LoRG 4

Tsk this pattern even I can barely capture the meaning it contains This definitely came from a significant character amongst the Nether Forces

Turning away Randidly meant to ask LayÆmel a question but he was briefly frozen because his pivot put his nose in a curtain of blonde hair Randidly put a finger up under his nose to stifle a sneeze and took a quick step to the side to create some space Claudette revealed another sunny smile toward him as she straightened from the posture she had used to peer over RandidlyÆs shoulder

is there something you need Randidly asked But inwardly he was shocked that she had managed to sneak upon him Part of the reason for his inattentiveness was the distraction as he scanned the interior of the Nether Vein to examine the whole of its structure and another reason was that the emotions Claudette Beigon released very overwhelmingly friendly and that he subconsciously viewed her as not a threat but Randidly didnÆt believe that those two factors would be enough for him to miss her movements

There was definitely more capability to this woman than he had initially thought She wasnÆt just a pretty woman with an admirable image

Claudette shrugged with a cheeky smile on her face Nope I was just curious what you were looking at She poked the Nether Vein with her toe The rigid material didnÆt budge in the slightest from her touch Any idea what this made out of

Randidly glanced at LayÆmel to see if he had any insight But the elfen man just looked at him blankly clearly conveying how the hell am I supposed to know that Æ Snorting lightly Randidly shrugged as he turned to Claudette It is definitely some sort of material that has been refined by Nether but even I am not sure of the exact composition

Then Randidly produced the cube map and consulted it briefly But the fact that Nether Forces are active here in the inner area means that the core portion of the folded space is likely even more densely populated So everyone should be on your guard when we head to the next area Kerwin try and keep LayÆmel as close to the group as possible while we what is it

Claudette continued to beam at Randidly as he was relaying his orders causing him to falter in his words She seemed actively trying to gather positive emotion and shine it toward him through her smile In response to RandidlyÆs question she simply waved her hand and giggled Nothing nothing You just seem quite reliable

Randidly was speechless for a second But then he shrugged and turned away Helen and Narthalla were engaged in brutal battles with seven and six Nether Gatekeepers respectively effectively stalled out in their offensive in the face of superior numbers Randidly gestured sharply Raymund and DiOrtho letÆs hurry this skirmish up I want to study this material a little bit longer but not too much longer And Raymund see if you can take anything from the Nether forces

The two nodded and shot out to help with the battle Neither were as powerful as Helen and Narthalla at least not without Raymund being able to swipe a powerful attack from someone but they both possessed enough physical power to compete directly with the Nether Gatekeepers Their presence would definitely alleviate the pressure on the women In the meantime Randidly crouched down next to the Nether Vein again and examined it even more closely

Rather than metal the Nether Veins seemed to possess the traits of wood The more minutely he examined them the more he could sense the faintest flicker of life amongst the material Only the grains were extremely small After a few tries Randidly could only give up at using Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil to affect the veins directly whatever refinement process this had gone through had annihilated any resemblance the material had to actual plant life

Instead Randidly could only tsk lightly and produce Acri The plant weapon sensed RandidlyÆs intent and pressed its blade together as tightly as it could manage Randidly brandished the spear and then slashed down with enough force to produce a sonic boom and deeply scar the ground around the Nether Vein But Randidly was unsurprised to find that the attack didnÆt mana to inflict much lasting damage on the material

The ghost of that significance he could barely witness hung in the air subtly blunting his attack

Sure enough they wouldnÆt bother to install this shit if it could be easily removed Randidly clicked his tongue in distaste But letÆs see how seriously the Nether Forces take their material sciences

Randidly spared a glance over his shoulder for LayÆmel who was crouching miserably as the reverberations from the battle with the Nether Gatekeepers were spreading throughout the isolated area Then Randidly became very aware of Claudette who was still watching him curiously Inwardly he could only sigh Although he would prefer not to reveal too much of his power just demonstrating all of the physical power he possessed was an acceptable cost to test the limits of this material

Randidly had a hunch that if he proceeded any deeper this arrangement would become increasingly relevant He didnÆt want to be unprepared if he had to destroy an array like this in the future As he readied himself he gripped Acri with both hands His eyes blazed with emerald fire

Yet the portion of Randidly that was the most mobilized was his Nether Core which began to roar to life Nether spiraled out of its wild gyrations flowing through his Soulspace and weaving through his veins His heart began to pound loudly Although Randidly was careful not to mobilize his images the ghost of the image physicalizations still flickered to life around him due to his Conviction of the Celestial Cataclysm The very fabric of his existence shifted from humanity to something more monstrous and harrowing As his veins glowed golden and his torso turned partially insubstantial his left eye darkened

Behind him he sensed ClaudetteÆs winning smile slip and fall off her face revealing an expression of genuine shock

RandidlyÆs fingers tightened on Acri and he swept the spear downward His muscles exploded into motion his joints cracking in meek protest before the overwhelming power Randidly channeled through his body Quick as a spark Acri cut into the Nether Vein The pseudo wood screeched in protest

Congratulations Your Skill Sharpness has grown to Level 257

Congratulations Your Skill Sharpness has grown to Level 279

Just as soon as it arrived the weapon shuddered to a stop Randidly grimaced and planted his foot on the Nether Vein to yank AcriÆs tip out of its current resting place Then he crouched down and examined the marred material mobilizing his physical power had only allowed Acri to cut halfway through the Nether Vein

Still it should be possible for me to destroy this material if I need to Randidly sighed and straightened to look toward the continuing fight After being stricken with indecision while watching the image smash into Nether Gatekeepers below he decided to focus on proceeding deeper for now something about the pattern of the Nether Veins unnerved him

Randidly almost wanted to remain here for a bit and pry a portion of the Nether Vein out of the ground but it wasnÆt really worth the time commitment So he straightened and gestured to Kerwin and LayÆmel The other four hadnÆt killed all of the Nether Gatekeepers in their way yet but they had injured them and forced them backward Come on LetÆs head to the next area

While the fighting continued on either side of them Randidly led Claudette and the weaker individuals directly across the lake walking lightly across the surface of the mist shrouded water Claudette simply froze the water and walked forward but Randidly chose a different tack By activating Hallucination of the Bloodless Heart and utilizing its gravity manipulation abilities only RandidlyÆs toes touched the water and produced serene ripples Even if the process was somewhat elaborate Randidly grinned down at himself from the sensation I canÆt do this directly because I donÆt have the right sort of Skill but this sort of thing is actually quite fun

When they reached the other side of the lake Randidly paused briefly because he noticed a change in ClaudetteÆs expression If he had to guess it started when he had attacked the Nether Vein Although she had been so radiantly positive previously she now looked at Randidly with her brow slightly furrowed Is something wrong

That no itÆs nothing Mr Ghosthound Claudette shook her head A ghost of a smile flitted across her face But your subordinates are very impressive each is a match for Nary It makes me wonder how much power their superior possesses

Randidly grinned as he looked forward once more I actually wonder the same thing these days alright call your subordinate back ItÆs time to move on

They quickly crossed the rest of the distance to the far spatial wall and Randidly pressed his hand against it The Nether Gatekeepers seemed to realize what was happening but HelenÆs Tides of Blood Domain had gained too much momentum during the last few minutes of battle Restricting the wounded Nether Gatekeepers was quite simple

As Randidly spread his senses out throughout the surrounding layered space he frowned There were three nearby pieces of space he could travel to but unfortunately this was the portion of the area that wasnÆt well described by ClaudetteÆs map it seemed even the Frost Matriarch was unsure of how to proceed at this depth

Likely her senses hadnÆt been able to pierce much deeper Honestly Randidly was shocked that he had managed to capture as much information as she had

However a growing resonance quickly bloomed inside of RandidlyÆs Soulspace He sensed a kindred energy to his own in one of the spaces in front of him Randidly blinked slowly a second later he began to smile as he recognized the source He was close enough to vaguely sense the position of his next Fatepiece in the next space

Which meant that he had found the trail of Shal and Techetadore

Chapter 1626

By relying on the natural bridge between the two isolated spaces Randidly expended only a fraction of his mental energy to arrive at the new destination In comparison to his previous coughing and miserable entrance at the last space this was infinitely preferable But as soon as the group slipped between the tightly pressed planes of energy Randidly realized that stepping into this new area had probably taken him beyond the area where he could safely hide his true capability

They were met with a shockwave filled with a chaotic mix of images

Had RandidlyÆs mouth been open his first greeting in this new area would have been a mouthful of dust and sundered stone As it was he immediately released a pulse of YggdrasilÆs image to disperse the shockwave heading toward them Thorny roots erupted out of the ground and wove themselves together to form a physical barricade to defend against any incoming attacks The actual defensive capabilities were low but a thorny rampart emerging from nothing might give the party responsible for the attack some pause

However no one had truly attacked the group they were just experiencing the edges of a grander battlefield Even as booms echoed continuously to their position the thorn rampart received no actual damage with RandidlyÆs image the previous blast was truly only a coincidence After sharing a glance with Helen Randidly hopped upward and stood upon the edge of his thorny rampart to look out at the situation Behind him Claudette clapped her hands together and gracefully generated a frozen staircase to climb to allow the others to follow

There are only a few hundred people here and yet

Randidly scrunched his eyebrows together and glanced at Kerwin You should stay here as much as possible

BooM BooM BooM

Randidly looked out into the isolated space and examined the most chaotic battle he had ever witnessed since arriving in the Nexus In terms of the number of participants the current conflict couldnÆt rival the frontline There was a large group of a hundred nearby to RandidlyÆs position but the rest of the groupings were closer to twenty or thirty

Yet in terms of scale these few hundred could clearly rival the frontlines As each of the small figures lashed out huge phantasmal images warped the sky A massive horned turtle raised its head and bellowed as it clashed against an eagle wreathed in crimson lightning A relatively mild looking grey cloud cried out black raindrop that clashed against an arrow wreathed in green fire An alabaster titan with ninety nine arms unleashed unceasing waves of palm strikes against a spinning golden orb

And those were just the most eye catching of twenty similar battles happening across this spatial island

The ground cracked the sky alternatively darkened and then lightened the air hummed with the images that struggled for dominance in the surrounding pace Flames and thunder and ice and wind and darkness smashed against each other and spun off each other in complex interactions

Perhaps the most horrifying part of this battle that any small difference in the images above allowed those images to launch deadly attacks on the bodies of the fighters below As most people in the Nexus seemed to possess a rather dismissive view of empowering their physical bodies they couldnÆt withstand the image strikes when they didnÆt expect them

So as Randidly watched the horned turtle smashed its opponent backward and then shot a sinister fireball out of its mouth Due to the constant and deafening clashes of images the targeted fighters didnÆt notice until it was too late

As those powerful image users died the flaming arrow fighting against the grey cloud flickered and vanished

Randidly couldnÆt help but suck in a breath as he looked out at the battlefield Even the weakest person here is a match for Helen And the strongest

His heart pounded As more powerful images seized advantage of openings more and more individuals were struck from the side by a powerful image and perished Randidly looked out in front of him and wanted more than anything to fight and damn the consequences

Blinking Randidly shook himself to stabilize his rising excitement and focused on examining the situation more closely The first thing he noticed was that the current isolated space was about four times the size of the previous islands he had traveled through the get here Although RandidlyÆs group was on a small ridge the interior area was dominated by a massive basin There was a small creek running around the ground at the base of RandidlyÆs ridge and then the ground slowly sloped upward the further one moved from their current position

Meanwhile on the battlefield the Crimson Thunder Eagle raised its head and then shrieked That cry seemed to be a Skill because the horned turtle was forced backward The beast opened its mouth and belched out a blast of lightning that pierced through the innocuous cloud Although the cloud seemed a second away from dissipating after being struck with that attack it rapidly spun down into a whirlwind Arcs of black liquid were flung in every direction rapidly destabilizing the situation in some of the surrounding conflicts

Randidly watched one jet black blade crash into the slope and cut a uniformed individual in half

In response there was a horrible rumbling and a massive skeleton steadily condensed on the far side of the battlefield from where RandidlyÆs group had arrived Even the smallest of this skeletonÆs bones were a meter across resulting in the whole assembly stretching to cover almost two hundred meters the new monstrosity towered over the battlefield The roofÆ of the enclosed space sizzled as the monstrous image pressed up against it The bones had a particular yellow quality and RandidlyÆs skin prickled as he looked at the rapidly forming skeleton

He would recognize those bones anywhere this was the same sort of skeleton that formed the base of the Nexus

Neither side is willing to concede Claudette muttered next to him She frowned at the battlefield At this rate

After inspecting the environment Randidly rapidly scrutinized the fighting forces Although the images were extremely diverse it was enough to watch how the groups helped each other to determine the various factions Aside from the two uniformed forces there were almost twenty independent groups that appeared to be working together against the larger groups And once Randidly focused on piercing through the image reverberations he recognized the forces were wearing familiar uniforms This fight included both the NLC and Military High Command

Randidly sucked in a cold breath as he looked at the far side of the battlefield An energy that he had just encountered dominated the right flank ThatÆs why they are so familiar I canÆt believe the images could mask it Those individuals are also a part of the Engraving GuildÆs Nether Lattice

The spinning golden orb was being pummeled by the alabaster titan but three individuals on the ground stepped up and began channeling their energy through the image The distortions from the violent clashes across the battlefield made it so even RandidlyÆs Grim Intuition couldnÆt observe their individual features but their uniforms were the same as the previous group Claudette had killed

And he would recognize that sluggish Nether anywhere

Yet when these three unleashed their Nether Ritual the Weight they mobilized was far above what Meldoon could muster As Randidly watched them he couldnÆt help but grit his teeth the threeÆs combined Weight could rival his own When all they were doing was trying to crush a foe with their power it didnÆt matter much that the energy flowed like cottage cheese

So this is the real power of the Engraving Guild Randidly pursed his lips The continual clashes of images made observation difficult but Randidly pointed took a few seconds to memorize the capabilities of the Engraving Guild representatives as best as he could

While he was staring over toward that portion of the battlefield dark lines spread across the golden orb and formed a complex interlocking pattern The palm attacks of the ninety nine armed titan were slowly pushed back by the radiation the orb released Steadily that radiation flowed in the surrounding space and generated a repulsive force that dominated one corner of the warzone

Yet no sooner had the golden orb begun to exert its Nether fueled will upon the surroundings than the sky seemed to expand above the image and unleashed a daunting amount of pressure Even across the battlefield the hairs on the back of RandidlyÆs neck tingled to feel that suffocating pressure The golden orb began to crack underneath the combined weight of the sky

Randidly shook his head slightly The third group even he was impressed as he felt small scraps of the various image echoes that drifted over toward him And although Randidly would have been bewildered by the presence and unity of such an eclectic group previously he now understood what he was looking at Randidly solemnly watched the escalating conflict So this is the power of the Pinnacle Seekers

The massive skeleton which rose from the portion of the battlefield controlled by Military High Command finally completed its assembly ItÆs eyes pulsed with a pure white light which just made its yellowed bones appear even more sinister and corrupted by contrast The giant skeleton opened its mouth and breathed out a green blue beam of energy that ripped through the intervening space aiming to annihilate the large group of Pinnacle Seeker very near to Randidly and his group

All the other images were steadily culled by the radiation of that beam They dimmed as it shot overhead seeming to pause the rest of the battle

To make sure he wouldnÆt miss a detail of the clash Randidly activated his Revelations of the Atramentous Threshold Skill and allowed blue black revelation energy to flare across his eyes His Grim Intuition operated at peak efficiency as he prepared to utilize Yggdrasil to defend against image reverberations

But truthfully Randidly wasnÆt sure he would be able to withstand that blue green blast

Because he activated of the Skill Randidly could easily distinguish which individuals produced which images Which was why he felt the originator of the Crimson Thunder Eagle the giant skeletonÆs target falter And it wasnÆt just the image below the woman seemed to have been stricken even before the blue green beam arrived She hunched down unable to withstand the oncoming pressure

Yet just before the beam arrived another figure from the group strolled forward and lightly patted the faltering woman on the back

Even as the blue green beam was rushing toward their position the woman stepped to the side and bowed to the new arrival The fading Crimson Thunder Eagle in the sky immediately vanished

Congratulations Your Skill Revelations of the Atramentous Threshold has grown to Level 375

Randidly incredulously watched as the man on the ground cracked his knuckles even as the beam seemed about to devour him Then the man looked up at the attack and grinned In an explosion of crackling red electricity a new Crimson Thunder Eagle was birthed in the sky above the man But whereas the previous beast only possessed a twenty meter wingspan this creature spread its limbs and covered almost a hundred meters When it raised its head and screamed the noise was incredibly captivating The world seemed to resonate with that eagleÆs cry ItÆs presence blossomed and simply smothered the attack from the enormous yellow skeleton

Randidly clenched his hands as a familiar pressure blasted outward from the new image Sure enough this is why the Pinnacle Seekers cannot be underestimated this individual might be even more powerful than Commandant Wick

Congratulations Your Skill Revelation of the Atramentous Threshold has grown to Level 376

With RandidlyÆs Skill active he gathered so much information regarding that overwhelming image that his body suffered for it He was over exposed to a dangerous source of energy that continued to burn his sense If not for his powerful physical abilities he wouldnÆt be able to peer so directly at the core of the newly manifested image Next to him Randidly could feel Claudette and then Helen as she got the hang of the principle manifesting small amounts of her image to screen the overwhelming power

The eyes of the massive yellow skeleton glowed an equally bright light Randidly could only squint as these dominant images faced off The skeleton released another blast but this time the beam was twice as thick The other images on the battlefield were snuffed out completely by the passage of the blue green beam as surely as a candle flame smothered with a glass lid

The massive Crimson Thunder Eagle shredded space with its talon to meet the enlarged blue green energy beam from the yellowed skeleton

Congratulations Your Skill Revelation of the Atramentous Threshold has grown to Level 377

Congratulations Your Skill Revelation of the Atramentous Threshold has grown to Level 391

Randidly narrowed his eyes as the entire area was suffused with a blinding glow YggdrasilÆs protective aura shrouded the hill on which he stood mitigating the worst of the aftershocks Just witnessing that Class was enough to push my Transcendent Skill up 16 Skill Levels heh sure enough hiding my power wonÆt let me interfere in this sort of battlefield

but still hahaha I cannot help myself I want to fight

RandidlyÆs emerald eyes began to glow as he continued to observe As the light from the impact faded he could see that the area in front of the Crimson Thunder Eagle had been replaced by a massive crater A few members of the Pinnacle Seeker group that had been unfortunate enough to be standing there now ceased to exist Yet the Crimson Thunder Eagle flapped its wings serenely not a bit of the yellowed skeletonÆs attack managed to threaten the individuals behind it

Seeing their attack failed the forces of the Military High Command and the NLC switched their tactics They gathered together in tight clumps to increase their opponentÆs image self sabotage and began to retreat toward the far spatial wall Gleefully the images from the Pinnacle Seeker group flared back to life and began to bombard them Seeing that his job was finished that overwhelmingly powerful image user dismissed his horrifying beast and allowed his subordinates to once more lead the attack

Meanwhile the retreat of the orthodox Nexus forces meant the battlefield became a lot less chaotic RandidlyÆs eyes quickly locked onto a figure within the retreating group of the NLC His heartbeat quickened Found you Shal

Just as Randidly was deciding how he could and should enter into the dangerous fray below at least twenty individuals from the Pinnacle Seeker group began heading toward their position RandidlyÆs face twisted into a scowl and he prepared his image but Claudette laid her hand on RandidlyÆs arm and shook her head slightly

The leading figure was none other than the originator of the monstrous beast image He was much younger than Randidly expected with short and spiky yellow hair and wearing a maroon leather vest He ignored Randidly completely and smiled at Claudette Oh if it isn’t Miss Beigon Truly it is very impressive that youÆve managed to proceed this deeply on your own Have you met my son Eashen Since you two are of a similar age how about you allow him to accompany you for a bit

Chapter 1627

As someone who had been the frequent victim of a parent attempting to set her up in awkward forced proximity with someone of the opposite sex Helen immediately recognized the ingratiating smile on the spiky haired manÆs face Except there was something particularly chilling about the generous expression from this man considering the fact that every instinct Helen possessed urged her to lay down and submit to him

Helen glanced sideways at Claudette the target of the expression who Randidly had so casually rescued earlier Is this bitch some sort of a princess

At the powerful manÆs words a teenager stepped forward from the group behind the man and raised his chin proudly They had exactly the same spiky yellow hair Helen snorted drawing some glances from the group behind the powerful man but she couldnÆt help her reaction Heh truly shameless parents are the same in every world How the hell are these two a similar age If that boy is a day over sixteen IÆll eat my fucking spear

The woman in question Claudette smiled politely as the boy stepped forward Truly Seeker Thunder Wing it is a pleasure to meet Eashen he is as heroic as I have heard However I am currently honor bound to assist my companion He rescued me from the Engraving Guild earlier today As soon as I am finished I will gladly come to visit the Thunder Wing headquarters

Claudette continued to offer a smile that dripped honey while casually gesturing at Randidly next to her As Seeker Thunder Wing looked from Claudette to HelenÆs superior the Pinnacle SeekerÆs gaze accumulated an overwhelming amount of mass Although the man didnÆt manifest his image it was clear that he was casually pressuring the man that Claudette was using as an excuse to test RandidlyÆs depths Such a meddling parent wouldnÆt allow Claudette to avoid spending time with his young son easily

And beyond even that central figure that looked balefully forward Helen could sense that none of the individuals that had come over to investigate their group was weak From their expressions it was clear they didnÆt take kindly to outsiders Without ClaudetteÆs presence it was difficult to say that the Pinnacle SeekersÆ reception wouldnÆt have just killed them outright

Helen clenched her fists and fought to keep her spine straight as the pressure against them mounted Meanwhile the Ghosthound didnÆt even bat an eye simply meeting the gaze of the Pinnacle Seeker in front of them

Cheh acting cool even now Helen thought sourly But even so she drew strength from RandidlyÆs resistance he was the most reliable support that Helen ever had Which was the reason she had followed him for so long

The silence became heavy as five seconds passed without anyone saying anything Claudette continued to smile but Helen could recognize that her expression was becoming brittle It was clear that Claudette had some influence perhaps because she belonged to a Pinnacle Seeker organization it would be insufficient to stop this Seeker Thunder Wing if he truly wished to push the issue

We pay our debts Miss Claudette Helen thought sourly as she continued to resist the significant pressure Had she not spent five years training with Vualla within RandidlyÆs Alpha Cosmos it would have been impossible to remain standing You might be the reason they are willing to talk to us amicably but if you have just drawn a heap of trouble onto our heads we wonÆt forget

At ten seconds of escalating pressure as DiOrtho Vant next to Helen began to tremble Seeker Thunder Wing smiled and all that oppression vanished Oh indeed Since thatÆs the case maybe we can assist WhatÆs your name friend

What the Seeker didnÆt say was that if Randidly had faltered even slightly underneath his aura he wouldnÆt have received this chance His gently smiling face hid a callous heart

Randidly stepped forward and nodded at the surrounding individuals My name is Randidly Ghosthound IÆm here in pursuit of a few specific individuals from the NLC who attacked a subordinate of mine I can sense at least one of them in that retreating force

A thoughtful expression came across Seeker Thunder WingÆs face He looked more closely at RandidlyÆs figure Based on his expression Helen guessed that the man recognized the name apparently the Head Drill Sergeant was important enough of a position to reach this manÆs ear Which meant that he likely also knew that they were from Military High Command

Yet just as the Seeker was going to say something Claudette interjected Any assistance in fighting against the NLC forces would be appreciated Seeker Thunder Wing

As the powerful man considered that HelenÆs eyes flashed as she spared another glance for Claudette By framing it as a private vendetta against the NLC it will be easier for the Pinnacle Seekers to accept we wish to run counter to our organization’s interests And in the end what do they care about infighting amongst the orthodox forces of the Nexus

but truly this Claudette is too deft Martial might isnÆt the most frightening aspect of a woman like this tsk hopefully we can get rid of her as soon as possible

indeed If thatÆs the case why not allow my son Eashen to ensure your safety on this dangerous battlefield Seeker Thunder Wing returned to his original goal without missing a beat HelenÆs mother would have nodded in approval In addition IÆll send word to Mynway who coordinates the right flank He will help you assault the NLC lines and locate the individuals you are seeking

Claudette didnÆt didnÆt attempt to struggle any further She nodded and smiled demurely the very picture of a maiden who was honored to receive the assistance of a capable elder While Seeker Thunder Wing turned back to the battlefield to issue some orders some of the sundry other individuals who had accompanied him stepped forward and enthusiastically introduced themselves to Claudette Beigon They even were polite enough to greet Randidly

However Helen didnÆt miss the way that Claudette gave Randidly a pleading expression exactly as the Seeker turned to the battlefield or the way RandidlyÆs lips twitched in a way that meant he was both amused and exasperated She clicked her tongue Do you think Lady Vualla would like how friendly you are acting with your new lady friend Forget it sheÆs strong enough to kick your ass without my help

Hehe IÆll just keep this little secret up my sleeves for when I finally decide to take a vacation

Apparently we donÆt even exist DiOrtho muttered as the individuals standing behind Randidly and Claudette were completely ignored

Do we possess sufficient clout to merit recognition Raymund responded just as quietly But on the far side of Raymund the barbaric Narthalla looked at Raymund with obvious surprise and respect

After most of the gathered individuals had the opportunity to enthusiastically shake ClaudetteÆs hand and praise her poise and presence Æ the boy Eashen stepped forward and spoke in an immature voice while staring at ClaudetteÆs armored chest and blushing furiously Ah Father says everything is ready Follow me and I can take you to the battlefield

The strained silence as the Seeker had tested Randidly seemed to have lasted an eternity but in truth it had been less than a minute since the GhosthoundÆs group had arrived in this isolated space While they had conversed with the Pinnacle Seeker forces the battle had continued to rage but hadnÆt changed drastically

On the broken ground of the basin the forces of Military High Command and the NLC continued to struggle to retreat as they were bombarded with attacks They had almost ascended the slope entirely nearing the far edge of the isolated space But unlike the usual foggy glass that refracted light this wall was covered in a complex network of black lines As they grew closer to the far wall the forces of the Pinnacle Seekers mobilized their images and intensified their strikes

Led by Eashen their group rushed over to the far side of the battlefield where the NLC forces were stationed Meanwhile Seeker Thunder Wing returned to the main camp of the Pinnacle Seekers In the depth of that grouping Helen sensed at least two other monstrous individuals that made her feel just as fearful as Seeker Thunder Wing

In the end our arrival is a small matter As long as we donÆt cause trouble we can be safely ignored What shit Helen pressed her lips together Sometimes I fucking hate the Nexus Why does everyone else here seem to get off on making others seem powerless

Ahead of them Randidly spoke to Eashen Why are all these forces fighting here

What Ah the Nexus people were building up fortifications to stop us from going any deeper so of course we are gonna kill them Eashen said rather proudly He snuck another glance at Claudette and blushed before turning back to Randidly His voice got rather high pitched as he spoke excitedly DonÆt worry with my help you wonÆt have any trouble killing these schmucks from the Engraving Guild I learned my image directly from Father

Perfect Randidly said rather dryly Helen covered her mouth to hide another snort

When they arrived on the side of the field dominated by the NLC the fighting had grown increasingly intense There simply wasnÆt any more space for the orthodox forces to retreat If they wanted to buy time and prevent the Pinnacle Seekers from reaching the spatial wall that was covered in black lines they had to make their stand and face the Pinnacle SeekersÆ images directly

Sensing the change in the oppositionÆs philosophy the Pinnacle Seekers gleefully charged forward Part of it was the obvious joy they experienced as they battled but it was obvious even to Helen that the black lines on the spatial wall were growing increasingly dark

Above their heads the thousand armed titan continued to smash apart the Nether Rituals created by the Engraving guild A humanoid with a smooth featureless face turned from the fight and bowed once each to Eashen and Claudette Beigon The being reminded Helen of one of the mannequins she had seen on Expira I have heard about your arrival I am Mynway Please follow me and we will assist you in your assault

Claudette nodded Perfect Ah Mr Ghosthound who exactly

But Claudette paused in her speaking as she turned to Randidly his eyes were so intense that it was difficult to meet his gaze The intensity there wasnÆt the same as the pressure that the Seeker Thunder Wing had unleashed but RandidlyÆs ability to utilize both Aether and Nether meant that his focus demanded acknowledgment from those around him His every aspect seemed to deepen to the point of unfathomability Eashen and Mynway both took a half step back shocked by the sudden change in demeanor

Meanwhile Helen followed RandidlyÆs gaze into the enemy lines and gasped she finally understood why they had involved themselves in this strange battlefield

Only fifty meters away a blazing gold spear clashed against a flaming giant The wielder spun the spear expertly and executed a flawless thrust into the flaming giantÆs joint The monster roared but the spear wielder moved too quickly to follow His spear struck downward with all the blinding speed of a viper to extend the wound and then the spear user was gone streaking across the battlefield The blue skinned man was a golden phantom whose spear undulated like a serpent unleashing powerful blows to the left and right keeping the Pinnacle Seekers at bay

Shal Helen breathed out Both DiOrtho and Raymund looked at her curiously but it was not easy to quickly convey the significance this figure held in her and RandidlyÆs past As she observed his spear usage Helen couldnÆt believe how much Shal had improved She had understood from conversations with Randidly that the man had allowed Tellus to defeat the Second Calamity by adjusting his image at the last moment yet it now seemed that Shal had managed to incorporate both HeroÆs Spear with the Spear Phantom Style with the Serpent Spear from his childhood And in terms of spearplay the result was overwhelming

Yet Helen frowned as she continued to watch Why does ShalÆs image feel so

Randidly completely ignored Eashen and Mynway and instead walked calmly forward on his own toward the battlelines He flicked his wrist and produced his leafy spear Acri Perhaps unconsciously spectral flames surged to life up and down the GhosthoundÆs limbs His roaring fighting spirit was so condensed that Helen could feel it radiating off of him from ten meters away

The apprentice had grown and he was now here to show his master everything that he had learned

Chapter 1628

As the man they called the Ghosthound walked almost serenely forward and cast a long and dark shadow the featureless Mynway turned to address Claudette Miss if that man proceeds out onto the battlefield the reverberations from the other confrontations

CanÆt you feel it Claudette exhaled and licked her lips Her dark eyes began to glitter As she stared at RandidlyÆs back and those strange spectral flames that flickered across his body she couldnÆt muster up the gumption to follow him The pressure was a totally unique and unfamiliar sensation It was different from what she experienced near the Frost Matriarch a pressure that made establishing an image in that space impossible Nor was it the dominant physical disintegration that a Nether Herald could mobilize

Rather than Claudette being suppressed by Randidly Ghosthound it was like his very real existence made her understand that she was fake and feeble The very substance of the space in front of Claudette urged her not to take action against this man

certainly he seems capable The featureless Mynway allowed Meanwhile almost a dozen powerful images smashed against each other in the surrounding area The alabaster titan struck the golden orb and smashed it into the ground The raincloud weeping black drops expanded and riddled the space a bit to their left with caustic liquid But the collateral damage

He gestured helplessly after defeating the golden orb the titan charged toward a glowing green greatsword The clash of the two images caused space above them to shudder but as both attackers refused to concede the pressure mounted A split second later the forces ruptured the surrounding space and sent spatial cracks ripping in every direction One of MynwayÆs subordinates that was assisting on that battlefield was crushed into a bloody paste for daring to be too near

Claudette shook her head slowly her eyes still straight ahead As one of those cracks snaked down toward Randidly it rapidly slowed Only a few meters away from the spear wielder space stabilized and the reverberations vanished Sure enough her instincts hadnÆt lied there was something universally authentic about the Ghosthound that even strengthen the fabric of shape Next to her Mynway couldnÆt figure out how to react to this phenomenon

In twenty meters in almost any direction from Randidly the forces of the Pinnacle Seekers and the Nexus Labor Council were locked in the sort of high tier combat that left the environment sundered and broken Yet his pace never changed his gait remained even

When Claudette had met Randidly she had been instantly suspicious by how casually he had treated her Considering her family it was obvious his attitude was a facade She had seen similar attempts before so she decided to treat him casually and wait for his tune to change Yet he hadnÆt reacted when she had flirted or been ingratiating or when she had brought the attention of Seeker Thunder Wing directly upon him Finally now she understood why

This whole time the man Randidly Ghosthound had been looking forward toward this confrontation And such was the intensity of his focus that the entire world aligned with him and did the same

She was just a side character to him no matter who her family was Likely she would quickly vanish from his mind after they parted ways And while she had initially balked at that realization she couldnÆt deny it any longer

Where did this man come from Claudette wondered as she watched him finally reach his target The man Randidly Ghosthound was staring at finally looked back at him

Congratulations Your Skill Chimeric Impunity has grown to Level 359

Congratulations Your Skill Conviction of the Celestial Cataclysm has grown to Level 392

Congratulations Your Skill Nether Sensation has grown to Level 406

Due to an extraordinary accumulation of significance Weight +10

Congratulations Your Skill Chimeric Impunity has grown to Level 360

Influence +10

RandidlyÆs heart ached as he looked at Shal

Unwilling to let his attention waver in this important moment Randidly Ghosthound deftly reached into the Aether apparatus around him and switched off his access to notifications The notifications were coming too rapidly and at the moment he didnÆt need them at all He let the task at hand consume him He tried to take a calming breath as he stepped forward but his muscles wouldnÆt stop clenching The muscles of his jaw were trembling

He took another step forward

Randidly felt insubstantial as he walked across the battlefield The other sounds around him faded as ShalÆs figure filled his vision Somehow he was beyond the impacts and sounds of the nearby conflicts he was ethereal He drifted forward like an unwilling spirit

RandidlyÆs Nether Core spun faster and faster gushing Nether through his veins so quickly that he was briefly worried whether even his powerful body wouldnÆt be able to handle it Yet not only was his body withstanding the endless river of Nether being channeled through him but his cells were thriving under its influence

With every step the density of Nether in his body deepened And in the next moment another powerful wave of Nether pumped through him forcing the already accumulated Nether down and compacting it In response his image physicalizations steadily manifested to balance out the energies he held within his physical form Nether flames flickered up and down across his arms as he subconsciously released his Weight to steady himself

Each step was a dizzying rebirth If Randidly ripping off his flesh earlier was his body catching up to his Stats his current situation was the result of his Aether and Nether reworking itself in the same way And despite the warning Randidly had seen in his Glimpse of the Shallah Path he didnÆt attempt to stop the transformative process

Weirdly seeing Shal here rid Randidly of the last clinging bits of hesitation Each step on this chaotic battlefield was both literal and metaphoric carrying Randidly further down on his own Path

And of course the entire time Randidly couldnÆt tear his gaze away from Shal His master appeared and disappeared abruptly in a thirty meter area as he brandished his spear It appeared that he was in charge of several powerful images users of the Engraving Guild assisting them against the Pinnacle SeekersÆ attacks at key moments

But Shal Randidly bit his lip Your expression your image why do you seem so exhausted

RandidlyÆs pounding heart froze at the moment that ShalÆs piercing gaze happened to finally land on him Their eyes met and Randidly could see even more deeply into the emotions of his master What he found there began to catalyze his emotions transforming them into frustration This should be a joyous occasion Randidly had expected himself to feel proud and confident facing his master

Yet the only thought in his head now witnessing ShalÆs images and emotions was to break the manÆs jaw

For a second Shal faltered RandidlyÆs master still looked as he remembered him a well muscled man with a shaved head and blue skin A closed third eye sat in the middle of his forehead His features were strong and disapproving like the natural setting of his face leaned toward a frown Yet as Shal recognized Randidly his face twisted in something between shock and resignation

For the reciprocal reason he wants to punch me too Randidly realized as the moment of their eye contact stretched

But a split second later ShalÆs face quickly shifted back to a neutral scrutinizing look He landed on the ground and glanced around at the current situation the Pinnacle Seekers who had been harrying Shal took a few steps back and let their images fade For that Randidly was grateful He took several steps forward more Nether whirling through him every moment Tension rose in his chest from both menÆs instinct toward violence squeezing RandidlyÆs heart As he approached to about twenty meters away from Shal it even appeared that the spectral flames of his Nether Weight were growing larger Significance rapidly flowed between the two of them although Randidly couldnÆt quite understand it yet

In a tension relieving return to their previous interactions Shal favored Randidly with a sardonic smile With an audible snap he flicked his wrist and then raised his weapon You seem like a man who has confidence in his spear

Shal Randidly began but Shal immediately shook his head

We speak after disciple Come Show this old man how much youÆve grown

Everything about Shal was outwardly as Randidly remembered him the tone of voice the demands the fact that no sooner had Shal finished speaking than he attacked this was the brutal master of Randidly Ghosthound The one who he had stumbled across in a Dungeon he had entered due to interference from Yystrix and the one who had brutally beaten him until he had established a foundation of strength

Randidly raised Acri relying entirely on instinct His mind was somewhat blank barely managing to control the rampant Aether Nether and emotions that spun around within his chest He still couldnÆt quite understand the dread he felt as he looked at Shal His Nether Core accelerated to the point that his whole being howled with it Even as Shal shot toward him Randidly took a stance and saw the thin and wavy lines of Ripple of Amenonuhoko spread out in front of him

A glimmer of clarity returned to RandidlyÆs eyes Violence at least was easier to understand than the growing hunch he had For now I donÆt want to win this battle by overwhelming him with my Stats Instead letÆs see how far my spear can carry me

Right before Shal arrived in front of him Randidly cut forward along one of the lines of Ripple of Amenonuhoko The wind across the battlefield spun into a vortex above RandidlyÆs head and then shot down to push his attacks forward Without any artifice Randidly thrust his spear forward to meet Shal

The move was direct and effective

ShalÆs eyes flashed and his spear flexibility spun in his hands Despite the fact that his spear had previously seemed rigid it now slithered forward around Acri Of course a twitch from Randidly allowed Acri to swat sideways and knock the attack away

The wind finally roared past Randidly slamming directly into Shal as the two neared one another But ShalÆs body blazed with the golden light of a hero dispersing all the force Randidly had gathered with Ripple of Amenonuhoko Randidly spun quickly cutting toward ShalÆs ankles Shal hopped up in the air and leveled his spearhead toward RandidlyÆs heart

Pressing his lips together Randidly twisted to the side As the phantasmal shade in front of Randidly faded a brutal spear attack shot at him from behind His dodge meant that that ShalÆs spear skittered harmlessly off of SulfurÆs defenses Seeing his pupil dodge his sneak attack Shal even had the cheek to grin at him

Randidly snorted and lashed out at Shal with a palm Shal instantly generated some distance with a Skill of his Spear Phantom but this time Randidly smirked and twisted his hand his palm strike had traveled along a line of Ripple of Amenonuhoko

So just as Shal had created some distance a pillar of stone erupted diagonally from the ground toward his lower back RandidlyÆs Skill caught the man by such surprise that the stone smashed against ShalÆs back and destroyed his stance Randidly stepped forward and thrust forward with Acri once again with anticipation this time Shal couldnÆt avoid a direct conflict of spearmanship

As long as they crossed spears directly Randidly had faith he could get to the bottom of the swirling negative emotions between them

Instantly ShalÆs arms blurred He seemed to become the body of a hydra with nine deadly spear ghosts wriggling upward and flicking toward RandidlyÆs neck and shoulder joints Randidly adjusted his grip on Acri and quickly spun the blade in a semi circle still while thrusting It weakened the power of his thrust but by relying on Ripple of Amenonuhoko a blast of force spread outward from RandidlyÆs spear The hydra heads were deflected Whatever Skill Shal had used was dispersed

Shal was stunned again but he still reacted quickly in the face of RandidlyÆs vicious attack Acri bit into ShalÆs side but the cut was shallow In addition Shal gripped his spear with only one hand while clamping his left arm over Acri He leaned forward clearly planning to use this opportunity to strike

RandidlyÆs eyes flashed I hadnÆt planned on suppressing you directly with Stats but since you took the trouble of hand delivering this invitation to me

The muscles of RandidlyÆs right forearm bulged His fingers tightened on AcriÆs shaft And when his body exploded into motion and produced a sonic boom with the violence of his movement it was too late for Shal to react RandidlyÆs front hand became the fulcrum as the back hand pressed sharply down on the end of the resilient weapon

For a brief moment he became a human catapult With all 1485 of his Primordial Nether Juju Randidly launched Shal directly upward

Chapter 1629

For a brief second Randidly Ghosthound moved so quickly that Helen couldnÆt capture his form at all One second Shal and Randidly were so close they could reach out and touch each other and the next their movements briefly tore the surrounding space and rendered their figures as blurs

A projectile cut sharply upward into the sky rapidly heading for the spatial wall that formed the ceiling of this isolated location

Compared to the other fights between images around them this confrontation wasnÆt particularly eye catching The spatial wall distorted slightly from the impact but the construction of Aether and Nether was not something that could be damaged with physical means Yet what shocked Helen was that as the speeds shifted to less overwhelming levels the launched projectile turned out to be a rather miserable looking Shal

Mid air the man spat out blood He gradually began to fall back down as his sharp eyes fixed on Randidly Yet the expression on his face was one of immense glee as he shouted out above the chaotic battlefield So this is the reason for your confidence A Strength that can crush all obstacles

Due to the fact that hundreds of other powerful individuals experts were clashing every second in the vicinity that voice was quickly overwhelmed by the image reverberations Compared to the screeching Crimson Thunder Eagle and or the Thousand Armed Alabaster Titan this small voice was smothered Neither Randidly nor Shal had even unleashed their full images so far Yet Helen couldnÆt tear her eyes away even for a second

In response to his masterÆs words Randidly spun his spear and pointed it upward Shal allowed gravity to run its course and began to accelerate downward He shifted his spear between his hands carefully seeming to measure its weight

Helen refused to breathe afraid she would again miss their movements While being careful to avoid drawing the attention of the powerful Pinnacle Seekers nearby she activated her Tides of Blood Domain at a very shallow depth and allowed it to spread out toward this specific portion of the battlefield Even if she couldnÆt follow their movements with her eyes she could observe the action as long as she could read the air currents around the two combatants

Next to her Raymund folded his arms across his chest So that is Shal Is the Ghosthound holding back

While Claudette had stepped forward to stand with Myrwyn and other Pinnacle Seekers Narthalla and the other eight members of the Holy Frost Society remained back with Helen and the others Having been rescued by their group they curiously watched the Ghosthound too At RaymundÆs words Narthalla looked over with a frown That move was still the Ghosthound holding back

Helen shook her head slightly It isnÆt that heÆs holding back right now the conflict is one of spear Styles It is difficult to explain to outsiders

What is even more difficult to say is that Shal keeps fucking avoiding it

When DiOrtho opened his mouth to say something Helen gestured sharply with her hand above them ShalÆs aura began to sky rocket and she wasnÆt willing to miss any more of this fight for VantÆs nonsense As Shal shot downward his spear turned golden and began to elongate By the time he had covered half the distance to the ground his spear was almost four meters long and released waves of golden light The spear undulated in the air around Shal wreathing him in a holy glow

Meanwhile Randidly cracked the ground as he leapt upward The Nether Flames across his body had grown more erratic leaping off of his body like miniature solar flares ShalÆs avoidance of the Style comparison seemed to have gotten under RandidlyÆs skin Again his strategy was direct and unrelenting simply thrusting Acri forward in a powerful assault

ShalÆs hands twitched and he wielded his Golden Snake Spear like a whip flicking the blade unpredictably through the air Then he twisted the weapon and the previously Phantom esque display receded like a mirage in its place was simply a heroÆs bold direct thrust which perfectly impacted RandidlyÆs attack

The impact of the two metals rang out through the surroundings with enough force to seep into the surrounding few conflicts The duo drew a few short looks before the other combatants continued to face their own opponents

Neither achieved an advantage as they smashed into each other Their two spears possessed equal force even while one relied on an image and the other didnÆt In the next moment Shal spun his comically long spear and sent a far ranging slash toward RandidlyÆs shoulder When Shal began the movement the spearÆs four meter length made the blade seem far away but then it practically materialized right above RandidlyÆs body The undulating movements of his spear deceived the eye even Helen who relied on her Tides of Blood Domain simply to observe reeled from the acceleration

Randidly didnÆt even blink as the spear approached The deadlock between the two thrusts had robbed him of his momentum but he simply raised his spear while hanging in the air Even as ShalÆs attack was howling toward him he cut sharply upward with his spear

Yet there was something exceedingly uncanny about RandidlyÆs strike natural energy seemed to gush from his body It surged along his limbs its passage causing the spectral Nether Flames to flicker As he moved Randidly seemed to have less in common with a humanoid than with a wrathful volcano or a natural spring in an untouched grotto The vibrancy hidden in the unadorned movement was astounding

The raw potency he could produce with the Skill was a testament to RandidlyÆs abilities to generate complex and profound images His Visualization Skill must be overwhelmingly high

Still Helen frowned despite the dense natural energy around him the energy didnÆt have much of a restrictive effect before ShalÆs enormous image empowered slash But in the next moment a pillar of rock exploded out of the ground and reached RandidlyÆs position in the blink of the eye Twenty meters became nothing before Helen even knew what was happening And then Randidly rode that rock up past ShalÆs attack passing harmlessly beneath it His spear was aimed at his masterÆs chest and approaching fast

Shal spun his spear back before his body forming it quickly into a golden spiral with which he attempted to use to smash RandidlyÆs attack away But somehow RandidlyÆs spear was suddenly howling with the essence of the wild and uncontrollable wind and hopped forward His thrust was direct yet it somehow completely bypassed ShalÆs convoluted spear arcs and threatened to cut Shal once more

FINE THEN Shal bellowed He exploded in waves of image power that smashed into HelenÆs dispersed Tides of Blood Domain and made her grit her teeth in pain she couldnÆt even imagine what sort of pressure that Randidly was stoically enduring at the moment Immediately a figure manifested in the air above Shal

The figure raised his chin proudly every movement filled with an air of righteousness He wielded an enormous golden spear that was also a black eyed golden viper ShalÆs image phantom rushed forward passing through ShalÆs body and clashing directly with RandidlyÆs thrust Meanwhile ShalÆs face warped in a Cheshire smile

Limitless Fang

Both figures were blasted apart from each other by the collision And both quickly recovered Randidly spun his spear and guided the wind around him to cushion his movements as he fell to the ground while Shal roared and unleashed a pulse of golden energy Both crashed into the ground and immediately stood up As they stabilized themselves they looked at each other with heavy expressions

They had knocked each other sideways into nearby conflicts so Helen could see both of their expressions in profile Shal looked at Randidly with an intensity that bordered on madness His eyes were bloodshot Meanwhile RandidlyÆs gaze was just as intense but there was a delicacy in his eyes as he considered his master They stepped and accelerated toward each other again Randidly gliding along with the wind and Shal surging with a brighter and brighter golden light

Randidly gestured smoothly with his spear as he sped forward cutting into the space in front of him Yet as he did so clouds abruptly formed behind him They rolled forward only a few meters off the ground That dense natural energy the Ghosthound released became even more chaotic and tyrannical as the clouds darkened into a rumbling thunderstorm

Viper Strike Shal screamed The image of the heroic spearman wielding the golden viper cut forward superimposing itself upon ShalÆs body Randidly Ghosthound again calmly thrust his spear The thunderstorm rushed forward and consumed them both screening the brilliant golden light

HelenÆs Tides of Blood Domain was obliterated Even several hundred meters away from the impact she felt the aftershock slap her face a split second later Such was the power that both displayed that for the second time several of the surrounding fights slowed to cautiously observe these potent reverberations

For a few seconds the entire right flank of the battlefield stared at the churning grey stormclouds that were piled upon the ground

Abruptly two figures blasted out from the sides of the cloud and skidded across the ground Both quickly recovered and immediately raised their weapons Neither seemed to have been seriously injured but Helen could tell from his expression that Shal was livid

Do you truly take me so lightly Shal growled at Randidly As his face twisted a red line opened across his cheek and a singular drop of blood marred his skin It was a shallow wound but one that filled Helen with pride

Randidly still wearing that sorrowful expression didnÆt bother to respond to his master He simply raised his spear Which was all he really needed to say

Are you taking my spear lightly Shal

Next to Helen DiOrtho Vant stirred once again IsnÆt this Shal being a bit of a dick Does he think itÆs easy to stand against the GhosthoundÆs Spear Skill He should be glad he only got his cheek slashed

You fool Narthalla whispered surprising Helen The other womanÆs gaze was solemn as she stared at RandidlyÆs back You cannot spot the differences between them This Shal is utilizing a comprehensive and refined image that is clearly a fusion between several potent images in their own right Meanwhile your Ghosthound heÆs neutralizing that complex image with just the basic image from his Skill Now that Skill seems phenomenal but still How high must his Willpower be

Chapter 1630

Randidly adjusted his grip on his spear as he stood before Shal with his masterÆs blood on his spear His tongue felt heavy in his mouth There was so much he wanted to say to Shal A dozen powerful emotions were bound together in RandidlyÆs heart rendering him almost numb from the conflicting desires he held

He shook slightly from their violence holding onto his spear for dear life

In addition he understood ShalÆs intentions in initially stating that the only manner of conversation between them should be their spears And RandidlyÆs very specific adherence to that request was one of the reasons that ShalÆs face was steadily warping with fury Because while Shal had naturally elevated his battle power by relying on images and other Skills Randidly had continued to rival him solely with Ripple of Amenonuhoko

Part of the reason was that Randidly could grow to this capability was that his understanding of his own spearmanship Skill had been shallow This battle as he immersed himself in that Skill and the vibrant natural energy it could wield quickly allowed Randidly to generate a pseudo image just from Skill usage and movement The power generated wouldnÆt hold a candle to Yggdrasil the Grim Chimera or the Stillborn Phoenix on its own but it was a tool Randidly could gradually incorporate into his arsenal in the future

And since his Signs of the Spear Phantom and 7 Kata of the Ashen Spear had been disassembled and incorporated into other Skills this was was the best tool to force Shal to meet him directly Five minutes ago especially after hearing Shal ask him to show him how much he had grown he would have said that his master would never balk before a challenge

However RandidlyÆs imageless spear remained alone on this battlefield while Shal was dominated by the slightly fuzzy light of an image What did Shal see in his first few moves that had shifted his attitude

LetÆs see your limits boy Because you have not yet seen mine Shal hissed Still wielding his comically long spear he stepped forward and flicked the weapon in complex arcs Randidly sighed inwardly while raising Acri in front of him

Was it disappointment that Randidly felt now looking at Shal His spear was quick and powerful but there was no soul to it The blows were hollow The man whose spear always charged forward seemed completely transfigured

Yet even if he was confused Randidly prepared to fight

His senses hummed Nether flows and image manifestations moved together within his body heightening his awareness to the point that the surroundings seemed surreal After chasing Shal for so long to find him here and have the meeting riddle with confusing undertones Randidly wasnÆt surprised he now wielded more power than Shal with his Stats he would be floored if the other man could stand toe to toe with him

Yet in terms of spirit

Randidly blinked slowly as Shal stepped forward and swung his spear The world he witnessed was raw and painful And in that strange land of perception and bleeding color Randidly followed the thin lines of Ripple of Amenonuhoko and cut upward The ground ruptured at his call brutally smashing upward to intercept ShalÆs spear

ShalÆs eyes flashed and he flicked his spear again The weapon twisted and constricted around the stone pillar crushing it to pebbles In the next instant Shal stepped forward and swept his spear across the ground at Randidly

If you think this is enough to face me Randidly grinned his mouth curling with rage

He didnÆt retreat before the oncoming strike simply adjusting his spear and thrusting forward again to deflect the attack The enormous river of natural energy that was flowing with RandidlyÆs movements clashed directly with the sweep Both movements were redirected slightly allowing Randidly to step forward to within striking distance of Shal He fluidly raised his spear again

ShalÆs eyes blazed with golden light His body accelerated forward bringing the butt of his spear toward the bridge of RandidlyÆs nose Randidly sidestepped the strike and spun AcriÆs head to once more be trained on ShalÆs chest In terms of grace and fluidity Ripple of Amenonuhoko was preternaturally gifted there wasnÆt even the slightest hitch in his adjustment

You continue to dither Shal snorted twisting his spear and hopping a half step backward The intensity of the image he released bloomed into something unruly and vicious ShalÆs enormous weapon curled between them for a split second then exploded directly toward RandidlyÆs chest The radiant image of a massive snake with a wide open mouth zipped toward him

Randidly adjusted the vector of his strike and met the image directly His muscles exploded with force and channeled those energies through his joints before surging through his spear

This time Randidly grimaced and was forced to retreat a single step Sure enough contesting an image directly is difficult

But you canÆt keep running can you Shal

Even as Shal exploded into motion and whipped that radiant viperÆs head toward RandidlyÆs lower body RandidlyÆs resolve remained unshaken His pupils minutely picked apart the details of the image in front of him He considered himself relatively adept when it came to image combination so he could easily see the sledge hammer esque touch of the Image Cooperation Path in ShalÆs form If this abomination of an image was the feeble screen that kept them from talking Randidly would gladly tear it down

RandidlyÆs toes pressed against the ground as he leaned forward He brought his spear horizontally to knock aside ShalÆs attack Rather than waiting for the perfect line from Ripple of Amenonuhoko Randidly simply struck physically His knocked ShalÆs offensive aside and followed up by stepping forward and attacking Shal directly

Shal twisted his spear to bring the large weapon under control so fast that even Randidly was impressed He spread out his hands across the shaft of his spear and then brought his weapon upward to knock RandidlyÆs thrust off target But just as soon as the weapons touched Randidly pivoted and mirrored ShalÆs earlier attack allowing the blade of the spear to be pushed upward and instead bringing the butt of the weapon brutally forward at ShalÆs face

In terms of movements they would have been mirror images but the followthrough was starkly different

Shal couldnÆt shift to defend himself in time but his heroic image flared to life instead There was a brief second Randidly where stared into the chiseled jaw of a hero of Tellus Randidly narrowed his eyes In the next moment he brutally smashed that image to pieces and sent Shal careening backward

RandidlyÆs master smashed and rolled across the ground for a full second before finding his bearings and hopping to his feet Even then ShalÆs feet dug long trenches in the ground while he dispersed the momentum Randidly had imparted upon him

Randidly adjusted his stance but his eyes were drawn to his spear He blinked Perhaps because he hadnÆt cut through one of the wiggling lines in his earlier blows the number of such lines running around the tip of his spear had nearly doubled In addition the complex interactions between the lines had shifted An entire whirlpool of ethereal lines clustered around the tip of his spear

Of course I can always splash around and create small ripples but if I continue to gather my momentum before striking

The brief shift in RandidlyÆs attention allowed Shal to reestablish himself Of course ShalÆs pride took prickled at being given this opportunity The three eyed manÆs face creased into a furious grimace Do you truly take me so lightly

Randidly focused back forward Your image

Is none of your concern Shal snarled Then that stitched together image pulsed with power As Shal forced his Willpower to intensify the energy in the image the flaws became clearer and clearer to see That heroic figure manifested in a flash of golden light but the heroism slowly seeped out of the image The snake undulated wildly losing the organic flow of its movements The ethereal nature of the Spear Phantom just made Shal seem weak and insubstantial

The final composition looked cartoonish drawn in an exaggerated manner for effect There was no substance to it

Yet still Randidly had to admit that ShalÆs Willpower was formidable His master launched himself forward and his spear strike seared the air with its passage His image reverberations were enough to quiet some of the surrounding battles Randidly raised his spear ignoring the accumulating lines of his Skill Acri hummed in his hands and Randidly could sense the spearÆs question

Randidly shook his head slightly Even if fighting like this makes me sad I canÆt flinch Because a fight against his pupil is not what Shal is fighting right now He seems someone or something else across from him

ShalÆs golden viper streaked forward leading with its fangs RandidlyÆs left foot and the head of Acri moved in tandem shearing forward to meet the image

With ShalÆs mental reinforcement Randidly was forced backward again as the ground beneath his feet was shattered Before he could even reestablish his stance Shal spun and brought the spear around in a diagonal slash RandidlyÆs right foot pushed lightly off the ground and he moved forward and to the left escaping from the slash my circling Shal As he did so Randidly could gradually sense the natural momentum he was gathering

ShalÆs weapon ripped apart the stone slope sending debris flying In the next instant he surged forward and brought his spear upward just ripping it through the ground in RandidlyÆs direction While the golden viper rumbled up through the ground at him Randidly unleashed a blindingly fast thrust to impact the shaft of ShalÆs spear The natural energy swirling around Randidly slammed into ShalÆs image forcing even the reinforced image to pause for a brief moment

Randidly then used the rebound from the impact to instantly transition the attack into a thrust at Shal ShalÆs torso blazed with heroic energy but before RandidlyÆs Grim Intuition and Fidelity of the Ascendant Moirae it wasnÆt enough Randidly found the blurred stitching between his images and cut directly through with natural energy

Even without utilizing one of Ripple of AmenonuhokoÆs lines he advanced with blades of wind howling in his wake Shal jerked to the side to avoid RandidlyÆs thrust but the wind smashed him backward

In a remarkable display of dexterity Shal planted his right foot and turned all that momentum into a pivot that brought the two fighters closer to one another

Randidly raised his spear as Shal adjusted himself but when ShalÆs eyes locked onto Acri Randidly simply let go of the spear with his left hand and jabbed He felt ShalÆs nose break beneath his metal knuckles even as ShalÆs neck snapped backward from the force Randidly took another step forward cutting the space between them to a fourth of a meter The natural energy of his spear blasted outward at RandidlyÆs will knocking Shal off his feet and sending him tumbling

Sometimes a spear isnÆt enough Shal swayed as he rose back to his feet For a second his image dimmed but then it flared back to life with even more intensity than before RandidlyÆs mouth twitched to see that his master had abandoned the air of heroism around his person In addition the Spear Phantom took a backseat Only the Spear that was a Snake remained as a blazing challenge The golden viper slithered through the air watching Randidly with black eyes Sometimes you need the right sort of life And by the time you realize what life you needed it is too late to live any way but through self destruction

RandidlyÆs heart trembled Somehow he knew those words werenÆt necessarily meant for him

ShalÆs image continued to change as the manÆs shoulders heaved with massive lung bursting breaths The details bled into the surrounding air About twenty meters to their left a rhinoceros crashed into a ticking clock shaking the entirety of the stone slope However neither Randidly nor Shal reacted Randidly tightened his grip on Acri which now seemed to be wearing a crown of spectral lines In his ear he could hear the wind above him and the stone beneath whispering to him He ignored those voices focusing on the red eyes of his master

We are shaped Randidly And sometimes our makers are flawed Shal said solemnly

Despite knowing that he should speak solely with his spear Randidly allowed frustration to pry open his mouth But no sooner had he done so than Shal shook his head in disgust Freedom is an illusion held by the strong But come LetÆs both seek our limits

Yet at that last comment RandidlyÆs head began to boil His grip on Acri tightened even further Following the steaming lines of his emotions he growled at Shal Do you think you are the only one who was shaped Get out of your own way and just fight me

Randidly could practically see the tiny capillaries in ShalÆs sclera pop and burst at his words By this point the golden coloring had completely drained out of ShalÆs serpent spear But if anything the blurry grey weapon was even more ominous than its radiant predecessor The details might be obscured but the purpose was not

Even Randidly could only hiss and bring Acri frantically up to block ShalÆs first thrust And after the first one he had to block a half dozen more

Chapter 1631

BooM BooM BooM BooM BOOM

After Randidly dealt with the first few attacks ShalÆs spear once again split into a multi headed hydra that had a particular craving for his blood Again and again those spectral heads struck with all the suddenness of a tweaking viper Without the benefit of standing in absolute stillness for a half second before each movement RandidlyÆs basic physical abilities barely rivaled ShalÆs abilities in the full throes of this concentrated image

But barely was enough Especially when every second more and more natural energy flowed out of RandidlyÆs spear image and wreathed his body Wind spiraled around him and decreased the friction of his movements The ground beneath his feet subtly adjusted to assist his balance as Acri and the grey viperheads clashed again and again And the energy continued to gather Perhaps a normal individual wouldnÆt be able to accumulate so much natural energy but with the Nether flows and image physicalizations of his body Randidly was a veritable empty reservoir this was only the beginning of what he could handle

Leafy spear met grey viper at such speeds that both spat sparks Natural energy clashed against flaring images gradually illuminating the flaws Shal could demonstrate much more potency with this image because it was originally his but he still incorporated some details that left it hollow Randidly barred his teeth This isnÆt enough Shal

Randidly adjusted his stance and steadily began to advance cutting and thrusting mercilessly to exploit the rough edges of the image In response Shal continued to quicken his attacks pushing even RandidlyÆs significant physical gifts to the limit Yet at the same time as his hands were numbed from the impact of the two weapons slamming into each other Randidly felt joy

Because Shal shed all pretense and his image regained its purpose in those brief clashes With a few more steps Randidly could seize upon these hollow additions to ShalÆs image and rip them away

ShalÆs eyes narrowed as he realized he wouldnÆt stop his student at this rate Randidly pressed his lips together to hide a smile Yet perhaps due to that tight expression more words were squeezed out of his mouth DidnÆt you shape me Do I look as broken as you seem to be right now

Hydra heads surged forward with deadly intent Acri riding on a growing wave of natural energy slid to meet them

BOOM BOOM BOOM BooM

With the last strike Randidly swung Acri and knocked away four of the grey viper hydraÆs strikes with the immensity of the natural energy he channeled He landed lightly on the balls of his feet perfectly poised and raised the head of his spear He saw the flawed additions to ShalÆs image in front of him In a smooth movement Randidly stepped and thrust his spear forward

The movement was one he must have practiced at least one million times It was the first attack Shal had ever taught him

AcriÆs blade danced along a thick and potent ripple that actually seemed to adjust itself to him The churning sea of natural energy within RandidlyÆs body was finally released Without the benefit of an image force was birthed and shook the surroundings Ground and sky were sundered by the resulting attack Shal marshaled his image but by the time he reacted the projection of Aether had already been cut in half

Blood spurted from ShalÆs shoulder The condensed elemental force rushed past Shal smashing aside an unfortunate member of the Engraving Guild about thirty meters away and then slammed into the spatial wall The defensive array that the orthodox forces were creating broke before RandidlyÆs strike warping the energy in a five meter area from the impact point

Sometimes a spear is enough Randidly said softly looking at Shal He did not know what his master had gone through since they had seen each other last But it was clear to Randidly that Shal held regrets that he refused to acknowledge Because of that his images were fractured and weak blurred further by seizing upon the NexusÆs image combination methods

If nothing else Randidly hoped that his spear penetrating into ShalÆs shoulder would force the man to acknowledge the hole that currently existed in his heart That it would help him realize that since they had last met the main reason Randidly won wasnÆt how much stronger he had grown

It was simply a result of how twisted Shal had become

As the natural energy steadily drained away from the surroundings Randidly tugged Acri out of its fleshy resting place and took a step back His master sighed and lowered his spear The extremely bloodthirsty hydra lost its aura of sharpness and sputtered twice before vanishing With blood dripping down his chest ShalÆs expression collapsed into a grimace of immense pain

For a long moment the two just looked at each other Randidly pressed his lips together waiting to see if his intentions reached his master

Finally Shal sighed and broke the extended moment Heh You remind me of how I felt when I was young And itÆs bittersweet you know Because you might actually be able to accomplish your dreams simply by relying on your own spear

Abruptly something on the battlefield changed Several of the images around them began to withdraw The pause spread out from solely their flank to both the central region and the opposite flank The combatants from the orthodox powers of the Nexus abruptly flared their images to create an opening then began to retreat The defensive formation that the Pinnacle Seekers had attacked for so long finally began to collapse

Shal swayed slightly as his companions began to retreat around him His fingers tightened on his spear Then he shook his head with an expression of helplessness I wish we had more time I wish I could explain but please Randidly Leave this place This is what you came for yes Take it and begone Your bold spear will only be ruined by this place

Shal stored away his weapon and then held out both hands palm up in front of him There was a flicker of energy and an object appeared in each of his hands In his left he held a pyramid with five distinct levels each delicately wrought of a different material In his right hand he had a small black stylus

Barely after Randidly had recognized the shape of the objects Shal tossed them both toward him Then his master turned and rushed after his fellow members of the Engraving Guild not giving Randidly any further attention

RandidlyÆs eyes flashed Even now you run What happened to you Shal Why wonÆt you show me your spear

Shal didnÆt even pause in his retreat It almost seemed like Shal hadnÆt heard Randidly RandidlyÆs metal left arm flicked out and caught both the items He dearly wished to charge directly after Shal and force his master to answer but at the moment Randidly had another concern

For a second he teetered on ignoring this rare opportunity and chasing down Shal anyway but Randidly pressed his lips together and lowered his head As long as Shal remains in these isolated spatial islands IÆll at least know where he is I have time Meanwhile this issue of being constantly observed and tracked

While he touched the Fatepiece Randidly rapidly adjusted his Aether apparatus again so he could see the resulting notification

Congratulations You have obtained the fourth piece of your Fateset the Hierarchy of Burden Lvl 1 The Hierarchy of Burden is an ancient implement that can elevate oneÆs very soul toward the realm of a deity Under its influence you may finally perceive the complete truth of your own existence While the utilization remains a mystery to you now the journey to discover that information will bring you ever closer to the truth of the Alchemist

In addition due to possessing the Hierarchy of Burden +5 Endurance Reaction and Willpower per Level of your Class

At the same time as the notification was displayed in front of him RandidlyÆs focus was entirely on the substance surrounding his Soulspace The Fatepiece had arrived and as he was told by Nathaz Eloise there was a brief moment where the seemingly invulnerable lockÆ of Aether constructs placed upon him by the System opened of its own volition to allow the Fatepiece to seep into his person As his Fatepiece flowed forward into that opening RandidlyÆs Willpower became a harpoon that shot forward and pierced through that shitty construct of Aether that allowed the Engraving Guild to track him

Congratulations Your Skill Aether Detection has grown to Level 249

Congratulations Your Skill Aether Detection has grown to Level 250

For a brief moment Randidly was completely immersed in the complicated machinery of his Class Soulspace Skills and the ambiguous connections all those pieces held to the strange pseudo intelligence that provided him with new Paths Because that was the final question that he held regarding the System He was dearly tempted to spend a half second memorizing the Aether he could perceive here but already the lock was once more closing

Nathaz Eloise hadnÆt lied about this either one would need to be quite capable with Aether to manage this operation

Grimacing even as he remained stiffly standing on the edge of the battlefield Randidly used every ounce of ferocity he could manage to tear that offending bit of Aether away and then withdrew his consciousness from those secret machines of the System The other Aether constructs closed like jaws around him with enough brute force to crush his will

Congratulations Your Skill Aether Manipulation has grown to Level 253

The confines of RandidlyÆs Soulspace smoothly slid back together suddenly seeming like they had never parted in the first place Clicking his tongue at how much he still had to learn about Aether Constructs Randidly opened his eyes and glanced around at the changes in the surroundings

As the orthodox factions of the Nexus retreated they gathered together in a tighter and tighter group From three small battlefields only one extremely tiny one was left But the clashes there were extraordinarily intense The immense yellow skeleton had returned and now released blasts of blue green beams every second to buy time for the troops to retreat Those beams scythed across the slope and left waves of fire in their wake

This time Seeker Thunder Wing didnÆt move so the yellow skeleton had an advantage in terms of raw power Yet the combined forces of the grey cloud with black raindrops the weaker iteration of the Crimson Thunder Eagle and the Thousand Armed Alabaster Titan were significantly pressuring it

By the time Randidly had finished with his internal Aether adjustments Shal had vanished he must have made it to the spatial wall and escaped to the next area In the next ten seconds more and more members of Military High Command and the Nexus Labor Council escaped But at some point too many Pinnacle Seeker had gathered their images together to contest the enormous yellow skeleton After taking a deep wound from the grey cloud that skeleton image user forcefully smashed the images away and escaped himself After he left the dark patterns on the spatial wall flared to life and began to release waves of pressure that destabilized the area

Meanwhile the dozen or so individuals that hadnÆt managed to escape in time were slaughtered by the Pinnacle Seekers

Seeing that things were wrapping up Randidly released a long sigh The fight hadnÆt taken very long or required him to expend much Willpower at all but the constant state of emotional tension he had maintained left him feeling drained And he didnÆt even reach a satisfying conclusion Although that last strike had cut perfectly along the stitched on additions to ShalÆs image Randidly just didnÆt know enough

He didnÆt understand why Shal had changed his attitude And that wasnÆt his only reason for disappointment

With a bitter expression Randidly looked down at his Fatepiece Worst of all IÆm left with more questions than answers I might have received the Fatepiece but the notification seems to hint that I need to research its usage on my own

Hah what a hassle

Chapter 1632

The formerly chaotic battlefield rapidly settled down The dust gradually settled revealing an absolutely ravaged sandstone slope sporting about eighty individuals standing around with their hands on their hips

A few Pinnacle Seekers launched powerful attacks toward the spatial wall but the aura of disintegration created by those dark patterns weakened the attacking images so much that they barely impacted the defenses around the wall And so long as those defenses stood the Pinnacle Seekers wouldnÆt be able to reach the spatial wall

Seeing those defenses Randidly was absolutely certain that Commandant Wick had made more preparations for this eventuality than he would have originally assumed Those patterns are extremely powerful and incorporate the principles of both Aether and Nether But even I can tell its a one sided fixed barrier If this was any other location than an isolated spatial cube it would be suitable in only very niche instances

But erected here with that disintegration field being layered on top of it even with me being able to utilize Nether without a flaw in the defenses

RandidlyÆs thoughts were cut short by Claudette walking up to him and smiling hesitantly in his direction He tilted his head to the side in askance as her glance lingered There seemed to be a query in her eyes as she examined him and it was clear the question she asked was definitely not the one that was on her mind Did you accomplish what you wished with this meeting Were you seeking those objects

Randidly spared a glance for the Hierarchy of Burden in his hand and shrugged Even now he was drained from his interaction with Shal no I donÆt think I got what I wanted And looking at this barrier

Claudette nodded in sympathy The various Pinnacle Seekers have been in contact with their fellows although this entrance into the final layers is blocked off there are other avenues of advancement We will need to spend some time shifting to the other route but on that side is also the Frost Matriarch so in the end it will work out

You are departing then Randidly nodded to himself as he stared at the pulsing disintegration runes A short distance away from where they were standing the Pinnacle Seekers were starting to congregate in a large group as they stared at the defensive array Then we will part ways here

What You donÆt plan to head deeper Claudette seemed genuinely floored She reached up and tucked a lock of hair behind her ears I had thought I had thought your Path would require you to test yourself in these unique encounters You can definitely be tempered by the foes waiting in the inner layers And I saw your expression as that man fled The issues between you two have not been laid to rest You should advance now while you have this opportunity Do not give up

Randidly could only chuckle at her urging You misunderstand me I will continue forward but I donÆt need to circle around to find another path IÆll just go directly from here Might involve some work but I should be able to swing it

That is impossible Putting her hands behind her back Claudette looked at Randidly with a serious expression It isnÆt a matter of power you know even Seeker Thunder Wing wouldnÆt be able to break through that barrier The defenses are two fold first all are prevented from approaching by an infectious destructive energy Second all images are inverted when approaching directly resulting in them being useless This is not something you can overcome

What happened to the Claudette that said If I would let a small impediment like this shake my determination to move forward how could I ever hope to reach the PinnacleÆ Randidly asked with a wry smile Claudette looked at him speechlessly she had said that before he had arrived at the isolated spatial island where they had encountered each other But RandidlyÆs Grim Intuition had enabled him to observe for a bit before becoming involved He had listened to her brave and overbearing conversation with the Engraving Guild representative

At the same time Claudette wasnÆt necessarily wrong about the difficulty the defenses certainly were powerful But Randidly could sense a method forward

After opening and closing her mouth several times Claudette lowered her voice You truly will not come with us

But before Randidly could answer a new and familiar voice cut across them

Heh Miss Claudette you should not doubt a man this confident And you sir I will assist you with any one thing if you can break down this barrier for us Seeker Thunder Wing announced causing Randidly to turn around The manÆs eyes wandered down to RandidlyÆs hand and they instantly widened in shock Then he looked at Randidly with a more probing look and I do not know how you managed to obtain that item but I guess you donÆt understand its history A certain type of individual would pay a high price to add that to their collection IÆll throw in information regarding that item for free assuming you arenÆt just bluffing

Randidly squeezed the multicolored pyramid that he held in his hand surprised to find that it was warm to the touch as though it had sat for several hours in the sun Meanwhile the small black stylus in his other hand was ice cold the hand holding that item tingled just from the few seconds of exposure He stored both within his interspatial ring and examined Seeker Thunder Wing closely

The man stood with his hands in the pockets of his leather pants looking at Randidly with a small smile on his face Considering his vest and spiked hair Randidly could easily picture the man perched atop a motorcycle But compared to the dismissive and testing encounter they had earlier this treatment was leagues apart Seeker Thunder Wing now looked at Randidly directly without sparing Claudette a glance

Honestly Randidly would have appreciated it if the Pinnacle Seekers went on their way There were several powerful individuals amongst them that made him wary In addition dropping back down to just his subordinates would mean that he could act without fear of someone noticing his capabilities especially now that he had rid himself of that Aether tracking device

Yet due to that same capability Randidly would have an easier time going forward if he was accompanied by the Pinnacle Seekers For example if Randidly went alone through that spatial wall and encountered that massive yellowed skeleton image he wasnÆt sure that he would be able to proceed any deeper He estimated he could escape with his life but forcing his way past it would not be a quick endeavor

If you are worried about your status as a member of Military High Command DonÆt be Claudette stepped closer and unleashed another winning smile toward Randidly But perhaps due to some lingering shock the expression wasnÆt as single mindedly bright as it had been previously there was some conflict in her heart Yet she spoke confidently all the same We clash regularly against the military but that is just due to their refusal to acknowledge our decisions as legitimate For someone like you the Pinnacle Seekers can even be a friend

Seeker Thunder Wing chuckled and nodded in agreement The short truth is that sheÆs right And IÆll be blunt weÆve noticed the way you were holding back your image Significantly so If you are doing this to deceive us donÆt bother We wonÆt target you for your potential like IÆm sure youÆve experienced from other factions in the Nexus In fact that potential is why weÆd help Just like part of the reason IÆd tell you about that item is so you can improve yourself We all wish that another individual would reach the Pinnacle That is the reason that we Pinnacle Seekers work together

Pursing his lips Randidly slowly nodded Seeker Thunder WingÆs words sounded genuine and moving with the Pinnacle Seekers would definitely help keep his followers alive He spared a glance to the side where Kerwin was patting LayÆmelÆs back as the elf sat on the ground and covered his head with his hands RandidlyÆs lips twitched He looked back to the Seeker and spoke Then IÆll do my best to break through the spatial wall But first IÆd like to hear the information you have about my pyramid

Seeker Thunder Wing nodded and gestured for Randidly to follow him The seventy or so Pinnacle Seekers that survived the conflict ceased their gradual retreat and moved to set up camp at the top of the slope near the spatial wall Randidly saw several powerful individuals within the group giving him and Seeker Thunder Wing thoughtful frowns but no one spoke out against their lingering

Seeker Thunder Wing beckoned and the two men walked some distance away from the rest of the group Claudette watched them go pressing her lips together as she watched When they had gone about twenty meters Seeker Thunder Wing cut sharply with his hand and a powerful electromagnetic pulse surged to surround them shearing away all ambient sound

The middle aged man turned and regarded Randidly calmly stroking his chin Then he shrugged Well there is no reason to beat around the bush When I saw that pyramid I first thought that I must be mistaken the object you hold hasnÆt been seen in the Nexus for two thousand years But considering some of the broader trends of this most recent Cohort the movement of raw Aether the emergence of this Nether King I suppose the Nexus is approaching an inflection point And in dangerous times old secrets will always dislodge and float to the surface

While Seeker Thunder Wing slowly spoke Randidly looked down at the crystalline pyramid As he noticed earlier there were five layers to the pyramid The bottommost and largest layer was pure silver The layer above that was ivory The middle layer was sapphire The second from the top was translucent And the tippy top of the pyramid was a dull red The combination of colors was even rather off putting There was something ancient and sinister about the Hierarchy of Burden even to RandidlyÆs unfamiliar hand

But itÆs still my Fatepiece Randidly said to himself With this IÆll be able to somehow strengthen my soul Whatever that means

And all those slight feelings of discomfort when he looked at the pyramid were magnified by one thousand whenever Randidly looked at the tiny black stylus The implement might be innocuously shaped but the material was heavy and foreboding

That item is one of a certain type Generally they are called Hierarchies Seeker Thunder Wing continued There were originally five in total as far as I know They each relate to a particular aspect of our existence that was changed during the Nexus Reformation after the Second Cohort Or I should say that in the First and Second Cohort these five Hierarchies were tools given to the NexusÆ chosen representatives to deal with the increasingly problematic complications that we faced

You were alive for the earlier Cohorts Randidly asked curiously Before he could even begin to judge the information that the Seeker was providing he hoped this question would give him a little insight into the powerful man

Seeker Thunder Wing responded with an awkward smile although his eyes began to gleam as he looked at Randidly Truthfully no I was born during the Second Cohort but the Third Cohort began by the time I had a firm grasp of my own image Most of what IÆm telling you I learned from the generation before me But still it should be accurate I am relatively confident in my grasp of history

RandidlyÆs eyebrow twitched Ah thatÆs why he was so enthusiastic about sharing his knowledge He canÆt even help himself Seeker Thunder Wing loves being a know it all

These Hierarchies you said there were five What were they called Why were five created Randidly asked Would that make his Hierarchy of Burden a sixth Hierarchy Then perhaps understanding the original five would give him some insight into how his Fatepiece

There were five because constructing the Nexus ran into five extremely large issues Seeker Thunder Wing cracked his knuckles and then folded his hands in front of himself You understand how Nexus Citizenship works yes How the higher citizenship gives you accessÆ to a larger portion of the Nexus The Nexus Reformation after the Second Cohort reorganized and layered the Nexus so it wasnÆt so heavy So it didnÆt create as much dragÆ against the base universal laws After all the Nexus was originally conceived as a method to accomplish the impossible that drew interference from the universe

Five individuals were given powerful items to address those five problems The Hierarchies had three functions they helped the user detect issues they bestowed upon their user a powerful capability to address the problem and finally they acted as a skeleton key that allowed those chosen individuals access to the secret places of the Nexus

Seeker Thunder Wing scratched his cheek and frowned as he thought for a few seconds Randidly inwardly rolled his eyes it was obvious that the man was pausing dramatically for effect As for the Hierarchies I believe the five were the Hierarchy of Margins the Hierarchy of Current the Hierarchy of Will the Hierarchy of Karma and the Hierarchy of Burden

Chapter 1633

For second Randidly was thrown Had this been the piece of dramatic theater that Seeker Thunder Wing wanted it to be an uneasy violin would have begun to play

The Hierarchy of Burden It is a historical object

Not that Randidly believed he was somehow a unique or special individual and therefore it was unthinkable that his Fatepiece wasnÆt somehow singular in its existence but the fact that his Fatepiece existed before was a complicated reveal in its own right He had originally assumed that Fatepieces and Fates more generally were created by the process of reaching Level 50 but this made it seem that versions of those tools had existed previously Perhaps some Fates were inherited wholesale from an unknowing deceased predecessor

And Seeker Thunder Wing knowing about the Hierarchy of Burden begs the broader question where exactly do Fates come from You are mortgaging the potential youÆve displayed to reach Level 50 but a mortgage requires two parties what organization is the one that is willing to bet on your potential and provide a Fate to you in exchange

While RandidlyÆs mind was racing through the possibilities Seeker Thunder Wing continued to speak Obviously most of the functions of the Hierarchies are no longer applicable the Nexus Reformation completely changed the Aether structure of our environment Most of the problems were streamlined so we no longer have to deal with the consequences But if I had to guess the Hierarchies still have one intact function with one you can access the original Nexus Ways And Those original Ways probably lead to outside of the Nexus

That grabbed RandidlyÆs attention both due to Seeker Thunder WingÆs tone and because of the implications of the words themselves Is it difficult to leave the Nexus

Seeker Thunder Wing looked at Randidly with something close to pity He shook his head sorrowfully Truly you are recently come into your strength yes To the current population within the Nexus leaving is impossible That is why so many struggle to reach the Pinnacle That same Pinnacle that allows you to create something from nothing also hosts a door to return to the true universe

Seeing RandidlyÆs confused expression Seeker Thunder Wing scratched his head Hah explaining will take a bit of time The current Nexus is a closed system filled with tightly layered spaces that are only possible to access with the proper authorityÆ in the form of Nexus Citizenship That is the innovationÆ given to us by the Reformation It is possible to absorb portions of the real universe and incorporate them into the Nexus which is why Cohorts continue to appear But once you are within the Nexus it is impossible to leave

The first reason is that Elhume locked the door But even setting aside him the real danger is the concept of dragÆ that I mentioned earlier the five problems addressed by the Hierarchies Even if you could step outside the Nexus without possessing the supreme abilities of having reached the Pinnacle the drag would annihilate you instantly It functions in the same way that spending too long inside a Dungeon can make you dependant on its Aether Except it isnÆt just a different density of Aether that youÆve adjusted to inside the Nexus

So this could take me outside of the Nexus Randidly said quietly to himself He flexed his hand and brought the Hierarchy of Burden out of his interspatial ring He had never really thought about it deeply but it did make some sense that the Nexus was relatively isolated But considering that just made him more curious about the presence of the Nether within the Nexus Did that mean there was a secret Cohort dedicated to just the Nether forces Was the Great Rift previously part of a Cohort that was ceded to the Nether for the sake of convincing the populace that there was a great foe

If everything here is purposefully constructed Randidly thought with a frown Why is it all so messy

The more Randidly thought about it the more confused he became If there was this great change after the Second Cohort then the fight against Nether might very well have originally been legitimate Once the Nexus became isolated Elhume probably had much more opportunity to capture and enslave the Nether Kings Perhaps the Nether areas of the Nexus had been reclaimed

Seeker Thunder Wing chuckled as he watched Randidly sort through his thoughts seems like you have a lot on your mind But I must ask which of the Hierarchies do you possess

Randidly considered withholding that information but ultimately he wanted as many details as possible from Seeker Thunder Wing And this man just needed an excuse to wax poetic So as a show of good faith Randidly nodded slowly and answered Hierarchy of Burden

Truly That is perhaps unfortunate Seeker Thunder Wing grimaced As far as I know that is the most difficult of the Hierarchies to activate and utilize Even I wouldnÆt be confident in handling its drag

You keep referring to drag Randidly said suddenly He crossed his arms But IÆm not sure I understand what you mean

Yes some background would be helpful for you Seeker Thunder Wing nodded As I said previously this relates to the state of the Nexus before the Reformation The layering of space and the Citizenship Tiers didnÆt exist in fact they couldnÆt exist because the requisite framework hadnÆt yet been engineered The Nexus at the time was sprawling and complex with most of the secrecy at the core of the endeavor relying on other individuals simply not being able to locate the important secrets

There is some scholarly disagreement over the true goal of the Nexus but most agree that Elhume found a key of some sort that led to the homeland of the Shallah Seeker Thunder Wing said Whether the goal is to recreate that location or find a way back to the original homeland of the Shallah people it is sufficient to say that Elhume began seeking power But the accumulation of such power especially during the First Cohort was extremely slow There simply are limits to how quickly one can improve without infrastructure To get around these limits Elhume used his significant capabilities to modify the environment to suit the changes he wanted but these methods were haphazard at best Yet even with haphazard methods there was some success

Hence he was able to manipulate the environment more easily but the Pinnacle was still far from his grasp And in the meantime the drag

Wait Randidly interrupted with a frown HasnÆt Elhume already reached the Pinnacle

True but most agree that Elhume was able to reach that height due to the remnant of the Shallah that he found Seeker Thunder Wing smirked knowingly He relied on an external source and could create the System through that inspiration but due to that same catalyst Elhume might very well be considered the furthest individual from reaching the Pinnacle his first experience made a natural passage to the Pinnacle much more difficult Of course that was thousands of years ago He has clearly neared that precipice once more But anyway the five large issues of the early Nexus

So Elhume only made it to the Pinnacle due to the birth of Pine Randidly thought inwardly But quickly he focused on the Seeker and listened to his explanation

The first is the problem of how expansive the coverage of the System is As more Cohorts were added the energy cost of having those new areas covered rose exponentially Elhume had to warp space itself so that his infrastructure could exist which generated a lot of anti matter discharge Nasty stuff eats through images even worse than Nether To deal with that byproduct he created the Hierarchy of Margins That Hierarchy was the prototype of the layered citizenship system that is now in use It essentially could create a side dimension into which all the anti matter was dumped

Next there was the problem of dealing with time Elhume didnÆt want to wait too long for results so he experimented heavily with time dilation during the early years It is very common in the current Nexus but those days were different His experiments revealed that time was essentially a finite resource Or rather for someoneÆs time to be accelerated someone elseÆs must be slowed But it was extremely difficult to control where the effect manifested It operated on a principle that no scientist of the time could grasp Hence the creation of the Hierarchy of Current The individual given the Hierarchy was immune to time adjustments of any sort and made sure that the right areas were and werenÆt affected Frankly the user of the Hierarchy of Current had more control over the NexusÆ time than even Elhume himself

The third problem was perhaps the most innocuous but it was actually the problem that almost destabilized the Nexus This is actually this is an area that I was very interested in I have quite a few publications addressing the need for the third Hierarchy The Nexus in those days was much less centralized nether of the Orthodox factions existed In addition Elhume rarely addressed those people who survived his System and arrived at the Nexus Everyone was left to their own devices And they started to be driven mad by the same goal that plagued Elhume but for different reasons

That is how was one supposed to know when they had reached the Pinnacle Due to the various interferences the System was less comprehensive in those days it couldnÆt detect anything close to an image strong enough to reach the Pinnacle Our forebearers had the example of Elhume but he refused to speak of his experience creating the Nexus So there were many individuals who believed that the heights they reached truly were the limit Hence the creation of the Hierarchy of Will It was a test to determine whether someone had truly reached that hallowed place For a split second Seeker Thunder Wing turned wistful It is said that while this Hierarchy of Will wouldnÆt help one reach the Pinnacle it still let someone reach that height How wondrous that must be

After a few seconds Seeker Thunder Wing sighed and continued with his explanations The fourth Hierarchy is the most difficult to explain to those that were born into the current Nexus It is the Hierarchy of Karma Are you familiar with the term Karma

Randidly nodded and spoke slowly IÆve had some interactions with it yes Karma the force that connects us And there is a certain magnetism to it Karma makes certain that destiny leans toward certain appropriateÆ outcomes The outcomes that youÆve earned with your prior actions

Surprise flashed in Seeker Thunder WingÆs eyes That is a remarkably succinct description of Karma Which demonstrates that you understand how complex frustrating and useful Karma can be But let me ask you something should Karma exist

Randidly opened his mouth to answer but then furrowed his brow He titled his head to the side and pondered for a while I actually have no idea Are you asking me if KarmaÆs existence is positive thing for the universe or if Karma is naturally occurring

This time Seeker Thunder Wing nodded emphatically Hah it seems I revealed too much with that question It is as you might suspect Karma does not naturally occur in the universe It was one of Elhume very first adjustments to the Nexus creating the connections of Karma that wove between individuals who brushed up against each othersÆ lives But that wasnÆt even the original goal Elhume was concerned with making sure an individual had access to Paths that would help them advance In the early days the System could generate Paths but sometimes they would be strange or unhelpful Generating a web of Karma helped those Paths lead individuals in the right direction Their actions determine their Paths guided by the hand of Karma

But there was a problem with Karma as well It functioned on the principles of perfect justification If someone deserved something that individual would eventually receive their just desserts But what if a perfect individual came along What if someone acted with ideal righteousness moving their their life and generating more and more positive Karma

Randidly blinked ThereÆs a tipping point isnÆt there If one gathered too much positive Karma

Karma would warp everyone else to elevate this Chosen One to an existence akin to a God Seeker Thunder Wing shook his head Even I donÆt know too many of the details it happened between the First and Second Cohorts But the Hierarchy of Karma was made to deal with this idealÆ individual It was simply a blade a sword that could cut through Karma and kill anyone who threatened to warp the fabric of the Nexus As far as I know it only had to be used once

Randidly pursed his lips and considered that Hearing Seeker Thunder Wing speak he realized for the first time how complicated the establishment of the Nexus was The current shape was the throne of a dangerous despot but that throne hadnÆt always been so dominant And considering that their cabal planned to move against Elhume it was useful to learn this background information about the Nexus

After all if they grew too powerful Elhume might very well turn these Hierarchies on them

And so Randidly said finally The Hierarchy of Burden

Indeed Seeker Thunder Wing nodded Perhaps the most mundane of the Hierarchies But it was also the most simplistic of the problems of the early Nexus It was a question of spatial stability How could the truly powerful individuals move or act when their very existence was enough to wound the fabric of reality

In the current Nexus space heals as soon as its damaged An image gouges deeply the battlefield but only leaves scarred land after it departs But that rapid spatial recovery just a function of the Nexus Reformation In truth in an area that isnÆt invigorated by the Aether structures of the Nexus that damage would normally linger For example consider you hold a flame and are standing in a forest Say you use that flame to light a tree on fire Even if you pull away the flame will the fire on the tree extinguish Of course not

And after the tree has burned to cinders will another quickly grow in its place Also no Seeker Thunder Wing Shook his head You have damaged the fabric of space with your image For a while that space will remained damaged If too much damage accumulates a Void Zone is created where even a powerful image would struggle to survive

Seeker Thunder Wing pointed toward the Hierarchy of Burden in RandidlyÆs hand That Hierarchy was the primitive tool used to heal space But it is not technically healing Powerful images had marred the space left remnants that continued to destabilize the area after the image had vanished Rather than healing the Hierarchy of Burden gathered all those remnants onto the bearer and forced them to endure them The owner of this Hierarchy is essentially a martyr for the Nexus

Chapter 1634

A martyr for the Nexus huh RandidlyÆs gaze turned complicated as he looked down at the pyramid in his hand He tightened his grip pressing the skin of his fingers against the surface as though more surface area between them would give him more insight into the Hierarchy and what it meant that it was one of his Fatepieces Unfortunately the pyramid remained completely inscrutable to his tense hand

Do you know how to activate it Randidly finally asked as he loosened his grip

The history obsessed Seeker Thunder Wing was practically beaming at this point Ahem Well IÆve read a few treatises on the subject but I believe it is best for us to wait until after we address the current issues yes IÆll send you all the information I have when we have finally figured out who is orchestrating this spatial farce

Randidly tilted his head to the side as he looked at the Seeker Then he nodded slowly and once more put away the Fatepiece Even if he obtained nothing else that much information was already invaluable He offered the man his hand Alright you have a deal

They shook for a few seconds and then parted Seeker Thunder Wing removed the strange electromagnetic barrier around them that blocked sound and began to call out orders for his troops Randidly didnÆt intend to waste any more time the Seeker was right that they had already dallied enough He walked up the slope past where Claudette looked at him with pleading eyes while accosted by Eashen and several other enthusiastic Pinnacle Seekers

YouÆve got a headstart now Shal Randidly breathed out as his skin began to tingle from the disintegration energy released by the two part defenses But this time when I catch up I wonÆt wait for you to show me your spear this time YouÆll regret a half hearted defense

At about ten meters away from the spatial wall Randidly was forced to stop He grimaced as he felt even his Uncommon Metabolism start to balk at the amount of Health he lost as he simply stood near to the wall As Claudette had said the defenses were tough A powerful Nether Array weakened and inverted the approach of all images and this disintegration barrier destroyed any physical objects that approached The combination was a headache

Watching his Health Randidly took several small steps forward Although you couldnÆt see it when you werenÆt with the area as Randidly moved deeper into the space governed by the disintegration barrier the surroundings darkened The unstable space made it more difficult for light to pass through At about eight and a half meters from the barrier RandidlyÆs prodigious Health Regeneration perfectly equaled the amount of Health he lost from standing there

Congratulations Your Skill Yyrwood Flesh of Yggdrasil has grown to Level 329

Congratulations Your Skill Emerald Sap of Yggdrasil has grown to Level 284

The constant disintegration finally spurred some growth in some of RandidlyÆs original Yggdrasil Skills but unfortunately he couldnÆt remain here for very long Randidly took another few steps forward trembling as the amount of Health he lost exponentially increased Then he slowly began to walk parallel along the wall looking for a very specific location The darkened space made it more difficult to find what he was looking for

Congratulations Your Skill Chimeric Impunity has grown to Level 364

Congratulations Your Skill Yyrwood Flesh of Yggdrasil has grown to Level 342

Unfortunately the clues had been annihilated by the disintegration He could only use his body to test the waters After about five minutes Helen wandered over to where Randidly was calmly walking along the wall She put her hand on her hip and frowned back toward the waiting group The Pinnacle Seekers are getting antsy One of the stronger Seekers is taking her subordinates away Everything all right here

Randidly adjusted where he was standing and then smiled He raised his finger and natural energy spiraled around it Tell them not to worry IÆve found it

He thrust his finger forward tracing along a line of Ripple of Amenonuhoko causing the wind to gather behind him and rush forward The disintegration barrier flickered uneasily causing RandidlyÆs smile to widen He carefully watched the way the energy flowed seeking the path of least resistance He adjusted his position again and made another attack

Honestly it was just a coincidence that he had weakened the array with his final attack against Shal Even Randidly hadnÆt expected how potent that gushing natural energy would become if he allowed it to accumulate for a while But the real kicker was that the elites of the Engraving Guild were lurking at the back in order to defend against any stray attack while they put the finishing touches on the defenses But they had let his attack past without a second thought

It was beneath them to block such an attack

Because it hadnÆt been formed with an image It was just a Skill that had been honed to a ridiculous point by the emotional significance that Randidly and Shal carried further empowered by RandidlyÆs ridiculously high Stats

A harmless Skill activation became the key they needed to proceed forward But of course even if the array was weakened most others still wouldnÆt be able to take advantage of such a weakness

In that thin passage where the disintegration was weaker Randidly proceeded carefully forward eventually standing only five meters from the Nether Array And at that distance his eyes began to glow He reached forward and tore down the carefully designed array like he was ripping off chunks of old wallpaper His skin burned and sizzled but he had plenty of health to spare

Congratulations Your Skill Left Hand of the Nether Oracle has grown to Level 263

Congratulations Your Skill Yyrwood Body of Yggdrasil has grown to Level 343

Like a wave of dominos falling the destabilized array fizzled and ceased to operate Without the protection of the anti image Nether Ritual the spectral hand of the Grim Chimera slashed left and right destroying the core components of the disintegration barrier There was a horrid sound of air being sucked away in the barrierÆs frantic last few moments but then it was gone It took him about seven minutes but the defenses had been neutralized

Good good Seeker Thunder Wing walked forward laughing Heh the Lady of Talons is going to be extremely disappointed that she had such little faith in you Thank you Mr Ghosthound Please allow me to head through first and pacify the surroundings

Without waiting for an answer Seeker Thunder Wing strode confidently forward and pressed his hand against the spatial wall In the next instant a group of six individuals who wore tan jerkins with a Crimson Eagle stitched across the front marched past Randidly to follow their leader The individual at the head of the column the woman who Randidly had seen fighting against the yellowed skeleton during their arrival on this spatial island gave Randidly a look of warning

Inwardly Randidly could only chuckle awkwardly Do you think I expected Seeker Thunder Wing to become such a chatterbox when I showed him this Fatepiece If you are jealous blame yourself for not stumbling across any artifacts in your travels

Helen leaned casually against her spear next to Randidly and nodded toward the departing Pinnacle Seekers Want me to challenge that woman for you I cannot think of a single thing IÆd rather do than defend your honor repeatedly against all the people you offend Every hour of the day would be so fulfilling

You would do that How thoughtful Randidly grinned at Helen And here I thought I would need to exhaust myself just to make sure everyone respects me

Helen snorted Yea fat chance of that ever happening You donÆt scowl nearly enough to be respected in the Nexus

DiOrtho and Raymund wandered over followed by Kerwin and a still horror stricken LayÆmel But just as Randidly was about to say something to his other subordinates two other figures passed by the minor festival orbiting around Claudette and made a beeline for Randidly

Randidly looked at them solemnly The two figures were rather similar to each other the first an older woman with long white hair and bushy black eyebrows while the second was a young man with similar features Both wore long white cloaks

The older woman smiled at Randidly Her teeth were slightly yellowed Well met Mr Ghosthound I am Pinnacle Seeker Ozaer It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Your ability to defeat the barrier truly astounding It is an honor to witness your potential

Randidly chewed on his lip for a second as he considered this woman she was the Pinnacle Seeker in the group other than Seeker Thunder Wing that made him nervous He couldnÆt see through this womanÆs power The pleasure is all mine Pinnacle Seeker Ozaer I would assume based on your aura you two utilize the image of the cloud with black raindrops

The woman nodded in satisfaction Truly a discerning eye Yes our image is that of the Final Storm It is a myth of my people that when the end of our existence approaches there will be one last storm when the heavens will cry tears of black blood to see us go

After such a friendly opening Randidly didnÆt suppress the question that occurred to him Have you ever considered then whether you are fulfilling the prophecy of your own doom That your image might very well become so powerful that it will spell the end of your people

The woman showed Randidly a different smile this time still centered around those yellowed teeth There was altogether too much relish in the expression for Randidly to be comfortable Oh yes That thought has crossed my mind

Further conversation was interrupted by the return of one of Seeker Thunder WingÆs underlings who informed the group that the Seeker had established a beachhead but that there was significant Nether resistance on the other side Randidly politely disengaged with Seeker Ozaer and walked away

As he did so Helen poked Randidly in the side with her elbow and spoke in a near inaudible voice You can defend your own honor with that one SheÆs got the look of a woman who likes to suck the marrow out of bones

Then should you two get along Randidly flashed a smile at Helen but inwardly agreed When they reached the spatial wall RandidlyÆs group was given the honor of being the second party to travel through to the next area His subordinates linked hands and they headed deeper

Chapter 1635

When they appeared in the new isolated space Raymund Ballast looked at the ground and bared his fangs in distaste at what he found The new location was a reed filled marsh so he was suddenly up to his knees in murky water Bubbles inexplicably drifted up in the surroundings popping silently before his distaste Snorting Raymund ignored his discomfort and looked around

The location was rather desolate and empty it appeared that the deeper they went the larger the isolated spaces became But Raymund could see that the far side of the space was filled with explosions and reverberations as a contingent of Nether Gatekeepers and Nether Heralds attacked a token force from the Engraving Guild that appeared to have been left behind by their superiors to delay the Nether forces In between where the Ghosthound and his group were standing and where the battle was happening Raymund could see large mounds poking out of the surface of the water Torn limbs of Nether Beasts could be seen grasping out of the dark liquid

The marsh to RaymundÆs eyes suddenly seemed dyed the color of rust Apparently the Engraving Guild had encountered a defensive Nether encampment and had forcibly penetrated the defenses Even if they were confident in the defensive barrier they used to block the Pinnacle Seekers it seemed they were in a hurry for a different reason

The continuing shockwaves drew RaymundÆs attention back forward It seemed that with the heavy hitter proceeding to the next spatial island the remnants were about to lose and were mustering their final stand Each disparate impact sent waves of dark water splashing Low clouds of stinking mist hung over the far side of the battlefield keeping the details blurry

But Raymund was sure that neither Techetadore nor the Shal that the Ghosthound knew were still present He could vaguely sense the images being used and he recognized none of them

You proceeded second through to the space That means you have the honor of leading the battlefield to pacify this area This is a test of Seeker Ozaer I expect Seeker Thunder Wing said with a wry smile toward Randidly He gestured toward the far battle Luckily it appears our foes are content to exhaust one another And if you need any further assistance

Randidly waved his hand lightly Thank you but some exercise will do me good Helen Raymund DiOrtho Warm yourself up LetÆs see if we can capture some Engraving Guild members alive

All three nodded Raymund flexed his claws shifting his feet before they sunk too deeply into the grimy mud of the marsh beneath him The four of them waded calmly forward heading toward the flank of the Nether forces The Ghosthound had chosen their path so they avoided the largest mounds of Nether Beast bodies As they crossed the distance Raymund glanced up to avoid seeing the floating flesh and was at once transfixed by what he saw in the sky His eyes widened and for several seconds he could not move

The training he experienced under Randidly Ghosthound thrown Raymund into a crash course regarding Nether Halfway through their three month boot camp the Ghosthound had designed some sort of construction that funneled Nether through the unsuspecting recruits in the same way that nature occasionally felt the urge to dump rain runoff over an otherwise inclined piece of geography And just as sure that flow of Nether gradually wore down the recruitsÆ bodies to the point that it now could naturally house quite a volume of Nether

Most others didnÆt really notice many effects because such benefits were almost indistinguishable from the significant gains they made during all the physical fitness training but Raymund was in a somewhat special role to appreciate the changes His ability to briefly plunder the Skills and images of other individuals relied on a complex interrelated series of factors And perhaps the most important of those factors was the amount of significance that Raymund could safely contain in his body

If he could successfully take a bit of his targetÆs significance grounding the stolen image within himself was much easier The resulting attack he could unleash was much more powerful

So Raymund took his ability to house Nether very seriously During his five years within RandidlyÆs Alpha Cosmos that Nether flow had been cut off but he had carefully taught himself some primitive methods of manipulating Nether to continue to hone his abilities Several years of such training meant that he could accurately read the power of Nether based individuals

Randidly Ghosthound remained the most inscrutable of the owners of Nether that Raymund had encountered He even could favorably compare against Nether Heralds Obviously the Nether Heralds possessed more aggressive force within their compact forms But the Ghosthound somehow managed to add a dimension of irresistible suction to the Nether he utilized To use a barely relevant metaphor Nether Heralds possessed the force of a waterfall while Randidly Ghosthound was a whirlpool

But even the whirlpool that the Ghosthound possessed couldnÆt compare to the horrifying waves of significance that crashed back and forth across the dim sky above the marsh The drab and slightly yellow clouds were a facade hiding a grand Nether working that the Foxman could barely comprehend As soon as Raymund observed that flowing significance it seemed to become aware of him in turn and apply an overwhelming mental pressure on this presumptuous flesh bag that dared to observe it

I had believed my small discoveries had meaning Raymund thought in a daze as he experienced the equivalent of having his mind caught in a vice Yet my observations only concerned the effect of Nether The true test of Nether the actual truth of this energy relates to the grand pattern by which it moves not how it shapes the host

Yes across the recruits through the Ghosthound the complex methods of our bond

RaymundÆs mind raced as several things happened at once within his body The pain of enduring that heaven sent pressure only seemed to quicken the changes within himself He could feel some sort of paradigm shift occurring at his core To his surprise he sensed that his Class was rapidly undergoing a metamorphosis and ravenously devouring the energy in his body Soon the Foxman went from frozen in shock to feebly attempting to remain standing as all his previously abundant energy was absorbed

Even as he began to grow dizzy with weakness and pain his own significance left his body and was siphoned up into those chaotic waves in the sky The Vulpine had stumbled headfirst into some grand pattern that completely overwhelmed his senses So even while one part of his energy was being pulled inward to fuel a transformation the other portion was sucked outward and devoured by the ravenous pattern above

Strung out on a thin and fraying line between two paradigm shifts Raymund couldnÆt breathe His eyes bulged and he could almost hear the sound of his cornea drying out

He may very well have been metaphorically torn in half if there wasnÆt suddenly a warm hand on his shoulder The Ghosthound looked at Raymund with a concerned frown and squeezed his arm lightly Careful there This thing is bigger than you can handle

While he was speaking the Ghosthound did two things First he established a warm canal of energy that flowed between them The formerly abundant energy that had been drained away was replaced even more quickly than RaymundÆs Class could absorb it Which finally allowed his Class to grow and swell into its true new form

In addition the Ghosthound spun his own Nether around them in a protective cocoon The dangerous connection to that pattern in the sky was briefly screened by the aura that the Ghosthound projected into the surrounding area Raymund was barely able to suck in a shaky breath

Which was when the notifications started

Congratulations Your Class Cultural Protector is evolving Please see your Village Spirit for details

Congratulations Your Class has evolved into a Unique Class The Descendant of Fiero Stats will adjust to incorporate your new Class

Congratulations You have learned the Skill Adaptive Mimicry You have learned the Skill Significance Capture

While RaymundÆs head continued to spin as he attempted to adjust to the changes the Ghosthound gave him a long glance Looks like you should sit this one out Being exposed to that pattern up there shook your core significance

N no Raymund managed to stammer out He carefully swallowed again before he spoke Truly I am capable of this And right now I have a strong desire to fight to my limits

DonÆt we all The Ghosthound answered wryly But after raking his calm emerald gaze across every inch of Raymund he nodded evenly Alright fine then Follow up

And with that the Ghosthound produced Acri and lowered himself into a crouch Helen grimaced and hopped backward with a splash while DiOrtho and Raymund remained standing in place looking at their commanding officer curiously The Foxman was still settling into the new sensations he experienced he wasnÆt ready for this strange action

By the time Helen landed and visibly rolled her eyes at their proximity RaymundÆs expression shifted to a grimace

But by then the Ghosthound had accelerated

A wave of nettle filled water slapped Raymund face and left him drenched What could only be a severed foot of a humanoid smacked against his arm sent tumbling by the explosive displacement The Ghosthound rushed forward the force of his passages practically splitting the still water into two waist high walls as he advanced His momentum rapidly drew the attention of some of the Nether Gatekeepers on the fringes of the battlefield They turned around and roared in challenge at the Ghosthound but their resistance proved to be short lived As a powerful image of the World Tree appeared in the sky above the marsh Randidly Ghosthound performed split second vivisections on three unfortunate Nether Gatekeepers that were in his way

By the time some of the Nether Heralds that were crushing the last of the Engraving GuildÆs resistance noticed the Ghosthound he had built up a veritable slipstream of howling wind behind him that flattened the displaced water back down to its normal height Most Nether Gatekeepers were blasted away by these same winds which allowed the Ghosthound to approach the Herald directly and simply bludgeon them into the ground

Wiping pond gunk off of his snout Raymund wondered how much physical power his Head Drill Sergeant actually possessed

A thunderous rustling of leaves sent ripples across the settling water across the marsh Yggdrasil unleashed a pulse of energy that filled Raymund with vigor but he knew from first hand experience how oppressive that image could be against its enemies

Seeing the Ghosthound move Raymund discovered a strange new instinct inside of himself His limbs shifted into an imitation of the GhosthoundÆs precise and brutal spear form Without any conscious thought a spectral fox tail condensed on Raymund’s back and formed into the shape of Acri He thrust the spear forward and a misshapen blade of water emerged from the marsh in front of him Then he grinned down at his hands

Just barely he had managed to catch the Drill SergeantÆs shadow

Congratulations Your Skill Adaptive Mimicry has grown to Level 2

Scanning target Randidly Ghosthound Level 63 Class Hidden A Transcendent Tier Target

Error Unable to properly perceive data on the target Skill fails

Congratulations Your Skill Adaptive Mimicry has grown to Level 3

Raymund continued to look toward the Ghosthound with burning eyes He stepped forward rapidly accelerating behind Helen as the two rushed forward to intercept the Nether Gatekeepers that the Ghosthound had blown to the side As they moved Raymund felt those instincts rising again This time he looked at HelenÆs capable back as she spun a spear in her hands

Scanning target Helen Willammie Level 89 Class Hidden A Legendary Tier Target

Error Unable to properly mimic the target Skill fails

Congratulations Your Skill Adaptive Mimicry has grown to Level 4

Congratulations Your Skill Adaptive Mimicry has grown to Level 5

RaymundÆs face twitched No meaningful edifice was ever built in a day as they say

Chapter 1636

Moving with brutal efficiency Randidly cut left and right with Acri and left a trail of Nether Gatekeepers in his wake Natural energy surged around him buoying him forward

A Nether Herald finally realized that Randidly was a much more potent threat than the Engraving Guild castoffs it had been slaughtering and wheeled around to face him It bounded forward and splashed to a stop between Randidly and the Nether Gatekeeper had been about to slaughter This particular specimen looked like a giant fluffy hamster that had gone through several rounds of anabolic steroid treatments its massive arms pulsed with thick veins that protruded beyond the rest of its flesh The Nether Herald barred its buck teeth and fixed Randidly with a hateful stare from its beady eyes

However Randidly just grinned Nether whirled through his body his Weight producing spectral flames across his body He raised Acri up in the air above him and smashed it downward His Primordial Nether Juju and Dreadful Alacrity made the attack almost blindingly fast

No sooner had the hamster splashed in front of him than it had to hastily raise its arm to block RandidlyÆs attack

Congratulations Your Skill Sharpness has grown to Level 280

The bones of the buff hamsterÆs forearms splintered immediately The dense Nether the Herald released parted before RandidlyÆs Weight Acri cut deeply into its neck and shoulder muscles inflicting quite a lot of damage but not even nearing its Nether Core Other Nether Heralds in the area were starting to follow the hamsterÆs lead in acknowledging RandidlyÆs threat and paused in their other battles

Randidly pursed his lips If he wanted to keep up his momentum he couldnÆt allow too many Nether HeraldÆs to surround him Their dense Nether auras would slowly blunt the edge of his attacks He planned on fighting against them solely with his physical gifts and Yggdrasil which meant that burst damage he could inflict was limited

Randidly pulled Acri back and transitioned smoothly into a straight thrust at the Nether HeraldÆs core The beast twisted to the side allowing Randidly to lance through its ribs but avoiding a fatal blow With a burning resolution in its beady eyes the Nether King stepped deeper into the thrust and didnÆt even flinch at the squelching noise of Acri sawing through its organs Then it raised its massive arms

Randidly could see its muscles quiver each time a wave of blood pumped through those slug like veins that ran across its arms

There was a pulse of power from Yggdrasil above and waves of brutally sharp roots exploded out of the surrounding murky water It wouldnÆt take long for the surrounding Nether Heralds to force their way through but it ensured that this fight would remain a one on one for a bit longer As the hamster unleashed a half dozen thunderous haymakers Randidly didnÆt even flinch With small and deft movements he avoided the worst of them and endured the rest The meaty fists hurt and would probably form a nasty looking bruise in a few minutes but such power wasnÆt enough to break RandidlyÆs bones any longer

Before RandidlyÆs Stat overhaul he had relied on a combination of Skils and his powerful images to kill a Nether Herald Now he could stand toe to toe with these powerful guardians of the Nether King Even the dense wave of Nether that they unleashed was largely mitigated by the Nether Field from RandidlyÆs Nether Core and his flickering flames of Nether Weight

If the two of them were truly boxing Randidly Ghosthound had the Weight advantage

While the hamster desperately attacked him Randidly stepped forward so the twoÆs bodies were only a short distance apart While AcriÆs spearhead split into three scythes that maliciously began to carve at the hamsterÆs flesh RandidlyÆs left hand pierced into the Nether HeraldÆs side Blood pumped out soaking Randidly up to the elbow The monster screeched in fury and tried to force Randidly away but it couldnÆt overpower him In contrast to the grotesque veins of the bodybuilding hamster RandidlyÆs veins glowed golden as YggdrasilÆs power flowed through him

After a few seconds of groping Randidly finally got his hand on the Nether Core within the creature Releasing a hissing breath from his gritted teeth Randidly squeezed the Nether Core while activating Golden Veins of Yggdrasil and Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil The skin of his fingers twisted and warped as the digits became gnarled and unflinching roots Sensing the change the Nether Herald grew desperate and increased the frequency of its sledgehammer blows

But with the boost of his image RandidlyÆs grip tightened until the Nether Core popped and collapsed

Boneless the Nether Herald fell backward Randidly withdrew his left arm and Acri from the hamsterÆs body and turned to face the other Nether Heralds that had forced their way through the thorny wall of roots Immediately they slowed in their advance as they realized their compatriot had fallen in the short span of the rootwall interference

Their rapid response gave Randidly quite the headache instead of ganging up and attacking him the four Nether Heralds split up and went after RandidlyÆs subordinates who had now begun clashing against the Nether Gatekeepers Two Nether Heralds rushed toward Helen as she was the closest but Randidly figured she could at least survive while he dealt with the others So he planted his foot and accelerated across the murky water heading toward the Nether Herald targeting DiOrtho Vant

With about twenty meters of lead on Randidly the Nether Herald roared and raised its massive claw to strike at Vant This Nether Herald was a humanoid komodo dragon perhaps four meters long and all scales and ill will But before that claw a massive humming buzzing machine horror shimmered into existence With an inscrutable series of clicks DiOrthoÆs machine horror unleashed a blood or rust covered buzz saw that slammed into the Nether HeraldÆs claw

The Machine Horror rapidly lost out against the Nether Herald but it stalled the komodo dragon enough for Randidly to catch up At their speeds twenty meters wasnÆt much at all Acri gleefully cut forward and devoured the Nether HeraldÆs experience

After dealing with DiOrthoÆs Nether Herald the two of them moved to assist Raymund who was furiously clashing in melee combat with his attacker His previously beautiful fur which had been soaked in dirty marsh water at some point was now covered in wounds as he was forced to escape from the Nether Herald and endure the harrying attacks of the Nether Gatekeepers But he had survived long enough for the cavalry to arrive

In seven attacks Randidly dismantled the Nether HeraldÆs resistance and brutally smashed three Nether Gatekeepers Unfortunately the Nether Herald leapt backward with only an injured core As some other Nether Gatekeepers seized upon the injured Nether Herald and began to flee Randidly sent Raymund and DiOrtho in pursuit and turned to assist Helen

He had just launched himself forward in a miniature explosion of water when the crimson image that Helen wielded intensified Her image wavered then spiked There was a blast of crimson light and when the phenomenon died Helen was floating off of the surface of the water surrounding by an almost wicker looking orb Black energy branches and forked around her constantly flowing about two meters from her body

The Nether Heralds smashed at the sphere and forcefully warped the edges but in the short term they seemed helpless to strike at her

As Randidly arrived and began to lash out at the Nether Heralds he sent Helen a message You had a breakthrough

Although her left arm was cradled against her side and clearly broken from the beginning of her desperate struggle against the Nether Heralds the usual surly and moody Helen was practically beaming She radiated self satisfaction like a sun produced light My Tides of Blood Domain evolved into the Depths of Horror Domain Heh the Rarity of this Skill broke past the limit and is actually Transcendent Kekekeke IÆm going to kill so many dumb fucks with this

Randidly smiled wryly and didnÆt bother to respond but was inwardly rather surprised that her Domain had become a Transcendent Skill It seemed that the risk of bringing her to this dangerous place had paid off

But for now he let those thoughts go He raised Acri and waded forward into the melee

When he fought two Nether Heralds at once it wasnÆt possible for Randidly to engage in such self sacrificial tactics to inflict a fatal wound the combined power of two Nether Heralds was enough to make an already sore Randidly wince In addition the significance between the two of them could barely restrain his Nether Core taking away some of his edge

But when Helen started to mobilize her new Domain and restrict them both gave up and began to flee Randidly was surprised to see these Nether forces not willing to fight to the death but this was a quicker solution anyway He waved to his subordinates to let them go watching the Nether forces leave via a different spatial wall

In all likelihood the Nether Heralds wouldnÆt split up in front of him again Randidly pressed his lips together and felt a pang of regret

Helen was busy flaunting her new Domain in front of Vant and Ballast so Randidly walked toward the five miserable figures that remained of the Engraving Guild contingent The other Pinnacle Seekers had begun to arrive through the spatial wall and Seeker Thunder Wing came to join Randidly

The spiky haired Pinnacle Seeker looked at Randidly with serious eyes Want me to take the lead here They hate my guts already The weird layers here keep messages from being sent but if anybody had a way around it it would be the Engraving Guild

Randidly originally intended to agree but paused when he looked at the five surviving individuals His eyes flickered in recognition and his Nether Sensation Skill gave him a better understanding of the situation Seeker Thunder Wing meant well and for that Randidly was willing to handle this tricky situation for him thank you for the offer but I donÆt mind

The Engraving Guild had chosen its position well They stood directly on a small outcropping of land that rose above the luke warm water giving themselves sold ground on which to make their stand The central figure was a distinguished looking humanoid with extremely smooth pale green skin Truly he looked quite like a stereotypical alien from the culture of Expira On his jacket were various ornaments that appeared to denote status or rank He regarded the approaching Randidly and Seeker Thunder Wing coolly as though they were just as much of a threat as the Nether Gatekeepers It was clear his pride was still intact no matter his prior situation

Flanking the alien humanoid were two larger individuals covered in thick plates of armor It wasnÆt possible to see their features but from their scratched and dented weapons it was clear that these two were capable enough guards On the far side was a young humanoid with a deep wound across his chest He looked warily at the new arrivals struggling to stand up straight The final figure opposite the wounded individual just seemed to be exhausted The old man was breathing heavily looking at the ground with a blank expression

Before Randidly had even addressed them the central alien spoke in a brusque tone Do you expect thanks YouÆve already broken several Nexus ordinances by destroying the defenses we left in our wake Should the Nether take advantage of that opening Hey what the hell do you think you are doing

Randidly had raised Acri and the weapon sensed his intent instantly spinning its three heads together to form a gleaming blade The two guards moved a beat slower than their leaderÆ clearly also taken by surprise when Randidly moved without bothering to speak By the time they had raised their weapons Randidly had already pulled his arm backward and ripped Acri forward The wind whistled across the blade as it cut through the air

The exhausted old manÆs eyes flickered in recognition just as he was pierced through the heart He blanched and raised his gaze looking incredulously at Randidly The solid ground around them flickered with intricate and dark lines as a dense aura of Nether emerged from the solid ground but just as quickly as it arrived the Nether Ritual was forcefully suppressed by Randidly

Perhaps originally this member of the Nether Lattice could have resisted RandidlyÆs Weight but doing so with a spear through his heart was entirely impossible He looked toward Randidly in surprise seeming to be completely blindsided by this manÆs ability to sense the trap that lurked beneath their feet

And for good measure Randidly had flooded Acri with the most destructive and vicious Nether that he could generate Even as his body was pierced his Nether infrastructure began to collapse as RandidlyÆs Nether ate away at his foundations

Randidly watched the member of the Nether Lattice collapse Because his Nether ate through the strange connections of his Nether Core Randidly received a surprisingly in depth understanding of the Nether constructs that were present in the Nether Lattice Even if he received nothing else from this trip this bit of understanding was worth it

Then he ignored the flabbergasted surviving survivors and studied the Nether pattern beneath their feet critically Although the exact construction was different it followed a similar pattern of inverting images within a localized area Had things turned violent and Seeker Thunder Wing thoughtlessly relied on his images to force these members of the Engraving Guild to capitulate they would have activated the Nether Ritual immediately

And based on the complexity of the lines that Randidly saw even someone of Seeker Thunder Wings caliber would have been mentally wounded if this array was activated in close proximity to his image

Seeker Thunder Wing looked at the ground and then at Randidly You can sense the petty machinations of the Nether Lattice

Randidly nodded his eyes still on the patterns Although he had seen a similar construction before familiarizing himself with this sort of thing was quite valuable But now that itÆs been neutralized IÆd appreciate it if you could convince these others to share their secrets with us On a personal note see if you can discover anything about a team sponsored by the Swacc Family and led by a man named Shal He should be traveling with the Engraving Guild contingent

Seeker Thunder Wing chuckled coldly as he looked at the survivors It would be my pleasure

Chapter 1637

By the time the other Pinnacle Seekers had waded across the marsh to solid ground Seeker Thunder Wing had whittled the Engraving Guild members down to just the wounded young man That young man watched with a horrified expression as the spikey haired Pinnacle Seeker meticulously cleaned out some of the blood that had gotten under his nails during the earlier conversationÆ

The object of that horrified stare didnÆt even notice the attention Seeker Thunder Wing spoke lightly alternating between addressing Seeker Ozaer and Randidly Unfortunately our new friend doesnÆt know much about the man you are seeking just that the group was under special orders from the Engraving Guild representative

But in terms of their numbers and strengths this young man was much more forthcoming Seeker Thunder Wing smiled at the young man who shivered and wrapped his arms around his shoulders With just Seeker Ozaer and myself even with your assistance Mr Ghosthound proceeding forward directly will be dicey The next spatial island is apparently the core of this place and I donÆt want to get pinned down before more Pinnacle Seekers will be in the area I recommend we wait a bit

Randidly pressed his lips together at that but didnÆt disagree He was lucky this time that the man with the Nether Core wasnÆt very good at sensing Nether or felt no reason to scan them as Randidly had walked up to them Otherwise this would have been a much more dangerous trap

And if their group showed up too quickly the Engraving Guild would definitely wonder how they dealt so well with the traps they left

The Pinnacle Seeker subordinates arrived bringing Kerwin and LayÆmel with them In typical LayÆmel fashion the man had recovered from his traumatized state of mind and was now chatting amicably with several of the weaker Seekers in the most distant orbit of Claudette Beigon With Kerwin at his side he had the look of an ambitious young man attended by a loyal personal guard

Rolling his eyes Randidly glanced again toward the center of the social maelstrom that had seized the Pinnacle Seekers From observing their behavior one wouldnÆt be able to tell they were penetrating deeply into a dangerous area at all the young men and women were talking and laughing freely as though this was just a vacation At the center of it all Claudette stood with her waterfall of golden hair Her comments and smiles kept everything moving smoothly

To a Randidly who still struggled with social interaction it was honestly quite impressive Even if she didnÆt possess a Skill to the effect each of her actions perfectly recognized the ambient emotions her companions released She was a composer deftly directing the individuals around her without seeming to be in control at all

While he was studying her Claudette looked up unexpectedly and met his gaze She smiled wryly and did a half shrug as though to say polite conversation right Total hellÆ Then she beckoned inviting him deeper into those swirling social currents At her invitation Randidly could step forward in an instant and be next to her

If he wanted to that is

Even as the sycophantic Pinnacle Seekers were turning to look toward Randidly with unfriendly gazes he looked away and crouched down Idly he began drawing basic Nether patterns on the ground Since they had to pause he might as well do something useful during that time

Congratulations Your Skill Precise Nether Ritual has grown to Level 225

Congratulations Your Skill Precise Nether Ritual has grown to Level 233

Influence +7

Congratulations Your Skill Left Hand of the Nether Oracle has grown to Level 265

Where does he come from

Randidly who had actually gotten rather consumed by his Nether experiments looked up sharply at the nearby voice Somehow he had completely missed the approach of this individual Seeker Ozaer stood only a single meter away her long white hair perfectly straight as she regarded the wounded young man from the Engraving Guild with solemn eyes She hadnÆt been standing so closely when Seeker Thunder Wing was reporting the results of his interrogation earlier

Randidly made a mental note to watch out for this individual in the future

Seeker Thunder Wing shrugged HeÆs just an ant from the Engraving Guild Hard to say what world he crawled out of

Ah Seeker Ozaer said She tilted her head to the side looking closely at the young man The young man hunched his shoulders further attempting to hide from that mercilessly hollow gaze Then I suppose he has outlived his usefulness

Without waiting for an answer she gestured with a hand and conjured a small grey cloud above the young manÆs head A look of pure dread appeared on his face and the young man straightened abruptly His hands were trembling Please donÆt

A single black raindrop fell on the young man As soon as that drop touched his body his words ceased and his expression was wiped smooth His expression was suddenly one of peace A dozen and then a hundred drops followed that first one When the drops touched his flesh flesh melted away dissolved by that strange liquid After twenty seconds all that remained was a pile of bones

Seeker Thunder Wing shook his head but didnÆt say anything But Randidly watched the process with the hairs along his spine straightening and tingling Seeker Thunder Wing has treated me better due to the fact I possess a Hierarchy he is interested in because I could suppress the Nether Heralds and now because I have shown I can deal with Nether Rituals But I shouldnÆt forget this honorable treatment is because I seem to also want to reach the Pinnacle

But in situations where we arenÆt working together Pinnacle Seekers are just as violent as the orthodox factions and even more fanatical in their pursuits

So we keep waiting Seeker Ozaer asked Seeker Thunder Wing

Seeker Thunder Wing shook his head again We cannot know when the other Pinnacle Seekers will make it to the final area so we delay Six and a half more minutes I wonÆt risk waiting any longer than that

Seeker Ozaer nodded and the group waited for exactly six and a half minutes at the edges of the spatial wall Occasionally Randidly pressed his hand up against the spatial wall and peered into the next area but truly the size and complexity of the space meant that he couldnÆt sense anything definitive He lowered his hand from the spatial wall with a frown Some things could only be explored the old fashioned way

Meanwhile the lessor Pinnacle Seekers seemed to crowd more tightly around Claudette They finally seemed to acknowledged the approaching battle and reacted by engaging in their meaningless drivel with more conviction Luckily their reprieve didnÆt last forever soon it was time to move into the next area

This time Seeker Ozaer led the way with Seeker Thunder Wing and his stuck up six subordinates following Unwilling to be left behind with Claudette and her groupies Randidly brought his four along into the new area he didnÆt mind leaving LayÆmel and Kerwin with Claudette The now familiar wrenching seized them and suddenly they were in an entirely new location

The first pleasant surprise was that this new place wasnÆt wet In fact the first thing Randidly did was spread his toes with relish and allow the small crevices of his feet to dry out For a few seconds the heat was relaxing comforting even But as the heat continued to build RandidlyÆs expression quickly became serious

The air only five meters in front of the spatial wall was warping and twisting from the heat making it difficult to see any further Those distortions only became more violent the further out Randidly looked until he could barely observe anything at a distance of fifty meters What he could make out indicated that they were standing on a low slope at the edge of the desert

The sand beneath RandidlyÆs toes was large grained and brittle baked by the overwhelming heat into a tasteless crust After standing for only a short while Randidly wiped the sweat from his forehead He could feel perspiration forming on the back of his neck

But what was interesting about this place was that the heat of the desert didnÆt come from natural means the constant friction of the rapidly flowing layers of Aether and Nether was the main source of the temperature To make matters worse the constant flows seemed to be happening every meter or so creating a regular series of barriers that needed to be overcome in order to proceed deeper into the isolated space

The isolated islands of the outer spaces was done here in the core in miniature

Seeker Ozaer was looking around with a frown when Randidly arrived Seeker Thunder Wing had his hands on his hips and was peering forward about thirty meters ahead of them was a group of vague blotches that were probably the Engraving Guild contingent Randidly gestured for his subordinates to remain still and took a few steps forward toward the nearest layering flow of energies He reached out and ran his finger along the boundary observing the way a ripple spread outward from his touch and spread to the surrounding flows

They were standing in an interconnected energy lattice of some sort Randidly narrowed his eyes but the complex interactions of energy made it difficult to see the shape of the lattice in the same way it was difficult to see what was physically present around him Heat distortions masked everything He reached out with Left Hand of the Nether Oracle and Aether Manipulation to see how resilient the pattern was After about thirty seconds Randidly could only shake his head slightly

Taking the barriers apart on a small scale was possible but that was just as effective as scooping out a portion of a creek more would eventually flow to fill the gap And based on the density of both energies the engines that created them wouldnÆt run out of energy anytime soon

Randidly opened his mouth to say something when Seeker Ozaer shrugged and then began to walk forward As she encountered the first barrier a small cloud formed an arch in front of her and forcibly pushed back the barrier to create an opening Spark careened in every direction as flowing energy skidded off the image but the image didnÆt waver in the least underneath the onslaught

RandidlyÆs mouth twitched as Seeker Thunder Wing calmly followed after Seeker Ozaer Well that is certainly one way to proceed forward

The Pinnacle Seekers arrived behind RandidlyÆs group so he waved his hands and brought his subordinates forward through the cloud arch Seeker Thunder Wing looked back toward the new arrivals with a heavy expression Alright get in formation Your previous behavior stops now Those who cannot find it in themselves to continue feel free to remain here and die slowly

Instantly the other Pinnacle Seekers went silent

But Randidly was mildly surprised to see that none of the fawning Seekers for all their previously playful attitudes balked at Seeker Thunder Wings words Their expressions turned serious and they packed together closely behind Randidly and his group following through the cloud arches The whole of the Pinnacle Seekers group proceeded forward at only a walking pace moving forward and to the right When the final individual in their group proceeded through the layered energy barrier Seeker OzaerÆs cloud image vanished

And due to the fact that the last individual in their train yelped from time to time at a premature closure Randidly suspected that this wasnÆt as easy a process as Seeker Ozaer made it appear

Again Randidly wasnÆt willing to lose a chance for additional practice So he reached out about ten meters into the surroundings and began to manipulate the flows He tried tying them up and redirecting them He tried reversing them to break the pattern He also tried weaving two different flows against each other

None of his attempts had any lasting effect He could break the pattern but the continued supply of energy would eventually wash his changes away But that didnÆt mean the attempts werenÆt valuable

Congratulations Your Skill Left Hand of the Nether Herald has grown to Level 266

Congratulations Your Skill Aether Manipulation has grown to Level 261

Congratulations Your Skill Left Hand of the Nether Herald has grown to Level 269

The Pinnacle Seekers didnÆt speak of it but there seemed to be an implicit agreement between them not to follow directly after the group from the Engraving Guild They continued up the mysterious slope while moving laterally After about ten minutes of walking the slope grew steeper and their lateral vector increased so they were going as to the right as they were going upward It only took five minutes of this new track before Randidly could make out the shape of another group

Seeker Thunder Wing turned around perhaps sensing it as Randidly stiffened He smiled wickedly DonÆt worry Those are ours After we meet up itÆs time to stop sneaking around LetÆs go bag us a Nether King

Chapter 1638

The foggy edged group of individuals that Randidly had noticed turned out to be a score of serious faced guards They stood in a tight formation with one individual looking in each direction and the rest gathered in the middle Their armor combination was haphazard several factions appeared to be present When their train led by Seeker Ozaer approached these mysterious engaged in simultaneous low bows and indicated for the group to continue directly up the steepening slope The Pinnacle Seekers nodded as though this behavior was natural and walked forward

When they passed the guards Randidly eyed their well measured bows Seems like there is a sort of chivalry amongst the Pinnacle Seekers

The group continued to move forward through the cloud arches For a few more minutes Randidly kept his head down and toyed with the energy flows that were layered across the area Gradually he learned that there were some localized effects of his experiments adjusting the flow in the barrier nearest to him would cause ripples everywhere but the strongest ripple would flow through the spatial barrier that was the tenth outward from his current position The only problem with taking advantage of this information was the fact that the layered barriers weakened his Grim Intuition to the point that Randidly couldnÆt observe the phenomenon as well as he wanted

There were ten sources then in all likelihood But to confirm it he would need to see twenty spatial barriers away

Randidly narrowed his eyes and pushed Revelations of Atramentous Threshold to its limits Purple black revelation flared to life around his eyes as tried to further attune himself to his surroundings Yet even that wasnÆt enough So he tried something different A light ripple spread from Randidly as he manifested the hunger of Stillborn Phoenix as a hunger for information

For a few seconds the effort didnÆt yield many results but then the Stillborn Phoenix seemed to get the hang of it and greedily reached out into the surrounding area for information Randidly felt himself receiving some looks from the weeker Pinnacle Seekers behind him as he activated the image but ignored them

With the boost of the Stillborn Phoenix seeing twenty barriers away was impossible But he could make relatively concrete observations on the tenth distant energy flow

Randidly was about to step up his experiments with his forcefully elevated perception when the groupÆs brisk walking pace brought them to the main group of Pinnacle Seekers A massive building suddenly loomed out of the fuzzy space The Stillborn Phoenix brushed up against an absolute massive image and recoiled shivering

For a second Randidly stopped dead his chest invaded by a horrifying cold just from the split second brush with the heavy image Luckily YggdrasilÆs core vital energy rapidly weakened and banished the invading chill However Randidly didnÆt feel particularly good about that triumph what he had been infected with was just spare image potency due to contact Overcoming an actual attack from the owner of this image would not be so easy

Congratulations Your Skill Golden Roots of Yggdrasil has grown to Level 327

Congratulations Your Skill Yyrwood Flesh of Yggdrasil has grown to Level 343

Congratulations Your Skill Golden Roots of Yggdrasil has grown to Level 328

Randidly looked forward to the large building ahead of them with an uneasy gaze For the first time I can say with confidence that IÆm about to meet a figure that might be just as powerful as Velio Dunn

After moving forward another ten meters it was possible to ascertain the details of the sprawling building and not just sense the image But the visual was only more alarming Because someone had erected a palace of ice in this dense area of layered barriers Elegant and spiraled towers rose from the walls and pierced into the distorted sky Even the walls were covered with swirling patterns that resembled the biting chill of winter winds

A wide gate was about twenty meters in front of the group There werenÆt even any guards just the noticeable drop in temperature in front of this building Not that they needed them somehow Randidly doubted anyone would just wander into such an imposing location without permission

From the back of the group Claudette accelerated into a trot She smiled politely at Randidly when she passed him but was clearly distracted And when they reached the icy walls of the palace her smile widened Matriarch IÆve returned

Due to the fact that the frost castle suppressed the barriers the space within was clear of distortions So once the group walked through the wide gate Randidly saw about a hundred figures waiting in the center of the palace underneath a high ice pavilion His skin prickled as he observed at least twenty individuals that made him very very afraid in the pavilion truly the Pinnacle Seekers were a group not to be underestimated

Yet amongst them all one stood apart That figured look toward ClaudetteÆs radiant and valiant figure and smiled with a cartoonish mouth Randidly wasnÆt sure what he had expected from the Frost Matriarch but certainly he hadnÆt expected a tall creature that seemed more like a frost giant from Norse mythology

First the Frost Matriarch was almost five meters tall dwarfing all but a few of the gathered Pinnacle Seekers Second she had no distinguishing facial or bodily features to speak of She possessed no nose or ears and her mouth was just an elastic hole in her face The Frost Matriarch was just a massive blue humanoid body with light blue skin and dark blue eyes But there was no mistaking that expansive image of the cold that seemed to radiate off her skin

Third for the briefest instant Randidly thought that the Frost Matriarch looked up from ClaudetteÆs hurrying form and looked at him Those heavy and bland dark blue lanterns she had for eyes seemed to be observing the individual who had thoughtlessly touched her image The Stillborn Phoenix shifted uncomfortably in his chest Yet due to the lack of features on that massive face Randidly couldnÆt tell if it was just his imagination or not

But in the next instant the focus of the gathering had fully shifted back to a heartwarming reunion ClaudetteÆs armored skirts somehow managed to flutter as she continued to run forward only to be swept off her feet by the enormous and featureless Frost Matriarch To Randidly the whole experience was extremely surreal All the fearful Pinnacle Seekers waiting in the center of the icy palace notably a massive man with a jackal head a Winged Serpent that reminded Randidly of the Nemesis on Expira and a horse sized mouse with three tails all simply looked on and smiled kindly as the Frost Matriarch swept up Claudette in her arms

RandidlyÆs eyes swept back and forth Inside the fortress of ice the air was cool enough to leave his skin clammy Looks like they all acknowledge the Frost MatriarchÆs leadership but how could they not when her image is powerful enough to do this

Whether we continue deeper with the Pinnacle Seekers will all depend on her attitude

After the Frost Matriarch set Claudette down and patted the blushing young woman on the head the Pinnacle Seeker leader turned to Seeker Ozaer When she spoke the voice was echoing and powerful Truly it was the resonant voice of a giant Welcome Seeker Ozaer You should be the last batch we wonÆt wait any further Prepare your troops

Ah so the Lady of Talons didnÆt make it in time Seeker Ozaer showed a small smile How unfortunate

To RandidlyÆs surprise that was that The rest of the group wasnÆt addressed at all He truly began to wonder if he had imagined that brief look from the Frost Matriarch

While Seeker Thunder Wing and Seeker Ozaer moved forward toward the cluster of powerful individuals Randidly brought along his subordinates to follow Thunder WingÆs guards toward the larger group of subordinates brought along But as he was walking away the sonorous voice of the Frost Matriarch caught his attention Claudette I understand you were ambushed by the Engraving Guild Tell me the details

With his skin prickling again Randidly paused and looked back toward the golden haired Claudette As though she had known his thoughts Claudette had been waiting for his glance Their eyes met and this time Claudette looked away first to look up at the Frost Matriarch Then she began to speak slowly explaining the situation

But at the same time Claudette sent Randidly a message Since they werenÆt separated by any Nether and Aether barriers the messaging was still functioning IÆll publically leave out the details of your assistance but IÆll let the Frost Matriarch know in private I suspect you would prefer not to have so much attention directed toward you right now And my mistress is a woman that always repays her favors

Randidly tilted his head to the side Such a gesture was surprisingly thoughtful from Claudette There was a chance that she was lying and wouldnÆt inform the Frost Matriarch about his contributions at all but Randidly didnÆt think she was that type of woman It was a deft move that was clearly aimed to deepen their relationship through a shared secret

But it served Randidly purposes so he accepted

Considering the mysterious actions of Claudette Randidly settled down on his haunches near the other Pinnacle Seeker subordinates They were a pretty regimented group with clear deviations depending on which Pinnacle Seeker they followed To RandidlyÆs surprise fully half of the people here seemed to belong to the Winged Serpent race They hovered in a localized area looking at the new arrivals with cool eyes before turning back and using their wings to draw elegant patterns in the air

Shrugging Randidly ignored the surroundings and concentrated on the energy flows Flying under the radar was better for him anyway and the Frost Matriarch forcible suppression of the space meant he had a rare opportunity to view the patterns of these spatial barriers with a wider view Let alone twenty barriers Randidly could see almost fifty barriers worth of space from within the frost palace

Honestly the power of the Frost MatriarchÆs image was somewhat overwhelming He couldnÆt even sense the faintest ripple from her body

But just as he was about to get down to work with these precious few minutes LayÆmel stepped up before Randidly and coughed lightly With a frown spreading across his face Randidly looked up at the elfen man yes

Without needing RandidlyÆs prompting Helen drifted closer to the duo and began staring at LayÆmel with her arms folded across her chest

Ahem I have been tirelessly gathering information during our journey here LayÆmel began self righteously When he saw Randidly press his lips together he continued much more hastily IÆve basically been listening while the group was gossiping about Claudette And I just wanted to share with you part of the reason why she is treated so graciously Her father is one of the two custodians of Alymian the Land of Dreams

Randidly was originally annoyed at LayÆmel for the interruption but that last line caught his attention HeÆs a custodian Does that mean he was not the individual who reached the Pinnacle and created it

LayÆmel shook his head N no not as far as I can tell They didnÆt say it directly but some of the things the Pinnacle Seekers said seemed to imply that no one really knows who the second person to reach the Pinnacle was Perhaps because that individual refuses to step forward there are two custodians who handle the details of Alymian One is Senior Beigon The other is Solomon Rex

Randidly rubbed his chin thoughtfully It was an interesting bit of information but it asked more questions than it answered Who was this mysterious individual that had reached the Pinnacle and created Alymian then Had they been eliminated by Elhume perhaps due to fear of a rival

And also if ClaudetteÆs father was close to Solomon Rex the father of the very same Nether gifted Neshamah that Randidly had encountered why had she so helpless before the Engraving Guild trap

Randidly pressed his lips together Or was Claudette never in any danger the whole time which was why she dared to be so unforgiving and aggressive Or perhaps the two custodians are rather competitive with each other

Bah these sort of complicated situations just serve to make me paranoid

Eventually RandidlyÆs speculations had to come to an end he didnÆt want to miss this chance He activated his Nether Core and used the Stillborn Phoenix to study the area without letting the images brush the icy fortress

Very soon the Frost Matriarch raised her massive hand and the Pinnacle Seekers marched forward Randidly pulled back his senses and rolled his shoulders The time for their advance had begun

Chapter 1639

With only a gesture a portion of the walls of the frost palace slid backward and opened up a path The powerful individuals of the Pinnacle Seekers became a spearhead began to march up the slope making quick time Randidly was initially somewhat excited to finally proceed to the center of this spatial maze especially as a rather forgettable piece in this powerful train of individuals He stood and stretched some more eager to move forward

However there was a problem

The larger subordinate group continued to linger around without showing any signs of moving even as their leaders left For now the image lingered and the spatial walls didnÆt reform in the area Randidly looked around incredulously The frost palace began to melt and crack as the Frost Matriarch no longer supplied it with power

Are the subordinates not following the leaders Randidly looked around at the groups who all seemed to be very interested in the ground beneath them They all kept their gazes low No one made a move to leave Randidly could only grimace in confusion Will it attract too much attention if my group follows without the rest Well itÆs not like I can do much about it I havenÆt come all this way to miss the finish

Randidly twisted around sensing that he was the target of this furious bellow The woman who led Seeker Thunder WingÆs guards stomped over to him with a red face He still had a strong impression of the look of derision she had given him Now she spat at his feet Pah Who knew you were such a petty person So fine I am here debasing myself Take the first step

What Randidly said After so obviously spitting near his feet her words made no sense to him

The womanÆs face or what little Randidly could see of it under her helmet turned purple Truly TRULY You must even make me say it I will never forget this humiliation Randidly Ghosthound You are the most powerful of us and therefore please take the first step before we are isolated back here without any protection

Even while Randidly was trying to understand what was happening Helen sent him a message Heh they might not look it but it seems these Pinnacle Seekers are very regimented And perceptive Just like the order in which we moved through the spatial wall there are fucking rules for who walks in what order And it looks like you have been outed as the most powerful amongst this second group You need to go first

RandidlyÆs eyes swept around Again no group seemed to be paying to RandidlyÆs movements But now that he understood what to look for he could make out the hum of tension that permeated the whole arrangement Everyone wanted to move just no one was moving Especially as the ice palace around them began to audibly crack and crumble the Pinnacle Seekers were getting nervous

Also interesting that they wouldnÆt break out ahead of me Randidly pressed his lips together However this same structure probably means that if I take any aggressive actions in the future it will be dealt with harshly ItÆs good to learn that now before

Do I need to beg Thunder WingÆs guard looked at Randidly with a resigned expression She seemed to be about to get down on her knees when Randidly turned and began to walk after the more powerful Pinnacle Seekers His subordinates followed with some sidelong looks at the others Randidly tried to keep his pace even but even he was rather leery of lingering too long and being forced to deal with the spatial barriers himself

He could force his way forward through the barriers especially after getting such a convenient chance to study them but he could do it while bringing along a hundred Pinnacle Seekers And with the hierarchical organization of the group Randidly guessed that being unable to lead the group forward when he had taken the lead would lead to other consequences

Privileges here undoubtedly came with responsibilities In that way the Pinnacle Seekers were fair

Still Randidly caught up to the contingent led by the Frost Matriarch quickly By observing the finicky emotional reactions of the group that followed him Randidly eventually found what the Pinnacle Seekers considered to be the appropriateÆ distance between himself and the leading group Then he settled in to follow and continued to experiment with the spatial barriers

With the perspective he had gained from within the frost fortress Randidly had a few theories he wanted to test

Congratulations Your Skill Aether Detection has grown to Level 251

Congratulations Your Skill Nether Sensation has grown to Level 407

Congratulations Your Skill Aether Detection has grown to level 261

The slope became increasingly steep as they headed upward However with the Frost MatriarchÆs massive suppression of the spatial barriers they made extremely good time Randidly kept his mind busy by collecting large spools of dense Nether from his constantly active Nether Core and trying to create a woven Nether Ritual that could easily neutralize the spatial walls but his success was quite limited

He was eventually brought out of his single minded pursuit by the feeling of HelenÆs fingers on his arm Randidly nodded at her in thanks and then looked forward the first group of Pinnacle Seekers had reached the edge of the ridge above them and were looking outward with serious expressions After hesitating for a few seconds Randidly led the secondary group up beside them

Even though he had prepared himself mentally for stepping a bit beyond his capability at the core of this struggle between the Nether King and the forces of the Nexus even Randidly could only watch the spectacle below for several seconds

There was simply too much to muster up a reaction The visuals the noises the images the blood

He looked down and saw a thousand fireflies flickering in a vast bowl of darkness

The first thing that could be observed was the continued dominance of the spatial barriers the layers accumulating until most of the crater below look like it was filled with fuzzy mist But even through that distorted space it was possible to see the fighting occurring The clashes between various forces acted like brief flares the powerful reverberations briefly suppressing the chaotic space and generating a moment of clarity to the localized battlefield But due to the incredible size of the crater a single clash didnÆt provide transparency for long Even after staring for several seconds most of the details of the conflict below remained inscrutable

Instead of relying on his eyes Randidly tuned himself to the Nether in the surrounding area In addition he activated the Stillborn Phoenix once more reaching out to seize as much information as he could Gradually his viewpoint expanded

Following the pattern of Nether let Randidly see most of the fights at the edges but the central location in the crater was dark and silent His senses soon adjusted as well as they could from this distance The crater housed four tall spires in the cardinal directions around a fuzzy edifice of inky blackness that was releasing such dense Nether that Randidly had to assume it was the dwelling of the Nether King Currently most of the fighting was clustered around two of the spires

From the Nether around one of the spires it had already fallen to the Aether forces Yet the three other Nether Arrays were still robust The orthodox factions marched forward with their weapons raised flaring their image and giving Randidly brief snippets of clarity In response Nether Heralds roared and unleashed dense blasts of power that blew weaker images away entirely

The cacophony of screaming crying cracking and moaning blended until the air was buzzing with significance and emotion Randidly had to spin his Nether Core at a higher intensity to push away the infectious emotions contained below The intensity of the conflict was virulent reaching out and trying to drag the watchers into the evolving horror

RandidlyÆs eyes went to the Nether spire There is definitely some powerful array within this construction IÆve been letting my Influence accumulate passively but from what I can sense learning the secrets of this would definitely boost the accumulation of my Influence which I could then turn in for additional Weight But with the spatial barriers blocking my sight

IÆd need to be damn close to make out the array

After a few more seconds of observation Randidly could see no matter its other uses that the captured Nether spire weakened the foreboding layer of endless darkness in the center of the crater Currently the Nexus orthodox factions had split the Military High Command assaulted one spire while the Engraving Guild attacked another From what Randidly could see from the brief image flares four powerful Nether Heralds defended each spire each with twenty lesser Nether Heralds assisting them

Once he knew what he was looking for Randidly could easily sense the neutered Nether utilized by the Engraving Guild It wasnÆt as flashy as an image but it stabilized space in the same way to let him observe And truly it seemed that the Nether Lattice was a poor match against the Nether Heralds in this sort of situation it was difficult to rely on defense Nether Arrays to accumulate an advantage

Randidly swayed lightly as the ground beneath his feet shuddered A figure on Military High CommandÆs side had smashed one of the outer Nether Heralds to the side and rushed toward the spire A vibrant image of a massive tidal wave rushed forward above his head Quite a large part of the battlefield became clear for Randidly The Nether Herald coolly snorted and thrust his claw forward tearing a huge gash in the image They continued to fight but the first clash that stabilized space faded and all was lost in the grey fog

The crater was a warzone of flashing and clashing as Military High Command and the Engraving Guild fought directly against powerful Nether Heralds Because the Engraving Guild contingent was closer Randidly focused on their struggle to take the Nether spire His eyes gradually grew accustomed to their strange Nether

Yet something unnerving became apparent very quickly Randidly bit his lips as he observed the fighting more closely each of the Nether Heralds he sensed were the most powerful examples of the individuals he had seen Although he currently wasnÆt exactly sure what he could accomplish when he went all out they werenÆt foes that would fall quickly

And those four at the base of the spire

Still even through the chaotic space and the constant fighting RandidlyÆs sight eventually locked on to one figure amongst the Engraving Guild Shal

And nearby to RandidlyÆs former master a Vulpine with six tails stood with his arms folded Both were located near to headquarters of the Engraving Guild speaking to their status amongst the group The soft glow of the Nether Lattice illuminated them clearly through the spatial walls Beside Randidly Raymund Ballast clenched his claws so tightly into fists that his nails cut into his palm

The Frost MatriarchÆs powerful voice carried even above the wail of despair that floated up from the battlefield As we thought the orthodox factions have already arrived But we made it in time to keep them from monopolizing this place Since those spires seem to be the core of this array as long as we capture one we will have a shot at the Nether King

The Frost MatriarchÆs heavy blue lantern like eyes swept through the Pinnacle Seekers around her Who would like to lead the offensive

Once more the Pinnacle Seekers around Randidly stiffened The tension steadily began to mount After he glanced around he reached up and scratched his cheek with a helpless smile Am I supposed to step forward again Well itÆs not like I donÆt have any ideas about how to deal with a Nether Spire

And dammit IÆd love to get a closer look at how those spires are influences the surrounding area

Seeker Thunder WingÆs head guard was nearby so Randidly took a short step to the side and caught her attention He spoke in a low whisper which was hopefully quiet enough to be lost in the ambient noise from the battlefield below Am I suppose to step forward and lead once again

The guard looked at him with a horrified expression You Well you might try But only if you have a deathwish taking too steep a Path to the PInnacle will only end in a shallow grave Plus the leader of any mission amongst the Pinnacle Seekers is the most important figure Others will only follow you if you are capable A leader will like you will have no one who volunteers under your command And if you attempt this alone

The voice resonated with RandidlyÆs breastbone Next to him Seeker Thunder WingÆs head guard jumped Randidly looked up and met the mild gaze of the Frost Matriarch She tilted her massive head to the side seeming to consider him Do you wish to lead the mission

Randidly smiled Yes we do

No harm in trying right At least when it comes to surviving IÆm very confident And chaotic battlefields like this are exactly what the Grim Chimera needs to digest all those image pieces it absorbed from Skills

We Seeker Thunder WingÆs guard yelped in horror Randidly felt somewhat sympathetic to her plight but only because he had involved her without even knowing her name

Next to him Helen shook her head helplessly

Chapter 1640

The Frost Matriarch tilted her head to the side as she looked down at the young man who had saved Claudette from the Engraving Guild trap The same young man who was now claiming to be able to destroy a Nether Spire with only the guaranteed assistance of a follower of Seeker Thunder Wing Perhaps he believed Seeker Thunder Wing would volunteer to join his cause

Because as the Frost Matriarch looked at the calm face of Randidly Ghosthound one thing was clear he truly believed he could do it

From the brief report given by Claudette the man could wield both Aether and Nether without being tied into the Engraving GuildÆs Nether Lattice which was certainly a reasonable basis for confidence in most situations Claudette had also described the image that this Randidly Ghosthound had used to fight against the Nether forces and it seemed to be a well executed image based on growth and stability

Yet for a brief moment when the Frost Matriarch had first noticed ClaudetteÆs approach she encountered an entirely different image that could only be attributed to the Ghosthound The image hadnÆt been especially powerful but at the same time

Another variable made the accomplishments of this young man impressive indeed

In a non frantic environment away from the most violent and cruel establishment of the orthodox Nexus factions that would have been enough Here with Nether Heralds and the Engraving Guild

The Frost Matriarch tried to school her features into a kindly expression but she understood that her body wasnÆt truly designed for it Her features had all the subtlety of black paint Even her attempts at a smile ended up being gaping and therefore vaguely threatening So to make sure that he knew she was viewing his choice to volunteer positively the powerful Frost Matriarch tried to keep her voice at a soothing timbre The vibrations of her vocal cords were tightly controlled Indeed Yet for an important mission like this one without support

IÆll assist him Seeker Thunder Wing stepped forward with a smile on his wily face It seemed the GhosthoundÆs gut was right on this one But what the Frost Matriarch hadnÆt expected was the second voice

Me as well Seeker Ozaer nodded absently with only as much determination in her voice as though she had been swayed by a sudden impulse to follow along and decided to just go along on an arbitrary whim The Frost Matriarch looked at the three of them in turn considering whether she should reject the newly reinforced proposal

Seekers Ozaer and Thunder Wing were both canny individuals which meant that this young man was even more impressive than he seemed Seeker Thunder WingÆs movements made sense he always had a knack for involving himself with up and coming characters from the younger generation But Seeker Ozaer was more puzzling as far as the Frost Matarich knew her only motivation appeared to be seeking the Pinnacle

How would this step take her closer to the Pinnacle Certainly being in the first group would expose her to more danger

Around the Frost Matriarch the other Pinnacle Seekers began to stir sharing long glances with each other The Three tailed Mouse licked one of his paws with half lidded eyes In all likelihood the other powerful Pinnacle Seekers shared the Frost MatriarchÆs gut reaction to this inscrutable young man volunteering and then receiving support It was possible to refuse him outright normally but the support of the two powerful Pinnacle Seekers meant that someone more powerful than either of them would need to lead the second team

So the Frost Matriarch decided to allow it to happen Without information her scrutiny was useless And in this case there didnÆt seem to be any hidden machinations Or if there was some sort of plot present she could invalidate it with raw power

She nodded calmly to the young man At any point you can relinquish your command ad we will move to assist you Mr Ghosthound Good luck

The Ghosthound didnÆt seem surprised that he had been allowed to continue but from the way he offered a smile to Seeker Thunder Wing and didnÆt look at Seeker Ozaer at all the other Pinnacle SeekerÆs presence puzzled him in the same way that it puzzled the Frost Matriarch She didnÆt know whether she should be happy or sad that they were both plagued by doubts regarding her motives

The Ghosthound his subordinates the two Seekers and their subordinates all moved down the slope of the crater toward the un assaulted Nether Spire The Nether forces immediately perked up at their approach but the Frost MatriarchÆs eyes went to the Engraving Guild who were observing the attempt carefully Most of their forces were applying pressure to their own Nether Spire but there were enough forces in reserve to cause trouble