LoRG 4

Randidly shot directly toward the alert Hank Howard who instantly trained his revolver on the three meter orb of Mantle that Randidly had woven together in preparation for this Hank narrowed his eyes Then he closed them Just as Randidly was bewildered by the choice the man pulled the trigger

Of course his damned instincts

Because he was carefully hoarding his mental energy for his next trick Randidly only relied on his physical body to dodge But to his surprise even as he cut sharply sideways and twisted that bullet seemed to curve toward him as though it caught and rode a gust of wind It smashed into his right shoulder boring a hole through his Mantle and revealing his physical position within the grey smog

Even worse was HankÆs image Although it wasnÆt flashy the bullet that cut into RandidlyÆs flesh flared to life and fought against his image physicalizations immediately The narrative leaning of HankÆs image tried to pull Randidly into the role of an overpowered villain Before that could get any traction Randidly gritted his teeth and squashed the image The bullet flickered and was ejected from his body a split second later before it could inflict too much damage But the sudden show of force did end up costing him much of his spare mental energy

Just as he was about to recreate the Mantle Alana Donal was there Her eyes shone with a brilliant white light and met RandidlyÆs gaze The Third Revelation Anguish

The blow was invisible and vicious Everything was twisted and torn Even Randidly who was used to immense amounts of pain grunted and froze for an instant as that invisible pain lashed across his body And that moment of pause was exactly what they had been waiting for Randidly felt the air around him become thin and filmy like glass Then it shattered

Alana felt something close to relief as Dinesh activated his ability for one more massive usage The strange smog that the Ghosthound kept close to his body seemed to twist in the air to try and escape it but then it exploded outward and revealed that he had been successfully shifted At the moment he probably was slamming into the ground below He would react quickly but not quickly enough

But that was just the smaller of the two workings that Dinesh accomplished The bigger one was shifting the entirety of the massive cloud dragon that Huang Li manipulated flipping it upside down At the moment it screamed down toward the ground where Randidly had been sent It was a veritable bomb of tightly compacted winds ready to test the limits of the GhosthoundÆs physical resilience

The wings of AlanaÆs Fate beat several times slowing her descent toward the impact point She glanced around and raised her voice to cut above the dull roar of the wind Prepare for landing We will be going in as soon as the Sky Slaying Sword dissipates Hank

But then Alana blinked and glanced around Where was Hank Howard Now was a bad time for him to uphold his aloof Western trope of appearing only when they needed

Then Alana grimaced

A split second before the dragon hit the ground Alana heard Dinesh shout You How

I avoided it Alana could hear the grin in Randidly GhosthoundÆs voice

Even twenty meters in the air the impact of Huang LiÆs impressive Skill hitting the ground shook Alana Winds churned through the ground like teeth of an invisible leviathan moving at speeds that they gripped huge slabs of rock and heaved them out of the ground These huge pieces of debris were smashed against each other and then tossed by the air currents back toward the ground smashing into their more stubborn fellows Very quickly an area about one hundred meters in diameter had all of its rock of significant size reduced to spiraling sand particles

Then the exterior winds ceased hitting the ground and the maw itself impacted the space

This impact was a different beast entirely than the initial contact manifesting as a massive concussive wave that slapped the surrounding space Alana was tossed to the side losing sight of her fellow attackers in the chaos The ground rumbled and dropped as stone chipped and cracked Behind the maw of the cloud dragon its massive body began to collapse as its energy was spent Then the air filled with a horrible hissing sound The speed of the winds on impact was so fast that the sand that wasnÆt blasted away was melted into gleaming glass

AlanaÆs image had to flare with the aspect of inviolability in order to prevent her from crashing into the ground Quickly she steadied herself and began to glide As the debris began to settle the crater was revealed It spread outward in beautiful waves delicate sheets of overlapping glass giving the stone space the beautiful curve of flower petals

However this attack ended up being an utter failure When Alana hit the ground and could effectively examine the area she found that Randidly Ghosthound was holding the bodies of Dinesh and Glendel Likely he had already tossed the unconscious form of Hank Howard to the side

Only she Lyra Huang Li and Paolo remained

Chapter 1487

Alana Donal just focused on breathing for a few seconds She felt slightly dizzy as her brain slowly registered the reality of the situation

The phenomenon of her person was not a physical response Although she was bruised and battered from the intense earlier clashes she hadnÆt taken enough hits to experience dizziness No Alana was dizzy because her mind was buzzing After all these arrangements after the best that Expira could offer gathered and ambushed Randidly Ghosthound in his exhausted state this was what they had been reduced to She wasnÆt shocked but rather just sick to her stomach

It was a disappointing result to say the least

All of this had been her brainchild although many of the fighters had secretly harbored similar desires to understand where they stood in comparison to the Ghosthound It had been easy to spread the word and gather support But she was the one who breathed life into the attempt She had called on old contacts and made the plan She had led the simulated fight discussions She had thrown the first attack And all this she had done selfishly

All to prove that she would be useful to bring to the Nexus To give her the clout to make the request

Lyra seemed to finish shaping her dagger and gripped the gleaming amethyst weapon backhanded Alana could tell that the woman was more nervous than her sharp featured face revealed So she wasnÆt surprised when Lyra hopped sideways and landed only a few meters away from Alana Huang Li was nearby too but he was panting and sweating Likely the Sky Slaying Sword had depleted a lot of his remaining energy They were running out of usable fighters

Alana couldnÆt sense Paolo but she knew that he would be stubbornly moving through the rocky terrain preparing for his next strike His continued stubborn refusal to quit was perhaps the only reason they had made it this far If he had gone unconscious when the Ghosthound had grabbed him earlier

Alana shook her head Her failure to prove her strength here became a key that was steadily twisting the ignition of some engine in AlanaÆs mind The process was painful and depressing That was why she was currently buzzing As time stretched on that buzzing wormed its way outward First just her neck and shoulders but then her muscles and organs and skin were all buzzing Her entire body was straightforwardly facing the realization that Randidly truly was on another level altogether than she was

If she went with him she would only hold him back Compared to him her fighting strength was insignificant

The Ghosthound looking monstrous and proud as the Grim Chimera twisted and cracked his back His lower tail flicked side to side ineffectually severed about a meter along its length from AlanaÆs earlier strike It felt like that was her only contribution to the effort to defeat him Alana licked her lips they were dry When she spoke through the buzzing mostly out of the sense of responsibility that even now pushed her forward her voice sounded distant The fact he didnÆt attack immediately means heÆs just as wounded as we are Be careful of his ability to siphon off your energy and we can still

If IÆm being honest Alana Lyra glanced over at her with a half smile I suspect only you and Paolo believed we could win in a direct confrontation Fighting is RandidlyÆs are of expertise He has spent all his time becoming the best at it The rest of us just well we have our own reasons for the attempt

Then Lyra twisted around and looked back toward Huang Li You alright kid

I still have a little more energy maybe one attack Huang Li whispered So much sweat had dripped off of his nose that a small puddle had formed on the ground in front of him The tip of his sword pressed against the ground Lyra seemed to want to vocalize the clear doubts she had toward Huang LiÆs abilities Alana could read the urge on her face but ultimately the Village Spirit thought better of it She just turned toward the Ghosthound and raised her dagger

We have our own reasons for the attempt huh Alana reflected The key in her head continued turning Something settled into place and felt right She admitted it to herself this attempt had failed She could not fight as well as Randidly did Perhaps not even after training with him for several months Where once there was an emergent buzzing now a strange coolness spread through her head And like the buzzing it ran out across her shoulders and then through her whole body ThatÆs true this is RandidlyÆs Path

And my Path

ItÆs been changing for a while already ItÆs time to follow through that shift to the end No more holding back

Warning Strange fluctuations detected from your Fate

Please see a Village Spirit immediately Warning failure to do so might result in sickness or death

Alana ignored the notifications that popped frantically up in front of her Her gaze cleared as she realized her own Path She could not stand by his side with her spear but there were other ways that Alana Donal could be a part of the Legend of Randidly Ghosthound With gentle fingers she reached up and touched the wings that grew from her Fate Then she twisted them at the base until the wings were inverted The dazzling white feathers faded to a metallic gold Where the wings once beat powerfully above her head now they stretched almost lazily downward behind her back

Raising her hand Alana pointed in a line that passed directly through the Ghosthound Finally she understood her Path The Fourth Revelation Divinity

Randidly narrowed his eyes and crossed his massive left arm in front of the gaping wounds in his chest He had seen this Skill of AlanaÆs in the past and the effect was powerful Even in her weakened state he dare not take it lightly

Besides something had suddenly shifted about Alana The Grim Chimera could smell it in the air she now smelled dangerous The doubt in her desires had vanished

Yet after Alana pointed nothing happened Randidly frowned Then he swore and rolled to the side cursing himself for being foolish enough to have all of his attention drawn forward A haymaker smashed into the ground where he was standing shattering the already unstable ground

By the time Randidly had rolled and popped back up to his feet Paolo was already pursuing him Worse with the addition of AlanaÆs Divinity Skill Paolo moved quickly enough to catch up with Randidly He was wreathed in golden fire his right fist raised and his left still hanging broken at his side He was the avatar of vengeance come to take one last swing at Randidly Ghosthound

Randidly pulled air through his teeth He really didnÆt have enough energy for this Cursed Appetite of the Wraith

Unfortunately he had used this Skill too many times There was an implacable zeal visible in PaoloÆs eyes that also existed around his mental energy reserves meaning that Randidly was only able to take a few grains when he activated the Skill Paolo didnÆt even slow in his attack He just laughed and bellowed This is what itÆs supposed to be like Right Hand of the Challenger

Randidly clenched his enormous left hand and met the blow directly The heart at the core of the Grim ChimeraÆs body continued its industrial tier blood pumping flooding his arm with heat as his muscles tensed At the point of impact Randidly felt PaoloÆs already weak knuckles shatter into even smaller pieces But somehow PaoloÆs blow had crossed their previous gap in capabilities After they clashed both were forced a small step back

AlanaÆs Skill had empowered the idiot

Of course RandidlyÆs right arm used that stepÆs worth of opening and slashed up like a whip His sharpened fingers of his right hand skidded off the golden light surrounding PaoloÆs skin diminishing it but unable to pierce through The Grim Chimera growled Molten Fang of the Pariah

When heat flooded his right arm it was on an entirely different level His skin bones and tendons all began to glow various shades of cherry red PaoloÆs eyes recognized the threat but RandidlyÆs hand was already moving as he adjusted AlanaÆs light had dimmed too much So the strike pierced cleanly through his right shoulder scalding the surrounding muscle

Congratulations Your Skill Molten Fang of the Pariah has grown to Level 246

I wanted Paolo grinned as RandidlyÆs left hand came up and grabbed toward his skull Champion this time

As the Dreamcatcher of the Long Night finally did its work on Paolo Randidly heard a new threat approach Sky Slaying Slash

Unlike the massive Sky Slaying Sword this Skill of Huang Li covered the distance between them in the space between two separate seconds RandidlyÆs pupils immediately tightened as he realized that he couldnÆt both dodge the attack and extract PaoloÆs memories So he gritted his teeth and marshaled his remaining mental energy The Grim Chimera raised its head and roared in defiance as Haung Li slashed it

For a split second Randidly lost consciousness He came to when he hit the ground Paolo shaken from his grip but seemingly safely unconscious Just as RandidlyÆs body began to bounce up away from the cracked stone he spun at lightning speed his eyes blazing with all the intensity of a firework He regained his footing instantly and prepared his counter attack Especially because he was once again on the last dregs of his mental strength he needed to finish things as quickly as possible

More than the need what Randidly felt in that brief stunned moment that made him ready to strike with no hesitation was the Want Maybe it was because Paolo had planted the tiniest seed in his mind with his words but the Grim Chimera yearned for this victory Each moment of survival in the face of long odds was an affirmation Each scar a further development of the Grim Chimera spiting the universeÆs continued attempts to kill him There was wild joy in the Grim ChimeraÆs heart now so close to another victory All he had to do was seize it

Randidly Ghosthound was a blur as he planted his feet tore the ground beneath him and then accelerated back toward the final three individuals But he was somewhat shocked to see that Huang Li was in the midst of falling over without any action from his part it seemed that the last attack had drawn too deeply from his energy

The dagger in LyraÆs hand began to gleam as she brought it to bear on Randidly Until youÆve defeated me

Randidly touched LyraÆs head almost lightly as he loped past her She swayed and fell to the ground her powerful dagger rapidly dissipating Although her attacks were certainly powerful that power was practically useless against the physically dominant Randidly Unless she raised her Perception and Reaction she simply wasnÆtÆ able to land any hits

Which left only Alana standing

With all of his momentum built up the increasingly bleary Randidly planted his foot and readjusted his vector He made a beeline directly for her And he likely would have charged forward and tried to run her through with his right hand had not Alana extended both hands outward in a clear gesture of surrender

Although the Grim Chimera was suspicious he slowed in his charge and stopped a few meters in front of her Alana regarded Randidly with clear eyes We no longer need to fight YouÆve won

Randidly blinked slowly Just like that

Alana chuckled and extended a meaningful gaze around the surrounding area to the unconscious bodies craters burn marks and piles of shattered rock that littered the surrounding landscape If they hadnÆt moved to a wasteland probably quite a lot of the residential mountain would have been destroyed around them Then Alana chucked Yes just like that We surrender

Heh Randidly grinned Despite the fact that she had led this attack against him Randidly didnÆt believe that Alana would verbally surrender and not mean it he had truly won And then he couldnÆt help himself With the last vestiges of his image strength his whole body rippled and he was the Grim Chimera

And then he raised his head and howled He was dominant He had survived He was happy

Chapter 1488

Lucifer groaned out a hot breath and tried to sit up As soon as he made the attempt his left hand rushed up to his head as though he was trying to stem a bleeding wound A terrible splitting headache struck at him as he moved The muscles of his body tensed from the pain holding him in that hunched half sitting position waiting for that horrible motion sickness to run its course through his body Almost instinctively LuciferÆs hand that was propping his body up tightened and his fingers buzzed with the grainy sensation of dirt underneath him

But even worse than the sickness was the sensation that followed Lucifer felt strangely hollow as the sickness receded from his mind and left him aching He was adrift where he used to know solidly where he existed He squeezed his eyes shut and flexed his image to try and overcome the sensation with brute force It had worked in the past

Yet when he activated his image Lucifer paled in horror the sense of feebleness was only worse as he tried to reach for his image

The raw instinctual sensation of a cough yanked Lucifer back to the present reminding him of the predicament of his body When he opened his eyes he was surprised to find that his vision was blurry Around him were only vague blotches of color that melted into each other His head was still swimming And that was when he started to wonder if today would be the day that he died That thought wandered through his body like a determined tadpole winding its way through the confused and deserted veins and settling finally into his image The small being made slow progress but its vitality soaked outward into his person as it spread

I refuse to die today

Lucifer growled to himself and released a pulse of his image He could clearly imagine his body moving through the motions of his Lucifer Slash That familiar motion became an anchor that allowed him to open his eyes and focus to see the surroundings

The weakness was still appalling but the image did work as a focus His vision slowly settled into something usable

Lucifer was sitting up in a long line of bodies that were laid rather casually on a flat stretch of ground His head flared painfully once again but Lucifer ignored it The memory of attacking the Ghosthound without being honest about their intentions rushed back to him Wincing Lucifer raised a hand and pressed it against his temple Was this some sort of punishment

Goddamnit it why do I feel so weak Lucifer gritted his teeth while focusing on the figures that were already up from the defeated bodies They slowly resolved themselves into the figures of Kayle and Lyra who were talking quietly to each other From the tight expressions on their faces Lucifer guessed they were suffering from similar nausea He wondered if he looked that blotchy and unsettled

They both noticed when Lucifer saw them exchanged a glance and began walking over toward him But Lucifer was distracted by a large blur to his left His first instinct was that this sudden intruder a monster and he tried to leap to his feet But that leapÆ ended up being simply a whole body spasm that sent his head spinning with nausea He collapsed back down onto his back

Even worse the blur raised its head and Ancho gave Lucifer a rather unamused look Then the horse lowered his long face and resumed his gleeful ransacking of the unconscious HankÆs pockets The horse pulled out a repeater from its holster chewed on the handle experimentally then shook its head and placed the gun delicately on the ground Ancho sniffed in LuciferÆs direction but seemed largely unimpressed by the possibility of him possessing treats So the horse turned away and investigated the other unconscious individuals

While LuciferÆs spinning mind settled back down Lyra and Kayle arrived at his feet Kayle spoke first in a quite voice Are you alright

Lucifer considered the question seriously for a bit of time before licking his lips and answering I I feel physically alright But my head

Yea Lyra cut in Then she grimaced The Ghosthound he stayed long enough for me to wake up He said he took quite a bit of our Nether for having the nerve to ambush him like that Ugh he said that She raised her hand and pushed back her tawny hair irritably so that the offending strand was tucked behind her ear But he had a stupid grin on his face when he said it so I know he got something out of it

So you guys too Lucifer asked just to confirm

Kayle nodded He glanced at Lyra but she seemed to be seething with fury and in no mood for further talking So Kayle spoke again From what the Ghosthound told Lyra the phenomenon will last anywhere from two weeks to a month The motion sickness should disappear first but the sense of weakness that is what will take a while to recover

IÆll have to feel LuciferÆs eyes widened Suddenly he could understand LyraÆs fury He made a fist with his right hand raised it a few inches off the ground then brought it back down softly into the dirt it was the most aggressive display he felt he could manage at the moment And he did this to all of us this is an attack on Expira How DARE he What if we donÆt manage to recover before the First Calamity

That date is over four months away Kayle answered placidly Lyra very visible bit her lip hard enough that it bled clearly agreeing with the spirit of what Lucifer was saying But Kayle only sighed We could have challenged him directly as we did in the past It would have been another grand event and likely a wide audience for our loss Instead we did it secretly hoping to gain a significant advantage with the suddenness of the attack And to be fair I suspect he did fight us with a rather large handicap

Randidly Ghosthound sought to strengthen the planet and prepare us for the Calamity sure but more than that Kayle looked upward as he was speaking Lucifer couldnÆt help but follow his gaze The sky above was overcast painted with the soft blues of night right before dawn Which meant that they had been unconscious for perhaps ten hours The fact that Lucifer was still sore after being knocked out for that time was shocking

Kayle shrugged after his long pause He has always stressed that with the arrival of the Nexus the world is much less forgiving our actions have consequences This is the price we have to pay for seeking a genuine victory over the Ghosthound

Lucifer mulled that over for a while his anger settling like a choppy sea after the storm has passed Gradually the waves disappeared and left only salty water Dawn inched closer engaging in the slow process of illuminating the sky And strangely Lucifer stumbled across a realization that brought him quite a bit of joy He grinned around at Lyra and Kayle Heh itÆs not all bad news however So we were the ones who woke up the most quickly I suppose

DonÆt pat yourself on the back Lyra said in a dead voice She practically spat out the words Randidly told me that he took more from those that could spare it So the hardest hit were Alana Hank Paolo and Huang Li When I asked him how much more he had taken from them relative to the rest of us he just laughed

In that moment Lucifer thought he heard an echo of that laugh bouncing gleefully off the cracked ground around them He could see the Grim Chimera standing before them arms spread as though it was inviting challenges from all of existence He could see the zeal and wild joy on the imageÆs face

Lucifer shivered

He had to wait several hours for his psyche to recover but it was worth it for this result Randidly grinned down at the Dreamcatcher of the Long Night Thin strands twisted across each other setting into an entirely new pattern The dense intersection of strands gradually settled toward order A shape began to emerge Jackpot

Congratulations Your Fatepiece the Dreamcatcher of the Long Night has grown to Level 93

Congratulations Your Fatepiece the Dreamcatcher of the Long Night has grown to Level 94

To make sure that ExpiraÆs strongest wouldnÆt start thinking it was okay to attack him randomly while announcing things like this is an assassination Æ Randidly had pilfered some significance from their memories with his Fatepiece But it wasnÆt until he had completely won and knocked Alana Donal unconscious for good measure that he understood that he was taking a bit of their innate Nether while he did so

Which made Randidly scratch his head and go back over the unconscious bodies to examine the phenomenon He didnÆt take more memories the second time around but he used his Nether Nebula to steal even more of each personÆs Nether He waffled for a while but ultimately decided to just take a flat 70% from everyone Which resulted in a surprisingly significant boost to his Nether Nebula He could sense that one of those grey bubbles was very close to being produced within that intensely compacted core

In addition the loss of Nether was an injury that would probably linger for quite some time When he had tried it with Derek Moss He had taken memories from him without also reaching for some Nether on top of that And even so the man who was famously chipper had been listless for four days

The Nether he took should gradually recover with plenty of time to spare before the Calamity but Randidly recalled the helpless feeling he had when Kaan Swacc used the Nether Suppression Cell against him in their duel Even if you didnÆt rely on it consciously your significance within the Nether of your body grounds your image Without it

There was an internal chime The churning threads of his Dreamcatcher settled into place A mystical glowing pattern floated in front of RandidlyÆs eyes He grinned and leaned forward going into that place of chimes and intersection And once he was there Randidly thought of a specific moment and felt himself arriving in front of it The smile on his face stretched wider and wider as he witnessed the result

With the support of so many memories on the same moment Randidly felt how much more stable this memory had become The strands became thick supports twined effortlessly together into thick cords The memory itself hung fat and pulsing in the corner of his Fatepiece on another tier altogether than his other memories With so many perspectives it had become its own small world

He released a breath and reached toward it

Randidly entered into the memory as Alana The world blurred and then he found himself looking at his own confused face right at the beginning of the attack The rest of the anti Randidly faction was shifting into formation Here Alana would have delivered her inflammatory opening line but Randidly didnÆt bother with that Instead Alana rippled and vanished replaced by the towering image of Yggdrasil Wind whistled through the emerald leaves

Congratulations Your Skill Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil has grown to Level 317

Real Randidly lashed out freely with Absolute Grasp sending hundred of blindingly fast roots whipping at the various fighters around him Taken by surprise most were knocked away before they understood what was happening A veritable wave of plant matter knocked them senseless and pushed them away

Which just showed poor planning Randidly shook his head rather sorrowfully why werenÆt they prepared to deal with his Yggdrasil Skillset

Well I suppose it makes sense that they would underestimate its true power I havenÆt demonstrated its capabilities much on Expira but it IS a Transcendent Skill You canÆt just ignore it

Meanwhile the memory Randidly instantly realized something was wrong His Absolute Grasp reached out and seized onto the spreading roots and the two silently struggled until the roots stilled Both Skills seized upon the roots with the same absolute power resulting in a stalemate Compared to the rather calm activation of Grim Chimera that had actually happened in the fight the tight fury in fake RandidlyÆs eyes as he considered the real Randidly was an entirely different beast

All three images had activated as he glared over at the new arrival who used his Skills He snarled Who are you

Randidly paused Ah perhaps explaining this situation might be slightly awkward Especially after my experience of Kaan Swacc

But in more positive news despite the deviation from the original memory Randidly didnÆt have much of a headache at all Having so many memories form this recollection truly strengthened its boundaries

Which meant he had some time to explain

Chapter 1489

In the end it was actually more simple than Randidly had expected to convince the memory version of himself that what he was saying might possibly be true

So IÆm the memory version The memory had asked with pursed lips They mutually agreed to maintain a seething forest of roots around their face off keeping the duos away Real Randidly didnÆt want to bother with them and fake Randidly didnÆt want this strange interloper near them Some of them tried to cut through the mass of plants but the two Randidlys just regenerated the barrier Which meant that they were completely isolated within the pulsing mass of vines But I must assume that you coming back and challenging yourself is a pretty significant deviation from the original scenario HowÆs your head

Randidly gestured vaguely behind him to the ambushers I took the memories from all of them With more peopleÆs significance supporting the memory it looks like deviation isnÆt such a problem

Taking memories from them Dream Randidly said rubbing his chin Randidly rolled his eyes He could practically hear the oh thatÆs a good ideaÆ in the memoryÆs internal monologue Then the memory looked back at him seeming to consider him Meanwhile the undercurrent of testing continued Every second the memory would release pulses of different images seeming to test him Randidly responded with the same pulse

The only difference was the Grim Chimera Randidly grinned wolfishly over at the memory when that image came up His version of the Grim Chimera had a noticeable edge

So why are you here then What do you want from yourself The memory asked His eyes glittered as Yggdrasil spread its branches and began healing his mental fatigue Regardless of the reason it seemed obvious that the memory considered him a significant threat and not a training opportunity That was good

RandidlyÆs smile was lazy The Grim Chimera appeared around him I wanted to refine some of the changes to the Grim Chimera that IÆve made And as you know weÆve already fought so many times against Kaan so I thought why not try and fight the man who managed to defeat Kaan Swacc

After a moment of silence both RandidlyÆs began to laugh Fighting intent spiked upward from both of them Then the memory Randidly pouted Heh itÆs rather frustrating that I have to be the one used as a whetstone rather than the one improving but I assume this is your first attempt Next time tell me to look at our Nether Nebula ThereÆs something wrong with mine ItÆs hard to explain ItÆs like its a replica built to look like one without any of its power A model with no true significance

Randidly blinked Thanks

Then they began to fight

Tatiana sat in her office She took a sip of her tea and then sighed in pleasure White teas were her favorite This particular blend included both dried raspberries and what could only be grass that had been soaked in white wine The result was sour and bitter just the jolt she needed to start the day

Then the central spine of Kharon turned and looked to the North letting her eyes fade from the forefront of her focus so her mind could peer through the walls of her office Although it was far away she still could feel the place where Randidly Ghosthound had fought last night In retrospect some sort of challenge against him in the wake of the duos tournament was obvious She should have seen it coming But at least from what Tatiana had heard from Mrs Hamilton Randidly had inflicted a rather serious punishment against them She offered a sharp smile to the hardwood paneling of her office wall

She would give him shit for making more political work for her but if the Zones tried to make an issue of it Tatiana would butcher them How dare they legitimately try to ambush him After all the work he put into making them stronger

But Tatiana suppressed that frustration and turned her attention to hallways of City Hall around her She took another sip of her delicate tea and released a sigh As she grew more distant from Randidly during the process of preparing for his departure her uncanny intuition slowly evolved to include the creations of Randidly Ghosthound So she could faintly feel the sensation of each person moving about the building She could feel their feet tap lightly along the floor of the tiled halls

Tatiana stood and walked to the door She held the handle for several seconds waiting for her target to approach Then just as Commissioner Arrietti was hurrying past Tatiana opened the door When their eyes met she favored him with a smile Ah Commissioner How are you doing today

I am well thank you The Commissioner gave her a short bow Then he hesitated as though debating over whether or not to say something As always with the man his sense of duty won The report on corruption

Ah letÆs not talk about business right now Commissioner Tatiana waved her hand WouldnÆt her life be so much easier if she had more subordinates as determinedly single minded as he Then she brought her fist against her palm as though she had just remembered something Oh DidnÆt you tell me that you enjoyed barbecue I recently went to a new restaurant and the food was excellent If you have time perhaps you should stop in and give it a try

Oh Well I do consider myself something of a connoisseur of the grill The Police Commissioner said Then Tatiana gave him the address of a restaurant owned by a single middle aged woman with a warm smile and a spine of iron Tatiana had done a thorough investigation of the womanÆs background to make sure she had no ulterior motives for coming to Kharon and believed the two would be compatible Her intuition told her it was an ideal match All that was left was to see if Tatiana had lost her touch since coming to work in politics

With a nod Tatiana walked away from the Commissioner and went to the staircase in the East Wing of City Hall She could feel Commissioner Arrietti standing still and repeating the address to himself so he wouldnÆt forget it The image of the very serious expression he undoubtedly had on his face made her smile

As Tatiana descended to the ground floor she passed the bickering figures of Derek and Hydie on the wide stairwell Tatiana favored these two with a warm smile as well Ah back from your training expedition How did it go

No fatalities Derek announced in a jolly tone but the corner of his mouth twitched Unfortunately about a third of the participants suffered rather serious injuries Injuries so serious that we needed to call a dedicated healer in order to stitch them back together It just seemed like so many unlikely accidents befell our expedition

Oh shut up Hydie said frostily She was keeping a rather cool expression on her face but Tatiana could sense how legitimately disturbed she was about the accidents She was doing better at embracing her own Aura of Misfortune but she hadnÆt quite been able to avoid flinching at these consequences It would be a slow process of learning to accept herself WonÆt this build character If we give things too freely to people they will get spoiled

Well said Hydie Tatiana commented as she glided down the stairs past them She waved one hand over her shoulder in goodbye As long as they are alive they can learn and grow The rest well itÆs just experience

Once on the ground floor Tatiana quickened her pace Today she had quite a few actual meetings to get through mostly regarding the plans for KharonÆs floating islands In addition she had to meet with Vye and Naffur and plan out how they wanted to approach ExpiraÆs final Zone

Tatiana paused in her walk and looked straight up Although Randidly was floating on his island above she felt powerful image reverberations coming from him it appeared he had returned to training

You are somewhat hopeless Tatiana sighed as she briefly experienced the periphery of RandidlyÆs all consuming desire to strengthen himself then she went to her meeting and treated it like a palate cleanser She passed through the mundane realities of paperwork and meetings and was able to breathe a lung full of air without the near obsession of the Ghosthound lingering across her senses

Not that she minded RandidlyÆs presence But she needed to focus

If Kharon was a body Tatiana would have considered herself to be the inner ear She wasnÆt particularly responsible for any of the actual living that was done by the body but she was constantly monitoring its balance She checked in all of the various leaders and made sure they were mentally stable She took the temperature of the various workers in all of the major industries of Kharon She sat through meetings listening and reflecting on the way the Wandering City was developing

She listened to the pulse of the body senses taut for any perceived flaws

As days passed Kharon arrived at the previous edge of the world without much fanfare Without even pausing it crossed the equator into the wild wilderness that was the last obstacle before arriving at the final of EarthÆs Zones Monster resistance intensified but it was nothing the Order Ducis couldnÆt handle There was more work to do but it became predictable in a way Everything was beginning to settle into place

Which was why Tatiana wasnÆt surprised a week after the people of Expira attacked Randidly to find the Ghosthound himself waiting in her office Her skin began to tingle She knew why he was here immediately just from his posture

ItÆs time Randidly said quietly His hair that had grown wild during his training sessions had been trimmed back down to finger length Although the clothes he was wearing werenÆt particularly nice it was one of the compromise outfits that she had picked out for him to wear at official gatherings a short sleeve white button up and forest green shorts Wearing the outfit he seemed almost criminally mundane His tan right arm could belong to any clean cut young man

Even his emerald eyes were somehow sedate refusing to catch any of the evening light filtering in through her window

Tatiana felt a rising wave of emotion and pressed it sharply back down before it could sweep her away She walked around to her desk and examined the calendar sitting there even though she knew it by heart You donÆt plan to have the final meeting with Miss Collins and the teaching board regarding Keystones

No I already worry that the lessons IÆm pushing them to teach are a little too harsh for the current times Randidly folded his arms across his chest They have the right number of ideas now its just refining them Neveah will be remaining on Expira so she can still help with the Engraving when they are ready As for the other stuff Honestly you did it Tatiana YouÆve managed to make me completely superfluous in my own city These people donÆt need my help any longer

Tatiana knew that he meant it as a joke so she flashed her teeth in an imitation of a smile But she felt quite cold all of a sudden She breathed in and then breathed out When do you leave

Tonight Randidly replied IÆve already gathered my Riders they all chose to accompany me from within the Alpha Cosmos So they wonÆt be scouting for the Order Ducis any longer IÆve already talked to Naffur about it

Are you taking anyone else with you Tatiana asked

Randidly shook his head Just Helen The people of Expira they will be handling ExpiraÆs problems in the future I canÆt drag them around with me all across the Nexus

Then this is goodbye For a while at least Tatiana blinked Randidly walked forward and put his arms around TatianaÆs shoulders squeezing her into a tight hug He was strong of course he was strong but it was so easy to viscerally feel how strong he was as he hugged her His hands pressed her back bringing her to his chest She felt so light and insubstantial compared to those arms He smelled like soap charcoal and iron The metal arm was warmer than she thought it would be Not as warm as flesh but also not unpleasant

Then he let her go and took a step back His eyes were still dark but they swirled like shadows over the surface of a deep swamp Goodbye Tatiana IÆve left so much in your lap I know that And I could never repay you for all youÆve done for me

You can Tatiana whispered She refused to allow herself to cry at least while he was here She would save that for later You can win this You can go the Nexus and ensure that no more humans need to die to fuel it

Randidly favored her with a toothy grin ThatÆs the plan

Chapter 1490

Helen stood with her hands in her pockets tilting her head to the side as she regarded Alana Alana couldnÆt read the expression on the other womanÆs face She approached AlanaÆs answer with the same stoic determination that she approached violence She immersed herself totally giving it the entirety of her spirit Silence hung between them as Helen mulled over AlanaÆs words

The two were standing on the veranda of AlanaÆs Donnyton home looking out over Donnyton Below smoke billowing up from the industrial district reveal that the city already was preparing to move through the day despite the early hour Finally Helen shifted she reached up and cracked her jaw with one hand before speaking What made you change your mind

Alana chuckled Perhaps the fact that it was a bad idea to begin with I shouldnÆt tie my life to Randidly Ghosthound at least not literally I am the prophet that will spread the virtues that he exemplifies across this world IÆll be the voice to reach that Randidly cannot on his own But IÆm not going to make the same mistakes in regards to my role that I did with the responsibility of Donnyton I have my own Path independent of him

At that answer Helen favored Alana with a wicked grin Are you sure you arenÆt just a sore loser after ambushing him HowÆs your head

Alana turned away from the other woman To tell the truth she probably was still at only about half power a week out from the fight But she wasnÆt going to dignify HelenÆs jibe with a response Are you sure you donÆt just want a punching bag in the Nexus No this is the right decision I realized while fighting Randidly that I shouldnÆt be trying so hard to be him He has some very notable weaknesses that are better avoided I can be myself and also continue to strengthen Expira

For several seconds Helen was silent Without any more words passing between them Helen could understand Because she too had faced a similar decision in the past Even if she had made the opposite choice she could respect AlanaÆs reasons then good luck

You too Alana said seriously There was the sound of water lapping against stone and then the air darkened By the time Alana turned around Helen had vanished carried away by her Tides of Blood Alana stared after idly her allowing some of the doubts she had toward her decision to surface on her face It hadnÆt been easy AlanaÆs troubled frown formed deep caverns across her cheeks

The morning breeze was cold on AlanaÆs hands gripping the railing of her veranda Winter was truly here

But the more time passed with this opportunity gone the more Alana began to relax There were consequences of not following the Ghosthound on the journey but at the very least this was her choice She had earned those consequences And making it allowed Alana Donal to feel free She closed her eyes and felt the steady pulse of life coming from her altered Fate It reaffirmed her conviction

As long as she continued walking this Path would carry her forward

Alana was still sitting on her veranda enjoying a meal of fried ham and potatoes when WivanyaÆs bulky for noisily landed in her yard Her dragon companionÆs wide wingspan blew huge gusts of wind across the surrounding houses likely waking any sleeping neighbors Icicles were shaken and dislodged from the manicured trees in the surrounding lawns But Alana doubted that the sulky neighbors would have the nerve to bring it up to her

She allowed herself a small smirk Just a perk of being the strongest duo on Expira Plus it shouldnÆt happen too often in the future I wonÆt be remaining in Donnyton for long

Although Wivanya was typically composed in her actions currently the dragon simply pressed her wings to her sides when she was about ten meters away from the ground and dropped like a frozen bomb toward the ground After hitting the lawn and sending another shockwave through the surrounding block the dragon used her claws to scramble up toward Alana on the veranda Alana Is it true

YouÆve heard the news about the Ghosthound I assume Alana kept her face impassive balancing out the wild emotional reverberations coming from the dragon Perhaps because Alana had known Randidly when he was just Randidly but his eventual departure was something she knew would happen eventually But Wivanya seemed completely blindsided by this development

The Frost Dragon Broodmother swung her head side to side like a dog looking for a scent Yes They say he left last night Without Without even coming to visit the Ghosthound Cathedral

Inwardly Alana snorted honestly Randidly would be more likely to come to the Village of the pious Frost Dragons if he didnÆt know about their cathedral dedicated to him Continuing to shout about it at every opportunity would not lure him into visiting But she understood how much the figure of the Ghosthound meant to Wivanya The entirety of the growing Frost Dragon population dearly wanted to show him their sincerity

Unfortunately I think this is a situation where you will be disappointed for now such is the prerogative of gods Alana thought sadly But her face opened up into a warm smile as she mastered those feelings to cheer up her friend The Ghosthound cannot yet visit he is required in the Nexus But doesnÆt that mean that Ghosthound Cathedral can be even more impressive when he finally does visit

Wivanya considered that Her sapphire eyes narrowed and Alana briefly thought that her dragon saw through her rather clumsy misdirection But when Wivanya spoke she used a voice that was trembling with excitement a whole glorious Ghosthound complex hum maybe we should add a pyramid

Sorry Randidly Alana thought as she reached out and patted her companion’s long neck

You run this shop yourself Elmer Arrietti asked as the woman gracefully leaned forward and set the large tray of food in front of him The smells hit him first warm and rich He couldnÆt control the saliva in his mouth as he gazed at the heaps of smoked brisket pulled pork baked beans cheesy mashed potatoes and cornbread But then the Police Commissioner reached down and adjusted his belt reminding himself to act his station He looked back up at the proprietress and cleared his throat

Selene favored him with one of her winning smiles and the Commissioner was briefly stunned his face tingled like she had lightly slapped him His heart pounded in his chest as she spoke Why yes ItÆs actually been somewhat difficult for me moving to a new city and setting everything up But smoking meats is what my family has been doing for generations Hehe IÆm glad I can now count the Police Commissioner as one of my customers Maybe I should put it on a sign and hang it up

I Arrietti cleared his throat again Well I do technically still need to taste the food so

The woman smiled and withdrew to the other side of the small restaurant Commissioner Arrietti couldnÆt keep his eyes from following her She was short and had an extremely healthy waist with her arms and legs lean from the labor of hauling and hanging all the meat that the restaurant Her auburn hair was done up in a tight bun above her head Although he didnÆt want to get ahead of himself Arrietti would admit that she was very close to his ideal type Adding to that the fact that she moved to Kharon alone

I must be careful cannot make it seem like IÆm using my station to pick up women Arrietti scolded himself He took a drink of water cooling his throat and also cleansing his palate

When he had arrived he had thought she was a beautiful waitress He had been mortified when he asked to talk to the pitmaster to speak about the meat selection and she sweetly responded that she preferred the term pit mistress and introduced herself as Selene After stumbling through his order he had guiltily used his high Perception to follow her movements through the back of the restaurant as she prepared the food

She truly handled everything herself So not just a beautiful woman but also a capable one Elmer Arrietti gulped He took another drink of water

Abruptly he realized that he was looking over at Selene and she was staring back at him with her chin in her hands As recognition dawned in ArrieitiÆs expression the corner of SeleneÆs eyes crinkled in amusement What you donÆt like a woman who likes to watch

When ArrietiÆs mouth refused to close normally he took a fork and stuffed some of the brisket inside so the expression wasnÆt so unusual The common physical machinations of chewing began to take over But almost immediately he forgot all about SeleneÆs coy expression Elmer Arrietti was immediately at peak concentration He mobilized his image so that every one of his senses was heightened to its limit This meat

The next ten minutes were a blur of barbecue sauce and savory flavors The meats were placed on ArrietiÆs tongue where their spiced juices and tender flesh became a culinary delight Although he usually controlled his appetite on this meal he made so such attempts for this meal He continued voraciously devouring the food until the tray was entirely clean

Elmer leaned back from the table and sighed in contentment Selene laughed as she stepped forward and picked up his tray ThatÆs a great expression on your face ThatÆs exactly why I like to watch my customers eat when I can Can I get anything else for you

Actually Arrietti took a steadying breath Her earlier comments had definitely been a bit flirty right Although it was somewhat awkward that he was doing this at her place of work they were both adults They could behave as adults And ElmerÆs heart was trembling in a way he hadnÆt felt in twenty years But it was an extremely adult tremor More than her looks SeleneÆs cooking Actually Maybe sometime I can come to eat here with you again

That wasnÆt quite right Commissioner ArrietiÆs eyelid twitched

Selene smiled Sure IÆm open six days a week Do you want your check then

No I err yes actually bring the check Arrietti scratched the side of his head But what I meant to say is that you and I the two of us maybe not at your restaurant

CoommIIssIoonneerr

ArrieitiÆs stuttered proposal was drowned out by the sound of someone yelling from outside on the street In a way Arrietti was relieved at the distraction why was he behaving like a prepubescent boy ShouldnÆt he be old enough that these sort of nerves didnÆt ruffle him But simultaneously he felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach he recognized that voice

Heiffal burst through the door to the restaurant followed closely by the other members of the crew that had enthusiastically taken the joy out of bowling for Commissioner Arrietti These were the few dozen that constantly infested the alley making it boisterous and busy at all hours of the day They were the ones that had stolen ElmerÆs peaceful moments of repose from him The group crowded in behind Heiffal quickly filling up the available space Tables and chairs were pushed to the side making more room for them to congregate around Arrietti

There were tears in HeiffalÆs eyes Commissioner Arrietti I just want to say thank you for everything youÆve taught us about control and precision about inner peace and self improvement

Arrietti began gritting his teeth Control Inner peace You people Why havenÆt I ever seen any evidence of this

We are heading back to the Nexus Heiffal continued a single tear running down his cheek as he regarded Arrietti But we knew we couldnÆt go without one last game of bowling So please For old timeÆs sake

Ah IÆm actually Elmer was trembling He had FINALLY found an opportunity to escape his status as a fifty two year old bachelor and these punks wanted to ruin his first impression I need to

Commissioner Arrietti your sense of honor is pretty legendary in Kharon IÆll give you this one on credit Selene said as she deftly wove her way through the press of bodies Then she waved goodbye with a napkin as though sending him off on a sea voyage from which he might not return safely

Elmer Arrietti studiously kept control of his face as he was buoyed away by the capable hands of HeiffalÆs crew Behind him he could hear HeiffalÆs soldiers whispering

Look at his face he can barely control his emotions

Ah Commissioner Arrietti heÆs so overcome Seeing him so emotional like this

Take it easy be strong just like Commissioner Arrietti We canÆt guh We canÆt cry Waahh

So she had heard of me before A bitter Arrietti thought desperately trying to find the silver lining in the situation

Chapter 1491

When he left Kharon Randidly had a few more visits to make before he could actually leave Expira in good conscious It seemed that every time he turned around he somehow had developed a whole new slew of responsibilities The first this time was a visit to Ghost Once his mobility was revealed and most of the world knew about the AIÆs transforming gundam esque body he was forced to relocate to the Wildlands South of Zone 1

From what Randidly understood all of the Zones pressured Ghost to come work for them manufacturing drones To avoid being locked down once more Ghost had refused them all preferring to experiment on his own But because of that he had been forced to keep his operations relatively low key

Ghost was quite delighted with his visit it seemed he had saved up a lot of research to share since they last met After briefly allowing the excited Ghost to take him through his newest drones and then complain about having to hide the continued production of his metal army Randidly brought him back to intelligence The two discussed the current state of Expira and Randidly was rather relieved to find GhostÆs understanding basically matched TatianaÆs Seems like she has enough sources to survive in this world

Then due to a spur of the moment thought Randidly suggested that Ghost move his operation to the island formerly used by the Nemesai It was slightly stained with RandidlyÆs images now but it was also very secluded and included a spacious underground It would be hard for the Zones to track the AI there

Ghost agreed and packed up his operation within only fifteen minutes It was an impressive feat Three two hundred meter assembly lines were folded and compacted into bus sized vehicles A shimmering sea of scuttling spider robots that assisted Ghost arranged themselves in tight formations and waited for Randidly to open up a portal While the sea of metal trooped off to its new home Randidly made sure Ghost new to contact Neveah if he had any problems

In addition Ghost agreed to help Kharon three times should they need it in exchange for one favor from Randidly or Neveah Then they shook hands Randidly using his flesh and blood right arm to grasp the porcelain and steel appendage that Ghost offered him

ThereÆs one other thing Randidly said after they both took a step back Most of GhostÆs stuff had already gone through the portal I want to stress try your best to survive the Calamities That is the time frame that IÆm thinking Kharon is strong now but

Ghost seemed to whirr as his AI considered that I see True the help I could give to them now is relatively limited Heh I understand what you want my role to be You worry more than I thought you would Mr Ghosthound

IÆve been given a crash course in worries these past few weeks from an expert Randidly answered dryly It hadnÆt been enjoyable but it was quite true Besides this is me worrying now so I will be free from these feelings tomorrow

Good luck Ghost told him before heading through the portal and examining his new space

Then Randidly went and visited both of his original two Soulseeds Both were overjoyed to see him but Randidly could sense that there was some distance in their relationships now that probably would never be bridged again their pure adoration of him was gone Compared to the duo of Acri and Sulfur that had been by his side the entire time there were clear signs that the early separation from Randidly had adjusted how Thorn and Arbor would grow

But although that made Randidly sad it was probably for the best Their independence meant they werenÆt going to be limited by him

Their general cheer at his arrival was basically the same but what happened after was quite different between the two of them Arbor immediately unloaded all of the details of the Cult of Arbor starting with KierstyÆs most recent struggles to control her budding feelings for one of the guards that worked for King Phirun So Randidly sat rather still while the smoldering Arbor clambered all over him covering him with soot and smoking leaves and inundating him with gossip

Randidly sat and listened The veins of Yggdrasil ran through his body as he was patient and kind with this being which he had created

At the end they embraced and Randidly said a few quiet words to Arbor about the importance of balancing the need to listen to its followers and the need to act as his own treant Randidly went on to say that Arbor should try his best to life purposefully There was no right way to live life so each day should at least be an affirmative choice That way Arbor would be taking responsibility for the shape of his living

Then they embraced again and Randidly had moved on to his next task ThornÆs interaction was even briefer

Thorn also embraced Randidly impressing him with the plantÆs ability to deal damage to his body that was improved by his physicalized images The sharpness of his nominal thorns was no joke Then Thorn passionately explained its current idea to grow stronger through emotion and images dig to the center of the planet and take up permanent residence there where his thorns would be able to reach anywhere in the world From that position he would be able to protect everyone No one would need to die

RandidlyÆs eyes softened as he listened to Thorn explain

Of course Thorn was currently having difficulties getting his vulnerable core through the molten stone of the mantle And the deeper it dug the hotter it got But it emphasized that RandidlyÆs power to use Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil had inspired it It wanted to possess that same absolute capability

For now itÆs probably for the best that Thorn doesnÆt get that capability Having him able to reach across the whole world

Thorn Randidly paused unsure of what he wanted to say Because when he looked at Thorn he saw quite a few worrying similarities to himself But regarding those flaws what right did Randidly have to criticize So he could only slowly exhale His images crowded around each with their own idea on what to say to Thorn

In the end Randidly stuck with the feeling that Yggdrasil released He reached out and patted ThornÆs pink and black core DonÆt forget to have fun buddy LifeÆs something worth enjoying sometimes And if we are talking about living you cannot ever completely eliminate risk

The last visit that Randidly made was to Neveah They had been in near constant contact over the past few weeks as the plans for the Keystones were finalized but they hadnÆt actually seen each other for quite some time Through their connection Randidly had known that it was because Neveah wanted to be alone right now What had happened with Roy left a deep scar on her that Randidly couldnÆt quite understand

But now Randidly was leaving and Neveah refused to go with him So he was no longer willing to let her have her space He wasnÆt going to go without saying goodbye

When he arrived at her cabin she was already waiting with the door open He followed her inside sniffing and catching the scent of a stew she was making In the corner of the room a large cauldron merrily bubbled bits of carrot onion and potato periodically visible as the mixture continued its steady churn What surprised Randidly was that Sydney was sitting in the corner of a room folding laundry She looked up at him with a slightly unfriendly stare as though daring him to question while she was here

Randidly wasnÆt a fan of the antagonism in her expression but decided he had bigger fish to fry at the moment He looked at Neveah and sent her a message Is it fine to talk about things here

Is there anything that we would talk about that we are trying to hide Neveah responded Outloud she asked Tea

Please Randidly said moving over to sit in one of the wooden stools at the table While Neveah went through the small motions of putting a kettle on to boil and Sydney returned to her folding Randidly tasted the swirling emotions around their images In addition he could use his Nether Nebula to brush against the significance that pooled in this place Despite the limits imposed by the System there was quite an abundance of Nether present

This cabin was a dense mess of Nether

Neveah ground up some tea leaves I assume part of the reason you are here is to ask me again if IÆm sure I donÆt want to come I will say that I am sure If you want that letter on the table is RoyÆs suicide note Read it Then you might understand

Frowning Randidly looked at the letter in question He picked it up and unfolded Someone likely Neveah had taken great care when refolding the letter The creased paper was sharp and stark against the messy words written within Randidly scanned the letter and his frowned deepened Certainly the handwriting was overly stylized but more than that

He read the letter twice before he set it down His emerald eyes glittered Do you think this is accurate

Yes I believe so Neveah said Steam began to whistle out of the kettle and she whisked it up and poured the boiling water over the leaves When he died RoyÆs consciousness was pulled somewhere Likely all living things governed by the System are taken there Part of the damage he sustained was due to witnessing the crazy meat grinder of images but more than that and the reason that nothing ever seems to try and escape from that place

ThatÆs where all the significance goes Randidly breathed Everything that has been stolen from the Cohorts And they use it to try and make

The words on the page floated at the forefront of RandidlyÆs mind All the parts of an infant are assembled there all the limbs and organs But they were drawn by someone who had never seen the real thing The pieces float around each other the heart orbiting the pelvis while passing through a belt of drifting fingers and toes like a solar system

Neveah barred her teeth Or perhaps its better to say that the reason the Nexus can gather all the dying images is that it already has so much significance gathered in one point And when you witness that mass of significance it means so much more than you ever could That hits you viscerally You feel rightfully insignificant ItÆs probably why Roy became so obsessed with heroes and their tropes only in stories could he feel meaningful Being a part of something softened his certainty that he was individually meaningless

Then Neveah lowered her gaze I have to admit it has me worried Against Kaan IÆm not mentally strong Randidly Not like you are If I had to face that significance Even if I could just sense it existing nearby I would be crushed So itÆs better for me here

RandidlyÆs mind whirred Part of him was grappling with the issue of NeveahÆs decision while another part of himself began gradually to assemble a picture of the Nexus based on what he knew That strange warped baby at the core of that place of death

Randidly released a breath I understand

He sat for a while after that settling his thoughts and drinking his tea He even found it within himself to talk quietly for Sydney for a time making polite conversation Neveah eventually asked if Randidly was staying for dinner to which he had to reply in the negative it was already time for him to go They embraced

He was hugging a lot today

He opened up a portal and moved back to Kharon There the soldiers that followed him from the frontlines waited They had just finished with their own goodbyes These soldiers were put within his Alpha Cosmos Then although he was somewhat loathe to admit he needed her assistance Randidly headed to Donnyton He could do this on his own but he now wanted to be careful to keep everything within official channels

So he met Lyra to the South of Donnyton on a small hill next to an apple orchard She looked extremely grumpy as though she was running a fever and RandidlyÆs request had forced her out of bed She was very clearly suppressing the urge to shiver in the chill wind Randidly couldnÆt prevent a grin from spreading across his face it seemed that his punishment was having the desired effect

Probably to refuse to acknowledge her weakness Lyra didnÆt even bother to complain about it Instead she waved her hand in front of RandidlyÆs eyes He observed carefully as she attached a small bit of Aether architecture to his Class He scrutinized it carefully as it latched onto him watching for any more observation software But it truly just allowed him to see parts of the System that were barred to him before

And once it settled Randidly could sense them running through the world around him the Nexus Ways

The main hub is the biggest one ItÆs really self explanatory Lyra stretched her arm up and gestured vaguely Then she seemed to remember something and pause Ah there is one more thing You are the first person from Expira to be designated by a Village Spirit as worthy to head to the Nexus As such

She gestured and a notification appeared in front of Randidly

Congratulations Due to your accomplishment you have been given a Tier I Nexus Citizenship Coin See your Village Spirit for more details

Chapter 1492

As Lyra had indicated the location of the main terminal was obvious once Randidly started looking The Nexus Ways were like invisible flumes that ran across the surface of Expira and when he stepped into the thickest one he was pulled through to a spacious gleaming stone cavern In the center of that cavern stood two tall stone pillars that reached all the way to the ceiling On the floor between those pillars was a mystical looking Engraving Motes of slight drifted upward from the ground a testament to the residual power present there

Randidly walked forward delighting in the sensation of the cool material of the ground on his bare toes He paused above the Engraving and studied it Despite the fact that he had been doing his best to keep up with the slew of insights that Neveah made and reported to him the Engraving in front of him was completely indecipherable He recognized some pieces that would transfer energy but he couldn’t get any real grasp on the actual function of the thing

Of course the function was rather obvious this was the portal

When Randidly approached his new piece of Aether attached to him prompted him with a question

What is your Destination

A hitherto never before seen menu appeared in front of his gaze There was a space for prior destinations and also a place where you could enter in the coordinates of some random place you wanted to go Randidly wondered idly how far the Nexus Ways stretched Considering the size of each Cohort the coverage must be absolutely massive Probably to the point that his brain wouldn’t be able grapple with the amount of space that this portal could move him Probably Randidly wouldn’t even be able to cope with how far he was traveling simply to the Nexus He was heading toward a scale that persisted past the limits of his imagination

And this was the enemy he had chosen for himself Randidly couldn’t help but grin The refined Grim Chimera stirred in his chest its tails flicking back and forth But Randidly forced himself to relax now wasn’t the time But certainly he could hold his head up high in the face of the Ways His PhilosopherÆs Key held just as much juice as this infrastructure Plus it was a much more convenient size

But I cannot deny I have a soft spot in my heart for ambient motes of light Randidly thought His mind briefly drifted back to the development of his house and floating island but he forced himself to let go Dwelling would only make this journey more difficult

In addition to those other functions there was a rather large selection at the top of the Teleportation Screen Nexus

Randidly clicked it and stepped onto the runic Engraving on the ground He could feel the metal disc that held the Engraving begin to heat as energy churned and bubbled through the runes The pillars on either side of him began to tremble Randidly glanced around as light steadily began to congregate around his person It was like the runes on the ground were sucking it out of the surrounding cavern and concentrating it within the circle So as Randidly watched the surroundings steadily dimmed to monochrome shapes and then toward pure shadow The metal beneath his feet continued to grow hotter and hotter Distantly Randidly could sense that the Engraving was now reaching out and gripping the surrounding space That space was thoroughly squeezed

Congratulations Your Skill Aether Detection has grown to Level 227

When the surroundings faded to pitch black there was a light pop The screen of borrowed light and squeezed space that had been wrapped around him cracked and faded away And a sea of new sensations flooded in to smack wet and stark against Randidly’s senses

The very texture of the air around him seemed unfamiliar

The first thing that he noticed while his eyes adjusted to the returned light was the smell of the surroundings The air smelled of sweat and iron reminding Randidly a lot of his time working in the metal refinery Next to his Grim Intuition came the Aether flooding around him at a density that was at least double that of Expira It was choppy and irregular but it was immediately clear that the Nexus was certainly a place filled with rich energy The people who lived at the core of the System did not want for Aether

Next came the heat and the awareness of how many people were in the surrounding hundred meters Their voices lapped against each other in the surroundings reverberating and mixing into a muddy torrent of words that reached his ears As Randidly’s Grim Intuition rapidly gathered and categorized these sounds he discovered something rather stunning Perhaps someone with a Reaction lower than Randidly’s wouldn’t have noticed it but there was a sliver of blurred noise in the voices Especially to the quieter ones near the edges of her Perception There was a hint of a delay to when a noise was produced and when it became intelligible

And then it hit him There are so many voices that the translation software is having difficulty keeping up

“Sir please move and allow the next arrival ” A voice said interrupting Randidly’s thought process And it also woke him up to his current situation He was standing on a perfect replica of the portal on Expira bearing the same Engraving with the two pillars But each of these pillars were standing alone without a roof And each pillar served as the pillar for two of such portals as the portals chained off to Randidly’s right and left for quite some distance

“First time in the Nexus ” The voice spoke again and pulled Randidly’s attention forward to the speaker He leaned against the edge of a wooden platform in the middle of the path clearly made so he could monitor the situation in the surrounding portals He was wearing an official looking grey uniform with a badge that had the letters NLC on his right breast Around his platform there was a constant flow of bodies heading toward RandidlyÆs left

It was then that Randidly realized these people were moving on a central path that wound between the two rows of portals on either side Randidly took another quick glance around People of all different shapes and sizes were trooping dutifully forward along the path appearing to know their destination The lines of portals seemed to to stretch and curl like ribbons meaning that the surroundings were a maze like network of portals tightly packed portals During that one glance Randidly could sense at least thirty portals beginning to activate in the surrounding fifty meters Across from Randidly the light popped and an officious looking lizard man walked purposefully forward and joined the flow of traffic

The uniformed man’s gaze began to harden and Randidly felt the Engraving beneath him beginning to heat So he walked several steps forward and looked around Once he was off the platform the worker seemed to lose interest in him turning to glance casually around at the rest of the portals Meanwhile Randidly solemnly looked up at the sky above A man with snakes for arms sauntered past him chittering in annoyance as Randidly simply stood in his way

His Grim Intuition fed him more information about the surroundings slowly transforming the expression on RandidlyÆs face Above him was the milky way highlighted in wide golden strokes Two absolutely massive stars lingered overhead each taking about as much space as Randidly’s fist if he held it up toward the sky shedding yellowed light across a glittering space that was filled with asteroid debris cosmic dust and the remnants of what clearly were destroyed worlds The destruction was so close to his current position that Randidly could see the wreckage and broken rocks tumbling end over end suspended eternally above these teleportation relays

Because the location on which Randidly was standing on was just one of six hundred floating platforms that were covered in serpentine lines of teleporters Randidly’s platform was part of a massive ring that stretched in both directions The flow of bodies was toward a massive teleportation Engraving at the center of the relay where groups of five hundred at a time were sent forward to the Nexus proper That train of thought had Randidly slowly pivoting and looking toward what sat coiled at the center of so many teleporters

Randidly’s emerald eyes narrowed as he gazed at the hazy form of the Nexus It was so distant that even he with his powerful Grim Intuition couldn’t make out any of the details There was only the massive form hunched and shadowy in the distance Although perhaps perspective was playing tricks on him the Nexus appeared even more massive than the stars coloring the nebula It was lopsided and heavy with only vague lines indicating the towering buildings that dominated the Nexus proper

Yet despite that Randidly’s gaze was pulled down to the deep darkness sitting below the Nexus The lines around Randidly’s eyes tightened and his Nether Nebula briefly stalled in its eternal churning Even from here Randidly could sense the massive concentration of significance

If it’s this horrifying from this distance Randidly gritted his teeth But he forced his feet to move forward joining the flow of bodies around him It makes sense why someone would be driven mad by it That power

Randidly followed the path for about ten minutes of winding walking The sparse stream of people became a rapid river of bodies as the portals around them continued to activate and add their passengers to the flow A massively muscular humanoid stepped directly in front of Randidly blocking his path His rather undersized and bald head looked down at Randidly from between his massively over muscled shoulders The effect was a bit like an apple sitting between two cantaloupes Then the humanoid sneered at him and strode forward

Perhaps because he was busy internalizing all this new information about the Nexus it took Randidly several seconds to realize that he had just been insulted When it finally hit him he blinked and snorted out a gust of laughter at the humanoids back

But now that he had noticed it he could start to sense that there was an increasingly competitive edge to the crowd around him As more people arrived there was less space for them all Especially as they approached the plaza with the large scale teleportation formation the various figures seemed determined to make themselves out to be the top dog on this relay one of six hundred similar relay platforms

Perhaps the sheer scale of the two golden suns above them made these ants try their best to feel meaningful At the edge of the horizon the dark and hunch form of the Nexus sat like a disapproving moon

Around Randidly there were several lightning fast collisions of images as various individuals postured against each other And ultimately Randidly was rather stunned all of the people around him were incredibly weak Basically any of the individuals in the top eight duos of Expira would have been a dominant force here Which was perhaps proof that RandidlyÆs attempts to strengthen ExpiraÆs development worked but wasnÆt this a little much

How did these people use images like this to pass the Calamities Or were they special cases like me that were invited before the Calamities No that seemed even more unlikely

A few aggressors came for Randidly and the comfortable bubble of space that he maintained around himself but unlike the first humanoid who seemed completely oblivious the traces of RandidlyÆs physicalized image meant that most challengers quickly balked and backed off Randidly grinned Although most people here were pretty weak their Perception wasnÆt too bad

When they finally arrived at the platform there was something of a queue for the massive central teleporter Randidly would have been content to wait but he caught sight of that muscular humanoid strutting forward toward another uniformed NLC employee at the front of the line Hey you Do I really need to wait for this WhatÆs to stop me from just flying toward the Nexus myself

The employee didnÆt seem impressed at all by the humanoidÆs bluster He simply chuckled Heh If you have to ask whether you can do it you cannot ItÆs just one of those things

The humanoidÆs expression darkened You

But further conversation was cut sharply off as a figure flashed downward and slammed into the crowd Most people were taken completely by surprise so Randidly had to use his metal left arm to guide bodies lightly to the side as they were blown back toward him The muscular humanoid was knocked forward toward the employee who grinned wickedly and brought his arm around in a brutal hook that slammed into the humanoidÆs stomach

The humanoid slumped to the side almost insensible from the pain The employee laughed Like I said if you have to ask you cannot

A violent place Randidly observed

Meanwhile the figure that had slammed down amongst the group resolved itself into Octavius Shrike His rhinoceros horn gleamed coolly in the golden light it was clearly freshly polished The officious looking Rhinoman cleared his throat Apologies Mr Ghosthound I didnÆt mean to make you wait If you would please follow me

Everyone turned to look at Randidly with wide eyes

Chapter 1493

Randidly examined the piece of Aether Architecture that Octavius Shrike used to navigate them directly onto a deeply hidden Nexus Way on the relay platform and buoy them quickly toward the Nexus It was much more sophisticated than the minor thing that Lyra had given Randidly it seemed being the Overseer of an entire Cohort came with quite a few perks But unfortunately the structure was too delicate for Randidly to try his hand at adjusting his own

Congratulations Your Skill Aether Detection has grown to Level 228

Randidly was somewhat disappointed that he didnÆt have much of view as they moved quickly toward the Nexus along the Way but supposed the sightseeing could wait until later The two didnÆt talk much after Octavius had told him they were heading to see the original Vualla who now went by the name Edraine they both understood that once they arrived there would be a lot to talk about

Inwardly Randidly felt strangely uneasy There was something about what he sensed of the Nexus it made him feel worried for a reason he couldnÆt quite put into words But no matter how much he examined that emotion he couldnÆt seem to find the source Stillborn Phoenix wondered if it was due to the horrible significance below but Randidly didnÆt think it was that So he continued his introspection in silence trying to find that source of that sensation

After about a minute of being within the Way they popped out and suddenly Randidly was in the Nexus proper He sucked in a breath but the surroundings were underwhelming Compared to the massive open space of the teleporter relays the current surroundings were much more mundane They seemed to be within the bowels of the Nexus appearing in a long corridor lined with ventilation ducts and water pipes running along the ceilings Apparently even the Nexus needed pipe for amenities A low mist hung across the metal mesh floor seeming to rise eerily from below

Octavius saw RandidlyÆs wandering gaze We are in the Undercity which makes up most of the actual Nexus A lot of infrastructure goes into maintaining the perfectly manicured dreams in the upper city Heh youÆll get a real kick out of it when you see what itÆs like up there Oh be careful about how much Aether you absorb down here Oftentimes it isnÆt very pure By the time you notice a problem there is already a deep flaw in your image DonÆt say I didnÆt warn you

They began walking down the long corridor while Randidly studied the Aether in the surrounding space As Octavius had indicated there was something rough about the Aether And now that Randidly examined it more thoroughly he realized that the reason the Aether had felt so raw to him on his initial arrival was that it had a texture that was almost similar to molten metal It had partially been re solidified around the teleporter relays but here in the core of the Nexus undercity it was amorphous and chaotic fresh from the smelter It was the same brittle Nexus Aether simply before it had hardened into shape

Congratulations Your Skill Aether Manipulation has grown to Level 240

Randidly experimentally toyed with the Aether as they continued down the hallways watching the ways it interacted with his images and body His physicalized images basically ignored the diffuse pollution present but Randidly could see the way it steadily attempted to infiltrate his other images Because this Aether was fresh off from being generated there were lingering emotions clinging to the energy Likely they would eventually disperse on their own but now those emotions greedily latched onto anything they could Then the emotions attempted to bleed into the image and stain it

Emotional pollution huh Randidly thought His mind drifted briefly down to what was probably happening below to produce this side effect From what he had heard from Octavius in the past perhaps the scariest truth was that this was only the exhaust of the grand engine that fueled the Nexus Yet even the exhaust possessed so much ambient energy

For most Nexus arrivals this was likely a very dangerous type of pollution For people of similar strength of image as Randidly it was likely just annoying But to Randidly himself well there was always an exception

The Stillborn Phoenix was positively delighted that the energy displayed such a straight forward desire to approach it It opened its vast howling maw and began steadily sucking in those emotions sweeping up a sizeable amount of Aether in the process

Octavius glanced backward over his shoulder at Randidly perhaps having sensed the movement of the Aether He seemed to hesitate for a split second then repeated his warning Be careful about how much energy you absorb

Randidly nodded but inwardly was rather unconcerned There was something building within the egg of the Stillborn Phoenix but there had been no stirrings thus far Besides this was the first time that the image had been able to devour emotions to its heartÆs content There was the possibility of pollution but Randidly sensed those emotions were exactly what the Stillborn Phoenix needed It was a creature of pure desire and unwillingness to accept reality This sort of pollution would fit right in

Honestly itÆs more troublesome that I have to absorb this crappy System Aether along with all these lingering emotions Randidly frowned down at the floor trying to think about how he could screen the emotions off of the Aether

Meanwhile Octavius walked up to a plain looking metal door and twisted the knob He opened the doorway and gestured This is the hollow spine of the undercity the Web Some areas are completely isolated through the maintenance corridors so you need to head down through here directly Just follow me for now youÆll get the hang of it soon enough

Then Octavius leapt out of the door and into space giving Randidly room to step up and peer out into the Web The area really was a vast cylinder of space stretching up and down farther than Randidly could see The space was about a mile across giving Randidly a view of countless thin layers of maintenance corridors continuing in tight rings stacked on top of each other opposite him Periodically small alcoves had been created that were fit with massive Engraved lanterns to provide a light dusting of light that barely managed to cover the vast space

Looking at the far wall the area resembled a game of Tetris Buildings had been stacked steadily on top of each other with different metals and building styles showing that the process was done piecemeal Sometimes there were strange hollows in the wall places where the builders couldnÆt find exactly the right shape and had to waste space as they continued stacking Unlike real Tetris the previously built ground hadnÆt been eliminated when a row was complete So everything just continued to pile up

The other rather obvious feature of this space and likely the source of the moniker The WebÆ were the cables

RandidlyÆs eyes followed Octavius Shrike The Overseer of the Seventh Cohort landed rather lightly on a cable that cut down diagonally toward some distance location on the far wall and then allowed his weight to slowly shift to the side When he was almost horizontal he flexed his leg and shot himself down to the right

Humming to himself Randidly hopped down and mimicked him The sensation of wind whipping past his face was actually quite pleasant

They made rapid time descending deeper and deeper down the web The wires and cords they used at launching pads were relatively more sparse than Randidly had expected but they were quite solidly anchored The material swayed when they kicked off but never seemed to fray And now that Randidly was moving through the area he noticed a few other scattered figures doing the same thing as them either ascending or descending quickly and quietly amongst the wires There was simply so much space that they were easy to miss

As they continued to head deeper Randidly quickly noticed that the lingering emotions in the Aether grew stronger In front of him he observed how Octavius began to circulate his energy in a very good imitation of a raincoat pushing away the emotionally charged energy before it could infect his images

Meanwhile the Stillborn Phoenix cackled madly and sucked up as much of the emotions as it could Both the Grim Chimera and Yggdrasil grimaced in embarrassment at their wild fellow image

Time continued to pass They proceeded deeper and deeper the light inside of the Web slowly fading More and more of the light alcoves were dim or broken leaving more of the space in shadow The emotions in the Aether became increasingly turbulent

Until finally Octavius leapt toward the wall and gripped a metal pipe running around the edge while he pressed open a door They went in and Randidly found himself in a darkened street He blinked and turned around looking at the entrance to the Web and then back up again When he looked for it he could barely make out a sloped ceiling above him they were in a dome about the size of a city park But if he didnÆt know better he would say they were simply outside on a cloudy night

Octavius closed the door behind them and led the way through the darkened street to a three story apartment building The mist lay thickly along the ground here almost up to RandidlyÆs knees They proceeded quickly inside and immediately Randidly felt the difference There was some sort of energy field around the building that kept out the tainted Aether Although the Stillborn Phoenix whined that it was still hungry Randidly walked up to the third floor

And there was Edraine studying a map on the far wall She smiled at him when he entered Finally made it eh Well met Randidly Ghosthound Welcome to the Nexus Is it everything that you thought it would be

Randidly had two reactions to seeing Edraine The first was a quivering sense of deja vu she certainly looked almost exactly like an older version of Vualla Her hair had greyed out and there was a large scar across her left eye but otherwise they looked so similar that it was uncanny But Randidly supposed that this wasnÆt actually singular experience many individuals over the course of their budding relationships had met their partnerÆs parents and were slightly disturbed by how deep the resemblance ran

But the second reaction RandidlyÆs palms began to get sweaty That strange confusion and fear that Randidly had felt growing along the underside of his heart since he had arrived at the Nexus all that was instantly swept away by the raw aura of power that was wafting off of the Edraine in front of him

She was smiling lightly at Randidly but Randidly felt that massive image crouching behind her ready to surge to the fore at a moment’s notice It was a headless simulacrum sculpted with porcelain and pewter It was a streamlined perfect tool of destruction If Edraine willed it she could blast away a huge chunk of the undercity with a single movent The potent silence of her image was almost unnerving

RandidlyÆs smile curled upward until he returned EdraineÆs grin That sickly feeling that Randidly had felt when he had arrived had been disappointment The Nexus was built at a scale beyond his imagination on some interstellar foundation but everyone he had encountered felt so weak He had come here to grow strong and as he saw more and more of the sprawling Nexus he had worried that it wouldnÆt be as easy as he hoped

But EdraineÆs image blew all those feelings away Although they might be deeply hidden the Nexus was filled with individuals like her Their ability might be kept tight compact and overwhelming but they were present The truly powerful had gathered here These individuals were so powerful that Randidly wouldnÆt even know how to begin fighting against them

Randidly licked his lips The Nexus heh ItÆs certainly immense

Edraine chuckled It certainly is But we donÆt have much time to work A very special opportunity came up and I wonder if you would be interested in doing some more work for the Nexus Military Council This time not as a frontline Commander but as a Drill Sergeant

Chapter 1494

It will only take up a few hours of your day to be a Drill Sergeant Edraine continued to speak as Randidly pondered the suggestion It will leave you plenty of time for your own training Especially if you have subordinates you can reliably use to oversee the base level training of the recruits Most importantly this is an emergency mission with the reward of one Tier 1 Nexus Citizenship coin for completion That enough makes it an attractive offer but also talks between the military council the Xyrt Brigade and the NLC have stalled out Everyone wants their own representative in this position and not someone who professes loyalty to one of the others At this point the entire program will need to be delayed if they donÆt select someone by the end of the week Which gives us an opportunity

What is the NLC Randidly wondered out loud picturing the vicious punch the uniform worker had slammed into the over muscled humanoid The casual use of violence did not earn the organization any points in RandidlyÆs book Also even if they need to pick someone why would they pick me

The Nexus Labor Collective Octavius interjected They are a technically unofficial body but since the Nexus Council never bothered to make a legitimate civil service for its many pieces of infrastructure it was able to take over that role In the past the teleporter system and Aether valves were basically left unguarded the NLC rose to ensure that the powerful couldnÆt so easily abuse the System Or at least the powerful without any shred of legitimacy

Edraine cleared her throat As to your other question In this case what is important is that Octavius here is a former member of the NLC They plan to select a hundred and one drill sergeants with most being given control over ten thousand recruits after they cull the chaff applicants that are flooding in So when you come with his recommendation as well as with a successful track record of repelling the Nether attack on the frontlines you should get the support of two factions and slide into one of those spots You are a compromise candidate with enough experience to be credibly competent So are you interested

Randidly flexed his fingers Almost idly he took in the surrounding room There was no furniture but the wooden table in the center of the room but the walls were covered with maps and graphs The immense Nexus was shown in cross section with lines to the important places within the supercity There was notations about the NexusÆ Aether expenditures compared to the amount of energy it generated There was even an entire wall dedicated to the different factions and how many powerful individuals each definitely had and was suspected to have

This was clearly the home base of a group that had plans for the Nexus From sensing the images of the surrounding two individuals it was clear that they shared his goal too Randidly just had to decide what his role would be in the whole machine

His mind continued to whirr even as Revelation energy crept into his right eye Purple black energy danced across his cornea He saw the branching lines he might take stretching out before him Truthfully a part of him just dearly wished to hole up down here in the Undercity and train for a while The Grim Chimera was just a little bit away from a qualitative transformation The Stillborn Phoenix would undoubtedly begin to grow if he could go deeper and absorb more of those ambient emotions perhaps using YggdrasilÆs natural filtration to keep out the unwanted energy

Congratulations Your Skill Revelation of the Atramentous Threshold has grown to Level 329

But he didnÆt forget the disappointment he felt upon initially arriving at the Nexus Everyone he saw during his brief meandering walk had been weak It was only when Octavius was able to guide him through the maze like Nexus to a very specific location that he was able to encounter Edraine

The powerful were present here but the Nexus was so large that it was very easy to miss What Randidly needed was a way to connect with and encounter these powerful people At first blush becoming a drill sergeant definitely seemed to be an excellent opportunity to do so But before he agreed Randidly asked the other large question that hovered in his mind But why does the Nexus need so many drill sergeants right now DonÆt they usually just throw people into the fire and train those that survived

Edraine and Octavius shared a glance It was Octavius that eventually spoke leaning against the table in the center of the room YouÆve heard about NetherÆs attack on the Fifth Cohort correct From the reports sent back by the initial Xyrt Brigade deployment the Nether taint has spread much farther than we had expected Some suspect that almost half of the Fifth Cohort has been compromised Although they are elite the Xyrt Brigade cannot be everywhere and all the frontline deployments have seen an increase in Nether Raids No serious attacks but enough of a mobilization of Nether forces to make the military council unwilling to redeploy a serious amount of troops to a Cohort So the Nexus is doing something rather unprecedented A draft pulling from all the old Cohorts

ThatÆs why the teleporter relays were acting at max capacity when you arrived Edraine added She pressed her fingers down against the table looking at her nails with the detached and idle curiosity of a child These worlds might have been surviving but they already endured the Calamities their Aether stream is currently rather minimal And most planets have established hierarchies where those at the top maintain their strength with what little Aether the planet receives There was always the opportunity to become a Village Spirit Champion or Nemesis for new Cohorts but those numbers were a pittance compared to the population of all the Cohorts For the first time in a long time a planetÆs youth broadly has the chance to leave their home and seize their own power

but they were so weak Randidly couldnÆt help but blurt out There hadnÆt been a single eye catching individual amongst the thousands of bodies that had churned around him Huang Li would be a wolf among sheep if he was similarly drafted Of course that was a minuscule sample and perhaps some had been rather capable at concealing their capabilities from RandidlyÆs casual examination but even so

Edraine shrugged What do you expect These people had basically no opportunity to absorb energy and strengthen themselves Why would the dominant forces raise Aether sucking individuals Plus most threats to their world have been dealt with There was no real pressure on any of them to improve But there is an even more thorny difficulty which is the real reason that a drill sergeant selections is such a mess Octavius

Octavius straightened and grimaced Because these recruits are from planets that have passed three Calamities in the past most have a very powerful and influential benefactor that currently resides in the Nexus this is the individual whose images allowed them to originally pass the Calamities Largely these individuals have left their planets to develop without their interference in the past but now that their descendants are coming into the Nexus they want only the best for them

To the point that theyÆve created an eliteÆ brigade of two hundred that will be personally instructed by Head Drill Sergeant However Octavius displayed a sour expression The selection criteria for these is ENTIRELY based upon who you know It is the farthest thing from elite as possible Just two hundred old monsters of the Nexus pointlessly meddling where they donÆt belong

Edraine waved a hand Such is the truth of our world Nepotism will never disappear But we need to move quickly if we want to seize this opportunity Again let me ask you are you interested in instructing these weaklings Teaching can sometimes be its very own sort of training

IÆm interested Randidly finally said Ten thousand people that would be a lot but both HeiffalÆs unit and Helen had been unknowingly practicing for a challenge just like this as they had boosted the image capability of those on Earth And it seemed like this would perfectly serve as a way for Randidly to come in contact with the powerful individuals in the Nexus IÆll be able to manage those numbers

Plus Randidly hadnÆt forgotten that VuallaÆs deployment date had been pushed up due to this very same Nether invasion of the Fifth Cohort If he could provide some assistance to her by training up these individuals

Oh perhaps I was unclear Edraine said She smiled and for a split second the image behind her stirred Randidly felt the eerie sensation of his body resonating with that shift The porcelain and pewter fingers of her image tightened on air The table beneath her fingers began to hiss seared by the ambient power she so casually released

Frowning Edraine pulled her hand back from the charred handprint she had left on the table Then she shrugged and spoke to Randidly YouÆll be going for the hundred and first position available the Head Drill Instructor Personally youÆll only have to assist with the riff raff elites But it will mean you will have all the elite benefactor meddling in your affairs Will really add some tension to your time here in the Nexus eh

Lady Iellaya folded her arms and crossed her legs as she sat in the large amphitheater She had arrived early here just so she could avoid a situation like this but her tormenter was a wily fox A slow burn of irritation smoldered in her heart At moments like this she missed Abiodun more than she could express with words His stoic presence would have deftly turned aside conversations like this before they even began Even senior officers had found her closest supporter off putting

So much lost for the sake of power Lady Iellaya allowed a sliver of melancholy to swim through her irritation But it was swiftly overwhelmed by her tightly controlled annoyance as the man continued to doubt her

Are you sure this applicant will be suitable Commandant Shevran Wick spoke in a gravelly voice his substantial jowls shaking as he did so The man was covered in thick brown fur and had the build of a bear The only hint of his truly impressive age was the long grey stripe that ran through his furr down his spine

It was clear both from his tone and the grand history of their interactions that Commandant Wick would like nothing better for Randidly Ghosthound to show up and be a steaming pile of donkey shit Then he could sorrowfully shake his head and lecture her on the importance of tempering and patience Her applicant like Lady Iellaya herself was too young too fresh What would be implied was that the Commandant himself was beyond reproach and capable of doing no wrong

YouÆve seen the survival rate of the men under his command during that particular attack Lady Iellaya said doing her best to keep her voice even The Commandant was not her direct superior but he was the senior member from the Military Council in charge of this project If she wanted to pull this off they needed his support She had no doubt that the Xyrt Brigade representative would continue to abstain Soon you will see him in person and taste his image But I assure you he will suit your purposes

The Commandant reached up and physically grabbed his furry jowls lightly massaging them as he considered what she had said Likely he was looking for any word that was a bit too hasty for his taste Lady Iellaya found herself less concerned about his general disbelief and more disturbed by the weird physical gesture she was forced to watch But she held her tongue The Commandant cleared his throat There are many methods to achieve such numbers on a battlefield Especially as one as chaotic as that one Many of those behaviors shouldnÆt be casually rewarded

You werenÆt even there you bastard You have no idea what it was like Lady Iellaya felt acid running through her veins eating out through the capillaries and sizzling hot and dangerous in her flesh For a brief second images of that haunting melee of bodies appeared before her eyes If there was a method of challenging and killing the man next to her without turning the entire military council against her she would do it But truthfully Lady Iellaya was unsure of whether she could manage it None of these ancient Commandants could be underestimated

Instead she offered him a brittle smile She never had hated an action as much as smiling at this man in front of her I believe that with your insight you will understand the truth when you see him

Hmm The Commandant fell back into the process of stroking his jowls and considering Luckily some of the other examinees arrived They greeted each other quietly less out of professional courtesy and more with the tired acknowledgments between laborers that had been grappling with a particularly difficult problem for far too long A giant tree had fallen across their road and now the investors were demanding assurances the thoroughfare would still open on time Some concessions needed to be made

Lady Iellaya and the Commandant represented the Military Council There were also two stern faced women from the NLC They sported identical glasses and frowns as they nodded toward the military representatives Last but not least the one Special Investigator from the Xyrt Brigade walked into the room and yawned Then he waved at the others while walking toward his seat and casually scratching his lower back Next to her Lady Iellaya felt the Commandant bristle at the unseemliness of the display

Together they formed the special tribunal on Drill Sergeant Selection

Lady Iellaya lifted her head as they settled into the five seats at the table peering through the doors of the amphitheater to the two figures that had arrived outside This was the first of the three candidates they were considering for the position of Head Drill Sergeant It was already tacitly agreed that they would choose one of these three

Octavius Shrike had brought Randidly Ghosthound And he had the advantage of being the first candidate they saw

Lady IellayaÆs loyalty to this newly created rather small faction based around Edraine and the idea of radically altering the Nexus had been relatively shallow at the time of its creation she had just been named Supreme Commander of the frontline and was content to nap in her victory like a cat in sunlight Plus her emotions were extremely turbulent making her unwilling to commit for too much She was high from her success grieving over the loss of Abiodun faction and deeply skeptical of the rather unknown EdraineÆs capabilities

But then Lady Iellaya had been forced to interact with the Military Council for three months The invisible limits had become obvious She clearly felt that she was currently at the apex of what she could accomplish without someone dying above her on the totem pole Many a time she had been sent away from a meeting while all the established Commandants of Central Command remained behind drinking brandy

There was a greasy edge to their smiles as they watched her go they knew exactly what they were doing And although there might occasionally be internal disagreements they delighted in keeping the power just amongst themselves

And then Edraine had returned and Lady Iellaya had met with her The raw power that woman could release unnerved even Lady Iellaya she possessed the sort of power that could shake even the Military Council Gradually Lady Iellaya started to take their factionÆs abilities quite seriously She agreed to go along with their plans at least for now

They just needed the smallest crack to form a grip on the army Then they could begin to tear everything down and remake it as they wished And Randidly Ghosthound was the key to that

Honestly she had been rather surprised that she had so easily gotten a seat on this Tribunal But from what she learned after the fact most of Central Command believed that these troops were being sent to die There was a strange certainty amongst them that if these youths were really so talented they would have already been noticed Therefore it was for the best to stay some distance away and blame others when the recruits started dying

The only reason that Commandant Wick became involved was he did have a descendant that seemed quite talented and insisted on participating in the draft So the Commandant moved directly determined to shield this seedling from harm

We have the opportunity now All we need is for the impression that Randidly gives off to be the right balance between controllable and capable Once more her gaze went out through the still shut doors Her examination was acute relying on their prior interactions to judge him As Lady Iellaya sensed the changes in Randidly Ghosthound her eyes began to glow It was almost too much the speed at which this man improved To the point that he was becoming somewhat unsuitable for this role

No one of any true power was going to be allowed anywhere near the elitesÆ What if their instructor earned their loyalty and had the power to pry them away from their original factions

Which prompted Lady Iellaya to send him a quick message When you come in to the interview focus only on your tree image And especially emphasize its ability to heal and alleviate mental damage IÆll take care of the rest

Chapter 1495

Randidly released a breath as he stood before the doors to his sudden interview He rolled his shoulders to loosen up A guard in a sharply pressed military uniform was standing next to the carved double doors with his hands folded behind his back His eyes were aggressively straight ahead He seemed to receive some notification and finally acknowledged Randidly They are ready for you

What joyous news Randidly watched as the manÆs eyes quickly flicked away once he had delivered this missive from his superiors It must have been a great honor to spread the good word

Randidly glanced to the side Octavius was looking over at Randidly wringing his hands like a dehydrated man squeezing a damp dishrag If anything this Overseer seemed more worried than Randidly himself about the whole situation Sweat beaded across his brow and he kept rubbing his horn before returning to his hand wringing Are you are you prepared

Within himself Randidly shifted his images Both the Grim Chimera and the Stillborn Phoenix receded from the air around him He felt his body gradually shift as he suppressed even the physicalization of his images in his body A grunt escaped his lips as the painful changes popped his joints While the strength and definition within his muscles steadily decreased his heart continued its powerful beats With no other images jostling for dominance Yggdrasil made the veins in his chest and right arm glitter with golden notes His hair shifted toward black with an emerald dusting when the light hit it just right Randidly nodded at Octavius IÆm ready

The doors opened and Randidly stepped into the room The floor was a material similar to marble with elegant gold patterns swirling across the surrounding area The ceiling vaulted upward held aloft by massive pillars around the outside of the thirty meter wide room The heavy air of the room quickly enveloped him as he stepped forward muffling even the heavy sound of his heartbeat

It immediately became clear to him that his panelÆ intended him to be impressed by their presence All five of them sat at a table on a raised dias in the center of the room The air around them didnÆt display even the slightest hint of an image a phenomenon which Randidly had only seen from Kaan Swacc in the past It was less that they didn’tÆ have any image but that they would allow not even the slightest tremor of an image in the air around them These were people who had incredible control over their image That control became a stifling silence that sought to bully Randidly into conformity

Almost effortlessly Randidly shrugged off that oppressive vibe Part of it was how far he had come with his own images but it was also the anchoring of the significance in his Nether Nebula If they wanted to stifle him they would need to try a little harder than that

In direct contrast to the panel Randidly walked into the room while steadily radiating the healing energy of Yggdrasil He tightened his Control over the sensation as his image expanded to fill the surrounding space but he made sure to let his most support image be on full display Per Lady IellayaÆs advice he emphasized the healing elements

There were five people in the panel with Lady Iellaya on the far right Of them all she was clearly the least competent when it came to images the area around her that was devoid of images was the smallest and had the foggiest edges But even so she displayed a mastery that inspired in Randidly a resolution to improve she had not been slacking since being named Supreme Commander Likely she had kept working with the gift that Randidly had given her reaching even higher attainment

Her face displayed not the slightest hint of their prior association mildly meeting his look without any recognition With her stern expression and sharp military uniform she barely resembled the last impression that Randidly had of her mud streaked bloody and crying after Abiodun died on that fateful day This was a capable determined military leader

Randidly wondered whether he would need to cultivate a similar persona if he landed this job The prospect was unappetizing but he could practically feel Tatiana staring reprovingly at his back He instinctively straightened his spine To accomplish his goals he wouldnÆt balk from making more social effort

Immediately next to Lady Iellaya was a rather large man that seemed relatively human shaped His face was covered in thick brown fur forming dense patterns across his skin that looked like he had a thin mesh net stretched across his features There was a small smile playing across his lips as he studied Randidly but RandidlyÆs Grim Intuition immediately pinged as he looked at his man he was the most dangerous one in the room

If an image was a marble it would inevitably slide toward the suppression area around that man And even Randidly was unsure if he could resist the stifling weight the bear man released

Next to that man was someone wearing a Xyrt Brigade uniform leaning back in his chair and seeming quite bored with the whole affair He had messy hair and an extremely large mouth that stretched low along the bottom of his jaw He also had two small horns poking out between his unruly auburn curls He didnÆt seem to notice that Randidly had arrived

Opposite from the two individuals in military uniforms were two women who wore NLC badges Both of their trim pinstripe outfits ponytails and glasses matched each other completely Randidly honestly found it rather impressive that they could resemble each other so closely when one was half a meter taller than the other

Unlike the Xyrt Brigade member the NLC scrutinized every inch of Randidly He had to suppress an urge to scratch his chin as he saw the smaller of the two women staring fixedly at his bare feet

There was nothing on the table in front of the five Most sat with their fingers steepled while the Xyrt Brigade man kept his hands behind his head Randidly was led to a seat immediately below the dias He waffled between reining in Yggdrasil or continuing to allow its energy to diffuse throughout the surroundings but ultimately figured that he should seem consistent with his image even if it would probably come across to these Nexus elite as sloppy He took his seat and tried to seem like a quality candidate

Honestly he wondered what his face was doing at the moment Even a hasty scan with Grim Intuition failed to capture exactly what sort of impression he was radiating

In his mind Randidly began to recall with amusement the few interviews he had gone to before the System arrived on Earth Somehow he didnÆt think that this panel would ask him what his greatest weakness was But just in case he began to run through possible answers in his mind

Probably the easiest and the most appealing would be something like I train too much RandidlyÆs lips twitched No matter where it is bureaucracy is a farce

But to his surprise Randidly found that he didnÆt have to do anything at all Lady Iellaya opened her mouth and began to speak And to the moment he was sent out of the room Randidly was never called on to say anything at all

This is Randidly Ghosthound Lady Iellaya stood and gestured to Randidly who was doing remarkably well at the task of sitting rather mildly in the chair His Yggdrasil image leaked out of the edges of his person and filled the air as she had requested Yet Lady Iellaya couldnÆt help but hesitate before she began his introduction because the sudden change that her words had inspired in the young man was remarkable

All of the latent threat she had sensed in him had vanished after she had sent him that message His body seemed to have restructured itself Even if the power of the GhosthoundÆs image hadnÆt reached an impressive level his prodigious Control over it was shocking Oftentimes Control was what separated an average soldier from an exceptional one

Seeing that casual Control Lady Iellaya felt her eyes narrow briefly it was just more evidence of the vast potential this young man possessed They relied on Lady IellayaÆs position and EdraineÆs raw power from the shadows to position themself currently but it was the irregular existence of Randidly Ghosthound that gave the group hope

He would be the key

Lady Iellaya coughed lightly to stop her mind from wandering further Then she continued her introduction He was assigned to my unit and served diligently specializing in the healing of our image soldiers after Nether attacks His performance was so impressive that he became a direct subordinate of mine by the time the Nether King descended to the battlefield You have all seen the reports his ability to keep his subordinates alive speaks for itself And this was not a fight where any could hide in the rear Commander Ghosthound was at the front with his image constantly He endured the Nether corruption and grew stronger for it Even now his image is pure

She spared another glance for Randidly He seemed rather puzzled but simply waited for her to finish Good Commandant Wick would turn against him if he spoke out of turn even once They couldnÆt afford a single mistake Not after she had been spent days bootlicking for this shot She cleared her throat Commander Ghosthound please display your image within the antechamber

The corner of RandidlyÆs mouth twitched In the next second an enormous tree grew rapidly upward in the space around his body The leaves rustled lightly from a non existent breeze and the massive branches creaked and groaned as the whole structure shifted The color of the bark was rich and varied as the tree continued to grow upward

In terms of detail Randidly really had improved The tree that manifested in the room caught the eye of the viewers and held it The life giving energy it released was apparent and abundant It was not singular but the effect was certainly compelling The benefits he could provide to the soldiers underneath his command was obvious

Or at least Lady Iellaya hoped it was so

Beyond the healing aura Commander Ghosthound is also able to spread out a veritable sea of thorny roots toward foes Lady Iellaya continued They can defeat the average Nether Beast with ease and at least slow Nether Gatekeepers down For the same reason he is uniquely suited to observe and interact with a large group of individuals at once With his high Perception and Control he is a premier candidate to train our elites

Have him try and manifest his roots within the room The Special Investigator from the Xyrt Brigade grunted Then he smiled cheekily over at Lady Iellaya She pressed her lips into a line but didnÆt say anything She knew she didnÆt have to

A split second later a physical tree rapidly grew out of the ground in front of Randidly Ghosthound to match the spectral one hanging over him Randidly didnÆt even find the request strange Thick and dangerous roots lined with thorns rolled around the periphery of the tree like drunken snakes Meanwhile the five people sitting at the panel straightened their eyes widening They stared captivated at the very real tree in front of them as its roots steadily slithered outward and its trunk thickened Even the Special Investigator sat up and stared solemnly at Randidly

The smaller of the two individuals from the NLC blinked rapidly attempted to figure out what was going on in front of her Even through the seals on this space

For his part Randidly seemed rather confused by their aghast reaction But just as soon as the serious note entered into the Special Investigator’s eyes while he gazed at Randidly he snorted and leaned back in his chair Ha very funny He didnÆt generate these he simply inflated biological matter that was already present in the room Truly what a nice parlor trick you arranged for us

If you wanted a better test of his capabilities Lady Iellaya said with relish laid thick across every word You should have asked for one

Then she smiled widely at him

That certainly silenced the Special Investigator It also ran the risk of earning his ire but Lady Iellaya figured it was a worthy gamble considering the fact he had abstained from every vote thus far seeing the Special Investigator mocked would improve the CommandantÆs mood She spared a small look to the side The man positively hummed with glee His eyes were almost hidden within the laugh lines around his eyes At least on that count it would appear that she had succeeded Hopefully this good cheer would be enough to sway his vote

Can he though Manifest directly in the room The NLC representative asked She leaned forward her eyes traveling up and down RandidlyÆs body

Lady Iellaya looked over at Randidly The expression on his face clearly conveyed that he didnÆt really understand what he was being asked Considering he didnÆt know much about the Nexus that made a fair amount of sense So Lady Iellaya decisively shook her head He cannot

There were two types of wards on this interview room and both of them were quite strong Lady Iellaya didnÆt even fancy her own chances of breaking through them in a short amount of time One set of Engravings limited new substances being created in the room and the other prevented any substances coming into the room through any method but the door But Randidly Ghosthound got around both of these from working with the small bits of biological matter that were already present in the room Which kept the display within the acceptable range of power level for the Drill Sergeant after the initial shock faded

Also The other NLC woman adjusted her glasses Commander Ghosthound has been on leave since earning his command correct Do you believe that he has retained his edge while being away from the front for the past few months

Yes Lady Iellaya could respond here without any irony or artifice His work ethic is staggering As youÆve likely noticed from the report his planet is still undergoing the Calamities In an effort to better prepare the situation in the Nexus for his homeworld he is completely dedicated to improving his own capabilities He is their lifeline

Next to her Commandant Wick shifted slightly like a bear waking from hibernation But isnÆt that also a drawback We cannot have him leave to face the Calamity while the Nexus struggles against the greatest threat to existence we have ever encountered The Nether will not wait for his planet

He will not be returning to help his planet with the Calamities Lady Iellaya responded calmly She actually had no idea what Randidly would do at that time but being honest here was a death sentence He understands that his greatest chance of protecting his planet is by working in the Nexus With enough Coins of Territory his entire world would be safe regardless of the outcome of the Calamities

The Commandant folded his hairy arms The smaller of the two NLC members stirred again And just to be clear he never has actually done anything as Commander He was appointed to that position only a few months ago Since then there have been no major attacks

That is true Lady Iellaya allowed She opened her mouth to speak again of the capability Randidly Ghosthound demonstrated but the Special Investigator cut across her

LetÆs put it to a vote The Xyrt Brigade soldier squinted down at Randidly before speaking again with a shrug I abstain

For The larger of the NLC members said

Her smaller counterpart frowned at her Against

For Lady Iellaya said Then she looked to Commandant Wick

The man was silent for several seconds clearly savoring the power he possessed as the swing vote It was exactly to give him this opportunity that Lady Iellaya had spoken first everything was to prime his mood to accept this candidate As long as the Commandant agreed Randidly would have the chance

Lady IellayaÆs heart began to sink as the Commandant sighed He has no experience with this sort of task but I must admit that he does have some unpolished charm So well I cannot in good conscience put him in charge of our most talented youths He is no more but a boy himself I also abstain

Without three Fors the motion fails This applicant is rejected the smaller NLC woman announced

Lady Iellaya felt very cold The Special Investigator shooed Randidly like he was a naughty pet Okay okay we are done with you Send the next applicant into the chambers

Chapter 1496

Randidly glanced over at Lady Iellaya after being so summarily dismissed from the interview hall Her expression was tight and her skin was pale But there wasnÆt a twitch from the feathers along her arms she had no will to fight against this pronouncement It was clear that she considered the issue decided then and there

Toying with the idea of releasing a combination of images to change their impression Randidly slowly stood But as he looked at the disinterested expressions of the people on this panel some deep part of Randidly reminded him that there were legitimate reasons for avoiding social contact sometimes His instincts werenÆt entirely detrimental to him These were all capable individuals of the sort that Randidly had wanted to interact with Even just meeting them like this spurred him to train harder and reach their capabilities

But none here were without an agenda of their own Their careful machinations wheeled and clicked behind their every action Walking too deeply amongst the powerful individuals would mean less and less time that Randidly could spend on improving himself he would constantly need to dedicate some energy to staying on his toes So he turned away from this Path when he was rejected Perhaps this is for the best Just a few months in just a few months I bet IÆll make significant enough progress

I still want to focus on perfecting the Grim Chimera but thatÆs just as a foundation for activating three images at once When all of my images reach the Pinnacle

Randidly walked out of the room Octavius Shrike was waiting there beyond the doors and either he had been listening into the interviewÆ or the result was clear from RandidlyÆs expression Either way he turned without speaking and led Randidly back through the winding halls of the military base to a more civilian area

With a casual swipe he opened up the Nexus Ways after they were safely clear of the military wards and led Randidly through a portal They popped out into a busy area and Randidly looked around with interest Seeing a nearby ledge Randidly walked over to it and looked down Then his eyebrows rising he looked up

They were standing on one of the highest of a series of floating circular rings the interior of which was lined with shops Each ring was at least the size of several city blocks People hopped up and down around the outside of this strange chain while Randidly could see the familiar walls of the NexusÆs hollow spine around them The level that Randidly and Octavius were on seemed to feature a variety of armors Randidly patted Sulfur to reassure it that it was not being replaced as shopowners enthusiastically waved him over to take a look

Octavius looked at Randidly sighed and then turned to stare out of the edge of their ring Unfortunately it wasnÆt as peaceful as it initially seemed Whole groups of people crawled over the railing as they ascended from below or lightly stepped off in front of them to drop down to another location A group of size gelatinous humanoids with eyeballs visibly floating in the suspension of their bodies were shouting boisterously as they clambered upward clearly new to the Nexus Two tall figures wearing cloaks that covered all the details of their features moved silently intent on their path toward a shield shop near to where Randidly and Octavius were standing A constant throng streamed by them giving the area an extremely cloistered feeling despite how far the rings were from the outer walls

This is Bray Street Octavius eventually said It seemed like RandidlyÆs failure to obtain the job hit him like a giant emotional hammer strike That realization made Randidly somewhat uncomfortable But gradually as though each of the surrounding people carried away a tiny handful of the OverseerÆs sorrow as they passed OctaviusÆ expression improved All thirty six rings are considered the streetÆ Now I wouldnÆt recommend actually buying anything here the prices are reprehensible But it will give you a good idea of the standard of materials and equipment available in the Nexus

Then Octavius cleared his throat He was once more regaining his serious expression If you want I can give you a tour of the other important Nexus landmarks below the surface until we have enough citizenship tokens to get you to Tier I you cannot see the surface But the Grand Colosseum the Suspension Chamber and the Altar of Sacrifice are all definitely worth seeing

Randidly held up his metal left hand IÆm interested but not now There is already a lot here As he said that he glanced upward at the ring floating above them He mentally took a snapshot at the positively sublime Aether Engraving that generated the lift and sent it to Neveah to study it IÆll need a bit of time to decompress and settle myself So IÆm thinking about training for a few days if IÆm not needed for anything else

Octavius Shrike hesitated He reached up and rubbed his horn Well we should have a debriefing to give you a little more context of what is happening and what we plan on doing but I suppose a few days of training will probably help you clear your head

Then Octavius reached over and put his hand on RandidlyÆs shoulder Mr Ghosthound donÆt blame yourself Sometimes sometimes things just donÆt go your way ThatÆs life You shouldnÆt let your failures burden you

RandidlyÆs mouth twitched Which of us is truly burdened I wonder I really just want to train

Seeing that this conversation seemed to be wrapping up Randidly put his foot upon the small fence at the edge of the ring This is above the Web right We are still in the hollow area of the Nexus

Yes thatÆs correct Ah do you need me to guide you to a training area Octavius asked

Randidly decisively shook his head No but thank you I learn best when IÆm exploring on my own Plus I want to investigate a bit

One last thing Octavius once more reached out and grabbed RandidlyÆs arm right as he was about to jump downward The deeper you go in the Web the more of that dirty Aether flows up The density of it increases exponentially If you go deep enough there are even traces of Nether present So it can also mess with your sense of time Be careful

I will be Randidly said with a sharp smile But then he had leapt over the edge narrowing stepping across two six legged insect people who were scutting up to the armor ring Randidly briefly angled his body at a diagonal so air resistance would naturally slide him further away from the rings before twisting mid air and aiming his head directly down He closed his eyes and felt the passing air on his skin

Randidly rapidly began to accelerate downward the bodies of the fellow Nexus citizens along the rings blurring into obscurity He began to whip past the levels of Bray Street one after another shooting straight downward Randidly couldnÆt help but smile The increased wind ruffled his hair There was something extremely intoxicating about the natural speed generated by gravity

But then RandidlyÆs smile faded Actually this gravity it wasnÆt coming from any enormous body of mass was it Either there was some artificial Engraving at the base of the Nexus that powered it or

Or Randidly was diving headfirst right toward an immense mass of significance that was so mind bogglingly large that it physically pulled everything in the surroundings toward it

With that bucket of cold reality poured over the experience Randidly streaked past the bottommost ring and entered the Web proper Wind whistled past him as he continued to fly steadily downward without recognizing this portion of the Web a testament to how far they had ascended for the meeting After about another thirty seconds Randidly neared the portion that he had traversed with Octavius after their initial arrival Cords across the vast space became increasingly frequent

But as the Stillborn Phoenix enthusiastically began to absorb emotions once more after Yggdrasil hastily moved to purify the chaotic Aether Randidly knew this amount wasnÆt enough So he didnÆt try and slow his descent at all The Stillborn Phoenix had a large appetite He tapped his waist twice and belt Acri happily unfurled itself and sprung into its spear form RandidlyÆs muscles steadily began to swell as he once more began supporting his image physicalizations for his other two images

His grip tightened on his spear as he pointed it downward His heart in his chest was thunderous as it increased the speed at which his scalding blood circulated through his body The Grim Chimera was conjured in the air behind Randidly and barred its teeth Man is Proud But the Chimera Takes

Congratulations Your Skill Man is Proud But the Chimera Takes has grown to Level 295

After a series of brutal confrontations with himself while still on Earth Randidly had pushed the Levels of most of his Grim Chimera Skills up by quite a bit And the biggest improvement was exactly with Man is Proud But the Chimera Takes Combined with his physical Stats RandidlyÆs Skill created an enormous sonic boom that echoed in that Web as he pierced downward sending cables in the surrounding area swaying wildly The flimsy veil of the SystemÆs physical limitation shattered easily around him now that he had almost completely broken its hold

With subtle adjustments of the angle of AcriÆs blade Randidly guided his body to slide back and forth through the interior of the Web weaving at high speeds between the numerous cables that blocked his path Not that the cables were very densely packed but at the speed he was descending he simply covered so much distance in a short amount of time that it was guaranteed that several ended up blocking his path He rode currents of air downward feeling slightly guilty as he blew past others using the Web as a means of transportation

Soon Randidly had reached the depth where they had left the Web for that small residential dome where Edraine had set up her base He continued shooting downward without a thought This amount of emotion still wasnÆt enough

Finally as Octavius had warned the prevalence of wild emotions woven through the Aether sharply increased The Stillborn Phoenix gleefully began to suck them all into itself making Yggdrasil struggle to filter out the System Aether RandidlyÆs veins rapidly began to glow within his body as Yggdrasil surged with more and more power to keep up with the other imageÆs demand

Randidly whipped Acri sideways dispersing his momentum in a blast of air At this point in the Web almost all of the lanterns along the walls were dim or broken There werenÆt really any doors along the outside either leading to habitable locations in the Nexus It was a realm of shadows seething with emotion and freshly processed Aether As Randidly drifted downward and landed against a swaying cord he could truly feel the pull of the significance below Even Randidly with his prodigious self control and Willpower found it difficult to pull his gaze away from that seething mass the tugged his attention downward

When he considered that the dismembered pieces to construct a child were at the core of that significance he shivered

Then he settled down into sitting with his legs folded beneath him while balanced on the cord As he released a breath he also released all the limiters he had placed on his images for the interview RandidlyÆs small section of the Web shook as an absolutely towering version of Yggdrasil stretched upward Its branches twined together and lined themselves with leafy greenery filling the whole hollow spine of the Nexus with life

While those leaves began to glow with emerald light and rapidly cleave the powerful emotions from the Aether the Stillborn Phoenix distorted light around RandidlyÆs left eye and greedily began to feed

Chapter 1497

After staying in that dark hollow for some time with his images acting at full capacity Randidly realized that Octavius had been right There was some very mild time distortion present down here due to the thick Aether which meant that while Randidly spent time here training less time passed above in the Nexus proper

Which just resolved Randidly to go deeper into this well next time but for the moment he was thoroughly benefiting from his time down here Yggdrasil had stabilized in the surrounding area churning rapidly through the raw Aether that was radiating upward from the depths of the Nexus The Glittering Leaves of Yggdrasil had been steadily gaining Skill Levels as it separated the emotion from the energy present Plus once Yggdrasil caught up with the Stillborn PhoenixÆs demand it used some of its extra potency to normalize the chaotic Aether that it was processing anyway

The result was a much more palatable stream of Aether heading upward Randidly raised his head and grinned Compared to the total volume of energy flowing here I am only affecting about one fifth of it Perhaps as Yggdrasil gets stronger IÆd be able to cleanse all of it But for now a small positive side effect of my training which is quite rare

Honestly I usually destroy or poison the surroundings I guess this just goes to show that the Nexus operates on entirely another tier

In fact Randidly had an ulterior motive for allowing the purification He had felt a subtle shift in Yggdrasil as it took on this new task The exertion was different enough from what Yggdrasil usually did that he sensed that the Inscrutable Mien of Genesis could move toward a more purifying effect in the future Randidly allowed the gradual shift for now while he considered the long term consequences of such a change

Congratulations Your Skill the Inscrutable Mien of Genesis has grown to Level 269

Meanwhile RandidlyÆs body was steadily being covered with dark grey scales The Grim Chimera assumed almost complete control of RandidlyÆs body while the two other images focused on the ambient energy Rather than trying to access or utilize the Aether the Grim Chimera simply stood by and allowed the rapid flows of energy to temper its body

In this case that tempering involved his exterior muscles and skin gradually toughening beneath the onslaught of energy It was an intermediary step in pushing the Grim Chimera to the next level This process was helping but Randidly sensed that he was still missing something to complete the transformation

Finally the Stillborn Phoenix continued to devour the emotion that Yggdrasil purified for it Luckily its hunger wasnÆt actually infinite At the volume of one fifth of the ambient energy in the massive hollow spine of the Nexus the Stillborn Phoenix couldnÆt handle anymore So the egg of darkness just sat there and happily devoured more and more ambient emotion at a constant if massive rate The change for this image too still seemed a bit away but it helped familiarize Randidly with the details of the Stillborn Phoenix

It was a strange broken phenomenon that dreamed of being a living phoenix

Meanwhile a small part of Randidly was intently watching for changes in his Nether Nebula As Octavius had said the deeper he had gone down here the more the System restriction on Nether had loosened At his current depth there was about double the amount of Nether present than there had been on Earth Which certainly allowed him to loosen the tight spiral he maintained within his own Nether Nebula and relax a bit

But Randidly found that if he let his Nether stray too far from him it was sucked down to the waiting hell below Which made him regard the abyss quite solemnly He licked his lips Someday someday IÆll have to see how deeply I can safely go If I can strengthen my mental defenses IÆd like to see the way Nether is orchestrated at the core of the Nexus

For the moment it mostly functioned as an extra bit of strain to help him train his control over Nether which was certainly worth the trip

Congratulations Your Skill Nether Sensation has grown to Level 307

So Randidly lost himself in the familiar rhythms of training Yggdrasil steadily stretched outside of its comfort zone The Grim Chimera steadily resisted the churn of energy and evolved into a scaly chrysalis form The Stillborn Phoenix continued to engorge itself on the lingering emotions from the images that were probably being smelted below His Nether Nebula continued its steady steady rotation

But then something changed The rate at which the Stillborn Phoenix was absorbing emotions began to drop Very quickly it was only able to stomach a trickle of emotions Yggdrasil was confused but it just shunted the extra emotions up with the refined energy anyway honestly the World Tree didnÆt really care what happened to the energy once it purified it Yggdrasil was just savoring the experience at the moment

Randidly began to frown as he felt for changes within his image Of course the dense folding of light around his eye did little to reveal the state of the image on its surface But after almost a minute of investigation it really seemed like nothing was wrong with the image it was just literally full Very soon that trickling of emotions it continued to absorb stopped altogether

Then a shudder ran through the Stillborn Phoenix and RandidlyÆs attention instantly heightened to its limits He had taken the emotions rather lightly because of the nature of the Stillborn Phoenix but if there was actually some permanent damage

There was a sudden massive blast of emotion out of the Stillborn Phoenix If the emotions that had gone into the Egg of Depression had been at a three in terms of vibrancy and violence their time within the egg had upped their impact to something closer to a seven They erupted upward in a wave joining the purified energy and instantly turning it even more chaotic and violent than it had been originally It was a veritable sea of mania and violent emotions

RandidlyÆs eyebrow twitched All of the purification that he had done was immediately obliterated by the sinister and hungry emotions that raced upward with all the bloodthirsty glee of a pack of grey wolves that had caught the scent of prey His impression that he was engaging in some sort of community service by working with this Aether immediately evaporated It was once more confirmed that he was a dangerous strain on the environment no matter where he was Suddenly Randidly was quite glad that he could only handle one fifth of the ambient energy flowing upward

From what little that Randidly could sense from the emotions that the Stillborn Phoenix regurgitated if a weak willed person thoughtlessly absorbed some of this energy they would be quickly overwhelmed by their darker impulses The air was suddenly thick with hatred envy rage and bitterness Randidly could practically see those emotions smashing against the walls of the Web above him bounding back and forth and growing stronger on adversity

After about five minutes the torrent of negative emotion stopped The Stillborn Phoenix radiated puzzlement as it tried to understand what had just happened as though it hadnÆt been the one to unleash that emotional calamity toward the Nexus Randidly couldnÆt help but be amused by its casual destructiveness

Well maybe IÆm overreacting Randidly thought taking another glance upward through the mass of swaying cables above his head Perhaps those emotions arenÆt as dangerous as I thought Maybe they just seemed especially violent because of how suddenly they came out of the Stillborn Phoenix

While Randidly was thinking the Stillborn Phoenix began sucking in emotions once more Around ten minutes later that absorptions slowed and then it spewed emotions that were definitely more volatile than they had been previously The process repeated Gradually Randidly just accepted this as a function of the image

And it was around the fourth such cycle that he realized it was almost as though his dead image was breathing

Against This means that this candidate is also rejected Applicant you are dismissed The tinier representative from the NLC adjusted her glasses and glanced back and forth down the people on the table Her expression held barely controlled frustration The Xyrt Brigade Special Investigator continued to seem bored despite the seriousness of their plight Lady Iellaya kept her face impassive as best she could while knowing that she wasnÆt doing a good job Commandant Wick seemed troubled but didnÆt say anything

Part of the problem was the decisive difference in the candidates presented They were either obvious cronies of the NLC or Military High Command Randidly Ghosthound had been the compromised candidate but Commandant Wick hadnÆt been moved Likely his mind was on the fact that his great granddaughter would be placed into the elite unit to be nurtured and would therefore be instructed by who they chose today

Randidly Ghosthound didnÆt exactly inspire confidence He simply looked too much like his actual age

Yet no other candidate had been able to gather enough of the votes either And right when Lady Iellaya was resigning herself to another long day of meetings when someone did something very very stupid and created an opportunity for them to proceed forward

You think IÆm going to give up just like that The most recent applicant said incredulously His metallic silver body gleamed as he folded his arms and remained seated in his chair As one all of the figures at the panel turned and looked at him Even Lady Iellaya felt his expression turn cold at his audacity All my life I have dreamed of the day that I would have the chance to fight for the Nexus But because I was born on a world that had already passed the Calamities When I was young my father told me

Unfortunately for this young manÆs backstory all it took was for him to speak out of turn for the Commandant to lose his patience The high ranking military general raised a single finger and spit and blood geysered out of the metallic humanoidÆs mouth Clutching his stomach the applicant rolled off his chair and hit the gorgeous gold patterned floor

An indeterminate liquid ran down the leg of the applicantÆs chair to drip on the ground

Commandant Wick studied the nail on the finger that he raised toward the young humanoid He pursed his lips The most important quality in military personnel is respect for a superiorÆs command You when you clearly ignored a dismissal you were guilty of insubordination A disobedient soldier like you must be punished immediately lest your mistake becomes a habit Do you understand

On the ground the applicant groaned He shifted his trembling limbs and attempted to push himself off of the floor but his hand slipped on some of the blood and bile that was even now still leaking out of his mouth His head hit the floor with a dull thump But the metallic man forced himself back up Lady Iellaya could see a crack along his forehead I I

When Commandant Wick raised his second finger the applicant’s metallic body bubbled and ruptured An invisible force seemed to press his waist into the ground while folding both his legs and torso up into the air Even now Commander WickÆs expression remained mild Your input was not required

The applicant vomited blood once more Lady Iellaya had heard about some of the exhibitionsÆ that Commandant Wick engaged in but this was the first time she had seen one in person His zeal toward discipline was legendary

What whatÆs happening My body The applicant whispered His voice was hoarse and shriveled like his vocal cords had been replaced with charred rubber

Commandant Wick shook his head his expression was one of pure sorrow You are experiencing pure chaos With order broken your life will soon devolve into nothing That is exactly why we need discipline That is exactly why the military is necessary

The applicant began to release a keening whine Meanwhile the larger of the NLC women spoke up this has been a very educational lesson but I think itÆs best if we stop here

The Commandant glanced along the table toward the NLC portion of the panel Defending your applicant

Not quite no The woman shook her head It is just that applicant was recommended to us by the Swacc Family

Heh The Special Investigator snorted What a bunch of petty bastards Nice one Shevran

The CommandantÆs expression turned thoughtful Then he glanced over at Lady Iellaya Hum Well this presents a unique opportunity doesnÆt it If your selection is truly as great a healer as you claimed he will have no trouble expediting the recovery of this applicant I am willing to rethink my earlier vote

The high wail from the metallic humanoid sputtered and went silent with a wet gurgle The Commandant looked down at the two raised fingers he still maintained almost surprised to find that the fingers had remained ramrod straight while he had been speaking to Lady Iellaya He slowly lowered his fingers earning a relieved sigh from the pile of mangled metal flesh on the floor

Just as Lady Iellaya felt the spark of hope it was dashed once more The larger of the two NLC women frowned at the Commandant IÆm also rethinking my vote Considering your attitude toward our candidates I think this Ghosthound is unsuitable for a number of reasons Therefore

IÆll also change my vote The Special Investigator announced with a lazy yawn I donÆt need to abstain all the time IÆll vote for this Ghosthound Basically anything to avoid spending another day with you shits

Everyone fell silent for several seconds eyeing each other There was no love lost between the various political factions of the Nexus Even if they were finally facing an external threat from the Nether the old grudges ran deep But when it seemed that no one else had anything to say the Commandant looked again at Lady Iellaya Well Call him up

Chapter 1498

Randidly paused in his training when he received the message from Lady Iellaya The cable underneath him swayed slightly with his movement But then he finished through his current cycle As he breathed out two long trails of steam from his nose a hidden current of fierce and terrorizing emotions hid within the exhale Those emotions rapidly turned upward and accelerated as though sensing that there was easier prey than Randidly waiting above

He messaged Lady Iellaya back How quickly do you need me to return

If you could arrive within five minutes that would be ideal Lady IellayaÆs reply came so quickly that it seemed like she had prepared it

Randidly glanced upward through the gloomy Web and grimaced Although honestly the distance was the least of his troubles While reaching up and cracking his neck Randidly tentatively communicated with the Stillborn Phoenix asking whether it could control the release of emotions for a short amount of time After all blowing out these insidious and violent emotions in the faces of the interviewers would probably not make a great impression

The Stillborn Phoenix was practically radiating righteousness when it informed Randidly that it could not stop spewing emotions because that was just how it breathed Asking it to stop was akin to asking it to die

Randidly suppressed the urge to press his palm to his face He suppressed a secondary urge to strangle the Egg of Chaos Unfortunately for him all of his images had inherited his stubbornness So he could already sense that it would be rather pointless to remind the image that it hadnÆt learned to breathe until only a short two hours ago It would undoubtedly refuse to admit that was the case

Luckily the Grim Chimera stepped forward and offer an alternative It had already been sensing that its exterior had reached its limits for this type of training and now it needed to train its interior to match So it suggested that the volatile emotions be released directly within RandidlyÆs rib cage mirroring the act of breathing more directly RandidlyÆs body would become the entire world for the Stillborn Phoenix containing the very air it breathed Yggdrasil then added that it could reinforce the surrounding organs and purify the emotions further preventing anything dangerous from occurring

Randidly shook his head in disbelief as he stood YÆall realize that this is MY body right You have no proof that there wonÆt be consequences from this

The images pretended not to hear him and Randidly could only sigh But he had already accepted that he might not become a Drill Sergeant after that initial rejection Although he would return for this opportunity it did not move his heart much It was part of a grander scheme to earn Citizenship Coins and free up Edraine Randidly understood that But more than anything else training was his highest priority at the moment He wouldnÆt sacrifice everything for this position

While the Stillborn Phoenix cautiously released the seething emotions within his body Randidly once more produced Acri and launched himself directly upward It was a bit more difficult than simply allowing himself to fall but as he flung himself against the wall and repeatedly launched himself diagonally through the Web he quickly gained speed while heading upward Once more his heart rate began to rise The physical limit seemed to recede before him allowing his body to explode with power

The Grim Chimera sat within the emotions practically bathing in them They caused abrupt and strange changes to the substance of the image but the Grim ChimeraÆs eternal ability to adapt meant that it soon suppressed the twitches and the tremors that ran through the Grim ChimeraÆs body Soon it generated a film of its own pure emotion that kept these other emotions from approaching

That desire to survive and grow was indomitable The Grim ChimeraÆs eyes burned as it tempered that deep yearning it held within the emotions

The air cracked and ripped as he passed through space His limbs were wrapped in tight currents of air that blasted any cables that were near to his person

Meanwhile his veins once more began to glow with golden light as Yggdrasil formed a seal on the released emotions within RandidlyÆs ribcage Obviously the emotions took up no actual space So it was relatively simple to compress them But with so many emotions clashing and weaving amongst each other a qualitative change began to come over them

Aether as an energy was primarily comprised of two things substance and emotion The term substance could also be freely be interchanged with shape Aether was an energy that responded to the depth of emotions and the integrity of the shape given to that energy Which was why so many emotions gathered in one spot specifically having been cleaved from their shape by Yggdrasil began to behave strangely

As he accelerated up through the Web RandidlyÆs stomach began to gurgle as the emotions managed to influence him physically He clearly radiated displeasure to make sure his images knew that this wasnÆt an acceptable side effect The golden light that Yggdrasil was releasing grew stronger Meanwhile the Stillborn Phoenix continued to steadily exhale more emotions as though it didnÆt notice his ire One of the Stillborn PhoenixÆs Skills began to activate taking over the process of breathingÆ

Congratulations Your Skill the Golden Roots of Yggdrasil has grown to Level 297

Congratulations Your Skill Tide of the Void has grown to Level 235

Without a distinct shape for the energy the emotions would normally disperse outward and gradually decompose naturally They needed a physical vessel or detail shape to anchor them Aether needed both emotion and shape to remain in a stable form Randidly had studied the System Aether that had largely been stripped of emotion in the past but he had never seen the opposite composition And while he continued to rush upward to his call back interview the gradual exhale of the Stillborn Phoenix pushed all that raw emotion into a space without shape His body hosted a natural experiment

And due to the seal that Yggdrasil had constructed within his body the emotions were suspended within a relatively isolated environment They continued to compound and clash increasing their simmering intensity with each passing second Soon the emotions had shed all pretense of shape and just mixed together in a chaotic mass within RandidlyÆs stomach Honestly it was difficult to even sense what was occurring within himself the emotions were chaotic and messy to the point that they barely resembled Aether at all They were raw pink and slightly uncomfortable like the revealed penis of a dog

Sensing that RandidlyÆs mood continued to sour on this experiment Yggdrasil stretched a golden root downward toward the emotions in an attempt to assuage his doubts The root began to shine brightly carrying with it the nascent sense that RandidlyÆs Skills could purify the emotions

Just as soon as the emotions encountered the image the tip of that imaginary root ballooned outward like it was displaying the time lapse of a tumorÆs genesis The light it released became tainted rapidly shifting to a red pink hue Decisively Yggdrasil sliced off the root before the taint could spread That hunk of image dropped down into the stewing emotions twisting and morphing until it became so swollen that it had lost all articulable shape

Then it popped like an overinflated balloon spreading glittering notes of pink light like a handful of thrown confetti Randidly coughed lightly Unless one possessed the adaptability of the Grim Chimera it definitely seemed like these emotions were a deadly poison

Yggdrasil hurriedly upped the energy it used to suppress the emotions no longer daring to stretch out its image to touch them directly They continued to churn rushing and gurgling like the interior of a washing machine will all of the same disturbing lack of awareness of what happened within the contraption

Luckily that was around the time that the Stillborn Phoenix stopped producing the emotions It rapidly began to slurp the strangely mutating emotions within itself It didnÆt seem to mind the changes at all

Feeling some unconscious relief as the emotions were taken from within his body Randidly accelerated further the next time his foot hit one of the walls Man is Proud But the Chimera Takes

Congratulations Your Skill Man is Proud But the Chimera Takes has grown to Level 296

While the wall beneath his foot fractured from the force Randidly blasted rapidly upward He purposefully activated Revelation of the Atramentous Threshold right before his jump so he could peer upward and arrange for a path through all of the hanging cables He streaked past with all of the subtleness of thunder once more shocking those proceeding through the area at a more normal pace

At almost exactly six minutes after Lady Iellaya had sent the message Randidly rushed through the hallways of the military base and reached those familiar double doors Octavius was there waiting for him He stopped Randidly before he could proceed directly into the room reaching up to fuss at the collar of his uniform

As though this was the first time that he had noticed it Octavius examined Randidly from head to toe and blinked when he looked at his bare feet You what happened to your shoes Did you lose them while you were exploring

Randidly shook his head Never had them I always liked actually being able to feel what was beneath my feet And now that my body can grow to be as hard as steel thereÆs no reason to restrain myself

Huh Even if you are fighting on dangerous terrain you never put on a foot covering Octavius seemed puzzled

Randidly wanted to point out they had passed plenty of individuals who were literally naked while they had been on Bray Street but decided just to shrug He couldnÆt deny that his few opportunities to fight on lava had been particularly painful Nope Never have

I wonder if it violates military code Octavius whispered to himself

Frowning at the delay Randidly purposefully asked shouldnÆt I be heading in there

OctaviusÆs eyes widened Oh Yes of course DonÆt keep them waiting for even a second longer

Shaking his head Randidly walked back into the interview room

Chapter 1499

Your mission is simple the bear like military man next to Lady Iellaya spoke immediately when Randidly entered into the room Just as quickly as Randidly walked forward to stand before the group his Grim Intuition pinged an even larger threat from the man than Randidly had felt previously That made his eyes narrow so characters that were this powerful still could hide their abilities from even Grim Intuition That was a good fact to learn when the stakes were relatively low

The dangerous bearman pointed to a partially melted statue that lay near the interview chair had sat in only two hours ago Demonstrate your capabilities by healing the body and image of this man and you will receive the position of head Drill Sergeant However let it be known that you will bear the consequences of any lingering afflictions that affect him in the future

Belatedly RandidlyÆs eyes widened the melted statue was actually a toppled over metallic humanoid From what Randidly could see several of his limbs were bent in the wrong directions He wondered whether they were normally so uniquely bent or whether it was a result of whatever had occurred here And judging by the image wafting off of the metallic body

Randidly glanced once more at the furry military leader The bearmanÆs irises were two black chips in his eyes as dark as the empty space next to the moon in the night sky Slowly Randidly nodded of course If IÆm supposed to heal someone their convalescence is my responsibility

The bearman smiled at Randidly with an expression that would have been a smirk had it spread from his mouth to his dark eyes Meanwhile the Xyrt Brigade representative released a bark of laughter Ha YouÆve been hoodwinked kid That fool down there is from the Swacc Family I suspect that no matter how skilled you are he will remain broken and they will come demanding compensation The sort of compensation thatÆs above your paygrade

As Randidly crouched down next to the metallic body his mouth was moving before his brain really thought about the response IÆve dealt with the Swacc Family before IÆm sure it will be fine

A split second later he paused and wondered whether he should have revealed that when he was still attempting to earn this job The silence of the people at the table on the dais became somewhat strange But Randidly decided to ignore the change and just focused on his work He reached out and pressed his hand against the being before him to get an idea of his current status And at that exact moment the Stillborn PhoenixÆs had sucked all of the volatile emotions into itself

There was a churning rumble from RandidlyÆs chest and then the image became to exhale Emotions rampaged outward with all the desperate devastation of a broken dam

Hss Randidly let his breath sneak out between his teeth as Yggdrasil unfolded into the air above him in order to suppress the changed emotions This journey back from the interior of the Stillborn Phoenix saw the emotional intensity increase again by an order of magnitude The emotions practically hummed with infectious and dangerous power

Ah please do be careful Fragments of my image may remain from the earlier interview The bearman said very officiously Randidly had to make a conscious effort not to roll his eyes while Yggdrasil stabilized the seal on the emotions within himself But he was then rather shocked to see that perhaps the military man hadnÆt just made a baseless assumption about RandidlyÆs display of weakness the damage to the metallic manÆs body was quite similar to what had happened with YggdrasilÆs root

The source wasnÆt the same but the result bore a significant resemblance to each other The bearmanÆs image had somehow stripped the shapeÆ of Aether from this metal man and left him with chaos When the metallic man had probably panicked heightening his emotions that overwhelmed what remained of his mental framework and caused his entire self to collapse

Randidly felt a strange sort of horror as he inspected the result

Please

Randidly blinked in surprise Because of the strange angles of his joints and the coloration of his body he didnÆt realize the patient was still conscious These were the sort of injuries that usually pushed someone into a coma But now to his discomfort he realized that even the manÆs neck had been twisted to the point that he was staring up at Randidly His eyes were filled with fear and pain Please

Strangely Randidly remembered the shock and horror that Neveah experienced when she had been struck mentally by Kaan Swacc Something hardened in RandidlyÆs heart and the Grim Chimera raised his head from within his baptism of violent emotions to glance at the bearman and curl his lip upward It is exactly because of people like you that this Nexus is such a hell for those without the strength to defend themselves I WILL surpass you

I will end your casual violence

Then Randidly turned his attention back to the man and released as much of his image as he could Once more the other physicalizations of his images receded his hair became emerald and his veins pulsed with golden light The energy he radiated downward was soft and gentle like rays of sunlight on cool mornings The metallic man gasped and gulped down desperate breaths of air

There WERE in fact remnant bits of the bearmanÆs image continuing to destabilize the metallic manÆs body and agitate his emotions Randidly rapidly used a surge of YggdrasilÆs Inscrutable Mien to blast them away taking great joy in the thought that he was annihilating that small smirk from the bearman as he did so

The image fragments were strong but they were truly just remnants Randidly had no trouble eliminating them

Congratulations Your Skill the Golden Roots of Yggdrasil has grown to Level 298

Congratulations Your Skill the Glittering Leaves of Yggdrasil has grown to Level 257

Very quickly the metallic manÆs image and body initiated the healing process without those lingering elements causing damage and began to greedily absorb the ambient energy that Randidly was producing In fact his body and image were absorbing so much energy that Randidly could feel flaws beginning to emerge in the restructured physical form

Randidly narrowed his eyes and restrained the flow of energy to the man before him The subject groaned again but the strange mutations within his body ceased Although his body was no longer affected it seemed like there was a permanent change to the manÆs emotions they now possessed an intensity that could destabilize his form

Randidly wasnÆt sure whether it was just a side effect of what he had recently experienced that would soon fade or a permanent change he would need to learn to control

But for the moment Randidly focused energy toward his images allowing the framework to return to the manÆs image of himself before letting his body reconstruct the shape As he continued to witness the fits and starts of healing before a sudden emotion demolished a minuteÆs worth of work RandidlyÆs fury continued to mount Even with all the assistance he proved lingering holes remained in both this manÆs image and body

Whatever technique it was that had been used was obscene in the scope of its effects Its power was overwhelming and bizarre It was another bit of evidence that the Nexus was not someplace where he could casually offend others

But no matter how horrendous the damage was it wasnÆt worse than what Nether could do to Aether The combination of the two energies when not aligned not only destroyed but also warped the edges into a useless haze Comparatively these wounds to the image were clean as though someone had somehow used an eraser to simply remove parts

Plus the manÆs emotions gradually stabilized as Randidly eased his pain

While the patient continued to sputter and breathe heavily Randidly carefully did his best to approximate the lost portions of his image All the while he kept a tight lid on the increasingly dense emotions in his own chest The Grim ChimeraÆs aura caused the exhaled emotions of the Stillborn Phoenix to seethe it bared its teeth at this obvious cruelty

Which only agitated the pink and red emotions within Randidly forcing Yggdrasil to work harder to suppress them Plus the emotions he was refining seemed to sense the vulnerable metal man They cautiously tried to escape only to be beaten back by the purifying light from a golden root

Time gradually ticked past The panel sat quietly studying RandidlyÆs image while he worked He did his best to keep all image reverberations for the Stillborn Phoenix and Grim Chimera contained But that was secondary toward helping this man

Blessedly the Stillborn Phoenix finished exhaling and then began to suck away the dangerous emotions Yggdrasil could then concentrate more fully on healing the man The golden energy it released grew thicker almost physical in its warm embrace After a strained few minutes the metallic man released a sigh His joints began to loosen and straighten His basic sense of self had been repaired to a serviceable state His emotions were calm

After his body had unfurled itself he collapsed to the ground But there was intelligence in his eyes as he looked up at Randidly Thank you

Just obeying orders Randidly said His voice must have revealed his dissatisfaction because the bearman harrumphed

Soldier I have a question for you Randidly warily turned to face the bearish man who had earned the wariness of the Grim Chimera His dark eyes continued to drill into Randidly as though he could pry apart his anatomy simply by virtue of his extended attention and understand RandidlyÆs secrets in that manner The man cleared his throat You have my permission to speak freely If I were to give you an order that would obviously endanger the lives of your hypothetical charges would you follow that order

Randidly thought about it deeply And from the intensity of Lady IellayaÆs stare she wanted to him to add some deference to the answer he would tell this man And perhaps some part of Randidly wanted to cave as well which is why the rest of his personality railed against that impulse The Grim Chimera that had allowed itself to be scarred and warped by the chaotic mass of emotions within his body peered out through RandidlyÆs emerald eyes with the utmost seriousness

You are exactly why I want to become strong Randidly thought He stood straight and kept his expression even No I would not

As the man loosened his grip on his own image his dark eyes seemed to swell to fill RandidlyÆs vision The rest of the surrounding details of the room were pushed out drowned in that darkness For a second Randidly tensed but he forced both the Stillborn Phoenix and Grim Chimera to remain passive He allowed Yggdrasil to recede before that darkness

And in that nothingness Randidly sensed the leering gaze of chaos There were waves of space warping energy and seeds of psychological ruin But above them all was an absolute imperative that usually contained those dangerous forces As the bearman looked at Randidly he lifted the lid from the pot and allowed Randidly to experience them directly He displayed the raw horror within his own person Yet it wasnÆt that which even the Grim Chimera viewed with dread

It was that cast iron compulsion that somehow managed to govern this cesspool of mutation and organic impossibility that drew RandidlyÆs wariness That was a twisted strength of will that he had rarely seen in the past

The lapping waves of that chaos crept closer The hairs along RandidlyÆs right arm began to stand on end The dwindling emotions within his body began to stir But since Lady Iellaya was present Randidly wouldnÆt forcefully resist the image until he received actual damage

As RandidlyÆs jaw began to ache from clenching the bearman pulled his image back His eyes were suddenly just dark eyes and the ominous heaviness in the air departed leaving not a single lingering clue that hinted to the horrifying power he had displayed a few moments earlier The man smiled I suppose that makes sense But you do realize the consequences of disobeying a direct order from a superior donÆt you

Randidly didnÆt bother to answer He simply glanced down at the metallic man next to him who was only now regaining control of his breathing

The bearman chuckled but his dark eyes seemed to become even more antagonistic as he considered Randidly What if I requested that you wear full military uniform while acting as a Drill Sergeant Commander Ghosthound as a way to demonstrate the importance of discipline to your recruits What would you do then

Randidly didnÆt miss the way that the bearmanÆs eyes lingered on his feet Inwardly Randidly threw his hands up in the air Are my bare feet really that unusual

I trust you will do what you think is best for the recruits Randidly eventually answered Emerald eyes met black ones In his heart Randidly settled into a realization if this man would force the issue of him wearing shoes in front of the recruits he wouldnÆt bother with being a Drill Sergeant Even more than the discomfort of wearing shoes what Randidly wasnÆt willing to put up with was a bully And right now that was what this man seemed to be

What Randidly realized immediately after that was that the bearman seemed to recognize that resolve in RandidlyÆs eyes The bearmanÆs smile widened

But instead of the order that Randidly had anticipated the bearman closed his eyes He backed down I will do exactly that Congratulations Commander Ghosthound You will be our Head Drill Sergeant Report to the Fifth Cohort Rally Station in six days for further orders

Chapter 1500

This time Randidly silently followed Octavius through the stark passages of the military base after the interview As such they made very quick time The duo quickly descended down through the Web and reached its deeper recesses where the house of Edraine was located But while Octavius proceeded directly through the heavy metal door on the wall Randidly paused on a cord It was only when Octavius turned around that Randidly spoke Go on ahead I need to take care of something very quickly then IÆll follow

Octavius was grinning from ear to ear still buzzing from the excitement of Randidly earning the position of Head Drill Sergeant so he nodded and turned away without thinking too much about it Which allowed Randidly to unobtrusively drop another few hundred meters downward in the Web without anyone being in the pollution zone

He didnÆt need to go as deep as he had been training earlier And no matter how much he wanted to keep training now was probably not the best time for that it was finally time that he got on the same page of everyone else as to why they were taking these actions But for now Randidly alighted upon another cable in that gloomy energy waste chute and gratefully released the emotions that the Stillborn Phoenix had been steadily refining

Compared to their earlier violence these emotions had greatly settled while Randidly had been informed of some of the smaller details of his new post Which left the emotions an almost slime like form sluggishly exiting RandidlyÆs body Their pink red color had become increasingly vibrant possessing some inherent quality of purity that made the emotions difficult to regard directly without some instinctual squinting More importantly as shape had almost completely been stripped away and only emotion remained Randidly had been able to tell that the process of breathing was steadily polarizing the emotions More and more they were stripped and reshuffle to resemble that obsessive and all consuming desire of the Stillborn Phoenix

By extension the emotions were essentially becoming RandidlyÆs own

He could already feel a sudden stirring from his image physicalizations if he was feeling it directly with the slow accumulating image physicalizations it seemed like he would also be able to create more drops of liquid Aether with the strength of these emotions

But Randidly was still cautious about cashing in on that benefit without fully understanding it So he released those emotions now to see if the extra emotional power would remain once the emotions were removed from his body

When the emotions hit the air at first there was no response Then only a second later the emotions began to explosively hiss and foam like potassium dropped in water The emotions expanded outward with all the furious glee of a brood of young dragons eager to leave the nest their earlier sluggishness completely forgotten as the impurities of the world built space between the emotions

Feeling somewhat conflicted Randidly watched those emotions diffuse into the surrounding space Then he noticed something else quite strange the Stillborn Phoenix retained some connection to those emotions as they spread outward That expanding and diffusing energy had been marked by RandidlyÆs emotions just as surely as something could be marked by a powerful and distinct shape

How long will that connection linger I wonder

Humming to himself Randidly allowed the suddenly obedient Stillborn Phoenix to absorb some more of the ambient energy to continue its breathing To RandidlyÆs surprise the brief exposure to the bearmanÆs chaotic image had really affected the Egg of Depression The idea that all of its carefully constructed artifices could be stripped away by another had aligned the image much more closely with RandidlyÆs interest it had been scared straight For now at least it was committed to the journey of training so they could overcome this new foe

With YggdrasilÆs help sucking up another massive amount of ambient emotion and cutting away the energy only took a few minutes As the Stillborn Phoenix adjusted to the process the speed of the refinement was increasing Then Randidly ascended and proceeded into the residential dome and to EdraineÆs house

Opening the door to EdraineÆs room Randidly was surprised to see that Lady Iellaya was already there Which meant that there were more passages through the Nexus than just going up and down the Web Still wearing her ornate military uniform Lady Iellaya grinned over at him You know Commandant Wick could crush you right Like a bug accidentally if he carelessly passed too close to you

For now Randidly responded with a similarly sharp grin They booth took steps forward and hugged each other briefly Then they stepped apart at the same moment moving with unspoken cooperation Seeing Lady IellayaÆs skeptical expression Randidly shrugged But we will see what happens in a year

You are fucking insane Lady Iellaya speechlessly shook her head Then both turned and looked at Edraine and Octavius who were standing next to the central table in the room with serious expressions Since Randidly had gone to his interview the table had been cleaned of the messily strew papers and now housed three separate stacks of coins

Randidly observed the three stacks The leftmost stack he recognized as three Coins of Territory stacked on top of each other The middle stack resembled the Tier I citizenship coins except the metal was a strange blue color There were five of these coins

The final pile was Nexus Tier I Citizenship coins and there were four of them

Although weÆve been biding our time weÆve still managed to gather quite an amount of resources EdraineÆs voice was smug as she spoke Then she pointed to the leftmost pile These Mr Ghosthound are for you An insurance policy in case our attempt fails and there are reprisals

That immediately had Randidly pressing his lips together The Grim Chimera growled deep in its throat this would grant me the ability to take away a whole planet as territory should we fail A way to save Expira huh So what exactly is your plan Edraine What are we even doing here Why am I becoming a Drill Sergeant

But even as he said that Randidly did activate Hallucinations of the Bloodless Heart to float the Coins of Territory over toward him His right hand tightened around the three coins and they were stored in his interspatial ring He would not refuse this he also had the planets of the Nemesai to still research and assist as per their agreement

Edraine nodded slowly I do think itÆs time we talk about that All four of us Very simply all of us here want to change the Nexus I think it would be for the best for us to start with this commonality ItÆs a bit frivolous but IÆd like to begin by each of us stating our individual goal for changing the Nexus As for me I wish to change the philosophy of the Nexus I no longer wish for lives to be treated as a resource

Randidly frowned slightly as he studied Edraine If he had been forced to make a guess previously he definitely would not have said that Edraine was here over philosophical differences with the Nexus Considering what happened to her and her brother

For a second the room was silent Octavius glanced around nervously then cleared his throat I wish I wish to live a peaceful life That is all But but IÆve lost people due to the Nexus If I can prevent something like that from happening again if I can make the Nexus a more peaceful place

Randidly hadnÆt spent much time with Octavius Shrike but he was struck by the sudden intensity that seized the rhinomanÆs face when he mentioned losing people to the Nexus The lines around his eyes deepened and his mouth stretch wide to reveal thick and flat teeth Rather than resembling the teeth of an herbivore Randidly instead saw the insatiable cogs of a machine that would stubbornly grind any offending substance to dust

The Overseer of the Seventh Cohort seemed like an unshakable monolith in that room just as powerful as anyone else present

Then the intensity left Octavius leaving him the same slightly tired and nervous looking bureaucrat But Randidly filed away that display in his mind he would not again underestimate the power that Octavius possessed

Lady Iellaya cleared her own throat drawing everyoneÆs attention A worthy goal Octavius I maybe itÆs selfish but I just want to honor my word I have made guarantees to protect the people who follow me I have failed in this respect in the past I never want to feel that feeling of failure ever again I refuse to disappoint them any longer

Again there was a moment of silence as Randidly absorbed that information Then belatedly he realized that it was his turn to share his motivation for wanting to change the Nexus All three of his images rose steadily up in his chest resonating with each other They were his strongest motivators To survive to grow and to achieve the impossible

But although each was parroted as a being separate from himself they were still him They always were They were three different expressions of who he was and could be

Randidly Ghosthound immediately thought of the burning passion he shared with the current Vualla Their manic glee at the thought of tearing down the System The reasons to do so were so numerous that Randidly didnÆt know where to begin

So he paused and considered When did I start on this Path

Randidly reached up and scratched his chin Although it shouldnÆt possess the same physical needs of his fleshy body his metallic left arm twitched as his mind wandered The three surrounding individuals his co conspirators didnÆt look at him but Randidly could sense their attention was locked onto him He was not their leader nor the most powerful amongst them but Randidly Ghosthound was the link that had woven them all together

Because he had caught the attention of the Overseer of his Cohort Because he had been sent to the frontlines Because he had persisted and been assigned to Lady Iellaya Because he had been able to heal damage to images and earned her praise Because he had been able to utilize Nether and steadily unraveled the secret of Ileot and Vualla Because he had found Edraine the core of the System the replacement in the form of her duplicated brother

Randidly released a breath In the silence he heard the sound of his own heart He blinked once and while his eyes were closed he saw the self righteous silhouette of Ki Kunot I I want to give everyone the opportunity to grow strong I want

Perhaps it was because of the process the Stillborn Phoenix had started but RandidlyÆs emotions felt particularly potent at the moment The guilt he felt for the mistakes he made and the rage at all those who tried to use him those emotions boiled in his chest If he was a kettle he would be squealing with pent up heat

Yet Randidly forced all of those emotions down As they did only when Randidly pressed his three images wove themselves together closer and closer The combination was unexpectedly easy So suddenly Randidly was looking at his heart with the eyes of all three of his images The followed his motivations back to the pure core of himself

Strangely RandidlyÆs mind drifted back to the recent sensation of diving down through the Web to head for some training The sensation of air parting before his body cutting cleanly through space as though he was sailing on the thin boundary lines between the currents of energy He had been a god of wind thrilled by the sensation of the shackles of the System being shattered He raised his head and savored that liberation The feeling had been exhilarating

With the roar of the wind in his ears being almost deafening Randidly had felt alive

I want people to feel free Randidly finally said The other three studied him Then he winced It sounded rather unsatisfying after seeing the emotion that his fell co conspirators displayed but it was difficult for Randidly to match that Because the core emotion that motivated him forward was not a desire for revenge although he had slowly developed that as he experienced both YystrixÆs and ElhumeÆs meddlesome plots

No Randidly was motivated forward as he chased joy Joy that he had learned training under Shal in the Dungeon all those years ago The joy of feeling the edge of perfection of engaging in the dance of spearplay and testing your own limits The joy of competency and the natural exuberance of physical movement

The joy of honing your limits and discovering yourself Of seeking an answer to a problem and discovering one Of following his own Path without regrets Of spitting in the cruel face of reality and daring it to do its worst

For a brief moment his three images shifted further and more completely than they had in the past They settled together in one pure blended form But then the balance was lost and Randidly released a long sigh

Edraine tilted her head to the side and smiled Well then here we are No matter the motivations we share our goal changing the Nexus But as IÆm sure you all can tell this is not an easy task There are some very powerful individuals with vested interests in keeping the Nexus the way it is Any sort of shift will be met with resistance and among us we donÆt have much political power in the Nexus

That is slowly changing Edraine glanced at Randidly before she continued to speak But it still isnÆt enough Even if we were to gather enough Citizenship Coins to get us all to Tier III we still wouldnÆt have an easy time So I suggest that we cheat

Edraine smiled Power can make up for some deficiencies in influence but we would truly need an absolute power in order to make a serious ripple in the current Nexus And I know where we can find one

Is it you Lady Iellaya asked disbelief clear in her voice No one was quite clear on how powerful Edraine currently was but Randidly shared Lady IellayaÆs doubt that they would be currently hoarding citizenship coins if she really was that powerful

Chuckling Edraine shook her head No but only someone with my ability to read the flows of energy would be able to find this tool It might sound crazy but what I propose is that we steal and weaponize the sealed body of Elhume

Chapter 1501

stealing ElhumeÆs body sounds like a bad idea Randidly said after a beat of silence He had wanted to listen longer to EdraineÆs entire plan before he interrupted but when he heard the name Elhume he felt compelled to speak up He is the creator of the Nexus and the most powerful person in it Even if his body is truly sealed Just attracting his attention

Edraine raised up a hand You are correct that attracting his attention comes with so much danger that even I am unsure if I could survive But donÆt be so quick to reject the idea Plus if you have some useful information about Elhume IÆm willing to take it into account

Randidly blinked In a way he did have some information about Elhume but what he had learned from Yystrix was how powerful Elhume was and the origin of the System None of that seemed really relevant to this planned larceny three thousand years later so he shook his head rather helplessly maybe the biggest reason IÆve come so far in such a short amount of time is that a certain individual interfered on Expira From her I learned some background about Elhume But nothing relevant

There was interference in my Cohort Octavius muttered

Meanwhile EdraineÆs gaze turned sharp That interference is highly irregular She must certainly be very powerful in order to escape the notice of the System architecture Is there any chance that we could meet with this woman If sheÆs truly that capable

Elhume tracked her down and killed her Randidly said lightly but his chest tightened as he said it Which was exactly why he was deeply wary of a plan involving Elhume From his recent usage of the Dreamcatcher of the Long Night the sensation of ElhumeÆs gaze fracturing his Class was still fresh in his mind A tremor ran through his Class just thinking about it

IÆm sorry for your loss Edraine said with a very genuine expression on her face Then while Randidly was struggling to cope with the conflicted feeling he felt when being given condolences for Yystrix Edraine continued to speak But I believe there are a few things that you do not know about the situation Elhume is overwhelmingly powerful but by and large he exists entirely as an image being at this point When his body became useless to him he discarded it He keeps tabs but has made no attempt to liberate it

In addition I perhaps was being slightly dramatic when I said we would steal his body I too wouldnÆt want to weaken the seal on his body Instead what we want to make use of is the massive amount of power released by the crystalized Aether sealing his person That ambient energy will be the fuel to effect the change we want

Lady Iellaya reached up and cracked her neck Heh Even if he doesnÆt use it anymore I doubt that Elhume wonÆt have something to say if we attempt to take his body I like the spirit but I have to agree with the Ghosthound This is dangerous The deepest parts of the Nexus I would tread lightly

Across the room Octavius Shrike shivered His eyes were filled with dread as though he was a small child remembering a nightmare Everyone had experienced the harsh truths of the System in the past

Meanwhile Edraine frowned around at them Yes there is extreme danger But I have one thing to say to all of you we will not be able to change the Nexus without brushing up against Elhume Above all of the trash that has congregated at his feet in the NexusÆ three thousand years of existence he is the true hurdle Taking his body would give us an opportunity A pice of Elhume to stave off the whole But if you have any other ideas about how to rival that monsterÆs power

Randidly had been about to say something else but that truth silenced him Even in his current tier of strength Elhume was a being that could shake him to his core with just a look And that wasnÆt a psychological commentary RandidlyÆs body had been physically impacted just by the manÆs attention

His gaze was the least of his weapons and it was still overwhelming

But ultimately Edraine was correct Any true change to the Nexus would need to at least partially brush up against ElhumeÆs awareness Expecting to hide meaningful change was foolish Therefore they didnÆt have any other choice but to take these sorts of risks And as long as they prepared and planned well

Randidly licked his lips Well who sealed his body anyway If thatÆs possible perhaps that will give us a blueprint about how to go about this

Edraine released a low laugh No one sealed his body Heh we donÆt have much reliable information about what exactly happened but I believe we can piece things together between my memories and secondhand accounts From what I can tell his body being sealed happened around the time of the Second Cohort I had known of Elhume in my original life and he was moving around freely although he was rarely seen But at that time he pursued a now defunct Path to power image physicalizations

Randidly gradually began to frown

Meanwhile Edraine continued to speak While we currently use our images to push toward making thought projections condense as physical presences there used to be a school of thought that these projections could be used to gradually modify your physical body to resonate more directly with your images While I was just entering the army and my family was fighting it was an extremely popular school of thought In terms of Stamina none could match those who physicalized their images within their bodies They seemed to possess endless wells of energy

When I first recovered my senses it struck me as strange that this practice has largely disappeared After some investigations I believe itÆs because of what happened to ElhumeÆs body Edraine pursed her lips The details are unknown but it is clear that at some point ElhumeÆs body reached a tipping point There was so much energy in his body that it began to attract more energy From what I can glean Aether began to crystalize around his body eventually sealing its movements completely