LoRG 4

The other Pinnacle Seekers around her settled in to watch so the Frost Matriarch took the chance to look at Claudette What do you think of his chances

Hmm ClaudetteÆs brow furrowed in a purposeful display of reflection The Frost Matriarch shook her head slightly but didnÆt call her student out on the small performance Then ClaudetteÆs face brightened as though she had discovered something in her consideration You know what I think IÆll go with him as well I can tell that something fun will happen

Without another word Claudette began hurrying forward to join the small group The Frost Matriarch caught the eye of Narthalla and gave her a sharp look should Claudette encounter true danger she was allowed to reveal her own image and protect her NarthallaÆs presence was the only reason that Senior Beigon allowed his daughter out of his sight There was no harm in relying on that hidden dagger now

Narthalla didnÆt acknowledge the look she was too professional for that The undercover guard didnÆt miss a beat as she followed her mistress down the slope At this point the Ghosthound had stopped his group and was talking to the two Seekers The Frost MatriarchÆs eyes slid from their little pow wow to the Nether Heralds that watched their approach obsessively

Akin to the hawkish Narthalla the Nether Heralds took their duties very seriously They would give their life to protect their charge As far as the Frost Matriarch could tell the Nether Spires served two purposes One was to stabilize a mysterious array that covered the central area She assumed this arrangement concerned the last defenses of the Nether King but part of the reason she didnÆt move forward herself was that she wasnÆt entirely sure that was the case She sensed the dense and deft strokes of Nether that could only be the Nether KingÆs hand but if this was a trap she didnÆt want to be the one to walk into it

The second function of the Nether Spire was to generate a current of significance With one of the spires already toppled that current actually became more chaotic than what it had probably been like when all four functioned At one end of the battlefield significance stewed and bubbled A small portion of that significance was eventually dragged away by the triangle of the functioning spires but a large percentage of that accumulated significance was becoming stagnant in the far corner of the battlefield

An elegant design as always The Frost Matriarch released a frosty breath in appreciation The more Nether Spires are destroyed the more the significance will pool Too much pooled significance will greatly weaken images in the area By the time the Nether KingÆs next card is revealed he will have a significant advantage over Aether fighters

Now the only question I have is where is Commandant Wick He is not the type to leave anything to chance

Nearby the Dusk Jackal sighed in appreciation Ah It begins So this is where the young manÆs confidence originated

The Winged SerpentÆs tongue flicked out appreciatively Hum Strong strokes with stable foundations This young man has a lot of talent But surely he realizes that Engraving Guild will assume he his mocking them purposefully with this method Hiss Now I regret not volunteering my own services kekeke

Imagine being bold enough to force the Engraving Guild to launch an assault Dusk Jackal slapped his knee His eyes were bright and flickering as he watched below

With a slow blink the Frost Matriarch turned from the Nether Spires to their small expedition still remaining still on th slope And she couldnÆt believe what she was seeing

Rather than assaulting the Nether Spire directly the group led by the Ghosthound had settled about halfway down the slope and set up defensive formations Once everyone was in position the Ghosthound rolled his shoulders and visibly released a breath When he raised his head the Nether in the surrounding area began to spin toward him Within a few seconds the amount of significance he seized began to impact the flows around the other Nether Spires Even the pooling significance wasnÆt immune to his grip rapidly losing much of its dangerous accumulation

As the Winged Serpent had teased the Engraving Guild elites immediately fixated upon the Ghosthound They had warily watched a rival previously now their heavy gazes seemed to spit indignation and murder Not that they had a monopoly on Nether Cores in the Nexus but it was a close thing And certainly no one was so bold as to flaunt an independently created Nether Core in front of them

Technically a Nether Core not in the Nether Lattice was a delicate subject in the Nexus Without a powerful political backing possessing one was a death sentence

Even more impressive was how quickly a massive Nether Ritual emerged around this small group The ground was covered in complicated sigils that shifted as soon as you noticed them The young man stood in front of them all and adjusted his calculations on the fly The Engraving Guild members began to buzz with tension as the ritual grew more powerful

However very soon the Nether around the Ghosthound grew unstable The three remaining Nether Spires seemed to sense the grand working and naturally adjusted their currents of significance to weaken the new arrival What the Spires seemed to be doing was sucking away the ambient energy on the battlefield especially in this area The beautiful patterns that covered most of the ground flickered as the pressure changed Nether would continue to function without a portion of its significance but it would be like an image without shape Violent but impotent

No wonder the Engraving Guild isnÆt attempting something similar The Frost Matarich reflected

Yet just as the Frost Matriarch thought that the grand Nether working was going to collapse an image exploded from the GhosthoundÆs body It only took a second for a massive tree to form above him The thick bark was covered in those same mystical patterns and the emerald canopy was lush and vibrant A near infinite amount of leaves rustled as the flows of significance shook the branches Thick and rugged roots sunk into the ground A palpable aura of life surrounded the tree adding to its potency

However to the Frost MatriarchÆs eyes such an image wasnÆt worth commenting on It seemed to possess little offensive power and the details of the image were inconsistent and fuzzy in some places The Ghosthound was growing the emotional presence but it was still in a weak state In a direct confrontation she could crush this projection without difficulty And she didnÆt doubt that both the Nether Heralds and the Engraving Guild could do the same Based on his youth making it this far was impressive but still

The roots The Winged Serpent hissed quietly Such delicate Control

The Frost Matriarch blinked Truly she had been scrutinizing the image itself so closely she hadnÆt really been noticing how the Ghosthound had been wielding it Rather than clashing against the pull of the Nether Spires directly the Ghosthound ignored them Instead he guided the roots of this massive tree to grow precisely along the lines of his Nether Ritual If he couldnÆt draw the lines with significance he could draw them by hand and then supply the significance later The speed and precision of the expansion left even the Frost Matriarch floored

All it took for the Ghosthound to react and neutralize the Nether Spires was two seconds

With the physical presence of roots running through the lines of Nether the significance was shielded The influence the Nether Spires could exert drastically decreased For the next five seconds the huge web of roots radiating outward from the base of the enormous tree shifted and slithered into new positions as the Ghosthound adjusted his Nether Ritual further The resonance from the array gradually strengthened

Suddenly the Engraving Guild seemed to realize that this attempt wasnÆt a taunting joke The Frost Matriarch could see the higher tiered individuals in the Nether Lattice barking out orders and the grunts scrambling forward Due to its size the array the Ghosthound created was absolutely massive he wouldnÆt be able to defend all of it from attacks

But the Engraving Guild had moved too late Just as the watchers realized they should be interfering the Ghosthound activated his Nether Ritual Significance flooded along the predetermined routes created by the golden roots An ethereal pulse spread through the surroundings as the higher tiered energy engaged with the complex meaning of the array

Space warped and the massive working shrunk to target only the small area around the Nether Spire The Frost Matriarch followed the flows of energy with her senses the array was weaving the spatial barriers together and turning them against each other in such a complex way that even she was having difficulty following the arrangement

Then inexplicably two of the energy flows that made up the dense network of spatial walls were set against each other Even more inexplicably after a few seconds of those flows clashing the spatial walls around the targeted Nether Spire began to fade out of existence The collision point between the flows crackled and hissed as more and more pressure built up between them

The phenomenon spread The impasse between the two knotted energy flows became a furnace of raw heat while the spatial walls in the area toppled like dominos Soon the entire crater was free of those pesky walls Everyone became very very aware of each other all watching the spectacle by the Nether Spire

And the heat from the impacted flows was so absolute that the Nether Spire began to bubble and collapse like a candle tossed into a burning building The Nether Array at the SpireÆs heart continued for a short while but it too was eventually invalidated by the heat With one last shiver everything collapsed to the ground

For a brief second the battlefield was silent Yet just as quickly the battle was rejoined with increased fervor

Along with the spatial walls in the crater the second Nether Spire had fallen More and more significance began to pool but luckily the fallen towers were opposite one another Meanwhile the Nether Heralds who had been guarding that Nether Spire retreated to the side with burn related injuries

Yet after gathering themselves they looked toward the GhosthoundÆs group with rage filled eyes

Chapter 1641

With the mission accomplished I suppose it is our turn to assist such a bright young talent The Frost Matriarch announced She glanced sideways but pondered a few seconds before speaking Winged Serpent

The reliable Pinnacle Seeker bowed Due to the admiration in the serpentÆs voice earlier he was the best choice for assisting Me and mine will ensure that the Nether Heralds remain frustrated and wounded

I claim the other fight The Dusk Jackal said taking a step forward and looking down toward the battlefield He was currently engaged in his rather off putting habit of drooling prior to a fight The Frost Matriarch had a headache as she looked at him The unfortunate side effect of her power was having the final say Which was an almost empty political power that just guaranteed that someone would be upset with her decision

And the Dusk Jackal was certainly powerful but once his bloodlust was ignited

Ultimately Frost Matriarch shook her head She could afford his annoyance Not unless they pull one of their serious combatants from the assault on the Nether Spire That group decided to follow the Ghosthound apparently with good reason So now let them prove their contributions against the Engraving Guild

And if he grew too insistent she could simply freeze his heart until he had learned some patience That was the sort of rough justice of the Pinnacle Seekers

Cheh The Dusk Jackal spat to the side Meanwhile the Winged Serpent flicked its wings and it led its people to glide down toward the battlefield Magical runes filled the air above the serpents but they werenÆt inherently meaningful they were simply the sophisticated images of the Pinnacle SeekerÆs subordinates

Yet as though symbols smashed against the blasts of Nether that the Nether Heralds began to shoot toward the Ghosthound the symbols won The Nether fractured and dissipated as the Winged Serpents flooded downward While their images werenÆt particularly overwhelming they were extremely steady

And quite compatible with the images of their fellows

Meanwhile the Frost Matriarch’s eyes went to the Ghosthound who continued to stabilize his Nether Ritual with his image Due to his continued efforts the space in the surroundings gradually cleared out of visual distortions Which allowed her gaze to aim toward the actual prize

In the center of the crater sat a dark mass of shifting hexahedrons stabilized and locked down due to the two remaining Nether Spires

Helen put her hand on RandidlyÆs heaving shoulders as the flow of Nether through his body began to ease He hadnÆt begun swaying yet but she had followed Randidly Ghosthound for a long time she was intimately familiar with his habit of pushing himself beyond his limits

His skin was burning hot to the touch like a portion of that very same heat that had melted the Nether Spire had been present in his core She was honestly surprised he could survive this heat her fingers were almost scaled by touching him

After breathing out a steaming breath he nodded to Helen Thanks That was a lot more than I expected Woo

Seeker Thunder Wing cracked his knuckles DonÆt worry we can take it from here Hahaha ItÆs finally time to run wild

Seeker Ozaer nodded She wiggled a finger and a cloud began to condense above her hand The enigmatic Claudette smiled while her constant companion Narthalla scowled and raised her weapons

Seeing that Randidly had managed to recover a bit from his mental strain Helen released his shoulder before he set her hand on fire Somehow the heat lingered on her fingers as she produced and held her spear She turned away to join the group heading to stop the Engraving Guild from coming over but RandidlyÆs exhausted voice stopped her Wait

She twisted back around and looked at him Truly his state was not ideal At the moment the Ghosthound emerald eyes were dark His lips were pressed together into a thin line He beckoned Helen closer with a determined intensity I need you to do something for me

Shal lowered his gaze and nodded He had no choice in the matter Per this manÆs orders there would be no detainment for Randidly Such an insult to the Engraving Guild had to be killed IÆll handle this sir

At the very least Shal would give his student a quick death

Gabriel Swacc smirked at Shal as though he understood the spearmanÆs thought process You had better Oh and one more thing I understand that there is a personal connection between you and that renegade Nether Core owner But this isnÆt a game Shal If they resist strongly activate your Armament DonÆt waste time The presence of the Nether King takes precedence

Shal nodded again and kept his eyes on the ground Technically Gabriel Swacc shouldnÆt be able to order him around casually But Lathis NÆGick the shadowy figure at the head of the Nether Lattice had told the manager in charge of ShalÆs group to assist Gabriel Swacc now that they had accomplished their mission And perhaps more importantly ShalÆs group was an independent company under the umbrella of the Swacc Family

Even if he couldnÆt order them now Gabriel Swacc was a legitimate talent of the family His words in the right ears could bring a lot of trouble down on Shal So Shal schooled his feelings and planned to obey Without another one of the Engraving Guild executives speaking up there was nothing Shal could do

As he began to march forward across the slope toward his student Shal looked down at his hands that held his spear The metal implement felt so heavy in his grasp A year ago I would have struggled to protect him until I was killed for my disobedience I cannot deny that IÆve changed But IÆve changed to survive Randidly I really hope I donÆt need to show you the horror that has affected me

YouÆll need to flee from this place and do so convincingly Or else

About thirty individuals moved forward from the Engraving Guild with orders to secureÆ the rogue Nether Core in front of them Their leader was the manager in charge of ShalÆs company who wielded a massive iron club with brutal efficiency The manager grunted and waved the club in the air and as one they all accelerated

Opposite them the group gathered around Randidly split apart to meet the representatives of the Engraving Guild But seeing that Randidly remained at the back and managed whatever working had stabilized the space in the crater Shal slowed down and allowed his companions to surge past him All the while his gaze remained fixed on Randidly

A shriek blasted outward from the opposition with enough force to briefly slow the assault from the Engraving Guild Then an enormous Crimson Thunder Eagle manifested in the air in an eye catching crackle Immediately the lines around ShalÆs mouth tightened Seeker Thunder Wing an up and comer amongst the Pinnacle Seekers He even fought a Commandant to a draw ten years ago Why the hell is a man like that defending my pupil

ShalÆs manager raised his massive club and pulled Nether into the weapon The iron club began to vibrate He wasnÆt a part of the Nether Lattice per se but was instead a close confidant of NÆGick the two had known each other before either had any great achievements Therefore he was afforded certain perks due to their association

Two destroyed Nether Spires meant that there was an abundant oppression on images from pooling significance but the horrifying weight that the iron club developed without restraint in that same environment ShalÆs manager roared and leapt forward meeting a belched bolt of lightning directly with his weapon

The ground shook but all the combatants here were at the tier that they wouldnÆt balk before a concussive shockwave The fighters from the Engraving Guild fearlessly charged forward and met the images of the Pinnacle Seekers Images blasted back and forth Soon the wave of bodies devolved into a series of small battlefields with overlapping edges Although the initial clash was mostly even Shal knew that the Engraving Guild would be able to slowly push back the Pinnacle Seekers

They just werenÆt able to work together as efficiently as a trained unit Ultimately their fractal nature would be their undoing

But Shal had no intention of allowing anyone else to handle Randidly So when a smaller Crimson Thunder Eagle cried and smashed into one of ShalÆs subordinates he planted his foot and accelerated past the Pinnacle SeekerÆs defensive line

But no sooner had he passed through a small gap in between two cooperating Pinnacle Seeker factions than he reflexively brought his spear up and deflected an attack away

Two spears crossed and Shal came away with a trembling weapon For a half meter he skidded backward from the force he received He blinked at first but then sneered at his opponent Randidly Ghosthound is my student Do you think my studentÆs spear attendant has any chance of standing up against me

With her hair done up in a traditional combat braid of Tellus Helen raised her spear and manifested her image Thick branching black veins of energy orbited one meter away from her body twitching and jumping forward in spurts as they moved Despite the oppression of the space this womanÆs image tore through the obstructions and manifested clearly The aura of dread she released wasnÆt anything to sneeze at

Shal was proud his planet had produced such a talent But of course this relatively well behaved image wasnÆt nearly enough to stop him

Her were heavy as she looked at Shal You know when we left Tellus last time I would have believed the same thing Wholeheartedly But now

Helen smiled rather sweetly and tilted her head to the side as she Shal Meanwhile her image accelerated and began releasing a palpable scent of death Now doesnÆt it seem like even I could do something like overcoming the Second Calamity

Shal snorted and shot forward unwilling to indulge this farce any further She was related to his precious student but this was a world that devoured the weak if she insisted on making such dangerous choices he might as well put her out of her misery now

Especially when he planned to do the same to Randidly himself

Inhaling during that second of advancing Shal readied himself to finish this quickly For her he only activated his Valiant Wraith Phantom image His spear slithered through the air in confusing patterns as they stepped into each otherÆs range A twitch of the wrist snapped the weaponÆs perceived flexibility into straightness and then Shal thrust his spear forward in a brutal Viper Strike

The movement was clean and flawless It was a movement he had practiced millions of times Even when his faith in his own image had been broken he had never ceased the tireless accumulation through training This was the most primitive and also most well honed blade he currently could wield

HelenÆs image deflected ShalÆs attack without her even moving For a split second he froze in confusion to see her so effortlessly neutralize his strike her image could overpower him directly without her assistance Even worse Helen truly hadnÆt been still while her image dealt with him but was instead bringing her spear forward in a brutally quick counter attack that had Shal scrambling to keep up

Yet even as he brought his spear across in a sweep those branching black lines of her image split out and attempted to hem in his defenses ShalÆs eyes flashed everything in front of him seemed to move in slow motion His spear held horizontally at his waist HelenÆs attack piercing toward his heart her black wicker image swimming between the two weapons in lazy loops

Unfortunately for her this was exactly the sort of situation where the Wraith Phantom thrived

ShalÆs spear blurred and twisted spinning up to deflect away HelenÆs attack Her wicker image strained itself downward to interfere but he was too quick The tip of his spear slapped the shaft of her weapon And once the line of her attack vector was shifted away from his body Shal whipped his spear around

He let out a harsh breath of surprise unsure of what happened Everything simply stopped

His heartbeat thudded painfully in his chest feeling like it was about to pop Shal looked down and saw that the wicker lines of HelenÆs image had turned upward after ShalÆs spear had avoided them and simply punched through his armor and into the soft flesh of his chest Even in offense her image overwhelmed him

ShalÆs attack rapidly lost its steam but he then exploded into an entirely different motion He twisted away pulling out before HelenÆs strange image could deal more damage to him The black wicker lines pursued him but Shal didnÆt underestimate the image this time He activated his Valiant Aura Skill and pushed as wrung as much heroism as he could out of the depths of his heart His spear was suffused with golden light as it rushed forward

Yet even as he struck Shal felt a chill down his spine The golden light of his strike flickered and HelenÆs image smashed his to pieces

With two flickering steps Shal escaped the attack and created some distance Then he regarded Helen with a grim expression Shal hadnÆt given his all in the fight he had taken Helen quite likely at first But in the face of his lightness she had unilaterally crushed him With shaking hands Shal reached into his interspatial ring Fine then You may be proud to have forced me to use this But now

Proud HelenÆs expression twisted in disgust Look at yourself once proud Shal In what world could I experience pride when this is the best you can manage

Chapter 1642

Helen could literally see her comment hitting Shal from his shifting expression He had produced some sort of headgear from his interspatial ring but his movements to don it slowed to a stop as he recognized what she had said to him Then gradually the lines of his face tightened His eyes burned with humiliation and indignation as he looked at her Tremors rocked his shoulders

Somehow the intensity of his emotion seemed to squish his face into a deformed mass squeezing all of his features closer together and surrounding everything with deep and unforgiving lines It took him several long seconds to move past HelenÆs comment

DonÆt speak on what you donÆt understand Shal rumbled as he placed the headgear on his scalp Immediately Helen could sense the shift in his aura his Valiant Wraith Adder image flickered and was quickly suppressed In fact it didnÆt appear like Shal possessed an image any longer

The headgear looked like a thin metal circlet with two draping extensions that went down his cheekbones and followed the line of his jaw As Helen adjusted her grip on her spear and regulated her newly evolved Depths of Horror Domain those two protrusions along his jaw stretched and met in the middle With a click the extensions settled together and a glowing gemstone formed at the tip of ShalÆs jaw

As soon as the headgear locked into place something changed within Shal A formless pressure began to waft from his limbs body even as he stored his spear and faced Helen with only his bare hands There was a strange breeze against her skin as energy gathered around him

She sniffed and wrinkled her nose There was a whiff of something that had begun to decay on the wind

This is an Armament Shal said in a deep voice Some of the rage faded from his features it was clear to Helen that he had activated this device with a heavy heart Even now his eyes were blank and distant as though Shal wasnÆt seeing Helen any longer It was his own demons that consumed his perspective A tool wrought by the Engraving Guild using the Fates of slaughtered individuals Each has been carefully selected and adjusted by individuals more powerful than you can understand They are obviously not perfect But for those who havenÆt neared the Pinnacle

Helen smiled at him IÆm still fucking confident

You are such a fool It seems my apprentice has infected you with his idiocy Some of the sharpness returned to ShalÆs expression but then he shook his head and seemed to banish those thoughts He gestured to the metal Armament that he now wore I cannot deny that it is exactly these Armaments that showed me how foolishly stubborn I was being When I came to the Nexus first I was just as arrogant as you I had learned on the Path to the Pinnacle that I was nowhere near as peerless as I had expected But even if my image was currently insufficient I would train and eventually bridge that gap I received a job from the Swacc Family to help with their image purification But while I was becoming acclimated to matters in the Nexus I encountered users of Armaments The Swacc Family always has one hundred of them on their payroll

My first few months I lost every time I sparred against an Armament user Only after a year could I barely rival the weakest of them But still I remained focused even as they mocked me I continued to train until my current second in command came to the Nexus A Foxman named Techetadore He was so weak in our first meeting I crushed him without even using an image A week later after he started using an Armament I couldnÆt even touch him

ThatÆs when I finally understood that my efforts were pointless

HelenÆs face twitched Around them the battles between the other Engraving Guild members and the Pinnacle Seekers was growing more intense Does he really plan to monologue right now And I have to expect there was more to this change of heart than a single loss what exactly has Shal been enduring in the Nexus If I hadnÆt followed Randidly

In a way Helen understood his impulse to speak It was very likely that ShalÆs shame drove him to explain His pride wouldnÆt let someone from his own planet believe that he had compromised for no reason

Even if his words painted a pale and feeble reason for the listener

Even amongst Armaments the one I am using is special Shal gestured again to the headgear A reward for persevering until I could rival a weak Armament before I gave in Amongst the Swacc Family Armament users I rank 19th It wasnÆt only a single Fate that was worked into this tool Fully three Fates compromise its body and with those Fates I possess three complete and harmonious images You probably cannot even imagine the power the majesty of three images working in tandem

The twitching in HelenÆs face intensified Is Shal being serious right now Does he not know that Randidly uses three images himself

Shal noticed HelenÆs lack of reaction to his words so he snorted Well if you cannot comprehend IÆll simply carve the lessons into your body Rotten Beast

His roar solidified the aura around him and intensified the rank smell Soon the towering half rotten form of a bear spread its arms and screamed its proof of existence toward the sky As it moved thick clumps of hair fell off of its limbs There were hunks of pulsing flesh and small holes in the bearÆs side that trembled from the ferocity of the image Then the bear lowered its head and looked at Helen with beady red eyes In the next second Shal bounded forward

Helen narrowed her eyes and began to swirl her Depth of Horror Domain around her The black lines that were the edges of her Domain began to accelerate and gather in front of her Helen watched ShalÆs approach and released a breath Her skin began to tingle Her entire being was empty ready for the attack that she knew was coming

When Shal entered the space of her Domain the black wicker lines accelerated and pierced toward Shal A bearÆs arm superimposed itself on his limb but he could barely bring it up and defend himself from the attack Helen hadnÆt been showing him how overwhelmingly fast the Depths of Horror Domain could be in their previous clashes Per RandidlyÆs instructions she had first given him the chance to fight her with his Spear Style

Now was the time to go all out The area of her Domain might have shrunk but the power and speed had vastly increased

Helen pressed her lips together the strikes had neutralized each other Shal had been melodramatic about it but his new image certainly possessed more raw power than his old one Even off balance and with a hasty swipe he could meet her Domain directly Then he stabilized himself and bounded forward Helen flicked her spear into a thrust but there was a corrosive aura about the bear image that directly weakened the cutting ability of her spear She drew a thin line across ShalÆs side with her strike but that was it

Even worse the horrible smell intensified as the small cut on his body began to leak miasma

In the meantime Shal raised his arms above his head and hammered his fist down to crush her The Depths of Horror Domain writhed together and met the attack directly

This time the attack sent Helen skidding backward Even worse Shal recovered quickly despite the massive size of the image The Rotten Beast was apparently quite spry With another bound he caught back up to Helen and swiped his hands at her

The first attack Helen dodged but the second followed quickly and she couldnÆt avoid it Helen still without a breath in her body felt her skin buzzing as she sank more deeply into her own Domain She pushed herself deeper than she had ever had the chance to go previously The pressure she endured was suffocating But although the horror was great she didnÆt hesitate

She was just learning about her new Domain ShalÆs attacks were the perfect opportunity to test out its limits

Congratulations Your Skill (Domain) Depths of Horror has grown to Level 339

As Helen sunk into the horror she felt a supernatural chill invade her limbs At the same time the number of horror seeds she could control the flowing arrowheads of her black wicker aura grew from three to five So five erratic black lines combined to meet the attack of Shal and his Rotten Beast

Again HelenÆs feet skidded across the ground as she was forced back At the same time Shal was finding his stride No sooner than had she been knocked back than Shal pounced forward and unleashed a powerful strike to where Helen would regain her balance

To buy some time Helen tapped her feet lightly against the ground in a manner that she had frequently seen from Randidly Ghosthound She floated an extra meter backward meaning that Shal had to adjust his assault and take another step forward HelenÆs expression was stiff as she watched him charging forward the horrifying chill she felt continued to numb her Her thoughts began to dwindle but one thing was clear this new Domain was a double edged blade

Yet as she sunk deeper the number of horror seeds rose again to eight And at the new depth Helen could feel an intermittent reverberation that originated from the deepest point in the Depths of Horror She shivered even as she adjusted her grip on her spear and steadied herself both physically and within her Domain Her descent ceased For now she didnÆt intend to go any deeper

Or rather she didnÆt dare go any deeper But also she knew that this would be enough

Although HelenÆs body was increasingly numb it was a mental numbness not a physical one her limbs continued to respond crisply to her commands And at her current depth Helen could barely capture a fraction of the power of that slumbering heartbeat A grey haze spread to cover her weapon and her body

Shal swiped again and this time Helen accelerated and ducked under the blow She thrust her spear forward and again ripped off a chuck of the Rotten Beast

Of course the torn flesh just released another wave of that hissing miasma but the grey haze could rival the noxious fumes in power Shal didnÆt even appear to notice intent as he was on following up with his attack He clenched his fist and hammered it down toward Helen Her horror seeds had learned from their previous experiences and struck a glancing knocking the attack harmlessly away

She did not need to overpower Shal in order to win

Brutally fast Helen stabbed three more times before Shal got his defense up His right shoulder side and left forearm oozed miasma that was quickly neutralized by the grey haze However Helen couldnÆt follow up on her offensive and took a step back Although she would be able to legitimately hold her breath for hours she currently needed to suck in a desperate breath

Congratulations Your Skill (Domain) Depths of Horror has grown to Level 340

The mental numbness receded and her grey haze faded away Currently she couldnÆt stay within her Domain for too long Even with all the physical training that Randidly forced her to do it wasnÆt enough

But fuck who would have thought the day would come when IÆd be thankful Randidly forced me through such hell Helen thought bitterly If I didnÆt get fucking stuck in his Alpha Cosmos for five years training with the recruits and that hellion Vualla I wouldnÆt be able to handle my own Domain right now

Fine You brought this on yourself Shal bellowed His body began to tremble and his wounds oozed blood The strange gemstone on his chin began to glow with a yellow green light The torn body of the Rotten Beast began to reform The Sinking Plague The Weight of Corruption

As Shal spoke the ground around his feet began to sizzle and disintegrate Giant stretches of ground fell away as they were eaten by his image In addition that Rotten Beast grew more monstrous A tangible aura of corruption wafted off of its body emanating from a strange symbol that carved itself into its rotten flesh

Just as Helen was about to hold her breath and sink into her Domain once more a new voice spoke Perhaps before another but in front of me No

Raymund Ballast grasped lightly with his hand once twice three times Suddenly the aura of power that Shal released vanished and now three enormous spectral tails flicked back and forth behind the Vulpine

Spearless Shal just looked at Raymund His wounds continued to bleed

Chapter 1643

You another Foxman Shal said with hollow eyes as he looked at Raymund His body swayed slightly as his feet remained planted in the same spot Then his face twisted into a hateful stare toward Raymund Do you think something like this matters before an Armament

ShalÆs body began to tremble and that gemstone on his chin began to glow with an intense yellow green light The images he had borrowed from the Armament began to rise around him once more The ground beneath his feet sizzled and spat as it was steadily eroded by his aura Meanwhile Raymund could only shake his head sorrowfully at the display To think the master of the Ghosthound has resorted to such desperate compromises as the follower of your apprentice Shal I have a duty to correct such grievous misconceptions

No sooner had the Rotten BeastÆs hulking mass formed around ShalÆs body than Raymund grasped once more and the image was stolen away There wasnÆt even the slightest hint of resistance at this point Raymund understood the feel of the image and could confiscate it without any apparent effort Another tremor rocked ShalÆs body and the light from his gemstone dimmed

It seemed these Armaments werenÆt without limit then

You Shal looked at Raymund with bulging eyes His fingers were twitching as though in his imagination he had his hands around the FoxmanÆs throat Shal took a step forward and made a cutting gesture that was perhaps related to one of his images Of course nothing happened All of his borrowed images had been safely removed from his control

Right now Shal was just a man with a very silly helmet on his head

Raymund considered using the images against Shal but decided against it All of the images he had absorbed were messy and infectious even by using them Raymund wasnÆt sure if his own image would be able to escape some minor contamination So instead he just raised his claws and stepped forward You possess no particular bond with these images Shal Your grasp on them is feeble They are childÆs play to confiscate from you And with how weak your Willpower has become

This big brother Suddenly a familiar voice spoke playfully into RaymundÆs ear His skin began to crawl as he twisted around only to find that Techetadore had somehow materialized behind him while he was speaking to Shal His brother was wearing an eerie smile staring at Shal with glazed eyes His six tails flicked back and forth behind him with an effortless grace Is exactly why I tried to kill you earlier The Swacc Family has invested so much time and effort into its Armaments Do you really think its fair that people like us can take all that away in just a moment

Ignoring the pale and weak Shal Raymund rounded on his brother and raised his claws Without the mental pressure of finally being reunited he looked at his brother through the eyes of his ability to sense and interfere with an image As he did so a realization dawned on him Raymund snarled You you are not my brother You are an image suppressing him and making yourself at home in his body

Instantly TechetadoreÆs playful expression slid off his face What was left in its place was a look of distant boredom The six tailed fox shrugged Either way the result is the same This time IÆll be sure you bleed out in front of me

TechetadoreÆs hand blurred and he ripped through the air Unwilling to be so easily defeated this time Raymund ignored his earlier thoughts and unleashed all three of the stolen images at once A powerful aura of rot and corruption filled the air thickening and deepening the space between the two brothers It was as if Raymund had birthed a humid marsh between them screening himself from danger

Of course that marsh was easily bridged with raw power The images that Raymund had stolen from Shal were strong but TechetadoreÆs chop ripped through them all An absolute divide seemed to form around his hand easily severing the stolen images and ripping a deep gash in RaymundÆs body

Luckily Raymund had seen TechetadoreÆs brutal style before so he had already been lurching backward before he saw it coming and was able to avoid the worst of the strike But still blood gushed down his chest as he stumbled away

As Techetadore strolled calmly after the reeling Shal Helen suddenly interposed herself between them covered in a grey haze and thrusting her spear toward TechetadoreÆs heart The speed and timing of her strike was exquisite No sooner had she arrived than her weapon was piercing toward Techetadore

However whatever being currently resided in RaymundÆs brother was a monster

Techetadore flicked his hand sideways smashing into the six wicker lines that Helen brought against him With an audible snap the wicker lines of HelenÆs Domain shatter and she was left reeling During his own retreat Raymund noticed what must is blood leaking from the corners of HelenÆs mouth and a strong impulse to turn around struck him But he had an order and he also admitted to himself that his attempts to help her will not be all that effective

Techetadore followed up his crushing of her Domain with a kick directly to Helen’s chest She slammed into the ground and tumbled sideways until her limp form rolled to a stop in the middle of a clash between Claudette and a member of the Engraving Guild Claudette reacted quickly shouting for Narthalla and covering Helen with her chilling image

Which gave Raymund a small amount of relief about his Overseer as he practically dragged himself forward with one hand on his chest to stem the enthusiastic flow of blood as best as he could I just need to get

TimeÆs up bro The monster inside of Techetadore said raising his hand As Raymund looked at the body of his brother he wondered whether his brother was watching through those bored eyes He wondered if Techetadore would feel pain to watch him die

He abruptly realized that his brother most likely believed he had already watched him die if he was still conscious within his own body And with that thought all the guilt and deep desire to protect his little brother began to ignite He refused to die tragically before the eyes of the one person he cared about more than everything else

Perhaps in another location Raymund would be powerless to slow this absolute image down But here on this battlefield

Even as Techetadore raised his hand once more Raymund grasped outward and seized upon the image of someone from Military High Command across the battlefield He inwardly winced as that figure faltered and then was struck by a Nether Herald but he kept his focus on the foe in front of him An enormous spectral tail flickered behind RaymundÆs back

The image he had chosen was a powerful bronze suit of armor which condensed immediately around his body The original shape was slightly wrong but RaymundÆs mastery of his Skill had reached the point where he could massage the edges of the stolen images in order to utilize them more effectively

It only took a second for him to transform into a bronze god of war looking resignedly at TechetadoreÆs oncoming strike He crossed his arms and braced himself You cannot kill me little brother

The image shattered and the bones of RaymundÆs arms fractured He fell unconscious for a brief moment and was awakened by the sensation of the back of his skull slamming into the shattered floor of the crater The bronze light that had suffused him quickly faded and left him breathing heavily on the stone ground

Even over the sounds of battle Raymund could hear TechetadoreÆs laugh Ha Amusing But as delightful as this melodrama is goodbye

Yet even as Techetadore crossed the distance between them in an instant and raised his hand above the helpless Raymund with obvious intent to end his life Raymund smiled up at his brotherÆs body Because he had successfully fulfilled his superiorÆs orders

Techetadore seemed to sense something at the last second The VulpineÆs eyes widened and he twisted around You

I suppose itÆs my turn for a dramatic ambush A tired looking Randidly Ghosthound said his voice carrying easily across the thirty meters of distance between them Techetadore frowned over at the Ghosthound just as the ground beneath him began to glow

His expression twisted into a look of genuine fear just as the Nether Array beneath his feet activated

Truly Randidly was exhausted Manipulating so many flows of Nether arranging a grand working and stabilizing everything with an image overlay were three tasks that he believed himself to be very capable of doing However doing all three at once while also enduring the mental pressure of standing in this chaotic and being surrounded by some of the most powerful individuals in the Nexus had left him completely drained

His fingers tingled unpleasantly and he felt quite light headed

Currently his Nether Core was spinning so quickly as it struggled to keep up with his Nether demands that it was showing signs of instability Maintaining the Nether Ritual that dealt with the spatial walls remained a constant drain on his psyche so recovery was extremely slow

However Randidly had paid close attention to RaymundÆs story of TechetadoreÆs overwhelming physical prowess He felt quite a bit of stress about his meeting with Shal but RandidlyÆs mind was also carefully turning over the problem of Techetadore as they had proceeded deeper through the spatial islands How could a young man who was admittedly talented completely overwhelm Raymund Ballast after vanishing for only a few months when Raymund had experienced five years in RandidlyÆs Alpha Cosmos

This Techetadore might have access to a source of Aether to allow him to experience a similar amount of time dilation but Randidly smelled a rat But it was only after he observed ShalÆs heartbreaking act of throwing aside his own image to use an Armament that he had an inkling of the howÆ of TechetadoreÆs improvement

So Randidly had set a trap just in case After all as he maintained the wild and barely controllable Nether Ritual to counter the spatial walls and melt the Nether Spire few individuals would be capable enough to observe some of the more minor movements of Nether So he had borrowed a lesson from Engraving Guild and made some emergency preparations

It was a modified version of the trap they had attempted to spring on Randidly and Seeker Thunder Wing in the isolated marsh space Luckily Randidly had noticed in time and killed the creator of the array meaning they hadnÆt had to face the Nether Ritual directly

Because this was the type of Nether Ritual that couldnÆt actually be overpowered if it took you by surprise The easiest way to describe the array would be to compare it to physically tripping someone only it targeted an image

The Nether Ritual forcefully made an image aware of its own size weight and complexity The method was esoteric but it wasnÆt possible to dodge or block An imageÆs own size and potency would be turned against it

The more powerful the image was the more brutal the shock would be

Time to see how powerful you truly are Techetadore Randidly grinned over at his foe as he activated the Nether Ritual

Chapter 1644

The ground groaned as it attempted to contain the powerful and admittedly rough edged Nether that Randidly fueled through the array Luckily the material didnÆt collapse and the Nether Ritual successfully activated

Congratulations Your Skill Precise Nether Ritual has grown to Level 234

Congratulations Your Skill Precise Nether Ritual has grown to Level 240

Visually it looked like the space around Techetadore was squeezed by an invisible fist warping the features of his face and body into a cartoonish leer The Aether reverberations were alarming even the aftershocks of that image being struck by its own power made Randidly grit his teeth He had to desperately stabilize his Nether Core for a full second in the face of that blast

Then before RandidlyÆs eyes TechetadoreÆs flesh turned grey and flaked away from him In a split second only a skeleton was left In the next moment even that skeleton crumbles to dust and was buffeted away by the shockwaves from nearby battles

He is dead Raymund was trembling as he pushed himself up in a sitting position and looked at the spot where his brother had been standing

Randidly frowned and turned back toward the Engraving Guild Purple black Revelation energy flared in his eyes no but I suspect he wanted us to think that I can sense something That same image that was within TechetadoreÆs body reforming within the Engraving Guild headquarters With significance that makes me believe that he took your brotherÆs body with him But

Pressing his lips together Randidly shook his head Raymund seemed at least relieved by that answer and then leaned his head back against the ground His subordinateÆs eyes fluttered shut As Randidly activated Yggdrasil and aided the recovery of the Foxman he tried to unravel the problem of TechetadoreÆs body How had the body collapsed and then reformed in another place

He wasnÆt just trying to comfort Raymund his Grim Intuition and Revelation of the Atramentous Threshold agreed this is what happened But there were a few problems with this

As far as Randidly concerned there were two possibilities One was that the Techetadore they had seen was just a projection They hadnÆt even been fighting the main body and both Raymund and Helen had been treated like toddlers The second possibility was that after being seriously wounded by the Nether Array Techetadore had somehow managed to tunnel through space and escape back to somewhere safe

The only problem was that Randidly had not been able to sense evidence of either of these possibilities Which meant that whatever was living within TechetadoreÆs body was incredibly strong

Well it should be enough to have forced him back for now but this also means thatÆs another foe IÆll need to look out for after this is done Randidly glanced at Vulpine on the ground in front of him lying with closed eyes and desperately gulping at the air It truly seems like the Swacc Family considers Raymund a strategic level threat due to his image stealing capabilities

Randidly rolled his shoulders and sucked in a deep breath of his own YggdrasilÆs image wasnÆt just helpful for those around him And break time was over He might not be at peak mental strength but he had recovered enough to assist with the attacks from the Engraving Guild

But as Randidly turned to walk purposefully toward the battlefield he saw Claudette hurrying toward him holding up a wounded Helen Randidly grimaced and spread out his Yggdrasil image The invigorating energy sank into HelenÆs body and immediately he could see her expression ease somewhat She pushed away ClaudetteÆs arm and sat on the ground

You alright Randidly asked after propelling himself over to the two women with a powerful step He had seen Helen being knocked to the side but he had his hands full stabilizing the space and preparing the trap Plus he had trusted that she would be able to endure that blow

Helen offered him a lopsided smile as she pressed one hand into the ground and held the other to her chest IÆll live That fucker was strong though

But congratulations Mister Ghosthound Claudette said with a dazzling smile WeÆve made it

Randidly tilted his head to the side and pursed his lips What do you mean

Claudette gestured but not to the ongoing conflict between the Engraving Guild and the Pinnacle Seekers Her finger pointed away from the intermittent clashes in the opposite direction toward the battlefield where Military High Command was assaulting a Nether Spire Looks like they are about to finish up over there

As RandidlyÆs gaze followed her gesture he saw a man raise an enormous bow that was wreathed in silver fire He began firing off arrows that were so visually overwhelming that even Randidly had to avoid looking at them directly The Nether Heralds were forced backward allowing the bow wielding man to reach the Nether Spire He pulled back on his flaming bow and held that position for several seconds gathering power Even though Randidly was stabilizing the space and providing visibility heat distortions around the man drew surreal waves that lapped outward into his surroundings

Then the man fired the arrow and a massive roar echoed across the entire crater The blazing arrow zipped forward and began to rapidly eat away at the Nether Spire Within a few seconds those careful Nether Rituals carved into the structure were completely invalidated The material of the base was annihilated

With a rumbling crash the third Nether Spire fell Significance began to pool wildly leading to a widespread heaviness in the air

In addition Randidly noticed that the bow wielder glanced over toward the battlefield between the Engraving Guild and the Pinnacle Seekers For a split second his gaze lingered upon the conflict Then he turned away and Military High Command began to reform their squads and eliminate the remaining Nether Heralds

So long as Military High Command finished their Nether Spire first the Engraving Guild wouldnÆt have time to bring their main force against us Claudette continued to speak in a cheery tone Because when the final Spire falls

Randidly nodded in understanding Now that he understood what she was talking about it he could sense the shift in the air The aggressive push with which the Engraving Guild had assaulted them had vanished leaving in its place a dogged resolve to injure the Pinnacle Seekers as much as possible before the grand array completely collapsed

Instantly RandidlyÆs eyes sharpened and he looked toward the battlefield for Shal His expression became twisted when he realized that his master had escaped after the intervention of Techetadore Was that on purpose Did the Engraving Guild or the Swacc Family know how much Shal meant to him and was therefore protecting Shal now to use him against Randidly later

But on the other hand Shal was always a capable survivor Perhaps he simply had fled after Techetadore had broken HelenÆs Domain and pursued Raymund

TskÆing to himself for the oversight Randidly glanced around to get a better understanding of the battlefield As he did so he couldnÆt help but be impressed by Seeker Thunder Wing and the Winged Serpent Pinnacle Seeker

Seeker Thunder Wing was single handedly suppressing the three most powerful combatants from the Engraving Guild It was only due to his constant efforts that the Engraving Guild hadnÆt been able to gain much ground toward where Randidly had based his continuing Nether Ritual Meanwhile the Winged Serpent had been steadily guiding his peopleÆs battle against the frantic Nether Heralds toward the flank of the Engraving Guild battle

As they neared some of the furious Nether Heralds began to attack the Engraving Guild members simply due to proximity easing the pressure that the Pinnacle Seekers were under Very quickly the person in charge of their opponents made a snap decision the Engraving Guild began to retreat

Without the distractions Seeker Thunder Wing and Ozaer assisted the Winged Serpent against the Nether forces Seeing them up close Randidly was chilled by the power the four main Nether Heralds demonstrated Each of their attacks shattered the ground and caused even the powerful Pinnacle SeekersÆ images to falter

Watching that gave him an epiphany RandidlyÆs ability to manipulate and understand both Aether and Nether were probably the only reasons that he had the qualifications to remain on this battlefield In terms of power he was still coming up a little short

But at the same time he knew that his surviving here demonstrated how far he had come even since he arrived in the Nexus

Honorary Citizenship Coin for your thoughts Claudette said startling Randidly out of his observations

He gave Claudette a sidelong glance Then he shook his head just thinking about how dangerous this place is By the way I have to ask why are you so friendly toward me You have a whole entourage of people wanting your attention But you just seem to be simply acquiescing to their desire to talk to you And with me you have been seeking me out

Perhaps IÆve fallen for your charms Narthalla will be livid Claudette batted her eyes playfully at Randidly Sitting on the ground next to them Helen couldnÆt stifle her cackle

Only after Randidly scratched behind his ear and remained silent did Claudette sigh Well IÆll put it this way When people want to talk with me no matter what I do or how I act they donÆt really want to talk with me at all do they IÆm a tool a means to whatever goal they currently have IÆm a path to reach my father ThatÆs what those idiots are seeking they donÆt even see me as a real person And you well frankly you want to ignore me DonÆt bother to deny it I can tell

Honestly he probably wouldnÆt have denied it Helen was well and truly rolling on a spurt of giggles now to the point that she was clearly aggravating her wounds Randidly gave her an exasperated look and fed more healing energy through her body

ha Perhaps thatÆs true ClaudetteÆs smile faded somewhat Then she shrugged Rigid and stubborn individuals can be a pain in the ass And they can be extremely insensitive But that same lack of sensitivity can be a relief you know ItÆs nice to know that no matter how I act you wonÆt change your behavior

You RandidlyÆs mouth twitched Was that supposed to be a compliment

Basically Claudette chuckled Then her expression grew more serious and she pointed toward the Engraving Guild Look ItÆs about time we headed back to join up with the Frost Matriarch

The main portion of the Engraving Guild forces had moved forward and ripped out the anchors for their Nether Spire It didnÆt dramatically collapse like the others but Randidly could sense that the core Nether Array had been butchered all four of the Nether Spires had fallen

At the bottom of the crater the shroud of darkness began to fully fade away A massive edifice constructed of millions of small hexahedrons towered above them The Nether density of the flows within it was inscrutable even to Randidly But one thing was clear

The final obstruction had been removed Now all that was left was to face the Nether King

Chapter 1645

The first sign of the change escaped even the notice of all the assembled individuals of power as each of the three factions began their private preparations for the ordeal that they believed to be coming Even Randidly overlooked the beginning fascinated as he was by the endless swirls of significance and connection that the Nether King could deftly shape from nothing and instantly discard to start his work elsewhere

The kaleidoscope of energy was all consuming leading him deeper the longer he looked at it

The noise was what eventually drew all their attention because it was the sound of rain From the towering edifice of significance and strange symbolism the hexahedrons were falling Just the ones at the edges but they hit the sandy ground at the base of the crater with a dull thump that sounded eerily like heavy raindrops on a roof

Thump thump thump

For about five seconds everyone stopped and solemnly watched the slow collapse Then they returned to their preparations with even more intensity Randidly spared a glance for the darkening masses of significance that pooled above them without the guidance of the Nether Spires which served in the role of ominous storm clouds quite proficiently Then he turned and followed Claudette to join the bulk of the Pinnacle Seeker forces

Thump thump thump clink

The quality of the noise changed as the falling hexahedrons started hitting their already fallen brothers rather than just hitting the sand The noise was painful and sharp like an unexpected bone within a meal After wincing the first time that he had heard it Randidly wondered whether it was his own Grim Intuition that made him vulnerable to the noise but the twisted set of HelenÆs mouth during the next example of the noise proved to Randidly that it was a universally painful experience

Thump clink Thump thump clink

As more fell the clink became depressingly common

RandidlyÆs group made it back to the Pinnacle Seekers loose circle and settled down to wait The entire crater could only watch and wait held hostage by the prestige of the Nether King and the danger of his preparations Randidly used this time to continue rejuvenating his and HelenÆs mental strength and also studying the other factions

Military High Command was forming up into tight columns in preparation for a direct assault Apparently they were amenable to being the guinea pigs that first charged through the breach with the others observed The Engraving Guild was having the members of its Nether Lattice ritualistically empower several large spikes twice as tall as a man and as thick as a humanoidÆs waist From this distance he wasnÆt able to tell exactly their role but the Nether they were mobilizing was seriously potent

Unfortunately they seemed to notice RandidlyÆs gaze and erected some sort of energy screen that kept him from gathering any more information Snorting Randidly turned away

Meanwhile the Pinnacle Seekers were the most at ease of the groups They just seemed to be loitering around waiting for something to change within the central area At their core the Frost Matriarch was sitting with her massive legs crossed beneath her In front of her was a square silver coin that Randidly had watched her place carefully upon a medium sized rock

Thump clink clink Clink Thump thump clink

As the ground in the crater became increasingly covered in the falling hexahedrons Randidly turned to Claudette with a small frown on his face What is the Frost Matriarch doing

Claudette watched her mistress with a solemn expression Calling for assistance From a very dangerous individual

She can send messages even with the space folded like this Randidly gestured around As the air shifted he hadnÆt needed to maintain his Nether Ritual to destroy the spatial walls They disintegrated on their own under the pressure of the significance Without the Nether Spires to keep the energy moving the entire crater was dark and heavy Beyond the immediate area the group was still within a place surrounded by tight spatial walls

A message wonÆt be able to pierce through this place Claudette said slowly Then she shrugged But a powerful image One of the most powerful images in the Nexus

Claudette tilted her head in the way she had that made her long hair swing slightly to frame her face She smiled at Randidly I donÆt mean to assume but you arenÆt very familiar with the state of the most powerful individuals in the Nexus are you Mr Ghosthound You havenÆt been here long You can definitely say that my Frost Matriarch is one of the best of the best but she is part of the lower tier

At the top of the Nexus are nine individuals who are believed to be the closest to reaching the Pinnacle The nine Speculum they are called Claudette pointed toward that square silver coin on the rock ThatÆs the token of one of the Pinnacle Seeker Speculum Niermas Pence The Engraving GuildÆs current movements have the scent of their Lathis NÆGick who is also a Speculum and Military High Command has three retired Commandants who are Speculum behind them IÆll bet you anything that one of them is present or that Commandant Wick is escorting one over as we speak

Randidly paused for a minute and processed this information Since arriving in the Nexus he had truly felt like he was struggling in a morass of uncertainty when it came to understanding power He couldnÆt help but acknowledge that he was weaker but there were two problems with that knowledge He didnÆt understand how much weaker he was than figures like Velio Dunn and also that he didnÆt know how much power he would need to be respected within this environment

It seemed like this concept of Speculum at least answered the second question

Clink clink clink thump Clink thump Clink clink clink clink thump

The descent of hexahedrons was accelerating increasing the frequency of that painful noise as they impacted each other They trembled and fell like petals wilting away from a flower At this point the massive edifice had been reduced to half its previous size And the movement of Nether around it hadnÆt changed in the least

Randidly wasnÆt sure what material the hexahedrons were cast from but the clinking noises were like a hammer against a pane of glass that constituted all of creation Somehow the impacts were a direct attack on their plane of existence The experience was strangely unifying and humbling as all of the representatives of the Nexus were smacked with the same discomfort at every moment

It made Randidly endlessly curious about the hexahedrons and the Nether King who gathered them But for now he focused on this new information from Claudette How many of the Speculum identify as Pinnacle Seekers

Four ItÆs why we havenÆt just been put in our place by Military High Command Claudette chucked Next to her Narthalla continued her stoic vigil of the collapsing central edifice The subordinateÆs eyes remained fixed on the Nether KingÆs position Claudette began to massage NarthallaÆs shoulders as she continued to speak But of course all four of our Speculum hate each other Asking them to work together is basically impossible

Narthalla waved her hand in irritation pushing away ClaudetteÆs hands from her shoulders After thinking for a few seconds Randidly asked another question And do you know a man named Velio Dunn How does he compare to a Speculum

Claudette tapped a finger against her cheek even as the clinking noise of hexahedrons hitting each other intensified Velio Dunn is a former Speculum I believe He suffered a catastrophic injury in the past But he definitely is someone that up and coming warriors fear The Frost Matriarch Claudette looked at Narthalla as she spoke Should be able to beat him but it would be close right

It depends Narthalla responded cryptically Then she shut her mouth and seemed unwilling to say more

Clink clink clink clink clink Clink clink thump clink clink

The hexahedrons fell in an unending waterfall of raindrops the former mass at the core of the crater disintegrating at a speed visible to the naked eye Then all of a sudden they were all gone laying on the ground with their sharp edges gleaming leaving only a platform in the middle of these three forces

The final curtain had dropped and the third act of this expedition had begun

Three individuals were on that platform but all eyes immediately went to the figure sitting on an unordained throne in the middle The figureÆs limbs seemed to be naught but slate grey smoke but there were six extremely eye catching pieces of armor that the figure wore Each piece was the bright vibrant blue of the questing veins from within the Great Rift

The figure had two heavy gauntlets with curling spikes from his knuckles two scale mail greaves that stretched up to about knee height a heavy breastplate covered with swirling Nether Rituals across its surface and a stylized head covered that made Randidly think of an unadorned and stylized trojan helmet Through the small gaps in the helmet two pure white eyes could be seen

The Nether King sat with the chin of his helmet upon the horned knuckles of its right gauntlet looking as though he was bored with waiting for the forces of the Nexus to approach

The more that Randidly looked the more he realized that the Nether King didnÆt have limbs It truly appeared like there was only dark smoke tracing the lines from its six pieces of armor sketching out an approximation of the human form Yet this amalgamation of armor could be no one but the Nether King As soon as he revealed himself the Nether in the surrounding began to behave unpredictably and beautifully

New eddies emerged in the currents of significance following no pattern that Randidly could discern Energy swirled in complex whirlpools before sluggishly settling back to nothing RandidlyÆs Nether Core could practically sense a deep heartbeat of the Nether KingÆs own Nether Core The pressure of that other core was incredibly intense even with all the distance between them

As the moment stretched Randidly had the strangest impression that the Nether King adjusted the angle of his helmet and gazed at him across the entire battlefield

Then the Nether King shifted back to his former position While keeping his helmet lazily propped up by the knuckles of his right hand the Nether King raised his other gauntlet and twisted it so that the palm was facing upward Then he beckoned with his fingers

The message to the NexusÆs representatives was clear

Come then IÆm waiting

Chapter 1646

Even the most aggressive of the assembled forces Military High Command didnÆt move at the Nether KingÆs arrogant gesture The eyes of the man with the flaming bow were bright but firm Now that they saw their foe everyone was moving with caution

This being was the prize But his value was high only due to his proportional capability This was a free Nether King the first in the Nexus in a thousand years

Randidly managed to tear his gaze away from the figure that had inflicted loss after loss upon the Nexus in the last year and looked at the two subordinates by his side Both seemed to be more than Nether Heralds the best Randidly could do was to consider them Nether Princes that had hatched from the embryonic form he had seen on the frontlines to something MUCH more dangerous The one on the left was a large sable rabbit with luxurious fur and crimson eyes The one on the right was a humanoid turtle carrying a plain wooden staff

Both looked out blandly at the assembled forces of the Nexus arrayed before them They held not the slightest hint of fear that it would be three individuals versus three entire factions

With the only action being the rising sense of tension Randidly returned to his examination of the passive way that the Nether King could make the Nether in his surroundings move Small innocuous shifts in Nether soon became the core of grand grinding machinations of energy that briefly housed vast furnaces of significance Just as quickly as they had come they vanished the Nether shifting so Randidly almost believed he had imagined the process Compared to RandidlyÆs Nether Core each of these brief and seemingly random patterns possessed more Weight

Seeing it with his own eyes was incredibly humbling Each of these was more powerful than the core Randidly had needed five years to forge And hundreds of them were happening simultaneously

Congratulations Your Skill Nether Sensation has grown to Level 408

Congratulations Your Skill Left Hand of the Nether Oracle has grown to Level 274

My Nether Core has given me an edge against image users in the Nexus but just like my images are far from being able to rival those that have dedicated their lives to their individual craft The lines around RandidlyÆs eyes steadily tightened as he looked up at the sky no the distance might be even more egregious when it comes to Nether My Nether Core compared to this

Congratulations Your Skill Architecture of the Primordial Ways has grown to Level 401

Congratulations Your Skill Left Hand of the Nether Oracle has grown to Level 275

In a way the rapid and diverse accumulation of Skill Levels spoke for itself

Gather around everyone The Frost MatriarchÆs voice eventually pulled Randidly out from his deep study of Nether Her lantern bright gaze surveyed the gathered Pinnacle Seekers Soon I believe Seeker Pence will arrive At that time our group will head down to attempt to capture the Nether King Who wishes to volunteer for the final expedition But a warning the spots are limited

Immediately Randidly detected the strange mood in the air and this time understood its source what would follow was strictly governed by the internal hierarchy of the Pinnacle Seekers

I shall go The Dusk Jackal spoke with gleaming eyes Two of my brightest followers will accompany me

Next the Winged Serpent shook its head and flicked out its tongue I shall remain and protect the rest Most of my people I do not believe that could withstand what waits below

From there the other powerful Pinnacle Seekers spoke The three tailed mouse would go Thunder Seeker laughed and announced that he would be going Seeker Ozaer seemed extremely uninterested but still she said yes with the same unreadable expression on her face

Then the air shifted Randidly recognized this too It was now his turn to speak

Next to him Claudette offered him an arm Her eyes were dancing Ready to accompany me on an adventure sir knight Protect me from potentially fatal and incredibly boring conversation

Randidly turned and looked over toward the Engraving Guild position where he still sensed Shal and TechetadoreÆs images Then he looked toward Military High Command behind which was the specter of Commandant Wick who would undoubtedly have quite a few opinions about why Randidly was traveling with the Pinnacle Seekers

Finally Randidly looked again at the Nether that filled the air and suppressed them all with its growing significance

When he turned back to the Frost Matriarch Randidly couldnÆt believe he was going to do this This decision ran counter to so many of the aggressive decisions he had made in the past But he shook his head I will remain here and study the Nether

Only Claudette seemed shocked by the announcement as the process continued and the other Pinnacle Seekers made their decision Meanwhile Randidly sat down Both Helen and Raymund were still recovering and Randidly could use this opportunity to finally get a sense of where he stood in the Nexus

Perhaps even then with this perspective he wouldnÆt have made this decision without encountering Shal Perhaps it was a sign that he was more deeply affected by ShalÆs inexplicable decision to cast aside his image than Randidly revealed Because Randidly understood ShalÆs conviction and personality better than most While Shal was prone to self destructive downward spirals they didnÆt happen without justification

ShalÆs problem was that he was rigid in his beliefs That was a strength against everything except an overwhelming force To avoid a similar fate Randidly took a step back from this battlefield where the best in the Nexus had gathered There was no shame in admitting that he hadnÆt yet reached this peak not yet

But Randidly remained confident in his own growth speed as he looked down at the smoky Nether King A resolution slowly formed in his heart Plus he didnÆt want this to become a habit in the future he wouldnÆt grow without being willing to push his limits So in a quiet voice to himself Randidly made a vow Not this time but next time I have a chance like this To go toe to toe on an overwhelming battlefield I wonÆt back away again

There remained one last surprise in the volunteers At an appropriate time DiOrtho Vant quietly approached Randidly and asked if he could try and accompany the group Randidly looked at his subordinate for several long moments as other subordinate Pinnacle Seekers made their pronouncements around him measuring the ram demon with his emerald eyes The same reasons that made this journey extremely deadly for him made the experience downright deadly for Vant

Yet the DiOrtho stood in front of Randidly with eyes bright with determination His time in RandidlyÆs Alpha Cosmos had done a lot to ground the demon He could tell that this decision wasnÆt a reckless one it was a choice that had some thought behind it The man even had a wife waiting for him back in the Alpha Cosmos

Perhaps for the ghost of a timeline with a widow Randidly was about to say deny him But to his surprise Seeker Ozaer approached the duo while they were talking Other Pinnacle Seekers continued to at the appropriate time announce their intents around them At this point everyone said they would not be joining the expedition The female Pinnacle Seekers heavy eyes followed Vant after Randidly gestured and the subordinate retreated a small distance

Ozaer blinked slowly I assume your subordinate wishes to head with the delegation yes Obviously his individual strength is meaningless here But I wish to volunteer to protect him Truthfully I will not be much help in the climax of this scenario either However I can certainly manage to protect both my apprentice and yours

Randidly frowned at the strange Seeker Ozaer The fact that she had taken the initiative to approach him was slightly bewildering Forgive me for saying this so bluntly but why You donÆt seem the type to involve yourself in the business of others

Seeker OzaerÆs face stayed extremely serious as she replied True Unnecessary relationships in my experience just muddle oneÆs image But your subordinate is a special case I donÆt believe even he has realized it yet but the core of his image and my image are birthed from the same source People like us tend to be drawn to suicidal situations when we wish to improve And if he manages to survive his abilities are sure to explode

RandidlyÆs frown deepened The way Seeker Ozaer spoke was genuine but he couldnÆt really follow what she was saying You believe VantÆs image is related to clouds Or a storm to end the world

Destruction from a source most bizarre unites us Seeker Ozaer clarified still with that completely no nonsense expression The current form of his image is hollow because he hasnÆt yet discovered this absence HeÆs been working on improving his foundation these past few years yes Without his image achieving a breakthrough Well due to those efforts his potential is now ripe Should he walk the high precipice between life and death the esoteric frivolity of societalÆ interaction will become obvious From that the logical conclusion is to eschew relationships and pursue the wide expanse of mysteries that plague our universe

Randidly looked rather blankly at the suddenly effusive Seeker Ozaer which she took as an invitation to continue Heh truly I was similarly wondrous when I discovered this secret layer for myself Do you know hundreds of deaths occur each year that even the NexusÆs finest investigators are unable to solve Images are conjured power but their capability comes from very real horrors that still lurk in the depths of our universe Yet because acknowledging the existence of such monstrosities requires one to reject all of oneÆs preconceived notions of security the only time it can be done is after one has stared into the maw of death and escaped Your subordinate hasnÆt quite stumbled across this concrete truth but his psyche already is aware that his current Path wonÆt carry him forward for much longer Which is why he volunteered he knows an extreme experience is necessary to bridge his uncertainty

Setting aside the issue of Seeker OzaerÆs strange philosophy Randidly turned and looked at DiOrtho Vant The ram demon was crouched next to the recuperating Helen and Raymund and staring at them with a serious expression on his face He wasnÆt sure if the ramblings of the Pinnacle Seeker were necessarily true but there was definitely one fact that became abundantly clear after hearing the SeekerÆs opinion DiOrtho Vant was unsatisfied with his imageÆs progress

Even as Raymund developed his ability to steal other fightersÆ images Vant remained stagnant Despite his relatively calm exterior the pressure under which he put himself must be massive

Randidly released a breath He believed this was a bad idea but he wasnÆt truly VantÆs commanding officer any longer And he understood better than anyone the overwhelming mandate to accumulate strength

Randidly beckoned and DiOrtho Vant came over Alright you can go But youÆll be under the command of Seeker Ozaer Make sure you arenÆt a nuisance

Vant clasped his fists and bowed to Randidly and then followed Seeker Ozaer who had already begun wandering away back toward the main force Helen grimaced and raised her hands above her head Her shoulders cracked in a chained series of pops Should I go with him

Nah Randidly shook his head and offered her a bitter smile We cannot protect him Besides there is something else we need to do

Helen frowned at him and Randidly gestured around them The Nether King is currently the core of this conflict and isnÆt going to go down easily But afterward the strange stratification of space will collapse once more this will just be the Military Headquarters Planet of the Nexus I need to do some research to prepare for the fallout and IÆll need your help to construct some countermeasures

Helen sighed and nodded Meanwhile Randidly turned and looked at the shifting sparks of Nether above them The air was filled with genesis and oblivion significance spun through a very realistic cycle of life and death every moment The brief flares of significance created shifts that affected the surroundings in unlikely and chaotic ways Then they vanished the disparate pieces breaking down until they were incorporated in surprising ways into new flares

Not only RandidlyÆs understanding of Nether but also the aura of vitality of his Yggdrasil image and the Stillborn PhoenixÆs all consuming absence could be improved by studying the capabilities of the Nether King

Time to get to work then Randidly cracked his knuckles So the next time IÆm thrust onto this battlefield I donÆt need to retreat

Congratulations Your Skill Left Hand of the Nether Oracle has grown to Level 276

Congratulations Your Skill Revelations of the Atramentous Threshold has grown to Level 394

Congratulations Your Skill the Inscrutable Mien of Genesis Has grown to Level 329

Chapter 1647

As a giant group they slowly descended the slope DiOrtho Vant glanced around at the walking Pinnacle Seekers while his palms tingled Each radiated an aura of power causing him to inwardly sweat to be moving with them He adjusted his leather armor and flexed his hands refusing to look back to where they had left the Head Drill Sergeant and Overseer Helen

From their original position about three fourths up the crater slope the Pinnacle Seeker group descended to the flat area nearest to the Nether KingÆs dais They were not as close as the two orthodox factions but DiOrtho was becoming quite aware of the rising pressure as the Nether sluggishly swirled above them

At the Frost MatriarchÆs gesture the group stopped And if anything this made the ram demonÆs experience even more strained

Obviously no one else from his group was coming so DiOrtho felt rather awkward to be simply standing here without any companion in such a tense situation The Pinnacle Seekers were obviously waiting for Niermas Pence to move any closer but what about the other forces With the Nether King sitting visibly in front of them why was no one moving past that final fifty meters Even more importantly the longer they waited the more oppressive the Nether in the area became

What am I missing DiOrtho rubbed his sweaty hands together

The only group that seemed immune to the changes was the Nether King and his two subordinates They waited regally and languidly allowing the Nexus forces to do anything they wanted

DiOrtho could only grimace and try to look at the surrounding individuals for a source of distraction without being overly obvious about it The group that had taken up residence so close to the actual fighting was only nine individuals so his options for conversation were limited Claudette had practically evaporated from nearby when Randidly had announced that he wasnÆt coming and DiOrtho was put off by the blank expressions both on Seeker Ozaer and her apprenticeÆs face

Finally DiOrtho sidled over to the descendent of Seeker Thunder Wing Eashen At the very least the young man was visibly sweating meaning he was probably just as nervous as DiOrtho was feeling right now The ram demon cleared his throat Greetings We we will be working together so I just figured DiOrtho Vant

Eashen blinked at him What

thatÆs my name DiOrtho Vant The ram demon coughed and suppressed his desire to reach up and rub his horns Why was this so difficult

Oh IÆm Eashen Greetings to you too The kid finally said seeming to catch the drift of the conversation

It wasnÆt the best opening but it was probably the only one that DiOrtho would be able to get considering the crowd So he opened his mouth and charged forward Do you know why the other groups are waiting It feels like the Nether is growing stronger every second ArenÆt they worried about giving the Nether King more time to prepare

In such a grouping in such a small space there was no way the other Pinnacle Seekers hadnÆt heard him Yet the fact that not a single one reacted to his question made him inwardly wince These people have no qualms about ignoring you if arenÆt related to them huh

Eashen blinked seeming to think about his question The gesture made DiOrtho uncomfortably aware of how young his target was It was almost like he was coercing him into a conversation The young man started speaking with a half shrug Well I donÆt know what the hell the Engraving Guild is doing that group is a bunch of weirdos But the army guys should be waiting for reinforcements

Seeker Thunder Wing who was standing nearby nodded slowly and blessedly helped the conversation along by pointing his finger And here they are The Xyrt Brigade They will be the spearhead Their assault will begin soon

But then Seeker Thunder Wing gave DiOrtho a sardonic smile But perhaps you will regret your enthusiasm soon

With that cryptic comment the other man turned away As Seeker Thunder Wing had indicated a group of ten individuals had arrived at the lip of the crater above the Engraving Guild forces They ignored their orthodox fellows and marched sharply down toward the waiting location of Military High Command DiOrtho frowned at them but was relieved to see that Lady Vualla wasnÆt present It was likely a sign that she was also not powerful enough to affect this battlefield

So why am I risking everything to come down here and witness it DiOrtho thought frustrated with himself

Luckily Seeker Thunder Wing hadnÆt been kidding no sooner had the Xyrt Brigade arrived than a group of about fifty individuals began marching toward the Nether King with their weapons raised Without missing a beat the giant Sable Rabbit took several bounds forward moving from the central portion of the Nether KingÆs dais to the edge There it sat on its hind legs and flicked its ears watching Military High Command approach Its eyes were simultaneously bright and flat like plastic

The Dawn Jackal shook his head his lower jaw loosely swinging in a very primal manner Heh ehehhehe So itÆs finally going to begin

For the first time in a millennia Seeker Ozaer muttered to herself The Nexus is going to bleed

Below the phalanx from Military High Command accelerated Even from this distance DiOrtho Vant could feel the powerful images radiating off of the front three individuals Their valiant power cut through the oppressive weight of significance effortlessly Their feet thundered against the ground as they accelerated forward

The sable rabbit flicked its ears again and tilted its head to the side Then it spat out a dozen small projectiles that zipped forward As though the whole thing was choreographed the military charge scattered as everyone leapt out of the line of fire Unfortunately the speed moved more quickly than it had in the rehearsal

DUUN DUUN DUUN

After the projectiles impacted they made a peculiar popping noise and rapidly expanded The originally seed sized projectiles swelled up to a watermelon before rapidly compressing back down to a minuscule size and taking all of the surrounding matter with it In addition to taking out a few dozen ice cream scoops from the ground the front two projectiles impacted one of the leading members of the Xyrt Brigade

The first took the man in the shoulder expending and eating away almost all of his torso and most of his neck His forearm tumbled through the air unattached But the second projectile was only a moment behind the first so the man had already accepted the first as a given and was pulling his leg back to avoid the second Unfortunately for him the time between the projectile hitting the ground and its expansion was extremely short the void zone engulfed everything below the manÆs calf before the dodge could be successfully completed

The man didnÆt expect his foot to be gone so he stumbled and had to catch himself with his one remaining arm Which took long enough that the sable rabbit spat out a stream of more projectiles Most were targeting the wounded soldierÆs companions that had dodged the original volley but two impacted the man right as he had recovered and raised his head

They popped expanded and contracted to suck away his face and the rest of his torso What remained of the man fell forward Viscera spilled out of his severed waist and spread across the ground

Meanwhile the first death signaled to the other members of Military High Command that it was not the time to hold Back The remaining Xyrt Brigade members began to move in a complex and weaving pattern avoiding the projectiles Those from Military High Command just flared their images to life and charged forward

The Sable Rabbit began to spit out its projectiles like its mouth was a machine gun

It only took two projectiles to eat through a massive horned rhino image with the same efficiency that the attacks ate through physical matter An enormous conjured crimson fortress had its gate eaten away with four of the projectiles while the fifth caught the image user in the throat A fire breathing dragon watched as its breath was devoured in only three projections and had its insides hollowed out by the next three leaving that soldier scrambling to the side To avoid a similar fate

DUUN DUUN DUUN DUUN DUUN DUUN DUUN DUUN DUUN DUUN DUUN DUUN

Comparing the two groups the dodgers faired better While those that tried to overpower the projectiles were eventually invalidated and killed those that avoided them made rapid progress toward the Sable Rabbit However the Nether Prince continued to vomit those projectiles without pause Its firing speed was consistent even as there appeared to be no targeting pattern so the bullets sprayed outward in a cone that appeared random while perfectly targeting the Nexus soldiersÆ weaknesses at unexpected times

Of course the dodgers eventually ran into an equally deadly problem the closer they got to the Sable Rabbit the less time passed between when the projectile was fired and when it landed Due to the extremely high speed of the projectile that time was already extremely minuscule But at some point losing those shreds of time became disastrous The previously effective complicated patterns of the dodgers simply didnÆt have enough room to manifest themselves

DUUN DUUN DUUN DUUN DUUN DUUN DUUN DUUN DUUN DUUN DUUN DUUN DUUN DUUN DUUN

There came a moment when the Sable Rabbit ceased shooting In front of it lay a sea of severed limbs Its ears twitched and those plastic eyes turned to look at the groups that hadnÆt yet charged forward The first attempt sent by Military High Command hadnÆt had any overwhelmingly powerful individuals but they had all been competent And they had been butchered

At this point there was movement from the Engraving Guild side A cowled figure swaggered forward and gestured imperiously For you hubris you shall be denied

Behind the figure one of the Engraving GuildÆs black spikes rose into the air The metal body shimmered with complicated runes as it slid slowly upward As the length of metal distanced itself from the ground the runes began to swim outward from the spike and fill the air Not even the heavy significance seemed to slow the spread of those runes Soon the entire sky of the crater pulsed with their patterns

Then the spike flashed and settled into place above the Engraving GuildÆs heads settling into place

Foolish The Frost Matriarch shook her massive head Those nails allow the Engraving Guild to make a very specific action invalid within a small area But to take away the Nether PrinceÆs anti personnel ability do they believe that we can overwhelm them with numbers

As the Frost Matriarch was speaking the leader of the group of Military High Command stepped forward and raised his bow He released a deep breath and silver flames licked up and down his bow and then up his arms Space warped and danced from the ambient heat He drew back and unleashed a sizzling javelin of an arrow that ripped toward the Sable Rabbit

After making several puckering faces and realizing that it was unable to shoot those bullets from its mouth the Sable Rabbit changed tactics It pressed its ears down against its skull and dashed forward

DiOrtho Vant could only catch after images of the Nether Prince once it began to run

Even as though its speed was insanely quick the archer kept up with it Through a series of strafing rolls and sidesteps the archer and the rabbit engaged in an elaborate dance across the bottom crater But in a weird inversion of the hunter and the prey the rabbit was the one ruthlessly hunting the archer kept at bay by his powerful arrows

Each of the archerÆs attacks left a trail of silver fire that melted the stone ground in its brief passive But the Sable Rabbit would adjust its path and the two continued their elaborate teasing game

Soon the entire crater was oozing and partially melted as the archer had to continually attack in order to stay ahead of the rabbit A few of those arrows flew toward the Nether King probably to test him but the humanoid turtle with the staff knocked the attacks away One even came shooting up toward the Pinnacle Seekers but the Frost Matriarch waved her hand and a giant sword of ice slashed the arrow out of the air

Just as DiOrtho began to sweat from the heat and wondered how long this would last everyone around him tensed Below the Sable Rabbit was suddenly next to a stunned archer And in a much bigger blast radius than the projectiles the same void energy spread out to the size of a house The archer tried to dodge but was completely engulfed in the dark oblivion

Chapter 1648

After expanding the energy from the Sable Rabbit condensed back down to its body so quickly that the void zone seemed to have been imagined To DiOrthoÆs surprise the archer was still alive within its radius bedraggled and with an almost extinguished image but persisting He scrambled backward as the tide receded but the Sable Rabbit accelerated and slammed its head into the archerÆs chest

With blood spraying from his mouth the man fell backward The Sable Rabbit hopped forward even as soldiers were rushing forward to assist their commander but the Nether Prince was too quick Soon it was standing above the archer and the energy around its body

The Sable Rabbit slammed back into the edge of the Nether KingÆs dais a complete reversal from its effortless tormenting of the archer From the depths of the Military High Command group a bent old man leaning on a cane walked out His hair was white and wispy and when he grinned he revealed gaps in his teeth But as he spoke his voice was firm and domineering LetÆs stop playing around I donÆt have all day

Speculum Seeker Thunder Wing said quietly Double Hammer Dubois

The man leaned against his cane as he took several steps forward but there was something unnaturally smooth about his existence Space seemed to come unmoored under his movements so that those few steps brought the old man to standing directly above the crumpled Sable Rabbit He stopped on its left ankle to shatter the joint and then kicked it away

But as the old man moved to follow the creature and finish it off the dark significance of the crater began to rumble The old man paused and grinned upward Heh loyal to a fault like all you dumb Nether cretins Alright then let this show get on the road

The old man flickered forward appearing suddenly on the dais The Nether King had stood and was glowering toward the Speculum Above them light blue stars had suddenly appeared as the significance began to spin in intricate patterns The suppression in the space intensified to the point that DiOrtho had difficulty breathing

One The old man pointed up above him and a normal hammer appeared above the Nether King Although the worn implement looked perfectly mundane as though it had just been taken from a carpenterÆs toolbox DiOrtho couldnÆt tear his eyes away from it The perfect arrangement of detail function and form combined to make the image the most convincing example that the ram demon had ever seen In fact some of the principles incorporated into it could even be applied to his own Machine Horror

DiOrtho lost his train of thought as a cloud swirled into existence in front of him and blocked his view of the hammer Next to him Seeker Ozaer put her hand on his shoulder and shook her head But before she could speak the old man created a deafening impact

Two And smash

The ground trembled and DiOrtho almost lost his balance Next to him Seeker Ozaer began to speak in a low voice Part of the danger of Speculum is that their images appear perfect to the viewer They seem to show a glimpse of yourself reaching such heights Undoubtedly you just experience quite a bit of inspiration but I suggest you never follow those ideas unless you are very sure of them Because a Speculum is flawed just like the rest of us Otherwise they would have reached the Pinnacle Plus what you donÆt see is all of the insights and conclusions they have used to reach such heights And if you try to benefit from their images without the correct foundation

Feeling a chill run down his spine DiOrtho nodded Seeker Ozaer waved a hand and the cloud dissipated Without the obstruction he could see down on the dais where the turtle with the wooden staff had interposed itself between the old man and the Nether King

The old man tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow A convenient power but do you truly think neutralizing force allows you to stand in this battle little one Oy cronies of Lathis let me borrow one of those little nails

Across the battlefield the cowled figure that had used the first black spike looked around for a second in bewilderment Then he pointed at himself Are you addressing

The old man didnÆt wait for the member of the Nether Lattice to finish He grasped impatiently with the hand not on the cane and the giant black spike levitated off the ground and zipped toward him And its passage was so close to the man in the cowl that he yelped and fell on his ass to avoid being skewered

While the spike flew over the turtle Nether Prince spun his staff and stepped forward Nether seemed to spiral down from the Nether KingÆs working and filled that common looking wooden staff to the brim DiOrtho Vant was reminded of the way that the man from the Engraving Guild had pulled Nether down into his metal club except the efficiency was vastly different

Space creaked and groaned as that wooden staff slid forward in a powerful thrust Without batting an eye the old man used his can to deflect the attack to the side

Even as the distant impact smashed DiOrtho Vant in the chest and forced him a half step back the old man reached up and plucked the Engraving Guild spike out of the air He spun it expertly in his hands and directed the ominous point at the turtle humanoidÆs chest Even as the Nether Prince tried to regain its balance the old man tapped his cane against the head of the nail LetÆs take away your force neutralization power One two smash

kkee

This time DiOrtho looked away purposefully to avoid being drawn into the SpeculumÆs image leaving him with only the keening screech of pain from the Nether Prince as he opened his eyes to dust and debris When everything became to clear and the old manÆs image disappeared the man was laughing over the crumpled form of the turtle humanoid

Finally willing to move for real eh The old man grinned balefully at the Nether King who had moved to stand between the Nether Prince and the old man Then letÆs get this started One two smash

The old man flicked his hands to the side with a bright pinprick of light appeared on either side of the Nether King In the next second two things happened First the Frost Matriarch manifested their image around the Pinnacle Seekers they now stood in a fortress of ice Aside from a slight blue tint the battlefield below was still extremely visible

The second thing was that those pinpricks of light transformed into ornate hammers with golden handles molded into the shape of a lionsÆ heads DiOrtho squinted when he saw them but then he realized that the frost image around them functioned as a screen He could watch the action without being infected with a flawed idea for his image

The hammers swung downward and the limbless gauntlets floated upward and clenched into fists Without backing down the two disembodied punches accelerated to meet the hammers

DiOrtho was dizzy but the bigger problem was he was coughing so hard that he couldnÆt breathe He was afflicted with the sudden and completely certain belief that he was about to suffocate His coughs worsened as he began to panic And he was hacking too much to get a clear view of the battlefield below but the noises informed him that the battle continued

DiOrtho was swaying when he felt a hand on his shoulder He blinked as the coughs fell away and was faced with the stoic face of Seeker OzaerÆs disciple Seeing that DiOrtho was paying attention the young man with white blonde hair began to speak You can think of reality as the most powerful suggestion you ever encounter When you step reality suggestsÆ where and how that your foot should stop The air against your skin suggestsÆ that the temperature is cold

A Speculum has neared the Pinnacle and are therefore indistinguishable from reality up to a point It can be said that part of your current pain is because you donÆt yet have a firm grasp of our current reality But the hammers of Speculum Double Hammer contain the very pointed suggestion of failure to their targets You experienced that echo and your body believed you had encountered reality If you wish to continue to stand here you must take care not to be misled

After offering that alarming bit of information Seeker OzaerÆs apprentice turned away to observe the battle below DiOrtho sucked in a breath and rapidly blinked There was a long moment where he wavered between continuing to expose himself to these threats versus returning to where Overseer Helen and the Head Drill Sergeant were standing

Yet DiOrthoÆs expression hardened I need this If I ever want to stop relying on others to protect the precious things in my life I need to grow

With this resolution firming up his mental defenses DiOrtho Vant looked back down toward the Nether KingÆs dais At this point the old man and the Nether King were engaged in a brutally fast exchange of blows the Nether King relying on his gauntlets and the Speculum wielding his cane But it quickly became obvious that the image user was being pushed back the Nether King moved so quickly that even he couldnÆt open up enough space to manifest his signature image

The old man moved and suggestedÆ that the space around him was different but the Nether King ignored all artifice and used those horned fists to shatter space and catch up to his quarry

Even worse for the Speculum the spinning patterns of starlight above the dais began to assume a malevolent cast A grand design was quickly assembling itself DiOrtho didnÆt have near enough understanding of what was happening to speculate what the effect would be but it was clear that the Nether King was bringing to bear a massive Nether Ritual

Flashes of a concrete seeming hammer kept appearing in the SpeculumÆs cane but it wasnÆt enough Soon the situation had devolved to the point that the frantically moving SpeculumÆs face became red and he spat out DonÆt just stand there and watch Help me

This time both the Engraving Guild and Military High Command began to move The cowled man waved his hand and two more black spikes rose up behind him On the other side the archer was still recovering but the leader of the Xyrt Brigade took the front and began marching forward with another twenty soldiers

The Sable Rabbit had its machine gun spit suppressed and one of its back legs was broken The turtle humanoidÆs shell had been cracked by the earlier spike and the being could no longer neutralize force However both were still powerful Nether Princes and moved to slow the forces that went to aid the Speculum

DiOrtho looked at Seeker Ozaer next to him She shook her head seeming to read his thoughts We wait It might look desperate but no one believed that we could capture the Nether King without casualties

There was something chilling about that statement but DiOrtho understood that was simply the way of the Nexus In their eyes nothing could be accomplished without casualties

With the cowled man and the Xyrt Brigade member leading the charge the two Nether Princes began to endure serious pressure Massive images blossomed into the sky proudly resisting the pressure of the pooling significance Explosions ripped apart the ground and left deep wounds across the landscape

The humanoid turtle was smashed again and again by powerful blasts from the Engraving Guild leaving it bedraggled and staggering Meanwhile the Sable RabbitÆs lack of mobility meant that the soldiers continued to kite and around it while other squads attempted to rush past the defensive lines and make it onto the dais

Seeing this the Nether King paused in his assault on the Speculum and released a bright light from his eyes The starlight above them finally crystallized into a rigid pattern centering on the snarling old man who fought with his cane

The cowled man sprang forward and waved his arm This is our chance I deny you monster

The final two black spikes spun and shot forward at the Nether KingÆs back As the humanoid turtle was constantly being knocked around it wasnÆt able to help defend its master It could only helplessly watch as the spikes surged past and began to release their brilliant runes

A small noise echoed across the battlefield And DiOrtho Vant would never forget that sound of the Nether KingÆs chuckle

Are the servants of Aether the only ones who can plot

The Nether KingÆs gauntlet floated up buoyed only by grey smoke and he snapped his fingers The arrangement of the Nether Array abruptly shifted Lines twisted and reconnected in a new shape From targeting the old man the new array had four targets each of the black spikes The starlight brightened and before anyone could react all for spikes cracked and shattered

The pooled Nether above them was mostly depleted in that move But before anyone could react the Sable Rabbit began to spit out its deadly ammunition once more The humanoid turtle ignored the blows that had knocked it off balance previously and advanced with malicious intent toward the cowled man

Chapter 1649

Following the shattering of the black spikes the three portions of the battlefield all started accelerating The Nether King and the Speculum erupted in a series of soul punishing collisions as the lack of Nether pressure allowed the image users to gain back some momentum With the cane staving off the horned gauntlets Speculum Double Hammer could occasionally generate two pinpricks of light and summon his overwhelming hammers As their golden lion handles glimmered those hammers smashed against the Nether King and forced him to defend The impacts destabilized space briefly and unleashed shockwaves across the crater that briefly suppressed everything else

Of course the Nether King had proven previously that it was up to the task of defending against those hammer blows But in the brief moment of strained spatial destruction Speculum Double Hammer stepped forward and started aiming targeted blows at the Nether KingÆs floating torso

On a second section of the battlefield the Sable Rabbit slaughtered the weaker members of Military High Command with its spray of void energy Luckily more individuals who possessed as much power as the archer of the silver flames stepped out of the quickly dwindling Military High Command camp These individuals couldnÆt withstand a constant spray of seed sized projectiles but working together allowed them to slow their losses

Finally the Engraving Guild teams scrambled to activate their Nether Rituals slowing the charge of the turtle humanoid Nether Prince But with that beingÆs mastery of Nether it seemed to just force its way forward as it pursued the cowled man An enormous lance crashed into the Nether Prince in the exact spot in its shell where the black spike had pierced through but its mysterious methods meant that the attack simply bounced harmlessly away

DUUN DUUN DUUN DUUN DUUN DUUN

While the battlefield was currently stalled the Nexus was paying with the lives of some of its elite troops to stay in the game The powerful images that flared to life across the battlefield were more than enough to crush DiOrtho and probably would even threaten the Head Drill Sergeant and Overseer Helen But before these images the Nether forces didnÆt bother to meet strength with strength They utilized the inexplicable capabilities of Nether to essentially render their opponents helpless

Time and time again an arrow wreathed in silver fire or an enormous green shark would rush forward to wound one of the Nether Princes and the attack just did nothing

Well they all avoid clashing directly The ram demonÆs gaze sharpened on the Nether King Except for him heh heÆs really just fighting with his body against a Speculum that could hypnotize me with a single movement

In DiOrthoÆs chest his Ancient Machine Horror began to stir He was careful not to look too long at the SpeculumÆs image but he still felt enlightened as he stood and experienced the repeated tempering of this battlefield The powerful images were shown to be mortal despite how overwhelming they seemed Despite how the silver flames even at this distance were hot enough that DiOrtho was sweating Deep within the hidden places of his Soulspace strange gears began to click and turn

He had an idea one not inspired by looking at a SpeculumÆs image

The truth was that DiOrtho had never thought too deeply about where his Ancient Machine Horror must have existed He carefully constructed the details of its body and the religion that worshipped it but he had never considered why that religion had come into existence He had never seen the foes the Ancient Machine Horror had to face or the terrible threats that had eventually pushed the religion to extinction

But standing at the base of this massive crater feeling the cataclysmic clashes briefly stifling his breath DiOrtho Vant could see the Path of his image The version he now possessed was rusted bloody and partially decrepit but that was a result of the crucible it had endured He wielded the final form without totally understanding the entire narrative arc Before the sundering the Ancient Machine Horror had been a transcendent existence

Wincing DiOrtho allowed his focus to return to the fighting at hand Rather than following his impulses now he remained disciplined the effect wouldnÆt be as good but he also didnÆt want to miss his chance to absorb the details of this transcendent battlefield So he marshaled his image around him and promised himself he wouldnÆt look away from the action

Yet as soon as he made that pronouncement he broke his resolve and turned to look at the people beside them Because suddenly all of the Pinnacle Seekers around him were very very still

The feeling in the air had changed

The Frost Matriarch bowed her massive head to an individual amongst the group that had suddenly appeared amongst them all DiOrthoÆs skin began to crawl Speculum Pence Thank you for coming to assist us

The new figure was portly with grey skin and two large tusks jutting out of his lower jaw whose heavy features made him look like a cross between an orc and a walrus The manÆs smile was wide and hungry as he looked at the surrounding Pinnacle Seekers and then turned to the battlefield Heh Lacy you know IÆll go anywhere to get a pinch of value And this Nether King keh this is worth more than a pinch You lot stay here IÆll handle this

There was a strange electric current in the air around the man that drew eyes and attention This then was a Speculum at close range he was positively polarizing At first DiOrtho assumed this was a function of what his image was but soon he realized that it wasnÆt the specifics of the image but just the strength This SpeculumÆs existence at this range was an almost overwhelming suggestion of what the world should be

An image began to manifest around the man but this time DiOrtho was more prepared and looked away until the man had strolled forward past the cool blue icy fortress the Frost Matriarch created Compared to the other images that DiOrtho had seen this new SpeculumÆs image was more low key As he walked forward coins and paper bills and elaborately written promissory bonds and gemstones seemed to flicker in and out of existence around him

DiOrtho had to blink several times thinking he had imagined it at first But the more he watched the more he understood This Speculum possessed an image that was based upon currency and value

Next to the Frost Matriarch the Dusk Jackal was practically vibrating with agitation Wait here

BooM DUUN DUUN DUUN

For the most part the battlefield didnÆt react at all as this new participant swam down toward the thickest of the fighting The other conflicts were growing too desperate The turtle Nether Prince had finally caught up to the cowled man and forced him to desperately mobilize his Nether Core to survive the precise attacks from his common wooden staff

The confrontation against the Sable Rabbit was more steady two powerful individuals from the Xyrt Brigade with the support of six others had basically reached an uneasy stalemate with the Nether Prince The regular fatalities had finally ceased Plus another squad managed to slip past and had reached the edge of the Nether KingÆs dais

Unfortunately for them a powerful Nether barrier started its hunched vigil at the edge of the dais Speculum Double Hammer had been able to brush past it but this squad was not at that level Perhaps in normal circumstances they would be able to break through by relying on their numbers but on this violent and chaotic battlefield they had stalled out

The newly arrived Speculum Pence glanced at all of this Then he walked forward and ripped a hole in the daisÆ barrier to join the other Speculum in his fight against the Nether King Both combatants saw the new orc manÆs approach and slowed their fight

You Speculum Double Hammer twisted his dry lips His fingers tightened on his cane You dare show up in front of me After all this time skulking in your precious vault

Please donÆt be so melodramatic Speculum Pence favored his peer with a wide tusk filled grin DonÆt you wish to capture this Nether King I havenÆt been watching long but it’s clear you arenÆt able to do it on your own In exchange for your home planet and your firstborn son IÆll help tilt the scales in your favor

YOU The older man bellowed his face once again turning red The Nether King tilted his disembodied helmet to the side regarding them both with all the detached curiosity of a cat After getting his anger under control Speculum Double Hammer spat his words True I donÆt currently have the initiative but this cretin blew his accumulated Nether to get rid of the threat of the Engraving Guild Soon

Every moment more Nether gathers Speculum Pence pointed out

The two glared at each other for several long moments It was clear that Speculum Double HammerÆs fury was rapidly mounting Then the orc Speculum chuckled Okay okay that first offer was just a joke WhatÆre a few jokes between friends Why would I even want your son I just wish for some of the ancient artifacts of your culture The older the better IÆm sure you understand my intentions Do we have a deal

Speculum Double Hammer scowled but his expression did soften from its earlier intensity But before he could respond there was a new change on the battlefield There was a popping from the sky drawing the gazes of almost everyone present upward

There floating above the Nether KingÆs dais sitting at the heart of the recovering maelstrom of Nether stood a man in a neat military uniform with his arms folded behind his back DiOrthoÆs eyes widened as he recognized the figure Commandant Wick offered a flat smile to the people arrayed below him before focusing on the Nether King This farce has gone on long enough Nether King your base cunning held me off for longer than I expected But now IÆve unraveled your riddle And IÆve brought reinforcements The Nexus does not welcome your kind

Commandant Wick raised his arm and pointed upward with a single solitary finger Almost immediately the air changed All the collisions and shouts of the battlefield became quiet like DiOrthoÆs ears had popped A split second later the small amount of his Ancient Machine Horror image flinched and was crushed by a rising tide of pressure The icy projection of a castle around the Pinnacle Seeker group cracked the Frost Matriarch swayed

The pooling significance had been like wearing a weighted vest The current phenomenon seemed intent on squeezing everyone present in the crater to an imageless pancake

From the depths of the Ancient Machine Horror a clicking prophecy was made and DiOrtho Vant felt fear

Above them in the darkness of the sky beyond the spatial wall an enormous hand manifested Honestly it took DiOrtho a while to recognize what it was because the hand was large enough to grip the isolated crater and the slopes around it until the space popped

The hand was almost comically shaped more cartoon than a true appendage After seeing all the extremely detailed images this was a joke The creator obviously hadnÆt even bothered to put much effort into the handÆs ability to suggestÆ that it was real Yet DiOrtho looked up at this gargantuan hand and its bulging fingers and felt only dread

The hand settled almost lightly against the top of this isolated space Then the fingers began to press down warping the powerful spatial wall as though it were as malleable as clay Bolts of negative energy crackled around these distortions as even space began to sputter and collapsed beneath the force of that hand The horrible distortions were happening so quickly on such a large scale that it was difficult to follow with an ant like viewpoint on the ground had quickly things were escalating

Elhume himself has moved The Frost Matriarch whispered

Next to her the Dusk Jackal was trembling We have to assault the Nether Forces Now If we do not we will lose our chance to

Will it matter Seeker Thunder Wing looked up at that hand and then shook his head regretfully It just doesnÆt make sense that he would move for this but since he has come

I refuse to make it this far without fighting The Dusk Jackal hissed

Seeker Ozaer shrugged Then go Enjoy being accidentally crushed

Even as the Dusk Jackal drooled and glared around at the other Pinnacle Seekers Commandant Wick spoke again with a satisfied smile on his face You know I find it quite relieving that you show no fear even now Breaking such a stubborn individual is exactly the sort of activity that I find most fulfilling

Chapter 1650

The Nether KingÆs existence as six pieces of armor with amorphous conduits of smoke between them made it difficult to read his emotions but the wide and haughty set of the armor pieces didnÆt fade as the helmet tilted upward to look at the hand that possessed enough power to crush the sky

In the wake of his statement perhaps due to the lack of reaction from the Nether King Commandant WickÆs small smile flattened into a look of irritation Perhaps you donÆt understand your current situation

Commandant Wick took a half step backward from his floating perch clearly ruffled In front of him Speculum Double Hammer had used his cane to stop the Nether KingÆs right fist which had abruptly accelerated upward fifty meters with the clear intent to cave in Commandant WickÆs chest cavity The Speculum offered a gap toothÆd grin down at the Nether King I might not be able to subdue you but I can certainly protect my cute junior Heh you are going to die here today creature

What began as a small vibration rose to a pebble bouncing seismic shift as the pressure from the massive hand grew more intense As the distortion from the fingers grew those bulging protrusions seemed to wreak destruction on a larger and larger scale Small tornados formed near the stretching spatial walls only to wink out of existence a moment later Looking down DiOrtho could see that small cracks were snaking out to cover the whole of the crater

Yet suddenly a new arrival to the Pinnacle Seeker group paused the rising sense of tension that they all cultivated Head Drill Sergeant Randidly Ghosthound crashed to the ground a little in front of the Frost MatriarchÆs cracked image He stood and rolled his shoulders as though his entrance was entirely normal Then RandidlyÆs gaze swept back and forth as he walked toward them his emerald eyes flashing We need to leave ItÆs not safe to remain within the crater any longer

As if to underscore the GhosthoundÆs statement the rumbling grew even more intense as those massive fingers squeezed down on the spatial walls The cracks beneath all of their feet were widening The Frost Matriarch tilted her head to the side as she considered the GhosthoundÆs sudden arrival and announcement Do you fear the fingers of Elhume Their dominance now is indiscriminate but once the spatial walls come down

It isnÆt Elhume that worries me itÆs the Nether King Randidly shook his head His lips were pressed together and his brow was tightly furrowed Then he hesitated I IÆm unable to tell exactly what will happen but the spatial walls are the only thing

A cowardly weakling wishes to drag us down into cowardice with him The Dusk Jackal bellowed Its eyes turned red and malicious as the creature spoke in a low growl Let me put you out of your misery then

Without waiting for a response the Dusk Jackal cracked the ground beneath his feet and bounded forward One of its hands flexed and DiOrtho could barely catch that its claws sharpened and extended With preternatural speed the Pinnacle Seeker struck

Randidly GhosthoundÆs frown deepened But he didnÆt seem to be bothered by the attack He simply waved his hand in response as though he was irritated by a persistent fly

The noise of the clash was almost completely blanketed by the escalating disintegration of the ground in their spatial island but DiOrtho felt with his body how potent the physical power displayed by both individuals was But the reason that the entire Pinnacle Seeker group had frozen was that when their attacks met the Dusk Jackal was sent stumbling backward

You The Dusk JackalÆs eyes reddened further as he huffed out a very moist breath Your physical body is more powerful than mine hahaha looks like I wonÆt miss out on all the fun after all

Suddenly the quality of light around the Dusk Jackal changed Everything else dimmed while the muscular humanoidÆs body seemed to have light leaking around his profile It was as though he stood as a celestial body during a solar eclipse With that strange shift in lighting the Dusk JackalÆs image spread outward and began to corrode the Frost MatriarchÆs castle

His bloodlust was a physical thing huffing and sniffing at the air in excitement

Jackie The Frost Matriarch said in a warning tone but the Dusk JackalÆs gaze almost seemed unconscious as though he was sleepwalking And the object of those manifested desires was Randidly Ghosthound

Randidly barred his teeth as the Dusk Jackal began to stalk forward And perhaps they might really have begun fighting had the Nether King not once more forcefully drawn all attention back to it While it had continued to launch its fists in lightning fast ranged attacks to ambush Commandant Wick some drifting grey bubbles had begun to gather around its body After accumulating hundreds of these grey bubbles there was a sudden shift the grey bubbles suddenly snapped into alignment What remained was an absolutely lovely optical illusion

As DiOrtho looked at the Nether King a delicate chrysanthemum seemed to be blooming before his chest Then while everyone watched the Nether King lowered his helmet and devoured the illusory flower by sucking it into the wafting grey smoke of his being

When he raised his head the Nether King belched out a black beam of destruction as thick as a river The air rang as the edges of that river heated surroundings so quickly that it became sheathed in bright white plasma The two Speculum and even Commandant Wick were forced to scramble out of the way to avoid being engulfed in that sudden attack

The beam streaked past them rumbling and crackling and humming to crash against the bulging palm print of the giant hand Shockwaves raced outward from the impact point dark energy weaving its way through the spatial walls and reinforcing them The rumbling continued but for the moment the hand of Elhume was stopped dead

Ridiculous The Frost Matriarch muttered Then she turned again to look at Randidly Truly I didnÆt expect The Nether could manifest this power But how long can it keep this up I see nothing worthy of our retreat

ItÆs not this Randidly shook his head his eyes still on the Dusk Jackal He spoke quickly urgency leaking into his tone But let me ask you something why does Nether need to swirl in the air

Enough talk The Dusk Jackal barked Its muscles began to bulge Today we fight

You The Head Drill Sergeant was clearly exasperated His emerald eyes flicked to DiOrtho and the ram demon realized that the only reason the man had come down here at all was to make sure he made it out alive A surge of warmth filled him from DiOrthoÆs toes to his curling ram horns

Obviously it doesnÆt need to The Frost Matriarch said in a clearly puzzled voice Then she glanced up at the gathering significance that still was accumulating above the Nether King But all at once her expression stilled It is simply energy It can be stored wherever is convenient

The Frost MatriarchÆs eyes slid downward until she stared at the growing cracks in the ground

To the Dusk Jackal Randidly spoke in a desperate voice LetÆs make a deal If I can endure one of your blows now letÆs agree to postpone the rest of our duel until ten days from now

Fine then I applaud you for having the balls to challenge me The Dusk Jackal roared More and more light gathered around his figure His body expanded becoming more obscenely muscular His veins protruded from his limbs and wriggled like freshly hatched maggots Survive this strike and prove you are worthy of a duel The Last Light of Dusk

As though signaling the beginning of this challenge the massive hand of Elhume began to force its way downward directly overpowering the Nether KingÆs blast

In an instant the physical form of Randidly transformed He flicked his hand and his two meter spear Acri appeared in his hand An angular dark grey armor appeared on his body and covered his upper torso and metal left arm The remaining revealed flesh of the GhosthoundÆs body turned incorporeal and shimmering while the thick veins running through his body began to glow with a golden light

His black hair shifted toward a deep rich green and light began to bleed and melt around his left eye Soon most of the upper left side of his face was warped by a swirling orb of darkness Spectral flames of Weight ran up and down the GhosthoundÆs arms DiOrtho could also sense an absolutely ridiculous amount of Nether coursing through his physical body Then the Head Drill Sergeant raised his spear and executed an exquisite thrust to meet the Dusk JackalÆs offensive

Unfortunately for his grand show of resistance the Ghosthound was sent flying as though he was a rubber ball hit by a club He skipped several times off the ground until he reached the portion of the crater with a steeper slope and embedded himself into the landscape

However the Dusk Jackal did not pursue The jackal headed being looked at the hand that had smashed the Ghosthound backward and frowned His muscles slowly lost their pulsing and enflamed size Then he shrugged Fine We continue this in ten days Prepare yourself I will not hold back

Meanwhile the Frost Matriarch looked around at the gathered individuals We will be following the advice of the Ghosthound and retreat from this position At least beyond the edge of the crater

With the Dusk Jackal in line the group quickly retreated As they marched in his direction the Ghosthound pried himself out of the wall and brushed some of the debris from his armor He was gaunt and looked bedraggled from the earlier clash but he fell in with the group as they moved up the slope

DiOrtho overheard the Frost Matriarch addressing the Ghosthound as they moved Can you tell the purpose of the array in the ground

The Ghosthound shook his head looking extremely tired ItÆs too dense even for me But with how thorough the concealment arrays were Heh However thereÆs one thing I donÆt understand The Ghosthound glanced upward at the sky If I can see through those arrays with some work for Elhume

The massive hand gathered momentum and crunched the spatial walls of this place further and further They were in a tin can gradually being crumpled The power the hand could display was overwhelming

But the Frost Matriarch just sighed in a sonorous exhale You only have to look at the lazy hand conjured by Elhume to understand that he doesnÆt take this threat seriously at all He has been at the Pinnacle for longer than most have even been alive he is far past the point of needing to examine carefully for traps

Randidly offered up a sharp smile and glanced again at the ground a dangerous mindset

Chapter 1651

Randidly glanced backward over his shoulder as the group reached the lip of the crater Even with their significant speed his instincts warned him that they werenÆt moving fast enough to escape the fallout of this conflict

The ground beneath his feet was constantly shuddering with growing cracks reaching out and connecting to each other And each connection seemed to embolden the destabilization But the situation below was even worse as the hand of Elhume overwhelmed the Nether KingÆs destructive blast and began to descend once more its oppression was indiscriminate

By this point the powerful fingers had completely muscled their way past the boundaries of the spatial wall An increasingly flimsy layered spatial barrier still persisted but it could only slow the invasion Without the Nether KingÆs beam acting as a support pillar everything would have collapsed From the bulging contusions of the fingers sizzling bolts of red lightning flicked back and forth casting a bloody glow over the whole situation These bolts flickered in and out of existence tiny hairs of radiation that ran up and down the length of the fingers

In addition to the bolts the distortions breathed life into a group of accelerating wind currents Three enormous tornados had touched down two inside the crater and one massive superstorm three hundred away from where Randidly and the Pinnacle Seekers were standing centered underneath the meaty palm of Elhume

Randidly narrowed his eyes as he looked at these tornados Others intermittently formed but were just as quickly smashed out of existence by the titanic forces in conflict here But those three survivors started to accumulate power by incorporating the dangerous waves of force The trunk of the tornados gradually thickened and the near constant bolts of crimson electricity began to twist down into the central column and tickle along its length

Even more concerning was the natural image of destruction that was beginning to form by persisting between the two powerful forces of Elhume and the Nether King At the moment Randidly felt confident he would be able to brush it aside But if it continued to grow stronger

Have you learned to regret yet A red eyed Commandant Wick roared even as he slid sideways through the air to avoid the powerful reverberations between the main clash It is too late Die poisoned by your own unwillingness I refuse to release the spatial lock upon this place until your corpse is cooling at my feet

Randidly tore his eyes away As the cracks in the ground widened every second he had a clearer and clearer view of the inscrutable Nether Array that filled him with such dread He simply didnÆt have time to waste right now

Revelations of the Atramentous Threshold continued to whisper of the rising tribulation that was rushing toward them

Randidly gestured and was relieved when the Pinnacle Seekers followed him back to the prepared location Of course Randidly had Helen dig the required ditch around where the weaker Pinnacle Seekers were waiting however it was hard to say whether they would help willingly once they understood

Randidly could sense from the Nether reverberations in the sky that the Nether King had unleashed even more of its power The oppressive weight of significance in the isolated space had once more spiked up toward its previous highs He allowed himself one glance over his shoulder where he could see that the black beam wrapped in crackling white light that the Nether King shot upward had almost doubled in thickness Once more the energy stalled out the descending hand of Elhume

The hanging stalemate between the two forces was heavy with tension The number of red bolts of lightning thickened The winds continued to accumulate and accelerate

But what really drew RandidlyÆs attention was that this recent clash smashed open the cracked in the ground From spiderwebs they had become fingers and now they had been forcefully pried open so that the cracks were as wide as a fist in some places Randidly peered down into those openings and saw thick liquid flows of Nether These bands of energy were wrapped so tightly together and layered on top of each other that Randidly could only understand the arrangement of the few surface ones

They pulsed intermittently like veins

Congratulations Your Skill Nether Sensation has grown to Level 430

We donÆt have much time Randidly began speaking rapidly to the powerful Pinnacle Seekers The problem is two fold when Elhume breaks the spatial wall the Nether King is going to activate whatever Nether Ritual he has prepared But I bet Elhume wonÆt sit by idly we need to be able to ride both the wave of the Nether Ritual and ElhumeÆs counter attack Randidly hesitated for a split second then continued to speak with a determined expression Because of the way energy interacts I think itÆs best that you help block the Nether King while I prepare to survive ElhumeÆs attack

When he said that despite the constant shaking from the earthquakes and the howling wind of the gathering tornados Seeker Ozaer Seeker Dusk Jackal Seeker Thunder Wing Seeker Three Tail and the Frost Matriarch all looked at him Their expressions were curiously blank as though the faces of dolls had been inserted into their physical forms

I know itÆs hard to believe RandidlyÆs hands tightened Even IÆm not sure if this will work But definitely an image wonÆt be able to stand against him

Even now the horrifying memory of that mountain rangeÆs worth of crystal Aether haunted RandidlyÆs dreams

Influence +7

Influence +9

Randidly understood what they were thinking although they would likely admit that he capable in his understanding and utilization of Nether what he currently was suggesting was that he would defend against the greatest power in the Nexus Even though their group would only be enduring collateral damage

I can handle it Randidly said again even as his palms tingled unpleasantly He was not lying exactly but hoping Even he wasnÆt sure how accurate a statement he was making There was only one way to test his theory

Pah and what do I receive in compensation if you pointlessly die here What of our duel The Dusk Jackal muttered but no one else spoke Randidly blinked for the moment it seemed like they acquiesced Perhaps it was simply because they were also observing the rapidly changing conditions but for now it was enough

Randidly felt oddly flattered but tried to keep it from his expression Even now the ground rattled itself to pieces beneath their feet He pointed to Helen who was just dismissing her black wicker image and hopping back up onto solid ground IÆve had my subordinate dig a deep ditch around our group If one of you could use that to create a powerful image that runs both underneath it and around it ideally it would almost be solid so that

The temperature around the group dropped and walls of frost grew at a speed visible to the naked eye Soon the entire Pinnacle Seeker Group seemed to be sitting inside of a snow globe made with light blue glass The Frost Matriarch offered Randidly a quiet smile with her massive and blunt features

Randidly coughed lightly Perfect Now let me

ElhumeÆs hand lurched into motion pushing through the Nether KingÆs defenses

Ruummbbllee

The latest bout of shaking sent a resounding fracture that cut up the unraveling land even further A vast rift opened into the ground about fifty meters away from their current position Almost instantly thick Nether began to geyser out of the ground forcing the already wide chasm to swell even further

That pressure acted like the signal for the rest of the land Prying one divide wider started a chain reaction as the ground endured new pressure from every direction Soon the rumbling changed to the staccato of the ground fracturing to pieces More and more Nether spewed out of these wider openings forcing them to expand At the same time the spatial walls along the sides of the isolated area began to thin and unravel as the ground fractured into floating islands and they drifted outward

The original crater area was a jigsaw puzzle being taken apart in slow motion The shifts were punctuated by the triumphant chuckle of Commandant Wick as ElhumeÆs hand continued to force its way downward

RandidlyÆs hands were trembling so he took a deep breath Unknowingly his heart rate had been steadily rising as he watched the powerful forces tear the area to pieces His skin was beginning to redden as his body temperature rose quickly overpowering the chilling ambiance of the Frost MatriarchÆs image When he blew out a breath he blew out steam

Randidly conjured Nether down to his fingertips as he walked toward the edge of their stable snow globeÆ After visualizing the array he would need to create to withstand the force of Elhume Randidly began to draw

The start was simple Randidly needed to ground the array and make it whole He needed a seal There couldnÆt be a single flaw in the sense of oneness that he was creating His fingers blurred as he traced symbol after symbol in quick succession along the icy wall in a circle After completing each series of runes Randidly took a step to the left and began again

Congratulations Your Skill Architecture of the Primordial Ways has grown to Level 421

Congratulations Your Skill Precise Nether Ritual has grown to Level 263

Randidly had quite a bit of inspiration by watching the way the Nether King had both made his preparations above and his preparations below Rather than meeting the hand directly with Nether what the Nether King was doing was creating a buffer of faux space Space was the currency of Aether generally but the Nether King deftly used it as an insulator to keep Elhume from overpowering him immediately

Randidly planned on borrowing those principles to create a similar effect with one notable exception His fingers continued to move faster and faster even while his heartbeat increased its pace to keep up Steam began wafting off his powerful body as he accelerated through the tight motions

Congratulations Your Skill Precise Nether Ritual has grown to Level 264

Congratulations Your Skill Left Hand of the Nether Oracle has grown to Level 306

At this point the crimson bolts of lightning that clustered around ElhumeÆs massive fingers were constant The growing tornados howled that they wouldnÆt be so easily extinguished but that noise was blanketed by the rumbling of the ground which was in turn blanketed by the grinding roar as ElhumeÆs hand overpowered the Nether KingÆs strike and continued to distort the spatial walls

This sound too was soon covered up by the horrifying grinding as the carefully woven spatial walls began to tear they could help hold back the fingers of Elhume no longer The sky shuddered screamed and collapsed

RandidlyÆs expression tightened He had almost traveled 180 degrees around the edge of the frozen igloo area but from the way the situation was deteriorating he wouldnÆt finish in time Even after finishing his circuit he would need to build up the infrastructure of the Nether Array this was just the base

He needed more time

The spatial walls flickered and died And at that moment the horrifying arrangement beneath their feet began to move Standing near the middle of their group Randidly heard the Frost Matriarch release a hissing breath Outside of the protective igloo large chunks of land were pushed further apart as the Nether rushed upward

Their igloo was originally on one of the largest remaining chunks of land but the land kept being cracked and split Huge chunks fell away revealing a deep darkness that waited below The darkness had been previously been kept locked away but now it was given free rein to expand

And such was the ferocity of that explosion that Randidly watched a nearby chunk of ground one that started the size of a football field meltdown to a pebble in only a few seconds With an entirely different kind of rumbling those heavy veins of Nether that were hidden beneath their feet began to reveal the horrifying veins that fueled them

Chapter 1652

With a vengeance the Nether Ritual of the Nether King gushed out of the ground More and more of the floating remnants of the ground that used to exist here were smashed to bits by the violent energy leaving only a dozen or so floating stone islands now drifting atop a vast oblivion

The Frost MatriarchÆs breathing was becoming increasingly fast In addition frost began to condense around her massive body as she continued to flare her image to protect the group

RandidlyÆs eyes followed the shifting lines of Nether rising up into the sky for a few seconds Some concealed part of himself intrinsically recognized the shape of what he was witnessing but the truth of what would soon happen danced just out of reach like a half remembered dream

The shape of this working was familiar Where the hell have I seen it before

Gritting his teeth Randidly pulled his gaze down Behind him the audible breathing of the Frost Matriarch as she endured the pressure from the grand Nether Array that was beginning to shift into high gear He didnÆt have time to waste Now that the Nether King was moving Elhume wouldnÆt be far behind

RandidlyÆs fingers continued flick out in complicated patterns He flawlessly carved Nether into the interior of the protected area The almost ornate symbols of this Precise Nether Ritual were not the typical ones Randidly utilized when Engraving Honestly they were the precise and well crafted symbols that Neveah used while Randidly often made do with a rougher and more direct language Each had its advantages but even acknowledging that RandidlyÆs typical arrangement was faster he still chose to write in NeveahÆs manner

It was simply imperative that this base boundary be completely perfect

Congratulations Your Skill Architecture of the Primordial Ways has grown to Level

Randidly continued to take steps to the left even as the hand of Elhume began to ooze fury and hatred it seemed that the distant ruler of the Nexus had finally realized that something was amiss with this ambush Its speed accelerated That hand came down with a heavy rebuke upon the Nether King and doomed the rest of them simply by proximity

Randidly took another step and traced out five runes in a split second His lines were sharp and to scale He followed this success up with another step as his work continued His fingers burned but Randidly couldnÆt really tell if it was from the Nether due to the accumulating friction from rubbing his finger against this surface or from prolonged exposure to the cold of the protective igloo The idle speculation was a comfort somehow Playfully analyzing the problem helped Randidly distance himself from the very real danger of being smashed out of existence by Elhume

Congratulations Your Skill Left Hand of the Nether Oracle has grown to Level 307

The frost around the Frost Matriarch had crystallized into a clear pillar around her body as she radiated an aggressive cold that seized upon everything and everyone who stood near her Most of the weaker Pinnacle Seekers were even forced to back away from her

Randidly had taken so many steps to the side that directly in front of him out across the dark abyss waiting below he could see one of the three formerly massive tornados on a small patch of land As he wrote the next few runes he couldnÆt help but be distracted by its presence

The shattering of the spatial walls meant that spiking electromagnetic charge in the atmosphere had vanished and Nether now gushed upward from the hidden ritual of the Nether King Matter and space were devoured leaving a few massive chunks of land drifting apart from each other in a chaotic blackness This portion of the isolated space had deteriorated but it seemed Commandant Wick kept everything from collapsing back into its prior form So now they drifted in the area between layered spaces

The tornado in front of Randidly was similarly stuck in this strange oblivion It has absorbed quite a bit of ambient power from both the Nether King and Elhume hand and swirled with a palpable image of destruction Randidly couldnÆt deny that it had grown in the past few seconds to a frightful intensity

However the isolated piece of ground it was based upon quickly disintegrated beneath it They were in a chaotic area that wasnÆt technically space so the body of its winds rapidly dissipated In addition the powerful tornado was closer to the palm of Elhume than the Pinnacle Seekers The pressure it endured was deadly

Despite being prepared for it watching such a powerful image squeezed out of existence was still rather alarming Just like the stone ground being steadily eroded by the tide of Nether the storm rotated itself into smaller and smaller cycles until it simply didnÆt exist

Randidly took a step to the left and continued his frantic scrawl

Congratulations Your Skill Left Hand of the Nether Oracle has grown to Level 308

I wonÆt make it in time Randidly spoke quietly but he was quite sure that the Pinnacle Seekers were paying attention to him Even without looking at them he could read their solemn nerves from their emotions Someone might need to help the Frost Matriarch withstand ElhumeÆs pressure until I finish

With a flourish Randidly finally finished his circuit The base layer had been completed He scanned the construction one more time for mistakes then began to draw quickly along the ground with his fingers He made toward the central area idly reflecting that it clearly wasnÆt the cold that caused his fingers to burn the sensation was getting worse and he had left the chilled medium behind

Wondering if what he was doing was somewhat disrespectful Randidly pressed his steaming fingers against the Frost MatriarchÆs ice pillar and relished the invasive chill But after only a few seconds of rest he forced himself to continue

Can we manage Seeker Ozaer wondered aloud Perhaps if we contact Speculum Pence

The two Speculum were extremely close to the point of conflict the pressure they endure should be many times worse than ours The Winged Serpent hissed Even the reptile seemed nervous as it looked out through the protective igloo at the crashing waves of Nether and the massive hand of fury It appears the two Speculum and Commandant Wick have been forced to work together to endure the pressure If those two Speculum were forced to set aside their differences the pressure must be overwhelming

Thick drops of sweat continued to fall off of RandidlyÆs head Seconds seemed to balloon into massive things as they were filled with the majesty of the two titanic individuals who fought at the core of this destruction But the preparatory accumulation of the main players had finished the Nether Ritual of the Nether King began to coalesce into a powerful core

Randidly reached the middle of the space and drew a circle He allowed himself a single breath only in this brief pause did he realize it but the thick drops of sweat that were falling from his brow froze before they hit the ground The clinking noise filled him with a powerful urge to laugh His hands were trembling His Nether Core had accelerated its own rotations to keep up with his demands but it still wasnÆt enough The energy he could now gather was thin and feeble

Cursing his own weakness Randidly sucked in another breath and he once again pressed his fingers against the conveniently placed ice pillar Invigorated by the Frost MatriarchÆs refreshing image he began to draw once more

Congratulations Your Skill Precise Nether Ritual has grown to Level 265

Influence +11

The Nether King released a powerful halo of shiny darkness even as the dais beneath his feet began to crumble At his gesture his power flowed through the veins of his prepared Nether Ritual and completely resuscitated it For a brief moment the pressure of ElhumeÆs hand was screened The two Nether Princes limped back toward the Nether KingÆs throne each covered in wounds from their struggles to hold back the orthodox Nexus forces

Randidly clapped his hands together to get some feeling back in his fingers The noise sounded muted and distant His rapid movements left him numb He looked out past the barrier that the Frost Matriarch maintained and estimated that every wave of Nether could engulf him and shatter his Nether Core with its density He quickly forced himself back into his work

Influence +8

The Nether KingÆs aura of darkness was in stark contrast to the bright light that emerged midair between his body and that of ElhumeÆs hand Despite the importance that he finish the Nether Ritual Randidly couldnÆt help but look up and take another glance at the much grander Nether Ritual happening right in front of him Somehow the Nether King was weaving a connection to the ElhumeÆs hand and drawing out something vital That theft was fueling the entire process creating that wondrous illumination that stalled out all attacks

To put it another way this Nether Ritual could not have happened without the presence of Elhume RandidlyÆs mouth twitched Why did the Nether King need Elhume Because now that he saw it it was clear where he had seen this arrangement of before even if the truth left Randidly baffled it was from Tellus

The Nether King is opening a door Randidly muttered Then he shook himself did his best to steady his trembling and began drawing runes once more

Congratulations Your Skill Architecture of the Primordial Ways has grown to Level 423

RandidlyÆs idea for what came next in his defensive array was actually inspired by both his own training methods and his new Fatepiece He hadnÆt yet heard from the historically minded Seeker Thunder Wing how to activate his Hierarchy of Burden but Randidly was already familiar with making his own movements more difficult by defraying some of his expended force across a large physical object In this case he would be the one that absorbed the force of the dangerous attacks RandidlyÆs body would become the buffer between the isolation layer and the delicate infrastructure of his array

He would bear the burden

RandidlyÆs hands blurred once more as he began to draw the buffer array Part of the reason that he chose this Path was due an epiphany the height of his combined power was slightly misleading

In every area except one Randidly was talented but unremarkable compared to his peers in the Nexus He had three images but was only a worthy foe for this tier of enemies when he combined all three He could manipulate Nether but this Nether King made him feel like a child building fake spaceships with the comically large legos for toddlers He was increasing up his Nether CoreÆs Influence yet compared to the Influence that the Nether Lattice had been able to subdivide and inject into those black spikes

Only when it came to his body did Randidly have an advantage He even felt that the advantage he possessed was relatively large after being able to so easily repel the Dusk JackalÆs physical strike So to survive while taking on Elhume he planned on taking advantage of his monstrous Stats

As the portal stabilized and formed into a visible threshold of white light ElhumeÆs hand changed It didnÆt just accelerate forward to strike at the Nether King although it did indeed do that A ripple surrounded the massive appendage and the shape began to change The hand shrunk from large enough to crunch the entire isolate space to a hand that was about a hundred meters from the tip of the fingers to the base of the palm The skin turned dried and grey and the palm was crisscrossed with an intricate pattern of scars

The hand wasnÆt just an idea of a hand but literally the reaching will of Elhume

Seems like someone is in a bad mood Randidly mused

As the appendage rushed toward the doorway of light the fabric of existence boiled with around its grey skin Randidly was focusing as best as he could on the Engraving he was doing but his senses flinched from the emotional potency that the hand was releasing Suddenly he was very very glad that he made so many preparations

Otherwise he readily admitted that he would have been annihilated without any suspense He finished the buffering Engraving with a flourish Then he began to create the base stabilization runes

is it strange that I feel like I recognize the door Seeker Three Tails tilted his head to the side and stared at the portal conjured by the Nether King An ornate frame was rapidly forming even as ElhumeÆs attack rushed downward

Seeker Ozaer began to laugh You wouldn’t deserve the name of Pinnacle Seeker if you did not Ha No wonder Elhume is so incensed I do not understand how he managed it but that Nether King just opened a very famous door the Path to the Pinnacle

Even Randidly paused in his desperate scrawl for a split second when he heard the truth about this conjured door Then with a sense of foreboding in his heart he did his best to finish his Nether Ritual

What would occur when ElhumeÆs strike landed on their protective igloo was quite similar to what had happened to the entire space when the hand first appeared The difference was that Randidly was connecting the array to his body so the bulgesÆ that had so destabilized the space above the crater would be absorbed Or rather handledÆ by him personally The effect was subtle but those distortions had far reaching effects Enduring a portion of that force physical would prevent the interior machinations of his Nether Ritual from being frayed

As for whether even his powerful body would be up to the task

The Nether King gathered his two Nether Princes to himself and then sped forward in the direction of the light Even as the furious Elhume moved to smash this foe the Nether King reached the luminous portal The ornate door frame glittered with complex and shifting symbols

Can a Nether being even make it to the Pinnacle Seeker Dusk Jackal whispered uncertainly

The Winged Serpent shook its head slowly Imagine a being that could conjure the memories of an object from nothing Such an individual could rewrite the past and we would be unable to do anything about it Theoretically the capability of a Nether being at the Pinnacle is even more horrifying than an Aether being

A split second before ElhumeÆs attack arrived the Nether King stepped through the doorway of light and vanished Randidly winced when it became clear that Elhume didnÆt bother to soften his blow due to its late arrival

His fingers were still scribbling the last few runes of his Nether Ritual

In a horrifying crash that strange doorway was annihilated Light and darkness surged and mixed in a chaotic froth of energy A shockwave rippled outward to smash into all those bits of matter that were unlucky enough to still remain

Chapter 1653

Birds chirped and fluttered around the open windowsill Summer was in full swing generously transforming the entire environment Warm beams of light slanted down into the conference room transforming the drab green carpet into a rich emerald walkway that glittered with possibilities The Acting Head Teacher of Kharon Academy was currently finishing her report her voice high pitched with anxiety and frustration

Tatiana chuckled and looked around the table at the other leaders who were attending the meeting Most also had small smiles on their faces I mean what did you expect They are children honestly itÆs surprising that it took so long for them to create a petition like this Convincing them to have a semester of school without a sanction dance for a few years can be considered a major victory

Despite the very human reality of this situation Gertrude CollinÆs expression was stubborn Even if it improves morale considering the fact that enrollment is up to thirty thousand and we are still struggling to recruit enough teachers just considering the problems of location alone young Mister Moss hasnÆt finished the Engravings to create the newest expansion so ALSO if we consider how much money such an event will cost

At least in terms of money Kharon wonÆt have any problems Tatiana waved her hand The room was warm despite the drifting breezes from the open windows GertrudeÆs resistance was somewhat sweet but she was missing the point the status quo will never last Inevitably as Kharon Academy grew more and more resources would need to be sent to less pertinent areas

That was a universal problem of human civilizations and it certainly wasnÆt with it to fight that trend over a winter formal

Tatiana cleared her throat WeÆve finally reached an agreement with Zone Seven They will be sending one thousand talented teenagers to learn from us for three years and are rewarding us quite handsomely for our trouble And that is on top of Kharon AcademyÆs usual tuition All this is due to the tireless efforts of the newest member of our Council

Gertrude narrowed her eyes and leaned forward with her palms against the table But if we used this money instead to

Tatiana raised her hand Gertrude they followed Kharon Academy Precepts They successfully convinced 65% of the AcademyÆs population to sign it It was brought before the Prefects and unanimously approved We cannot do anything but acquiesce while remaining true to KharonÆs Spirit

To keep the young woman from dwelling too much on the dark side of her zeal to give the children better lives Tatiana turned to Ajax She tapped her fingers against the glossy surface of the mahogany table around which they all sat What are the reports from the Order Ducis Have we heard any news about the First Calamity

Ajax nodded The Alpha CosmosÆ Pantheon released an official announcement that something malfunctioned when Expira and the Alpha Cosmos were connected by the archways However things are apparently now back on track based on their estimations the First Calamity will arrive during the winter solstice

Their estimations or their own preparations I wonder No one responded to her low voiced statement but Tatiana was used to it The few individuals she shared her private theories with were slightly uncomfortable with the prospect of the Ghosthound taking over the System wholesale Especially when it now seemed like a destructive Calamity would truly be arriving soon to Expira

Tatiana set aside her pet theories and did some mental calculations ThatÆs a little over four months Hum Well it will have to be enough

Commissioner Arrietti sighed A shame itÆs taken so long for this trial to arrive WeÆve had five years to start squabbling again People are growing complacent

Which is exactly why itÆs paradoxically a good idea for a Calamity to appear soon

Speaking of which Tatiana looked over at him How did the communications with Zone 1 go

Commissioner ArrietiÆs heavy face creased into a frown He was an extremely polite man but at these meetings he laid bare his true emotional responses to the various other ambassadors Keh well IÆm hoping they change their tune soon but they still insist that we release Elijah Frank into their custody They claim that legally we cannot be considered part of the original Zone treaty They no longer are saying our lack of Zone status precludes us but rather ahem that our transitory wanderings have deprived Kharon of its ability to claim the sanctuary benefits of stationary population centersÆ

Tatiana glanced at Ajax Ajax snorted and shrugged TheyÆve definitely sent more skimmer bikes to tail us in the last few months It isnÆt enough that they would try to use force but a clandestine operation Definitely possible But Hydie Mordath is more than capable of holding down the fort believe me Even thinking about giving her an annoying job gives me an inexplicable spree of bad luck these days IÆd hate to see what happened to a group trying to plot a prison break under her watch

The final member of their council set his tea down on the table Huang Shou crossed his arms and slid his hands into his sleeves Zone 1 is certainly true to its roots it is a country that prides itself on its ability to ignore its own history and therefore repeats its own mistakes

Too true TatianaÆs smile was sharp and brittle She glanced around once more Well thatÆs probably about it right So letÆs move on to the final issue In regards to Theodora GreymanÆs proposal

Tatiana briefly froze For the first time in a long time an old and valuable Skill spoke to her She could feel the threat that was looming over the GhosthoundÆs head as well as the knowledge that the threat would even reach them here At the window birds continued to flutter their wings and chirp The sunlight was still warm and heavy

She knew in her bones that the idyllic peace was about to be shattered

Send out an alarm ground the entirety of KharonÆs Driftlands Tatiana said Brace for impact And send out an emergency announcement on all channels something big is coming If the Zones push back call it a Calamity Response Drill Maybe this is exactly the reminder that Expira needs right now

RandidlyÆs fingers continued to scrawl out his Nether Ritual At this point he was moving his hand quickly that the tips of his fingers were literally smoking from the friction Randidly suppressed the urge to giggle and kept working He desperately pulled more and more Nether through his Nether Core but he truly was running dry His foundations werenÆt stable enough to attempt this project in such a short time frame

And he didnÆt dare look up toward the approaching shockwave afraid of the harsh reality of what he would see It was overwhelming enough to feel even his Grim Intuition disintegrate during his attempts to sense the lethality of the chaotic wave

Despite the proximity of the Frost MatriarchÆs glacial pillar as maintained the icy barrier RandidlyÆs skin was turning red from the heat His heart was beating too fast his blood was heating more quickly than her ambient image could disperse it

In a way his overly robust cardiovascular system reaffirmed how powerful RandidlyÆs body was and gave him a bit of confidence in his plan But at the same time

The strike from ElhumeÆs hand annihilated even the chaotic void space with its passage Aether and Nether seemed to ignite each other endlessly in their collisions infected by ElhumeÆs furious emotions The resulting wave blasted outward covering several hundred meters a second

Someone needs to buy me two seconds Randidly said To his own ears his voice sounded hollow and faint He braced one hand against the ground as he continued to carve the body of his array He didnÆt even have the spare time to look up at the oncoming doom Steam wafted from his shaking shoulders

Congratulations Your Skill Left Hand the Nether Oracle has grown to Level 309

Congratulations Your Skill Architecture of the Primordial Ways has grown to Level 424

I can Helen began but she was thankfully pushed to the side by Seeker Three Tails and Seeker Dusk Jackal Their billow auras thankfully convinced Helen to stand down

Randidly couldnÆt didnÆt have a spare moment to throw a thankful glance toward these two but he felt the two Pinnacle Seekers glance at each other Almost all the distance between ElhumeÆs original strike and their current position was devoured by the chaotic grey destruction Then the two Pinnacle Seekers turned forward and flared their images Powerful sharp figures exploded upward and lashed out at that oncoming wave

Force met force and the attacks of the Pinnacle Seekers cut deeply into the spreading wave A half second passed bought by their initial strikes But as soon as they pushed that roiling force backward more destructive energy began to close in from the sides In another 2 seconds the images began to falter and fade from the engulfing tide of destruction Ambient energy from the shockwave corroded their details and stained their meaning The edges of the imagesÆ shape began to be smudged There was a horrible squelching noise like bare feet in cold mud as the images began to melt before that wave

With the two Pinnacle Seekers’ efforts they had endured for 1 4 seconds RandidlyÆs trembling intensified

ElhumeÆs attack was fueled primarily by emotion but it was emotion on a scale of intensity that left Randidly shaken Or maybe he was simply shaking because he was so so close and his body was sluggishly struggling to finish the Nether Ritual

5 more seconds His fingers were a burning smoking shaking blur

RandidlyÆs eyes were bloodshot and he couldnÆt remember the last time he took a breath At the moment his confused and overstrained body didnÆt even know whether it was time for him to inhale or exhale The two powerful attacks from the Pinnacle Seekers faded away like a glass of bright cranberry juice poured into a lake All of their abilities were diffused in a split second The horrible wave surged forward and smashed against the edge of their ice globe

Instantly the walls shuddered and fractured underneath the vicious pressure Cracks snaked outward through the thick layer of ice Light refracted the slanted and broken bits of ice making the scene outside of the safe harbor provided by the Frost Matriarch seem even more chaotic But from the abrupt spike in the ambient cold of RandidlyÆs surroundings it was clear that she was furiously throwing herself against the energy that was repeatedly brutalizing the ice globe The cracks spread to cover every surface held together by only the piercing image of frozenÆ that the Frost Matriarch maintained

Randidly released a breath and coughed as he looked down at the hasty Nether Ritual he had created This will have to do No more time to spare

By the end of it Randidly was relying entirely on instinct as he shaped the Nether Ritual There was the barrier the Nether infrastructure that would maintain and strengthen the barrier and then his body in between them catching the energy that couldnÆt be completely screened by the barrier and preventing that energy from destroying the functional apparati of the Nether Ritual

But honestly perhaps it was better that everything was done entirely by instinct Nether was the energy of amorphous connections between individuals and of the weight of context and history Clearly defined shapes were not NetherÆs forte

When the ice barrier cracked audibly for a second time Randidly dropped to his knees and pressed his hands to the ground His Nether Core was currently running on fumes but he had set a sufficient amount of Nether to the side before he had started That energy gratefully escaped his body and flowed through the runes of the array

Flames of Nether Weight flickered to life along his arms steadying Randidly for what was to come

As the ice was cracking and shuddering its way toward a total collapse the precise Nether Ritual began to glow A seemingly flimsy barrier flickered and stretched to cover the whole of their little frozen lifeboat The shockwave changed targets from the ice wall to this flimsy barrier and ground its dangerous emotions and radiation against the new arrival The barrier flexed slightly but most of that destructive force was first insulated by a layer of space and then transferred directly to RandidlyÆs body

Congratulations Your Skill Precise Nether Ritual has grown to Level 266

Keh Randidly began to tremble and vomited up a mouthful of blood on the ground At the same time his images gratefully took over the lionÆs share of the effort from his Nether Core As soon as his body was injured his powerful Health Regeneration empowered by his images began to knit him back together

But the first backlash was honestly the most manageable What followed was a series of endless waves of destructive force that sought to tear his body to shreds Randidly gritted his teeth and did his best to endure

Congratulations Your Skill Chimeric Impunity has grown to Level 367

Congratulations Your Skill Stigma of the Stillborn Phoenix has grown to Level 319

Congratulations Your Skill Grit of the Ascendant Bane has grown to Level 407

Chapter 1654

Time receded revealing itself for the illusion that it had always been Pain was the constant but that too rose and fell intermittently What remained was steady the constant Struggle The Struggle was the labor to live that would never cease Through inscrutable lines of Nether the destructive forces of Elhume strike were stripped of their dangerously infectious emotional component and fed through to RandidlyÆs body

His person was the battleground of the Struggle

Parts of Randidly were constantly fracturing or tearing resulting in a mix of bodily fluids spraying up out of his wounds and drenching the ground around him A huge gash ripped apart through his side and smashed into his hipbone The flesh and cartilage of RandidlyÆs throat was crunched together into a fist sized ball His eyes swelled and popped In the wake of those agonizing waves he would take the damaged pieces and rapidly attempt to remake himself

His neck healed well enough to raise his head and his eyes regenerated in only a few seconds Through a hazy gaze he saw the bright runes of the Nether Ritual shining through a small puddle of blood but then he closed his eyes to focus his attention on the rising stack of problems plaguing him

Congratulations Your Skill Grit of the Ascendant Bane has grown to Level 408

The most surprising realization was that the only reason Randidly had any hope of successfully enduring this attempt was due to his monstrously high Health and Health Regeneration These had been passively rising as he inflated his Stat but the Attributes werenÆt relevant in most of his previous confrontations

Well perhaps that wasnÆt true The true staying power Randidly possessed was due to his body holding two planets most of the force he endured needed to expend a planet cracking amount of force to even wound him And wound him it did

His body was taking the brunt of the damage but he felt a few tweaks of guilt because Expira and the Alpha Cosmos were probably feeling some of this Then he banished those thoughts right now surviving was the most important thing

Randidly laid back on the ground feeling his chest collapse and his ribcage fracture His organs were spun and pureed within his torso His back spasmed and twisted as his vertebrae were smashed together until they cracked The invasive burst of force hit him in unpredictable and random ways the only consistent note was that they started at the level of his skin and tore into his flesh

Congratulations Your Skill Chimeric Impunity has grown to Level368

Each of RandidlyÆs three images flared to life assisting his high Attributes in keeping himself alive Yggdrasil was the nurse carefully using life energy to stitch RandidlyÆs sundered flesh back into a pretty realistic semblance of a body The Stillborn Phoenix howled and pulled at the disparate pieces using its hunger to hold everything together in a living whole In addition the Egg of Depression devoured any fragments of dangerous emotions managed to make it through the surface layer of his Nether Ritual

As for the Grim Chimera the Grim Chimera remade the body of Randidly Ghosthound piece by piece It had assumed the role of the make shift architect that designed his resistance

Waves of pain splashed against RandidlyÆs consciousness keeping most of the details fuzzy But when his flesh was left torn and broken it was the poignant vision of the Grim Chimera that guided the pieces back together Every healed muscle and regenerated bone was shaped with the Grim ChimeraÆs determination to survive

Congratulations Your Skill Grit of the Ascendant Bane has grown to Level 409

Congratulations Your Skill the Emerald Sap of Yggdrasil has grown to Level 299

Congratulations Your Skill Chimeric Impunity has grown to Level 369

Congratulations Your Skill Chimeric Impunity has grown to Level 370

Gradually some part of RandidlyÆs perception was numbed Grim Intuition turned a blind eye to first the outside world then to the slew of notifications that his physical damage earned him

Each iteration was a small step forward RandidlyÆs cells had been empowered to contain his Stats when he had torn his body in the ambush by LayÆmel and the Swacc Family but he was still had rebuilt in the shape of a human

Now with the Grim Chimera at the helm that constraint was thrown out the window

This time with the fury of Elhume repeatedly burning away his flesh and organs the design of his being started to take advantage of the vastly superior foundation of his new cells He didnÆt have enough attention to think about it he just threw himself into fueling his images But even without guidance those images accumulated insights

And as he started to gain momentum in his changes Randidly made the conscious choice to stop shunting so much of the force he endured from Elhume onto his inner worlds By adjusting his Domain Skill he began minimizing the reverberations that those innocent people would be forced to face

Right after he made this executive decision he began to regret it But then his consciousness began to lose some of its coherence

The pain was all Randidly knew the only sensation that existed outside of the Struggle But Randidly didnÆt try to rid himself of the pain because it was an efficient signal of the growing problems of a body torn to pieces By paying attention to the greatest sources of the pain he continued to prolong the Struggle with small successes No one battle could win him the war because the state of Struggle had grown into something eternal But Randidly could at least seize the opportunity to stay in this permanence with his own hands

Steadily as the images continually expended their energy to heal and remake him Randidly grew weary His focus became blurred The original sharp stabs of pain became vague impressions Rather than continuing to stubbornly meet his grievous wounds in the same manner be began to adjust his response to account for his diminishing acuity

He utilized Ripple of Amenonuhoko to guide YggdrasilÆs lines of life energy when he was sewing himself back together The life aura that trailed in YggdrasilÆs wake meant that his healing efforts didnÆt need to be as targeted and the natural energy began to accumulate within his person Just this adjustment alone stopped his downward mental spiral dead in its tracks

Randidly used the flames of the March of Ruin in Valor to add a cauterizing element to his images and could then just burn some of his wounds closed Again and again the variant radiation of Elhume attempted to shatter RandidlyÆs body but he could utilize brief spurts of Nether Weight to turn aside the final straw that would truly break his resistance and ravage his inner worlds once more

With this brief respite his images furiously healed his shell in preparation for the next wave of radiation The Struggle persisted indefinitely

RandidlyÆs focus narrowed even further Distantly the pain registered but he was more concerned with the details this particular rupture began at his right shoulder and snaked downward toward his heart Without feeling much of anything at the prospect Randidly observed his own heart being torn in half

At this point a heart and a pinky finger and an ear were all similarly replaceable

After the organ was eviscerated the Stillborn Phoenix was able to hungrily devour the rest of this dangerous intrusionÆs momentum His body began healing even as strikes occurred at his left ankle and right hip His left crunched into a muddy mix of blood and powdered bone while his lower intestines were diced into marble sized chunks

The bright light of the Inscrutable Mien of Genesis suppressed the worst of the problems so healing could begin Yggdrasil gliding smoothly with the methods of Ripple of Amenonuhoko wove through his body From the depths of the Grim Chimera something began to simmer and release a pulse of light

However Randidly didnÆt have time for trivialities His rate of healing was slowing After considering the problem he began to actively guide the invading wounds to destroy him in more permanent and damaging ways Specifically Randidly used the invasive energy to induce a strange calcification in his wounded limbs that lingered as his blood dried

He would still be able to heal such wounds but the process would leave his limbs stiff and rigid So in the aftermath of being broken it would be more difficult to injure him further rather than easier

RandidlyÆs mind was fuzzy but the Struggle was eternal As it was with all things the patterns of life repeatedly themselves endlessly

Wound

Heal

The light from the Grim Chimera continued to grow Something could happen soon if Randidly could trigger it He felt like it would be a positive change but the current Randidly was numb and fuzzy Rather than risking everything on an unknown gamble he much preferred the relatively predictable devastation and reform across his body

Idly Randidly wondered whether he would ever leave the Struggle Did he even care if he ever escaped this cycle At this point the pulse of the Nether Ritual that transferred unstable radiation to his body was just a part of him Yet his Nether Core reminded him that despite the strained scenario this incident was small compared to the length of his life

The thoughts were meaningless and light like dried leaves The next invasion of foreign energy drove them away RandidlyÆs resolve firmed even as his consciousness faded further He would fight forever That was simply the person that he was

Gradually that horrible grey light began to recede The was a shifting rumble and Helen was briefly disoriented In the next instant she fell to her knees as the ground beneath her feet lurched and her exhausted limbs couldnÆt handle the shift Their isolated space began to tilt and tumble through the air

But just as quickly as they began falling the floating ice ll filled with Pinnacle Seekers landed on solid ground Helen could feel the Frost Matriarch extending her image and creating a platform of ice beneath them Careful not to look too closely at the current form of Randidly Helen walked to the cracked edge of their snow globe and peered outward they were back on the surface of a planet

After five minutes of brutal destruction ElhumeÆs attack had ebbed and the separated spaces were rejoined From their current position on an ice shelf at the edge of a vast crevasse and the large number of ruptured ridges just in the field of her vision it seemed the return to normal space had been rather jarring for all involved

There was a cracking noise and the pillar of ice around the Frost Matriarch fell to pieces She stepped out of the shards of ice and shook her head Then she glanced down at Randidly and then toward the edge of her snowglobe Remarkable Truly remarkable He endured it

But we have a problem Seeker Thunder Wing frowned down at the maroon grey gargoyle that Randidly had become He is clearly unconscious but his array is still functioning Will we able to break the array from the inside

We could scratch through the runes The Dusk Jackal huffed but his gaze toward the Ghosthound possessed a hint of respect

Not to worry The Frost Matriarch raised a hand and waved it The snow globe walls shattered along with the Nether Engraving that Randidly had made Without that foundation the other portions of the Nether Ritual flickered and began to fade The energy around Randidly Ghosthound finally calmed

Now The Frost Matriarch looked around at the gathered individuals She patted Claudette fondly on the head

Then the frost giant turned her gaze toward Helen I suspect you are his second You have a choice to make You can take him yourself but I recommend you come with us Randidly Ghosthound shouldnÆt be too seriously injured but his recovery will take some time and I recommend you go somewhere beyond the reach of the orthodox Nexus factions until he has fully restored his faculties

Chapter 1655

Raymund Ballast stood strictly at attention as he stood on a low hill above the smoldering and charred remnants of a forest and received the elite groupÆs orders from a representative of Military High Command His hands were clasped behind his back and he kept his chin raised despite feeling slightly nervous

As soon as the representative relayed the order she turned and activated a tool to step directly into the Nexus Ways In the next second she was gone without noticing his tenseness at all RaymundÆs lips curled upward at his own behavior and he reached up to rub his neck

While Helen had taken Randidly to recuperate with the Pinnacle Seekers the Foxman had moved with DiOrtho to return as quickly as possible to the previous position held by the other members of the Elite Squad Luckily it seemed that aside from the final isolated space the others were only shaken by ElhumeÆs attack the elite squad had barely received any damage to speak of as the areas collapsed back to the planet

When the Vulpine returned to the group waiting on the upwind side of the hill Charlotte Wick and Vizzeret Clamman both looked at him with extremely sharp eyes The flame elemental Jieu Ronault schooled his flickering features better the other two but Raymund could tell that all three of the individuals who had inherited portions of the GhosthoundÆs images were chomping at the bit to prove themselves The fact that they had been too weak to accompany Raymund and DiOrtho in following the Head Drill Sergeant was a source of immense frustration

Still the only reason the emotion has so stubbornly persisted is that fool Vant upon his return immediately claiming he needed solitude to adjust his mental state due to a recent epiphany regarding his image Raymund thought helplessly as he looked at the restless group in front of him Not that he could blame them

Their pride had been wounded For those who had been dotingly raised by the NexusÆ elite such a state was intolerable

Every one of them had received instruction from the Ghosthound and his subordinates and only after coming here and witnessing the force of the Nether Heralds did the group realize how valuable that experience was Each was desperate to repay the Ghosthound in any way that they could

I have received our orders Raymund said formally As the Nether Forces are beating a rapid retreat after we and this is in the representativeÆs own words achieved a decisive victory over the cowardly Nether KingÆ we are to pursue the Nether Forces and eliminate as many as possible

The Foxman showed his teeth to the rest of the group So let us sound the horns the hunt soon begins

Helen sipped her tea feeling her lips tingle as she took the mercurial liquid into her mouth Then she politely put the cup back down on the delicately wrought ice table wondering how long it would take until her tongue would stop being numb from the homemadeÆ tea provided by the Frost Matriarch

She was currently alone but it felt disrespectful to spit it out on the floor She settled for half choking on the liquid for several seconds as her body struggled with the decision of whether to swallow it or not Which in retrospect just kept the liquid in her mouth for longer

Thank god Randidly isnÆt a political type Helen slapped her cheeks ThatÆs when the portion of her mouth that touched the liquid began to change

Currently it felt like a small blizzard was gleefully making itself at home in her mouth coating her tongue and gums with a thick layer of ice Helen coughed lightly and shook her jaw the joint seemed to function normally indicating that the miniature blizzard didnÆt actually exist Which only served to make her more disturbed and firmed her resolve to sample no more of the Frost Matriarch Specialities

Helen was currently sitting in a wide hall on the Frost MatriarchÆs base planet Aside from three ornate robinÆs egg blue chairs and a crystalline table Helen probably had all of fifty square meters to herself The high ceilings made the space seem even larger still Behind her was the passage that led deeper into the Frost MatriarchÆs compound but the wall in front of her ended in several large thresholds framed by ornately carved archways

HelenÆs lips twitched as she looked out through those archways at the seemingly endless stretches of tundra that lay beyond The Frost Matriarch had billed this room as famed for its viewsÆ A chilling wind blew white snow into heavy drifts in strangely mesmerizing wave patterns as Helen watched There is certainly a bit of natural beauty to this place but mostly

Thankfully the heavy tread of feet indicated that HelenÆs private mouth torture was over A few seconds later the Frost MatriarchÆs long limbed gait carried her into the room Rather than trying to fit her form on one of the Helen sized chairs the Frost Matriarch waved a hand and conjured a casualÆ throne of ice and sat down

The casual chair was covered in lifelike sculptures of wolves romping across a glittering tundra Helen made a mental note to when she had achieved an oppressive level of mastery with her Depths of Horror Domain engage in painstaking practice so she would be able to effortlesslyÆ conjure an imposing black wicker chair at the drop of a hat

Any change in the Ghosthound The Frost Matriarch asked politely Helen shook her head as the Frost Matriarch had indicated when they had escaped Randidly needed some time to recover from his predicament Currently it had been two days since the Nether King had escaped right out from under the hand of Elhume and their group skirted their doom However Helen wasnÆt worried her connection with Randidly informed her that everything was fine with him

In the meantime she had asked for the Frost MatriarchÆs help in gathering some information on the situation outside

The Frost Matriarch leaned back in her throne and frowned out toward the vast white tundra that surrounded her base Then she seemed to shake herself out of a reverie I have been carefully monitoring the situation in the Fifth Cohort and also the movements of Military High Command They are much easier to observe than the secretive Engraving Guild and things are falling out pretty well for your Ghosthound

The official stance of Military High Command is that Elhume won a decisive victory and the Nether King was wounded and forced to flee For the moment the Pinnacle Seekers have managed to keep from undercutting this propaganda In addition both the Engraving Guild and Military High Command groups that were present in that final crater were able to escape so there is no public reason for these groups to fixate on the Pinnacle SeekersÆ survival The Frost Matriarch gave Helen a long look But donÆt let that fool you My people are fickle Soon they bring a needle to the orthodox factionsÆ balloon if just for the pleasure of revealing their hypocrisy

And when that happens they will want to have a PR distraction prepared I would be very surprised if both groups werenÆt taking this time to investigate Randidly Ghosthound more fully They wonÆt realize how much culpability he had in our escape at least at first But perhaps they will soon receive word

And the other thing With Seeker Dusk Jackal Helen rubbed the back of her neck wishing the numbing sensation wouldnÆt keep spreading through her body At this point her neck had begun to tingle The whole situation left her feeling rather powerless

The Frost Matriarch chuckled after taking an offensively large swallow of the tingling tea The Dusk Jackal said that if the Ghosthound hasnÆt recovered in eight days for their duel he will just crack open his cocoon a little bit to make sure nothing is wrong In this case I can do nothing for you as it was a promise between the two of them that was made in front of witnesses Pinnacle Seekers do not meddle in each otherÆs affairs casually

After a few more minutes of discussion regarding more of the mundane details of their stay in the base the Frost Matriarch turned and walked away down the hall Helen watched her go and waited for the noise of her footsteps to fade Then she picked up the teacup and teapot that were sitting on the table and carried them to the edge of the haul There she dumped the mysterious specialty teaÆ onto the frozen tundra

Feeling incredibly refreshed Helen returned the tea set to the table and walked across to the hallway herself She took several sharp turns to end up on the far wing of the compound where she reached a rather plain looking wooden door and opened it Within the cocooned Randidly continued to recuperate

You are so fucking ugly right now Helen muttered as she scanned the marred maroon grey covering for any signs of change There were none

While he was sitting in the core of his Nether Ritual it had been difficult to see RandidlyÆs movements A shining halo of light covered his body even as the radiance did nothing to cover the sickening cracks and tears of his flesh being repeatedly ruptured When the light had faded they found a nearly humanoid form on all fours that had been covered with a strange maroon substance It looked like plaster and smelled like shit

This heavy mudlike goop was especially heavy around his back and waist so that his hunched formed seemed grotesquely large Actually all of Randidly seemed just a little bit too large with the strange material covering him his arms seemed to bulge and his fingers seemed ungainly

Helen had scratched off a bit of the substance liberally coating his body and realized to her disgust that it was just a dried mixture of blood flesh and bone that had spurted across all of his limbs as he received the wounds In his current form he seemed to lurk sitting on his haunches

Randidly was crouching with his knuckles pressing into the ground while his hands curled into claws His chest and back was covered in strange ridges of his dried blood signaling that the material had dried broken open and then bled out to fill in those new spaces The GhosthoundÆs head hung forward meaning that the details of his features melted into the maroon goop dried across his face

Honestly Helen decided that his features being obscured might be for the best She could easily imagine his face both contorted into an agonized scowl or held ominously blank by the force of his Willpower Both options would have made it difficult to do little else but focus on the pain that Randidly had endured to protect them which would have triggered the sense of helplessness in her chest even further

As it was after checking to make sure that Randidly hadnÆt moved and broken out of his bone/blood goop Helen began to practice her Depths of Horror Domain Her image had been powerfully shaken by the clash against Techetadore but that experience had just strengthened her understanding of the Depths of Horror

Over the past few days she had been continually pushing herself deeper and deeper into her Domain to understand the secrets it held For now Helen continued to avoid the sonorous heartbeat that signified the core area but she used that central signal to explore the far corners of the darkness Sometimes she stumbled across twisted monsters in those hidden areas which forced her to engage in a battle with a mental demon Other times she would discover new currents of energy that would inspire a different method of utilizing her wicker lines

Today she thought she would

Helen paused in her introspection Releasing a breath she rapidly ascended from the depths Once she had shaken off the lingering mental pressure she felt from her Domain and noticed to her dismay that the tingling numbness from the tea had now spread to most of her torso she shook herself and looked toward the crouching gargoyle Randidly

Crack Crack

Thin lines had formed across the pointer finger of his right hand When Helen looked closely at the appendage it was clear that a slight tremor was running through it

After two and a half days Randidly Ghosthound was waking up

Chapter 1656

This time the goop fractured from RandidlyÆs wrist up through his forearm in a sharp fracture The whole of his form began to tremble and cracks began to appear both more frequently and more quietly along its length Helen licked her lips felt nothing due to the numbness and suppressed the rising excitement in her heart

Obviously I didnÆt think he would be stuck in there forever but having him fucking moving again is kinda a relief

Crack Crack Crack Crack

Rapidly the whole of the Randidly statue began to quake and shudder Small pieces of his dried blood began to flake off and cover the floor in a thin coating of reddish dust as bits of the goop burst under the pressure Considering the general pristine ivory decor of the place Randidly GhosthoundÆs molting was a cataclysmic mess