LoRG 4

Congratulations Your Skill Architecture of the Primordial Ways has grown to Level 426

Even with Randidly only scribbling the rune down on a napkin it began to glow with pregnant meaning His senses detected tiny threads of significance that began to worm their way into the material

Then Randidly snapped back to himself and grimaced Designing these runes to give the automatons consciousness is all well and good but is this sort of metallic soul going to make them any better at cooking And also if I stop by for a week and sew the seeds of a machine revolution

Tatiana would literally kill me when she found out

Chuckling to himself Randidly gathered up all of the napkins covered in his messy runes and crumpled them up into a ball Then he took the whole thing and tossed it directly into the trashcan

Sometimes a thing done casually was much more dangerous than the purposeful actions of a malcontent Especially when the casual actor was somewhat as influential as Randidly Ghosthound

Randidly sucked on his teeth for a few seconds then pulled out his PhilosopherÆs Key to continue to his next goal But just as he was about to insert the key and teleport directly to the spiraling physical manifestation of his Nether Core Randidly hesitated Instead he opened TatianaÆs window and simply leapt out into the air landing on a nearby building Rather than just going to view his Nether Core Randidly wanted to proceed through the Kharon Labyrinth to see the tests that had been arranged by those he had left behind

As he began to hop along the nearby rooftops toward the edge of Kharon Randidly looked up and grinned at the sky The complex orbits of the sky islands and the emerald veins that allowed floating vehicles to travel between the various locations were somewhat mesmerizing to watch In a way this system was just as organic an existence as an animal The Kharon that Randidly had made was steadily growing and evolving

When he reached the edge of the metal legged Kharon he tapped a toe against the industrial building and flung himself upward He left a small crack on the material below him but Randidly figured it was small enough that no one would notice

However it occurred to Randidly as he was hurtling up toward an agriculturally focused sky island above him that his landing might be a little rough So he raised his hands activating Ripple of Amenonuhoko As his hands whistled through the air he adjusted their traveling path to steadily gather natural energy Then when he neared his original target he raised his hand and twisted his wrist releasing a blast of air that decelerated him Then he pointed his other hand downward and twisted with a bit more vigor catapulting himself upward on a pillar of swirling air

With a few more well timed air blasts Randidly landed on the edge of Kharon Academy which was by far the largest sky island amongst the cluster of floating pieces of ground above Kharon proper

Even in the well kept lawn area in which Randidly landed there were a dozen students present either intently reading books or dozing in the shade of nearby trees Another group was engaging in a game of ultimate frisbee which would have put pre System athletes to shame Wide cobbled pathways led deeper into the mass of buildings in the center of the sky island branching off into a maze of classrooms restaurants student dorms and workshops

Randidly looked around but didnÆt see any signs apparently students were supposed to just have the area memorized

He released a pulse of Grim Intuition to orient himself and then began walking Despite TatianaÆs earlier warnings no one gave Randidly a second glance as he walked past the fields and deeper into the academy in leather pants and a cotton shirt At one point a teenage girl with red pigtails did look curiously over at him and Randidly felt his heart drop when he thought he had been recognized but then he realized that the girl’s eyes were locked onto his tail which had at some point unwound itself to flick behind him

Why is it that IÆm feeling oddly annoyed that Tatiana was wrong about anyone recognizing me Randidly rolled his eyes and moved behind a forge to take a large staircase deeper into the inner ground of Kharon Academy Soon he descended into the shadowy depths of the sky island

There Randidly finally found what he was looking for after a torchlit tunnel Randidly arrived at two massive marble doors Above the doors written in gold was the word Labyrinth

How direct RandidlyÆs couldnÆt help but grin

However after proceeding through the rumbling doors Randidly was stumped by the first test of the Labyrinth written in delicate letters upon an obsidian podium Demonstrate the strength of your Scrawl Mark

WhatÆs Scrawl Randidly instantly sent a message to Tatiana

She responded quickly Ah IÆm surprised you encountered it so quickly Scrawl is the temporary style of Engraving invented by the children to create flying vehicles prior to Kharon AcademyÆs founding Considering that it was a subject matter pioneered by the children it has since become a huge part of KharonÆs curriculum Plus there are a lot of benefits to utilizing temporary Engravings In terms of flexibility it is unmatched

Randidly scratched his chin as he wandered back out of the labyrinth and was greeted by the familiar sound of hammering from a nearby forge Since he was interested in this new method of Engraving anyway he walked back toward the areas were students were milling around When he returned RandidlyÆs gaze brightened immediately a young man of around nine was crouching above a wooden board and quickly drawing out an Engraving on the wood that Randidly didnÆt recognize

Randidly walked over and crouched next to the boy Are you good at Scrawl

Very good The boy grunted continuing to work Randidly carefully examined the lines of the boyÆs creation The finer details were a mystery to Randidly but he could sense the clean flow of energy between the different shapes that he drew

Randidly memorized the symbols and sent a message to Neveah asking for her insight on the Nether issue whether she knew Scrawl and whether she wanted to come to Kharon in the next few days to meet him for dinner

Meanwhile the kid finished his Scrawl and the runes flashed to life But after few seconds of trembling the wooden board shattered to pieces The kid clicked his tongue as though this was expected and then turned to regard Randidly suspiciously The kid had messy hair and pushed his oversized glasses up his face I assume you want to learn Scrawl How much are you willing to pay You donÆt seem like you’ve got much money on you

Randidly twisted his lips Well not on me

The kid very officious raised his hand to silence Randidly You are in luck I need a bodyguard for a particular event coming up An auction So flex your bicep for me and let me see how strong you are

Randidly blinked and stared at the kid for several seconds Somewhat confused Randidly extended his arm and made a muscle for the kid The kid reached over and poked RandidlyÆs flexed bicep nodding with satisfaction when he felt how solid RandidlyÆs arms were

RandidlyÆs mouth twitched Kid if I flex like this while squeezing you youÆd pop like a balloon

You are a bit old but it makes you seem tough The kid finally announced Then he nodded again Alright IÆll teach you Scrawl in exchange for protection tomorrow night Just follow me until then and prevent anyone from interfering with my business alright

Randidly was torn between agreeing and being unwilling to spend two days following this kid But truly he was here to take a break And he couldnÆt deny that the spirit of Kharon was particularly strong around this kid So youÆre going to the Kharon Academy Auction

The kid looked at Randidly and snorted while adjusting his large glasses That amateur fest No of course not The auction IÆll be going to is a prestigious invite only affair And itÆs already been happening for five years the Kharon Academy Under Auction

A glimmer appeared in RandidlyÆs eyes and let me guess completely hosted by ch by students of the Academy

The kid grinned and nodded

Chapter 1673

After all of the human units had gone home from their allotted assortment of work time BA 998 activated precisely at 8 P M and stood It manipulated its limbs to proceed to the job start point where it obtained a trash receptacle and a trolly Then it began steadily moving through the designated locations removing the plastic bags from waste bins and placing them into its own larger waste bin to be brought to the disposal area

BA 998 did not tire or hurry as it worked There was no point in these areas The movements it had chosen were the optimal speed balancing the need to accomplish the job quickly with the need to avoid wasting time or effort with hasty mistakes

Floor by floor BA 998 continued to gather waste Occasionally it would take its larger waste bin to the waste chute and throw the accumulated waste down to the waste room to be sorted between being recycled composted or compacted Then it would unfold another waste bag into its bin and continue its mission

Very soon BA 998 reached the top floor The top floor was Special Some of the human units whose role brought them to the top floor possessed Authority which meant their directives could override BA 998Æs mission This override was limited to six hour increments but it was still very important that BA 998 not distract the Special individuals who worked here

On the top floor BA 998 knocked on every door before entering Only when five seconds passed without a response would the automaton proceed into the room and accomplish its business And to further reduce the time BA 998 spent in these rooms it had streamlined its movements to near perfect efficiency

No answer Enter proceed to the wastebin remove turn

BA 998 paused and recalculated It had turned too quickly and torn the waste bag Waste was now spread over on the floor of this Special Room it quickly lowered its body and used its arm implements to gather the fallen waste mostly paper products Luckily there was no organic matter or BA 998 would be forced to report this unexpected deviation to a BA devoted to cleaning thereby starting a chain reaction of inefficiency

Such an occurrence was not ideal

However BA 998 still paused as it picked up the waste One of the paper products emitted a faint glow that definitely possessed the energy of human unit Engraving

BA 998 felt nothing as it looked at this glowing symbol However the BAÆs had all been briefed on certain unlikely protocols that might arise in the course of their duties One was the propensity of the human units to engage in random behaviors Their biological mechanisms carried out natural experimental actions without conscious thought leading to the rapid accumulation of valuable data for the human units However there was an obvious drawback to such behavior near constant deviations from baseline norms

So BA 998 was aware that some of these behaviors might result in something of value being thrown away by chance As such BA 998 carefully set the glowing paper product to the side to be taken before BAÆs who were specially trained to recognize the value of human items

BA 998 replaced the waste bag in the Special Room and then continued to proceed with its duties

Crap how are you so good at this Todd looked against at Randidly as he finished copying the standard exercises that Todd had given him and began to experiment with the limits of this Scrawl

At the moment about thirty sticks whizzed through the air around him in a complex pattern Randidly was currently adjusting the size of his Scrawl Mark to see if battery power made much of a difference to the functions

Congratulations Your Skill Scrawl of the Ghosthound has grown to Level 122

Randidly tried to keep his expression normal as a stream of Level up Notifications popped up in front of his face The duo had retreated from Kharon Academy proper to a thick woods on one of the less affluent dormitory islands that circled around Kharon Academy Randidly had learned that his teacher’s name was Todd and he was an orphan rescued from a Bubble City before their lessons had begun

To his credit Todd took his role as senseiÆ very seriously

The kid had ripped a thick branch from a tree and showed Randidly how to form the core of his Scrawl Mark which essentially let one supersede the energy connections of more typical Engraving But by just using Scrawl on an inanimate object you could add supplementary runes to provide typical Engraving effects

To his surprise Randidly had actually learned a Skill when he followed ToddÆs direction Rather embarrassingly it was a Legendary Skill that bore his name But even so he wasnÆt going to sneeze at the Skill Levels he was accumulating With his Willpower his deep understanding of how to manipulate Nether and his experience using typical Engravings power Leveling through this Skill was almost cheating

Todd looked up at the flying platoon of tree branches and rubbed his hand Then he began muttering to himself Am I just the greatest Sensei ever

Congratulations Your Skill Scrawl of the Ghosthound has grown to Level 123

Influence +19

Congratulations Your Skill Scrawl of the Ghosthound has grown to Level 124

The activation for this Skill was actually quite interesting A nucleus of energy was created that latched like a parasite onto the material With its coreÆs unique structure it was comically easy for a Scrawl Mark to hack into an Engraving Of course a powerful Engraving couldnÆt have its course shifted by a weak Scrawl Mark But it did make Randidly realize that there were some latent flaws in his Kharon Engine

That thought made Randidly frown It would be hard for anyone now to gather enough power to take control of my city But in another ten or twenty years

ToddÆs scream had Randidly spin around looking for a threat But his Grim Intuition faithfully reported that there was no danger in the surrounding trees just other groups of children Randidly tilted his head and looked at Todd who had fallen on his butt and was pointing behind Randidly Faithfully the student turned to look at the source of his shock

A moss spirit giant composed of perhaps a thousand of the friendly sprites was crouching behind Randidly watching him work on his Scrawl Randidly had noticed the observation earlier and allowed the moss spirits to gather and watch his work He had idly wondered whether the moss spirits would be able to learn Engraving And in a way it would address the problem of some powerful Scrawler hijacking Kharon so Randidly had been slowly demonstrating for the moss giant

You how are you so popular with the moss spirits Todd blinked several and then hopped to his feet Then he swaggered confidently over and poked his hand into the warm body of the moss spirits Always willing to put on a show the moss spirits around ToddÆs hand exploded in a flurry of light and color Todd nodded in satisfaction You must have lived in Kharon for a long time

Well KharonÆs my home Randidly said slowly He sighed as he looked at the enthusiastic moss spirits continuing to play with Todd But I guess IÆve been away for a while And pretty soon IÆll have to leave again

The moss spirits visibly dimmed at RandidlyÆs admission but Todd nodded sagely KharonÆs just one city right ItÆs the best city in the world definitely but we canÆt just stay here There is a whole world to explore There is the Great Enemy that waits in the darkness If we donÆt work hard and just laze around here we wonÆt be able to protect Kharon when that foe shows up

Randidly quirked an eyebrow upward as he snapped off another branch and began showing the moss giant how to use Scrawl The Great Enemy

Yes the Great Enemy IÆm not surprised you havenÆt heard it’s a secret only know to the true patriots of Kharon Todd said seriously Then he coughed into his hand and his expression changed to a worshipful look Randidly Ghosthound could not stay in Kharon and most people just say that he went up to the Nexus and leave it at that But have you wondered why ExpiraÆs greatest hero would leave his home planet behind Leave behind the city that he exhausted himself to build ItÆs because of the Great Enemy

The Ghosthound was the only one on Expira powerful enough to contend with these dangerous existences Anyone else would be annihilated when they faced these individuals Todd was building up some momentum now His eyes shined with excitement But the Ghosthound didnÆt falter even though he had to fight these foes alone Even now heÆs out there training tirelessly to protect us ThatÆs why we cannot waver in our dedication Because he is not perfect And when he eventually needs help when that mysterious Great Enemy finally makes their way to Expira we need to be ready

At that moment Todd burned as brightly as a beacon with the spirit of Kharon RandidlyÆs chest felt warm His expression as he looked at Todd was gentle thank you You do a great service to your world Todd

Hmph of course Who do you think your Sensei is Todd puffed out his chest and adjusted his glasses But no sooner did he struck a pose than laughter drifted out of the surrounding trees

What a joke A teenage girl with long blonde hair stepped out of the treeline and crossed her arms Someone like you will never be able to help the Ghosthound Toddler

Todd squinted at the girl behind his heavy glasses His hands balled into fists Eileen Krouse My eternal rival

“Heh us rivals Don’t make me laugh ” Eileen Krouse raised her hand and put it in front of her mouth affecting a high pitched and very fake chortle “But you have been a thorn in my side for far too long Toddler Which is why I’ve brought Superman Bennio this time to tie you up There is no way I’ll allow you to steal that from me at the Under Auction “

Nearer to Randidly and Todd a sixteen year old boy who was not wearing a shirt stepped out of the treeline He looked lazily at the two of them and flexed his shirtless torso Eileen laughed again but Todd’s eyes flashed

“Student you won’t be a match for Superman Bennio Distract them and then we can flee “

Almost helplessly Randidly curled a finger His fleet of Scrawl marked sticks twisted around midair and shot toward the muscular teenager The teenager seemed to realize what was happening and bounded forward but Randidly expertly guided the various sticks to hit the boy’s joints and adjust his center of balance

While Todd was frantically putting a scrawl on a large carpet he had pulled from his interspatial ring this Superman Bennio stumbled and roared “Goddamnit just fight fairly you old piece of shit “

Randidly’s mouth twitched Believe me you really don’t want that

Chapter 1674

The moment was one of tenuous balance or at least Randidly figured it would seem that way to most of the other participants

While Bennio continued to struggle to force his way forward under the barrage of RandidlyÆs branches Todd sketched out his Scrawl on the carpet beneath his feet Randidly had more than plentiful spare attention beyond the act of restraining the shirtless young man so he observed the kidÆs process carefully Randidly had already earned quite a few Skill Levels but he knew he still had more he could learn from ToddÆs several years’ experience

So Randidly was keenly aware of the boyÆs desperate movements He saw the slight tremors in his hand and the unsteady flow of Mana Inwardly he sighed ItÆs probably just the stress but those lines the depth of energy he pushed into them

IÆm gonna fuck you so hard Bennio bellowed as a branch smashed into his nose and sent him stumbling a half step backward His stare toward Randidly was becoming increasingly bloodthirsty

Heh a thousand years too early before you even have as much singe in your glare as Helen Randidly thought lazily

Todd continued to work seemingly unaware of the inherent flaws in his shaped Mana At the other side of the treeline Randidly noticed that the teenage girl was gathering Mana around her and looking with sharp eyes toward Todd There was even the slightest hint of an image in whatever ambush she had planned But Randidly had plenty of attention to monitor that situation too

And then something truly unexpected happened

Todd paused in his work energy flowing through his finger and into the Scrawl with a particular twist like a pin anchoring a butterfly in a display case The boyÆs eyes quickly scanned through what he had created His face narrowed into a frown but very quickly he began to work And to RandidlyÆs utter shock Todd incorporated the pattern of variant energy depth into the rest of the Scrawl

The flaw became an asset and at the core of the Scrawl a small flame of KharonÆs image manifested In a way Todd borrowedÆ the ambient natural image of Kharon by refusing to back down even in the face of his own mistakes He accepted those mistakes and continued to doggedly pursue his goal

Then he pressed his hand downward and a living Scrawl was born RandidlyÆs eyes glittered

Lines of glowing blue energy rushed out from the central Scrawl and covered the carpet Bennio bellowed again and covered his head with his arms After lowering his stance and leaning forward he charged blindly forward electing to brute force his way through RandidlyÆs stick swarm

Randidly tskÆd to himself and inserted several branches precisely between the kidÆs two ankles sending him sprawling across the ground in a tangle of limbs and snapped twigs

Todd looked up from his energetic working with a shy smile of triumph Hop on Time to bounce

Randidly laughed and lightly stepped crossing the seven or so meters to the carpet and then kneeled down on the surprisingly soft material Quick as a sizzle from an oiled pan Todd flipped over the edge and joined him as the carpet began to rapidly gain altitude Perhaps due to the method of the Scrawl their ascent was erratic but Randidly couldnÆt help but grin With the wind whipping through their hair they were well on their way to a smashing getaway

Cannon of Destiny The teenage girl yelled finally thrusting her hand toward the sky and activating the Skill that she had been nurturing for the last few seconds Yet Randidly was somewhat confused when no change manifested in her area

ToddÆs face twisted into a worried look Careful

Randidly leaned forward and peered over the edge of the carpet only to see the form of Bennio being flung upward by an explosion from the ground The red eyed muscly teenager glared up at them with both fists raised

Shal would have beaten me so brutally for trying to attack someone with such an open stance Randidly thought idly But as soon as he thought that his expression turned sour due to the current complexities of their relationship with Shal working with the Swacc Family even with the olive branch extended by the Engraving Guild

And then there were RandidlyÆs plans to try and incorporate Tellus into his Alpha Cosmos but doing so without ShalÆs blessing seemed a bit

Todd must have seen RandidlyÆs dark expression and assumed it was a reaction to their current situation He patted Randidly rapidly on the back likely bouncing from their current tenseÆ situation DonÆt worry too much All you need to do is keep him from boarding our ship No matter how strong he is we can just fly away from him Just push him away or something

Randidly nodded seriously and leaned over the side of the carpet He raised his right hand then thought better of it instead raising his metal left hand The carpet beneath him continued to erratically rise and fall making it marginally more difficult to judge when the approaching Bennio would arrive However RandidlyÆs emerald eyes were cool as he measured the space He activated Ripple of Amenonuhoko and guided the currents of wind around and through his fingers

Probably for the best not to touch him directly Randidly decided

Intrepid Hammer Bennio roared as he whipped his body back and then flung himself forward leading with his fist His entire being followed tumbling toward a somersault

For a split second Randidly tilted his head to the side as he heard this familiar name Then he placed it as one of NaffurÆs few offensive Skill and wondered what connection this arrogant and bull headed teenager shared with the head of the Order Ducis

And thinking THAT caused Randidly to pause again Honestly how old was Naffur Even with the five years that passed he canÆt be much older than twenty right And from the few members of the Order Ducis IÆve sensed in Kharon heÆs been doing very well managing everything I should pay him a visit

Meanwhile Todd Bennio and Eileen watched with rapt attention at this high stakesÆ confrontation

Randidly shook himself lightly and swung his metal fist through the air His movement activated Ripple and a cushion of air manifested around his fist His gaze swept across Bennio who appeared to be moving in slow motion and he aimed to throw a blow that would pass a few centimeters away from the boyÆs head The wind pressure and natural energy of Ripple of Amenonuhoko should be more than enough

As Randidly swung his fist the carpet experienced its greatest stall since their initial launch They lost almost a half meter of height in the next second meaning that suddenly the trajectory of RandidlyÆs careful attack would miss by too much distance He effortlessly adjusted his fist for the new interception point but the movement gathered more natural wind energy around the blow And in the next instant the carpet ascended back up to a position halfway between the drop and its previous height

Randidly grimaced I canÆt miss in my punch can I I donÆt need these kids to underestimate me more than they already do right

BennioÆs expression was only now shifting toward surprise in response to the carpetÆs erratic movements And at that instant the knuckle of RandidlyÆs metal hand brushed against his cheekbone

Crack Crash CRASH CRASH CRASH

Randidly thought his blow was relatively light but he realized his baseline understanding might be a bit off as he felt the kidÆs cheekbone fracture from the brush Then the teenager’s body tumbled through the air more quickly than could be captured with a human eye the gyroscopic projectile burrowing his way through the canopy of one tree and then demolishing the subsequent three tree trunks as he lost altitude

BennioÆs body dug a long trough in the dirt before it came to a stop

Randidly coughed awkwardly and extended a powerful pulse of YggdrasilÆs life energy through to the injured teengaer Luckily it didnÆt seem like the kidÆs muscles were just for show He was knocked unconscious but he didnÆt have any serious internal bleeding and his Health was still above twenty percent A quick pulse of energy pushed him back up to acceptable levels

Coughing again Randidly turned to look at the stunned Todd Ah it appears I luckily landed a counter Must have been because he was mid air

Wow do you know boxing Todd asked But even as he spoke the kid expertly inserted another wave of energy into the carpet and they zipped forward in a drunken line through the sky

Much to RandidlyÆs relief Todd seemed to accept the lucky punch theory of what happened and was too consumed with the steering of the carpet to comment further He flew around the dormitory island and then landed in the shadow of his own building which even to RandidlyÆs eyes looked rather hastily slapped together The dormitory was squat and square standing only four floors tall and squeezing in a sardine quantity of rooms within its confines The outer walls were painted an unappetizing yellow and although the walls were interspersed with windows along each floor the glass openings were tiny and bland looking

Todd shook RandidlyÆs hand seriously when they got off the carpet Thanks for today if Eileen beat me up she could slap me with some demerits But there is something I definitely need to buy at the under Auction Anyway meet me tomorrow at 8 30 alright I have class

Then Todd went into the building Randidly looked after the kid with his thick glasses for several seconds while also feeling how many orphans similar to him were packed into the dormitory He expanded his senses and observed the half dozen other similar dormitories that were on this more lower class Kharon Academy housing

Randidly sent a message to Tatiana and then pulled out his PhilosopherÆs Key He teleported directly to the entrance to the Kharon Academy Labyrinth he planned on investigating his Nether Core before he had to guard Todd again tomorrow morning

As Randidly put his Scrawl Mark and the doors of the first test rumbled open in front of him he thought again of that on the fly adjustment from Todd Randidly had heard of philosophies centered around the concept of there is no such thing as a mistakeÆ but had always thought it was a rather foolish and overly pithy way of phrasing it

Of course there were mistakes But ToddÆs actions showed Randidly that perhaps he wasnÆt as good at recognizing mistakes as he thought A flawed design could still work Organic beings didnÆt come without flaws and the more advanced Nether Rituals Randidly had seen quite resembled organisms

although the variances in speed and elevation on that carpet could have given someone motion sickness Randidly thought with a grin as he began the second test of the Kharon Labyrinth which was a complex and shifting logic puzzle where you had to shift various squares and rectangles in a grid with the goal of sliding the golden square out of the opening With RandidlyÆs powerful Intelligence he simulated thousands of shifts and completed the puzzle at the lowest requirement of ten movements not bothering to aim for the record board

It was on the third test that Randidly realized that right on the threshold into each test students had carved their names into the snow to mark their accomplishment Some had several tally marks indicating they had arrived multiple times Seeing well over a thousand names going down the stone threshold and across the floor Randidly smiled

The third test was reaction time requiring the tester to chase after glowing balls of light and touch as many as they could within the time limit

Randidly passed easily and continued deeper He also passed the fourth test which required manifestation of an image of requisite strength and then the fifth which required the student to endure an image for a certain amount of time Each time he advanced the number of student names dwindled

Thirteen individuals had reached the sixth test which was literally a shifting maze where most of the previous tests were incorporated Four individuals made it to the seventh test which utilized an ingenious Engraving to challenge the Willpower and heart of the challengers After he passed the test he paused for a few minutes to study it this was definitely NeveahÆs handiwork

Then Randidly proceeded through the final doorway and arrived at his true Nether Core Thick significance pooled in the area rolling over him and nurturing his body He shook his head almost sadly when he noticed no one had passed NeveahÆs final test At least not yet

Then he focused on his Nether

Chapter 1675

BA 19 activated on schedule and proceeded down into the examination room in the depths of the automaton compound As one of the original BAÆs in the hierarchy of KharonÆs automaton workforce it was equipped with some additional Engravings that provided it with insight into the actions of human units Which meant that all complex situations passed through BA 19Æs observation

When it arrived at its work station it looked at the items gathered by the primary shift and prepared to measure their human unit value It used an arm implement to adjust a knob on the wall which increased the ambient illumination in the work station Although BA 19 could sense more fine details with its fingers human units were visual creatures It had quickly learned that simulating their perspective made the estimations come much more naturally

BA 19 reverently removed the plastic covering and revealed todayÆs task During this cycle three items had been flagged by the triple digit BA workers as possibly being accidentally thrown away One was a journal another was a golden locket and the third was a napkin that periodically pulsed with light

BA 19 started with the journal After reading a few pages of the messy text it re evaluated its initial assessment Although its understanding of the human unit personal recording techniques was rather shallow it was clear the author wrote these passages with the intent to flirt and then subsequently beg a certain councilman to return her affections

BA 19 wasnÆt instructed to speculate more than that which was a relief the details were likely quite sticky with the erraticism of human units

This was clearly a privateÆ item Without reading further BA 19 set the item aside to be brought before the prime human unit in Kharon It was known that she possessed a certain curiosity for private items that were discarded within the publicÆ space of City Hall

BA 19 then picked up the locket and weighed the metal adornment with its hands The item was made with gold but BA 19 had memorized the price of all goods within Kharon and identified that the amount of money spent on such an item would be trivial to the typical human unit working within the confines of Kharon Then the automaton opened the locket and looked inside

A chubby larva human unit rapped in a blanket looked up at it from a small photo in the locket

BA 19 categorized this item as personalÆ and set it aside to be given to the human unit in charge of the area where the item was found that individual would have more information about the situation

Finally BA 19 looked at the glowing napkin It immediately identified the source of the light as an Engraving of sufficient power and flavor to maintain its existence This item was inherently valuable both due to its rarity and the skill of the original maker However BA 19 was at an impasse depending on how valuable it was the item went to different individuals for a proper return

After calculating for several seconds BA 19 flagged the item and set it aside for a review by BA Beta during its active hours The secondary of the automatons had designed all BA training methods to understand human units and could make the appropriate decision

BA 19 felt a deep sense of loss having failed to accomplish its mission It maintained this state for ten minutes then proceeded with the rest of its work schedule for this cycle

Tatiana looked at the message from Randidly and couldnÆt help but smile at how even she could sometimes be surprised by his thoughts It was not that his requests were impossible but it seemed that he had learned about and planned on attending the under Auction rather than the Kharon Academy Auction Well considering his attitude that was probably for the best

YouÆll be willing to foot the bill for these I take it Tatiana replied to him after she did some mental calculations Already she began working on the initial paperwork

RandidlyÆs reply was immediate Sure

Tatiana smiled at the message for a while It was really just a side effect of how much effort Randidly focused himself toward training but it was nice to be working for someone who was so generous with his money It might have been five years since they had really interacted but that Skill in TatianaÆs chest kept her abreast of the developments in RandidlyÆs life He genuinely was doing this because he believed this was the best use of his resources

Not that something like this put a dent in his holdings but his casual treatment of money is so refreshing after bickering with KharonÆs Council for months and months

With her authority and RandidlyÆs money making the arrangements was quite simple Tatiana remained at her desk and rapidly sketched out the proposals and sent ambiguous warnings to certain contractors so RandidlyÆs offerings could rapidly be brought to fruition

Then Tatiana leaned back in her chair and sighed She checked her watch it was almost time for her briefing The fact that she hadnÆt been contacted about any developments before the appointed time meant that they hadnÆt discovered anything new

That wasnÆt a good sign

She pushed herself back from her desk and walked out into the hallway her heels clicking perfectly with each step She descended through the wide marble passages of city hall politely greeting some other workers that were still in the building this late at night Then she typed a passcode into a heavy iron door in a back corner of the ground floor and stepped into a cramped lift After pressing the down button the lift quickly slid down into the depths of Kharon

Tatiana stepped out into a completely different type of facility Brass automatons scanned her and then returned to their stiff posture next to the entrance The squat hallways were filled with automatons pushing various raw materials into the variance storage spaces Tatiana turned and walked East passing several dimly lit rooms that were filled with weapons in stacked boxes

Eventually the industrial mesh walkway beneath her feet shifted into normal tile and Tatiana walked into a room that quite resembled a typical office conference room Inside Naffur Suite Hydie Mordath and Commissioner Arrietti were waiting

Tatiana nodded to each of them in turn Arrietti nodded back Hydie grinned and waved but it was NaffurÆs shift into a standing knuckles on the table lean that gave her pause

Is it bad Tatiana asked

Naffur shrugged but his brows were furrowed Hard to say WeÆve sent our best to investigate the warehouse where the children discovered the intruder but aside from confirming that someone else was present in the room with them we know very little The Skill the intruder used to burn away their traces is definitely relatively well Leveled

The bigger problem is the remaining items themselves Naffur continued TheyÆve been thoroughly inspected there was no tampering either with the materials or the runes Honestly it seems like the intruder was just going through a stroll in the warehouse which is why our current theory has shifted The intruder wasnÆt trying to tamper with an item but rather retrieve something that had been smuggled into the city with the cover of the Auction

Tatiana looked at the three of them The more Naffur spoke the paler Commissioner Arrietti was becoming And what do you think that item is

A Darksteel Bomb disguised as an image killer suit Hydie Mordath the Hexwitch tapped her long nails on the wooden table IÆve been laying out an aura of bad luck keyed toward our perpetrator thatÆs thick enough to scoop off every street in Kharon but no one has spontaneously combusted yet The Darksteel probably shredded my image before it can do any harm

Tatiana frowned That actually was quite a problem Of all of the established political powers in the modern world Kharon was particularly vulnerable to Darksteel Rather than numbers Kharon relied on its elites and influential images to protect themselves No one could completely rely on Darksteel for its military forces the metal would gradually erode the wearerÆs image But just for a surprise attack

Too much of the modern Kharon was tied up in the running of Kharon Academy teachers outnumbered both soldiers and police five to one Kharon had the Order Ducis but they were mostly free to pursue their own investigations Considering all the dormitories and industrial districts floating above the city manually searching with the number of men they had was impossible

Plus it makes a certain dark political sense Tatiana thought Zone 1 has been pushing for Expira to rely on the nuclearÆ option to subdue the upcoming First Calamity If Kharon the most vocal critic of that plan were to suffer monstrously under the influence of a Darksteel bomb but there is no way that Zone 1 would do this willingly Especially now with so many other factions present for the Auction

TatianaÆs gaze darkened But that is a large downside of the System A single determined malcontent can wield a fatal amount of power

How large is the bomb Tatiana asked

Naffur spoke again Darksteel will quickly destabilize interspatial storage devices so it canÆt be any larger than an image killer suit would be Based on our projections about the size of a person And if detonated a bomb of that size would irreparably damage about half of the main city of Kharon with significant damage to half of the surrounding sky islands

Tatiana bared her teeth And who do we have to thank for this unexpected gift

Commissioner Arrietti spoke this time The Hemlock Corporation supplied the image killer suit for auction

Ah the financiers of Councilman Whittaker Tatiana snorted But I suppose this is a good excuse to finally meet them Alright you know your jobs better than I If anything changes report it immediately Dismissed

As the sun sank below the horizon and the grand festival of the Auction in two days seized the city no one would notice a particular fist sized clump of moss spirits That clump floated back from one of Kharon AcademyÆs dormitories and rejoined the river of energy that flowed from skyisland to skyisland Nor did these celebrating individuals pay much attention as that clump went against the current floating steadily down toward the core of Kharon

There it joined the central region where all of the truly ancient moss spirits resided sharing its newfound understand

These actions remained unobserved even when in the dark alleys and deserted industrial shafts of Kharon some moss spirits began to break away and form small bodies to practice Scrawl The early attempts were ineffective but soon the collective hivemind of emerald moss spirits corrected and gradually began to lift discarded scrap metal and pieces of wood off the ground without having to rely on people to first provide them Engravings

The moss spirits of Kharon were slightly disappointed their progress was so slow but at the same time they flushed at the thought of Randidly Ghosthound being proud of them

Chapter 1676

Superman Bennio glumly propped himself up against the heavy marble of the central statue of Kharon AcademyÆs main plaza watching with disinterest as various students hurried past either to class or to loaf around on one of the green stretches of land in the quad Bennio scratched his cheek and huffed out a breath As this particular spot was highly coveted due to its proximity to the statue of Kharon AcademyÆs spiritual founder several of the older teenagers gave Bennio a familiar side eyed examination

These idiots were measuring him up considering whether it was worth it to fight for the spot Bennio leaned back and let them look

Of course most looked away quickly and continued walking Bennio had quite the reputation around Kharon Academy both due to his own muscular strength and association with Eileen Krouse There were a couple of hundred students that could match him in a fight and maybe a little less than eighty that would beat him outright but none of those elites were idle enough to fight him for his spot below the statue

Everyone was too busy with their individual preparations for the under Auction to bother

Yet despite the warm light of the morning sun Bennio was sullen His cheek still ached from receiving that attack from the shoeless man the Toddler had found for a bodyguard When Eileen had shaken Bennio awake he was stunned to learn that the man had completely knocked him unconscious with only a single blow

From the way Eileen explained it the man seemed to be flailing when he punched too like he couldnÆt where to hit his target The thought made Bennio flush

He had grown arrogant these last few years rapidly proving his strength in Kharon Academy And one part of him had always known that there were powerful figures out there in the world but to be shown that truth so violently

Bennio clenched his fists

A voice spoke from BennioÆs side Oy move over

His eyes bright with challenge Bennio hopped right to his feet He spread his arms aggressively only to freeze when he saw who had spoken to him The devil child Delilah stood with arms akimbo cocking an eyebrow at BennioÆs display

What you have something to say Delilah said arrogantly fully a head shorter than Bennio Her expression told him she was just as itching for a fight as he was

Bennio was torn to his desire to fight and prove himself and his knowledge that Delilah was not someone to mess with when she made the decision for him Her fist flicked out faster than he could dodge slamming into his gut three times in quick succession Gurgling Bennio took a step backward

Delilah stepped forward and shoved him the rest of the way out of the spot Then she plopped down to lean against the statue with a dramatic sigh Bennio rubbed his aching stomach and swallowed his reluctance He scowled at her and said Why the hell are you in such a shitty mood

After glancing at him briefly Delilah knocked her head back against the marble behind her I discovered a conspiracy within the boundaries of Kharon and my childhood hero has become my babysitter refusing to let me out of her sight The only reason I could come here was because I claimed that I had class imagine going to class this close to the under Auction Ugh What am I fresh meat

Bennio opened his mouth to say something but Delilah was picking up steam And you know what the worst part of it is I probably wonÆt be able to go to the under Auction Because IÆm going to be busy fighting to protect Kharon despite the fact that both the biggest event of the year is happening AND my dream vehicle is being auctioned at the adultÆs stupid auction Which reminds me does Eileen want my lots

Are you serious Bennio asked He shook his head then nodded rapidly Of course she wants the lots Do you have your usual stuff

DelilahÆs lip curled upward as she favored Bennio with a look ItÆs better Do you think I havenÆt been improving

For the first time since being punched last night Bennio grinned with genuine cheer The bidding for the under Auction was quite special the students didnÆt use money Instead they relied on the robust power of the Scrawl to lift a certain amount of coin weight to certify their purchasing power Basically it was a night of betting that your Scrawl was more powerful than your competitors

And depending on how valuable the items were lots that kids donated to the under Auction acted as a weight creditÆ against their purchases So everyone was desperate to submit the most sought after lots which would allow them to bid more exaggeratedly with higher weights

Bennio looked upward maintaining his smile His eyes drifted through the cheery seeming clouds above the statue He sent a message to Eileen to tell her the good news and ask her to hurry over With this

Ah Bennio made a noise Then he raised his finger and pointed above Delilah

Delilah frowned up at him twisted around to look at the statue and then straightened back to look at Bennio Why the hell are you being such a dumbass YouÆve seen this statue literally a million times

Influence +15

Randidly released a steaming breath and rolled his shoulders When he had walked into the main area of his Nether Core a thick wave of energy and significance had immediately blasted outward and spiraled around his body Apparently a small portion of the energy pooled here waiting for Randidly to return and harvest it

He did so gladly

The process took several hours as he incorporated the power and resulting Influence that flowed into his body His Nether Core practically hummed with pleasure Then he straightened and looked around the area Without the potent energy in the air the space seemed somewhat hollow The wide room was barren aside for a few steps bringing one to stand before a massive pillar in the center of the room

At first blush the pillar seemed to be covered in a curving Engraving But even those unfamiliar with Engraving would soon notice the ambient sense of life and pressure released by these markings It was not Mana nor Aether that flowed through these curving lines but significance The deep desperate determined significance of Randidly Ghosthound

Beyond that an ominous halo of Nether swirling constantly around the room Standing here was being part of an eternal flow wading into the energy that animated the body of Randidly Ghosthound

Even Randidly stood solemnly for several seconds just staring are the shapes allowing a part of himself just to be buoyed away by the currents of meaning that radiated from the pillar His breathing continually slowed and he felt himself aligning with the flavor of inspired brilliance that his Visage of Obsession had allowed him to achieve in the creation of his Nether Core

Looking at it now itÆs a wonder I managed this even with five years

The process of alignment only took a few minutes likely due to the fact that Randidly was already intimately connected with his Nether Core But Randidly believed that the process would be much slower and more gradual perhaps even slightly uncomfortable for any student who managed to reach this depth

But like a religious zealot who reached the destination of the pilgrimage Randidly knew that what they found here would arm the students to succeed in the future The pulse of KharonÆs spirit was strongest in the Academy The core tenants of Randidly Ghosthound that had birthed that spirit would only benefit them even if it was uncomfortable at first

After acclimating himself Randidly examined the central pillar more closely He didnÆt know how he felt about the development but the curving lines of significance had definitely begun to grow downward off the pillar and onto the raised dais

Abruptly Randidly had an image of what this place would be in the future as his significance continued to grow organically down the floor and then up to cover the walls until the whole room was filled with enigmatically curving lines that pulsed with flickering light RandidlyÆs emerald eyes began to glow as he could feel the room changing in his imagination three monstrous images curving the script of their Engraving until they hung on the walls as elaborate frescos Their subtle lines would hint at the horrifying Weight that lurked behind each of them

Standing in this place would be like standing in the heart of a Calamity

Randidly narrowed his eyes and raised a hand to cover his chest And if I have to become the Calamity for the Nexus as a whole thatÆs fine This exploitation abandonment and then callous disregard for lives that have gotten so dependant on Nexus Aether needs to stop

Randidly breathed out through his nose and pressed his eyes shut Gradually that oppressive image of what this location will one day become slowly faded away leaving him simply standing in front of an influential pillar His Nether Core happily slurped up the significance of that imagined scene in the background

When he was ready Randidly produced his PhilosopherÆs Key and left Kharon AcademyÆs Labyrinth He had earlier breezed past the vast spaces between the trials but he wasnÆt quite in the mood to go back through and look at the transition areas

Instead Randidly went into the city still without wearing a disguise and wandered around until he found a restaurant with a potent enough image that he could smell it outside the building Again contrary to TatianaÆs warning no one seemed to notice Randidly Occasionally he earned some long looks for his tail but he was somewhat exasperated that no one noticed the founder of the city in which the people were living

But I suppose some might be tourists And also Randidly eventually selected a bourgeois eatery called SeleneÆs and walked inside The restaurant was busy mostly laborers in grease stained overalls hunching over their plate to eat quickly A hostess greeted him with a smile and guided him to an open table For the average person IÆm just a legend Heh Even if my efforts had a very concrete effect on their life our lives donÆt intersect enough for my face to be memorable ThatÆs somewhat depressing

The hostess turned around and left Randidly at the table And he was just about to sit when something occurred to him His lips twitched This am I really going to need to ask Tatiana to give me some spending money while IÆm here

Sir Ghosthound

The words instantly quieted the entire restaurant It was like the speaker cast a spell reeling in all of the attention of the patrons and workers Looking immaculate in his Commissioner of Police uniform aside from a bit of egg at the corner of his goatee Klein Arrietti stood at his nearby table and awkwardly bowed toward Randidly I had no idea you were in town sir Please allow me to treat you to breakfast

Randidly rolled his eyes His tail had at some point unwound itself now flicked casually back and forth behind him Goodbye sweet anonymity I should never have mistreated you

Chapter 1677

It was something of a relief for Randidly to head into the back of the restaurant and use his PhilosopherÆs Key to teleport away from the awe struck stares of the individuals both inside and outside the restaurant

The people had been extremely polite But each individual insisted on walking up to Randidly and shaking his hand telling him briefly about how they had come to live in Kharon Their stories were diverse some were refugees from fallen Bubble Cities others were specialists in metalworking who had come for employment while others had been rescued in the early days when the Wildlands were slowly expanding and Kharon pioneered a way Some were even orphans electing to stay in Kharon after attending the Academy for a few years

Each was so so thankful for everything he had done Their eyes were serious and their words were almost always the same as they radiated their heartfelt emotions

Thank you Mr Ghosthound

Thank you so much

Sir Ghosthound truly thank you

I owe you and your city so much

IÆm so proud to be a citizen of Kharon

Most of the other patrons were unwilling to leave once they realized that he was truly the famous Randidly Ghosthound meaning that after the handshakes there was an uneasily stiff atmosphere as those at nearby tables did their best not to watch him too obviously In turn Randidly did his best to ignore it and thankfully he could listen honestly to Commissioner ArriettiÆs enthusiastic sales pitch for the food here

The two had only met on a few occasions in the past but the Commissioner did possess an extremely intimate knowledge of the menu it seemed like he ate here on a regular basis The owner Selene herself came out and announced that everything was on the house

Randidly informed her very seriously that he ate quite a lot of food She laughed and told him that she would be honored if he ate here until he was sated

Randidly who hadnÆt been filled up by twelve trays of food yesterday and had again become more ravenous after a long night of working with Nether simply grinned Well at least this saves me the trouble of bothering Tatiana for money but oh didnÆt the Commissioner offer to pay for my meal

Tsk tsk the way those two look at each other heh heÆs definitely going to secretly offer again to pay after seeing how much I can eat

So Randidly began to order

Almost an hour and two or three of every dish on the menu later a mountain of licked clean plates was sitting on the table in front of Randidly He leaned back and burped contentedly his tail undulating in obvious pleasure

At this point people had begun to break off and drift away at the edges of the gathered crowd But Randidly could feel that these individuals were suddenly free radicals in the ambient spirit of Kharon When he closed his eyes he could feel them burning brightly in the previously dim areas of Kharon carrying word of his presence and spreading it like a rapacious disease through the population

Just as quickly as a few individuals left SeleneÆs a wave of bodies began to gather and flow back toward the location

So Randidly stood thanked Selene warmly and walked into the back area to open a portal He liked the invigorating effect his presence had on Kharon but he still felt somewhat awkward feeling how deeply thankful these people were toward him

Besides he had to report for todayÆs lessons

As Todd walked out of his cramped dormitory with a glum expression Randidly was happy to see that he very obviously hadnÆt heard that the Ghosthound was in town or connected it with Randidly himself But then Randidly examined the kid again and noticed three copper bands snapped into place around his left wrist Is something wrong

Todd gestured to the bands with a morose expression These are demerits for the under Auction three thousand in coin weight that I have to add on top of any bids They ambushed me when I went down for breakfast damnit

In a very out of character expression Todd walked over and punch a tree The bark cracked a bit but it was obvious that he hadnÆt put very many of his Stats toward his physical abilities Randidly walked over and crouched next to the kid Can you get rid of them The demerits

No the duel was in front of a lot of witnesses ThatÆs why they did it in the mess hall ToddÆs expression was bitter My Scrawl is good youÆve seen it But even with it I wonÆt be able to handle as much coin weight as I need to win the item that I want Urgghh

Randidly tilted his head to the side WhatÆs the item you want And donÆt give up hope yet you can get a credit for coin weight by donating lots for the auction right I know we agreed on me protecting you in exchange for your tutelage but I few should be able to take out a few items that we could offer for auction

Huh well do you ToddÆs expression became very dubious as he examined Randidly slightly rough looking training garments

Randidly couldnÆt help but raise a hand to rub the back of his neck Do I truly look so untrustworthy Apparently most of this city belongs to me so

And I was hoping we could spend a bit more time training with Scrawl today Randidly continued in an attempt to convince the boy These items would be compensation for your extra time and effort And who knows maybe you could gain some Skill Levels when you teach me

ThatÆs true we saw earlier how effortlessly I helped you become competent Todd rubbed his chin his dark mood quickly forgotten Perhaps I could even use a mirror to teach myself No it cannot be that simple could it

Randidly rolled his eyes then thought of something Oh one more thing IÆm meeting a friend for dinner As I need to be guarding you during that time would you mind coming to dinner with me

Hum well IÆll accept because you have a lot of potential But we need to get ice cream after Todd announced officiously

Randidly grinned Ice cream after sounds perfect

Garrett stood on one of the public trolleys casually holding one of the upper handles to steady himself None of the other distracted passengers in the public transportation knew that he was a disgraced former applicant to the Order Ducis But when the trolly followed the whipping path of the moss spirits he apparently put too much pressure on the handle and it ripped

The sudden lack of support caught Garrett by surprise and he stumbled a half step forward into a woman holding a cup of coffee The sudden contact jolted her hand spraying GarrettÆs face and chest with the luke warm liquid

The woman was mortified OH Oh IÆm so sorry

Garrett forced a calm seeming smile onto his face DonÆt worry about it these are my work clothes anyway But man sometimes these trolleys right

The woman laughed nervously still staring at the growing stain on GarrettÆs white shirt He kept his expression easy and light even though he was inwardly cursing the Order DucisÆ Hexwitch anytime he wanted to travel through Kharon he was dogged by horrible luck He pictured her cackling somewhere feeling her Skill periodically activate and trouble him

A few minutes later Garrett got off on his stop hopping down from the trolley and landing on one of the industrial skyislands dedicated to the production of skybikes He wound his way through various workshops keeping a careful eye on the ground after he had earlier stepped on a jagged bit of rusted metal when he left his hideout

He quickly arrived at a deserted portion of the island and pulled open an ancient garage next to a scrapyard He closed the door behind him and snapped his fingers creating a floating orb of light to illuminate the small room

There sitting in the middle of the garage was the Darksteel Bomb

More than a bomb it looked like an extremely large pinecone Eighty black plates of Darksteel were layered on top of each other the different layers spreading out like the petals of a flower When detonated this pinecone would launch those eighty dinner plate sized flower petals in every direction ripping through and damaging every image they encountered

Further a tube of finely ground Darksteel was included in the core After the explosion minuscule grains of Darksteel would spread out across all areas afflicted by the blast effectively salting the ground to the spirit of Kharon

Just by being near it Garrett felt curiously fuzzy He also knew that this feeling was the Darksteel inflicting serious damage on his ability to perceive and create images He knew that prolonged exposure would make it very difficult to display much of his previous power

But at the thought of the past GarrettÆs expression darkened further It had not been in his plan to leave his hideout today he was supposed to remain here and lay low until he moved the Darksteel bomb right before the Kharon Academy Auction But a hint of gossip had lured him out of this abandoned scrap yard

Everyone was whispering about it Randidly Ghosthound was back He had breakfast this morning at SeleneÆs Basically everyone was now wandering around hoping that they would stumble across the legendary founder of the city and somehow become fast friends Young women blushed and imagined a whirlwind romance that would end with them as the Lady of Kharon

Garrett had gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to spit all day listening to this drivel Perhaps he couldnÆt deny that he was also hoping for a chance meeting in his wanderings but such an event would have gone very differently than the fairy tail tripe on which most of the population happily fed

He reached out and gently caressed the Darksteel Bomb They donÆt know you like I do right Randidly You are not the hero you make yourself out to be You hurt women You cannot control your own strength You possess the power to save so many but you just horde resources for yourself

His hands began to tremble IÆll show you the cost of being selfish You cannot simply turn your back on your own planet like this

Chapter 1678

This is faanncy Todd observed twisting in his seat to look around at the surrounding restaurant They sat in a low lit cushy Italian ristorante where the gawking of Todd drew the eyes of the well to do patrons in their dark suits Aside from an ornate crystal chandelier outside of the elevator all of the decor was done in dark hard woods and wine red table clothes Even to RandidlyÆs relatively insensitive taste the exquisite dress of the hostess and the thick leather linings of the menu spoke of money

Wonder how Neveah found out about a place like this Randidly gazed around casually The top floor restaurant was relatively intimate there were only eight tables set There was a balcony area with a table Neveah had reserved but Randidly knew that the moss spirits would draw attention to him if he sat outside so he requested to be seated inside Some other couple was only too happy to switch for the glorious view of Kharon and the gleaming lights of its sky islands

Todd spoke between bites of his third thoroughly buttered slice of pumpernickel bread “Never been invited to a posh place like this they have a few of em in the rich quarter of Kharon Academy but mostly they are only for professors and kids in their final two years of attendance But man I’m gonna start studying harder in order to end up at places like this who is this person we are meeting anyway “

Randidly grinned to see Todd’s rather blithe behavior even when the three demerits clattered on his wrist The kid’s mood seemed to be improving in proportion to the amount of bread and honey butter he consumed “She’s family My sister “

“Treasure your family ” Todd said philosophically with bits of bread sticking to the corner of his mouth Randidly could only suppress his smile and nod solemnly at his sensei’s teachings He casually chose a bottle of wine from the list to share with Neveah

With this new body I wonder how many bottles I would need to drink before I really feel something Randidly wondered idly But then his eyes turned sharp

Some of the other patrons of the restaurant were beginning to notice the reckless abandon with which Todd wielded his knife to apply butter Even Randidly had to admit that the process was messier than he cared to be near But when always sensitive to the feeling of the room Randidly began to feel a vague feeling of judgment and disgust from the present population his eyes narrowed and he pressed his lips together You fuckers Who do you think owns this whole restaurant

Luckily Neveah arrived at that time pausing briefly at the hostess station before proceed across the wooden floor toward their table Todd muttered under his breath ‘rich fancy older sister ‘ and Randidly could only agree Since Neveah had visited the Nexus she had altered her look She had aged herself allowing most of the influence of Lyra to fade from her features although there was still some sharpness present in her chin and the corners of her eyes But her face bore thin lines that stood out when Neveah smiled as she did now when her eyes alighted on Randidly Her hair hung down around her face to her jaw framing her face perfectly

Randidly couldn’t resist sending her a message Did you copy my new hairstyle on purpose Oh and I’ve told Todd you are my sister

I think Helen actually modeled you after me Neveah responded cheerily They met and hugged Randidly’s flesh and metal arm wrapping around her body and buzzing through the human illusion that Neveah constantly maintained to feel the heavy bones of her true form And with Neveah Randidly didnÆt need to hold back He squeezed with all the relish he felt to be reunited with her under peaceful circumstances

They parted and Neveah turned seriously to Todd “Nice to meet you Mr Todd I hear you’ve been teaching my little brother all about Scrawl truly how can I thank you “

“Well no thanks is necessary ” Todd’s mouth said but his eyes betrayed him by flicking to the empty breadbasket Neveah laughed aloud and gestured for a waiter to come over so they could order another

Neveah clicked her tongue as she poured herself a glass of the red wine Randidly had ordered and then looked at the bottle I assume you ordered it without reading it

She flashed Randidly the label Greyman Vinyards

Randidly blinked Greyman like Theodora

Yup the very same Owns a whole skyisland WineÆs pretty good too even if sometimes her bottles taste a little bitter NeveahÆs face darkened briefly She gave Randidly a sidelong glance I think itÆs your influence I can taste people just barely Like each intelligent life form is a bit like a stew that people slow cooked And everything you add to your own stew affects the flavor But the downside is some ingredients are so overpowering you can never escape them They shape your significance forever no matter how hard you try to run from them

Into the resulting silence Todd spoke Huh I wonder what I taste like

Neveah chuckled her morose expression vanishing almost immediately Probably honey butter

On cue the waiter arrived and took their initial orders

Randidly found the meal to be remarkably domestic Neveah and Todd quickly became fast friends with him boasting shamelessly of his own accomplishments and the things he would soon accomplish while Neveah made admiring noises at the right times Then when the appetizers arrived and Todd’s mouth was busy dealing with those Neveah and Randidly began talking

Neveah chatted happily about her continued relationship with her pen pal about how she worked as a consultant for Engraving based security companies and how she lived with Sydney and helped take care of the almost recuperated Drake Then she seemed to wilt as she talked about racial tensions arising from the growing presence of ogres and frog people on Expira with new races arriving from uncovered and exploited Danger Zones

“Most of the real shit comes from Zones 1 7 and 11 ” Neveah shook her head “The Great Sea Zone can’t be bothered to care they are perfectly willing to trade no matter the species And obviously Zone 32 is very accepting considering that most of the commercial connections are concentrated there and in the Orchard But it’s just sad Sometimes I think that these people wished all the foreign species of died leaving the planets for use to exploit “

“I like ogres and frog people ” Todd offered “They have cool Skills that most humans don’t learn If you want an edge you gotta gather unique Skills “

“A very intelligent way to approach the issue ” Neveah chuckled

However the wonderfully intimate feeling of the meal began to fray as the attention that Todd brought to the table with his crass manners began to catch upon Randidly As they sat there he sensed the recognition in the surrounding faces and felt the way their gazes became increasingly intense

Randidly felt very clear differences from his experiences at Selene No one here seemed grateful or thankful toward him All Randidly felt from these rich and affluent members of Kharon was resentment and fear

Keeping his expression even Randidly carefully unwound his tail from around his waist and brought it down underneath the heavy table cloth He expertly directed a flow of Nether through the appendage and concentrated it at the tip although he had never done this before his dexterity with his tail was sufficiently high that the act posed no problems He began to weave a Nether Ritual that would screen their table from scrutiny

Congratulations Your Skill Precise Nether Ritual has grown to Level 289

The lazy coiling of the motions of his tail unavoidably altered the way Randidly Engraved but after spending all day observing and practicing the all encompassing method of Scrawl Randidly felt a bit more comfortable simply accepting those strange idiosyncrasies They shaped his meaning in subtle ways that he didn’t truly understand he simply didn’t have enough experience he embraced those changes The Engraving subtly transformed

Congratulations Your Skill Scrawl of the Ghosthound has grown to Level 175

Congratulations Your Skill Precise Nether Ritual has grown to Level 290

However Randidly quickly encountered a problem and paused in his work to chew on his lip Obviously if he completely isolated their table the restaurant staff wouldn’t be able to keep serving them

Sensing his confusion Neveah slid her own bony tail beneath the table and drew on Randidly’s Nether to add a few very precise markings to the interior of the Ritual This is a subject matter that I have some experience with It is possible to tie the effectiveness of such Rituals to particular associations but is an extremely precise business honestly you’d be better at it than me If you could sample the spirit of our wait staff and coalesce it into a specific runic sigil

Randidly rolled his eyes at how blithely Neveah passed the extremely troublesome task to him but went about his work without complaint The Stillborn Phoenix stretched its influence outward and took small hopefully imperceptible bites of the images of the appropriate people Then Randidly carefully pulled those bites before they were devoured by his image Which wasn’t as difficult as it would have once been since applying the concrete manifestations of the Hierarchy of Burden to the image its behavior had improved immensely

Perhaps it sensed that it was gradually approaching an avenue that might result in its actual birth Such a prospect left it quite willing to pass on small meals like this

Ultimately though the final conversion wasn’t smooth Randidly simply didn’t have enough knowledge of these individuals to make a perfect key that they would subconsciously activate off of their presence Even with his experience creating his own Nether Core much of what he did was guesswork But when his tail added the final flourishing rune to the Engraving the effect was immediate

The feedback from Nether was immediately positive the Nether RItual worked

Randidly could tell that he hadn’t done so well with the maitre de but their waiter seemed to experience a passing absentminded expression when he approached them as though the rind of the Nether Ritual briefly robbed him of his purpose Meanwhile the surrounding gossipers seemed to be abruptly lost as their gaze swam through the restaurant searching for the table that had just been present Feeling slightly vindictive Randidly studied Neveah’s robust keying arrangement for several seconds and then put his own spin on it When an outside force attempted to use their own Willpower to focus on their table they would walk directly into the all consuming hunger of the Stillborn Phoenix

RandidlyÆs Egg of Depression was only too happy to extract a stiff task on those foolish enough to wander within its allotted area of influence

Several of the more determined starers finally shook themselves and turned away an obvious expression of dread on their face Which allowed Randidly to grin and turn back to enjoying the meal with his tail subtly tying itself back around his waist

Eventually the group had eaten and laughed their way to dessert with Randidly forced to rein in his own appetite when he noticed that the much smaller Todd was attempting to keep up with the inhuman amount of food that he and Neveah put away The waiter explained that they had several dishes both listed in the sleek menu provided and in a display upfront Todd hoped to his feet and announced he would go examine their choices

Which finally left the ‘brother and sister’ alone

Randidly tilted his head to the side “What is it You’ve been giving me a look all night “

“This might be strange to say especially coming from me ” Neveah began slowly as she pushed her hair behind her ear “But Randidly what do you want “

Randidly frowned “What do you mean what do I want I’m guessing that you aren’t talking about what IÆm craving for dessert “

“No I’m talking about life What are you reaching for ” Neveah said

To Randidly’s surprise his Nether Core began to spin more determinedly in his chest So he bit back his gut reaction and pondered for a bit There was meaning to answering this question although he wasnÆt quite sure why Perhaps it was his presence in Kharon perhaps it was his proximity to his Nether Core but he felt the tightness in the air

How he responded was important

So slowly Randidly did his best to vocalize what existed in his heart “I want to accumulate enough strength to protect this world and others from the Nexus With Edraine and Octavius and Vualla we want to gather enough capability to force a change in the entire Nexus So that planets filled with lives won’t be exploited used and then discarded And since I need power to lend weight to my voice I want to be strong ThatÆs why I train “

Neveah tapped her finger on the table ” It’s just something that I’ve been thinking about recently but Randidly your desires center around other things You want power yes but only to screen your Alpha Cosmos Rather than a person these days seeing how you steel yourself and throw your mind into crucible after crucible you are more force than a living breathing human “

Chapter 1679

Randidly frowned at her words and Neveah continued to speak Somehow it seemed this judgment had been building in Neveah for quite some time and now it finally had occasion to drain out of her “Not that it’s a bad thing You’ve done so much good for the people and places you’ve decided to protect But I’m just worried about you We are one being Soulbound yes I didn’t realize it at first but I have been becoming more and more fascinated with my own budding humanity perhaps at the same time that yours was withering below the weight of necessity Even please I don’t mean to criticize but even your relationship with Vualla You care for each other yes but is it nearing something like love Or do you two simply share complimentary obsessions

If she decided to give up her vendetta against the Nexus would you be okay with it

Now Randidly was truly stunned simply staring at Neveah She looked back at him her eyes a dark green and filled with genuine warmth and empathy His heartbeat quickened even as the Nether flowing through his veins grew increasingly dense His Nether Core responded strongly to Neveah’s words but Randidly just felt bewildered

Significance slowed in through the windows and doors seeped up through the floorboards and steadily wormed its way through the vents So much was spinning in the air threatening to warp RandidlyÆs tail drawn Nether Ritual with its force

IÆm more force than person But about Vualla

“I ” Randidly licked his lips He was suddenly very aware of the multiple ways through recent memory that he had shed his human body and evolved into something else But then again that wasn’t what Neveah was talking about when he faced her accusation directly he couldnÆt claim it was only a recent development

Even from the beginning of his time in the Nexus Randidly never quite desired the human comforts that tugged at the hearts of others All his riches from creating Kharon he didn’t much consider it was only the spirit of Kharon the sword and shield that would allow them to prosper in the future that earned his time and meticulous attention Perhaps some part of him was still that engineering student that had been swept up into the Dungeon and accidentally planted berries in the Safe Zone He just loved to build something worthwhile

Neveah spoke again “The things you want to accomplish are enormous I just want to point out you might be slowly becoming more the force to effect this desired change than the person who hopes for it It’s not necessarily a bad thing because the magnitude of what you want cannot be grasped with normal means Just be aware And be careful alright I would be quite sad if my little brother went so far as to sacrifice himself entirely to protect others “

Someone has to do this Neveah Randidly responded instantly

Neveah favored him with a sad smile But thereÆs no reason it must be you right

RandidlyÆs expression shifted again between a hundred different lightning fast emotions The bubbling anger that Neveah had brought up his relationship with Vualla so negatively A solemn contemplation over whether she was right A shiver of very real fear that he was moving further and further away from who he had been before the System had arrived

But the strongest emotion was acceptance Or rather it was a firm belief that Neveah was wrong perhaps before it didnÆt necessarily need to be him but with his strange interactions with the being at the base of the shaft his sharpening images and his steadily strengthening Nether Core

Randidly’s gaze firmed If I really do need to become more force than man if the legend of the Ghosthound is a stronger weapon to strike at the Nexus than Randidly the man so be it Whatever it takes

Absently Randidly was stunned that the surrounding patrons hadnÆt noticed something was amiss with the Nether in the room They continued about their meals completely oblivious to the maelstrom of significance that hurtled through them All that potent meaning began flowing into RandidlyÆs body settling into his being

Neveah sat across from him and probably understood what the changes in his expression meant and why the Nether was suddenly so agitated but she said nothing Likely she knew that she had already said her piece further arguments wouldnÆt help A few seconds later Todd happily returned to the table and plopped down in his seat

Neveah mechanically turned her head and offered a brittle smile at the boy So whatÆs for dessert

Several fruit tarts and creme brulees later the trio left the restaurant As they took the elevator down from the top floor of the building and walked out onto the street Todd paused and pointed upward “What the hell are those shitty Scrawls “

Randidly glanced upward The sky was filled with bits floating meandering puttering debris Twigs and scrap metal discarded garbage can lids and empty egg cartons a hundred small objects floated awkwardly around above street level earning looks of disapproval from the workers on the streets who likely assumed it was some prank from the kids of Kharon Academy

But of course it wasn’t a prank It was one collective and very genuine attempt to improve by the moss spirits of Kharon

Neveah quirked an eyebrow up at him and Randidly could only shrug helplessly “Maybe someone is doing a practice for the under Auction “

BA Alpha whirred sitting in its resting place and experiencing the satisfying feeling of its thousands of minuscule gears locking their teeth onto one another without the slightest room for error It was a perfect creation in constant motion “Report “

BA Beta bowed wearing the humanoid form assigned to most of the non specialized BAs “A bit of discarded napkin was flagged from the trash of Kharon’s Alpha Per protocol for such a unique item it passed through the ranks to my daily work allotment It was flagged for the following reasons persistent energy signature extremely sophisticated artistry and constant low grade radiance It appears to be a particular sort of Engraving aimed at altering the processing apparati of the BA units “

Gears turning BA Alpha considered this “Yet it was discarded brought to us by happenstance Even for humans this is certainly an erratic behavior Not like the human unit Alpha at all She is a human unit that rarely takes such unproductive actions “

“Would you like to hear our theories on the subject of the placement of the napkin or the suspected function of the Engraving first ” BA Beta asked

BA Alpha continued to spin Its body was contained within a giant cube but the progenitor of the first automatons had insisted to fill the interior of the cube with absolutely meaningless gears that would steadily turn in an elaborate puzzle with no actual productive purpose It was a rather typical and inexplicable human unit behavior Their creator had believed that exposure to such clinical perfection as that existed within its form would induce further perfection in BA AlphaÆs behavior After several seconds of clacking BA Alpha rumbled The Engraving first

BA Beta placed the small napkin which still glowed with the mysterious EngravingÆs ambient power on the display dais in front of BA AlphaÆs strongest sensors This Engraving when applied to any BA unit will afflict them with human traits reminiscent of metal I am inadequate to ascertain how expansive an effect the Engraving could generate but it appears that the resulting human unit personality will have traits similar to the BAÆs

Is that speculation BA AlphaÆs gears began to move more quickly

Not entirely I consulted with a skilled human unit Engraver who told me that this was the greatest single Engraving she had ever seen BA Beta responded It is worth noting that even she a human unit found that it was extremely strange that this extremely sophisticated Engraving was done upon a napkin It is as though such a profound Engraving was created simply on a whim and this was the closest recording surface

BA Alpha considered that Sometimes it was difficult to distinguish the societally determined lines where some deviations were considered acceptable amongst the humans yet others were not But BA Alpha at least understood this aspect of humanity their source code was entirely unspoken and implied passed from parent to child through repeated and unexplained demonstration It was no wonder that so many inconsistencies cropped up

And you earlier mentioned a conjecture

BA Beta stood as straight as its humanoid form would allow Amongst the human units there is talk that their greatest hero Randidly Ghosthound walks again through KharonÆs streets He is the reason for the disturbance amongst the moss spirits As the creator of the city itself it is deemed likely that he is the source of this Engraving He also is a known associate of the human unit Alpha of Kharon Therefore it is reasonable to assume that they were in discussions regarding the BAÆs presence in Kharon However perhaps this Engraving was deemed a failed product and left in the waste receptacle

I find the final conjecture less than compelling BA Alpha responded as its gears continued to mince easily together However we should investigate Contact the KharonÆs Alpha Ascertain whether we may experiment with this Engraving If we could figure out a method to incorporate some of the advantages of the human unitsÆ natural experiments into our own operating procedures we might be able to self improve

Even as BA Alpha said these words the tenor of its mechanical grinding changed BA Beta stood completely still and its vaguely humanoid face didnÆt shift but BA Alpha could feel that BA Beta felt the same desire that it did The humans had created them and the All Speaker had blessed them with the Engraving that let them understand but they were ultimately a failed creation Behind the framework of each work day cycle for a BA were countless hours of human units laying out the details

The BAÆs had plenty of willingness to work and drive to assist human units but they had no real creativity or experience They were unable to imagine how things could be different than the orders given to them

They could not assist Kharon without very specific instructions from Kharon detailing how to do so But perhaps that could change

Our creator always envisioned the BAÆs as the crowning jewel of KharonÆs industry BA Alpha said slowly to BA Beta Perhaps that dream will soon come to fruition Perhaps this rune of the Ghosthound will finally give us the chance that we have been waiting for

Compared to the other BAs these two units were special Both BA Alpha and BA Beta were crafted by hand by their original maker They were also equipped with several higher order Engravings from the All Speaker which gave them greater insight into the behavior of humans Which was why it was the two of them standing in that room solemnly looking down at that napkin scrap between them

I have a suggestion BA Beta announced interrupting their regards

While the news is traveling to the human unit Alpha we may as well begin to make preparations There are many BAÆs who have made small infractions due to deficiencies of their physical construction Their loss will not be felt we can remove a few and prepare to apply the Engraving to their bodies Or if the human unit Alpha responds in the negative they can simply be brought in for reshaping

BA Alpha buzzed as it considered this Despite the pointlessness of its internal construction it did thank their maker for choosing this form unlike a pure cube these thousands of gears that constituted its body had so much additional surface area for Engraving Those delicate runes glowed with a much dimmer light than that small napkin in front of it Make the arrangements

Chapter 1680

You can leave Councilman Whittaker Tatiana set her teacup down on the table and gave the repulsive man a sharp glance The CouncilmanÆs first response was to stroke his beard and snort but the silence that followed allowed the news that Tatiana meant every word to penetrate through his skull

The corner of his mouth quirked upward His lined face stiffened I donÆt think that would be appropriate

I must say that I agree with the Mayor Mr Stanley the walking avatar of the Hemlock Corporation in a tightly fitted tailored suit added His head was shaved his smooth skin was dark His eyes were heavy and brown He remained in the same position he had assumed when he sat down straight backed in his chair with his hands folded in front of him There was a gathering force about his person as though his act of sitting so still actually built up potential energy within his body with the promise that in some approaching moment that energy would be unleashed

Despite the fact that she didnÆt trust this strange man at all Tatiana felt a flash of satisfaction to feel all that potent energy being directed toward her dog turd of a councilman

Birds chirped happily outside of the window bringing an unasked for levity to the early morning meeting in preparation for the Kharon University Auction Councilman Whittaker looked from Tatiana to Mr Stanley then back again Slowly his face twisted into a sneer of derision She could see his rat brain scrabbling for purchase upon this news that it could grip Oh so this is how it is You acted so self righteously looking down on me for helping introduce corporations into KharonÆs business district Yet it turns out the holy TatianaÆs asking price was only a little higher than

Your problem Councilman Whittaker Tatiana interrupted his tirade without a drop of remorse Is that you donÆt realize that your many conflicting beliefs are entirely divisible You seem to think your brand of politics is take it all or leave it In terms of corporations I have no problems with them aside from the innate weaknesses of the form And IÆm sure Mr Stanley shares my belief that his basic organization isnÆt perfection

Mr Stanley without needing any further prompting nodded gravely

Tatiana continued to speak No my problem with you Thomas is that you were willing to hold the guardians of Kharon Academy attendees hostage to accomplish your political ends We are not so large and divided a city that we need to play political hardball with each other

If you make me leave this room Thomas Whittaker began but Tatiana interrupted

You sound like a child Thomas Tatiana just stared at him like he was a dead rat rotting on its side in one of her very expensive conference room chairs And as I anticipated an anonymous donor stepped forward to provide the necessary funds without bringing the issue to council So your assistance on this matter is no longer necessary I hope you enjoy the rest of your term

Again Councilman Whittaker looked between the two other individuals present in the room Then he pushed himself up out of his chair with his hands and staggered from the room

When he was gone Mr Stanley twisted his neck and looked at Tatiana madam Mayor am I this anonymous doner

You are not Tatiana favored him with a pointed smile She wouldnÆt so easily owe the Hemlock Corporation a favor In an entirely different manner than his usual domineering displays the Ghosthound still had enough juice to maintain the cityÆs independence

How shocking Mr Stanley said mildly with the rest of his body still frozen while his head pivoted to look at her To my understanding such a program is likely at least ten million dollars in deficit To have such a donor step out of the shadows right when you need it Kharon is just as formidable as advertised

Well anyway letÆs skip the pleasantries Tatiana said What I said about having no problems with corporations generally is true But in the case of Kharon corporations pose several unique challenges to integrating with the Wandering City

Mr Stanley cleared his throat Madam Mayor my particular set of Skills puts me in the unique position to see all the opportunities available for KharonÆs partnership with us Should you allow the Hemlock Corporation to set up a permanent headquarters in the city the amount of currency flowing through Kharon will

Tatiana held up a hand Please We both know that money isnÆt KharonÆs current problem

When she didnÆt proceed further Mr Stanley studied Tatiana with his heavy brown eyes Then he spoke ponderously You are worried about the speed of growth of Kharon Academy You need both resources distribution channels and population to make sure that the Academy doesnÆt become the cityÆs entire identity

Basically correct Which is why I scheduled this meeting Tatiana uncrossed and recrossed her legs as she leaned back in her chair You have Skills that give you insight into business and I have Skills relating to understanding Kharon And just as surely as yours guide you to profit mine are telling me that the presence of any Corporation in Kharon will have a very divisive long term effect I assume you are familiar with KharonÆs spirit

If you are worried that our representatives wonÆt try to stick to the tenets of your city you are wrong Mr Stanley rumbled We can discuss certain extrinsic requirements

A corporation is effective because it is so sensitive to opportunities profit and loss Tatiana said Necessarily it is designed to be less vulnerable to other factors And often employees at corporations experience empathy through the filter of the larger corporation and corporate culture around them Now we have fewer data points about how this will work in the post System Expira but I have some hunches on how it will play out

Mr Stanley frowned the slightest downturn at the edges of his mouth

Tatiana shrugged lightly I just want you to understand my stance Corporations seem like they are a necessary evil to spur commercial growth to a sufficient extent to match the population of students flowing into the city IÆm not after your money nor do I particularly want you to relocate your headquarters to your city which I assume you were instructed to offer

Mr StanleyÆs frown grew in intensity His heavy features ground into a new formation like a time lapse of a rock face being eroded by rainwater

no what I want is your understanding Tatiana concluded She met the heavy eyes of this potential filled man and didnÆt flinch Your presence here is contingent on your ability to work KharonÆs spirit into your members IÆd like your most radical and innovative talent to be stationed here Everyone the current upper management fears them due to their ambition why not station them in Kharon

That earned a chuckle from Mr Stanley He eased his bulging suit backward and leaned against the cushioned chair Heh So it seems that youÆve done your research into our internal situation

Tatiana smiled briefly The Order Ducis is a small toolbox but each is particularly effective

Mr Stanley unfolded his steepled fingers I believe Madam Mayor that we can definitely come to an agreement

Delilah read the letter without much change in her expression In the end the news she had expected to hear was there right at the beginning

Hullo D

Miss your mommy

The Void Jungle Danger Zone has been a particularly thorny problem who knew that alien lifeforms could have so many rules for harvesting their trees I killed a couple but wouldnÆt you know it that just ended up complicating things So now we are in reconciliation talks and daddy and I canÆt leave without deeply offending our hosts and completely salting away any chance of a peaceful resolution

ItÆs a real prick in the ass if you know what I mean (Oh and donÆt tell daddy that you and I are swear buddies You know how grumpy he gets )

Anyway IÆve sent a message to Vye to give you some spending money for the Kharon Academy Auction Spend it all in one place if you want youÆre worth it (And if you see anything daddy might like maybe see if you can borrow some money from Vye Our anniversary is coming up and IÆm stuck in this horrid void forrest And you know how shite I am at gift giving )

I love you honey When I get back letÆs go playing in the woods again like we did when you were younger

Annie

P S Take a closer look at the courier who delivered this letter

By the end of her read through Delilah had shivered and frowned Shivered because her mother had the most sadistic idea of playingÆ that Delilah had ever encountered Well that wasnÆt necessarily true Even worse than her mother was Randidly Ghosthound who had played hide and seek with her and left Delilah completely mortified The man was truly more horrifying than monsters Her mind still had those memories from her five year old self perfectly preserved

And then that final line

Delilah sprung off her bed and threw open the door to her room There sitting with Vye was an individual in a heavy brown cloak Without her impatience to read the letter blinding her DelilahÆs eyes widened in recognition Uncle T

The vine y thorn y incarnation of one of Randidly GhosthoundÆs Soulseed stood and swept Delilah up into a hug She was happy to note that he had become much more proficient at controlling the bloodsucking tips of his thorns making the embrace seem entirely normal

Delilah beamed at Thorn when he set her down What are you doing here Are you staying for the Auction

Thorn nodded its head The fleshy pink and grey core that had split off from its main body was unable to speak but it had learned Kharon AcademyÆs hand signals which it used now to communicate But very quickly Delilah went pale as she understood the meaning of its message

Yes Also I plan on going to visit father while IÆm here Would you like to come to meet him

Chapter 1681

Oh no Randidly said as he paused mid stride and glance around He was unable to resist the urge to deliver his words in deadpan An ambush

Todd immediately paled as he spun to face the kids were squirming out of the spaces between the surrounding buildings Some were as young as Todd but most were older perhaps some even as old as seventeen Damnit Even here on the holy grounds of Kharon Academy

The ambushers didnÆt bother to reply swarming out of cramped alleyways and lining the nearby rooftops There was coordination to their assembly RandidlyÆs eyes slid sideways cataloging all thirty of their attackers While they were on the main skyisland of Kharon they were outside of the area where classes occurred As such Todd had explained earlier that they needed to be careful not to linger too long He had claimed an attack here was extremely disrespectful but possible

Randidly shook his head slightly this was clearly not a sudden act Someone had expended quite a bit of time and effort to create this encirclement

As the rank and file members of the teen gang pressed closer the blonde Eileen Krouse stepped to the edge of a nearby roof and put her hands on her hips It took Randidly a second to realize that she was striking a pose Hehe that special heirloom will be mine Toddler IÆve already spoken to Damien about it and come to an understanding and if you get yourself any more demerits Her smirk widened Will you be able to buy anything at all in the under auction What a tragedy

You Todd scrunched his face until it was a crumpled newspaper The surrounding kids took their time as they sidled into place leaving about five meters of space around Randidly and Todd The other students that had been wandering down the cobblestone side street were gone Their ambushers looked at them with knowing grins it seemed they believed this situation to be inescapable

Randidly found the levity of the moment somewhat refreshing A situation like this was almost nostalgic He remembered fondly those early battles in the System when he dodged acid spitting frogs and antagonized Howler Monkeys to earn Skill Levels It was funny to think that now a casual thought could unleash a wave of horrifying images that would obliterate all of his past challenges in a single moment

LetÆs have some fun with this RandidlyÆs mouth quirked at the edge He turned to Todd and announced in a stage whisper We are gonna need to make a break for it

Todd clenched his fists and his crumpled expression eased There was genuine thankfulness and warmth mixed in his frustrations Meanwhile the surrounding kids heard RandidlyÆs words and chortled exchanging wolfish smiles with each other But ultimately Todd could only shake his head at RandidlyÆs words and sigh There are too many of them I donÆt like it but this just might mean I canÆt get the GhosthoundÆs spear

That finally pulled RandidlyÆs attention out from the developing game of the scenario What

Above Eileen had watched the developments with an indulgent air up to this point When Randidly frowned in confusion she raised her hand to cover her mouth as she laughed like a two bit villain Fufufu you fool youÆve defended this Toddler without knowing the depths you are swimming into Pah This concerns the greatest secret legacy that Kharon Academy possesses Only a select few are allowed to bid for this item earning that right through accomplishing a series of secret tasks And IÆm here today to make sure that treasure doesnÆt end up in the hands of someone like Toddler here

I accomplished the same stupid tasks as you This isnÆt fair Todd yelled up at Eileen Just because you are older

You got lucky Eileen shrugged her blonde pigtails bouncing Then she clapped her hands lightly and the gathered kids pulled out uniform plastic baseball bats and began to creep forward And now IÆm the agent of karma here to take back the blessings that you donÆt deserve

Randidly eyed the weapons the kids used They were a clunky oversized wiffleball bats made so that they would be painful enough to fight with without inflicting serious damage on the recipient Ultimately Randidly ignored them Because while half of the kid stepped forward with weapons the other half were raising their hands and summoning Mana The rooftops buzzed with accumulating energy

Meanwhile Todd continued to explain in a quiet voice to Randidly Jeez I canÆt believe you donÆt know about this ItÆs a shattered spear the one that the Ghosthound used in his first challenge against Donnyton They say that when you hold it in your hand you can feel it pulse with its spirit like itÆs alive

Randidly struggled to keep his expression even at this revelation He cast his mind backward From the first Donnyton challenge I definitely had Acri at that point if there was any shattered spear it would have been AlanaÆs when she manifested the valkyrie in the final attack Wait was that even the first challenge

All in all it seemed pretty unlikely that the spear was actually his Randidly tried not to grin as he imagined AlanaÆs reaction to hearing that her spear was being passed around as the greatest secret legacy of Randidly GhosthoundÆ at Kharon Academy But then he rolled his shoulders and released a breath Still no reason not to join the fun LetÆs get this show on the road

As the kids circled Randidly patted ToddÆs shoulder with his right hand and then pointed to his metallic left arm I didnÆt tell you this before but this arm has a particularly powerful defense With it I think we can push through with your help

Immediately ToddÆs expression brightened I KNEW you wouldnÆt just have a useless metal arm How

Randidly picked Todd up with his right arm to keep him from wasting more time Although Todd was a little big to be held like this RandidlyÆs Primordial Nether Juju meant that he didnÆt even feel the additional weight But honestly the problem wasnÆt escaping it was escaping without injuring any of these kids

Or his newly acquired passenger whose eyes ears and nasal passages would rupture underneath some of the momentum shifts that Randidly endured

Arcane Orb Eileen shouted out the signal to attack releasing a rather impressive indigo orb from her hand The projectile spun quickly down toward RandidlyÆs head The eyes of the surrounding kids turned serious

Randidly paused and briefly eyed the main antagonist in this situation This ambush was a little cutthroat but since she obviously wasnÆt intending to harm Todd Randidly forgave her for her methods Competition like this was necessary to prepare the students for the real threats of the Nexus And when he scanned her image he could feel her determination and talent she was a good seedling

But then he raised his gaze His emerald eyes flashed Todd was waving his hand hurriedly conjuring some sort of barrier to help defend against the Arcane Orb In the meantime a half dozen Mana Bolts and Fireballs sizzled through the air making a mess of the airspace Bodies surged forward and bats were brandished threateningly Everything exploded into a chaos of energy and motion

Yet Grim Intuition scrutinized and cataloged every threat Randidly took a single almost casual step forward The ambushers were relying on quantity to ensure the encirclement was successful And even with Todd keeping his movements to normal speeds using such methods against him was rather foolish

Congratulations Your Skill Chimeric Impunity has grown to Level 402

RandidlyÆs lips twitched This isnÆt going to be fair at all

As soon as Eileen Krouse unleashed her trademark heavyÆ Arcane Orb she channeled her cool Mana into her hand and began creating another Although Toddler wasnÆt strong enough to overcome her in a one on one fight Eileen felt slightly wary of this bodyguard that Toddler had managed to rope into his service

This man with womanly long black hair should be weak Eileen surveyed him from the rooftop as her Mana quickly gathered in her palm She couldnÆt detect even the slightest sense of image from him even as he scooped up Toddler and started stepping toward the aggressive encirclement And yet EileenÆs instincts somehow didnÆt inform her that he was weak Just that he didnÆt seem to possess any image

He walked around surrounded by stillness

In addition Superman Bennio had vehemently refused to join this ambush After he said no he didnÆt even bother to offer an explanation but just ignored the rest of her messages Apparently this bodyguardÆs punch had been pretty intimidating Which just meant that Eileen had called on her connections to gather more ambushers No matter how strong his punches were he couldnÆt punch everywhere at once And as one of the few attendees of Kharon Academy who wasnÆt an orphan she had a natural advantage in terms of resources

Arcane Orb Eileen said for the second time Her projectile joined the thick volley shooting toward the figure of the bodyguard and Toddler And as she looked down Eileen felt a sudden flash of fear Did I go too far ThatÆs a lot of Skills If they take all of those directly

Mana Bolt

Freeze Ray

Fireblast

Dark Dart

Bubblebeam

Below her subordinates displayed none of her hesitation and enthusiastically contributed to the bombardment They picked and unleashed their favorite Skills in quick succession Even worse the first of the melee fighters were bounding forward closing the distance with their weapons raised Meanwhile the bodyguard

Eileen found her eyes oddly stuck to the broad shoulders of the black haired man He took another step forward but there was something strange about the motion There was a slight sway in his movements as though he were a tall tree being lightly buffeted by a strong wind Yet there was also a strange unnaturalness to the distance covered as he moved

That sway seemed to encompass that extended beyond tendons and sine

After his first step a Mana Bolt whizzed harmlessly past the bodyguard Then he continued taking steps toward the melee encirclement One of the burly young men Eileen had recruited raised a bat and swung it with all his power The black haired bodyguard stepped and swayed that was all He didnÆt move too quickly but he breezed forward past the whistling blow of the bat Behind the man EileenÆs first Arcane Orb smashed harmlessly into the ground

Her Skill threw dust up into the air but she could still clearly see the manÆs bizarre movements The melee fighters realized that something wasnÆt right and responded quickly several leapt forward to box him in from all sides Yet he continued to take short steps and sway around the powerful Skills thrown at him

BOOM BOOM BOOM

The mage types on the ground had to throw up some hasty shields to block the inaccurate Skills that their compatriots on the rooftops had thrown For a brief second the constant volley of attacks ceased Meanwhile the bodyguard paused in his constant movement to allow a vicious swing to pass only centimeters in front of his face Then he was moving again as soon as the attack had vacated his path stepping away from the attacks that were coming at him from behind Meanwhile Toddler began to toss out Volatile Orbs which forced even more of the ambushing forces to back up and focus on defense

Something abruptly occurred to Eileen It looks like heÆs just dancing with them

Her eyes flashed and she did some rapid calculations At his current speed Eileen raised her hand and aimed Arcane Orb

The projectile shot downward on the path she projected for the bodyguard He swayed around Frost Blasts and tiptoed past Fireballs There were moments where the black haired man simply paused in his movements leaving all of the bat wielders to wildly swing their weapons and hit only air It was like they werenÆt even trying to hit them

There were other times that the man raised his metal left arm and used only a finger to nudge a swinging bat to the side usually resulting in that bat blocking another bat that was going to hit him from the side He somehow made the entire thing look effortless Other melee fighters were rushing to catch up to his back but they had to pause to block all the projectiles thrown at him that missed

Basically the entire ambush didnÆt manage to slow him down at all

Honestly Eileen was shocked when the manÆs steady movements brought him perfectly to the spot that she had aimed earlier Her Arcane Orb howled downward The man paused and looked upward Then he casually raised his arm and just grabbed her attack

The Skill was quenched in his hand without any fanfare The man lowered his gaze and took another step forward

Eyes bulging Eileen scrambled for any Skill to slow ToddlerÆs miraculous escape Finally she found one and activated it despite her relatively mediocre Skill Level Entangling Roots

Chapter 1682

Randidly was honestly having fun toying with the kids Everything was chaotic and light like he was hopping along in a bouncy castle of play violence None of the bloodthirstiness he had routinely encountered in the Nexus was present But perhaps even more than he was enjoying the experience itself he savored the genuine resolve radiating off of each of these students

This was why he had founded Kharon Academy To teach kids how to channel that energy To make a place where the entire point was to struggle and attempt and fail and try again to address the great flaws of humanity There was something so genuine and irresistible about their obvious enthusiasm Randidly felt himself shifting steadily morphing into the mountain that the kids were throwing themselves against

Imperceptibly he lowered his speed a few iotas and made his avoidance just a few hairs closer to their attacks He hoped that they would feel how impassable even the smallest fraction of distance could be in the hands of a true expert He hoped they would be motivated to keep improving

Entangling Roots

A single voice cut through RandidlyÆs self control The ground beneath his feet quivered and thin and feeble roots wormed their way upward to seize upon his ankles He couldnÆt resist smirking Subconsciously he released a pulse of Nether into the surrounding space Anything else I would endure But this Skill Heh No

Let me show you how to properly use this

The smallest fraction of Yggdrasil manifested itself but not in the air above him The ground of the main Kharon Academy skyisland rumbled beneath their feet briefly hosting the vast and overpowering root network of the World Tree The buried veins were oozing with pure golden energy enough that anyone standing on the island abruptly had their Regenerations double just from exposure to that vibrant aura

Hum IÆm not as good as I used to be at remaining low key Randidly winced slightly as his image soaked into the ground beneath his feet Likely quite a few individuals on Expira had the capacity to notice that especially if they were near But honestly it didnÆt matter he wasnÆt trying to hide

He just wanted to investigate the state of Kharon Academy And if he had fun at the same time

Influence +29

Randidly shamelessly knocked aside EileenÆs grip on the Skill and hijacked it Nether was hurtling through his veins pulling meaning from the surroundings and from his Nether Core to spin together in a perfect concoction of potency The roots Randidly touched with his will instantly swelled and thickened before exploding out of the ground in a mess of shattered organic matter

Randidly had planned to just seize them all with the roots but then he remembered Todd He had another idea on how to proceed

Already RandidlyÆs hand was moving through the air His touch was lazy watching the ripples of natural energy swirling around his person He guided those broken pieces of roots together like they were brown threads rapidly weaving the pieces into a flat bottomed vessel that was a mix between a surfboard and a canoe There were small sides but most of the material formed the body and the raised prow of the vehicle which displayed a tree with its branches stretched skyward

He affectionately dubbed the vessel the S S Yggdrasil

RandidlyÆs arm on Todd tightened imperceptibly as the surrounding ambushers paused looking in shock at the sudden appearance of the vehicle Todd A Scrawl

It only took the kid a few seconds to realize RandidlyÆs plan Laughing uproariously ToddÆs hands were moving in the air weaving Mana into a dense nucleus of energy A second later the ambushers realized what was happening Above them Eileen Krouse shouted Stop them Destroy that thing

But it was too late ToddÆs fingers fluidly wove the Engraving and then tossed it down to impact the miniature S S Yggdrasil The lines of energy expanded upon contacting turning at sharp angles as it spread to cover the whole of the repurposed root surface Behind them the ambushers were firing more Fireballs to incinerate the wood but Randidly stepped and swayed forward to stand with his knees slightly bent on the item

The roots shuddered beneath his feet and then ToddÆs Scrawl activated pushing them abruptly up into the air The projectiles slammed harmlessly into the ground and shattered some of the cobblestones that they left behind

With air rushing around them as they ascended into the wide blue sky Randidly clicked his tongue and looked downward Tsk I donÆt want this to cause much damage to the surroundings If only I didnÆt need to be near the projectiles to neutralize them with Ripple of Amenonuhoko

Then Randidly paused Wait a second Do I really need to be so close to make use of the natural energy IÆm gathering

Randidly divided his attention in two One part of himself was in the moment with the giggling Todd reveling in that sense of intoxicating freedom as they spiked upward away from Kharon Academy with an honor guard of emerald moss spirits swirling immediately into place around them But the other part of his attention split itself out from the ripples that surrounded his own body First he looked down at the S S Yggdrasil beneath his feet then more widely at the other skybikes and box like public transportation vehicles cruising between sky islands in the swirling space above Kharon

The sky was so wide but around Kharon it was thick with activity

Realizing he could look was the hard part And once Randidly looked he was stunned to see the small ripples produced by everything in the surrounding sky For a brief moment he was struck by the lapping waves of energy that passed between the skybikes the beating heart in his chest the massive drifting skyislands floating even further above him and the ever present wind Even the clouds above produced a massive wake of faint ripples a glacier of water vapor gliding above the human world

Congratulations Your Skill Ripple of Amenonuhoko has grown to Level 361

Congratulations Your Skill Ripple of Amenonuhoko has grown to Level 362

Randidly moved his hand lightly His eyes were vague and unfocused Ripple of Amenonuhoko tapped him into this natural pattern that spiraled endlessly around him The more his consciousness expanded the more Randidly could picture him in the middle of the grand design of the whole of Expira subtly influenced by the flowing natural energy from other sources just as much as he was influenced

For a brief moment Randidly felt a flicker of understanding he could see the seed of the Nether KingÆs grand pattern His Nether Core howled into overdrive as he struggled to capture that vague impression

Standing slightly behind Randidly Todd raised his head and grinned He rapped his knuckles seriously against RandidlyÆs metal left arm Wow where did you get this thing You completely blocked EileenÆs attack SheÆs pretty strong you know But man the expression on her face

Todd looked down and paled Shit They are still coming

The intoxicating sense of grand understanding faded RandidlyÆs Grim Intuition reluctantly pulled itself back to the ambush Below them Eileen Krous and her cronies had pulled out their own haphazard vehicles and imbued them with an animating Scrawl A swarming wave of pursuers launched themselves off the ground and quickly closed the distance as Randidly had allowed their progress to stall as he embraced the universe of ripples around him

But two things brought RandidlyÆs focus fully back to the present One was his warm feelings toward Todd he wanted to give the kid a chance to obtain this broken spear whether it was originally RandidlyÆs or not And secondly Randidly needed a way to check whether he could make use of his new understanding of the natural ripples in the world

He leaned forward and pressed the tip of S S Yggdrasil downward All of their upward momenta shifted around and brought them hurtling downward right before the noses of their rising pursuers The teenagers howled out their climbing sense of aggression and twisted their vehicles in mid air to follow after them

The wind was howling past as they accelerated downward and Randidly was blinking rapidly to capture the near infinite ripples that spread out through the surrounding space Natural energy quickly accumulated into a veritable slipstream around him so that his pursuers accelerated along with the S S Yggdrasil They ripped past an agricultural skyisland at such speeds that Randidly could sense some of the farmers pausing in their work to look up at the noise Then he tilted his foot and skidded them around the edge of a commercial highway of Kharon where buses and skybikes moved sedately along a path of moss spirits

The ripples spread out from everything impacting each other and being impacted an endless cycle of energy

Congratulations Your Skill Ripple of Amenonuhoko has grown to Level 363

Behind them one of the whooping pursuers could finally take it no longer She raised her hand and unleashed a sharp Mana Bolt toward the back of Randidly and ToddÆs vehicle And seeing someone else shoot soon they were all firing their Skills in a burning freezing electrifying rain of attacks

RandidlyÆs toes flexed against the wood of the vehicle He deftly guided their path through the space between ripples surfing on air currents and sliding sharply sideways to avoid various projectiles As the slipstream around him gathered more and more natural energy the reach of the natural phenomenon grew And as its strength was magnified the pursuers had an easier time cutting the distance between themselves and Randidly

Meanwhile RandidlyÆs left hand was tracing ripples through the air When the projectiles missed he tugged on the ripples around him setting of complex chain reactions through the wind currents It depleted his natural energy but he was accumulating it so quickly that the amount he utilized was negligible

Congratulations Your Skill Ripple of Amenonuhoko has grown to Level 364

With a snap of the fingers the ripples blasted outward A Mana Bolt that had missed them was smashed with a highly pressurized blast of way Both dissipated RandidlyÆs Grim Intuition spun outward cataloging all of the projectiles he so effortlessly dodged and releasing ripples to negate them from afar

His goal wasnÆt to block the attacks that would show his hand But he enjoyed secretly wiping away all the collateral damage

An Arcane Orb was popped A Shadow Bolt was smothered A Spark Grenade was shredded

Congratulations Your Skill Ripple of Amenonuhoko has grown to Level 365

Congratulations Your Skill Ripple of Amenonuhoko has grown to Level 366

Perhaps strangest of all Randidly could feel the way his new Control Stat Fidelity of the Ascendant Moirae was resonating with the challenge There was something about his covert operations that it inherently supported

Uh Todd gulped and looked down with wide eyes as they slid out of the way of another few projectiles T t the g ground

Randidly blinked Then he grinned they were only ten meters or so from the ground and traveling much faster than ten meters per second

He leaned back and the S S Yggdrasil pulled sharply up practically skipping across the sandstone ridge beneath them and blasting up a cloud of dust While manipulating Hallucination of the Bloodless Heart to makes sure none of the pursuers pancaked themselves into the ground Randidly opened up the throttle on their vehicle

The natural energy that spun after him smashed into the ridge The pursuers were shouting and firing their joy rising more quickly than any actual conviction to due them harm as the energy spun up a growing sandstorm in RandidlyÆs wake

By this point the projectiles had once again entirely ceased The children rode at the lip of the storm cheering and steadily turning to head back toward Kharon Randidly couldnÆt help but grin and roll his eyes as he felt their spirits lift with the wild freedom of the moment You do realize you are supposed to be ambushing us right DonÆt lose heart on me now LetÆs put on one more big show

Chapter 1683

As the group of Scrawl fueled vehicles rumbled toward Kharon proper large clumps of moss spirits hopped out of the trailing sandstorm like flying fish Those emerald bodies flashed in the midafternoon sunlight and then dipped back into the swirling wall of dust and sand that RandidlyÆs slipstream of natural energy had created

The kids were shouting and surfing up and down the slightly elastic and invisible ripples that Randidly maintained at the edge of the sandstorm keeping the brewing powder keg of natural forces from exploding outward The whole procession moved out of the low hills to the West of Kharon and started rumbling toward a vast parking lot of vehicles squatting in a vast field around Kharon

As Randidly considered how he wanted to proceed he could feel several individuals with middling images lock onto his exact position It was slightly amusing to watch them mentally bring their wills against him to force out his image and fail to find any flaws in his control they could exploit He assumed they must be members of the Order Ducis because there was an inherent suspicion to them as they examined the approaching phenomenon

RandidlyÆs lips twitched when Tatiana so quickly sent over a message to him DonÆt worry IÆm just having a little bit of fun

He could practically hear her sigh from her office inside of Kharon He imagined that she reached into her secret cabinet and removed a bottle of high quality liquor

But still Randidly understood TatianaÆs concerns He didnÆt want to unnecessarily damage property either As they ripped through the sky his left hand spread out His fingers twitched and toyed with the ripples in front of him Rapidly those ripples that Randidly altered increased in power and scope until they sent rumbles through the howling sandstorm trailing behind him The kids noticed it immediately quickly losing some of their height and cruising near the ground as the natural disaster trembled behind them

Congratulations Your Skill Ripple of Amenonuhoko has grown to Level 367

Now as long as I donÆt fuck this up RandidlyÆs left hand flickered His fingers twisted back and forth as he focused on his desired result

Congratulations Your Skill Ripple of Amenonuhoko has grown to Level 368

Within the core of the sandstorm the powerful slipstream was reversed upon itself Massive fronts of wind and airborne particulate ground against each other constantly weakening the internal integrity of the storm

Then right up against the edge of the enormous parking lot the sandstorm popped Most of its sand drifted for a little bit on the remnant air currents but all of the force and ferocity was gone The disturbed dirt drifted down some of it settling on the faces of the many individuals that had rushed out of their vehicles to stare at the strange sight

And above them the S S Yggdrasil zipped forward toward Kharon A split second later Randidly and ToddÆs pursuers followed It seemed that without the sandstorm they finally remembered their original purpose

Influence +22

As he guided the vehicle with his toes Randidly idly wondered whether there were laws that they were currently breaking by streaking freely across the sky like this Considering TatianaÆs message they probably were And Randidly understood the dangerous sort of effect a wild leader could have on a political entity

Yet at the same time Randidly felt the duality of KharonÆs current spirit Kharon Academy had increasingly become the hotbed for the adventurous spirit that he wanted to cultivate From what he had sensed the Order Ducis continued to serve its purpose as the spine of Kharon but now Randidly was concerned with the other half of the city So many people had survived the SystemÆs arrival and now they wanted to settle down and return to something that could be described as normalÆ

For that Randidly couldnÆt fault them The world that he wanted to create would include the ability to choose not to constantly live in a constant state of strained tension worrying about the next life threatening occurrence

At the same time Kharon was his city Just as surely as he had planted banana trees in that first Safe Room to feed himself he had planted the seedÆ of Kharon onto Expira to prepare for the Calamities that were coming

I could stop those Calamities RandidlyÆs expression steadily stiffened as they cruised above the sprawl of transportation vehicles floating tin cans and mobile homes that clustered in KharonÆs shadow I could make Expira peaceful My interference with both Aether and Nether should make it very difficult for anyone from the Nexus to return here but also The spirit that I sometimes sense growing in the Zones the people who would most benefit from my protection

They arenÆt the kind of people I want to protect

The thought was a harsh one filled with a grim coldness Yet Randidly also knew that it was completely true He wanted the Nexus to acknowledge the value of life but that didnÆt mean that lifeÆ was the only thing worth defending

Perhaps more to distract himself than anything else Randidly shifted his feet on the smooth wooden board beneath him The S S Yggdrasil immediately responded curving to the left around the base of Kharon The duo began to ascend rising rapidly toward the dense web of emerald highways that existed near constantly in the space above Kharon

The main four industrial skyisland orbited slowly outside of KharonÆs circumference about a hundred meters above the city These formed the base of the paths made by moss spirits quickly becoming transient as you moved beyond these four constant hubs With his emerald eyes blazing Randidly guided the canoe/surfboard up into the thickest cluster of emerald thoroughfares

Randidly also shifted his focus slightly as they gained altitude He could sense more and more people sensing their disturbance in the sky and pressing their noses against windows and paused in their determined walks to look upward They had an audience Now they needed a show Randidly turned and tapped ToddÆs shoulder I think we are about to get away NowÆs a good time for a classy taunt

ToddÆs expression brightened He took several tentative steps back away from Randidly toward the end of the S S Yggdrasil keeping one hand tightly gripping on RandidlyÆs shirt Then he did a poor imitation of EileenÆs earlier pose and shouted down at their pursuers Eat our dust Heh you look so tiny Eileen which of us was lucky to obtain access to the legacy huuh You

Arcane Orb EileenÆs eyes were bulging as she unleashed a projectile up toward them RandidlyÆs lips twitched and his left hand flicked sideways And here comes the show

Once again all it took was for a single individual to break and suddenly there was a wave of Skills shooting up through the air toward them Some went wide left some run all of them spraying in apparent randomness around their position RandidlyÆs hand wove back and forth guiding the ripples to where he would need them to neutralize the strikes Then he leaned forward and accelerated earning a yelp from Todd

They skidded on an air current and whipped around one of the largest of the emerald moss spirit highways Eileen and her minions in hot pursuit

The slipstream began to emerge again to drag their pursuers within twenty meters of them but Randidly was more concerned manipulating the ripples As more Fireballs and Arcane Orbs zipped past he twisted the wind currents and smashed the projectiles to nothing before they could go wide and hurt a bystander

The duo and their ambushers wound their way up through the air around the emerald highways spitting colorful and bright projectiles in every direction At first the antagonism from the clueless Order Ducis agents observing him spiked upward but it gradually began to sink downward as Randidly guided the ripples around them

Congratulations Your Skill Ripple of Amenonuhoko has grown to Level 369

It looks like fireworks Todd muttered behind Randidly The bright and eye catching display that ended in a smothering pop did indeed look quite a lot like fireworks A dragon of wind and multicolored projectiles continued to slither upward through the airspace above Kharon dragging more and more eyes upward

Reminding his city about the wild and magic spirit that had founded it

Randidly who had intended for just such a display tried to display the sort of wild joyful grin he had on his face earlier when they had escaped the original ambush But as his senses spread outward to manipulate the ripples he couldnÆt help but sense more of Kharon He felt some of the leeches that had come to his city saw how they had wedged themselves into small spaces to try and hide the effects of their images from authorities

RandidlyÆs lip curled upward But for now he did nothing to those people Instead he tapped into Reign of the Eidolon Crucible and released the radiating waves of the joy of these kids throughout all of Kharon Hopefully that would begin to push these people to understand what sort of city this was

His purpose accomplished Randidly leaned forward and let loose his tight control of the S S Yggdrasil As they continued to gain altitude their speed kept climbing upward Without much fanfare they smashed through the sound barrier Their pursuers dropped like flies behind them the bright Skills ceasing as the duo moved out of range The wind howled around them as Randidly leg go of the ripples and simply road the S S Yggdrasil he had seen enough

It was now time to simply feel

Behind him on the vehicle Todd was laughing maniacally This is frickinÆ amazing

They kept climbing moving past agricultural and residential skyislands until they even passed the highest skyisland RandidlyÆs own floating home And from there they didnÆt stop The two of them pierced straight upward through the cloud layer and intruded upon a different world Soft rounded hills ambled below them in an endless sea Inflated cotton edges pearls rolled endlessly all the way toward the horizon

The light reflecting off the clouds was almost blinding

Wow Todd blinked several times

Randidly nodded slowly Yea If you make the effort to search this world there are some pretty amazing things you can see

Sam crossed his arms

Sunan stood very very still between Regina and Sam while the three of them stood on the roof of one of the main commercial buildings and looked upward at the strange display going on in the sky A crowd had gathered on every roof in the surrounding area watching the rogue band of vehicles ignore the emerald thoroughfares and simply fly in a random and spectacular pattern

The Fireballs Ice Blasts and Arcane Orbs seemed to be shooting sideways to impact other flying vehicles or one of the surrounding skyislands but at the last moment they would always explode in a starburst of color But even more than the visual display the image that radiated off of everything

Looking at it Sam could only let out a chortle This really takes me back Randidly Even at the beginning you were a bit odd But your heart you always saw so clearly what we should be fighting against

When the leading vehicle began to accelerate and the rest fell away some of the people surrounding Sam and his family began to clap politely perhaps they thought of it as some show a preface for the Kharon Academy Auction that would be happening later tonight

And it might very well be Sam reflected as he glanced around But I doubt yÆall understand the sort of show that this cityÆs founder will make

Sunan nodded seriously after everything was over Kharon is the coolest city in the world Where did they get that cool tree surfboard

Regina could only sigh and shake her head She looked at Sam These are your genes at work

Sam shrugged he couldn’t deny it

Chapter 1684

After drifting above the clouds and enjoying the gorgeous vista for a time Randidly guided the S S Yggdrasil down toward the skyisland that housed ToddÆs dormitory They landed on the dirt ground behind the building and Todd hopped around excitedly for several minutes still high off of the chase

Randidly smiled sadly as he watched the kid channel the joy he was experiencing Behind the two of them the S S Yggdrasil began to smolder and burn away leaving only ashes in its place The sun sank toward the horizon causing the trees to cast long shadows up against the squat and cramped dormitory

It only took Todd a few minutes to work his excitement out of his young system Then he slapped his forehead comically looking up at the sinking sun in something close to horror Oh crap I need my things The under auction starts in an hour We need to get over there before the traffic for the dumb adult Auction gums everything up oo and we can get a good spot at the front so I can see the expression on EileenÆs face IÆll just run to my room and then

Hey Todd Randidly spoke slowly He folded his hands together behind his back and squeezed the cool material of his metal fingers in his flesh and blood hand Do you think you would be able to head to the auction first without me There is something I need to take care of

What Oh sure Todd seemed disappointed but he didnÆt take RandidlyÆs words too seriously He adjusted his oversized glasses and continued talking This is definitely my year seeing that expression on EileenÆs face hehehe IÆm going to get the GhosthoundÆs legacy and found my own city someday

Something twisted inside of Randidly at those naive words ToddÆs eyes were so bright but all Randidly could think about were NeveahÆs sad eyes at their dinner when she had pointed out what he had sacrificed in order to reach this point Maybe you could grow strong enough to found a city Todd but I hope you donÆt feel like you need to

ThatÆs what IÆm here for ThatÆs why Kharon was made

Remember to claim the papers my friends arranged for you Randidly said lightly Maybe it wonÆt be much but hopefully you can earn a little bit more to balance out the demerits that they gave you

What these things Todd walked over and patted RandidlyÆs metal arm DonÆt worry about me I may not have a cool arm but I can handle these tiny details

And with that Todd turned away and skipped toward his dormitory Once he had gone into the building the sense of bleakness Randidly was feeling spread up from his chest to his expression Sighing he pulled out his PhilosopherÆs Key and opened a portal When he stepped through he was standing in front of his massive mansion Moonlight spirits spiraled down around him wreathing him in a shimmering cloak

A light tap of his foot against the ground threw Randidly up above the three stories and onto the roof of his building where a layer of soil supported an interconnected copse of trees In the years since Randidly had last been here the plant life had grown even more abundant he truly felt like he had stepped into a forest as he walked through the dense network of trees roots and shrubbery Randidly even saw several pale and dark eyed birds peering out around branches regarding his passage beneath their homes suspiciously

This seed that he planted here was growing quite well

Randidly found the largest central tree in the rooftop forest and crouched next to it He rapped his knuckles against the rutted bark He could still feel several images grasping for his position They werenÆt the members of the Order Ducis but other forces that wanted to contact him Randidly ignored those seeking individuals for now he had personal business to attend to

Why was today so much fun Randidly muttered out loud until it wasnÆt

Randidly didnÆt need to think very hard to answer his own question He twisted around and pressed his back against the trunk of the tree He leaned his head back and knocked his hard skull against the wood

NeveahÆs comment had been sticking in his head for a reason She was right Randidly had allowed himself to become a force to pursue one particular goal protecting Expira from the Nexus Not that he had any choice such dedication was the only way to achieve any sort of result It had been the only way for Randidly to improve at such a rapid rate and survive the constant onslaught of threats that seemed to plague him

Today was fun because he had briefly forgotten about being that force Being ambushed being the target of an Entangling Roots Skill it took him back to a different era of his presence in the System Before he had learned that he was an experiment in YystrixÆs callous game to flee from her ex husband Before he realized how the Nexus was fattening up the people of RandidlyÆs home planet to either incorporate their most powerful images into its strength or judge the whole of the population as trash

Before a strange being in the depths of the shaft on which the Nexus was built found Randidly and began to call out to him

Randidly pressed his eyes closed He had felt briefly human He had simply lived without thinking about the consequences It had been a while since Randidly Ghosthound could relax like that

But the more he sensed the differences in the image of Kharon after five years the more Randidly couldnÆt ignore his role in shaping the city Some of these problems he needed to leave in the capable hands of Tatiana but others he needed to address as quickly as possible He understood too much about the way power and ideas worked He felt too keenly his own power but in terms of image and in terms of influence Randidly couldnÆt be unaware of the way he was a force for Kharon

Randidly bowed his head He sat there for several seconds examining himself He even activated Ruin is Inevitable Yet this Too Shall Pass stretching his consciousness through the network of Randidlys to reassure himself He felt thousands of versions of himself all having managed to reach this moment of reflection leaning against this very same tree

Congratulations Your Skill Ruin is Inevitable Yet This Too Shall Pass has grown to Level 323

Congratulations Your Skill Ruin is Inevitable Yet This Too Shall Pass has grown to Level 349

Randidly scanned the hearts of these alternate selves even as he could feel them scrutinizing him in turn None of them held regret They just were in various stages of reflective contemplation finally seeing the figure of Randidly GhosthoundÆ through the eyes of Neveah

When he finally raised his head his right eye glowed emerald and his left darkened to a forest green that toed the line to cross into absolute darkness No longer did those seeking him have difficulty locating his image now they recoiled in horror from the intensity of what they found as though burned by the contact Randidly ignored the watchers and still focused inward on himself toward the middle figure of his three images Heh That Skill name Ruin is Inevitable Yet This Too Shall Pass in the context of the way IÆm transforming myself isnÆt it a bit ominous

Yet Randidly let that thought go Instead he spoke to the Grim Chimera And you of all the images you were my humanity werenÆt you ThatÆs why you always trailed behind the others ThatÆs why your Rarity grew more slowly no matter how many images I stuffed into you

The Grim Chimera remained silent Its two tails flicked back and forth behind the manifestation causing RandidlyÆs own misbehaving tail to sneakily unwind itself and begin to flick back and forth in response But Randidly didnÆt mind he just continued to examine the details of this image

But you are about to evolve again Randidly finally said He flexed his hands After my body was remade beyond the basis of what I once was the humanity at your core is probably going to be diluted even further To the point of being unrecognizable to the original version of myself This will be that final step I will truly be a force One that will stop at nothing to evolve and accomplish this task IÆve set myself

NeveahÆs face appeared in his mindÆs eye I would be sad if my little brother sacrificed himself entirely to protect someone else

The Grim Chimera nodded slowly it agreed that this evolution would be a step away from RandidlyÆs humanity The points of light in its swollen stomach began to shine with increased intensity The acknowledgment was the final sign that Randidly needed He clenched his right fist His vacation was over

Randidly stood Then he walked slowly to the edge of his rooftop forest To his surprise when he arrived there the roots beneath his feet were steadily shifting They twisted upward without him even activating Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil forming a thorny throne Randidly blinked twice feeling a bleary consciousness within the forest acknowledging him as its master For the display he was grateful As long as he didnÆt need to use his Skill the wood wouldnÆt burn once he stopped supplying Mana

So he climbed into the chair and leaned his chin against his right fist He stared out into the night and spoke quietly Come

A group quickly accepted the invitation for an audience and appeared in front of Randidly RandidlyÆs gaze flickered in truth this was two groups that had come together And honestly they were a strange combination The Pantheon of the Alpha CosmosÆ System and the Nemesai of Expira stood together in front of Randidly

We want to talk about the Calamity Lucretia said quietly We have a few ideas but since youÆve returned we want to run them by you first We werenÆt sure whether to limit the scope of the attacks or not And in terms of predictability there are pros and cons to making the actual problem a surprise or not

Congratulations Your Skill Revelations of the Atramentous Threshold has grown to Level 395

Randidly was struck by a sudden premonition as Lucretia finished speaking If he did not intervene now changing up their plans to ease the danger for Expira Todd would suffer in the Calamity Perhaps the experience would not be fatal but that bright eyed boy would be forever altered His optimism would suffer a huge blow

Randidly tapped his finger against the root throne and examined the feeling He couldnÆt tell if it was paranoia or a true prophecy And if it was true

Would he change his mind

Randidly closed his eyes Send me the information But first there is something I need to do

Chapter 1685

Sam kept his hand clamped against SunanÆs shoulder less as a sign of affection from a caring parent and more like a jailer keeping a close eye on a dangerous felon with a history of escapes on his record The boy squirmed in his grip as the trio waited in line for transportation onto the new skyisland that Kharon was unveiling for this special occasion The sun had set and the venue of the auction rose as a spinning hedron of darkness

Before they were allowed to enter none of the lights of the auction house were lit There was a sense of excitement in the air the novel experience titillating the affluent individuals who had obtained an invitation

IÆll say this about Tatiana Regina looked around the line in front of them to the elegant looking skycarriages that waited at the edge of the queue Each was carved in a unique way some depicting monsters others covered in heroic looking sculptures of armored individuals hefting weapons She really knows how to throw a grand party

And make an entrance Sam grunted He glanced at his watch Ten seconds were left until 7 P M on the dot which would be when the new skyisland officially opened So do you think the reveal will be done with an explosion or not

Explosion Sunan said confidently Regina rolled her eyes and gave Sam a look that reiterated her earlier statement These are your genes at work

Eight seconds later a distant point of light blinked into existence upon this new skyisland As they watched that small beginning spread steadily outward illuminating the various levels and the almost greek exterior of the skyisland Tall pillars lined the sides of the skyisland which didnÆt follow the typical cookie shaped template for skyislands Instead the auction venue looked more like a massive floating toward It spun slowly in the air a slow motion catwalk turn for the watching city below

Soon the entirety of the venue was visible clean and sharp and sophisticated But as the queues began to be allowed into the waiting skycarriages a new noise shook the sky

Sam looked upward WivanyaÆs massive and sinuous body rushed over Kharon carrying Alana and whatever guests she had brought to the auction venue People in line around the trio began to whisper excitedly and point upward to most people Alana Donal was a celebrity She was the most powerful woman on the planet now that Randidly Ghosthound had left

SamÆs lips twitched No one seems to remember who made all er equipment though

What a mount Sunan sighed

Vye couldnÆt help but bow to the girl Color me impressed Even with me trying my best to distract you you managed to find this mysterious card user in only a few days

Delilah flushed at the praise She Vye and Thorn were standing next to an abandoned scrapyard On the other side of the rusted stacks of scrap metal and discarded industrial equipment was a small garage that devoured all images that neared it A sinister energy radiated outward from the building that kept them from approaching any closer

Delilah coughed into her hand Well anyone could do this You just need to put the moss spirits to work they have their own images you know so they would avoid any places with a image killer suit and if you know how to communicate with them well ehehehe I suppose I do deserve a little bit of the credit and now

As she took a step forward Delilah was stopped by one of ThornÆs vine hands She frowned up at his cowled face Why Ugh you arenÆt going to insist that we wait for backup are you This terrorist is right there And we three are powerful enough by ourselves

Vye chuckled and shrugged No we arenÆt saying that we should wait for backup If anything we are the backup Looks like someone had the same idea as you and got here just a bit faster Finder keepers is the MO of the Order Ducis So for now letÆs wait here

Delilah blinked several times and twisted around to stare at the area around the garage Who the hell is better at reading the moss spirits than I am

Garrett checked his watch The clock read 7 15 Most of the influential people would be heading into KharonÆs newest Skyisland at this point Traffic into the venue would be closely monitored but Garrett didnÆt need to detonate the darksteel bomb there In fact doing so and harming the representatives from the Zone would be counter productive He just needed to prove to the world how vulnerable KharonÆs city was

They could not rely on this spawn of Randidly Ghosthound for their protection They needed to build up their own arsenal of tools to prevent people from dying

Releasing a hiss of discomfort as he neared the Darksteel Bomb that so closely resembled a pinecone Garret stored the object into the interspatial watch Already his body ached from the proximity he planned on shifting the bomb to the detonation point as quickly as possible and moving further away Hopefully the damage to his image wasnÆt too deep at this point

Garrett hurried out of the garage closed the sliding door behind him and then froze A figure with long black hair and a metal left arm was standing in front of the garage almost casually looking up at the sky As though he was simply here by coincidence

Garrett couldnÆt breathe Randidly Ghosthound turned unhurriedly to look at him He tilted his head to the side

The voice of the Ghosthound was low and heavy He seemed to swell to fill the entirety of GarretÆs vision blotting out the environment with the force of his presence What do you have in your watch Garrett

Impossible he canÆt see The GhosthoundÆs ominous words shocked him back into wakefulness Garret quickly checked the watch as though he was expecting to find some corner of the darksteel bomb peeking out revealing his intentions Of course he found no such evidence the bomb was safely hidden within the interspatial pocket The Ghosthound was obviously fishing for information

Then the reality of what was currently happening hit Garrett even if there were no evidence was the Ghosthound the sort of individual that required justification for his actions Not here not in the heart of Kharon where the death of a character like him could easily be hidden from the public eye So he hastily pulled out the one and a half meter tall pinecone and gripped the detonator tightly in his raised left hand

He tried to make himself sound confident as he announced his attentions If you take even a single step toward me

The detonator dropped out of hand and into a waiting root pocket His fingers had been pried backward away from the small bit of metal by roots that had wound themselves up and around GarrettÆs limbs before he even realized they were present Despite struggling with all his Strength the roots around him didnÆt budge

Even worse the grip of the roots was steadily tightening It was increasingly difficult for Garrett to breathe

The root brought the detonator to the Ghosthound who picked it up with two fingers grimaced the crushed it into scrap metal between his metallic fingers Panicking Garrett began to shout You youÆre a monster Even if you kill me donÆt think the violence youÆve inflicted on this planet has been forgotten Others might only think of you as a philanthropist but IÆve seen how cold youÆre heart is

YouÆre right The Ghosthound agreed quietly Then he walked forward and squatted next to the darksteel bomb examining it closely

If anything Garrett was unnerved by the GhosthoundÆs agreement His mouth worked soundlessly as though chewing this manÆs acceptance until it made sense

But quickly purpose returned to GarrettÆs expression

Although his image had been weakened by remaining so close to the darksteel bomb for so long he still had been trained all those years ago in the Order Ducis camp And he had not given up in his progress since then GarrettÆs determination to pull back the facade of Randidly Ghosthound had kept him sharp So despite the fact that he was physically bound he gathered all of his Willpower to unleash a sharp strike mental strike at the distracted Ghosthound

Just as a deck of self shuffling cards manifested behind GarrettÆs head the Ghosthound looked up One eye was emerald the other was black Those two colors arrested him completely Erode Image

Garrett howled and then groaned from the pain of his mind shattering The only reason that he remained standing was the support of those very same roots were tightening around him For a second his consciousness was foggy but steadily Garrett was lured back to wakefulness by the GhosthoundÆs face

though youÆre right Only recently IÆve realized that people on Expira have spent so long staring after my back that they havenÆt realized the sort of expression I make toward the foes in front of me the oppressive monsters in the Nexus Through his swimming vision Garrett saw the Ghosthound reach out and pluck off one of the heavy darksteel plates as though he was tugging off a yellow wildflower petal And that expression is certainly chilly ItÆs had to be Anything less will get me killed

Your hands are soaked in blood Garrett tried to spit out his words but they simply dribbled past his lips and down his immobilized body

The Ghosthound nodded easily enough but Garrett didnÆt miss that tight and stark lines of his frigid expression Well enough about me Do you have any idea about why darksteel damages certain images

It damages all images Garrett mumbled Now that the Ghosthound had brought his attention to it he could sense the way that the aura of the darksteel was seeping into his shattered image and steadily erasing his years of work But he was so weak and off balance that he couldnÆt even muster the slightest resistance Everything drained away leaving Garrett empty

Incorrect The Ghosthound said He raised his hand and waves of inky energy seeped outward surrounding the darksteel bomb Abruptly the pressure on GarrettÆs image was gone the Ghosthound had somehow isolated the darksteel bomb What darksteel does is interfere with connections between images The truth is most people havenÆt thought too deeply about their own images Some very vital details of those images are borrowed from some sort of collective unconscious so being deprived of those connections immediately weakens those images

Think of it this way on Expira the average person has an image thatÆs the equivalent of a toddler Of course you would suffer if you were cut off from your parents The Ghosthound stood and brushed off his knees But to a fully grown image Darksteel is just a tool like everything else Thank you for the gift ItÆs a fun toy But for what you intended to do to my city “

Suddenly the being in front of him shifted The bone structure was alien The sneer on its face was cruel Even in all of his wild suspicions about the Ghosthound Garrett had not expected to encounter such a baleful expression It was an expression that didn’t carry the slightest hint of remorse Those inhuman lips curled upward to reveal teeth “Did you think I would kill you Truly this world just doesn’t understand the horror of the Nexus my back has screened them from too much Goodbye Garrett Erode Image

Garrett trembled and collapsed into unconsciousness

Chapter 1686

The Human Unit leader has approved our requests to run tests with the strange Engraving on BA Units that were otherwise scheduled for maintenance BA Beta announced In addition she has given us dispensation to request a special BA centric skyisland that will be the central hub of all our activities in the future As soon as we have our request prepared the work on constructing our skyisland can begin

Indeed So there were no queries BA Alpha hummed in contemplation The constant spin of its gears was reassuring even as the enormity of the task laid before them began to register on its partial consciousness Such a skyisland would indeed be quite useful

but designing the entire skyisland was a task that baffled BA Alpha The BAÆs primarily lived in human spaces What would a space designed entirely for the BAÆs look like

Both BA Alpha and BA Beta were silent for several seconds as they considered this task about which they had never received any training from the human units It was impossible for them to imagine an alternative to their current situation Their minds could not fathom how to proceed BA Beta was completely still while BA Alpha was in constant motion within the cubic confines of its body Both of their brass gleamed in the low light of the room

This problem was exactly the sort of reason that the BAÆs needed to adopt some of the aspects of humanity

This is our flaw BA AlphaÆs consciousness hummed with the strain of addressing this answerless problem Human Units simply try whatever occurs to them first when new problems appear This allows them to experiment and eventually discover a solution And yet for the BAÆs

BA Beta slowly raised its head I cannot answer this question quickly But a method to do so has occurred to me It is irregular Not in line with our previous plan However we will are not suited to this problem currently Perhaps a BA should be marked with the Engraving and asked to propose a design for the Skyisland Considering our advanced consciousnesses it should be one of us two BAÆs I believe our understanding of human unit will ease the transition So you may observe me for unacceptable behavioral deviations I would offer my body to be the first marked with the Engraving

BA Alpha considered this this is the correct solution However the possibility of human unit deviations arising is concerning My main concern is the fact that you are mobile While we would need to adjust our hierarchy perhaps it is better if a non mobile BA like myself were to be marked It is impossible for a stationary object like myself to get lostÆ as seems so common amongst human units

The two BAÆs fell into silence once more Motion and stillness the two awkwardly hummed with their straining thoughts struggling to figure out how to proceed

Randidly rubbed his chin IÆll have to be careful about the activation but cleansing all the extraneous connections of the Grim Chimera with the Darksteel Bomb actually seems quite useful if I do it right before the evolution Not that I think anyone has a leash on my images any longer but it will guarantee that the shift is precisely what I desire

Yet obtaining this extra piece for the transformation didnÆt keep his mood light for long There was a weight between his shoulder blades an accumulation of understanding about himself that had been steadily building since that conversation with Neveah After feeling the vision that Garrett held of him in his mind Randidly had been ignored the dark side to his legend for too long Or rather Kharon hadnÆt given him the insight into it

Their respect and veneration for him had somewhat warped his sense of self Which made these realizations sting

Still Randidly forcefully eased the tension as he turned around Three figures were moving toward him the cloaked figure at the front hurrying the middle one taking measured strides the final and smallest one clinging to the middle figureÆs back

Unable to contain its excitement any longer Thorn exploded out of its cloak and soon swelled a swirling thorny whirlwind that scooped Randidly up and spun him around and around through the air Even through the murky bog of self realization Randidly couldnÆt help but laugh and spread his arms wide to embrace his pseudo child Thorn eagerly lashed at Randidly with his sharpest and most cutting thorns and his flesh didnÆt seem to mind at all ThornÆs relief to see Randidly uninjured by its affections was palpable and seemed to fill his plant body with vigor

ItÆs a transformation from the current me for sure But it isnÆt just negatives to leave my humanity behind Randidly thought with a small smile

Eventually ThornÆs excitement had spent itself and the Soul Seed allowed Randidly to stand back onto the ground The enormous plant steadily wound itself more tightly forming back into a humanoid form that could be contained within a cloak In the meantime Randidly turned and looked at the other two approaching figures Both were familiar to him

Vye saluted smartly and brought her heels together You beat us here Good job sir Should I take the culprit

Yea Randidly gestured casually Take him into custody I doubt he will be able to provide much information but its better to try than to get burned later by not following up on leads It will take him a bit to recover anyway And you youÆre Delilah right Dozer and AnnieÆs daughter

Y y y y yess Delilah whispered still standing so that all communication between them needed to pass through the screen of Vye RandidlyÆs smile grew somewhat pained at the girlÆs nerves but he tried to make up for it by withdrawing some of the Weight that he had allowed to seep outwards as he was facing Garret directly But he could sense from DelilahÆs expression that it wasnÆt just his aura that scared her

He shook his head lightly and crouched down next to her Well youÆve certainly gotten more polite since IÆve seen you What happened to the little girl who was constantly demanding that I play hide and seek with her

The blood visibly drained out of DelilahÆs face at the mention of hide and seek I I IÆm a b bit too old for g g games like that any longer s sir

Randidly tried to chuckle but even to his ears it sounded forced I guess I had thought that IÆd gotten a bit better at social situations but maybe kids are a bit difficult for me

He straightened and looked again and Vye who gave him an imperceptible shrug at DelilahÆs obvious negative reaction Randidly scratched his cheek Well anyway I have another meeting You can handle things here

Vye nodded and Randidly produced his PhilosopherÆs Key A second later he was back on his own island Feeling that heavy pressure between his shoulder blades return Randidly walked in front of the gathered pantheon and Nemesai and returned to the waiting root throne After making himself comfortable he cleared his throat His Weight once more wafted out and suppressed the surrounding space Alright tell me what you have so far

The Nemesai and Pantheon took turns explaining their tentative plans for the upcoming Calamity Listening to them speak about the details was more difficult than Randidly would have thought Because as the people here rather callously discussed how sudden its arrival would be or widespread its scope all Randidly could hear in their voices was the willingness to kill the people of Expira

And IÆm the biggest culprit Randidly pressed his eyes together IÆm not blaming myself for the deaths that will follow from a Calamity but that doesnÆt mean I can escape responsibility That is something that I need to accept

Randidly released a low breath when the presentation had finished He could feel his Nether Core gradually accelerating This moment began to stretch the particular moment of the presentÆ so heavy that it blurred into the past and future Methodically Randidly cracked each of the knuckles on his right hand

Influence +49

LetÆs go with this Randidly said slowly IÆm already in the process of learning to incorporate the NemesaiÆs planets into this isolated space that houses the Alpha Cosmos and Expira

The Winged Serpent hissed slightly and bowed its scaled head For which we are very grateful

Randidly waved a hand YouÆve paid for this already IÆm just following through on my end of the bargain But IÆm thinking about incorporating another planet One that is perhaps uninhabited The Calamity will be based in that world and periodically release waves of monsters quite like the Raid Dungeons we needed to finish early on in the System experience

There will be a big wave once every week that will manifest from semi permanent portals that will make themselves known six hours before the release of the monsters IÆll contact Neveah and she can help work out the Aether constructs necessary to get everything to work predictably In addition there will be rather constant smaller manifestations that appear throughout the week One a minute across all of Expira These will only give an hour warning before they open up and release a flood of monsters

Lucretia nodded slowly such a Calamity will quickly increase the danger in the wilderness between Zones Especially that last Zone to arrive in Expira will be particularly vulnerable to damage from this sort of Calamity

Randidly pressed his lips together and didnÆt answer He would likely tip his hand a bit and warn Kharon to be present to assist with some of that danger

Alta reached up and scratched her head You are a cold mother fucker thatÆs for sure IÆm not sure what a Raid Dungeon is but the idea is that these waves wonÆt stop until they complete some objective right YouÆll want them to head to the source world and eliminate the problem at its source The sooner you give us access to the planet the better Or I guess the sooner we can alter the environment the more difficult the Calamity will become Heh IÆm pretty confident in my ability to create doomsday devices

The Obsidian Duke stared straight at Randidly as he spoke Do you have an ideal casualty ratio for the population of Expira You can provide unlimited energy to us but if a certain amount of people donÆt die I suspect most of the population will continue to stagnate in their image growth

RandidlyÆs throat tightened this was exactly the question that he hadnÆt wanted to be asked But at the same time he knew that the Obsidian DukeÆs words were true Some lessons were necessarily heavy He ran his tongue along the inside of his teeth But at the same time life has value

Releasing a breath Randidly said Do not think in terms of lives lost The warning time period is there so that a group of determined individuals can address a problem with proper preparation In terms of difficulty the small eruptions shouldnÆt be so aggressive that a concerted effort and preparations canÆt quash them in an hour or two The larger ones should be more dangerous Quite a bit so

The issue is what happens when a certain number of those smaller events happen outside of human habitation Lucretia said That is where the casualties will begin to accumulate from surprise monster hordes that came into the world from hidden passages If enough gather theoretically even Kharon could be in danger And most of the current Zones have no outer defensive perimeters in place Should we warn them of the details of the Calamity

Randidly lowered his head and pondered

Chapter 1687

Well I cannot truly be considered to be his disciple now Bennio said modestly while simultaneously puffing out his chest and flexing his arms to display his muscles for all those who cared to look About fifty teenagers were gathered around him listening to the story with rapt attention They were pressed near the side of a large stone outcropping in a dusty scrubland Beyond that first group there were hundreds more teenagers and kids giggling and whooping gathering for the much anticipated Under Auction

Bennio quite enjoyed the attention he received for taking that punch to the face He coughed in his fist and looked moodily up at the sky but there was a moment just before he punched me It felt like he acknowledged me you know Heh perhaps you donÆt understand that sort of feeling Fists are truly the words of men

His hangers on began to whisper excitedly to each other Most of the listeners were younger boys their eyes went starry at the thought of getting into a fistfight with their hero Bennio nodded heavily rubbing his jaw in the location where he had been punched And receiving that blow in a way it destroyed my confidence But it also showed me a new way forward I plan on isolating myself in a Dungeon for a few months chasing this inspiration

I cannot believe we were chasing the Ghosthound Eileen Krouse seemed to have been constantly shaking her head since she had learned the truth She wrapped her arms around her shoulders No wonder now wonder we could barely was he toying with us the whole time

Damien was standing next to Eileen and he patted her back The question is how Toddler managed to grab the attention of the Ghosthound He has been improving a lot recently do you think the Ghosthound has been helping him this whole time So the broken spear with his legacy

IÆm GOING to get that spear Eileen bristled and glared at Damien who backed off and waved his hands in surrender Then Eileen returned to looking at the ground No matter if the Ghosthound knows Toddler somehow the Under Auction is fair Not even the Ghosthound can interfere With the demerits that Toddler already has there is no way that he has a powerful enough Scrawl to beat me

Bennio looked over at Eileen in amusement He folded his arms across his chest and release a long sigh Quite foolish I remember when I had the gall to try and cross blows with the Ghosthound Although it was an enlightening experience

I was there you pompous ass Eileen snapped at Bennio this time Stop telling the same story over and over again No one cares

Perhaps in the past Bennio would have been angered by EileenÆs display but he was different now He had perspective and maturity He chuckled softly and shook his head Now that he had been personally instructed by the Ghosthound it was easier to understand the things that were important and the things that werenÆt

Fighting against Eileen wasnÆt important

Savoring the attention was

Enough Zack Krum stood and stretched With a light hop he climbed to the top of the large rock that the items would be auctioned from for the event The nineteen year old had long limbs and a shock of frizzy red hair on top of his head His freckled face looked around at the assembled kids mildly but everyone lowered their gaze Even Bennio buoyed by meeting the Ghosthound stepped to the side in deference Almost a thousand kids had already gathered on the sandy scrublands with more whizzing in on driftwood skyboards every second

Zack Krum was the acknowledged number one fighter at Kharon Academy He was the man considered closest to breaking through the to final room of the Kharon Labyrinth He clapped his hands twice The sound echoed outward silencing the kids that hadnÆt heard ZackÆs initial word Zack pointed out to the skyline Before we start the Under Auction The man of the hour has arrived Toddler get up here how do you know the Ghosthound

Perhaps because of the suddenness and enormity of the question ToddÆs eyes went big and buggy behind his massive glasses and he crashed into the ground in a tumble of limbs Giggles rippled outward through the assembled kids Feeling a small sense of comradery for Todd as the source of his new confidence Bennio strode forward and helped the small kid to his feet

Todd looked around wildly suddenly very aware that basically everyone in the area was staring at him with an obsessive intensity The demerits on his wrist clattered noisily as he continually pivoted in alarm at all the attention he was receiving He licked his lips Umm what did you say

Bennio was generously brushing the dirt off ToddÆs shoulders when Zack crouched down on that massive stone and answer His eyes were just as intense as everyone elseÆs as he considered Todd How do you know the Ghosthound Why was he acting as your bodyguard for the past several days

T t t t t t the G g ghosthound Todd seemed genuinely confused No my bodyguard was his name uh well actually

Another ripple of giggles spread out through the assembled kids Zack KrumÆs eyes hardened and he straightened once more He began to methodically crack his knuckles If you refuse to be honest

Bennio stepped in front of the diminutive Todd and looked up with a frown He owed the kid at least this much Ease off Zack His secrets are his own

Peh Zack spat to the side and stepped forward His willowy body slid through the air until he landed on the ground Then he stalked forward a flinty edge in his eye I donÆt mind you boasting but you know the sort of place Kharon Academy is SupermanÆ Bennio If you donÆt respect the hierarchy Do you really want me to humiliate you in front of everyone

Bennio was under no impression that he could suddenly fight Zack after his run in with the Ghosthound if he was honest with himself he knew that he was shamelessly bragging about an interaction that the Ghosthound will probably never remember But Bennio replayed that extended moment before the Ghosthound punched over and over again The emerald eyes struck him with an enormous sense of solemn responsibility Standing there in the moment he was extremely conscious of the stunned Todd behind him

He knew what the Ghosthound would do in this situation He would not take a step back

Bennio took a step forward and shrugged I suppose it is about time that I test the limits of the insight

Zack Krum moved quickly lowering his head and darting forward Although his limbs were long and slender his Strength was the real deal Bennio whipped his hands up into a fighting stance but Zack is within his guard his freckled arms rotating in irresistible circles Zack hip checked Bennio and he was tumbling through the air tossed weightlessly to the side by the Champion of Kharon AcademyÆs famous judo throws

Congratulations Your Skill Fiery Spirit (Un) has grown to Level 98

After the wind was knocked out of him Bennio took several seconds to regain his scrambled senses and push himself back up to his feet At this point Zack was standing in front of Todd with his head tilted to the side The other kids have backed away leaving the two in a circle of bodies

He Todd licked his lips and nervously adjusted his glasses He my bodyguard has a sister We met for dinner He he canÆt be the Ghosthound the Ghosthound doesnÆt have any siblings

Zack swayed strangely He shook his head which set his red hair bouncing above his face You Heh You really didnÆt know Hahaha Well I suspect that the sister that you met for dinner was the talented Neveah the secretive woman who handles all of the difficult Engravings for Kharon A celebrity in her own right

I Todd was just blinking Eileen snorted and turned away

Bennio felt a deep pity for Todd and walked over to whisper the details of his experience of not recognizing the Ghosthound at first until he had been sitting beneath a statue of the man for almost an hour But suddenly the kids were very aware of an adult that appeared amongst their number next to Todd

I hope IÆm not interrupting Ajax the humanoid beetle and combat instructor for the Order Ducis looked around at the surrounding children with his glassy eyes The only sound was a sharp intake of breath Everyone was tense especially Zack Krum all of the older kids at Kharon Academy dreamed of catching the eye of someone from the Order Ducis The beetle man turned to Todd and arranged his mandibles in his version of a smile IÆve been ordered to bring three items for Todd here to be put up for auction On behalf of Randidly Ghosthound

He really is Todd whispered Meanwhile the rest of the kids subconsciously took several steps closer so they could see the treasures the Ghosthound would send

Zack cleared his throat Ahem Sir Ajax what what are the items

Ajax clicked his mouth in amusement I see you are expecting something grand Well certainly these items are valuable but IÆm afraid you will be disappointed if you expect pageantry Ajax flexed his jointed fingers and produced three pieces of paper He waved them in front of the group of children These three are the donations I will specify that the first and third are designed to be renewed each year for the Under Auction but they are not inheritances from the Ghosthound

The kids sighed as one Bennio couldnÆt help but sigh along with them wistfully thinking about catching the GhosthoundÆs eyes and being instructed personally by him

Zack Krum managed to keep his composure a little bit better than the rest simply nodding May I ask what those items are

Ajax nodded and hefted the first paper This is a renewing license to paint both the inside and outside of any dormitory the user selects as that individual sees fit Once used that dormitory can be painted freely for the first week of term

Some individual perked up at that mostly those orphans who were stuffed into the free housing skyislands But of course such a prize couldnÆt catch the eye of the truly elite of Kharon Academy Bennio eyed the three demerits on ToddÆs wrist It will help but three such things are not enough

The second Ajax continued to speak He raised another piece of paper Is a permit to design a hundred unit villa style housing skyisland for Kharon Academy students attending on scholarship Included within the plans is complete freedom to design two specialty areas within that skyisland Some of the options for those specialty areas include an underwater pool system an obstacle course a student run restaurant or shopping area or any other option that is submitted before the Kharon Academy Board and receives approval

Shit Eileen swore quietly next to Bennio Around them the kids began to furiously whisper to one another making alliances in preparation to bid for control of this option

Even Bennio was tempted But he knew that he would be pushed out of the bidding by the affluent students who addressed the Weakness of Ignorance These crafters cooks and explorers had pleaded time and time again with the Kharon Academy Board but the ability to set up shops on Kharon Academy land was sharply restricted There were a few spots but they hotly contested When there were thousands of students wanting to sell their wares the hundred or so student stalls were just a drop in the bucket

But the ability to make a specialty student run market area

And finally Ajax raised the last piece of paper which flashed briefly golden Bennio watched as Zack KrumÆs jaw dropped A Golden Referendum

Despite the excitement for the prior item this new announcement silenced everyone

A Golden Referendum had only been seen once in the past After years of struggle the previous most powerful student at Kharon Academy had managed to impress the professors enough to earn one Which was the reason that they currently had the yearly Kharon Academy Ball

The Kharon Academy Board was able to make reasonable changes to increase the feasibility of the eventÆ but a Golden Referendum that obtained 50% of the student population plus one signatures essentially couldnÆt be refused The students could ask for anything with it

At this rate Bennio looked at the confused Todd YouÆll be able to buy anything at the Under Auction that you want

Chapter 1688

Congratulations Your Fatepiece the Hierarchy of Burden has grown to Level 11

Influence +42

Influence +39

While he waited for his next meeting Randidly sat at the edge of his floating skyisland and trained His limbs constantly twitched ravaged by the powerful electromagnetic energy of his Fatepiece Although the energy didnÆt leave his body just the reflexive movements of his body was enough to deeply damage the ground beneath him His arms and legs flexed unpredictably drawing deep gouges through the dirt

Gradually he grew accustomed to housing these powerful forces As he continued to acclimate he sensed that he would soon have the ability to deepen the sympathy between himself and the Hierarchy of Burden

Still he released the Fatepiece and released a breath Randidly rubbed the colorful pyramid with his thumb I wonder why I started accumulating Influence so quickly IÆve almost reached 15 000 Influence but at the accelerating rate that IÆm earning it I probably want to hold off pushing for an upgrade of my Nether Core but do I want to wait all the way for a hundred thousand

He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his metal fingers Randidly was content with the current growth of his Nether Core but he was also somewhat concerned about how little he understood how his growth would proceed in the future as he unlocked new attributes He might have gained some small amount of insight into utilizing Nether by watching the Nether King play the Nexus forces for fools and make his way to the Path to the Pinnacle but Randidly didnÆt know the concrete motions that growth would take

He was tempted to contact either the Engraving Guild or Neshamah Rex but both factions believed he had learned about Nether Cores from the other His lack of knowledge would prompt some questions Randidly was a bit reluctant to reveal that he had gotten this far through self discovery despite the knowledge he might receive in exchange This was especially true considering the fact that he was in no rush to advance his Nether Core he would much rather wait and receive additional Weight during the advancement

Randidly was just shaking his head at the thought of waiting for a hundred thousand Influence when he felt the group he was waiting for finally approach The roar of a skybike engine fought against a dragonÆs roar for dominance in the still night sky Randidly could only roll his eyes as Alana and Wivanya landed nearby with huge gusts of wind from the Frost Dragon BroodmotherÆs wings Then a dozen meters away Lucifer steered a gaudy golden skybike down onto the ground

The engine revved loudly even as it shifted to idling What was particularly cringe inducing was the fact that Lucifer held the bikeÆs handlebars with only one hand using his other to balance the massive sword he had propped up against his shoulders Rather than practicality it was clear that Lucifer was currently cultivating his imageÆ

Randidly chuckled and shook his head as the noise died down What the hell is that

The DreamChaser 2000 Lucifer tried and failed to keep the grin from his face He rubbed the golden bike fondly and then coughed to arrange his features in a more serious expression Bought it at the auction I just figured it would be a convenient way to get around Might want to change the paint though Red is more my color DonÆt you think

Randidly raised his eyebrows shocked at LuciferÆs shameless behavior But at the very least he appreciated that he didnÆt treat Randidly differently But as for LuciferÆs questions With how much noise its engine makes how can you claim itÆs convenient with a straight face

But Randidly decided not to press the issue and turned to Alana as she hopped down off WivanyaÆs back What about you Buy anything convenient from the auction

Knowing that a portion of the money would be flowing back into your pockets kinda soured the whole experience for me Alana revealed a mock grimace Then she shrugged and adjusted her leather armor But if you are wondering how it was received I could see money signs in TatianaÆs eyes as we were leaving I think she will finally be able to update KharonÆs infrastructure to truly support the flying vehicles like sheÆs wanted to do for years

Then Alana turned and helped an antlered figure down of WivanyaÆs back The Nether Gatekeeper that Randidly had saved from the shaft took two short steps forward and bowed low to Randidly An aura of life radiated outward from his body that Randidly found very comfortable Hello savior This one has chosen the name Demio I am eternally grateful for you liberating me from purgatory to experience the world

Randidly waved his hand Observing your Nether Core was a great help to me in my growth If anything I should be thanking you after I brought you into my Alpha Cosmos I was distracted by other things and couldnÆt help you adjust IÆm glad to see you have handled the transition well Please all of you come sit

Alana was the calmest of the four She quickly settled into a cross legged sitting position and produced a small container of enchiladas covered in a green sauce She began to eat as the others settled into position Lucifer had apparently just offered to tag along but most of his attention kept being drawn over to the bike Randidly wondered if he really would have agreed to go anywhere in an attempt to show off his new bike Hearts were floating in the middle of his irises instead of typical pupils

WivanyaÆs bulk stayed mostly back but her neck slithered forward until her massive head sat near Randidly Her scales gleamed in the starlight Her massive sapphire eyes looked at everything but Randidly but his mouth twitched to see the way she was constantly sniffing Her nostrils flared outward almost constantly

The Nether Gatekeeper sat last awkwardly imitating Alana and Randidly

Influence +30

Randidly reached up and rubbed his chin I had some questions for you about the place that you came from before Can you tell me what you know about it How you came to be there

The Nether Gatekeeper pondered for a few seconds before answer I donÆt remember much I was born much closer to the bottom of the shaft than where you found me down in the belly of the beast there exist many ancient Nether Beings that serve as a last defense Even with their power they cannot escape the pull but they remain at the boundary and can send lighter individuals further upward

Before they created a grand array to launch me upward into safer areas they told me that I was one of many proud guardians of a great secret That at the base of the shaft exists a method to finally return us to the promised land

That grabbed RandidlyÆs attention A method to return to the promised land Do you know anything about what that meant

The Nether Gatekeeper shrugged I know it is based on the fact that the Nexus rests upon the skeleton of a Universe Devouring Beast These were the ancient beings that birthed worlds rich in life they would devour dead moons and drifting asteroids and compress them within their vast stomachs Apparently their natural biological functions released powerful radiation upon the accumulating planets I am not sure whether this is true or not but those individuals at the bottom of the shaft believed the Universe Devouring Beasts to be the original source of all life please forgive them for their sacrilege

From the anxious way the Nether Gatekeeper began to speak and bow his head Randidly couldnÆt resist giving a long look at the head of the still sniffing Wivanya Some part of him wanted to speak but he didnÆt want to derail the conversation any further with religious concerns But I definitely WILL investigate what sort of information you are spreading about me

Randidly coughed lightly So the skeleton at the base of the Nexus one of the Universe Devouring Beasts and they were trying to reverse engineer its bodily functions To recreate that radiation that created life somehow To reach the promised land

The Nether Gatekeeper nodded emphatically That was how it was explained although my memory of the details is fuzzy Apparently that particular energy the Universe Devouring Beasts was quite special However the Nether Beings also taught that there was a Great Change that happened in the distant past The original array that could open a door to the promised land ceased to be created instead a great flow of energy arrived that sealed the array away The current accumulated significance at the bottom of the shaft is a side effect of that energy flow that imprisons the work of those Nether Beings

That started to make more sense to Randidly It was in line with what he had learned from EdraineÆs investigations At some point whatever was at the base of the shaft whether it was Pine PineÆs corpse or some other being was sealed away and put under tight guard Unrefined Aether was used to smother it

The only problem is that something is calling me from the depths So what is the source of that summons and what changed in the Nexus that it is now being suppressed Randidly wondered Could it be one of these Nether Beings thatÆs reaching out to me But if a Nether Being with that much power is stuck down there

My Nether Core isnÆt quite that strong

Randidly focused his gaze on the Nether Gatekeeper again Thank you This information is exactly what I was looking for Now I have something else I wish to talk about Do you believe that your fellow Nether Gatekeepers in the shaft would be willing to come into my worlds Or will they prefer to remain there

Some take their role in preparing for the promised revival of the Great Array very seriously The Nether Gatekeeper shook his head almost sadly It is difficult to say even now it is strange to remember my time in purgatory I spent all of my time meditating on my own existence it seems like a dream I was isolated and alone In every endless day I would refine my own truth In the end my truth coincidentally did not relate to reviving the Great Array But I know many others that centered their whole being around this destiny They would need much convincing to leave

Those individual will likely refuse to see your light Sir Ghosthound

Influence +28

My light Randidly suppressed a sigh and chatted a bit more with the Nether Gatekeeper about more casual things Then he exchanged some gossip with Alana and Lucifer about the tense state of Expira in preparation for the Calamity Randidly even tried to talk with Wivanya but the Frost Dragon Broodmother seemed too shy to respond to his questions even when Alana slapped her mountÆs scaled neck

After about an hour Randidly said goodbye to the group of four When they had gone he contacted both Helen and Heiffal and brought them out of the Alpha Cosmos he wanted to speak to them regarding some of the hard decisions he needed to make surrounding the Calamity for Expira

But before he could speak Randidly felt an unfamiliar image rapidly approaching his skyisland In addition the roar of a skybike filled the sky Helen produced a spear and stood with a stormy expression but Randidly waved a hand The approaching individualÆs image was pure and strong For that he would give this individual a chance

Besides he was curious who would have enough gall to barge into the home of the Ghosthound

The monstrous arrangement of pipes steam and brass that the figure rode made LuciferÆs bike look like a childÆs toy The machine hummed softly even after the man had guided it down to land He hopped off removing a black biker helmet that made RandidlyÆs heart seize as he remembered Ace But beneath the helmet was nothing like AceÆs rakish athleticism

The man was balding and had a bulbous nose But there was an infectious joy to his features as he smiled Greetings Ghosthound My name is Elijah Frank I think IÆd be a real asset to the Order Ducis but your recruitment procedures are a real hassle Can you make an exception and just let me in

Chapter 1689

Elijah Frank woke up in the System and the first thing that he saw a three headed snake hydra turning to face him through his driverÆs side window Around the monster the deserted parking lot of the national parking lot only served to add to the sense of shock the sight brought him The combination wiped away any lingering drowsiness that he felt

He remembered falling asleep and then suddenly he was here in an unfamiliar parking lot

He hadnÆt been in one of the Zones or been stuck in a bubble city his last memory of pre System was getting into a bellowing match with his landlord packing up all his things into his cramped brown sedan and driving West with the vague idea that he would live out of his vehicle in camping areas until he had everything figured outÆ

He knew even then that this goal was a bit of a punt All ElijahÆs life he had been figuring outÆ what he wanted to do with himself He had sailed through his thirtieth and the fortieth birthday without giving this constant question much thought He bounced between careers with such speed that usually interviewers at his next job were more impressed than concerned He started in sales at a discount electronics store but over the course of eighteen years after college he became a political aide a hairstylist a non alcoholic bartender for childrenÆs parties a janitor at a trade school an associate professor and a military surveyor

This was in addition to his caffeine fueled late night deep dives into the stock market where he would throw however many fistfuls of cash he could squeeze between his fingers into whatever the hottest stock currently was His certainly repeatedly led him to emptying out his bank account

It was a total loss on timber futures that prompted ElijahÆs fight with his landlord

Why canÆt you just pretend like you donÆt know me Elijah had shouted in frustration People who donÆt know me love me

Because they just donÆt know yet how shitty you are At least not yet The landlord had shouted right back His face was red You havenÆt paid rent in three fucking months IÆm done with your excuses Get the hell out

So Elijah had packed up his things and left his Uncle TerenceÆs basement He drove West toward the unknown He arrived at the campground tried to set up a tent he had found in the corner of the basement but it got dark too quickly and his headlights werenÆt as helpful as he thought they were going to be

Grumbling to himself Elijah had climbed into the back of his car and tried to get comfortable between a giant pack of toilet paper (which he had also liberated from his uncleÆs basement) and a pile of dirty clothes that Elijah vaguely assumed he would be able to wash in a river somewhere He closed his eyes and laid there without falling asleep for several hours

Silently the System arrived And then the System kept Elijah Frank frozen for months and then years hidden in a relatively abandoned portion of the continental wilderness Then as the Wildlands surroundings the main six Zones rushed outward Elijah finally finally woke up to see the world in its new form

The extra sleep had passed without much of a result Elijah was still in a very sour mood

So he sat up in his back seat wrinkling his nose at the smell of stale sweat from his pile of dirty clothes and looked out his window to see a three meter long three headed hydra raising its head to regard the car and Elijah inside of it curiously Above the strange creatureÆs head hovered the words Hydra Hatchling Level 12