substances

WendyÆs eyes were sparkling as she took step after shaking step forward Her fingers flexed and trembled as she stared at it ItÆs so pretty

Randidly closed his hand I just hope you could answer a few questions I have about the current state of the Soulskill IÆve been away for seven months after all

Chapter 1126

Despite RandidlyÆs worries it seemed that things had been relatively peaceful in the Soulskill Under the Monster PrinceÆs guidance it seemed that the denizens of RandidlyÆs old Soulskill were almost entirely integrated at least theoretically into their new home country of the Shelly Kingdom

Of course the looming threat of war with the neighboring Armgrast Empire was a danger but it wasnÆt an existential one that Randidly felt needed his involvement He obviously couldnÆt completely eradicate war in the Alpha Cosmos nor did he want to spend the time to do it His only job was to determine whether the undercurrents in his Soulskill were the result of someone else meddling or simply the inhabitant’s ambition

Yet to RandidlyÆs great irritation there was more than enough present in the report from Wendy to make Randidly suspicious that something unusual was happening Mostly his suspicions were based on the state of the lighthouses

They had at least historically always existed in this world that was the Alpha Cosmos But Wendy noted that presenceÆ was largely theoretical and ritualistic in nature they hadnÆt provided the functioning Classes before Randidly became connected with the Soulskill a little over a year ago

Since then nine had been discovered And due to the Classes strategic worth to the countries they were generally hotly contested Three were present on the new continent that RandidlyÆs people arrived on which now served as the land the Monster Prince ruled In addition there was one in the far South high in a snowy mountain range that was largely considered too much trouble to try and monopolize by either of the two major powers of the Shelly Kingdom and Armgrast Empire

Aside from those three belonged to the Shelly Kingdom while only two belonged to the Armgrast Empire And the reason that this fact caught RandidlyÆs attention was that less than a month ago a Class Lighthouse was discovered with the rather vicious Class Warrior with the Grim SmileÆ It was even on the border between the two major powers

Yet the Armgrast Empire had not dispatched more than a token force to contest it Some political figures were saying it was a gesture of goodwill between the nations to not constantly feud with the Shelly Kingdom over every little thing but Randidly thought that smelled like bullshit Even if the relationship between his SoulskillÆs refugees and the people of Shelly Kingdom was less rosy than everyone said there was no way that this Armgrast Empire would allow the Shelly Kingdom access to six of the total Class Lighthouses

At the very least the Armgrast Empire should have supported Halio a minor city state located between the two superpowers and right on top of the Class Lighthouse in their bid to declare that the Class Lighthouse belonged to them The fact that they didnÆt meant that there was something very strange going on in the governing of the Armgrast Empire And it wasnÆt just the weird impression that Randidly had of Lazareth Armgrast the lion headed man that had tried to impersonate a diamond merchant to get close to Azriel

Luckily enough Randidly suspected that if anyone could give him the information he needed it was Azriel Which was why for the second time Randidly was sneaking into a courtyard in the capital city of Armgrast Empire as the last light of dusk faded

There were a few reasons that this visit was different than his first however First and perhaps least importantly the courtyard Randidly was infiltrating was much nicer filled with vivid violet blues and warm oranges Plus the courtyard was part of the sprawling central palace at the center of the Armgrast EmpireÆs capital It seemed Azriel was moving up in the world

Second and also relatively unimportant was the fact that the guards were now Level 51 and 52 around the courtyard And despite the only eleven or twelve Level difference these individuals were much better at their jobs It seemed that people were finally realizing the importance of Skill Levels

But even if they had higher Skill Levels they couldnÆt compete with RandidlyÆs

Third and most amusingly Randidly arrived to see that Azriel and strung together a rope by tying sheets together and was repelling down from a third story balcony Which was such a strange visual picture that he couldnÆt control his laughter

What the hell are you doing Randidly chuckled and stepped out of a perfectly manicured treeline as Azriel alighted on the ground in front of him

She glanced at him sideways with a familiar an amused smile on her face Then she raised her hands above her hand and spun lightly causing her floor length black dress to spin playfully around her ItÆs about sending the right message A disappeared lady without any signs of a struggle their imaginations will run wild But a rope of sheets hanging out from a balcony IÆve obviously run away And manipulating their perceptions is very important so

For several seconds Randidly just blinked at this version of Azriel who stood in front of him one who was just as frank and forward but much more feminine Smirking at him Azriel lowered her arms

Jeez couldnÆt you be at least a little surprised to see me Randidly said with a shake of his head Chuckling Azriel threw her bone white hair over her shoulder and shrugged They both came together on the manicured lawn and hugged each other then took a step back But what I really meant why did you actually climb down the sheet For someone like you a jump like that should be nothing

Azriel gave Randidly a frank stare like he was being an idiot Randidly I have never had the opportunity to climb down a rope from a balcony before Experiences are the building blocks toward the future Besides it turned out to be surprisingly enjoyable The sheets were quite fine and provided a more than adequate grip

Randidly could only laugh at AzrielÆs frank answer ItÆs good to see you To talk to someone who is so direct and honest IÆve had a tiring few months

Who hasnÆt Azriel said dismissively With practiced delicacy she reached down and pulled up the train of her gown so it no longer trailed on the grass She leaned her head forward toward the wall Now can we talk while I flee

Azriel Randidly could only roll his eyes as he examined the black lace gown lined with pearls Which Randidly couldnÆt help but notice Azriel seemed completely at ease while wearing You cannot seriously expect me to believe you plan on fleeing while wearing that

Randidly Azriel replied mimicking his semi disgusted tone with remarkable accuracy This is a disappointing mistake to make As with the other novel action I took tonight never have I had the chance to flee a city while wearing

Okay I get it Randidly said with a wave of his hand He began to walk toward the far wall and Azriel followed with quick steps Both barely had to exert themselves to leap over the rainbow colored garden and reach the walls But I have to ask does this have anything to do with the fact that the Armgrast Empire didnÆt bother to fight for that last Class Lighthouse

As the landed on top of the courtyard wall Azriel nodded Yes it does During the mobilization of the team to intervene in that conflict it was discovered that there is a vast and strange ruin underneath the border between the two larger countries Based on what we discovered no one else has found explored it or even uncovered its existence And initial scouting reports indicate there are treasures like weÆve never seen before inside of it

So instead of mobilizing for the Class Lighthouse the Armgrast empire or more honestly Lazareth Armgrast has been secretly preparing an expedition to explore that ruin To which I have been invited as a member

That made RandidlyÆs eyebrows shoot upward as they lightly flitted across the rooftops of the city And you are running away from that I know that you said you wanted to find another type of strength but I never thought

God no I donÆt run away Azriel said dismissively Her scarlet eyes flashed in the darkness as the passed over a street that was particularly well lit by lanterns when Randidly gave her frank look Hah Well I donÆt run away without a reason But me fleeing will be what they assume at least at first and I suspect they will spend some time searching for me and wondering why I fled so suddenly Perhaps Lazareth will even suspect I defected to the Shelly Kingdom Either way it should delay the expedition

during which time Randidly said slowly as it dawned on him You are going to go into the ruins alone and explore

Exactly YouÆve certainly gotten sharper since IÆve seen you last Much more engaged as a listener Did something traumatic happen Azriel said with a sidelong gaze

IÆm somewhat disturbed that my listening made you assume something traumatic happened Randidly said rather sardonically

Shrugging Azriel said Well you were quite oblivious in the past Debilitatingly so Too focused for your own good on your own problems And now well it seems youÆve truly grown up Congratulations

Thanks

They both hopped down off the roofs after they vaulted over the walls and the buildings became more sparse along the road With his bare feet on the dusty ground Randidly turned and regarded the Azriel turned lady As he looked at her face half hidden in the shadow of the night he wondered how her pursuit of a non martial strength was going Seeing the confidence in her stance and the lift of her chin he had to assume it was going well

But how well must it be going that they are inviting her on this dangerous expedition Randidly wondered Maybe itÆs because of her relationship with Lazareth but still Yet I suppose the real question is what sort of ruin is it If itÆs just a cave with more than one Class Lighthouse thatÆs one thing But if it involves something deeper a remnant of a past Soulskill for example

Do you want company for your expedition Randidly asked quietly

Azriel pursed her lips How much spare time do you have Even traveling quickly it might take us a day to reach the ruins from here Once there the exploration itself seemed like it would take at least a week Can you be away for that long I have seen your track record at enticing individuals to kill you You are practically irresistible when you put your mind to it

To that Randidly could only wince I wish you wouldnÆt have put that so bluntly

I wish so many people werenÆt out there trying to kill my friend Azriel admitted frankly One of my oldest friends now Because Then she shook her head well before I met you I didnÆt give myself much time for friends So look out for yourself

Friends Randidly nodded slowly as he studied Azriel She boldly met his gaze not looking away Due to the movements of her Master they had been on opposite sides for RandidlyÆs second visit to Tellus but that was only late in the game Leading up to that point Randidly never would have gotten as far as he had without AzrielÆs extremely pointed guidance on how he should improve

And to hear the word friends made some part of Randidly still and reflect on it Because he couldnÆt forget the vast gulf of awkward and unsaid things that existed now between him Ace and Sydney Especially so after Randidly had watched Ace saying all those extremely envious things as he confronted Straud

Because Randidly also didnÆt have many friends Perhaps subordinates and those he trusted but friends had somehow become a complicated word As the most powerful Earthling his supply of friends was dwindling And despite the strange struggle of the feelings Randidly felt toward Vualla now that was a completely separate relationship issue

There were so few people that Randidly could meet truly as equals They all seemed to slowly align themselves behind him or against him He was a polarizing figure and his sway meant that the intermediate tier of relationships was slowly pushed away

Fine then Randidly said lightly He offered Azriel a hand But as friends you be safe too huh I donÆt think I need to tell you about having some extremely dangerous individuals influencing me in the past so donÆt take risks you donÆt need to

Obviously Azriel said dismissively She took his hand and shook it I will weigh every choice and select the most optimal option But due to that very danger you are referencing there is no need to have a dozen of the locals die to your hidden demons Randidly Ghosthound It is safer for me to proceed alone

Randidly chuckled but now it was a bitter laugh Heh LetÆs hope you arenÆt being prescient about what is hiding within the depths of these ruins Because if it really is my demons then opening them up is extremely dangerous

Chapter 1127

The first thing Randidly noticed when he returned to his body was that Vualla was gone from her collapsed position next to him It was honestly surprising that she had been able to get up and move without him noticing but Randidly supposed Grim Intuition didnÆt recognize her as a threat

She did however leave him a note that was laying next to him The corner of RandidlyÆs mouth quirked upward as he saw how messy her handwriting was Did she not even take off her gauntlets to write this

Randidly

IÆm returning to Commander TerithÆs camp to check in and rest some After IÆve recovered IÆll return so we can talk

DonÆt disappear on me again

Vualla

Which at least means I have one less problem to worry about in the meantime Randidly thought sourly as he did his best to release all of his tension with a deep sigh Right after finding a moment of peace in that dark night while speaking to Azriel Randidly was back with a pile of issues he needed to address

Randidly was sitting cross legged and trying to make a mental checklist of the order in which he needed to proceed when Salazar pushed open the tent flap and stuck his long neck into the dark interior

S sir Lady Iellaya says we need to muster Another attack is coming f f from the Nether f forces If you are tired Abiodun s said

Actually Randidly cracked his neck and stood The runic engravings on his metallic left arm flared to life as he flexed the fingers one by one and savored the sensation Maybe some exercise is exactly what I need to clear my head Is there word for how long they expect it to be until the attack

A h h half hour Salazar stuttered Then he hesitated Will Z zauna and I

Yep youÆll be coming Randidly chuckled at the way SalazarÆs face immediately paled And get yourself ready in half that I expect that the Nether attack wonÆt let us sit easy and calmly muster up in front of them

Bobbing his head wildly Salazar pulled himself out of the tent and Randidly could hear his rapid footfalls as he hurried away After chewing his lip for a second Randidly turned his attention inward Because of the intensity of his struggle against the Aether mechanisms in the pod toward the end he hadnÆt been as free to utilize his PP So now he took the huge chunk that he had gathered and considered his options

Still about three hundred short of the next wave of benefits from the Alpha Cosmos Randidly rubbed his chin But more than enough to give me an edge for the current situation

Congratulations You have finished the Nether Adaption III Path Few traverse this dark and twisting path fearing that their bodies will be corrupted by the strange energies of Nether Yet somehow you seem to thrive and emerge ever stronger the more that Nether becomes present in the fabric of your existence The energies are slowly being woven together Please know that there is a secret at the end of this Path it is recommended that you donÆt continue any farther You have been warned

Congratulations Endurance and Resistance +40 Effectiveness of all Nether related Skills per Skill Level is slightly increased Due to synchronicity your Skill Nether Nether Acclimation « has evolved into Nether Modification Skill Level has been lost as the Skill has become Unique

Nether Modification Your body has been so seasoned by the presence of Nether that it has developed natural resistances to its warping effects that are so strong that there are practically no negative effects that result from exposure It might not be your natural habitat but it will no longer slow you down

Randidly could only sigh as he read the notifications These ominous messages slipped into Path completions are starting to get quite old but at least there wasnÆt an overt threat included Only an implied one

Still the Stats gained from the completion of the Path combined with the 1 Endurance he earned for every 10 of the 600 PP he spent on the Path meant that this Path came with a 100 strong Endurance boost Which was nothing to sneeze at Losing his Nether Resistance Skill as something that could Level up was somewhat annoying but it certainly helped that he wouldnÆt be oppressed by the presence of Nether any longer

Randidly looked down at his hand in wonder Although maybe the secret it speaks about is one that I already know that Nether and Aether can complement each other Yet I almost think that is too light of a truth to merit that ominous assurance of remorse should I continue

Randidly glanced at his Path options and there was the Nether Modification IV Path But at 1000 PP it would be a long time until he finished that Or at least it would wait until he earned the 300 more PP he needed for his Alpha Cosmos to pay out a large amount of PP

Okay all prepared Randidly spoke brightly into the air Inside of him his images began to stir as he gathered his power to his will After all portions of him finally being given a rest it was amazing how heavy and sharp his Willpower seemed to him Time to try something different today eh

Abiodun scowled and gestured sharply with his hand for the forces around him to fall backward from the sparse defensive fortifications and be relieved by the reserved troops Aether soldiers gradually retreated doing their best not to stumble over the cracked and seething ground of the borderlands

Seeing the opening that had been created by the heavy bombardment of Nether against the minor fortifications the Nether Beasts surged forward with their strange limbs flailing The waves of bodies began to concentrate as they forced their way through the openings in the fortifications

That damned Miln Abdioun scowled Taking half of every camps fortification gear to strengthen the center might protect your ass but itÆs going to get the rest of us killed

But despite AbiodunÆs suspicions that it was a directly crafted attack to expose Lady Iellaya to additional danger as hers was one of the two most vulnerable camps it was a reasonable order The prior attack on the central camp at least made Lord MilnÆs theory plausible So they had no choice but to comply And now they were forced to accept the fact that their fortifications had gaps in them that the Nether Beasts could use

The gaps at least funneled the Nether Beasts into densely packed columns but it was hard to take advantage of that fact when the Nether had opened three vast portals for a vast bombardment of the frontlines The covering fire made it difficult to mass any attack to cut the dense columns apart So while Lady Iellaya and Commander Terith dealt with the Nether Gatekeepers maintaining them above Abiodun was in charge of managing the below

Could be worse Abiodun thought with a sigh Then he returned his vigilant glare at the commander of the Nether forces as both were bound to remain still until the other moved toward the battlefield The only hope of Lady Iellaya finally actualizing her dreams of becoming one whole entity with all the potential she gathered could be here on the front lines endangering himself pointlessly

Just as he was thinking that Abiodun her the strange sound of hooves and turned around Then he sighed this bastard But at least his Skill can be used from a distance

Yet even as Abiodun thought that Randidly Ghosthound continued boldly forward while riding a strange creature that appeared to be made entirely from roots Behind him almost thirty knights riding strange almost insectoid camels came after him with their leafy spears raised toward the sky They painted a decidedly farcical picture

Huge shells of Nether continued to crash into the fractured stone ground of the frontlines but the entire column that Randidly was leading moved with surprising grace as they winded their way forward Even as the Nether bombs impacted the ground around them the group moved as sinuously as a cobra through the dangerous landscape of broken and scorched sandstone Abiodun was surprised to see that even RandidlyÆs two attendant images were attached to the end of the column following along with the same smoothness

There is a Skill here Abiodun thought with a frown A weak one but Skills that impact the battlefield are relatively rare Few people utilize one of their finite Skill slots for such an ability With his Willpower behind it pushing it toward an image

Yet Abiodun couldnÆt help but grow angry as Randidly clearly did not intend to slow down as he approached the Nether Beasts that were scrambling forward through the gaps in the heavy grey fortifications If something happened to him

At the very least the bombardment stops near the Nether Forces But if he doesnÆt turn around soon heÆs going to be smack dab in the middle of the enemy army

But Randidly did not slow down If anything he accelerated the root beast he was riding launching itself forward as he moved toward the Nether Beasts And his retinue seemed almost pulled to follow him accelerating behind in a long elastic line

A huge crab Nether Beast at the front of the invading force leapt into the air its six sharp arms stabbing downward toward Randidly Slowly RandidlyÆs gaze drifted upward toward the thing Without even missing a beat RandidlyÆs arm blurred into motion and the leafy spear he held flicked outward once twice four times six times knocking every attack harmlessly away

Which meant that the Nether Beast used that opening as Randidly defended the arms to rip downward with one of its huge claws aiming to physically crush his body and the weird root mount beneath him And just as casually as before Randidly reached up and deftly grabbed the claw with his metallic left arm

It was clear that Randidly trembled from the exertion but he stopped the blow dead Neither the strength of the beast nor the corrosion of the ambient Nether seemed to slow Randidly down at all And by the time the crab Nether Beast realized what had happened that leafy spear Randidly wielded punctured the crabÆs shell shattered its Nether core then bent and flicked the huge body to the side like it was a deflating balloon

In a blur of motion Randidly was gone moving rapidly forward to cut down Nether Beasts faster than they could realize he was coming for them He was a reaper of death leaving broken Nether Beasts and motes of drifting ash in his wake And his army followed him finishing off those he left wounded but living

AbiodunÆs expression was serious as he watched Randidly move In terms of image the effect is marginal at best but those movements his Agility Stat is over 1000 Or he possesses an upgraded version of Agility and a fucking good one

His craggy face grew more fractured and hesitant as he watched Randidly Ghosthound move like a ghost among the Nether Beasts His body twisted and contorted in impossible angles moving at speeds that left afterimages But is it truly so simple to have Agility reach that level while also being able to display that power with his potent root Skill and also he can create a Class for Lady Iellaya

Yet there was no argument quite as convincing as the truth So Abiodun simply stood still pinning down a helplessly furious Nether Gatekeeper and witnessing Randidly Ghosthound engaging the beasts in front of him directly

In terms of the beings below the Nether Gatekeeper tier of strength Randidly was practically unstoppable But that missed the point

If you didnÆt have a Nether Gatekeeper to slow him down Randidly might be able to wipe out the rest of the army all on his own And that filled Abiodun with a strange sense of fear

Chapter 1128

Of all the abrupt changes that Randidly had experienced in the world of the Nexus it was the sensation of having reached 1000 with his Agility that was the most pleasurable Nether Beasts roared and charged toward him but Randidly could calmly use his Agility and Control to manipulate Acri in small ways to intercept their attacks His body seemed supple and explosive The instant acceleration he could manage when he ever needed it was enough that most Nether Beasts were left dazed

Maybe itÆs the combination thatÆs the real reason Randidly reflected I already had Willpower across the boundary of a thousand but that generally functioned as a way to keep my images strong while being on the frontlines Willpower often worked alone to keep me alive But Control and Agility they are combining right now to make me practically unstoppable

A giant dog shaped Nether Beast lashed out aiming to rip into RandidlyÆs root mount with its fearsome teeth Randidly almost laughed Cutting sideways Randidly brought Acri directly across the beastÆs eyesÆ blinding it for a short second and allowing RandidlyÆs mount to step to the side

That small opening gave the opportunity for a tall Nether monstrosity to raise its arm to smash down at Randidly but RandidlyÆs left hand already was sliding down Acri With a sharp jab Randidly hit the Nether Beast in the chest with the butt of Acri At the very moment that the butt touched the Nether Beast however Randidly activated Man is Proud but the Chimera Takes His muscles with the acceleration of 1000 Agility exploded

Congratulations Your Skill Man is Proud but the Chimera Takes has grown to Level 181

For a split second all the sudden force of Spear Advances Ash Trails was transferred through Acri to this unfortunate Nether Beast Roaring in panic it could only tumble helplessly backward after having all that force transferred directly into its body And Randidly also noticed that the flesh of its torso ruptured and sprayed Nether goop on the ground

While RandidlyÆs attention shifted to the more immediate threats in front of them his Riders boldly rode forth and began to would and maim the Nether Beasts that were knocked to the side by the launched Nether BeastÆs wild trajectory

In addition not all of the energy was transferred to that Nether Beast Because Acri retained enough force to stab down into the body of a viper Nether Beast that was slithering closer The stab ripped through its scaly skin and cut sideways toward its core With obvious relish Acri smashed into the core shattered it and then devoured the experience

Shaking his slightly Randidly adjusted his seat on the root mount as he instructed it to continue to smoothly lope forward into the thickest grouping of Nether Beasts ItÆs for the best that I donÆt go over Level 50 before IÆm ready for it but is it really fine for Acri to so wildly devour experience

Obviously AcriÆs consumption was still much less than Randidly had gathered with his Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil on the day of his return This attack by the Nether forces seemed more of a probe than like the real vanguard assault that had been launched on the headquarters So perhaps Acri had only been able to get one fourth of the experience that Randidly had on his own

But still as Randidly gazed down at the positively humming Acri in his hands he could tell that there would be a qualitative change that came over the spear soon The tier of experience that they were now gathering with each foe was just different than what could be hunted for on Earth

Sulfur mewed piteously as though sensing RandidlyÆs thoughts Chuckling Randidly patted the grey torso covering sympathetically I know buddy But itÆs just not the sort of pressure that you can grow from ItÆs an existential threat you know An energy thing

SulfurÆs subsequent constriction across RandidlyÆs chest clearly conveyed that it did not know if that was correct because it hadnÆt been exposed to danger but RandidlyÆs attention was almost immediately pulled away by a huge overhand strike from a Nether Beast wielding a giant obsidian ax

Rare to see them use weapons Randidly reflected Even as his thought flitted across his mind his body was exploding into motion

But rather than dodge Randidly simply raised his hand and activated NetherÆs Caress Dense Nether energy flooded out of RandidlyÆs core and wrapped around his metallic left hand like a glove

Congratulations Your Skill NetherÆs Caress has grown to Level 112

Even though its face was largely featureless Randidly savored the obvious expression of shock that appeared as he stopped the Nether BeastÆs ax dead Whereas usually Aether and Nether colliding was a slippery strange interaction NetherÆs Caress allowed Randidly to meet the Nether Beast on its own terms And with four Nether cores fueling him

Like a javelin launched out of a cannon Acri screamed forward and split the Nether Beast open Its core became naught but dust and Randidly lashed left and right blindingly quick cutting through the ax wielders supporters and giving him some additional space to consider the broader battlefield Behind him his Riders continued to harry and strike but it was rapidly becoming obvious that unless they outnumbered Nether beasts four to one they werenÆt able to do much to the extra substantial enemies

Congratulations Your Skill Riders of the Baleful Court has grown to Level 117

Congratulations Your Skill Flowing Momentum has grown to Level 35

With a soft click RandidlyÆs mount launched him up onto a floating stone

Randidly had intentionally struck out at a dense grouping of Nether Beasts that was surging through a tight opening between two of the defensive fortifications Then Randidly had continued to push forward attacking the rather more spread out forces that waited beyond until he was able to hop up onto a large boulder floating only a few meters above the ground and survey the scene

Honestly the group Skill Flowing Momentum might be the only reason that the Riders were barely able to hold their own even after Randidly cracked the formation of the Nether Beasts wide open With space the Riders could maneuver around the Nether Beasts but their attacks werenÆt able to puncture the bubble of their energy Behind Randidly was mostly a cleanup crew even if the respectable number meant that they also protected RandidlyÆs back from being mobbed

Gaining twenty Skill Levels in only ten minutes really show the quality of the foe but itÆs going to take a lot more of this before Flowing Momentum has enough punch to turn the Riders into a real rival to Nether Beasts Randidly thought with a sigh Much more efficient just to use Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil but if I want to avoid gaining the experience from them

RandidlyÆs eyes began to glow better to just aim for maiming the Nether Beasts with the roots

Vualla stood on the dusty slope behind Commander TerithÆs fortifications using her extremely acute eyesight to follow RandidlyÆs figure as he swam through the chaotic battlefield

Strong Vualla thought And she couldnÆt deny that when she looked out over the battlefield she felt a flicker of envy at the easy grace that allowed him to be all but invulnerable among so many chaotic and hostile elements Truly strong

Honestly Vualla had always supposed that if RandidlyÆs images were so capable his body would be doubly so And there was also the realization that despite the fact they ultimately became less useful and effective than images at their Level returning to his body would mean that Randidly would receive the benefit of his Stats

Yet how could Vualla watch Randidly now without acknowledging how high his Stats must be Almost shockingly so Vualla had vaguely had a sense of superiority when viewing RandidlyÆs images previously but now

It was akin to admiring several gleaming ceremonial blades and then giving them to their true owner and watching them be used RandidlyÆs images had always been sharp but Vualla had easily recognized that they were not long or extremely sturdy blades As a solo image the blade that Randidly Ghosthound had wielded had seemed fragile The rigors of battle had rapidly worn it down

Yet now Vualla realized her mistake Although the blade of her image had been made primarily to crush and destroy Randidly Ghosthound did not aim for that with his images It was not an image that was designed to be overwhelmingly powerful No he relied on the flexibility and capability of his body in order to create an opening where that image could cut and bleed his opponents to death

More than that Vualla could only look at the way that Randidly used his images and realize that they might be geared toward killing right now but they were so much more than that She watched him utilize his Grim Chimera image to make small impossibly quick adjustments to avoid damage She witnessed his Yggdrasil image lash out and weaken the surround Nether Beasts with roots so his followers could finish the enemy off

She saw RandidlyÆs eyes glow with the emerald fire of his third image as he arranged a situation just so with soft touches and innocuous half steps so that Randidly seemed to just canter forward and his foes bled and fell and died in his wake

HeÆs a man who picked up the sword out of necessity Vualla understood as she watched him move Her eyes followed the minute adjustments of his hands and spear and the way they seemed so perfectly in sync with each other Both were beauty in motion death spun with gold and ash He seeks strength to accomplish his goals not to possess strength

Vualla wrapped her arms more tightly around herself Her eyes narrowed

Because it was clear that it wasnÆt stats that truly made Randidly strong They allowed him to display his abilities sure but it wasnÆt what made his blows heavy or his images so suddenly solid Watching him here it was clear that his images across the board had taken a qualitative step forward

No because Randidly had told her In bits and pieces he had hinted at it with his abilities when they went to fight against the Nether Gatekeeper

Randidly Ghosthound could use Nether Every one of his images was grounded in a way that Vualla had never seen before And it was so obviously powerful that Vualla was at a loss

And how much more can you grow Randidly Ghosthound Vualla thought tiredly Her wounded Fate throbbed and she clenched her fist And how long will I need to recover before I can stand by your side on the battlefield

Chapter 1129

If he continues to grow he will soon eclipse you in strength my dear And once he passes you well I donÆt have to explain do I

Vualla wasnÆt particularly surprised by Cail TweocsÆ sudden arrival nor did she worry overmuch about the fact that she hadnÆt noticed him approaching Of all the things that she had learned from the long six months training with him the obvious lesson was that Cail Tweocs was much more capable than he let on He might very well be the most powerful individual on the front lines aside from the newly arrived Nether King

You are smart girl Cail Tweocs purred I know what IÆm talking about More than anyone else in this fucked up war zone I can see how these events are going to play out Right now you are about to be left behind

And sometimes she wondered how vast that difference in power between Cail and the Nether King actually was

Vualla stayed silent simply casting Cail a sidelong glance He stood with his arms behind his back obviously intending to seem like a wise and trusted teacher to her After clearing his throat he continued But competition is the spice of youth It is not too late to act Use this opportunity to pull forth your vast potential Because I know that you have an advantage over that foolish boy

You Vualla are a killer Raised on death homegrown to seek vengeance against the Nether threat As long as you embrace those parts of your personality this so called competition

Cail trailed off giving Vualla a knowing smile

A killer Raised on death grown to seek vengeance VuallaÆs mind slowly turned those accusations over in her mind They were heavy like that had been cast from lead But she dutifully kept withheld her judgment and carefully inspected them

When she continued to remain silent and watch Randidly fighting amongst the Nether Beasts Cail favored her with an indulgent smirk Oh come on now Be honest with yourself Seizing strength strength enough to avenge your father has been your dream I know you girl Your current capabilities isnÆt it embarrassing How can you feel adequate when you keep watching people around you die And didnÆt that boy save you from death yourself

That finally got a reaction out of Vualla The muscles of her arms flexed and spasmed Clenching her jaw she lowered her gaze to the ground

Cail noticed her distress I honestly donÆt know how you act friendly with him when there is a sea of jealousy seething inside of you Suppressing that darkness is not a smart choice girl You crave that power he has You would do anything to possess the same It galls you that you canÆt even protect yourself You hate yourself for being weak Just admit it

Vualla could see exactly what Cail was talking about The same way that she sleepwalked through her life before she met Randidly Ghosthound she saw how she could slip back into that same dozing state and follow CailÆs logic

Her dream was to reunite with her father Yet he had died Her ultimate goal was to destroy the System And yet even these minor figures within the hierarchy of Nether were enough to wound her so much that

VuallaÆs right hand tightened Her Fate throbbed

It would be so easy to hate herself for her weakness To pick at all the chances that Vualla had to grow stronger or to make some other choice and be stricken by fear that the next time that those chances would come around that she would miss them just as surely It would be simple to let the fear of failure and her sense of inferiority drown her

It would have been so easy to be swayed by the threat of punishment and not go on that walk to visit her father after the first time his camp had been attacked And if she hadnÆt gone she likely would have regretted it for the rest of her life Had she been alone she likely would have been too worried about the consequences to move from the camp

But Vualla hadnÆt been alone Randidly had been there And to him it was the most natural thing in the world to follow her on a walk for now more reason than she wanted to go

It was an affirmation that Vualla had needed for years without even noticing it And it had changed her life

Not that you should worry about this shitbag surpassing you for long Cail Tweocs chuckled IÆve seen thousands of fools just like this They flash brightly now but their luck always runs out Someday soon Randidly Ghosthound will die

And you you might be weak and jealous now but IÆve seen the Path you can follow As long as you are willing to listen to me and put in the work

Vualla forced her fingers to loosen her grip on her arms so they dropped and swung at her sides Very carefully she breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth ThatÆs not true

Immediately CailÆs expression turned gloating The more you deny it the more you hurt yourself Are you so immature that you feel threatened by honesty You are jealous and weak Heh and here I had thought

Randidly wonÆt die Vualla said quietly She raised her gaze and found him immediately blazing like a verdant sun as he led his strange riders back around toward Lady IellayaÆs camp IÆm not saying IÆm not weak I am But you know IÆm getting stronger every day Because of him

That part of me that cares the motivation for my growth ThatÆs growing stronger every day VuallaÆs Fate throbbed again but it was the warm itch of a scab slowly starting to heal over

Are you doubting me Cail clicked his tongue I know you better than you know yourself You think this random boy knows how much you cried for your father after he left you How you sobbed as brother after brother went to the front lines and never returned I know how your motherÆs soul left her body and you were raised by a husk of a person And thatÆs why you need to listen to me

Oh shut up Vualla said in irritation IÆm not following the Path you want Do you really think that my entire life is defined by the fact that my daddy left me Please It fucking hurt of course And now seeing father die I donÆt know if IÆll ever fully heal But life goes on

Cail looked blankly at her for several seconds S so you admit it That you All that pain you have thatÆs what you need to turn into power And not just your own pain everyoneÆs Every soul on this battlefield You know how to grasp it donÆt you I bet if itÆs you you can sense their lingering emotions If itÆs you they can become fuel YouÆve likely already felt

ThatÆs what this has been about the whole time Vualla said in wonder You youÆve always known YouÆve always pushed me toward that realization That I can steal the life energy of beings as they die and take it for my own And youÆve pushed me to stretch myself so I would feel like I would not have any choice that I needed it And that it was justified to take that energy That since they were dead anyway there was no ethical dilemma to speak of

Why are you being difficult Cail Tweocs snapped He leaned toward Vualla and leered at her Vualla could see his mind spinning as he backpedaled to a past conversation Can you not see it as you look at him In a short amount of time that boyÆs power will grow explosively Everything youÆve ever wanted will be his How long have you lived with the absence of your father How long have you craved for him to notice you And before you got the chance your father was killed Everything is lost Fight for what you want you stupid bitch

Hah Again do you really think that people are so simple Vualla said with a flinty smile Is this the best you can come up with Was I someone who responded well to threats

But now CailÆs temper had been ignited When he jabbed his finger at Vualla she couldnÆt help but grunt as some of his formidable power leaked out and smashed against her I know your life You stupid cunt everything you are everything you could be All these souls are in the palm of your hand And you are wasting it If you know about the path to power what are you waiting for

CailÆs lip curled upward His aura began to rumble ominously and Vualla was forced to grit her teeth Her Fate spasmed once more Are you going to tell me itÆs love That you fell in love with this foolish Earthling and suddenly you are willing to waste all of your potential To throw away every bit of your dreams What fickle creatures are women How flighty and emotional DonÆt mind me then if I squash you like a bug so I donÆt have the distinct displeasure of staring at the disappointment of your existence any longer

YouÆll regret killing me Vualla said softly

Heh if I donÆt know you there is no way you can know me I already regret making you Cail muttered as he raised his hand A very rare mistake indeed I suppose it was always a risky gamble

All the palpable energy of CailÆs aura concentrated on his hand Her instincts immediately began to hum warning her away from that hand Yet for a split second Vualla considered remaining silent in the face of her imminent death

She was so tired All her life had been building toward a reunion that could no longer happen Her father was dead All her strength ended up being useless It was likely due to the damage to her Fate but for the last few days Vualla also couldnÆt seem to muster up much of a will for revenge This was a war where the lines might shift but tragedy was inescapable Hating the enemy that only fought because of its obvious hatred toward the forces of Aether left Vualla numb and tingling

And yet as Cail TweocsÆ had his hand raised high above his hairless head some part of Vualla stirred When her Fate trembled it was that same warm itching of a healing wound And she saw RandidlyÆs solemn eyes

If I can be wounded then I can heal I cannot just give up

Not now

This life is finally mine That Path Cail Tweocs wants me to take he canÆt force me to choose it

I can live how I want I can live without sacrificing everything for strength

Yet to get Cail to stop only one method came to VuallaÆs mind To prove him wrong If she could just prove she was right about one thing Cail would withdraw and reconsider And with that chance

Well Vualla wasnÆt sure what would change But she was absolutely sure that something would All she needed was the opportunity A secret floated to the surface of her mind in that long drawn out moment as Vualla looked at the execution hanging over her A secret of RandidlyÆs One that wasnÆt hers to share

And as she opened her mouth she hesitated If I say this and people learn about this Randidly

There was a warm hand suddenly on her back Her Fate began twitching rapidly Vualla could hear RandidlyÆs voice in her ear

If the situations were reversed and there was a secret about you that I could share to survive would you want me to say it

VuallaÆs jaw clenched Obviously but would you do it Would you betray my trust

The warm handprint on her back intensified WouldnÆt you want me to Is that desire less important than our individual pride

Vualla closed her eyes

Just before Cail was about to strike Vualla spoke softly into the air freezing the man who was much much more powerful than she was even though she didnÆt open her eyes Do you know why Randidly is so strong And why he wonÆt die

Cail paused He slowly raised his hand back toward its starting position and looked toward the battlefield with a serious expression For a second the duo considered the form of Randidly Ghosthound easily ripping through the three and four star Nether Beasts Then a wicked smile that stretched from ear to ear emerged on CailÆs face Yes yes I do That boy has a secret so powerful that even someone like me was tempted His body is an entire world He

YouÆre wrong Chuckling Vualla shook her head Then she shrugged as her eyes opened and she faced Cail with a clear gaze Well perhaps you are not But I think you are missing the point Look at how the power flows through him He is entirely connected with his subordinates With his body with his images Everything he does is slippery smooth When he fights he doesnÆt have several independent images they are all woven together

what is your point Cail said quietly But Vualla knew that he saw it now Slowly his hand began to drift downward toward his side

I donÆt know much about the Xyrt Brigade but I bet you have a lot of strategic grade intel on the fight against the Nether Vualla said casually Like the greatest strength of the Nether the connections between its forces That they can move their entire force across the entire Nether empire in a split second because of that powerful interconnective infrastructure If you unfocus your gaze canÆt you see the same qualities present in Randidly

Finally Cail Tweocs fell silent

You donÆt know us Cail Vualla said quietly She flipped her hair over her shoulder and straightened Maybe you are very very good at predicting Maybe you can see our pasts with perfect clarity But the past isnÆt the future It has to pass through the present first and this present it’s a magical thing

Cail spat to the side

Now if you will excuse me Vualla flashed a bright smile at Cail I need to go offer my congratulations We won this battle And the war is a much bigger thing than the two of us but I think that one victory in this battle is exactly how we want to start

Chapter 1130

Randidly glanced sideways at Vualla then looked at the grave in front of them He shifted from foot to foot wondering what to say to the lovely and exhausted woman next to him But then the Grim Chimera stirred inside of him urging him to stillness

This was not a moment when Randidly should fill the air with words Besides Randidly felt so incredibly connected to Vualla as they stood side by side There seemed to be a burning warmth running between them that filled the air with building electricity It was along this connection that Randidly could so clearly feel the emotions that surged through Vualla

Her exhaustion her sadness her hesitation and a newer feeling a deep guilt But there was also a resolve in Vualla that had the Grim Chimera buzzing with energy

Vualla interlocked the heavy fingers of her gauntlets and bowed her head in front of the grave of her father Randidly stood beside her and waited feeling a vast and vague guilt that was all his own swirling around in his chest It would not be long until he could no longer avoid this issue

No sooner had Randidly returned from the clash against the Nether Beasts with his Riders than Vualla had turned up and asked if they could talk Seeing her solemn azure eyes and feeling the strange empathy that burned between them Randidly was almost helpless to reject her And he was also slightly shocked to notice that Vualla had somehow grown to possess five and a half stars Despite the fact that that the array was currently engaged in its defensive mode

But there were so many strange things pulling at RandidlyÆs attention that was one that he let drift away as more pressing matters kept rearing their heads Like the cauldron of emotions being mixed in his chest as he looked at the long messy braid of azure hair down VuallaÆs back

So he had followed Vualla back out of the area between Lady Iellaya and Commander TerithÆs camp walking to the vast graveyard below headquarters

Honestly Randidly had walked past the graveyard before but it was another thing entirely to walk amongst the tall graves for the Commander and the low pits they kept for the foot soldiers and remain calm This place was heavy with death that even Tellus wasnÆt able to match And the difference was simply the depth of history that it had

This place had seen too many souls perish That energy seemed like a physical thing weighing on Randidly and Vualla as they walked calmly toward their destination Weirdly the energy of it seemed to follow them swirling like a building hurricane above their heads

When they had arrived Vualla had remained silent and Randidly did not begrudge her this But as he stood before the grave of VuallaÆs father RandidlyÆs thoughts shifted from their current situation and turned ominous Because he wondered whether when he returned to Earth after fighting on the frontlines he would need to bury his own father for his sins

A man who so directly grew stronger from killing likely Ezekiel Ghosthound would love living on the frontlines This was the sort of place where those dangerous impulses could be turned against a foe But on Earth especially while the planet was in a state of peace that man was just a liability

Randidly pressed his eyes together But he did save that woman I just wish I had more information

Blinking Randidly looked around Vualla was staring at him with her brow furrowed That strange heavy energy of death that had been around them was abruptly gone Releasing a breath Randidly waved a hand IÆm fine I was just this is insensitive to say but I was wondering how long it will be until I stand in front of my own fatherÆs grave He he is not a good man I might when I go back to my home planet

Seriously What the fuck are you saying to someone in front of their own fatherÆs grave Randidly thought as his mouth continued to blithely pull the focus from VuallaÆs pain to his own theoretical pain in the future

But to his surprise Vualla just smiled He felt the warmth passing between them pulse reassuringly Randidly relax I can I know how concerned you are for me And also I feel how truly worried about your father you are But I think you are misunderstanding something my father was not a good man either If he had been

A tear made a break from the corner of VuallaÆs eye aiming for her chin and then escape to the wide world But she rubbed it away with her heavy gauntlet before it had made it to freedom if he had been it wouldnÆt have ended like this And I

Then Vualla shook her head and laughed helplessly And honestly that wasnÆt really what I was asking YouÆve been I donÆt know different since you came back from the Great Rift How long did you spend there Did something happen It feels like something happened That you arenÆt telling me

It was a year and a half Randidly said slowly But after a hesitation he followed those words up with pressing his lips together Obviously he couldnÆt say that nothing had changed especially with the way that he treated her She would see he was lying in a second That warmth running between them would reveal him in a heartbeat And then if she asked what had changed

Nothing had really changed

RandidlyÆs budding feelings toward Vualla had just been faced with a truth about the Vualla in front of him

And that had changed his perspective Which changed everything

Vualla sighed as though she had watched the entirety of RandidlyÆs past few thoughts play out across his face Some of the light in her eyes dimmed maybe I really am just being emotional Ever since I fought that Nether Gatekeeper I came up barely short you know And now with my Fate being injured

how long will it take to recover Randidly asked glad to hop on this tangent

Vualla shrugged but some of that brightness returned to her eyes Then she began to carefully unbuckle her gauntlets Here IÆll show you ThereÆs already a bit of crystallization along the edges of the wound Which means its changing likely to something not as pure But you know I almost think itÆs better this way Because as it heals it feels like IÆm growing Growing in a way that well considering the weird sleepwalking IÆve done through the rest of my life seemed impossible

With a heavy crash VuallaÆs left gauntlet fell to the dusty ground Then she began to work at her right gauntlet RandidlyÆs breath caught in his throat

Something clicked into place in his mind as he watched her working with the gauntlets to reveal her Fate In that instant the Grim ChimeraÆs heart trembled Even Randidly couldnÆt help but feel a vast sense of loss as he stared almost blind at VuallaÆs serious expression as she removed her equipment

Suddenly several things Randidly knew connected He had known VuallaÆs identity was unique But he hadnÆt known

The second gauntlet hit the ground

The truth that the main body had brought back with it that led to such a conflict with the Grim ChimeraÆs emotions stemmed from a relatively simple premise that the individual who had taken an interest in ShalÆs world and Randidly by extension was the same one interfering with his arrival to the frontlines

It wasnÆt even a clever anagram Cail Tweocs

Ileot Swacc

Or more importantly the nickname that Randidly had been given for this individual

Ileot Swacc the Duplicator

And what does he duplicate

In front of the slightly numb Randidly Vualla began to pull something off of her right hand God I wish my Fate would heal as quickly as my palm did

A person And if Ileot Swacc did duplicate someone he would duplicate someone who would get close to me Does he control the person It doesnÆt seem like thatÆs the case because duplicationÆ doesnÆt usually involve modification but itÆs impossible to tell And if he simply hasnÆt been exercising that control thus far

Vualla offered the fingerless leather glove she removed from her right hand to Randidly with a teasing smile ItÆs a very intimate thing you know to let someone else touch your Fate They say you can see someoneÆs secret desires that way

RandidlyÆs own right hand was burning as he carefully reached with his left arm and took the glove from Vualla There was a large hole in the center of the leather glove The soft brown material was so intimately familiar And as Vualla had indicated crystals had begun to form on the edges of the hole perhaps indicating that it would soon heal inward

Looking solemnly at the glove RandidlyÆs mind continued to race It was rapidly becoming obvious that he had been altogether too self absorbed in his initial assumptions about the duplication

Even if Ileot Swacc had duplicated someone to get close to Randidly Ileot Swacc was someone who was playing a much larger game that just Randidly The person he would duplicate would serve multiple purposes for him Vualla was more than just an individual who Ileot suspected of possessing compatibility with Randidly She also was someone who had a very high potential for growth And for a very specific type of growth

Which explained why Vualla had somehow risen to the six Nether core level even while the grand array was turned toward defense instead of growth Because she

Randidly pressed his eyes together The glove in the trunk that had saved RandidlyÆs life was VuallaÆs Fate from the original Vualla who had lived an untold number of years in the past And also Randidly suddenly knew why the Aether around the glove felt so ancient and so familiar It wasnÆt because he had met Vualla because the Aether of the herÆ Randidly interacted with hadnÆt yet developed that distinct flavor

But there was a distinct tang to the Aether that Randidly immediately recognized as having been submerged in at the frontlines The Aether on the ancient Fate was the Aether of the grand array that condensed the Nether stars

Randidly shook his head helplessly A brief conversation from the first time that Randidly had met Vualla popped into his head

Is there an upper limit on Nether stars then Randidly had asked aloud

So someoneÆs gotten all the way to ten huh

Vualla had shaken her head causing her braid to bound back and forth across her shoulders No I think the actual record is eight stars After that the individual couldnÆt even move properly and retired from the frontlines

Frowning Randidly asked Then why did you just say ten

I honestly donÆt know An instinct maybe Vualla flashed Randidly a smile

An instinct or a subconscious memory from a past life And Randidly wasnÆt sure what the relationship between Vualla and the array was but some part of him knew that it did not mean rosy things for ancient VuallaÆs health or sanity

Randidly is something wrong YouÆve just been Vualla trailed off Then of all things she blushed Uh itÆs not true that you can see my desires in my Fate right Maybe you should just give it back

Randidly passed it back over unsure of what to say And as she looked at his expression her eyes crinkled at the corners in sorrow As the blushing face cracked Randidly realized that it had been a forced joke Something to push away the heavy truth that lay between them

With the steady beat of a heart that warmth that connected the two of them pulsed with the truth of what they felt Fear surged up from the bottom of VuallaÆs heart spreading through the connection between them After licking her lips Vualla spoke So so itÆs true I started to have my suspicions after talking to Cail today but

Vualla did her best to smile Tears coursed down her cheeks IÆm IÆm not real am I

Chapter 1131

IÆm IÆm not real am I

In those few words that Vualla said Randidly felt an existential exhaustion that he could only barely comprehend from his months struggling along as solely an image It was a question asked with the raw vulnerability of one who is about to collapse

Randidly opened his mouth before she even finished asking the question Where his emotions might be in a tumult his instincts were not YouÆre real Vualla

Perhaps it was because Randidly had lived a lonely childhood where being ignored and dismissed was common There were times he had looked at the dusty mirror in his dark bedroom and wondered what he had done wrong to be so universally isolated To that reflection partially obscured by a t shirt hanging over the mirror frame Randidly had asked repeatedly what he had done to deserve this

And in fits and starts Randidly had learned that these dark emotions and whims of fate were all just fear wearing the guise of truth The walls he had built were hollow designed to reassure him that his current state was not his own fault And in fact the fake walls he built were the very reasons that such long shadows lay across his Path

Yet then the System arrived and gave him another shot The necessity of survival slowly guided Randidly to knock down all the mental and emotional blocks he had placed over himself And the whole process had been liberating To the point that Randidly remained conflicted over the fact that the System brought significant benefits to his life

Yet now to see Vualla struggle against that same loneliness and to realize that everything Randidly felt about being singled out and doomed as a child was actually true for this Vualla

No I will not let this happen Heat and certainty spun in RandidlyÆs chest Outloud he repeated himself although some part of him knew it was just as much for himself as for her YouÆre real Vualla

When Vualla looked up at him her eyes were glassy and hollow She released great gusting breaths her shoulders rising and falling with each exhale But

YouÆre real Randidly replied again even more firm this time His own breaths accelerated as that heat in his chest rose to the point that it seared his chest and constructed his lungs It seemed like fire was jumping back forth between them pounding and urging their hearts to accelerate along with the heat of the connection YouÆre real

Vualla blinked There were tears in her azure eyes as her gaze lowered back down to the ground Randidly you donÆt need to

YouÆre just as real as I am Vualla Randidly hissed But the violence and urgency of his words surprised him He could feel the Grim Chimera raising his head and howling in fury gnashing his teeth toward fate In addition Randidly couldnÆt claim to have any understanding of how someone could do something as powerful as duplicating a person Especially when it seemed likely that the person in question was already dead

But even if he had suspected that Vualla was something else to face that truth now

And even if RandidlyÆs breath hitched for a second and he allowed the air in his lungs to hiss out toward the ground Then he derailed that sentence and continued to let his words tumble off his tongue and into the air between them No matter what we can find a way

The word was so heavy with genuine bemusement and not a little impatience that it stopped Randidly dead And so Randidly slowly looked back up at met her gleaming eyes Vualla was still crying but she rolling her eyes with a fragile smile traced across her mouth We arenÆt children anymore We are soldiers right We need to face the truth Of what I am ItÆs only if we do that we can

Fuck truth Randidly whispered and he meant those words more than he had meant anything in a long time To his surprise he was smiling widely at Vualla and her own smile grew in response

Because this was what caught the Grim ChimeraÆs eye and now pulled Randidly closer to Vualla There were times where it was very difficult to be strong This was one of those times Yet now here even as Randidly was doing his best to reassure Vualla it only took a few seconds for her to shake herself out of the tragedy that gripped her and turn her empathy toward him

Fuck truth Randidly said again

Vualla shook her head We already have said that we will be the ones to tear down the Nexus and now you want to upend reality Randidly Ghosthound I almost suspect you are simply talking a big game to try and impress a lady during her moment of distress Which would make you quite the opportunist

So you are saying this is an opportunity RandidlyÆs mouth boldly replied even as his mind scrambled to keep up

Vualla blinked and then blushed

That heat between them intensified further Randidly could feel the two Fates the same Fate that disfigured glove roaring between them as they were soon carried away by the growing heat and smolder But it was only when the heat began to spiral around the two of them that Randidly realized it wasnÆt just emotions that he felt It was desire and affection and shared loss and shared discovery and shared sense of powerlessness It was a craving to change the world

It was a prayer

The Nether Ritual

RandidlyÆs concentration on the heat was broken when Vualla brought her fist slowly up and bumped it into his chin But then after the skin was touching she held her knuckles there pressed against the rough stubble along his jaw DonÆt be dumb Wanting something canÆt make it so

But you can feel how much I want it Randidly breathed and he wasnÆt sure exactly what they were talking about anymore Maybe it was the moment seeing the iron of VuallaÆs spine emerge even as she was forced to question her own existence but a strange explicit honesty was born in him as he stared at her annoyance in her scrunched up nose and furrowed eyebrows And that matters

Is this me talking or the Grim Chimera Randidly wondered The Grim Chimera chuckled

Is there a difference between us

Some less emotional parts of Randidly felt stirred to action This is a bad idea Becoming further involved in Vualla

But look at her now proud and defiant against her doom Randidly shivered Even if itÆs an act I refuse to take a step back now Not when she fights against the same tyranny of the corrupt power of the Nexu that I want to end

Then the Grim Chimera opened its eyes and sneered toward the less emotional parts of Randidly And in terms of bad ideas how does this compare to challenging the entire System

Vualla leaned forward and pressed her forehead against RandidlyÆs collarbone All his swirling thoughts were blasted away by the impact Before she leaned forward Randidly hadnÆt even realized how close they had gotten Yet what really struck him at that moment was how much warmer her skin was than even the heat of the Nether Ritual humming between them She was on fire

I might just be an image Vualla muttered into RandidlyÆs chest All he could see as he looked down was the long mane of azure hair that covered the top of her head And we both know that no matter how powerful the image it isnÆt the same as possessing a physical body I might fade eventually

I But Randidly stopped that part of him that he shared with the Grim Chimera from speaking It was the part that urged him to say something grand and romantic and confirm all of the swirling emotions into something straightforward that could be stated in three words It demanded a strong stance be taken against those hesitations he still had

But that was just fear To overcompensate was not the answer So Randidly settled himself down as best as he could slowly being devoured by the heat from VuallaÆs close proximity

And things werenÆt simple between them There was so much that Randidly didnÆt know about Vualla And even if he wanted to learn those things that didnÆt mean that there wouldnÆt be answers that made him sad or jealous or disappointed in her They barely knew each other To move to grandly now would be to ignore all the normal pitfalls of becoming close to someone due to the existential pitfall of what Vualla was

So following the Grim ChimeraÆs aggressive instincts in speaking was not what Randidly wanted to do Instead he thought about his own uneven and frenetic relationship history He thought about the pursuit of Sydney and his time with Tessa The Nether cores in RandidlyÆs chest hummed and began to slow in their rotation

There was a buzzing and Randidly was back standing in his sun drenched yard looking up at SydneyÆs elbows as she leaned out the window and watched him He was back in the messy dorm room at Rawlands University And at that moment Randidly could remember with incredible clarity what he had wanted to hear when he was at his most lonely and isolated

It boiled down to one single thing

He had wanted Sydney to acknowledge there was a meaningful connection with him

He had wanted Tessa to acknowledge that she was just as unhappy in their awkward relationship as he was

He had wanted them both to tell the truth in their hearts But he had been too afraid to ask for it or force them to reveal it So both in the yard and in the dorm room he had turned away and continued to live He had hoped these things would reveal themselves with time

Everyone deserves the truth Especially Vualla Especially considering Randidly pressed his eyes closed Because although people sometimes became very skilled at lying to others you could never truly lie to yourself And the truth your paranoid heart created would terrorize you worse than almost anything imaginable would be able to manage To leave her alone with that suspected truth and provide vague platitudes was the worst disservice that Randidly could do

When he opened mouth to speak he felt Vualla shiver As someone who spent a lot of time in the past year as an image I can say with assurance that I wonÆt treat you any different if you end up just being an image

And what if I end up being a puppet What if everything I say even now is meant to manipulate you

Randidly laughed hollowly Then I think the mastermind behind this is a damn bit smarter than I would have guessed

Vualla raised her head slightly and then brought her head back down on RandidlyÆs shoulder in a headbutt DonÆt joke

IÆm not joking Now Randidly smirked wickedly I obviously wasnÆt there but my image Yggdrasil was CailÆs face when he realized that my physical body had escaped you could have fit an ostrich egg through his mouth His bald head was covered in sweat He is not an emotional chessmaster

Hah Vualla released a laugh that sounded more like a sigh I wish I could have seen it So now what

Randidly turned and looked at the grave of VuallaÆs father Then he turned again to face out toward the Great Rift Intermittent comets of Nether continued to rain down along the frontlines concentrated primarily toward the edges The war hadnÆt waited at all for their private drama Well itÆs not like the Nether invasion will stop now that we we have learned about you There are still battles oof

Vualla brought her fist into RandidlyÆs stomach with enough force to cause him to release a breath She lifted her head from RandidlyÆs shoulder and glared at him Her eyes were red rimmed and intent No Not the battlefront Just this IÆm IÆm not what you thought right I might feel like I have a body but

After furiously rubbing the tears out of her eyes Vualla continued to speak S so this is your chance to well to return to something normal You can just walk away from me if you think itÆs too dangerous Because neither of us really knows what I am I mean shit if I was a really an image why can I

With both hands Vuall reached up and grabbed RandidlyÆs shoulders She began to lean forward and before Randidly could respond their face was only inches apart At the last moment it seemed like the physical and emotional ramifications of what was about to happen hit Vualla and she just hung there inches away with her mouth open and her eyes widening

It feels so real Vualla muttered But from the way she said it it was more for herself than him

SheÆs right though this could all be more manipulation Even if Aether Detection canÆt pick up anything suspicious doesnÆt mean itÆs not there Randidly admitted to himself But then he finished leaning forward the rest of the way toward Vualla and bridging the gap between them His lips pressed against hers

VuallaÆs lips were warm What felt like a second later there was a tremor that shook Vualla from her head to her toes Randidly could distantly feel her fingers tighten on SulfurÆs shoulder protections Tighten so much that Sulfur cooed in pleasure

The Grim Chimera roared Heat wove together and tightened into a knot that left the two of them bound

Then Randidly leaned back They were no longer touching but the distance between them still felt entirely bridged The air buzzed

Maybe youÆre right but Randidly licked his lips as he looked at Vualla You can be afraid most of the time but if you claim to be alive you cannot be afraid all of the time So letÆs not run away

Twisting her mouth Vualla punched Randidly again But it was a light blow

Chapter 1132

Hours later still mildly tipsy from the excitement of the encounter Randidly studied the note that Abiodun had given to him while he stood at the open flaps to his tent Although the content was vague it did a lot to cool RandidlyÆs outlook for the day

I think itÆs time we talk Meet me below the Great Rift in three hours

You donÆt have to go Abiodun rumbled Then he folded his arms across his broad chest Lady Iellaya will stand behind you in this There is a present threat of Nether attacks Going to the Great Rift at a time like this it is a bad idea

No I should go Randidly said quietly Emerald fire danced around his fingers and consumed the note in a heartbeat Ash spun around his hand and drifted down to the ground There really is a lot for us to talk about

Congratulations Your Skill Ignition of the Emerald Essence has grown to Level 142

Cail Tweocs is a member of the Xyrt Brigade and also has close ties with Lord Miln If this is another attempt to take your life

Randidly raised a hand Believe me I wouldnÆt put myself in danger if I wasnÆt sure

Which isnÆt true at all a more pessimistic portion of Randidly thought sourly Are you sure about Vualla And you still kissed her And now you keep thinking about kissing her again And despite you putting on a stern face arenÆt you only going to meet him in order to find out what she is

Are you dancing on the palm of Ileot Swacc even now

AbiodunÆs eyes continued their eerie independent waxing and waning I suppose you must certainly be sure then At the very least I will be patrolling the surrounding area during your meeting If there are any energy reverberations IÆll know something is wrong and proceed to your position immediately

Forcing a smile Randidly said So now IÆm deserving of the VIP treatment now that I have a body eh

AbiodunÆs face didnÆt even twitch Please remember that we have made a considered investment on your behalf several times An investment from which we havenÆt yet seen any yield You will forgive me if I find your callous disregard for your life rather disturbing And if it makes me pessimistic about your usefulness to Lady Iellaya

Eventually after several more stern warnings Abiodun left Some part of Randidly wanted to use the intervening two hours before his meeting to train his images but the combination of the tingling buzz from kissing Vualla and the heavy weight of the meetings that lay before him kept RandidlyÆs focus consistently distracted

Now was not a good time for growth Some part of him was simply waiting Waiting to understand the magnitude of what he had done by kissing Vualla

You followed your emotions Randidly thought tiredly to himself You followed the clear beauty of a moment where despite staring a daunting truth about her own existence in the face she turned to me and lifted her chin She had an unrelenting strength that made me just let everything else go

Randidly pressed his eyes closed But now itÆs time to find out the truth IÆm just surprised that it is happening this smoothly Who would have thought that Ileot Swacc would be the one to seek me out But I think that it definitely confirms that he still has some skin in the game

Time crawled by apparently free of the web of tension that knotted across RandidlyÆs chest cavity The moments plopped like heavy stones creating chaotic ripples through him Even when there was still an hour remaining until the appointed time Randidly couldnÆt take it anymore He huffed out a breath and hopped lightly to his feet After checking every inch of his equipment Randidly calmly left his tent and began to head toward the Great Rift

The further he got from his tent the more his legs accelerated The ground around him began to warp and blur

But as he was walking his attention was tugged toward his right hand which now was conspicuously uncovered Also was there meaning to giving Vualla her own Fate Or I suppose the important question is whether there was any danger to doing so Even when Vualla touched it the Fate was largely unresponsive Yet to have both Fates so close together

Then RandidlyÆs eyes flashed Also the older version of the FateÆs wound was similar but not exactly the same And it possesses none of the budding crystallization that is slowly healing this iteration of the Fate who exactly was the original Vualla

Of course this question was exactly why Randidly was willing to take the risk of meeting Ileot Swacc Or rather it would be more accurate to say that without the aura of the term DuplicatorÆ Randidly would do his best to keep interactions with a powerful member of the Nexus like Ileot to an absolute minimum And only have them in environments where he had a much more reliable safety net than Abiodun

Capable he may be but this was a whole order of magnitude beyond the vice Commander in one of the many frontlines

Even a day ago RandidlyÆs response to the invitation would have been extremely different The feeling of VuallaÆs lips on his own the warmth and the electric current that froze their physical bodies for the brief moment while the emotions ran rampant and the newfound course of RandidlyÆs life all meant that he refused to miss this chance

Perhaps because Randidly feared the worst And if Vualla was truly a puppet of Ileot Randidly wished to find out as soon as possible Otherwise

Randidly shook his head and accelerated forward The ground began to fall away and seethe beneath him as he moved toward the edges the land controlled by Aether forces

To RandidlyÆs surprise Ileot was already standing there at the edge of the Great Rift when Randidly started traversing the broken ground fully a half hour before the agreed upon time Again RandidlyÆs eyes flashed Truly it seemed like the meeting was just as important an event for both of them Which implied that Randidly would have some leverage to get the information he wanted out of Ileot

It was just a matter of figuring out what IleotÆs goal was

As Randidly hopped over a deep fissure in the ground he studied Ileot Currently Ileot was wearing the same slight hairless form that he had taken when he used the name Cail Tweocs Which made Randidly wonder whether this was his natural form or that Ileot felt no need to reveal what he looked like to Randidly Either way there was unfortunately no way to leverage what he looked like for more information

Ileot Swacc still didnÆt turn as Randidly began to rapidly stride forward flexing the muscles of his legs to make each of his steps cover a dozen meters It was only when the two figures were right next to each other both looking into the vast darkness above them that Ileot Swacc cleared his throat

You came quickly Good I suppose that means you understand how important an issue this is

Randidly slowly nodded yes

Ileot gave Randidly an amused look then continued to pipe up in that high pitched voice of his Heh you are probably wondering why I invited you here Or rather you are probably wondering what my game is And who I am The truth is I am not Cail Tweocs I am not a member of the Xyrt Brigade My true name is

Ileot Swacc Randidly said softly Some part of him considered hiding his knowledge but there didnÆt seem to be any real point to doing so And Randidly was quite looking forward to IleotÆs face when he revealed that he knew who he was

IleotÆs gape didnÆt disappoint Eh Am I truly so well known that you have heard of me I suppose I shouldnÆt be surprised

Randidly spoke again interrupting a line that seemed to be veering toward boasting Ileot Swacc the Duplicator Who who duplicated Vualla an ancient warrior

Ha Truly you have caught me by surprise with your knowledge Ileot rubbed his chin This will go much easier if you already know this much Yes with Aether that Lord Miln borrowed from the frontline I duplicated Vualla I created a replica that was supposed to quickly make back the invested Aether or at least return the Aether in a more potent form that would make up for the lost efficiency And yet

Ileot’s face twisted into a leer That didnÆt happen did it The project was largely a cover to explain my existence without revealing that I was here to study you but it seems that this project has cost me quite a lot without netting me any benefits

Clenching his fists Randidly tensed up as IleotÆs eyes burned with naked avarice As soon as their gazes met Randidly felt a physical weight settle on his shoulders The air around them stilled and the ground underneath RandidlyÆs feet groaned ominously A split second later it cracked a hair thin branching crack revealing the strain from IleotÆs gaze was a physical presence

The moment stretched between them a rope rapidly fraying as two forces pulled at it without budging Then just as Randidly was marshaling his Willpower to activate his own images to resist IleotÆs overwhelming force all of the pressure in the air faded Ileot Swacc sighed

However I do not blame you for how things turned out Rather it would have been a miracle if things went as I had wished them to go No one knows better than I how temperamental a power I possess So if you came here afraid I would seeking vengeance You can relax In fact I would much prefer for you to think of me as an ally

The Grim Chimera immediately wanted to rip Ileot SwaccÆs face off for so casually asking to be thought of as an ally when Ileot was clearly aiming for RandidlyÆs body but Randidly restrained that impulse Although he largely agreed that the notion of being an ally with Ileot was nonsense that didnÆt mean there wasnÆt value in keeping things civil between them

When he spoke RandidlyÆs voice was cool As long as our interests align I donÆt think we need to remain antagonistic toward each other

Apparently RandidlyÆs phrasing didnÆt escape IleotÆs notice but the hairless man just smirked Indeed Such a relief to hear And I can understand that it will be difficult to build trust between us but I would like to take the first step and build our relationship by sharing two truths

The first IÆve already given to you Ileot held up a finger and leaned forward As I said earlier I am not actually a member of the Xyrt Brigade And let me tell you they would not be happy to hear that I said that I was They hmph even to their elders they are a group of entitled little shits Not that they are all so powerful as to threaten me but there some among their number even I would avoid So me admitting this to you can be considered an act of good faith

While Randidly was slowly digesting this first piece of information Ileot held up a second finger And the second thing I would like to tell you the story of Vualla and why I chose to duplicate her Then afterward we can finally talk business

Chapter 1133

Randidly lifted his chin at the tone in IleotÆs voice when he said businessÆ but he didnÆt comment He was too busy struggling with the rising tide of excitement that had surged forward as Ileot so readily stated that he would tell the story of Vualla To have Ileot put that on the table himself so quickly it certainly made RandidlyÆs job easier

Yet perhaps because hearing this was exactly what Randidly wanted all of that excitement quickly turned sluggish and then froze in his veins Randidly scanned IleotÆs face Ileot had said it himself he wanted Randidly to think of him as an ally With that statement at the very least Randidly believed that Ileot had been completely honest

All of this was designed to turn RandidlyÆs opinion toward Ileot around Yet again Randidly was faced with the question of why Despite the Grim ChimeraÆs innate suspicion toward this figure whom Randidly had watched put Vualla through absolute hell it was YggdrasilÆs even patience that won out for control of RandidlyÆs emotions

One thing at a time Randidly chided himself First letÆs hear the story of Vualla

It was clear from IleotÆs rather superior looking expression and crinkled eyes that he was waiting for Randidly to prod him forward Perhaps for that reason Randidly hung back and just sifted his way through the information that Ileot had fed him thus far After all this was shaping up to be a glorified sales pitch and should be treated as such Randidly should take everything with a grain of salt if he should even believe it at all

Upon reflection Randidly could make some shrewd guesses as to why perhaps the information provided in Ileot’s initial two statements was less valuable to him than Ileot would have Randidly believe

First of all there was no guarantee that the Xyrt Brigade would be upset at Ileot for using its name For all that Ileot Swacc was relatively unknown to Randidly and everyone here on the battlefield it was clear that the being was an old and influential individual Trying to play the Xyrt Brigade card as a threat could be an elegantly laid trap A trap designed to test his dedication to whatever deal Ileot wanted

Perhaps even more dangerous was the possibility that Ileot was in fact a member of the Xyrt Brigade and any attempts by Randidly to report him would lead to him being marked as an enemy of the Brigade Again Randidly had no real trustworthy lines of information on who was a member of the Brigade but everyone agreed that these individuals were the real deal in terms of power Randidly wouldnÆt offend them lightly

Besides for all that this information might very well be valuable there was the actual logistics of such an avenue to consider Although Randidly had been able to glimpse that there was a large amount of respect for the Xyrt Brigade obviously none of their members were here Even if Randidly wanted to make good on the threat he had no idea how to go about it The best he could do was to talk to Lady Iellaya but even she seemed rather awed and mystified when Ileot had claimed to be a member

Basically there was no real way for Randidly to verify that information Which left him with very little useful

But there was also a story coming THE story Randidly’s eyes sharpened as Ileot took a breath and looked contemplatively up toward the sky Although Ileot seemed to be considering his words carefully it still was so obviously forced that Randidly gritted his teeth “Vualla she is not just any warrior She is perhaps the most influential warrior in all of the history of the Nexus “

Rolling his eyes inwardly Randidly kept his face composed as he listened to Ileot begin by complimenting Vualla Now that Randidly had started listening to his suspicion it was tough to tell which of Ileot’s words were true and which were designed solely to try and cajole Randidly to look at him in a more sympathetic light

But then Ileot’s next question gave Randidly pause

“Do you know this history of this place This location “

Randidly shook his head as he looked around at the broken stone of the battlefield

Leaning forward Ileot continued with an almost fond reminiscence in his eyes “This place it was one of the first locations that we conquered of the Nether Our Aether arrays were much less established and uniform in those days so it was difficult to create any lasting footholds to raid Nether territory But this was our first big victory Finally we had an avenue that would allow the Xyrt Brigade to conduct some deep raids into the Nether And Vualla was one of the first footsoldiers sent here to hold the location “

Randidly slowly blinked “This was originally a place ruled by Nether “

“Well obviously not ruled It was simply within the domain of Nether It was likely just some backwater place filled with only a few wandering spirits ” Perhaps just as surprising to Randidly as the news that this was originally controlled by Nether was the vague sense of annoyance in Ileot’s tone as he waved his hand “Perhaps you are too young to know but Aether was the original instigator of the war

Completely justified of course Rumors are that something incredible precious was taken from us by the Nether Although we fight defensively now that is just because we are fighting defensively to maintain control of the in roads toward the core of the Nether domain We are glorified civil servants paving the way for the Xyrt Brigade

“But as I was saying ” Ileot coughed into his hand “Vualla is truly someone special Obviously a child born of loss and hatred but incredibly gifted in terms of energy utilization Too gifted Her time here at the most blood battlefield in the history of the war left her indelibly marked by violence And as more and more of her comrades around her died she began to warp underneath the strain of death To the point that she became permanently tainted by death She could not escape its flavor no matter how hard she tried “

“What does that mean ” Randidly interrupted

Perhaps some of the genuine concern that Randidly felt had leaked through to his voice because Ileot looked at him with pity “Boy you might think you understand war from being here but that was an entirely different time in our history A whole different type of war was fought A primitive bloody war We well you will soon hear about its making but we did not have the grand array to arm us with Nether Stars There was only physical bodies and pounds of flesh available as the last bastion against the Great Rift When images failed the physical existences of our soldiers were also spent to buy the survivors even a single moment more time That was the world where Vualla came into her own

“And there ” Ileot’s eyes flashed as he gave Randidly a meaningful look “Vualla became a creature of hate How could she not As she was abandoned by her father and mother perhaps it is fair to consider the war itself the only parent that cared for her And the lessons that Vualla learned from war well “

No Randidly rejected immediately She might hate but she is no creature It was because she cared so deeply that she was scarred She felt weak and hated herself for feeling weak She felt fear and hated herself for fearing But perhaps as more and more people died around her what Vualla truly grew to hate was herself For surviving when so many others could not For feeling like she had failed somehow by not putting herself in more danger For knowing that she had only made it this far by walking on corpses of her allies

As Randidly followed the logic he sighed Once she was on that Path to survive How could she step off of it It would invalidate all the sacrifices that she had walked over to get to this point The momentum of sacrifice propelled her forward With just a few words of background from Ileot and what Randidly knew of Vualla he could almost see the arc of her Path in his mind Once more the heat in his chest flared to life

So then as VuallaÆs heart grew heavy and numb to death as she grew stronger and more and more foes tried to kill her to remain true to those sacrifices would become everything And so

” it was shortly after a disastrous loss here one which shook the Grand Commander’s belief that this location could be held that Vualla had her breakthrough to become a Heretic The first that the Nexus had ever seen “

“Too gifted in energy utilization ” Randidly said softly

All that death that had stained her became her fuel She reaped lives like wheat to grow stronger Sometimes waiting until they would be killed by Nether but sometimes simply taking the wounded or maimed who she deemed useless All were fodder for her flame of hatred Ileot’s smile was sharp “As I have said things were very different in those days Although she was stealing the energy from her allies most were willing to overlook it After all so many died anyway and so much of those deaths were used to buy the survivors time What difference did it make that Vualla was taking the initiative to kill

RandidlyÆs heart twisted painfully It was difficult to imagine Vualla killing for power

Heedless Ileot continued to speak Some were impressed at her ingenuity And even if they couldn’t copy what she managed it was proof of concept In fact the diabolical experiments that followed this discovery are perhaps Vualla’s most enduring legacy “

“Is it really necessary to say that ” Randidly said And now he could clearly recognize how rough his voice sounded

As though he won a small victory Ileot shook his head with a smile on his face “Of course There is no need to dwell on the grimy details But as I was saying with her new status as a Heretic Vualla rapidly grew in power So that soon the situation on her battlefield stabilized with her as the heavy blade to bleed the Nether for their attacks Aether finally had the capability to establish themselves And as Vualla’s attention was freed up from existential concerns she began to focus on her ability to manipulate energy Specifically how to learn from the existence of the Nether Beasts “

“As I’m sure you’ve guessed the grand formations of the frontlines from every frontline across the whole of the Nexus were only possible because of Vualla She was truly a genius and the hatred at her core meant that she could never give up in her quest for power “

Chapter 1134

Truly was Vualla such a monster borne of hate Randidly wondered And to him it seemed like a completely legitimate question although not one that was very helpful to think about Because History had a way of vilifying the atrocities of the powerful Her relatively innocuous albeit likely Heretical actions could have been blown out of proportion as time passed Setting aside the supposedly real proof of her genuinely good character that Randidly learned by interacting with the duplicated Vualla

But either way he forced himself to relax rather than respond to the allegation in IleotÆs words Although he could somehow imagine the familiar parts of her personality acting in these ways this Vualla was not the one that Randidly had known He should not take it personally This was not the one that he had chosen to embrace despite the consequences

An open question whether I would have been foolish enough to embrace this one too Randidly thought with not a little bit of humor

Yet Randidly currently felt that heat in his chest the one that had been burning since he kissed Vualla slowly surging to life as he thought about her And as he released a breath something strange happened

When he had stopped trying to force the two to be the same woman suddenly the image he had in his head of the other Vualla became crystal clear Suddenly he was witnessing this alternate Vualla this true Vualla this beautiful azure haired and eyed woman who was crushed by the weight of a vast darkness as though he was standing next to her as she was mobbed by corpses and Nether Beasts

As this specter of the true Vualla appeared in Randidly’s mind illuminated by the heat in his chest she wasn’t driven by a mad desire for power She was a woman slowly crushed by her fear and pain the weight of all of the death she had witnessed and then profited by That knowledge that she only grew power because of the deaths of others strangled her just as certainly as a noose Kindness was the knife with which she bled herself much more than hatred

So she found a distraction experimenting with energy A flimsy distraction compared to that constant emptiness she felt that was so vast that she couldn’t help but be flattened by it Yet it was all she had She was alone her family dead her companions dead and devoured by her for fuel And due to the constant presence of Nether in her life it made sense that she turned to that as her default with which to play It was what was always there threating her It was what laced the Path she had walked Hell without any surviving family or friends it might have been the most constant presence in Vualla’s life It became a bitter comfort when all other existences abandoned her

Familiar and certain By those qualities it had earned the place in VuallaÆs march of death

Randidly could see it so clearly Vualla’s profile the bright deep sea color of her hair standing in that darkness that would someday drown her As her hands moved she guided the dark energy in strange patterns The skin of her arms was pale She seemed so alone

Randidly’s hands clenched into fists

Heedless to the internal vista that spread out before Randidly Ileot continued blithely along “Of course her obsession with her experiments was her downfall Obviously there are significant advantages to the grand formations you are currently experiencing the apex of them with four stars condensed But you will soon find that as soon as you develop a fifth there are unintended side effects to that borrowed power Physical limitations as the Nether even diluted to almost nonexistence reacts poorly to your body As she was the first and the best at developing the Nether cores Vualla discovered this before anyone else She was able to develop eight cores before she retired and after that it is rumored that she continued to experiment “

She reached ten Randidly thought lightly But there was no need to say it aloud And he almost suspected that Ileot knew much more about VuallaÆs fate than he was letting on

Then Ileot’s face brightened “Luckily her experiments bore unexpected fruit For some reason there is a strange resonance effect that occurs when a sufficient amount of Nether and Aether is gathered together and not allowed to destroy each other It hasn’t been able to be reliably reproduced but Vualla’s existence changed the entire face of the Nexus For you see “

Pursing his lips Ileot appeared to think about something for several seconds Then he shrugged “Well it matters not if you know The real Vualla was born a long long time ago So long ago that the underlying System was present but it wasn’t as easily accessible One of the many skills you needed to hone during those days was the ability to understand the information that was contained in your inner world Otherwise you wouldn’t even understand what you were capable of “

The fingers on Randidly’s right hand tingled “She was from before the overlay System was present “

“Yup ” Ileot smacked his lips “And basically the energy phenomenon that was observed from Vualla is the only reason that we were able to create the overlay System as you say today She revolutionized the entire Nexus without even meaning to Heh who says hatred is always a destructive emotion “

And what she truly meant to do to the Nexus was destroy it Randidly thought sadly Again he could see how that vast darkness would drown even that fervent desire that had driven her so far as she proceeded alone deeper and deeper into that darkness Worse still because even with her great energy manipulation skills she couldn’t utilize the Nether cores to their fullest potential So not just emotionally but also physically she had been slowly strangled The heat in Randidly’s chest spiked up to become near agonizing

You were so frustrated weren’t you Randidly whispered to the specter of Vualla To feel yourself growing more and more powerful and also more and more incapable Likely you fought the hardest against the physical bindings but it was the slow creep of apathy that finally did you in

Randidly released a breath Then he looked at Ileot Obviously he hesitated to say that he had recovered Vualla’s Fate but if Ileot was being this free with information “So what happened to her “

Ileot waved his hand “The same thing that happens to us all Time devours us But I can understand why you are asking a being with that much hate animating her every action surely she went out with a bang right Heh many thought the same thing But to everyone’s surprise she passed quietly It seems that the binding at the high end of the Nether cores can even strangle hatred ThatÆs why none have attempted it in her wake despite the obvious protection from Nether you can acquire

Sighing Randidly turned away from Ileot Did you still have it in you to cry Vualla After your body stiffened around you

The heat in Randidly’s chest was so hot that it began to feel cold But then Ileot spoke and pulled his attention back to the hairless man

“As I promised I shared the truth about Vualla A monster that grew so large she couldn’t survive the power contained in her body And now I think it’s time for us to talk about our own relationship “

Slowly the heat in Randidly’s chest faded He flexed his fingers torn by empathy for the path Vualla had truly taken and annoyance that this grimy being in front of him would paint her life in such broad and inaccurate strokes But of course this being was far more powerful than Randidly To forget that was to throw his own life away Because the awful truth was that if Ileot truly wanted something from Randidly it would be almost impossible for him to stop the Duplicator from simply taking it by force

Which is why it’s so important that I condense my own Fate and use that knowledge to create a Class for Lady Iellaya Randidly’s fingers clenched into fists With her support maybe resisting will be possible Although depending on how powerful Ileot is even she might not be able to intervene on my behalf

Randidly shook his head and then said aloud “So what does Ileot Swacc want from someone like me “

Ileot chuckled “Don’t act like you don’t know Your physical body was examined when it was separated from your images to determine the extent of your uniqueness and I believe all involved were surprised You created an entire world within yourself A REAL world which should be impossible There are certain restrictions to my duplication ability that I hope you will understand that I withhold from you But suffice to say I cannot simply duplicate you by seeing you or touching you So I wish for you to assist me in a ritual that will allow me to duplicate you “

Although it was expected that Ileot’s goal was the Alpha Cosmos it still caused Randidly to shiver that he said it so bluntly In addition it was extremely uncomfortable to imagine that in addition to giving Ileot access to the Alpha Cosmos there would be a duplicate Randidly running around if Randidly were ever to agree

And if that alternate Randidly was under this hairless man’s control Randidly didn’t doubt that he would not have a good life

Doing his best to keep his worry from his face Randidly said “Is it really that strange to have become a world I’ve seen many wondrous things accomplished with images Why is it so important that it isn’t simply a strong image “

“Ah of course you wouldn’t understand You are too weak ” Ileot said dismissively Then he waved his hand grandly in the air and the area around them changed The Great Rift and the broken orange brown stone around them were gone Instead they were standing on a frozen tundra The wind howled between the two of them bringing with it heavy snow and sleet The chilling cold was so abrupt and complete that Randidly gasped Very quickly a thick layer of frost began to creep across his metallic left arm

“True ” Ileot said softly “Many of us has reached the level that it is simplicity itself to create an image that has the same potency as the real world Even one that would endure for quite a long time Yet these worlds we can create they aren’t truly real They are ultimately hollow malformed things incapable of growth “

“Images change all the time ” Randidly said with a frown He brought his hand up and scratched away the ice that was forming on the slight stubble across his cheeks He could feel the chilling moisture on his fingers

“They are tainted by influences Other images are like drops of paint in water they dye them varied colors But they do not truly grow they cannot They will always simply be paint mixing in the water bucket They will always be limited by the Willpower and imagination of the maker Which is not the case for something that is actually real “

Just as quickly as it arrived the tundra around them disappeared Randidly was extremely annoyed to notice that while Ileot seemed immaculate after their brief jaunt the melting frost remained on RandidlyÆs own body While he scraped it off Randidly spoke lightly ” I have to admit that I don’t really understand the fixation with this label of real If it feels and acts real isn’t that real Although I suppose I understand the theoretical difference in being limited by the creator of the image But even then I think images can grow on their own “

Ileot shook his head “If I was having this conversation with anyone else but you I would very gladly give them a sharp correction But for you perhaps your images truly do grow But that is related to how special you are Hum do you in your world are you aware of the concept of evolution “

Not sure where this was going Randidly nodded slowly Ileot continued “There are two processes that would count as evolution One is a true evolution where organisms are growing in response to external stimuli from their environment That is real The other version of evolution is where all beings are randomly growing at all times Slowly the unlucky ones who do not develop in a direction relevant to their environment die out and those that do get relevant traits procreate and spread In the end both processes lead to the growth of a species

“But you know if you actually living through these processes wouldn’t existing with the false evolution be quite fraught with anxiety Reality is reassuring To be real is to escape the fickleness of chance to be immune to the random growth that might hurt you as surely as help To only be shaped by other images not dyed by them “

Randidly frowned at Ileot He sorta understood that Ileot was trying to defend the odd fixation with reality but it was difficult for Randidly to follow how the metaphor was relevant

Perhaps sensing that misunderstanding Ileot just sighed “Ultimately this conversation is just a bonus Just know that I deeply value the reality you have been able to create If a duplicated version of you would be able to do the same it would be immensely valuable “

Ileot straightened and put his hands behind his back “So finally to business

Chapter 1135

Without giving Randidly much of a time to cope with the obvious relish in IleotÆs voice Ileot lightly pounded his chest with a fist and gave Randidly a look that was heavy with fake pity If IÆm being honest I wish it would not have come to this point The situation is more complicated than you can imagine the magnitude of the forces at play here ah well I suppose it is the duty of the elders to deal with these things

Shaking his head Ileot took several steps forward to the edge of a ridge In fact my duplications are normally self sustaining There is a core of Aether that I create that guides the duplicated individual and helps me keeps tabs on their actions In fact it was the destruction of the core that brought my attention to the status of this experiment and forced me to come directly I honestly prefer not to be directly involved Me interacting with the subject often hurts more than it helps

Core Randidly scratched his chin

Ileot nodded Usually it manifests as an individual around the subject Someone innocuous From my investigation one of VuallaÆs subordinates was the core I created I suspect since you accompanied them in their trip into the base of Nether Gatekeeper that you witnessed one of VuallaÆs subordinates display a strength that was incongruous with his standing That individual was the core

Randidly blinked in surprise Although he had been very busy struggling to stay alive while surrounded by dense Nether at the time he did recall how one of VuallaÆs subordinates had surged with strength enough that he had been able to turn aside the attacks of the Nether Gatekeeper a few times and buy Randidly and Vualla a few precious seconds to flee from there In addition that was also the very same subordinate that was constantly badgering Vualla about her choices

a real chip off the old block Randidly reflected sourly as understanding dawned in his gaze toward Ileot ThatÆs why the subordinate had such strong feelings about VuallaÆs actions because he was trying to guide her along the same tracks she went down in her past life And it was also why Ileot had to show up as Cail afterward to try and rectify the mistake

but yea I bet directly interacting with the people youÆve duplicated hasnÆt helped you much in the past

Ileot unleashed an exaggerated sigh as he kicked a small pebble off the side of the ridge and watched it tumble down into the deep fissures in the orange ground The core acted as a vessel if you will One that ah protected Vualla from too much of her Aether being lost from friction with the current Aether of this time Without it she will soon begin hemorrhaging Aether It drastically increases the cost of maintaining her in a substantial form Once the remaining bits of the vessel fall away my Aether will need to be constantly spent to heal the damage from the friction

A frosted gauntlet began to squeeze RandidlyÆs heart The sensation of cold tightness was suffocating He pressed his eyes together This was exactly what he had been worried to hear

Not that Vualla would need Aether because Randidly obviously could provide that No what scared Randidly most of all about what Ileot said was that there would be friction with the current Aether That it wasnÆt something Randidly knew how to address It wasnÆt just a matter of fueling Vualla herself but of fueling a construction of Aether that could act as her protection against the modern world

Because if the modern worldÆs Aether was dangerous to her it was possible that RandidlyÆs Aether would be just as dangerous Establishing an Aether connection hastily might accelerate the process to a dangerous degree

It might all be a lie some part of Randidly whispered But even though that part of Randidly pointed it out it didnÆt want to be the one to suggest testing the theory Not when VuallaÆs life was at stake

of course she is a creation of mine All of my work is of an extremely high quality There likely are several months before signs of strain will show When IleotÆs words registered Randidly opened his eyes and gaped at Ileot The hairless man favored him with a grin I donÆt wish to think IÆm trying to strong arm you there is time for some thought into the issue Perhaps during that time we can meet as friends and discuss less serious matters Like your childhood for instance Just some topics that arenÆt so emotionally charged

Randidly licked his lips Then he purposefully ignored the final part of IleotÆs question both because it was ridiculous and because the casual way that Ileot asked it made the Grim Chimera mentally bare its teeth So there is time Before something bad would happen to Vualla

Yes of course Ileot turned away from the ridge and leaned forward toward Randidly And just so we are clear I will say it directly I still have a significant portion of the Aether given to me by Lord Miln available After all I planned on sustaining this duplication for quite some time once it bloomed to its potential with energy manipulation It would have been quite a convenient means to turn Aether into a more valuable form but now I am hesitant to invest more Aether into this project It remains unclear if it will be successful

It didnÆt escape RandidlyÆs notice that Vualla had suddenly become an it

Heedless of the growing storm in RandidlyÆs thoughts Ileot continued to speak Therefore in return for me ignoring my better judgment and providing more Aether to this project so that Vualla can survive for her naturalÆ lifespan you will aid me in the ritual that will allow me to duplicate you in the future Are we clear

Just as Randidly opened his mouth to speak Ileot raised up a hand Ah I realize that may sound confusing I donÆt need any sort of answer right away In fact please donÆt We are friends are we not We will have many interactions in the future hahaha

Besides IleotÆs eyes began to glow and he jerked his thumb toward the looming presence of the Great Rift hanging above the both of them ThereÆs still the problem of the war Heh with this many enemies swarming down toward us perhaps you too will grow to regret that this duplication of Vualla doesnÆt possess any of the originalÆs hatred This is the only sort of place where a woman like her can shine after all

Gasping Vualla jerked upward and wildly kicked out with her leg Her entire body was clammy and twitching That she swore furiously as her bare foot smashed into one of her gauntlets that she had left lazily strewn next to her bed area As her twitches and spasms slowly died down Vualla cradled her foot

Then there was just the silence of the dark tent around her and the feeling of the cooling sweat on her brow and down her back Her thumping heart sluggishly drifted back down toward a normal number of beats per minute

Even as the memory of the vast darkness that had attempted time and time again to drown her receded like a chilling tide Vualla couldnÆt escape the sense of helplessness that had been the most agonizing part of the dream It lingered on the back of her tongue like a bitter and pungent green tea

Vualla closed her eyes Trying to sleep was a bad idea

But even if the host of boogeymen that resulted from Vualla learning the truth about her existence were waiting in the darkness beneath her eyelids Vualla had no choice but to reluctantly go to meet them It was only while asleep that Vualla noticed any improvement to the wound on her Fate as small as that improvement usually was Perhaps just hairÆs width of crystal would grow per six hours of sleep but the changes reassured her that she could improve

She could change Her actions had meaning The things that she had done

Vualla reached up and tugged in exasperation at her hair as she collapsed back onto her sleeping pallet Then she rolled back and forth allowing her blanket to tangle up her limbs in an ungainly clump Gah I canÆt believe you said something as melodramatic as IÆm not real am I Æ and then you let him kiss you

Ceasing her rolling Vualla looked up toward the roof of the tent We are both such idiots

But much of her scolding toward herself had no teeth to it and there was no avoiding the wide smile that stretched across her face while she was thinking about it Even now her lips and chest felt warm with the lingering proximity of Randidly Ghosthound And by what it meant that he had stood in front of her with his emerald eyes and didnÆt look away or hesitate

YouÆre real Vualla

Slowly however that grin faded away Vualla could only twist her mouth as she stood and slowly began to strap her armor onto her body And even as she pulled leather and cotton over her limbs she couldnÆt suppress a shiver that lingered from the visions she had seen Although the dreams had been chaotic since her Fate was wounded this one

Fuck me Vualla muttered as she pinched some of the flesh of her midriff in the brass clasp of her belt Grimacing she sucked in her stomach and pulled her pants up a bit higher Then she rolled her shoulders and went over to the low table by the entrance to the tent and took a long sip of water And even though Vualla was very pointedly was not thinking about the problems of her current existence her gaze caught on the glove Randidly had given her

The Fate from her past existence The Fate that proved that she was duplicated And no matter how she looked at it she could find no difference from her own Despite the fact that it was an inert glove where hers was a matrix of image and power there was an impossible to counterfeit sense of familiarity that Vualla felt form it This item was hers

Mine but also not mine Vualla thought determinedly as she looked at the Fate For my Fate is beginning to heal I will recover from this and grow even stronger

Sighing Vualla finished getting dressed and prepared to leave But as she hesitated at the door to her tent she finally grabbed the past version of her Fate and placed it into her pocket It seemed foolish to simply leave it laying out where anyone could grab it Especially because normal missions had been suspended while the Aether forces had to deal with the looming threat of the Nether KingÆs army

In fact Vualla was free for several more hours But after that suffocating freezing darkness of her dream Vualla shivered and headed for the familiar supply track She considered visiting Randidly but they had parted only a scant few hours ago Rushing to a manÆs side after every bad dream was something that the childhood Vualla had swore to herself she would never do Although they had become more than simply comrades that didnÆt mean they werenÆt adults who could control the wild rush of joy in the pit of there stomach that surged upward whenever she thought about the warmth of RandidlyÆs smile

Coughing lightly Vualla began to march forward walking in the midst of the supply train that was trooping slowly past But then she saw a familiar figure with navy blue hair and stopped dead Both the warmth of her connection to Randidly and the chill of the dream were both wiped away by an impossible silhouette Is that Hey Elliot

The navy haired man who was lifting a box turned around And then he beamed at her Ohoho Little sister how the hell did you sneak out to the front lines Mom is going to finally kill herself when she finds out you know

Chapter 1136

Randidly was surprised to find that Vualla wasnÆt at her tent when he visited and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly Well itÆs not like I expected her to wait around for my call after we kissed but still doesnÆt she still need rest SheÆs more of a training maniac than I am

Shrugging Randidly wrote a short letter to Vualla explaining some of the details he had learned about her from Ileot leaving out the deal that Ileot wanted from Randidly in order to continue to support VuallaÆs existence After writing it RandidlyÆs immediate impulse was to burn it and try and figure out a solution to it before he approached her with the truth

But he still couldnÆt forget that moment where Vualla straightened her spine and checked to see if he was okay even as they were both realizing she might just be a creation of some powerful Nexus individual She wouldnÆt want him to hide the truth from her Because if he wasnÆt honest how would they face down this world together

Because that was the sentiment that had won the Grim Chimera over That she was someone who would not balk just because their goal was impossible And Randidly felt very warm when he focused on the two of them working together

Afterward dropping off the letter he quickly returned to his own tent Randidly had some work to do

In the darkness of his tent Randidly began to plan how he would proceed His immediate goal was to condense his own Fate so he could then help reshape Lady IellayaÆs Fate as he remade her Class Which was already a complicated thing to say and vastly more difficult to manage to do And double difficult to do it while surviving the attacks from the Nether King And also while trying to navigate what to do about the duplicated Vualla toward whom Randidly had allowed himself to develop feelings

Especially because Randidly had planned on doing all of these things while also using a Fate as the core for each of three images to vastly improve the power of the Fate that he would condense for himself After all Randidly believed that he had some fair knowledge of the inputs and shape of Nether Rituals that he could use to benefit Of course he didnÆt really know what or how the Nether Rituals did sometimes but that didnÆt matter the System was already providing the shape Randidly just had to use his knowledge to fuel the Fate Ritual efficiently

Although his original plan the glove of the original Vualla for the Grim Chimera could no longer be used that didnÆt mean Randidly didnÆt have any ideas It just meant that his ideas became a bit more difficult to implement It was possible that Randidly could obtain another Fate that could serve well enough but that option became increasingly less appealing to him after studying the situation in his body

No the foundation of his Fate should mirror the current constitution of his body Which mean that core of the Grim Chimera should be forged of Nether

Which again was something that was far easier to say than it was to actually accomplish Sitting in the darkened tent Randidly spread both his real and metal fingers and pressed them against the dusty ground Simply a Nether core wouldnÆt have the weight to do what Randidly wanted and Randidly wasnÆt proficient enough yet with Nether to accomplish much of anything else

Although the biggest current limitation to Randidly moving beyond that was the fact that he was sitting at four true Nether cores and two dozen fake Nether cores without being able to condense a fifth Because while the first true Nether core took three fakes the second had taken six and the third took twelve Now with twenty four Randidly faced the ugly realization that he would probably need a few more before he could condense a fifth core And if he wanted to make a sixth

Of course most of the issue now was that the area inside of him that was composed by Nether was simply growing too large If he was a completely Aether less being likely 24 fake cores would have been enough to make a fifth true core But with the small interference of Aether as two came into contact

Grimacing Randidly focus went inward and he began the annoying process of condensing a fake Nether core It was a hassle to make more but if he had no choice Through his practice during his time alone in the Great Rift Randidly had markedly improved his success rate But it was a constantly adjusting process as Randidly had to take into account the density of the ambient Nether One he had a knack of while on his Aether oasis in the Great Rift but here on the frontlines

Randidly failed once He chewed his lip briefly but tried again A failure in a new environment was to be expected

When he failed for the second time Randidly released a great breath and shook his head Then with workmanlike dedication he started again

It was when he failed the third time that Randidly began to suspect that something beyond the way he was attempting the process was wrong Rather than continuing to try again Randidly forced himself to relax and feel around with Nether Sensation to try and ferret out the problem

Congratulations Your Skill Nether Sensation has grown to Level 36

Frowning Randidly continued to scan the surrounding area As he slowed down his heart rate Randidly tried to follow every echoing ripple that spread through his internal Nether The glowing mass of four bundles of Nether energy formed his core and his physical form was the bubble Everything within was isolated

Congratulations Your Skill Nether Sensation has grown to Level 37

Then it hit him and Randidly wanted to pull out fistfuls of his hair Because what became immediately apparent was that it wasnÆt just the ambient energy in the air but that he was also coming under the influence of the grand array that was based on VuallaÆs accomplishments in the past And true to VuallaÆs reputation as a genius of energy manipulation its influence managed to sneak through RandidlyÆs physical bubbleÆ and influence his internal world in an extremely subtle way

Which explains why I havenÆt been able to condense any fake Nether cores since I came back Randidly thought with a scowl But now that I have found the problem I can begin to make adjustments ItÆs just she truly was impossibly powerful wasnÆt she The Vualla in her original life But I wonder

Shaking his head Randidly let go of the vexing problem of the Nether image focus for his Fate and considered his other two foci the Chisel of Chulroon and the hiltless blade that he had gotten from the Fate armory

Of the two Randidly was much more confident about the growing synchronization between Yggdrasil and the Chisel of Chulroon For one thing he could at least see the information that the Fate had grown to Level 99 although Randidly had no real way of knowing whether the Level cap was the same for Fates In addition Chulroon had left a vestige of his will in the Dungeon with the explicit intent to pass on the truth about the System and what it did to his people Randidly was the beneficiary of that heritage

So even though there still existed a slumbering rogue element within the Fate that Randidly didnÆt yet dare awaken lest it might cause him trouble he felt relatively confident in his attempts to bring the Fate into alignment with what he wanted Plus there was a very easy image linkage between Yggdrasil and the Chisel

Although it was ultimately a weapon ChulroonÆs Fate was still labeled as a Chisel It was a tool to create and shape Just like how Yggdrasil was truly a towering font of life but so often was forced to use its power to destroy the enemies that sought to cause the world to collapse In addition the chiselÆ could serve as the catalyst that Randidly needed to create the next and hopefully final portion of the Yggdrasil Skillset

Because what Randidly wanted was for Yggdrasil not to just be the Tree of Life but also the record of all things that was and will be the Akashic Records A living and breathing history and future of all things He already had his Mana Engraving Skill but Randidly wanted to push that to the next level And one method to do that would be to have a powerful tool to use with the image of Engraving

Still that was all for later Randidly was still in the early stages of ruminating over the changes to his Yggdrasil image that would result from allowing ChulroonÆs Chisel to influence him It was just an unfortunate truth that Yggdrasil was the image that was currently the furthest along in a process that Randidly didnÆt want to allow to stretch along for too long

The relationship between Ignition Essence and the hiltless Fate Blade was also progressing but the process of it left Randidly somewhat confused A lot of RandidlyÆs attention had been focused on Vualla during the transformative period for Ignition Essence but it was clear that the consciousness within the Fate blade had used the fire of the Ignition Essence to set itself from fire Which was slowly eating away at the consciousness but it was also once more releasing huge waves of heat

And perhaps more disturbingly Randidly could sense from his Ignition Essence image that the more that Ignition Essence burned the consciousness of the Fate blade the more it learned of the ownerÆs past Right now it was just meaningless memories of coarse bread the feeling of cold raindrops and the meandering drift of clouds but Randidly knew that more troublesome memories would come along eventually

Including the reason that the original owner of the Fate had died and why the Fate wanted so desperately to die

This was all further complicated by the fact that as it burned the spirit inside the Fate had begun to cry And yet Ignition Essence seemed sure that it would be a cathartic experience for the Fate It might be painful but some memories need to be faced

So Randidly meditated in his tent slowly earning Skill Levels in Fire Resistance Pain Resistance and the Lantern of Harsh Truths from the activities from Ignition Essence and Visualization and Aether Understanding from Yggdrasil He lost a lot of his Leveling speed without his three images being separated and all working but at least this way he was safe from being slowly corrupted by Nether

When the knock eventually came at the flap to his tent RandidlyÆs Absolute Timing informed him that he had been meditating for six hours and twenty two minutes When he pulled back the flap the familiar faces of Abiodun Salazar and Zauna were waiting for him

Trouble Abiodun rumbled WeÆve received an ultimatum from the Nether King either we hand over the Nether Prince or it will kill us all

Randidly cracked his knuckles And which did we choose

Chuckling Abiodun turned away and began to walk toward the Great Rift No one likes life on the frontlines if the Nether King can finally free us from this endless hell who wouldnÆt jump for joy Of course we will fight to the death

Chapter 1137

Randidly coughed lightly as he stood with Zauna and Salazar arrayed below Lady IellayaÆs command tower with the rest of the marshaled forces of Aether Due to the impending attack from the Nether King and its forces almost all of the soldiers currently stationed on the frontlines were called back from league At the moment almost ten thousand soldiers were gathered around Lady Iellaya and hers was by far the smallest as the most junior of the Commanders

Ten thousand soldiers with the most extravagant series of defensive fortifications out of the whole lot of them Randidly thought with relish as his eyes followed the eight outer gates and six inner gates that would corral the Nether Beasts who wanted to attack this location

Unfortunately few people admired the feat of construction all gazes were on the foes that were drifting closer out of the Great Rift The ranks stood in grim silence as the lead force of the Nether attack flowed down toward the boundary between their broken sandstone and the Great Rift Even from this distance it was clear that these were monstrously large beasts of Nether some large enough to smash a house with its paw

Finally Salazar could keep his silence no longer With his almost comically long neck he leaned slowly over to Randidly to speak Not that he need have bothered on the silent frontline among individuals with such powerful Stats his words carried with all the grace of church bells on Christmas Those l look l like

Randidly gave Salazar a sharp look that had the snakemanÆs tongue flee back into his mouth before he could finish the statement Sighing Randidly scanned the recognizable forms of the Nether Vanguard before turning his gaze to the East Although that warmth in his chest informed Randidly that Vualla was there hidden amongst Commander TerithÆs army he wasnÆt able to spot her from his current vantage His lips curled upward in impatience

Most of the last few hours since Abiodun had come to RandidlyÆs tent had involved the frantic construction of additional defensive structures to aid in the fight against Nether For Lady Iellaya RandidlyÆs Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil was invaluable tool to make up for the difference in manpower between her own and the other forces

Although there were better builders out there than Randidly there were none who could do even half as much as he could simultaneously So of all the hastily constructed fortresses standing defiantly at the edge of the Great Rift Lady IellayaÆs practically looked like an opulent porcupine amongst threadbare groundhogs Yet that had meant that he hadnÆt seen Vualla in quite a while Not since they parted after their kiss

Normally Randidly could simply rely on his Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil to try and feel VuallaÆs location with plant matter but the assembled images of all these powerful individuals made it extremely hard to maintain the connection over long distances There were simply far too many powerful Skills at work across the tense battlelines so much so that there was significant static if Randidly moved his focus beyond the edge of Lady IellayaÆs camp

Then RandidlyÆs gaze turned upward to the command tower above him once again He was actually quite lucky that he had been assigned to Lady Iellaya Perhaps due to her method of controlling her subordinates there was very little of the riotous flaring of Skills that so hampered RandidlyÆs senses with Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil in other camps Because if he had been forced to operate amongst all that interference

Once again Salazar leaned over toward Randidly S s seriously though they l look

Salazar Randidly said quietly but his subordinate couldnÆt help himself

D d d dogs Salazar spat out Up in the command tower above them Randidly would have sworn he could hear Abiodun sigh In the face of RandidlyÆs weary disbelief Salazar began to build up some more momentum D d did you k know that while I r r ruled my land w we had d d dozens

A root curled gently around SalazarÆs neck and pressed his mouth shut Randidly shot him another warning glare but he was just as quickly betrayed on his other side

cute dogs Zauna muttered as she too stared upward toward the descending titanic Nether Beasts Almost unwillingly Randidly let his gaze move upward to follow his subordinatesÆ

Truly the Great Rift was currently filled with the descending bounding form of about a hundred Nether Beasts that looked like mundane dogs They had no strange claws or tentacles or spines and they werenÆt even aggressive looking dogs like German Shepherds Instead they possessed the heavyset furry forms of St Bernards cast in inky blackness

Assuming of course that the wider universe shares the same sort of dog breeds which seems statistically impossible Yet Randidly only felt helplessness as he looked up at the Nether Beasts Because they truly looked like St Bernards Blown up on a one hundred times scale

There was a cough and this time it was clear from Lady Iellaya I hope I donÆt need to remind everyone that this battle concerns our very survival This might just be the vanguard but this is the forces of a Nether King one of the most powerful and savage of our foes And each of these dogs Has the power of a Nether Gatekeeper

Which was exactly the problem and why Randidly was so desperately seeking out VuallaÆs form on the battlefield Because he remembered very distinctly about how difficult it was to fight against a Nether Gatekeeper Although Lady Iellaya had displayed enough strength to easily suppress three of such opponents at once there were now one hundred of them rushing down toward the frontlines And behind those one hundred Nether Gatekeepers was a seething tide of Nether Beasts so thick that they seemed more like a liquid than an army

Or it looks like these bounding dogs of a cap of blackness they pull along behind them Randidly shook his head

Perhaps even more conspicuous was the single variation from the tide of Nether Gatekeeper that was leading the charge Even among Nether Gatekeeper this giant St Bernard carried with it an absolutely oppressive aura Fully twice the size of the others it was the alpha of this assault And it also possessed four heads that snapped and drooled shooting out booming barks as it surged downward

And our forces Randidly glanced around and grimaced Nine Commanders remain maybe twenty ish people that can fight against Nether Gatekeepers This one might be a little rough

But then there was a familiar giggle that spread out across the whole of the battlefield not just through Lady IellayaÆs camp EveryoneÆs attention was dragged toward the iconic rocky outcropping on which the headquarters sat I suppose you will be needing some of my assistance Lord Miln

Although IleotÆs pipping voice did not get any easier on the ears the more Randidly heard it there was a significant amount of catharsis knowing that gloating tone was directed toward Lord Miln And Randidly could almost hear the clenching of Lord MilnÆs jaw after the very public way that Ileot forced the Supreme Commander to ask for his support

indeed Master Tweocs Your assistance is necessary

Once more a giggle echoed across the battlefield But then a blazing comet traveled upward from the rocky outcropping of headquarters and made a beeline toward the large four headed Nether Gatekeeper that led its fellows

Drawn as though by a magnet all eight eyes from that beast focused in on the sudden assault launched by the Aether forces With a harmonious roar between four monstrous throats the Nether Gatekeeper called over ten of its minions and then sprinted forward to meet IleotÆs bright light

Across the entire battlefield every eye was locked on the impending clash Yet despite the import of what was about to happen Randidly looked away and stared toward Commander TerithÆs camp for several seconds The warmth running between them meant that Vualla was definitely out there yet even now he still wanted to confirm He was even willing to risk missing the fight to see her

Unfortunately this attempt was no more helpful than the last Vualla continued to allude his searching gaze So Randidly could only turn his eyes back upward in time to see that the light that Ileot had sent shooting upward very quickly morphed to form a six armed man holding a brush in each of its hands

As the Nether Gatekeepers surged closer the six arms began to rapidly trace out arcane characters which hung in the air and glowed golden Soon IlleotÆs projection had drawn sixteen characters four that rotated around it horizontally like the four cardinal directions and twelve that spun vertically like the different times on a clock Then it seemed to explode in a surge of golden light and accelerate forward toward the Nether Gatekeepers

Immediately the four headed leader of the Nether Gatekeeper understood that something was up Rather than continuing with its rather intimidating barks one of the upper heads turned around and yelped in desperation at some of the Nether Gatekeepers behind it before hurriedly straightening to prepare to meet the golden ball of light

The huge forms above accelerated toward each other seeming to be only a few dozen meters apart but still several additional seconds passed where there was no sound of impact Frowning RandidlyÆs full focus finally settled on the clash that was about to happen The fact that they havenÆt hit each other yet just shows how far away they are and if they are still this size that far away

Golden light rocked the sky Four quick waves of it blasted outward each brighter than the last When it all finally cleared Randidly could see that most of the initial wave of Nether Gatekeepers that had met the ball of golden light had been sent flying like they were bowling pins It was only their four headed leader that doggedly continued to resist the overwhelming momentum of the golden light that Ileot had created

Even then it could only frantically struggle as it was pushed back But very soon its yelps attracted the assistance of more and more Nether Beasts Ten twenty thirty forty

Fully half of the one hundred Nether Gatekeepers had to join forces to resist the golden light With their combined effort they were able to slow the golden ball to a crawl once more revealing the six armed man Soon his eyes flashed golden and the arms began to lash out rapidly engaging the surrounding Nether Gatekeepers

Ileot giggled again Good luck Lord Miln

The other Nether Gatekeepers and the sea of Nether Beasts behind them continued to surge downward giving the clash a wide berth Even as the people around him started to prepare for their own combat RandidlyÆs focus lingered on that golden light

What must it be like to possess the strength of fifty Nether Gatekeepers without even seeming to break a sweat Randidly mused But then he shook his head and focused on the waves of Nether Gatekeepers forging downward Randidly bared his teeth But for now show me beings of Nether how powerful you really are

RandidlyÆs hands curled into a fist I want to understand what it means to have Nether be the basis for one of my images

Chapter 1138

It was difficult to capture the monstrous horror inspired by the tide of Nether Beasts that came in the wake of Nether Gatekeepers For while the stronger Nether Gatekeepers had foes above to keep them company the Nether Beasts were free to swarm below across the cracked and floating boulders and then only the solid ground

Inch by inch they came devouring the color of the orange ground by screening it with their bodies They were so densely packed that Randidly couldnÆt even begin to count them It was like watching an army of ants thick enough to blot out the ground crawling on top of another army of ants thick enough to blot out the ground

All marching forward to reach the AetherÆs fortifications

To make matters worse Randidly had imposed a rather strict and likely necessary limit on himself Because he still needed more time to prepare himself to condense a Fate he couldnÆt reach Level 50 So none of the Nether Beasts could be killed by his Absolute Grasp Or at least not enough to actually affect the outcome of this fight

Which considering the fact that very few of these Nether Beasts were below the three star level wasnÆt such a big deal It would be extremely time consuming for Randidly to kill more than a couple especially when he was attempting to intervene across the battlefield on such a wide scale But then the battle continued to drag onward

It was liked the Nether had heard the compliments that Randidly could stop any number of Nether Beasts and decided to test it And honestly Randidly did not think he faired so well when presented with the challenge

One hour passed then two then three Still Nether Beasts roared forward and still Nether Gatekeepers pinned down the Aether Commanders

Congratulations Your Skill Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil has grown to Level 267

RandidlyÆs headache rapidly accelerated from dull ache to ice pick in the back of the brain stem as he sat cross legged at the back of Lady IellayaÆs forces and orchestrated the entire left flank of the battlefield Although his grip weakened the more images obscured his senses he was still able to use mass blind attacks of roots to at least hamper the Nether BeastsÆ advance up to three camps away Yet beyond that

One problem was the images definitely When so many powerful images were going on at once there was a lot of different information signals to comb through RandidlyÆs Skills and more directly his Grim Intuition gave him the ability to handle a lot of information at once but this was more than simply a lotÆ It was also a lot of information flooding into his brain in situations were a few shreds of a second decided whether one of the Aether soldiers lived or died Randidly needed to be constantly sharp

Or someone else would end up paying the price

RandidlyÆs emerald roots gleaming with sharp thorns and golden engravings came up in huge bands to cut sideways and hamstring the absolute flood of monstrous Nether Beasts that surged downward and crashed against he assembled fortified Aether forces But even more than wounding the Nether Beasts that were actually engaged most of what Randidly was doing was acting as a levy that could buy some precious seconds for the Aether soldiers to actually deal with the Nether Beasts in front of them in a fight rather than needing to swim through the tight bodies of their enemies

The grand fortifications that Randidly helped build were certainly the most deadly of all the AetherÆs defense points but even with several inner gates and outer gates those areas filled up fast if the Nether Beasts were allowed to continue forward unimpeded

Row after row of thorns jabbed upward and ripped into the soft underbellies of the attacking Nether Beasts Although these wounds would probably heal very quickly without any follow up attacks it delayed the Nether Beasts slightly as the stumbled and tripped This in turn caused the Nether Beasts behind those Nether Beasts to growl and flow away from the areas where Nether Beasts were slowed up by Randidly

Drops became currents currents became eddies eddies became rivers

Congratulations Your Skill Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil has grown to Level 268

Like a maestro Randidly waved his hand and orchestrated the entire battlefield His far flung roots reported where the surging masses of Nether Beasts was headed and Randidly made minute adjustments to slowly round them up and create conflicting currents of movements among their lines Then less than a second later Randidly reviewed the information he could have and made minute adjustments

Congratulations Your Skill Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil has grown to Level 269

Besides this is the role that only I can play RandidlyÆs eyes burned with emotion as his gaze flicked up to Lady Iellaya Then it drifted back to the unending tide of Nether And even if it cuts me to the bone I wonÆt abandon the people here

The order to act as a field commander was a mission that Randidly took very seriously because he was somewhat moved by the fact that as the Nether Gatekeepers descended Lady Iellaya had called him up and asked him to be the acting commander while Lady Iellaya and Abiodun were engaged with the Nether Gatekeepers above Randidly guessed that it was a test of some sort but that didnÆt mean he wouldnÆt agree

After all no matter the broader schemes there were lives at stake Lives that he could save He couldnÆt live with himself if he didnÆt work as hard as he could to save them

Wincing Randidly was forced to close one eye as the pain of his Skill overuse headache grew difficult to manage Without saying anything Zauna passed Randidly a Mana potion provided by the Nexus exclusively for the frontlines Randidly knew that relying on external sources would exacerbate the problem later but he was simply burning through too much Mana too quickly Even with the absurdly low cost of the Skill there were simply too many Nether Beasts that he needed to affect

The area that he covered was monstrous Slowly a single Nether Beast wasnÆt enough He had to juggle an entire sea

Congratulations Your Skill Pain Resistance has grown to Level 149

Yet Randidly gritted his teeth and pushed forward And as he did so a million issues tugged at his attention all pulling his formidable Control to feeble tendrils as they were unwound and forced to operate independently across the battlefield

One of Lady IellayaÆs Captains stomped his foot twice on the ground which was the signal to draw RandidlyÆs attention Then the man growled out Good here send more

Even as Randidly began to shift the waves of thorny pitfalls harassing the Nether Beasts so more would be shunted toward that CaptainÆs gate another Captain stomped his foot twice

Need reinforcements here these bastards are strong

Congratulations Your Skill Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil has grown to Level 270

Three more Captains stomped their feet to draw RandidlyÆs attention before he had even begun to direct forces to the struggling area Two were requests for more enemies while one was a report that one of the CaptainÆs best subordinates was missing and Randidly should do everything in his power to locate the woman before she was killed by the sea of Nether Beasts seething around Lady IellayaÆs fortress

Pressing both his eyes closed Randidly did his best to address these issues The image of Yggdrasil flickered briefly to life behind him as he was forced to rely on it to control so many roots so finely for so long The Nether Beasts around Lady IellayaÆs fortress hesitated looking up at the towering image of the tree with apparent unease

Yet Randidly had already relied on the image of Yggdrasil too much over the past four hours At this point he needed to only rely on it sparingly or it wore away at the edges of him And already too much of RandidlyÆs focus was cut into pieces for him to be able to afford to lose any additional scrap of his attention

Congratulations Your Skill Pain Resistance has grown to Level 150

Congratulations Your Skill Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil has grown to Level 271

When the issues in front of Randidly were solved they returned after multiplying RandidlyÆs grasp was far and absolute but the Willpower behind it was beginning to show signs o strain And the whole time a smidgeon of RandidlyÆs attention remained warily fixed on the fight against Nether Gatekeepers going on above Even as Ileot continued to hold fifty back the other fifty descended upon the Aether Commanders

Abiodun ferociously fought against two but he could only tie them down not inflict any lasting injury It was Lady Iellaya who had boldly challenged six of the descending Nether Gatekeepers even going so far as killing one while sustaining several moderate injuries herself It was only Lord Miln who gathered more occupying and slowly suppressing ten of the Nether Gatekeepers

The attention above were a few scraps of time every minute where he was just a bit too slow and one of the Aether soldiers were wounded It was time he dearly needed

Yet Randidly knew he could not look away Because should one Nether Gatekeeper descend toward this end of battle lines no one was more aware of how ill prepared the Aether forces would be than Randidly Ghosthound There was no one else left with the strength to step forward in the leftmost three camps if a Nether Gatekeeper made it past Randidly would need to be the one to fight it

For the briefest moment Randidly allowed his attention to wander His head twisted to the right looking toward Vualla Due to the thick clash of Nether and Aether he couldnÆt sense her any longer But he had watched earlier as she had stepped forward to help against the Nether Gatekeepers and as she was forced to fight one alone

So many times Randidly had considered intervening as she roared and bled But he could instantly tell from the set of VuallaÆs jaw that now was not the time to intervene Some part of her needed to prove to herself that she could do this Randidly had been there before himself

Sometimes the battle was all about surviving But sometimes it was about proving you werenÆt afraid even when that very desire proof should have been all the proof of fear you needed

Their clash was a long and brutal battle And the heat that Randidly felt from her wavered a dozen times over the course of the fight Although Randidly couldnÆt be sure he believed that the cooling of the heat was a sign that the effect that he had on her the variation from her past life that he had apparently caused was in danger of reverting

But then the heat burned as hot as the sun as Vualla had won And when she had returned to the ground she had raised her head to the sky and bawled her eyes out while Commander TerithÆs soldiers came to assist her

Before she was taken away Randidly wasted a few precious split seconds to reach across the battlefield and open the ground in front of her There was just the cracked ground for a split second and then there was a thorny azure lily that slithered upward and bloomed at her feet Unfortunately Randidly had to pull his attention away without waiting for her response Around him the battle still raged With his self imposed limits of not gaining a Level there was simply too much to do

Although Randidly slowly put less and less effort toward the endeavor as the battle continued to drag onward he still paid very close attention to the usage of Nether especially by the more powerful Nether Gatekeepers It was difficult to follow the movements of the four headed one that Ileot was toying with but Randidly saw Lady IellayaÆs fight in great detail

Yet what he saw left him frustrated Because he wanted to see some great power that the Nether Gatekeepers used some utilization of Nether that let them transcend from a menial Nether Beast and become a Nether Gatekeeper But there was nothing of the sort present in the way that the Nether Gatekeepers behaved

Nether Gatekeepers just had more Nether and had a corrosive and condensed type of the same energy They seemed generally better at fighting but that could be explained away by age Nothing about them spoke of any transcendent mastery or understanding of Nether

Of course there was a qualitative change to the Nether when it was dense enough Yet the steady accumulation of dense Nether was not the solution that Randidly had been looking for To have wasted so much time and attention following the movements of the Nether Gatekeeper for nothing

One of Lady IellayaÆs Captains stomped three times the signal for emergency help Randidly created an arrow of roots and directed the last bunch of reserve troops forward to assist From now on he would need to draw from those wounded who had some small measure of recovery in order to reinforce any problem areas

Congratulations Your Skill Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil has grown to Level 272

No rest for the wicked Randidly sighed Zauna passed him another Mana potion

Chapter 1139

Abiodun folded his arms behind his back and clasped his hands in order to hide the tremors in his normally solid arms Although he had managed to hold back two Nether Gatekeepers for several hours during the battle it was not a feat that he could accomplish easily As much as he hated to admit it it would take quite a while for him to recover from the internal wounds he had sustained Perhaps if he could ask Randidly to use his recovery abilities

But no he could not Pressing his eyes closed Abiodun took a steadying breath One only had to glance downward toward the portion of the ramparts that had been allocated to Randidly Ghosthound in order to sense how feeble and strained the manÆs images had become The battle today had drained him dry

Obviously what Randidly endured wasnÆt comparable to what Abiodun or Lady Iellaya had been forced to deal with above but none could deny that what Randidly managed the below in the absence of strong foes was admirable He was a man who could hold the line even against overwhelming numbers

Abiodun you need not hide your weakness from me Lady Iellaya said lightly Then she dipped the washcloth back into the cold water of the basin and let it soak for several seconds Abiodun did his best to keep his eyes away from the murky water We are connected we are one There is no meaning to deception

Although it went against his nature Abiodun let his arms fall to his sides His palms twitched But his gaze on Lady Iellaya was sharp I could say the same to you my Queen

With gentle motions Lady Iellaya brought the cloth out of the water and wrung it dry As the liquid ran down her fingers to her knuckles and wrists she gently chided You know that it is still a bad idea to say such things openly

Abiodun stood silent for several seconds nodding to acknowledge her point Lady Iellaya gently brought the damp washcloth to her shoulder She took a deep breath with her eyes closed All the while Abiodun watched

It was only as Lady Iellaya began to wipe the dried blood from her feathers that Abiodun finally spoke You bit off more than you can handle today To fight six Nether Gatekeepers it is an almost impossible task Until you receive this promised Class from Randidly

Lord Miln handled ten Lady Iellaya said quietly And it was only because he was able to finally defeat several of his opponents that the balance was broken in the fight Otherwise we might still be struggling against them With his assistance we swept away the remaining Nether Gatekeepers and then annihilated the remaining forces on the ground None can deny that his was the biggest contribution to this battle

Bigger than Cail Tweocs Abiodun pointed out quietly

If they had been in public Lady Iellaya probably would have cracked open AbiodunÆs stone armor for a comment like that As it was standing alone high on the command tower in the hastily assembled forward fortification Lady Iellaya only gave Abiodun an acidic glare Which honestly burned him much more truly than the strike would have

Abiodun shook himself Perhaps I am more exhausted from this battle than I thought That comment was unlike me But to see Lady Iellaya wounded like this

There was a hole the size of a fist in Lady IellayaÆs shoulder that she continued to slowly dab with the wet cloth Black veins snaked outward from the wound and steam continued to waft up from the exposed and corrupted flesh With almost clockwork precision Lady Iellaya returned the cloth to water and let it soak Tendrils of blood curled outward like vivid petals of a slowly blooming iris

You definitely are the individual among the normal Commanders that accomplished the most Abiodun started again with a low rumble The closest that the others could handle was three Nether Gatekeepers at once It is not a close thing

Yet I need more Lady Iellaya said Wincing she eased herself down into sitting on her wicker chair

A few months ago and you would have been glad of this opportunity Abiodun said stubbornly These accomplishments they would have had you ecstatic As long as you donÆt die the Nexus will hear of your exploits Soon you will get access to Tier 3 Citizenship

Smiling Lady Iellaya shrugged with her good shoulder Of course you are correct my eternal companion Yet now things are different I have learned that Lord Miln is playing a larger game than I can fathom And also to see how quickly that this boy can grow ItÆs like glimpsing a Path I havenÆt been blessed with I am envious

Obviously Abiodun didnÆt need to ask to whom Lady Iellaya was referring Although Abiodun studiously controlled his thoughts he had similar thoughts about Randidly Especially a few hours ago as the long battle finally ended The Commander tier combatants had quite a surprise when they finished their own battles and discovered that their soldiers had managed to endure in their absence

That was not the way of the frontlines Soldiers died in droves always Then there would be a mass recruitment and those who survived would rise in the ranks So it always was

Yet today almost all of the soldiers had survived Wounded and weakened yes but they were still alive

Likely due to the presence of the Nether Prince there the left flank was the one that received the highest concentration from the Nether forces And that was where Randidly Ghosthound had been working tirelessly to weaken and subvert the Nether assault with his seemingly infinite roots After being a meaningless image that was reduced to unconsciousness after every mission when he had arrived he had become an integral part of the defense effort for their camp It was an intimidating amount of growth even considering the fact that the image recovered his body to leapfrog to this position

Even as Abiodun opened his mouth to speak Iellaya hissed in pain as she tentatively moved her injured arm and I understand how far beyond where I once was that I currently am Yet it is still not enough If I am to repay all of you who have supported me up to this point I need to be more

Bowing his head Abiodun said quietly None of us regret coming into your service my Queen It is the greatest blessing we could have asked for to support you And you cannot allow yourself to be driven by cravings After you have accomplished so much do not lightly dismiss everything youÆve done

Such is the nature of craving Iellaya said tiredly as she slumped down into the wicker chair I know it is a hollow engine as soon as I achieve what I desire I will want more Yet we cannot help but crave especially so long as those around us chase power so vehemently I fear letting go of the craving will leave me entirely empty Because sometimes I wonder what else I have remaining within me

For the first time in a long time Abiodun held his silence not because his mistress didnÆt know his thoughts on a matter but precisely because she knew what he would say And what he would say right now would not help her escape the fear that seized her heart Instead Abiodun turned and looked out and the warped and scorched battlements below them the very same that had managed to survive through the Nether assault

I would kill for you my Queen Abiodun thought fiercely but she knew She knew and it would only make her sad to hear that right now

ThatÆs why I cannot stop she would reply So Abiodun remained silent

After a long time of allowing his mistress the time she wanted to simply dwell on the problems facing them Abiodun opened his mouth In addition there is news

Tell me Came the whispered response followed by a groan and the creaking of the wicker

Abiodun didnÆt turn away from the battlements As IÆm sure you are aware one of the difficulties for the Aether forces moving forward is the fact that so many of us at the Commander tier suffered various wounds while in todayÆs battle Moreover one of those individuals was Commander Terith

Uptight prick lost his arm Lady Iellaya released a long sigh And heÆs lucky that was all he lost to the Nether

unfortunately the treatment of Commander TerithÆs wound did not go well Abiodun rumbled His hands tightened into fists While receiving attention at headquarters it appears he has since gone unconscious Word has been spread that a Nether weapon had been thrust into his body thereby hiding the severity of his wounds until treatment began