LoRG 5

The third figure dunked his head in the pond in the first figure He kneeled in the second scenario opposite the figure in the unadorned wooden chair in the great hall And upon that strange staircase in the abyss he lounged at the top laying on his side and viewing the figures below with cold eyes

Swish swish swish The image flickered Randidly felt that now familiar heat returning to his brain as he tried to discern the features of the three figures His hand drifted toward the golden barrier giving him more information but he could barely handle the information that he already received He dearly wished he had been able to recover fully from the shift in his Nether Core

But Randidly hummed to himself partially in awe that this conversation had been fixed in time solely based on emotional force and significance Somehow it had parasitized the defensive barrier in the sapphire lake Is this the mission to slay the individual who accumulated too much karma But which figure

Swish

While weeping the first figure opened his mouth and released the first rumbling line of the skit Your steed is insanity Look at the broken eternity you have wrought

The second figure seemed to sigh Such is our nature If we could make other choices

I go to my own doom gladly The third figure kneeled within the great hall his head held high The second figure swayed slightly chains around his body clinking His mouth had been sewn shut in this iteration

She looked rather mild all things considered as she observed the surroundings You have done something you should not have

You are the Patron of Truth Randidly used his image to boom the words out when his mouth proved useless

She tilted her head to the side Is that what they call me now I am simply Duo but no I am not the original A ghost a reflection of a reflection

For a second she trailed off The blank expression on her face made it seem like she had forgotten where she was and what she was doing But then her eyes sharpened We must move quickly that Monarch cannot be allowed to be free I believe enough of me remains to repair the barrier but you must subdue the Monarch and give me the chance to do the work We do not have much time

Another wave of black fire surged from the depths of the sapphire lake Rather than trying to escape this time whatever horror waited down there targeted the few remaining bands of light With a horrifying crash the fence was completely demolished The few remaining luminous motes expanded into nothing within the lake Then a massive serpent of black flames began to swim up toward where Randidly and the Patron of Truth were floating

Suddenly it occurred to him that the strange detail erasure quality of the liquid remained constant So if that monstrous river of black flames looked intimidating from this distance if he spent enough time focusing on it to see its true form

Randidly mobilized his Nether Core spinning thick rivers of Nether through his body But when he tried to create versions of his image that could exist in this strange space of magnification they flickered and popped quickly Panic rose in his chest It wasnÆt just that the size was magnified but the edges were pulled out to align with the edges of the lake

When he just made a space based image to manipulate his body it was fine but when he tried to make a bound image

His Nether expanded but was siphoned away just as quickly The sapphire liquid had been too effectively made even without the fence of light And while Randidly had to adapt on the fly the serpent of black flames had probably had quite a lot of time to familiarize itself with the environment

In the face of these failures Randidly briefly hesitated What if I donÆt assist in sealing this being Based on the clues this is that ordained being of Karma From what the Patrons said it is an enemy of Elhume Elhume locked it down here in this strange place Perhaps releasing it will create exactly the sort of opportunity that weÆve been looking for to bring down Elhume

However he quickly dismissed that idea This being might cause chaos but Elhume took several Patrons to the fight against this MonarchÆ and apparently ended up cursed In addition two of those Patrons died soon after I donÆt want to create an even more dominant foe for myself

The serpent of black flames was nearing the choke point but Randidly remained calm His Nether began to move back inward spiraling to surround his Nether Core and then rotating in a peculiar pattern Parts of the Nether Core shifted and engaged With a click part opened up and revealed a beating heart of darkness that animated his significance His whole body buzzed finally causing a froth to emerge in the sapphire liquid around him

Then came a long shadow cast by Yggdrasil A thick trunk and a hundred bare branches stretched up grabbing at the surroundings like a starving beggarÆs fingers It was not an image just a connection so the environment couldnÆt dilute it The subtle shade of that thing didnÆt even seem to attract the attention of the serpent or the Patron of Truth

His Nether Core spun faster and faster so that even RandidlyÆs powerful body began to cramp The heart of significance sent reverberations through every inch of him A wave of pure power spread out as RandidlyÆs new weapon engaged The Mythic Rarity allowed Randidly to supersede the laws of this place albeit briefly

From the shadow of Yggdrasil a wingless dragon wormed its way outward Its eyes slowly opened showing deep wells of need that animated its desperate cravings Nidhogg opened its mouth and snarled toward the serpent of black flame revealing rotten teeth It was a twisted desperate creature that was born of RandidlyÆs particular significance

Just like Yggdrasil this being came from his upbringing and the ache he felt for stability But unlike the healthy expression of the world tree this wingless dragon only knew avarice It clawed at stability desperate to rip and take to fill the hole in its heart

With the power of his Nether Core RandidlyÆs mouth opened The First Authority Seize

Chapter 1868

Claudette dashed along the edge of a cliff while the sea of black flame raged to her right Huge waves intermittently crashed against the stone ground Since she had begun this portion of the treasure hunt the ground had been steadily eroded by those flames forcing her to leave the path and rush over rough terrain toward her goal

Her eyes flicked sideways then back forward No No hesitation Not now I need to be the sort of person who thrives here Or else

Don Beigon had installed traps along the path that engaged and shot all sorts of dangerous flames poisons and blades at her She stoically accepted these hits against her body and kept running The blades skittered off the flames eventually faded and the poison dribbled onto the ground without any visible effect For all that Yust was a hothead he certainly had a good idea when he had chosen to use RandidlyÆs body for this experience It made these sorts of obstacles a breeze

However she soon had to slow She saw a gleaming lighthouse in the distance that shined with enough force to be seen through the rising tide of black flames But an extremely complicated formation lay between her current position and that goal Based on the way the skin on her arms was standing on end it possessed enough power to even give Randidly pause

In the short time possessing this body she learned to recognize its keen instincts It seemed a hair of RandidlyÆs image lingered in the body woven into the physical form through image physicalizations And the instincts of those images were second to none

Just as she was considering how to proceed something strange happened

First there was a weird resonance in her chest Her body ached as it spread from her chest up to the crown of her head and then down to her bare heels Then her senses started feeding her unusual information right before her eyes all the color inverted itself White flames gushed over the pale cliff to her right while she stared toward a lighthouse of darkness The lines of the engraving in front of her went dead and inert while a strange luminance covered the ground

But the worst part was the horrifying sensation of rotten teeth plunging into her body seizing her and holding her in place The horrified breath was suffocating

When those teeth entered into her body that stubborn resonance grew a little stronger Claudette confused stumbled forward into the area covered by the formation It didnÆt activate She swayed blinked then continued forward The strange inversion made her limbs heavy and leaden but she wasnÆt going to miss this opportunity With great care she continued to put one foot in front of the other

She continued for a few meters after the formation when the inversion began to recede Unwillingly the impression of rotten teeth dislodged themselves from her body and vanished The colors returned to normal Her body once more felt light and powerful

Claudette reached up and touched her chest A small remnant of that dull ache remained What the hell was that

ahÆs breath heaved out her chest as the strange inversion pulled back and the world returned to normal Moving under its influence was difficult but Skull Shadow who turned out not to be Randidly after all had been completely immobilized by its touch She raised a fist but the spell had completely vanished before she could strike in a blast of Nether the wounded Skull Shadow escaped

Rubbing the back of her neck Neshamah turned to look at the two rebels They had largely retreated while she fought against Skull Shadow but now they regarded her with abject fear They too seemed to have been completely frozen by that brief inversion

In the distance there was the strangest rushing noise like waves on the beach Otherwise they seemed completely alone in this pillar filled cavern with no roof

Neshamah decided she was too exhausted to attack them and looked forward again But her mind was racing That power that scope thatÆs an Authority Randidly Ghosthound condensed a genuine Authority Maybe heÆs really the one weÆve been waiting for

The new barrier was different than the first the light of its thin connections was much dimmer than the previously brilliant barrier But at the same time Randidly had enough spare attention to admire the way that the Patron of Truth spiraled out the supporting lines Rather than attempting to resist this foe directly with an inferior product it was clear she believed it more suitable to create a zone to steadily sap away the power of this beast

Then Randidly released the Authority and made to gasp but once more the restrictive sapphire liquid settled around him He floated without any motion completely inert and suddenly spent With its movement restored the serpent of black flames roared its pure fury and belched out a beam of fire

The fire sizzled through the intervening space and Randidly was abruptly struck by how particular you needed to be with your image to achieve such a distinct result through the haze of this sapphire liquid Then gushing black flames met the dim lines of energy the Patron of Truth had created

Vrrmm

Rather than any sort of impact it was a jarring resonance that resulted from the conflict Randidly winced even his powerful bones aching with the remnant effects Yet when the black fire began to fade the spiraling light fence remained with no lingering damage

The blast didnÆt possess enough mass The barrier held

You are truly powerful The Patron of Truth smiled at Randidly but her body seemed to be coming apart at the seams Her long limbs were dim after creating the barrier I must rest Thank you for your assistance

You RandidlyÆs image voice was unsteady pounding along with the pain in his skull He willed himself to speak with more clarity ignoring the pain Too much had happened too quickly he couldnÆt miss this opportunity to find out more information Why are you trapped here Did Elhume

He had The Patron of Truth offered one last tragic smile before disintegrating in the sapphire liquid That same blank look came over her as though she didnÆt see Randidly at all but another place No other choice

In the wake of the Patron of Truth whatever being remained sealed within this lake vigorously tried to test the defenses It unleashed blast after blast while Randidly floated and rather helplessly watched He would have been worried if it had been able to break through and reach him considering how spent he felt but the devouring black flames vanished without seeming to accomplish anything

Guiding the liquid around him Randidly closed his eyes and tried to ignore that being Unfortunately destroying the barrier also got rid of that image of Elhume Why were there three scenes that I saw Also there were only three figures that existed in all three of those scenes One of them had to be Elhume and it is likely that one was whatever Monarch remains here But who is the third figure One of the Patrons But several went with Elhume why is only one featured in this powerful memory

The Patron of Truth makes the most sense since she appeared in the lake to help rebuild the seal but that blurry figure didnÆt really resemble her Or perhaps its not a Patron at all but another figure

RandidlyÆs exhausted mind chewed on the possibilities for a while as far as I can tell Elhume is likely the first figure Due to the fact he says his power is necessary Æ likely talking about either this mysterious third figure or the Monarch Which means heÆs weeping in the pool forming the basis of this barrier Then heÆs sitting on the throne in the second scenario In the final scenario heÆs kneeling before the stairs well thatÆs a bit more confusing Also his first words above insanity and a broken eternity is he rebuking the Karma ordained individual

And who does that leave to be the blurry person

Randidly shook himself mentally Then he looked around at the gleaming sapphire liquid The trapped Monarch shifted its body and resentfully returned to its rest

I wonder Randidly considered His head continued to throb If I have enough time for a quick nap

Chapter 1869

ClaudetteÆs chest was heaving when she arrived at the base of the lighthouse Honestly referring to it as a lighthouse was a disservice to those functional buildings she had seen in other locations this was a spiraling staircase around a central pillar with some sort of treasure based light source at the top Her eyes traced the structure There were several platforms of woven energy at various elevations seeming to require different capabilities in order to pass through and ascend

But what made her heart grow cold was the figure that was currently halfway up the staircase And ascending every second

Kyl MacDuul squat and froglike turned and gave her a brief glance The corners of his mouth tilted up into a smirk as he reached one of the barriers ItÆs just business girl This is what was always meant to happen

Then he turned forward and said aloud to the gleaming barrier Her favorite color is Sapphire

The barrier flickered almost aggressively Kyl scowled and muttered several curses to himself His jowls shook Meanwhile the wave of adrenaline finally reached her nerves Claudette launched herself forward at the staircase herself forgetting briefly that she utilized RandidlyÆs body and almost crashing into the base of the structure

She regained her balance glanced worryingly at the places where the rising tide of black flames had eaten away at the foundation of the lighthouseÆ then looked at the small sign right in front of the entrance It had been penned by her father by hand

Congratulations worthy challenger your dedication to an alliance between my family and yours warms my heart But we cannot forget the true soul of this potential deal Claudette my lovely daughter If you are not taking her feelings into account I cannot in good conscience entrust her fate to you So this final test challenges your knowledge of her history and her tastes There are no punishments for incorrect answers but only by truly understanding her will you be able to reach the top

You For some reason this particular brand of faux concern was beginning to wear very thin on Claudette She clenched her fists a horrible frost skittering across her knuckles and up her arms How dare you consider me yours to surrender to anyone no matter what they know about me

I am not an object

Still at the very least Claudette was confident that she could quickly catch up considering the type of impediments She stepped onto the base platform and faced the first barrier A question floated in the energy barrier How old is Claudette

Seriously Despite the seriousness of the situation she couldnÆt help but be floored by the inane question She gritted her teeth and experimentally answered with just her thoughts IÆm 31

The barrier flickered and dispersed Claudette ascended quickly around the staircase even as she heard MacDuul speaking above If not sapphire perhaps indigo Ah excellent

The questions arrived in a condescending rain What was ClaudetteÆs favorite toy as a child What was the first thing that young Claudette gave Don Beigon as a gift Who was the person that Claudette looked up to most of all What was ClaudetteÆs worst fear

Trying not to dwell on the horrible farce of a test Claudette accelerated up the stairs Answers flowed quickly to the forefront of her mind Her tiny stuffed polar bear with the bells around its neck A paper flower Her mother Dying the same way that her mother had died

The last few steps released small novas of frost where her feet pressed against the stairs Swinging her blade she poured every ounce of frustration and bottled up emotion she had gathered over the thirty one years of her life All the dripping hatred and curdling resentment she felt toward her father exploded out through the weapon It cut into the barrier

You have always made me so proud to be your father A voice was suddenly whispering in ClaudetteÆs ear as she lurched forward expecting resistance and not encountering any Go on honey Seize your destiny DaddyÆs watching

Claudette stumbled forward off the staircase and onto a wide platform Kyl MacDuul who had been skulking back and forth before a wide obsidian platform now turned to face her He rotated in a lumbering ungainly way that worsened her disgust His thick eyebrows shot up as he looked at her Well I certainly didnÆt expect that you would be the first to catch me Interesting But with that image do you really think you can hold your own against me

Considering our future union I will be gentle in this first reprimand Kyl MacDuul continued He stepped toward her with his hands folded behind his back causing his belly to bulge forward A warm rolling prairie manifested in front of him The solid smell of sun warmed dirt rose and filled the platform I will even allow you the first strike

The words Claudette heard only distantly Her eyes were fixated on the treasureÆ that would determine her fate Her gaze went unfocused as a slew of memories rushed to the surface of her mind Of all things why would you use the token of that creature

Sitting at the top of the obsidian alter was a common copper coin stamped with the likeness of a certain being On that beingÆs homeworld it was the currency and that being a creature that had now risen to become one of the most powerful monsters that lurked in the Tier III of the Nexus had a soft spot in its heart for its home So it had given out the coins bearing its face in order to show when favors were lent or owed

It had been that being calling in an old favor that even Don Beigon hadnÆt been able to avoid that had taken ClaudetteÆs mother and transformed her into a puppet To this day that empty husk served the being

The seeping numbness in ClaudetteÆs body went deeper She felt immense That isolating liquid medium she had felt trapped by for so long now became a howling heart of frigid air that existed within every gesture When she moved that power the world would tremble and storms would be born

Kyl MacDuul raised a hand and beckoned her to approach Confidence made his image warm and ineffective against her Slowly Claudette shifted her grip on Clarent and raised it over her head But at the same time an even more profound shift was happening within Claudette

The blade Clarent had been created by her father in ClaudetteÆs image Her father had once been one of four Lightbringers but in his greed he wanted to be the brightest and most brilliant of all So he created Clarent to consume and seal away the other Lightbringers At the end of ClarentÆs journey the blade had fled and doomed the Lizakh people with its calamitous presence

And then the blade realized that the only solution was to kill her father Claudette released a gushing breath of chilling air For although she was the blade of destruction and doom his was the twisted heart that had wrought all of this In order to ensure that the universe would no longer suffer beneath his selfish whims he must die

Her emotions rose and resonated with Clarent Some last hidden barrier had existed between Claudette and Clarent but that paradoxically began to melt before this unified purpose The song of the blade of desolation became audible for all to hear rising in a mournful march Winds blasted out from ClaudetteÆs body painting the platform with thick crusts of snow and frost A small frown formed on MacDuulÆs face

Then she stepped forward her eyes black and empty all pupil and refusal to remain under Don BeigonÆs thumb any longer

Chapter 1870

Neshamah saw Tyune and Moonlight Blade rush past her hurrying up the spiral staircase to join the battle at the top The warm smell of soil clashed against a powerful blizzard the edges of that clash spilled over the edges and drifted down to their current position She let them pass only thirty or so seconds had passed since Kyl MacDuul had been the first to reach the top Allowing the three competitors to go up first and weaken each other was in their best interest

They had to acknowledge their position ClaudetteÆs team was not in a position of power here The best option would be to use their opponents against themselves

But at the same time Neshamah glanced upward and pressed her lips tightly together The snow wafting down from the upper level was thickening It even accumulated on those portions of the ground not being taken by the black flames Claudette certainly is going all out Was her image always that powerful Or is Randidly truly also talented in image refinement

Congratulations Your Skill The World Tree Sips from Every Realm has grown to Level 565

Randidly stirred Or rather his mind stirred A bleary pulse of wakefulness came through him flipping the switch to the rest of his consciousness

Being suspended in the sapphire liquid still kept him from utilizing his body and waking to that sensation sent a thrill of panic through him before he remembered where he was Then he smiled bitterly at his own behavior

Despite the pressing nature of ClaudetteÆs struggle he simply couldnÆt keep the exhaustion at bay after straining himself with his First Authority He had affected too many individuals and many of them had struggled and torn through his grip That had made this activation even more depleting than the first had been when he had no idea what he was doing This he had mobilized the full force of his significance To have that aspect of himself be spent was a uniquely torturous experience

So he allowed himself to sink into a few minutes of unconsciousness

Waking up now Randidly wondered if he had recovered to a useful degree His head continued to pound His mind felt fuzzy and clumsy like a newly born chicken The few strands of Nether that his Nether Core managed to produce listlessly circled through his body without grounding him much at all

Then Randidly discovered that he hadnÆt been awoken simply because his subconscious dedication to Claudette functioned as an alarm clock On the other side of the barrier seen by Randidly through the spiraling lines of dim light two individuals were floating As he watched they attempted several times to manifest their images with very little to show for their efforts It took them almost a minute to create something approximating an image and then when it spent itself upon the barrier it dissipated without leaving any mark

Although after watching the serpent of black flame fail to penetrate this barrier the Patron of Truth had constructed it was no wonder that these weak attempts failed

Gradually Yggdrasil continued to feed mental and physical energy to Randidly and the blurriness of his perception begrudgingly released its grip on him The two figures were on the other side of the barrier but they gradually resolved themselves into two of the rebels that had entered into the competition at the last minute including Allilia

Randidly began to spread out his own image so he could reposition himself wondering whether this was their purpose the whole time they intended to break into the sapphire lake and free this MonarchÆ Randidly supposed that if they had held this goal for a long time this opportunity was relatively unique the Skull of Truth did not appear very often in the public eye

But maybe thatÆs a foolish question it is exactly because of your connection with the founding of the Nexus that you were ordained to rule it Randidly mused still gazing lightly at the fire pillar so as not to be drawn into it But who could you be Where does that connection come from How long with this new barrier keep you here

And why did you help me after I held you down and allowed the Patron of Truth to lock the door

Then Randidly shook himself He had not gained many clear answers within the sapphire lake but he couldnÆt deny that he had gathered a lot of information He simply didnÆt understand how it all fitted together When he left this Skull of Truth he could consult the Patrons in his Alpha Cosmos they might be able to give him context based on the individuals and scenes he had seen With that he could plan for the future

For now he had a debt to pay Claudette needed his support

He spread a general image out to fill the top half of the sapphire lake Then he created a pressured jet of liquid that propelled him out of the depths He splashed out of the surface and heaved an instinctual gasp he didnÆt need to breathe with his Endurance and Uncommon Metabolism but being unable to breathe was still quite unpleasant

When he had recovered he looked around with a sharp gaze The nearby entrance to the next area had been reduced to smoking rubble But thankfully Devick wasnÆt waiting in ambush for him Randidly heaved a sigh of relief having to fight against her right now would waste time that he didnÆt have

Freed of the previous physical suspension Randidly reached up and rubbed his neck He twisted to crack his back but chortled at the lack of physical response the energy he had received from the Monarch had completely recovered him He was loose and flexible

He stretched in a few more ways then began to bound forward The sensation of movement filled him with a vigorous physical accomplishment His chest expanded as he sucked in a breath his senses spreading out through the ripples in the air examining the surroundings Now that Randidly had seen the barrier in the lake he understood the weird influence of this place that distance heavily eroded information So he relied solely on the ripples as he dashed forward through the broken entryway which he had no doubt had been shattered by Devick

As he moved forward he gathered the wind around him into a powerful slipstream His Motif of the Hungry Deep guided the flows of natural energy stabilizing the working with a powerful foundation of Nether His Nether Core was especially potent at the moment seeming to have made some vital connection after the repeated activations of his Authority

As I wield the Authorities Randidly thought solemnly as the wind whipped at his face They will change me That is how powerful and influential they are

Then he burst out of the base tunnel to a strange cavern filled with pillars However sizzling gouts of black flame erupted from one side eating away and causing several of the pillars to collapse

Randidly continued to lope forward leaping boldly over cracked and fallen pillars that still flickered with a strange sapphire hue He could tell that they possessed the same sort of blurriness that he had experienced in the lake which was exactly why Randidly kept his gaze forward and his momentum growing

His legs pumped to the point that he was a blur a massive storm of natural energy and Nether building behind him Ahead a vast sea of black flame dominated the area Without slowing he planted his foot with enough force to crack the ground and launched himself in a whistling arc toward his destination

Ahead he could sense the gripping chill of Clarent spreading out to cover a lighthouse Several other images were rising in contrast to it

Randidly narrowed his eyes His Nether seethed and roiled with all the potential force of an armed bomb IÆm coming Claudette

Chapter 1871

The vast midnight blackness of this isolated space spread above Randidly as he cruised through the air Winds whipped back and forth both from his streaking momentum and as he began to manipulate the flows of force The simple fact of his passage was enough to release potent waves of ripples that he gathered around himself like a cloak suppressing even the seething sea of black fire that surged below

He surfed toward the finale of this sick came riding a typhoon of wind

Congratulations Your Skill Cutting Tide of Amenonuhoko has grown to Level 642

I wonder if this is my fault The thought flashed across RandidlyÆs mind as he considered the seething tides of black flame that seemed intent on devouring the entire floor of the area Then he turned his attention upward and decided he had larger problems in front of him he felt several powerful images clashing against one another The grew increasingly damp and cloying He planted his foot while focusing on a surging emotional demand doing his best to imitate DevickÆs capabilities and accelerated enough to release a sonic boom

More wind whistled on his heels desperate to keep up

A bold lighthouse rose from the black flame waters releasing a veritable gold mine of ripples that Randidly sucked into himself His limbs crackled with crimson electricity as he forced his senses through the strange blur of the Skull of Truth

On top of the tower Claudette wielded Clarent like an unkillable berserker lashing out at both Kyl MacDuul and Tyune Her frigid blade left seething mist in its wake sheering through the broader images of her foes Both retreated before her clearly more concerned with each otherÆs movements than ClaudetteÆs However such was the power of the baleful song the blade of desolation released that they needed to take her seriously Randidly allowed himself a nod of relief at least for the moment there was parity on top of the tower

MacDuul waved a fat arm and a rising surge of pure earth elemental force gathered around him The richness of warm loam and the billions of small microorganisms that existed within topsoil all seemed to donate their power into his body causing him to double in size and reshaping his bone structure to resemble harsh granite The flat planes of his face made him seem stronger than his doughy form He raised a hand and halfhearted thrust out a grey palm

An amorphous and very clearly weakened ectoplasmic entity with a thousand legs stretched above Tyune lashing out with its tentacles and trying to destroy MacDuulÆs base of power It took a hundred tentacles to neutralize the palm releasing another feast of force ripples With Claudette adding the threat of an ambush both hesitated

Randidly stomped his foot and crossed half the distance to the lighthouse Time to shake things up

Congratulations Your Skill Conviction of the Celestial Cataclysm has grown to Level 601

The constant practice gave him the knack for weaving his emotional energy into solid footholes Randidly could finally support his physical prowess He couldnÆt entirely match DevickÆs complete lack of revealing image stirrings which allowed her to feint so effectively but he was finding the ways to make his body more relevant

If he was being honest with himself the fact that he had wastefully expended so much of his energy for so long left him frustrated Now he intended to wield his power effectively

A spectral tentacle slammed down on top of the wide meadow MacDuul conjured cracking the ground and shaking the one portion of the image The collision birthed more ripples RandidlyÆs muscles tightened as he gathered those image and natural force into himself preparing to arrive with a massive bang He surged closer and closer Randidly spotted Neshamah hurrying up below on the staircase around the lighthouse They made eye contact and she sent a message to him

There is a limit on that upper platform You need to stay there for five minutes before you can try and go up to get the treasure Neshamah explained MacDuul has been there the longest but he probably still has two more minutes You cannot fly in head to the base and climb up or youÆll run afoul of the DonÆs defenses Also here are the answers IÆve used to pass through get up as fast as possible

Randidly twisted and kicked upward He rebounded down like elastic lightning crashing toward the black flame covered base of the lighthouse He flared his flames of Nether Weight in preparation to suppress these black flames long enough to enter the staircase but they parted before him In his chest he felt the slightest lingering familiarity from the energy boost that still animated him from the Monarch

His surprise was enough that he took a step to gather himself and consider These black flames arenÆt exactly Nether but they arenÆt Aether either Some sort of blended mix of the two energies Yet they retain enough of Nether to recognize I was touched by their maker That Monarch perhaps its a good thing I didnÆt try and free him Only the Nether King makes me warier

Planting his foot Randidly bounded forward ignored the now almost completely burned sign and rushed up the staircase With the answers provided by Neshamah he ripped through half of the barriers in a flash

He unleashed a wave of Nether out from his body both that weakened the image attacks heading toward him and that stabilized his construction The swirling flows of energy accelerated His eyes flared with purple black revelation energy and his brainstem rapidly heated he needed the precise calculations for this first portion of his Nether activations to be perfect

Congratulations Your Skill Motif of the Hungry Deep has grown to Level 540

Congratulations Your Skill Motif of the Hungry Deep has grown to Level 541

After burning through much of his rejuvenated mental energy Randidly found the answer that he was looking for His flames of Nether Weight flowed outward along the pattern creating the illusion that a grey firestorm churned out from his position Randidly released a steaming breath and raised his head

Two quick pinches of Nether flared right next to Kyl MacDuul taking the fat man by surprise and causing him to stumble backward Randidly made a minute adjustment and unleashed another pinch This one smashed the fat man against the ground

Congratulations Your Skill Nether Sensation has grown to Level 657

Congratulations You have made a new achievement Synechdochence has been raised to 107%

The more he managed to push beyond 100% the more exaggerated the effects because With this brief flare RandidlyÆs Nether sucked all the emotional force out of the area and then shattered the relatively brittle remnants of the ill prepared MacDuulÆs wide meadow The image didnÆt collapse entirely but the attack lost all its momentum

Randidly turned to face Tyune pulling the powerful ripples from his Nether flares into his body He created four more flares around MacDuul to keep him busy but the retired military Commandant adjusted for the Nether attacks and strengthened the foundation of his meadow

Honestly Randidly didnÆt even care He just used the collisions between Aether and Nether for more power so he could seize the ripples from the impacts and pull them into the firestorm he wielded Wind Nether Weight and patterns combined into a whirling grey millstone that Randidly intended to use to grind them all to dust So when he pointed at TyuneÆs tentacles he unleashed a searing ray of annihilation that blended kinetic force blazing fury and HelenÆs insights into how organic patterns became currents

Tyune reacted more quickly emphasizing his image and deflecting the blast to the side

but Randidly just grinned Because the deflected blast passed Tyune harmlessly but it had also annihilated most of the tentacles that slowed down Claudette With the opening she used RandidlyÆs Dreadful Alacrity to close the distance and slash with the keening Clarent Tyune blocked the strike but ice began to form on his body

That attack did Claudette always possess such sharpness

Randidly turned his attention back to MacDuul when a voice spoke out from above Well well doesnÆt this look fun

His skin tingled with a tired resignation In a way he knew that this interruption would arrive eventually he just wished he had more time to prepare Randidly looked up with a solemn expression on his face In her own body Actus Suprem Devick floated above the lighthouse A metal mask hid her features leaving the watcher’s eyes to simply scan her long crimson hair Her body was covered in Military High Command finery leaving the viewer no confusion over her importance

She reeked of power and death Even with fifty meters between them her presence pressed against Randidly

She gestured at herself Oh this It just seemed less climactic when we fought with the same body So I convinced Don Beigon to allow me to change my choice ArenÆt you excited

Even through her mask Randidly felt the weight of her eyes as she scanned him ArenÆt you Randidly Ghosthound Because this time IÆm here just for you

Chapter 1872

DevickÆs voice sounded entirely sincere she was here for him

Somehow her genuine show of emotion didnÆt comfort Randidly in the slightest He knew that the reasons that she fixated on him were not good ones for his wellbeing either mental or physical

Randidly tore his gaze away from Devick if nothing else she needed to proceed through the process of ascending the tower to reach him Maybe she would even spar with Moonlight Blade giving him some extra time to prepare At some point his system of Nether and kinetic force would become self fulfilling even if he could only maintain Synecdochence below 100% Even now as he unleashed more flares of Nether his body crackled again with ready to unleash power

Bursts created ripples ripples flowed through his body and then spread out through the grey firestorm strengthening its effects A strengthened firestorm created superior Nether bursts which then generated additional ripples

Randidly clenched his left fist The beam he currently could unleash probably had more destructive force than either of his previous two If he could increase that scaling by the time she arrived

MacDuul regained his composure and released his image A portion of RandidlyÆs environmental storm was impacted by the rampant meadow immediately weakening the Nether flares that he could wield Grimacing Randidly churned out more and more Nether and prepared to attack MacDuul but Devick continued to speak as though all this chaotic combat was beneath her

Are you really just going to ignore me Your superior officer Well perhaps Wick was right about you needing some discipline

The mention of Wick being right sent a hot stab of anger into RandidlyÆs gut but he refused to allow himself to be distracted His focus was on MacDuul Ignoring the rapidly accumulating strain in his mind Randidly unleashed wave after wave of flaring pinches of Nether The Synechdochence was powerful enough to keep MacDuul on the defensive but Randidly couldnÆt get any advantage on him with just flares of Nether While ClaudetteÆs chilling hatred forced Tyune to retreat Randidly needed only thirty seconds

Each flare created more ripples which spiraled around him and strengthened the horrifying storm

Challenger I appreciate your enthusiasm A new automated message from Don Beigon spoke above them as Devick made some move His tone was jovial if slightly condescending However the only way to enter into this final area is by climbing

Strange wafting flakes of madness and the shattered remnants of the barrier tinkled down to disappear in the sea of black flames waiting below

Devick shattered the Engraving protections that enforced the rules of the upper level with such speed that none understood what had happened for several seconds Even more horrifying was the way that the grand Engraving seemed to gradually be unmade by whatever attack she unleashed The cracks spread out from her position and soon everything collapsed

Even the barrier around the final dais RandidlyÆs gaze flickered as he saw the strange coin waiting up there

All of the other challengers froze as Devick floated down to the platform Her golden mask pointed straight at Randidly she beckoned with a single finger Now that this small impediment is out of the way how about we figure out how much re education you need Are you prepared Mr Ghosthound And while we are at it letÆs root out the little pests hiding behind your back too

The two Unborn spirits keened their fear and took their worry out by gnawing on the soft flesh of his lower back In direct response to their anxiety Randidly felt the Stillborn Phoenix swirling itself into a massive size in his left eye wanting to seek revenge on this being that dared threaten the two kindred spirits that had chosen to remain with it

Randidly heard his heart in his ears pounding Time seemed to slow as his brain struggled to come up with the best way to proceed Especially since Devick had cracked this competition wide open The pressure she released toward him doubled without the barrier between them The featureless gold match made even him feel a shiver of fear

I donÆt need to beat her just for the game to end He told himself He straightened his spine and began to weigh the situation

Before Randidly had even arrived in the upper platform Claudette and Tyune had forced MacDuul slightly away from the dais with the treasureÆ Technically now that Randidly had so aggressively been attacking MacDuul he was the closest to the treasure But the fist of foreign dread that lodged itself in his chest made him very sure that Devick wouldnÆt let him simply run up to the coin and end this

Randidly had absolute confidence in his speed now even more solid as he grew more adept with DevickÆs methods But precisely because she had shown him those methods he had no confidence of using them against her

After utilizing his body she knew what he could accomplish

A part of him urged him to gamble anyway and rely on his physical body to withstand the inevitable counterattack from Devick but he knew that was beyond foolish his skin turned clammy as he remembered the strange corrosion her chains had left briefly on his skin before it had been cleansed by the sapphire liquid of the lake The same sort of corrosion that turned her casual punch into a force that unraveled the DonÆs entire Engraving No Randidly couldnÆt move easily or Devick would run wild

The air around her seemed to be dyed red with her madness but he could only see it out of the corners of his eyes Her presence warped space That he supposed was what it meant to have passed through the image fulfillment stage

A genuine Speculum now looked at him with ill intent

Kinetic force hadnÆt worked but what about borrowing anotherÆs image power Normally such a thing would be impossible but based on the similarities between the two

Nidhogg sank its fangs into the target meadow and took a corner of MacDuulÆs image became RandidlyÆs at least for a short amount of time Pressing a seed of the World Tree image into that warm ground Randidly whipped around and faced the ringing chain that aimed for his throat His three images roared The World Tree Sips from Every Realm The Ashen Doors to Pandemonium Unlock Breath of the Cosmos

All three images pounced upon the well of MacDuulÆs image power ripping handfuls of force and detail for themselves Like coals removed from a fire they quickly faded but much of the heat remained for a few moments Pinned by Nidhogg it couldnÆt even resist this pilfering

Dozens even hundreds of Skill Level notifications flashed in front of Randidly but he ignored them and urged his images to work more quickly Then the Grey Creature and the Stillborn Phoenix passed along their stolen power to Yggdrasil who swelled and exploded out of the image ground Its trunk thickened and darkened even as its roots wormed their way deeply into the image manifestation that MacDuul had made

The two images wove together using the shape that Randidly had painstakingly refined but powered by the force the retired Commandant had gathered over his career

MacDuul seemed too stunned to respond just gaping at the tree suddenly growing out of his image and draining his power

RandidlyÆs breath hissed through his teeth He felt the overwhelming power of this manÆs image but handling it with his Willpower was agonizing His eyes flashed with a strange blackness He couldnÆt handle this for long But for now

Randidly growled and attacked that horrifying chain Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil Piercing Gaze of the Egg The Wrathful Calamity Rends

If it hadnÆt been for the Nether storm he had made Randidly wasnÆt sure he could have survived utilizing that image potency The caustic Aether seared its way through his Soulspace barely prevented from crippling him by the thick foundation of his significance Then it was gone surging and burning its way forward

More Skill Levels blurred in front of him as symbiotic image roots exploded out of MacDuulÆs meadow containing the Stillborn PhoenixÆs lust for vengeance and the unflinching desire of the Grey Creature to survive The roots bulged and sizzled with grey lightning possessing an impossible amount of power for the current Randidly His emotions sang with those roots and even as his senses flickered and got burned away by the image he handled he existed totally in that effort to stop Devick

To put it simply it was a miracle

The impact shook the platform Randidly fell over his head pounding This activation of his First Authority had been much more concentrated which mean the effort wasnÆt so gargantuan but the target had also been extremely formidable Behind him he felt Nidhogg loosening its grip and the overpowered Yggdrasil slowly collapsing Yet he laughed he had spent everything and forced DevickÆs image to a draw

The chain now writhed and ripped its way through the collapsing roots to get at Randidly but it had been brought to a dead stop just for a moment And now

Descent of the Wolf God Moonlight BladeÆs rough howl cut through the remnants of the impact Suddenly he was loping across the cracked ground to catch up with Claudette and Tyune At the same time Tyune had given up on trying to reach the platform and just unleashed his attacks on Claudette to slow her down

Devick spared Moonlight Blade a glance and curled her lip up Then she shook her head and turned back to Randidly One idiot at a time Anyways Ghosthound you did it again you surprised me IÆm trying to decide if this new information makes it more or less likely that IÆll kill you right here

IÆm not just imagining it For a brief moment his forehead creased She definitely is dyeing the air red

Randidly tried not to let any emotion show on his face even as Claudette was dragged into a direct confrontation with Tyune The sallow beingÆs weirdly damp image didnÆt possess overwhelming force but the repeated solid attacks from its amorphous tentacles smashed apart the walls of frost that Claudette threw up Even with her sharp movements the overall power of her image was less than this old monster

Meanwhile Moonlight BladeÆs image grew more and more powerful as he charged A new note spread through his image creating a strange harmony of power And when he raised his claws

That sensation Randidly muttered to himself He felt a small strand of his own significance in this rising power It wasnÆt much but the energy was familiar With his significance as a counterweight Randidly probably could affect Moonlight BladeÆs attack

Alas you are too pretty I donÆt like the prospect of you remaining alive Devick announced She shook her masked face Perfection should be destroyed I like you entirely too much Perhaps if you had a broken nose or a few warts Well there is no point crying over it Accept your fate

A second attack Randidly thought to himself numb at the prospect But despite that he felt hope rising in his chest Claudette and Tyune clashed three times in quick succession Moonlight Blade raced to their position MacDuul sagged behind Randidly finally catching his breath Neshamah crouched behind Devick by the staircase

Devick pointed The sluggish chain accelerated once more

RandidlyÆs eyes were bright He didnÆt blink I just need to survive one more attack

Chapter 1873

A single mad strike Randidly didnÆt blink

DevickÆs chain exploded from stillness into motion aiming once more for RandidlyÆs heart However his mind continued to churn through his options in the current situation Despite using Seize earlier on MacDuul Randidly still possessed a significant portion of his significance and Nether using it with a single target lowered the difficulty by a lot He was tired but it wasnÆt as crippling as it had been in the past

In addition both the Stillborn Phoenix and the Grey Creature were itching to fight They still resonated clearly with the emotional energy he held Plus force still churned through his body swirling through the patterns in the grey firestorm At this point it was just coasting but he still had about two seconds before the chain would reach him That was enough to strengthen it

He had tools at his disposal He could mount a resistance And obviously he would

However his face off against Devick was only one piece of a larger puzzle And it was those ancillary details that posed the largest problems

First his Willpower felt like the corpse of a rose garden after a wildfire ravaged the area leaving only charred remnants and the horrifying recognition of how changed the landscape had become Handling the force of MacDuulÆs image had come with several steep debts He had seen his Marred Yet Reliable Foundation of Yggdrasil sky rocketing in Level as his brain choked down the power but for the moment he was weakened

Similarly Yggdrasil itself sluggishly gathered energy to RandidlyÆs body doing its best to help him recover but clearly struggling The core of the image had sustained damage handling that potency For the moment he was down an image

Congratulations Your Skill the World Tree Sips from Every Realm has grown to Level 692

The energy flow was slow but at least it was growing The chain released a ringing clink as it had crossed a quarter of the distance even compared to the speed of RandidlyÆs mind it was fast He watched its approach with half closed eyes If I need to I can use Moirae of Ripples Skillset to substitute as part of the triple image activation

However the obvious answer to halt DevickÆs attack

Behind Randidly Moonlight Blade howled and unleashed a stronger wave of primal force from his muscular body His wolves animated with bloodlust rushed forward at the dueling duo of Claudette and Tyune Tyune used his nearly infinite tentacles and the strange sticky humidity he added to the air to hem Claudette into a small area Clarent sung with destruction and released rippling waves of frost with each sweep and slash but the opponentÆs image wasnÆt made for power but for control

Beyond those fighters a coin sat on the dais waiting for someone to claim it

The obvious answer is to simply Seize her chain with my remnant mental energy and stop it but I donÆt dare Randidly stared intently at DevickÆs blank golden mask He released a surge of Nether that reanimated his firestorm Flames of Nether Weight sprung across the whole of his body emphasizing his efforts in that magical way that Nether possessed Because thatÆs the reason sheÆs chasing me like this isnÆt it Not because she lost when we dueled with my body or because I disrespected her by refusing to answer but because for a brief instant when I activated the First Authority earlier it stilled her

Damnit Even more obnoxious is how she practically tore my psyche in half in response Yet sheÆs the one with a grudge

Yggdrasil was weakened but as Randidly straightened the golden veins in his body glowed with a bold declaration of resistance His other image physicalizations concentrated their power unwilling to be outdone The left side of RandidlyÆs face succumbed to a swirling black hole Along the event horizon light turned milky and sizzled with dangerous electromagnetic discharge

Along RandidlyÆs arms and legs the natural armor of the Grey Creature covered his limbs The sharp lines and glossy chitin thickened and hardened becoming lighter and more powerful as it drank from the significance of this moment

The chain crossed the halfway point between Randidly and Devick Moonlight Blade unleashed his vicious attack The fabric of space rippled with the passage of his image his proclivity for violence on full display

At nearly the same moment a new surge of foreign Nether gushed into RandidlyÆs body He swayed not because he had been attacked but because he hadnÆt expected such a wave of significance to make itself available to him

Congratulations Your Skill Breath of the Cosmos has grown to Level 511

The grey firestorm died in a sigh leaving a curiously silent platform Randidly had gulped his creation down in its entirety Then the frantic action of this last struggle reasserted itself in a surge of noise

Moonlight BladeÆs ripped forward on its new vector a pack of hungry wolves loping in its wake For a brief moment RandidlyÆs scarred Willpower proved insufficient to manage the force he had sucked in from the surroundings he was managing too many things and his wounds from handling MacDuulÆs power still left him shaky But just in time he snapped back into focus His skin ripped open and oozed as he transferred the intense force he had absorbed but he teemed with raw power

Behind him Kyl MacDuul inflated his fist into a massive boulder and threw a haymaker at the small of RandidlyÆs back RandidlyÆs mouth quirked Do you think force will matter against me Right now you are small potatoes

He didnÆt have the control to release that ferocious amount of natural energy in any direction but the targets were close enough that it didnÆt matter He became the epicenter of a wave of pure kinetic energy blasting out in a wall of light heat and power MacDuulÆs heavy fist jolted to a stop and then was tossed back Unfortunately DevickÆs chain cut right through the power barely slowing down at all

The phantom of the Grey Creature superimposed itself over RandidlyÆs body It wore his face a tail flicking side to side at the base of his neck and his waist It watched the chain with serious eyes The spines from the duplicated Sulfur flew out and activated their Domain power to slow the chain

Congratulations Your Skill Resonant Fangs of Extinction has grown to Level 536

Congratulations Your Skill Resonant Fangs of Extinction has grown to Level 607

five spines shattered earning him enough Skill Levels to grow a sixth That whipped forward and was brutally destroyed by DevickÆs attack too The chain had slowed but the horrifying rust colored madness seemed to burn all the brighter for RandidlyÆs resistance It lashed out impacting the projection of the Grey Creature directly

Randidly mobilized his images in a triplicate activation Chimeric Impunity Cosmic Necessity Philosophy within the Boundless Deluge

Randidly used Philosophy within the Boundless Deluge to layer the physical power of the Stillborn Phoenix and the impunity of the Grey Creature to further weaken the attack It worked to an extent

For a brief moment

A slew of Levels in Chimeric Impunity blinded Randidly before the projection shattered The weakened chain cut forward and ripped into RandidlyÆs chest directly and dove into his body Instantly his flesh burned and turned clammy On the other side of the platform the adjusted attack from Moonlight Blade ravaged TyuneÆs image without impacting Claudette at all leaving the attacker somewhat stunned at the ill aimed assault

And as though she had predicted the entire exchange Claudette used RandidlyÆs powerful body to practically appear in front of the hesitating wolfman Before he or his cloak of spectral wolves could react Clarent buried itself up to the hilt in Moonlight BladeÆs chest The horrifying storm of ClaudetteÆs image turned him into an ice statue

She spun away and crossed the last few meters to the dais but someone else was there smiling apologetically down at Claudette

It was always meant to be this way Neshamah said softly But IÆm sorry it had to end like this You really were so close

She reached out for the coin In RandidlyÆs chest DevickÆs chain wept madness and curled toward his heart His powerful flesh slowed the advance but it could not stop it

Chapter 1874

This isnÆt exactly my body just an excellent copy Randidly tried to reassure himself as he felt his muscle systems and Nether flows being invaded by the rampant madness The burning and itching grew stronger even as he watched Neshamah reach out to take the coin What jolted him out of his moment of blank surprise was the two unborn spirits rising within him and beginning to slow the spread of malicious energy through his body

RandidlyÆs gaze sharpened this betrayal was unexpected but not an impossible threat While he began making his last minute preparations he fixated on the invasion of his body She shouldnÆt discover the Alpha Cosmos this way Still better not to die in this body So the most intelligent move might be to allow Neshamah to take the coin

Skill Levels for the unborn rapidly accumulated as those two insubstantial horrors valiantly fought against the spreading madness They managed to keep it away from RandidlyÆs mind even while his body became increasingly tainted by the rust colored energy One hundred Skill Levels two hundred three hundred a ridiculous amount accumulated in only 2 seconds their determined efforts allowing the small beings to catch up to RandidlyÆs highest Skill Levels

That was how horrifying an attack Devick unleashed

Randidly twisted and focused on Neshamah His face twisted into a frown At the same time this isnÆt how I want this to end Neshamah was the donation of energy just a distraction so I didnÆt pay attention to you You are quite decisive Now I donÆt feel so bad about taking all that significance for myself

But I do have one last card

Randidly ignored the chaos of his own self and flooded a preprepared Engraving pattern with Aether Just in case he had used the periphery of his storm to lay down the foundation to reactivate Don BeigonÆs defensive fortifications for the tower He hadnÆt planned on using it to stop Neshamah but

Aether flooded out of him and the Engraving activated But Randidly quickly went pale the Engravings he now reactivated had been designed as barriers Sure he could now keep out those who tried to pass before the five minutes were up but since Neshamah was already so close to the coin he felt helpless He had no choice but to watch her stretch out her arm

The unborn began to shriek as the chain twisted and tightened threatening to pop them like unwanted zits as it carved a path toward RandidlyÆs heart

Then from the depths of this duplicated body knowledge appeared in RandidlyÆs desperate mind He knew the secrets of all the DonÆs Engravings in the Skull of Truth he understood them with just as much acuity as though he had designed them himself By instinct he adjusted the Engraving patterns on the fly to reject all failures within their confines

Finally Randidly neared his mental limit But he refused to fail now

Congratulations Your Skill Architecture of the Primordial Ways has grown to Level 646

Neshamah squawked as she was thrown off of the dais Don BeigonÆs laughed boomed out Silly competitor DidnÆt you hear the rules It requires five minutes before you can take this treasure

Claudette blurred forward and Randidly adjusted the barrier again his mind rapidly heating Due to the strain his vision began to blur Moonlight Blade exploded sending a spray of ice bits in every direction In his chest he could feel that the Unborn were about to be unborn quite literally by DevickÆs spiteful madness Claudette passed through the barrier

IÆll make an attempt on the Pinnacle Perhaps the first true attempt in a long time The Don answered in a quiet voice His timber had enough solemnity that even RandidlyÆs nausea was briefly quelled An attempt in which I believe I have a genuine chance of succeeding After others witness the beginning of my ascension I have no doubt that they will seek to use you to strike at me It is unavoidable that is the way of the Nexus

You intend to ignore ElhumeÆs prohibition on the Pinnacle Claudette frowned

Don Beigon snorted Have you heard from Elhume recently The state of the Nexus is not as simple as you know Devick is restoring some order using the worst sort of methods but if you ask the right people none have seen Elhume in quite some time For the next several months he will be indisposed as he crafts a tool he dearly needs

That earned RandidlyÆs attention He straightened and wiped a bit of vomit from his mouth How will your attempt to reach the Pinnacle be different then And where did Elhume go

When Don Beigon now fixed Randidly with a glare the emotional force in his blazing eyes sent the feeble Randidly staggering back You You believe you have the right to ask questions after I gave you time to recover in spite of you dooming my daughter Heh if I didnÆt think that Devick or Wick will soon handle you IÆd rip out your eyes and string them on a necklace Then IÆd give that necklace to Claudette so youÆd be forced to see first hand what they will

Father Claudette stepped up and put her hand on RandidlyÆs shoulder Her fingers were cool giving Randidly a measure of relief Of course that relief quickly became nausea again and he stepped to the side and noisily voided the lingering acidic bile of his stomach This time at least the coloration seemed more normal Plus there was less blood in the vomit

Claudette spared Randidly a glance but then looked at the Don His first question is a good one

Shaking his head the Don turned back to his daughter The Path to the Pinnacle can be considered the shortcut used originally by Elhume when he relied on the Nexus to reach the Pinnacle It supplies one of the three necessary elements of the true Pinnacle a foundation However there are other methods to creating such a foundation

Since you seem curious Again the Don shot a sneering glance in RandidlyÆs direction IÆll give a bit more explanation A foundation an image and a perfect moment These are the three things that you need Most of the recent attempts rely on the foundation of the Path to the Pinnacle and skimp on the other two But IÆve made my preparations for a long long time As I said previously the Beigons do not forget their debts

A perfect moment Claudette tilted her head to the side

Don Beigon wheeled himself around Then he spoke to his daughter without turning to face her A shadow fell across the back of his wheelchair We may be allies but that does not mean I am willing to share all the information I possess with you There are some things that you need to discover on your own Especially now that you have refused my assistance

Your assistance was life as a kept bride for one of a half dozen monsters ClaudetteÆs voice hummed with the echoes of Clarent Did you truly think that was for the best If you were me would you have accepted such an arrangement

RandidlyÆs mind continued to consider the phrase perfect momentÆ How strange It isnÆt anything IÆve heard before but a perfect moment that seems a lot more like a Nether element than an Aether one Does that mean you need a Nether Core to reach the Pinnacle

I would not have accepted Don replied And it was exactly that sort of foolhardy decision that resulted in DianeÆs death I would not have been able to live with making that same choice again

Then he rolled away casting a long string of words over his shoulder As one last favor both of you may remain here for as long as you like Speak to the staff when you wish to return to the Nexus Because I suspect this will be the last chance for both of you have especially you Mr Ghosthound for a moment of peace I hate it but you have taken a half step into the realm of the players of power in the Nexus Good luck

Chapter 1875

The first thing that Randidly did in the wake of DonÆs departure was check in on Claudette she shrugged off his soft questions and favored him with a joking glare She put her fists on her hips and looked him up and down Take care of yourself first Ghosthound You realize you look like a plague bearer right I could catch something from you like this

Randidly looked down at his vomit spattered front and dirty bare feet In addition most of his shirt had been ripped away in the fighting Which only served to emphasize the massive enflamed rash across his chest where DevickÆs attack had briefly penetrated his body Truly he didnÆt look very healthy

His stomach bubbled uncomfortably reminding him that he didnÆt feel very healthy either

So he moved a little down the beach giving Claudette some space and himself some privacy Then he waded out into the sea the water feeling surprisingly warm on his skin as he rubbed away the lingering sick that had dried on him At the same time he sent a message to the Patron of the Sun asking about the visions he had seen within the barrier erected by Elhume He described the three individuals and the three scenes the pool the great hall and the staircase

Even now those strong figures and the words they spoke to each other haunted him

Then Randidly returned to the sand beach and collapsed for one of his naps As he drifted off to sleep he felt somewhat bitter in his heart He unleashed a massive sigh and rolled onto his side IÆm really not a big fan of naps ItÆs just this First Authority leaves me so

When he awoke he had received a reply from Patron of the Sun Unfortunately it didnÆt contain any useful information

As I explained previously none of us were included on the expedition to slay the ordained being of karma But considering the context it is very likely that black haired young man is exactly that intimidating individuals The three scenes you saw were also unfamiliar to me none of the other Patrons recognized the locations you described or who might be speaking based on the words

However I might be able to provide some insight into the behavior of that ordained being of karma who assisted you This is a being that exists by deserving everything it receives This provides them with domineering power but there are also esoteric restrictions on their actions Consider their behavior as perhaps a way to lay the foundation for their eventual escape

Especially after having so many complex and confusing interactions with Don BeigonÆs system of favors this possibility made Randidly shiver He pushed himself up in the sand and hoped that the Don was able to remove the rebels from his Skull of Truth and he wouldnÆt have one more bad guy to handle in order to keep Expira safe from dangerous influences

Just as he was going to head back over to Claudette a familiar feeling rose in his chest Reign of the Eidolon Crucible activated Shrugging to himself resigning himself to another instance of him sleeping in and making Claudette wait Randidly laid himself down and let the Skill carry him away

Very quickly he felt a sense of relief that he could find no traces of DevickÆs madness amongst the images of Kharon Of course it was possible that her lingering parasites were waiting in his current form for his return to his body but that meant he had time to prepare

At the very least his mind was clear

He soon arrived on the streets of Kharon standing tall and proud on the grand steps in front of City Hall The thoroughfares around him were packed with insubstantial bodies of the population He sensed confusion from many of them truthfully it had been quite some time since the last Eidolon Crucible Quite a few new arrivals marveled at this strange mass dream However he once more felt a steel core that formed the spine of their resistance

A group of specter people with the distinct tang of Tatiana and Derek Moss at their head marched forward through the crowd and pointed at Randidly They released a silent roar and suddenly Kharon mobilized both its collective image and its individual ones aiming to attack Randidly and shred him to pieces

This time The powerful roar of the populace said This time we shall overcome you We have grown

Randidly smiled considering for several seconds which of his recently learned lessons to teach the people of Expira Then he shook his shoulders to rouse himself and began to weave a storm around him

This was not his usual storm of natural force but instead Randidly tugged at the emotional energy in the surrounding dream After dealing with Devick and Don Beigon who both wielded emotional force effortlessly he understood how surprisingly practical the hidden half of Aether truly was It drew less attention than shape but its flexibility and adaptability more than made up for that

The attacks rushed toward Randidly but he was in no hurry He traced the lines of emotional resonance and used his insight from Synechdochence to create a proper environment Then just as the strikes were about to land he used his superior emotional leverage to rip away the emotion leaving them as unmoored shapes

Congratulations Your Skill Reign of the Eidolon Crucible has grown to Level 402

Congratulations Your Skill Conviction of the Celestial Cataclysm has grown to Level 605

The insubstantial building projections began to sway as Randidly stole away emotional force and became the center of a monstrous force of nature The image attacks slowed as they were buffeted by the flows of emotion and they bounced harmlessly away when they reached the core area Without emotion steadying them they couldnÆt even touch him

Randidly grinned Then he unleashed the building emotional force tearing down the buildings and blasting away the spectral population

Congratulations Your Skill Reign of the Eidolon Crucible has grown to Level 521

Willpower 2079

Intelligence 1385

Unnatural Capacity 1267

Fidelity of the Ascendent Moirae 2499

Focus 1452

Weight 1101 (+61) (+70) (+52) (+49) (+80) (+63)

Scope 16 309

Influence 1 502 966

Synechdochence 110%

First Authority Seize

Skills (Soul Skill) Figure of the Alpha Cosmos Lvl 147 500 (Next 160 000)

Combat Heavy Blow Lvl 234 Block Lvl 227 Calculated Blow Lvl 249 Roundhouse Kick Lvl 197 Idiosyncratic Cut (Un) Lvl 226 Stalemate Breaker Lvl 242 The March of Ruin and Valor Lvl 201 (Domain) The Resonant Fangs of Extinction Lvl 535

Moirae of Ripples Cutting Tide of Amenonuhoko Lvl 642 Unpredictable Eddy Lvl 435 Dragon QueenÆs Sinister Tongue Lvl 520 Philosophy within the Boundless Deluge Lvl 605 Motif of the Hungry Deep Lvl 541

LoBW Class Skills Earthquake (Un) Lvl 148 Erode Image Lvl 100 SpriggitÆs Tinkering Lvl 257 Aether Understanding Lvl 236 Aether Infusion Lvl 47 Conviction of the Celestial Cataclysm Lvl 605 Fruit of the Planting of Enmity Lvl 49 Cycle of the Gloomy Wood Lvl 45 Lancers of the Baleful Crusade Lvl 451 Torch of Fast and Slow Silences Lvl 331 Sigil of an Approaching Fate Lvl 266

Kismet of the Evolving Creature Chimeric Impunity Lvl 509 The Wandering Deity Demands Lvl 410 Grit of the Ascendent Bane Lvl 433 Maelstrom Entity Approaches Lvl 470 The Ashen Doors to Pandemonium Unlock Lvl 501 The Vindictive Chimera Smites Lvl 395 The Wrathful Calamity Rends Lvl 656 The Grey Creature Glimpses Providence Lvl 432

The Stillborn Phoenix A Star that Prayed it would be Reborn Piercing Gaze of the Egg Lvl 569 The Tug of Tragic Silence Lvl 378 Cosmic Necessity Lvl 561 Hallucination of the Bloodless Heart Lvl 508 Breath of the Cosmos Lvl 511 Stigma of the Stillborn Phoenix Lvl 425 Revelation of the Atramentous Threshold Lvl 500 Cursed Fates of the Unborn Duo Lvl 886

Aether Skills Aether Detection Lvl 356 Aether Manipulation Lvl 302 Living Aether Lvl 265 System Interference Lvl 88 Aether Surgeon Lvl 104 Lesser Aether Inoculation Lvl 363

Crafting Architecture of the Primordial Ways Lvl 646 Touch of the Ghosthound Scrawl of the Ghosthound Lvl 275

Yggdrasil the Universe that was First a Tree The World Tree Sips from Every Realm Lvl 692 Aureate Arteries of Yggdrasil Lvl 599 YggdrasilÆs Unruly Ichor Lvl 416 Marred Yet Reliable Foundation of Yggdrasil Lvl 636 the Inscrutable Mien of Genesis Lvl 403 the Inexorable Toll of Exodus Lvl 392 Reign of the Eidolon Crucible Lvl 521 Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil Lvl 492

Auxiliary Yggdrasil Soul Seed Inspiration Burning Footsteps Lvl 223 Cooking Lvl 101 Aether Connection Lvl 21 Soul Bond Lvl 475 Nether Modification (Domain) Crossroads of the Alpha Cosmos Lvl 361 Connection to the Alpha Cosmos Nether Sensation Lvl 657 Precise Nether Ritual Lvl 498 Left Hand of the Nether Oracle Level 570 Right Hand of the Nether Polymath Lvl 599

In total almost eight thousand PP RandidlyÆs eyes glittered Once I spend that IÆll only be five thousand away from another PP Tithe

However just as he felt himself relaxing he received a message from Commandant Wick

Considering your recent actions in this Beigon debacle I am initiating a formal disciplinary inquiry against you Mr Ghosthound Please report to my office in the next six hours so you might be judged

Chapter 1876

Congratulations Your Skill Cursed Fate of the Unborn Duo has grown to Level 887

Randidly spared a wry glance for the notification that popped up in front of him as he read Commandant WickÆs message A vicious smile warped his face as he focused down on the dirty knuckles of his hands In the end this is definitely more complicated than just a disciplinary hearing if the Skill relating to Devick activated in response to a message from Wick But even if this matter isnÆt simple

His emerald eyes flashed A horrifying suffocating sensation a combined experience of being set alight and being smothered by the thickest smoke engulfed him Once more he witnessed HelenÆs twisted body ripped open and displayed like a gruesome trophy After advancing so much in order to help Claudette Randidly felt like he was getting close to being able to rival Wick in terms of power And he was very tired of running away from the cruel man who had hurt Helen as a message to him

I could avoid the hearing refuse to meet with Wick Randidly spoke out loud slowly however he will then have more justification within the framework of Military High Command to punish me Maybe even enough that Devick will help him IÆm still definitely far from being ready for her Shit and the fact that she left the message of Good JobÆ with Don Beigon Hah Best not think about it If I meet with Wick this is a trap definitely But what sort of trap

It was a very real possibility that Wick would have another person associated with Randidly already captured to be used as an in person demonstration as to the consequences of Randidly humiliating him Wick would gladly murder another person in order to goad Randidly into attacking him therefore justifying a full on confrontation Or perhaps he was just trying to upset Randidly so he made some sort of mistake in the conflict

Randidly believed he had most of his close supporters protected within the Alpha Cosmos but it would still be extremely uncomfortable to watch Wick torture someone else he knew He couldnÆt protect everyone

Damnit Randidly muttered and raised his head to rub his eyes

This left aside the most dangerous proposition for why the meeting was being held now there had always been something extremely possessive about the way Wick looked at him He had even suggested that Randidly come under him directly in some sort of weird symbiotic relationship At the time Randidly had rejected out of hand Now that he understood the strangeness of Devick who instructed Wick as well as the madness and rigid control the Commandant maintained over his image a new possibility emerged in RandidlyÆs mind

Commandant Wick is an amalgamation of souls RandidlyÆs expression was grim IÆm not sure how the process would work but it likely is based on DevickÆs ability to create a child from imprinting So this whole time Wick has been raising me to become some sort of nutrient for him Based on how I could use my physical form to suppress him he might think IÆm nearing full ripenessÆ

Then the emotional influence is likely purposeful The more upset and fixated upon him I am the stronger the connection between us This soul grafting process definitely relies upon some amount of Nether to function so that connection is important But even if I know that

Obviously Randidly remained slightly partial to the Determined Path It hadnÆt granted him any rewards so far but he knew that there would likely be a treasure waiting for him at the end of the PP hole However that might not be until Determined X or even further So for now he set that option to the side

In terms of his current accomplishments Randidly felt quite tempted by both Throne of Nether Homage I and Violent Currents of Amenonuhoko Now that he had obtained the First Authority through his Nether Core that Path felt even more tempting to him Similarly much of his other capabilities relied on his Moirae of Ripples Skillset as a base And that Skillset stemmed mostly from Cutting Tide of Amenonuhoko Increasing the effectiveness of that Skill would definitely provide a wholistic improvement to his capabilities

At the same time the two new Paths intrigued him Cerebral Refinement was likely a direct result of al the overheated brain activity his Nether flares required Meanwhile Long Shadow of Accumulating Tragedy felt like it was connected to the ballooning Skill Level for Cursed Fates of the Unborn Duo Considering that they had managed to resist DevickÆs influence at least for a short while they deserved more of his attention

Randidly tapped a finger against his lips Unfortunately Cerebral Refinement has a hidden cost But with almost eight thousand PP I probably can weather most prices Hum Better to start with what I definitely need

First Randidly poured twenty five hundred into the Violent Currents of Amenonuhoko Path Every 100 PP he spent earned him 2 Fidelity of the Ascendant Moirae and 2 Focus

Congratulations You have finished the Violent Currents of Amenonuhoko Path The currents of energy through which you wade have pulled you in various directions but your dedication to your Path has kept your aim true As you advance you gain experience As experience gathers you recognize patterns and manipulate repetition So long as you continued to advance even if the depth of forces around you continues to increase you will never be blown off course

Congratulations Willpower +300 Your Skillset Moirae of Ripples has absorbed the benefit A slight increase in effectiveness to Cutting Tides of Amenonuhoko All other related Skills receive an extremely minimal boost Unfortunately the reward for this Path is insufficient to upgrade the Rarity of any Skills Continue finishing Paths relating to this Skillset in order to reach new heights

Randidly clicked his tongue somewhat disappointed that he didnÆt earn any new Skills and also had to take another related Path to experience a tangible benefit All told it earned him 400 Stats but it was a lackluster reward

After considering his other options he settled upon the mysterious Cerebral Refinement That ended up costing three thousand PP and gave him 2 Intelligence and 2 Wisdom every 100 PP spent

Congratulations You have completed the Cerebral Refinement Path You have pushed your mind to its physical limits and provided such abundant energy that it has begun to shift The Path you walk is lined with impossible challenges to overcome them you have turned your attention inward and have begun to overcome yourself

Congratulations Focus +200 Detecting resonance examining options Congratulations Due to accumulated image fragments your Stat Focus has evolved into Exquisite Piety Your worship of natural energy and observation of its holy rituals has been rewarded

My worship RandidlyÆs mouth twisted The crab wandered up to his chest and considered the value of making a home in RandidlyÆs armpit

Chapter 1877

The Level 59 Crushgrip Crab leader of the location population and generally the most powerful entity in this corner of the sea had initially believed that some new entity was invading its territory when it saw the froth and bubbles and felt the heavy impact on the ground However after a thorough exploration and several liberal pinchings it could only conclude that while this thing looked like a surface dweller it was just a likeness to those chaotic flesh bags In fact this thing was made of some super durable material

Rather than a biological being it seemed some incredible metal object

Considering the imposing resemblance to the accursed surface dwellers the Crab was quite pleased with this discovery It scuttled up to its shoulder areaÆ and proudly looked around able to see the drifting kelp fields the endless trench and even the cave that housed the Deepsea Horror All of the Crushgrip CrabÆs surrounding world was laid out before it

Best of all he stood atop a being that resembled its greatest predator There were no finer pleasures in life than this

Its eyes brightened as it gazed at the small stone cluster in which its greatest critic lived It scuttled sideways down its new edifice and approached the rivalÆs home releasing a telepathic impulse Lessor Crushgrip is your grip strong

Greater Crushgrip may your grip always be sure After a long pause the telepathic reply came The critic being a Level 58 Crushgrip Crab came out of his hole almost unwillingly It clicked its claw twice Unfortunately I am quite in the middle of some business

This wonÆt take very much time at all The leader Crab replied cheerily It gestured with its minutely larger claws swirling the water in the area Have you seen my new dwelling You simply must visit with me Come come It will only take a few minutes of your time and the views are definitely worth it

The business the weaker crab replied rather listlessly but the more dominant figure simply clomped onto the otherÆs claw and dragged it the rest of the way out of its rock pile Then it excitedly led the other up to the surface dweller statue and climbed up onto the highest point to show off its view

The weaker crab experimentally lowered its claw and pinched the surface of the edifice Its claws could rip away some scrap material likely accumulated detritus from its sinking into the sea that the leader Crab intended to clean later but the main material it couldnÆt damage at all Despite its earlier unwillingness he got caught up in the failure of their claws How is this possible Why is it so powerful that I cannot squeeze it

Yes well We all have certain immutable deficiencies The leader crab said airly It seemed unnecessary to bring up that it also couldnÆt pinch this edifice Instead it gestured with its claw But please feel free to stay as long as you like and admire the view IÆll be back presently I have a few more individuals IÆd like to invite to see my new home

RandidlyÆs attention remained focused inward scanning himself with a fervent dedication that he hadnÆt previously possessed He could feel himself practically humming along with the task Of course the irony was that he was currently trying to understand the evolution to Exquisite Piety which had previously been Focus so the whole hearted intensity he now possessed attempted to fold its function processes around to get a good look at itself

It was the zeal and religious associations discussed in the notification that left Randidly somewhat confused and suspicious Why had the System judged his recent associations with Moirae of Ripples to be vaguely religious

His Nether Core spun creating a dense network of the energy of connections that allowed him to follow and trace the influences that helped shape this new Stat And Randidly couldnÆt deny that his new Focus was extremely helpful for gathering and categorizing information The fanaticism with which he pursued his goal felt somewhat frightful

Congratulations Resistance and Willpower +50 The efficacy of the Skill Cursed Fate of the Unborn Duo is slightly increased It is slightly easier for the projections to achieve a corporeal form

He didnÆt hesitate

Congratulations You have completed the Long Shadow of Accumulating Tragedy IV Path Mud water and chill have risen to engulf the whole of your experience Sloshing forward becomes the only sort of movement available You may forge a Path but no obvious answer remains for how to proceed You lean forward and brave the violent elements Again you feel yourself being tested by the horrifying forces around you

This time as he completed the fourth Path Randidly very literally felt the System examining his body as he received the notification A ghost of a frown drifted across his face Would the reward be different if I didnÆt have this powerful body Or is it a matter of significance that protects me

Either way Randidly seemed to pass with flying colors and the next portion of the notification revealed itself to him

Congratulations You have forced your way forward The ground rises beneath you and you near the edge of the horizon behind which the source of the tragedy lurks You feel the fear coming from the Unborn Duo When the reward from reaching this point comes to you there is a choice shall you absorb the reward yourself or donate it to the Unborn Duo

You have chosen to donate the reward to the spirits you harbor Congratulations +5 to All Stats Continue to advance at your own risk because you will soon come face to face with a great danger

The Long Shadow of Accumulating Tragedy V Path cost 1000 PP but Randidly didnÆt mind He had donated the reward to the spirits in hopes that the final result would be for the best Before he poured away this last chunk of PP he stirred his Nether Core and wove especially thick Nether from the significance he had received from Neshamah At the very least he wanted to be prepared for another test from the System

Considering the specter of Devick lay across this Path he didnÆt dare underestimate it

Congratulations You have completed the Long Shadow of Accumulating Tragedy V Path Your feet have carried you through bogs mires blizzards lakes seas and the deep shadow You crest the horizon and look over into the darkness that waits beyond all thresholds Of course to glimpse the tragedy is to have the tragedy glimpse you

It smiles in anticipation

Randidly gritted his teeth and shook feeling a physical impact as some foreign influence slammed into his body It wasnÆt significance per se and it wasnÆt a physical attack but it incorporated elements of both to pressure even him to the point that he was helpless The pressure continued to build and Randidly heard the loud pounding of his heart in his ears

However just as the grasp of that shadow seemed ready to pop Randidly the two unborn slugs within him began to swell in response They still appeared mishappen and poorly formed their bodies like rotting sacks of grain and their eyes and mouth jagged and triangular but they expended themselves bitterly to defend him

Observing them Randidly was oddly touched Then he mobilized his preprepared Nether joining in the fight against the test of this Path Under the combined assault of him and the two spirits they soon banished the invasion into his person The shadow snarled and howled but was forced to recede

Chapter 1878

Congratulations You have overcome the tragedy that lurked beyond the horizon at least for the moment It has withdrawn fled once more to the edge of the world an even deeper depth from which it may accumulate more sinister significance But let it never be said that surviving and continuing further down the Path hasnÆt been rewarded You have triumphed and therefore will grow

Congratulations Willpower and Resistance +300 Congratulations Your Skill Cursed Fate of the Unborn Duo has evolved into The Twin Lingering Shadows of Misfortune Skill Levels will be maintained The capabilities of the Skill projections are greatly increased The bad luck you accumulate by hosting them is slightly increased but the spirits may much more actively devour that bad luck for you The spirits may more easily devour other strange forces to grow more powerful

Randidly released a breath and relaxed The reward in terms of Stats was massive but Randidly could also feel how much more freely the Unborn spirits could move They manifested on his lower back seeming to celebrate their newfound physicality

His mouth twisted as he opened his eyes Why the hell are they still gnawing on my skin

An additional surprise waited for him as Randidly came back to awareness of his undersea location There was a Level 58 crab sitting on his shoulder which looked at him with increasing alarm as he moved Shaking his head Randidly brushed the crab off him and then launched himself upward with his power it felt like bullying to crush the small crab

He erupted from the water expecting to be able to dry himself off once he left the ocean but the storm continued to rage above the surface His mouth curling into a displeased line arch Randidly produced the PhilosopherÆs Key and opened a portal to his skyisland above Kharon There he proceeded directly to the bathroom and treated himself with a scalding shower For several minutes he simply leaned against the wall and allowed the near boiling heat to blur the line between body water and steam

Afterward Randidly dressed in some spare clothes Tatiana stored in the closets for just such an occasion and spent several minutes roasting some vaguely pork looking meat that had been preserved in his interspatial ring He made a bonfire in front of his mansion grinning at the moonlight spirits that tumbled around in front of him The first bite was juicy and flavorful making him wish he spent more time cooking

Feeling warm full and thoroughly relax Randidly produced his Philosopher’s Key once more and opened a portal into the depths of the shaft It was time for his final preparations

He looked up and down when he appeared in that shadowy place watching significance getting pulled down and emotions flowing up The Stillborn Phoenix excitedly demonstrated for the two Unborn spirits how they could devour the emotions digest them then regurgitate their own sort of warped emotions back into the river

The inflated slugs seemed to enjoy this prospect immensely

Shaking his head Randidly sensed the Nether content in the air Based on how dense the Nether is I should be able to rest here for about a week before the confrontation against Wick That should both be enough to recover to refine all the significance I took from Neshamah and also spend some more time experimenting with Synechdochence

Just the prospect of this confrontation filled him with anticipation He pressed that feeling down and focused on his Status screen Not that I blame the System for having a shitty frame of reference but I donÆt think 110% is anywhere close to my limit I wonder if improving that will have an effect on the next Authority I will eventually condense

However that question turned RandidlyÆs mood sour He had no idea how to go about condensing a Second Authority Obviously it would be related to the meaning and desires of one of his other images but from everyoneÆs bland reaction it wasnÆt a recognized thing in the Nexus Plus the person he would have asked Neshamah had betrayed them within the Skull of Truth He could approach the Engraving Guild but Randidly couldnÆt shake the feeling they wouldnÆt be much help either Especially after losing their leader

Which left the Nether King

Randidly shook his head decisively He might consider it if he was desperate but for now he had more than enough areas in which he could improve He didnÆt need to gamble on another interaction with that mysterious entity

At the same time he felt a thrill of excitement that glimmered even through his indignation at having been physically suppressed by the Ghosthound When you become a part of me that body of yours will be mine And then

WickÆs small pink tongue flicked out through his lips

Even more positively he could feel the emotional connection between himself and the Ghosthound strengthening every moment That would allow him to force the issue much more quickly avoiding the pointless and prolonged struggle that characterized his previous attempts The more quickly the two were connected the more energy Wick would have to establish himself as top of the twisted hierarchy that functioned within their new bodies

There was a soft knock at the door Lady Iellaya poked her head through her face unreadable Commander Ghosthound is here for the disciplinary hearing Commandant

Commandant Wick tried to keep the strain from his face and nodded slowly Take him to the sitting room I shall be finishing presently

Once Lady Iellaya was gone Wick wondered for a moment whether she understood the struggle that raged inside of him every day simply by the dint of remaining near him for such a period of time However he concluded that she wouldnÆt have been so emotionless if she truly understood considering her prior relationship with Randidly

After all who could imagine the torture under which I must constantly labor Wick reflected Some of the bubbling intense emotions that were not his own rose up in him hatred envy fear madness breathing caustic flames along his ribcage and inflicting agony But Wick simply allowed those emotions to expend themselves and sink back to the depths of his person He released a breath

All those years ago I seized power any way I could I do not regret that But after struggling for so long perhaps this finally will provide me with a way to escape this hell A perfect vessel without flaw A well of potential that hasnÆt yet run dry

Commandant Wick finally brought his formidable Willpower to bear crushing any remnant emotions that licked at him His powerful scaffolding of control snapped into place suppressing any further surges He stood at his desk and walked around to the door He walked out of his personal office and then down the hall to the sitting room

The Ghosthound waited within looking up slowly when Wick strolled into the room Wick smirked at the young man If IÆm being honest your presence here comes as a pleasant surprise after your recent insubordination I had resigned myself to hunting you down like a skulking dog and dragging you back here for your comeuppance Punishments thus far just havenÆt seemed to stick with you

Through the method he had learned to manage his multifarious souls Wick felt the intense emotional response that the Ghosthound had to his words And yet the young manÆs gaze remained curiously mild and his face blank

Except for his eyes Their ethereal emerald color seemed oddly wet and infectious ready to seep out and color the surrounding air

The lack of response irked Wick to the point that he felt a powerful impulse to lash out and smash the GhosthoundÆs face To pay the arrogant young man back for the attacks he had launched in Alymian As it always was for Wick the source of the impulse was difficult to pinpoint

However Wick suppressed that desire There would be time enough for that later

Follow me he said coolly Then he led Randidly Ghosthound down into the bowels of the Military High Command building where no one would disturb them

Chapter 1879

Emerald The crab thought idly as he looked into the eyes of the statue

In the chill undersea world movement became frothing disturbance before oneÆs senses could follow With an almost gentle touch being its departing gift suddenly the statue was gone The crab hit the floor unable to cope with what happened That is until mental communications reached it

No need to rush The mental projection boomed out over the corner of the seafloor as the Crushgrip Crab leader led about a score of crabs several bored Acidic Pufferfish and an ancient electric eel that lived in the area back toward its new home For this area of the sea this was quite the star studded process The grip of this edifice upon the scenery is strong likely it will become a centerpiece of the landscape for quite a long time

The crab who often criticized the first was so stunned by the sudden movement from the statue that it remained on its back and looked up at the rush of bubbles the thing had left in its wake even as its mind began to catch back up to the current situation Even now its senses were frazzled by the intense green light it had seen within the edificeÆs eyes

But strange images had been contained in that color There seemed to be an ancient tree and a strange monster and a vast egg all wrapped up in that emerald hue The roots of that tree and the arms of that strange monster seemed so strong was it possible they used their powerful grips to prevent the egg from hatching

This There was a pause in the mental projection from the Crushgrip Crab leader as it stalled out The group stopped as they rounded a bunch of kelp looking at the cracked ground and the still dazed crab

And obviously the absent space where the edifice had been

Feeling quite embarrassed at the situation the critic crab scrambled to its feet Behind the leader small mental reverberations revealed the frantic gossiping of the other crabs The ancient eel began to list sideways having fallen asleep in response to this exciting development Its mouth hung slightly open revealing its sharp teeth

What happened here Why is the edifice gone The leader crab cried What have you done to garner its ire

The critic crab mobilized its mental energies preparing to admit that it had no idea what exactly had occurred But then the implication of that final phrase reached its brain It felt bitter and envious of the respect that the other crabs afforded the leader just because of its slightly larger claw now with no proof it wanted to frame this crab as the cause Immediately the critic crab changed its mind Very quickly it used context clues and the few images that it had seen in those emerald eyes to understand what had really occurred

The edifice wasnÆt a home and was deeply offended by your casual transgressions The Critic announced to the watching group Immediately the rippling mental gossip in the back of the procession intensified It it in fact was a wounded god An egg of pure darkness trapped in some horrible form a blanket of perfect darkness that just wished to sleep in the deepest corners of the sea sealed away by a monstrous surface dweller and a tree

That finally seemed to snap the eel to wakefulness It released its own mental pulse I have heard about these trees Dreadful frightful wooden gargoyles They use their digging fingers to find the hidden water in the world and then suck it all up for themselves

The twenty crabs collectively shuddered at such a horrifying entity Truly ruled as the land was by these trees it was no wonder that the surface dwellers had gone insane

The Crushgrip Crab leader scuttled back and forth clicking its claw in its agitation and confusion I no that is not the edifice you lie There is no way that this is true You conspire against

Did you not hear what I said about trees The eel unhinged its jaw and unleashed a boom mental release that forced all of the crabs and pufferfish to float a small distance backward In this projection it could be clearly felt that this ancient eel which had lived through the great awakening possessed more power than the entire colony of Crushgrip Crabs It might even have the ferocity to fight against Deapsea Horror situated nearby Yet you dare doubt me The trees are a scourge I hate them

The critic crab feeling a heady rush of adrenaline from the way the situation was proceeding released a mental pulse indicating it wanted to speak For whatever reason the lies flowed freely into its mind now The edifice also provided a prophecy to me before it left Although the grip of our current leader grows weak we must not waiver

Wick cleared his throat and spoke with a ritualistic cadence I Commandant Wick have called the accused here today to discuss the flagrant disregard for Military protocol displayed yesterday whereby the inferior officer acted with deliberate violence against the superior From my point of view there were no extenuating circumstances

Wick paused Yet as before the Ghosthound just looked up at him Most obnoxiously despite the clear lighting on the front of his face shadows seemed to be creeping around the young manÆs eyes

Inwardly Wick remained puzzled He could clearly feel the words affect the target The GhosthoundÆs emotions seemed to be curdling inside his body otherwise there wouldnÆt be such a reaction through their connection Yet why did he maintain such a stoic exterior Especially after his aggressiveness while Wick was restricted by Alymian

The thought of that embarrassment sent a jet of hot shame down WickÆs spine Fury rose in a wave through him and he raised his hand to strike at the Ghosthound before he caught himself His gaze cleared He released a hissing breath through his nose and lowered his hand He brought the hammer of his Willpower down to smash away the seductive emotions that tried to influence him

His mind churned forward chewing up foreign influences Perhaps he has come to realize what a mistake he has made by antagonizing me But then he should be aware of why we are here at least generally Despite the danger he came willingly

Ah WickÆs eyes narrowed He definitely knows And therefore he knows that all of this is simply a pretext He is saving himself for the conflict Certainly the Ghosthound can be said to possess some animal cunning But if you think this needling has no purpose you are mistaken

Do you know Wick boomed out in a more typical tone He steepled his fingers again What has always annoyed me about you Randidly Ghosthound

Of course the Ghosthound just looked at him his expression that of a dead fish But the tension in his shoulders betrayed him

It is that you have never understood the distance between us Wick said with relish I tried to warn you show you how meaningless it was to stand against me by eviscerating your little squeeze There again was a satisfying burst of emotion from Randidly Wick leaned forward but as soon as we were in a very unique situation where I was restricted your base instincts overpowered your reason You attacked me Of course you couldnÆt help yourself you possess no self discipline You are a beast a victim of your own primal roots

Which is why you will always be under my thumb Wick felt his lips curling back as he examined the distant form of the Ghosthound The shadows around his eyes continued to spread across his face Why I could kill any of your friends and subordinates and you will never be able to do anything about it Because I have risen above those influences and you have not You are not enough to protect them from me

The Ghosthound burned through their connection His emotions seemed to be whirling in a tightly compressed storm generating pressure within the Ghsothound in preparation for a massive eruption It was slightly impressive that his body hadnÆt yet ruptured underneath that force

Now Wick grinned and activated the methods His framework split open and revealed his own howling core a hundred times more intense and vigorous than the churning emotions Randidly possessed When comparing the emotions between them one dwarfed the other without question So Wick seized upon their connection and activated the horrifying ritual of communion Devick had taught him That connection became nearly physical existing between them

Wick yanked with all that emotional force

and was immediately stunned when rather than the Ghosthound being pulled helplessly toward him WickÆs pull had smashed himself forward ripping apart the heavy desk and sending him tumbling toward the lower level He landed on all fours on top of several chairs they cracked and collapsed leaving Wick trembling with confused indignation

The Ghosthound who hadnÆt moved at all did not continue to watch Wick with a blank expression

The corner of his mouth curled up into a deliberate look of condescension Randidly GhosthoundÆs smirk flicked a match onto the kindling of WickÆs suppressed emotions

Chapter 1880

The two faced off for a brief moment emotions swelling to fill the distance between them And if anything the darkness and the wide remote amphitheater ceiling above them only served to give that intensity breeding ground to spread

At every turn you take the opportunity to pay up petty cash to inflicted inconveniences against me Wick swiped his hand and obliterated a few other nearby wooden chairs Yet even that small movement left him feeling stifled after his failure to shift the Ghosthound His chest heaved with rage Even for his tight control he began having difficulty parsing apart which part of the anger was his own and which came from the howling madhouse he contained

Strike rend break own The voices whispered He sucked in a tight breath and spoke quickly before the words could be warped by the dangerous violence he contained You insolent whelp Today I will teach you a lesson you will never forget

Wick jabbed a finger forward and unleashed some of that madness The more they fought the more they clashed the stronger DevickÆs bond between them would grow tightening around them like a Chinese finger trap until they were pasted squeezed into the confines of a single body For now as the connection dug its way into their souls it couldnÆt do much But it could convey a scalding blast of emotions

Wick watched the smirk on the GhosthoundÆs face for the moment it faltered and those emotions ripped through his psyche Yet after seconds nothing had changed If anything the shadows only swirled more actively around the GhosthoundÆs left eye despite the fire lit directly in front of him

You Wick growled but he cut himself off both disgusted with the situation and the Ghosthound Some part of him acknowledged that the Ghosthound likely wouldnÆt have been able to survive this long if such a petty trick could dislodge him Still Wick teetered on the edge of madness struggling to remain detached and figure out what to do next

A word circled around his mind using rotten teeth to gingering gnaw at the edges of his self control Impotent The Ghosthound time and time again had made Wick feel impotent The tricks forced upon Wick by Devick seemed somehow useless against him

She did indeed have a weird favoritism for the Ghosthound from the first moment she heard of him WickÆs eyes sharpened Perhaps there is more to this connection than I thought They share some base qualities of fickleness and obsession could this actually be a test aimed at me

no matter So long as I plunder his psyche and unearth the secrets contained there I will find the answer Suddenly all of WickÆs doubts vanished blasted apart by the purity of purpose he possessed The time for games had clearly passed

What remained was power and poise For the next step he needed to shift the balance of dominance

Wick straightened and stretched his arms out to either side of him His powerful image framework had been a labor of necessity to survive in the hellish situation that Devick had crafted but that didnÆt mean it was weak If anything Wick only had more confidence in the powerful bindings because of how practical they were

Forged of necessity his copper framework had never failed him

A blast of image power expanded rapidly away from WickÆs body He felt the entire massive courtroom like a tingling on the back of his palm giving him a perfect understanding of the space Motes of copper momentarily gleamed around his person After that blast hit the face of the Ghosthound the smirk finally vanished from his face and he regarded Wick seriously

Straight to business then Wick pressed his mouth into a line and prepared to take down this foolish youngster

If anything he felt a sense of relief as he witnessed the storm beast drawing a dangerous pattern in the air Even now Wick remained somewhat irked by the peculiar lack of weaknesses shown by the Ghosthound Or rather it would be more accurate to say that the peculiar power of the GhosthoundÆs physical body meant that most of the lessons Wick would like to inflict upon him wouldnÆt stick In many ways corporeal punishment felt meaningless

So direct attacks on his psyche it will be Wick thought eyeing the veritable pillar of grey spectral flames that writhed and danced above the GhosthoundÆs body The tight bindings of his image began to surge with power and he took a step forward And this pattern is the perfect weapon to inflict them

The Ghosthound pointed The smallest bit of Nether snapped into existed in front of Wick Snorting Wick extended a hand and mobilized his image to suppress it A coppery aura spread out

A horrible destructive spearhead of Nether and spectral flame flared briefly stabbing upward and ripping through the left side of WickÆs palm The coppery aura had been suppressed and railroaded before it even had a chance to manifest His eyes widened some of the howling emotions in his own heart creeping into his brain A whisper of the madness snuck up and settled into his mind enflaming the grey matter With red eyes he growled at the Ghosthound and prepared a decisive counter attack

His impulses screamed to pounce forward and clash with the Ghosthound directly but Wick again ignored those thoughts The more time that passed the more their emotions would draw them toward one another Since he could not force the sudden communion based on the ridiculous mass of the boy Wick needed to do this the old fashioned way

Instead his eyes scanned the surroundings The kid snapped against and another two spearheads appeared in the air and ripped at WickÆs sides These he didnÆt dare underestimate flaring his image with more foresight and binding the spearheads just as soon as they formed Crackling black lightning emerged from these mental wrestling matches and Wick was furious to observe that by the time his image could overpower the attack the strike had already faded leaving him holding nothing

But now I see your trick WickÆs mouth curled up like a dry old leaf He gestured sharply and unleashed stabilizing poles of power and implacable will They manifested as two copper spikes about two meters tall that slammed into the surroundings disturbing the curling flows of Nether and wind

The GhosthoundÆs eyes narrowed and unleashed more flares but with the flow restricted their power was a hollow farce of its former might Wick laughed as he smothered these flares as soon as they were born the noise of his amusement carried away by the wind Immediately the Ghosthound began making adjustments to the way his energy flowed so the copper spikes werenÆt so restrictive In addition Wick could feel that somehow the kid was drawing power from the clashes and making the winds more violent

However if you think you are capable of competing with me in patterns of dominance WickÆs eyes flashed He flared his image once again even while defending himself against the barrage of Nether flares bombarding his body and the stone beneath his feet Two more spikes of molten copper slammed into the surroundings forming a perfect square with Randidly in the middle Tethers of energy began to knit themselves together between the connections trapping the Ghosthound in a cage

Is this really all you can manage Wick thundered purposefully raising his voice to be heard over the buffeting winds If you believe that this is enough to avenge your shitty subordinate you are more foolish than even I gave you credit for

Suddenly waves of Nether surged out of the Ghosthound weakening the influence WickÆs spikes had on the surrounding area Just as Wick scowled the winds around the kid spiraled inward creating a new pattern A maelstrom began to churn rapidly growing in strength The beast had folded itself inward and now licked outward with a thousand tongues tasting the possibilities

Baring his teeth Wick waved his arms and brought down more copper spikes Pressuring this cage isnÆt enough You are already bound Ghosthound At this point can you feel it Do you feel the bindings tighten as you struggle You have lost

Chapter 1881

Devick reclined on her couch watching the conflict between bland old Commandant Wick and the fascinating Randidly Ghosthound with interest Around her the office was dark the image the only source of light in the room The drapes were drawn across the window and the torches had been extinguished

It was in DevickÆs opinion the proper ambiance for a thrilling confrontation She pulled a grape out of the bowl in front of her and popped it into her mouth

She enjoyed the burst of sweet tartness as she crushed the fruit

Bringing her hands to her cheeks to check if she was blushing Devick muttered to herself Truly how can a woman handle it when two such capable gentlemen duel for the honor of being her son Ahh and here I isolated myself for so long because I feared the Nexus had moved far beyond me Yet I suppose my charms are not so shallow that they are diminished by such a common force as time

A large crystal ball sat in a pool of red liquid held in place from some of the shiniest chains that Devick could manifest She felt quite proud by the lack of rust on their gleaming black surfaces In the swirling depths of the orb she watched as the Ghosthound used his strange Nether powers to rip at the square bindings around him while Wick used his uninteresting if competent image to isolate and break up the flow of energy his opponent mobilized A part of Devick realized that when it came to recognizing and manipulating energy flows these two might actually be the most talented duo in the Nexus

Both responded to subtle changes in their opponentÆs strategy on the fly Wick likely had the superior Skill but the Ghosthound displayed his typically rapid improvements to move toward an even match However

Just fucking start punching each other already You’re not chess players Devick released an aggrieved sigh She picked up a grape and smushed it between her fingers You are warriors My son is the greatest warrior that the Nexus has ever seen And also YOU

Devick whirled to jab a finger at the a figure hunched over the edge of the porcelain saucer containing the crystal ball Blood oozed out of several gashes in his arms and torso to drip into the bottom of the saucer Otherwise he was completely trussed up by rusty chains and bound in a kneeling position When her ire failed to elicit a response from the figure Devick blinked several times Ah you are dying Almost dead even No no its much too soon for that Wake back up please

She snapped her feelings and the captiveÆs lungs inflated Through the binding chains a thread of her power wormed its way into his flesh and animated his broken body His eyes widened and small streams of blood began to gush cheerily out filling the saucer once more As the man coughed and spasmed the picture within the crystal ball became clearer It was just for her own amusement but his blood formed the medium to convey the image

Please He spoke in a guttural whisper Just let me die

Devick clicked her tongue Your fellow rebels were digging around in the Skull of Truth What would have happened if people were to learn the truth ha thatÆs actually quite amusing isnÆt it Considering the secret hidden there No youÆve committed a crime now you must live through the punishment

Her attention turned back to the crystal ball She waved a hand and chains tightened around the rebelÆs throat so the only sound he could make was a strained gasp Now please be quiet ItÆs getting to the good part

Wick gritted his teeth as his image wavered in the face of the GhosthoundÆs Nether storm Despite his earlier confident pronouncements of victory reality sadly painted a blurrier picture of their current struggle Veritable drifts of some of the most potent Nether Wick had ever encountered slammed against the barriers his copper spikes created weakening the isolation and allowing the winds to squeak through and stir up more power in the other portions of the giant room

The Ghosthound somehow maintained two grand patterns of Nether one within the binding and one without and kept them in particular harmony just with the few gushing blasts that managed to penetrate WickÆs defenses The insight and mastery required for such a feat astounded him And also meant he had to watch out for Nether flares from every direction

At this point none of the furniture remaining Wooden chair backs and legs had been ground down to nothing by the force of the conflict The calamitous wind that the Ghosthound mobilized had obliterated everything and smothered the fires so what remained were two men struggling with each other under the illumination of WickÆs copper spikes

WickÆs hand neared RandidlyÆs shoulder In a supreme effort of physical power the Ghosthound rolled his shoulders and sent a shuddering shift through the net of burning copper that entangled his limbs As he held the bindings Wick felt the full force of the moment The effort must have been herculean he simply suppressed an image with just his body

WickÆs first grasp missed But it only took him another moment to lean the extra distance and lay his palm upon his target

That second was enough time for the bolt of Nether to twist and crash down through Wick ripping in through the left side of his back and then boring a hole straight down into the opposite thigh Nether devoured flesh and image and then ran rampant through his torso and leg

DevickÆs strange methods activated even as Wick cursed and writhed from the pain Their bodies were left behind and they slid down through a chute of molten copper to land on a vast plain of darkness Wick instantly felt disgust rising in him they had metaphorically just arrived in DevickÆs womb Rust colored madness wove itself into a fence that would subtly tighten until the duo was bound together for all eternity Wick intended to take advantage of their arrival to strike but the influence of Nether into his body distracted him

By the time he had recovered the Ghosthound raised his head and looked intently up at the copper chute Gnashing his teeth Wick was helpless as the kid adjusted His form ripples and shifted sometimes a tree sometimes an armored monster sometimes a vast darkness sometimes a horrifying storm of grey flames

Those grey flames took precedence as he reached up toward how they arrived He was a glimmering avatar of ash and hunger warping the world not with heat but with the sheer force of his Nether The beast of the storm made flesh seething in this strange mental battlefield

Unfortunately even I would not be able to escape once IÆve been forced here Wick finally obliterated the rampant Nether inside his body with his superior image and straightened And being here is a death knell for you Accept your fate boy

Maybe But maybe not The Ghosthound shifted back to a creaking tree as he turned to regard Wick His emotions continued to boil and the powerful branches creaked and groaned under their ferocity An infinite number of emerald leaves rustled creating a deafening pressure that surprised even Wick

The Ghosthound took a step forward with a wicked grin on his face But you can be fucking sure IÆm not leaving this strange place until you are dead Wick

Ha Wick snorted in spite of himself Once more their sentiments mirrored one another I will take great pleasure in making your last conscious thought one of disappointment Now prepare yourself

Those dangerous grey spectral flames exploded from the Ghosthound and crashed against the rust colored bindings of this place Finding no outlet they spun back together and began to churn in the familiar pattern of a storm

However Wick ignored the Ghosthound At this point it was unnecessary to fight him His copper stakes rushed to surrounding him a very particular arrangement and then stuck into the ground His defenses wove themselves together into a tight net Then at his direction he connected himself fully to this area

In a frothing gush the emotions that Wick usually suppressed poured in through the copper chute The emotions’ first response to being finally freed was to lash out at their maker The almost liquid rainbow sparkling violence of the emotions pounced at Wick and slammed against his defenses The colors of the liquid darkened their hatred grew more intense as he proved beyond their reach

But of course there was suddenly a much easier target The emotions happily twisted around and rushed to drown Randidly joined every moment by more and more of that same liquid Soon the entire plain would be submerged beneath their wild force

Wick smirked And once you have become part of the sea of our emotion it will be quite easy to completely

He couldnÆt help himself Wick gasped Because as the rush of emotions surged toward the Ghosthound he shifted to his swirling darkness image Without even seeming to strain himself Randidly Ghosthound gulped down every bit of emotion that tried to invade him

WickÆs expression fell It wasnÆt just his Willpower earlier when I tried an emotional sneak attack But how the hell can he withstand that torrent

Chapter 1882

The crystal ball vision in front of her had fallen into a curious state of stillness but Devick didnÆt mind She knew that this meant that the final confrontation was upon Randidly and Wick All the elements were present Considering the ending of this story she forgave them for their small transgressions of competing using bland patterns

In the end she was a woman concerned with results the methods didnÆt matter as much

She patted her stomach affectionately as though these rambunctious two were really hidden there inside her body about to be born in a curious miracle In a way that was exactly what would happen

Then her gaze landed on the bound figure and a sharp tang of lemon was added to her good mood Smacking her lips she sent another finger of power into his body and healed his wounds Blood began to flow more freely from the rips in his skin made by the chains but he didnÆt stir at all Sighing Devick pressed herself to her feet and walked over to examine the man She lowered her face next to his and scrutinized him

You decided to even kill your image to escape me Devick frowned Then she flicked her wrist and the chains around he body tightened until he popped and splattered across the side of the room A cracked rib skittered across the ground half of the manÆs jaw was flung sideways The rest was forced out between the rusted and spiked chains in a peculiar jelly Devick didnÆt even bother to wipe the sprayed bits of gristle off her arm and torso as she sat back down and began to pop grapes into her mouth

Your allies I wonder how easy they will be to find DevickÆs smile was predatory as she chewed and talked with her mouth open You might not know it but there are consequences for boring me

Speaking of which these two better not make me wait for too long

Every moment more and more violent emotions poured out of the metaphysical vessel of WickÆ and sloshed around in this strange restricted zone hemmed in by a literal fence of DevickÆs madness But when compared to the river of violence that Randidly had ridden while within the Shaft

Congratulations Your Skill Breath of the Cosmos has grown to Level 531

Congratulations Your Skill the Twin Lingering Shadows of Misfortune has grown to Level 899

Compared to Pine your troubles are small potatoes Wick

One of the Unborn spirits burped its stomach full from all of the emotion it absorbed in the last ten seconds The Stillborn Phoenix in a remarkable show of affection cooed at the suddenly sack sized spirit and slurped up the surplus around those twins Watching a black hole be affectionate toward the two massive slugs of bad luck proved relatively off putting But if nothing else Randidly was quite confident that the Stillborn Phoenix could handle WickÆs emotional attacks

However RandidlyÆs chest burned as he looked over at Wick guarded by a small fortress of molten copper that he erected in only a few moments Randidly could feel the tension building in his shoulders Their violence and conflict had given him a taste a taste of the opportunity to avenge Helen All of the pain and sadness that he had suffered through the long days of feeling blank and lost the moodiness the fact that he had taken much of that out on his subordinates all those sins could be buried with the corpse of Wick

Here today in this barren place

Even beyond his usual wild behavior Randidly felt the edges of himself becoming inflamed and blurred Distantly a part of him recognized that some of these emotions werenÆt entirely his own The Stillborn Phoenix ate the emotions coming at him through space yet other influences were seeping into him Unlike NeveahÆs grounding touch this had a much more aggravating effect on his disposition

And just as Randidly thought about her his Soulbound companion was there injecting a refreshing gust of rationality into him Her cool observation swept the creeping aggression away Ah so thatÆs whatÆs happening here They are forcing a Soulbond between the two of you Randidly using some medium that I cannot quite sense from outside the mental arena Even if you slurp up all of the emotions you will eventually be mashed together into a strange mental wrestling match Do you think that you can overcome WickÆs Willpower

Immediately the surroundings began to tremble it did not like the direction of his ire now turned Plus the work of excavation was not gentle Even more than the copper barriers that existed around Wick the ground was thick and insubstantial calcified shape grown more stubborn by RandidlyÆs sudden desire to drill downward However the spearheads proved effective enough as spades that he made good progress digging first five meters and then ten meters down in the plain

The rumbling intensified Wick continued to shout and demand attention but Randidly asked the Stillborn Phoenix to slow its slurping of emotions at any time that Wick seemed ready to deconstruct his defenses and stop him Unhindered the Nether storm lashed the entire spectral landscape with its power At this point this was the most powerful storm he had even supported It hummed through his limbs until his tendons and veins sang

How appropriate Randidly began carving steps down through the matte substance to make the passage easier He took the steps slowly ignoring the noise as the blades of Nether hacked and chopped away at the base of the mine to dig deeper HelenÆs original Domain was the Depths of Horror And now against Wick I use her capability to descend to the bottom of this place where the lingering taint of Devick remains

However RandidlyÆs eyes sharpened I intend to slay the lurking abomination If you are watching Helen that darkness in your depths I will eradicate it

Congratulations Your Skill Cutting Tides of Amenonuhoko has grown to Level 672

Once Randidly had framed his descent in that manner the steps became easier The winds churned with even more power and potency Wick ceased to be a distraction He could feel his Nether Core humming with significance A strange momentum built as he descended He could almost feel her hovering above his shoulder

Helen had always had his best interests at heart but she did not start out as an easy person to get along with She cursed often and met most problems with violence Even in their final days together she was demanding and vindictive

Randidly took another step How appropriate that the woman Wick killed would now give Randidly the tools to foil him

The rumbling of the plain became almost the entirety of sensation rubbing away any other sound or texture that would reach him Even ripples were steamrolled before the roiling displeasure of the black plain Above Randidly could distantly sense that the chain fence binding of DevickÆs madness began to tighten urgently

However only a few meters remained and his grey firestorm carried hatchet blades to rip away the last few layers of shape around the carved stone

RandidlyÆs head jerked sharply upward That ripple had been felt clearly through the entire area Wick finally could stand it no longer and ripped apart his defenses A portion of RandidlyÆs storm had remained above churning and growing with power from his efforts down below Without hesitating Wick had slammed directly into that storm and forced it backward

The Commandant manifested at the edge of the hole Randidly had made looking down the black steps at his subordinate Those liquid iridescent rainbow emotions slashed at him but Wick weathered the attacks His shoulders heaved Fine then LetÆs settle this

Randidly gestured slightly Almost sulkily the Stillborn Phoenix gurgled for a half second then regurgitated some of the emotions it had absorbed earlier and now refined These speared Wick in the chest and threw him back before the parasitic emotions began to pierce toward his eyes and nostrils to invade his body

Too late Randidly thought distantly A few more Nether bursts tore away the last crusted covering of the carved stone Immediately he felt it tug at his Willpower once more urging Randidly to turn around and clash pointlessly against Wick

His hand hesitated then curled into a fist He cut with just his hand a simple thrust An attack that he had practiced with Helen millions of times

With a tinkling crash the carved stone exploded

Chapter 1883

An invisible pulse spread out from the shattered pieces soon enveloping the whole of the area

Around Randidly the fabric of this place began to quickly unravel Even his grinding grey firestorm was smoothly rubbed away as the switch back to their actual bodies began in earnest Without the strange carved stone there was nothing holding them here However there were a few strained moments of transition where he was able to discover some new information from the broken remnants

First behind him Wick began to scream when his hand pierced the stone Not a roar that befitted his hairy bear form not a bellow Not some outcry of rage or indignation or shock No his voice vibrated with pain as the pitch rose to become a shrill shriek It seemed the combination of emotional attacks or the central piece of this place shattering had inflicted a serious wound upon him

Second the two Unborn finally seemed to wake up from their post emotional meal stupor Several vapors flew out of the shattered stone which they pounced forward and gobbled up without any hesitation Randidly felt somewhat disturbed to see that their bodies pulsed with thick veins in a much more visceral fashion their forms growing more concrete

First veins and probably organs he reflected What comes next

Finally a small few bits of fabric hung in the space where Randidly had knifed his hand into the stone to destroy it What immediately grabbed his attention was how much of the dense significance clustered around these few small fluttering bits it possessed even more density than the chunk Neshamah had given him

The whole of his attention got pulled into that significance

The tattered bits flickered and began to tear as soon as they were exposed to the air but Randidly could recognize a few things The largest and densest copper piece of fabric bore the name Wick upon it and had been wrapped around the others However that knot steadily unraveled revealing three wispy threads and two more substantial bits of fabric

RandidlyÆs pupils dilated Is this does that mean that there are already six people crammed into WickÆs body Is that why

Right before everything was whisked away Randidly focused on a dense cord that had been wrapped tightly by the other bits of cloth He couldnÆt make out the name across it but he would recognize that rust color anywhere It stank of madness and rot

Then suddenly they were back in the dark underground courtroom the wreckage of their earlier clash settling and breaking A muffling blanket of darkness lay across them slowly settling due to the stillness The two remained in their previous positions he collapsed on the broken stone and the Commandant reaching down to touch his shoulder RandidlyÆs eyes flashed WickÆs binding spikes had faded and now he smashed his foot directly into the bearmanÆs stomach and sent him skidding back across the ground

The darkness remained but the noise suddenly seem to rouse the whole of the room

Hopping to his feet Randidly mobilized his Nether Core His image physicalizations flared to life filling him with potency At the same time he produced the PhilosopherÆs Key and prepared to create a portal out of this area His nerves were strained as he observed the surroundings

Randidly gritted his teeth as he stood transfixed ready to move but waiting for the situation to nudge him one way or another Wick continued to crash along the ground and then obliterated the low tier of seating opposite RandidlyÆs position Stone crumbled and cracked underneath his body but that did little to alleviate RandidlyÆs worries He still wanted to fight against Wick to kill him and finally receive payment for the debt Helen was owed Yet he knew that what he had broken was valuable not just to Wick but also to Devick If she showed up

Well Randidly was willing to let the issue of Wick slide for a bit more time if he had to fight his way through Devick to kill him Some risks werenÆt worth it

Exposure to both Elhume and Devick had taught him that

Unfortunate that the energy in the mental arena wasnÆt maintained Randidly raised his glowing left hand Otherwise the whole basement of this place would be leveled

Raw kinetic power erupted from his fingers setting Sulfur to a pleasurable vibrating state and warping the air with the violence of its passage His body trembled to channel such force but Randidly endured

The blast hit the fleshy titan in its midsection almost completely annihilating its waist The image flickered but to Randidly surprise it didnÆt collapse In fact as the torso fell forward without the support of the waist the imageÆs jointÆs pivoted smoothly into a new form Soon the rust colored monstrosity was dragging itself forward by its arms while the legs had flipped up and swollen until they were two massive scorpion tails ending with sharp copper spikes

As it neared he could see its mouth moving constantly muttering to itself Kill kill kill kill kill

RandidlyÆs eyes narrowed WickÆs really gone insane I just wish that would have dulled the edge of his image

One of the tails blurred forward and Randidly cleanly sidestepped The rust colored flesh stretched and extended so that rather than a quick strike the tail drilled forward like a torpedo boring into the stone behind Randidly and causing several more portions of the seating area to collapse Randidly sucked in all the generated ripples and rapidly accumulated more kinetic power He couldnÆt manage the environment very well mostly due to those strange and ominous grey clouds that the titan released that were part of some strange third image but he started ripping away the flesh of the titanÆs eyes with a constant bombardment of Nether flares

So by the time the titan was only a few meters away Randidly could spin all that gathered kinetic force and unleash an even more powerful beam

Congratulations Your Skill the Dragon QueenÆs Sinister Tongue has grown to Level 529

The second tail bulged and shifted abruptly piercing forward to meet RandidlyÆs beam All that oppressive image power gathered into the sharp point at the end of the tail Two more heavy copper spikes spun together to form a single stingerÆ When that image attack met the beam it carved its way forward Before Randidly could react it had obliterated the kinetic force and scored a deep gouge across Sulfur

At the same time the first tail flailed sideways and slammed into RandidlyÆs stomach with enough force that he was thrown back The shock of the impact was immense His ribs popped unpleasantly overpowered by the raw emotional torrent contained in the Wick who had descended into madness

There was a sense of tumbling and then Randidly hit stone and served as a wrecking ball Grimacing he pressed a hand to the ground and threw himself out of the debris Strange jagged grey clouds loomed closer above their heads Damnit I might have a superior physique but this image of a titan is just as strong as me if not stronger This is definitely

Finally the titan opened its mouth revealing hundreds of off center and needle sharp teeth His voice came out with another belch of grey smoke Kill

Randidly blinked As he watched the titan lifted itself off the ground with the two stingers which had now morphed into heavy legs at the top of a dangling torso It used one of its small hands to reach into its chest and pull away flesh revealing a wizened and black heart As Randidly looked at it he saw superimposed over it the rust colored cord and a deep well of significance It mangled hands cracked but then it pointed at the small organ

Congratulations Your Skill Nether Sensation has grown to Level 660

Yet as soon as that weakness was revealed molten copper flowed down and covered the opening forming a thick armor The titan slammed its fist against the defenses furious Above the grey clouds churned It was hard to tell how that image fit into this dynamic Then when its claws could find no purchase on the armor the titanÆs frightful gaze turned to Randidly

It stepped forward that brief moment of clarity passing and the frustration and aggression once more flaring around it The emotional force surged through its shape and Randidly almost felt strangled facing down such a powerful image

Chapter 1884

Despite the different aims of the personalities that swirled around within the maddened Wick one thing was clear two of them wished for the current confrontation to end in violence

Currently the grey clouds remained neutral but they definitely kept his Nether from accumulating much influence

Randidly sucked in energy from the surroundings corralling ripples and nurturing his bruised ribs with the raw vitality he gathered from the air The ancient foundation of Military High Command contained plenty of stability to sap The titan stumbled a bit in its new form but then bounded after Randidly using its massive legs The joints flexed and bulged strangely like alternatively inflating and deflating balloons but somehow the thing managed to careen forward

Randidly rolled sideways taking his time to gather momentum in his storm Flames of Nether Weight wove themselves together with blasts of kinetic forms creating a wind that began to force the titanÆs grey clouds backward At the same time he threw more waves of gravity and grasping roots to harry the titanÆs charge Fortunately all of the small clashes of image produced a multitude of ripples They spun and flattened themselves as Randidly sucked them into his body and began to forge a blade to fulfill this thingÆs stated wish

The ground crunched underneath the titanÆs heavy foot as it heaved its bulk into the air RandidlyÆs eyes narrowed as its rust colored flesh began to morph mid leap By the time it had reached the apex of its jump it had changed into a three headed wolf The central head was oversized and slobbering its eyes near blind with cataracts The left head had copper teeth and molten eyes But the right head

It was much smaller than the other two half the size of even the left head And it yipped and yowled seeming to argue with itself Meanwhile the middle head opened its mouth and belched out a jagged grey spray Which in terms of keeping which images were which was relatively confusing

RandidlyÆs mind spun as he crouched The reason that WickÆs image is so overwhelming is the combination of his detailed image and the emotional intensity he possesses being the combined form of six souls The madness doesnÆt seem to blunt the former but if I target the ancillary personalities I might be able to impact the latter

Wick might be able to reassert control but actually I donÆt think the central figure IÆm fighting right now RandidlyÆs eyes glittered as he looked at that bulging central head blind and voracious Grey smoke and bulging rust colored flesh characterized its quivering nostrils is actually Wick himself

His body blurred The grey breath cracked into the ground where Randidly had been only a moment early This flesh titan might be able to rival Randidly in terms of power but Dreadful Alacrity still made him nearly impervious to mundane attacks he could see coming The emotional handhold that Randidly used to decelerate was slightly sloppy but the three headed wolf was still whipping around as Randidly pulled out Acri

The spear hummed with glee to be utilized and Randidly shopped sharply downward Cosmic Necessity Grit of the Ascendant Bane The Inexorable Toll of Exodus

Congratulations Your Skill Inexorable Toll of Exodus has grown to 401

Congratulations Your Skill Grit of the Ascendant Bane has grown to Level 533

Congratulations Your Skill Inexorable Toll of Exodus has grown to 454

Skill Levels blurred through the corner of RandidlyÆs vision as the great branches of Yggdrasil creaked and something monstrous stirred in the shadows It opened its mouth and released a silent scream that made AcriÆs blade resonate Unfortunately perhaps due to the relatively low Skill Level Acri penetrated the neck of the weakest head but couldnÆt sever it completely The right head yowled in fear and already the two Unborn peaked from behind RandidlyÆs back salivating at the weak souls contained there

When they spoke together their lips moved in unison I would give anything

The left head sighed To die

The right head gritted his teeth To escape DevickÆs control

Randidly licked his lips He tried to keep his voice casual as he gathered more ripples into his thrumming body You know you could escape her control by letting yourself die

Both of the heads glared at him As one they belched out aggressive blasts of energy the left producing the jagged grey substance and the left spewing molten copper Randidly swayed around the strikes and planted his foot for another attack He almost felt hurt that even the left head had responded so negatively Well it was worth a shot

Congratulations Your Skill Unpredictable Eddy has grown to Level 465

Swearing he jerked his head backward An abrupt copper missile cracked his cheekbone and ripped away a lot of the flesh of his temple Still releasing a half groan half growl the flesh titan pounced at him and lashed out with copper claws Again a wave of pressure tightened around Randidly even now he couldnÆt measure up to the image force3 released by these truly powerful figures in the Nexus Even when he gathered all of his methods together and threw them in his foes’ faces

But I wonÆt give up As long as I keep pace and survive for now IÆll grow And soon IÆll be able to drag you down Randidly rolled quickly sideways but the horrifying image projection followed him As it drew closer he could smell its flesh sulfur and pockets of forgotten dead matter stuffed themselves into his nostrils nearly gagging him Its four arms lashed out acting more like whips than fists

He shrugged off three of the blows but the fourth hid a metal glove of copper until the last moment Randidly sucked in a breath as he felt something fracture in his thigh He stumbled backward then flared all the tightly wound kinetic energy he had gathered The golden veins hiding beneath his skin became blinding

Both Wick and the monster that claimed it wanted to die recognized what he attempted to do and paused before they pursued him Of course Randidly had fought against Devick and was used to the quick uptake of these foes As soon as the kinetic energy flared it faded it had been a feint It expended a small amount of the force and left his jaw aching to recoil that destructive energy but it bought him a few seconds to recover

The leaves of Yggdrasil rustled as he drank deeply of the surroundings absorbing ambient emotional force and some of the physical vigor of this tireless image he faced

Congratulations Your Skill the World Tree Sips from Every Realm has grown to Level 700

A few breaths of time were enough for Randidly to stabilize his injuries and strengthen the density of Nether in the surroundings The rust colored flesh titan glared at him its collective consciousness recognizing that Randidly had tricked it In addition those few moments gave him time to plan

This rust colored monster might say it wants to die but its assistanceÆ actually does very little His emerald eye glittered Instead letÆs feint toward it make WickÆs personality believe IÆm aiming to cut it out first and then strike at him

Helen today will be the day I avenge you

Chapter 1885

Devick pouted as she looked at the empty gulf in front of her Despite the fact that there was no air she had no trouble projecting her voice Small physical impossibilities could be ironed out by a powerful image Tsk How disappointing Did he foresee that someone would try this or did someone already head here to destroy this dump As far as I know heÆs pissed off quite a few minor characters in that at least I cannot help but admire him

She moodily looked between some distant planets then back at the dust filled void A few broken bits of stone tumbled through the weightless area but otherwise there was nothing of note She checked the stolen Nexus records again this was where Expira should be located in the Seventh Cohort

Perhaps he had taken advantage of the current outage in the recording portion of the System Her estimation of him rose a few notches

Truly the value of a man can be determined by the sheer number of his enemies A ghost of a smile came across her face brightening her visage and crinkling the corners at her eyes In those infrequent moments of warmth some of her pure beauty showed through even edged as it was with a crusty rind of madness Then she pouted again But what should I do Threatening his home planet would have solved everything so simply Now hwaah

An obnoxious yellow planet entered DevickÆs field of view Her lip curled up and she flicked her fingers a continent sized chain sprung from the void and drilled into the core of that plant Massive rusted spines forced themselves deeper and deeper blasting apart stone After it had lashed around and destroyed the interior her image pulled back and left the unsightly rock hollow After a few seconds broad swaths of that planetÆs core began to collapse

Two emotions warred in her chest First the rage and frustration as she felt the bindings she had left in Wick coming to pieces The sensation of her son unraveling pressed against her urging violent reprisals She had initially wanted to charge right over and force the misbehaving Ghosthound into line by squeezing him until he conceded or died However something else rose in opposition to it fascination Despite the fact she knew she should be infuriated the fact that Randidly Ghosthound managed to routinely frustrate her was a blooming rose garden of delights Especially since each time he did it in a new way

Surprise felt foreign and novel to Devick Due to their logical interactions she felt a resentment for the Ghosthound But at the same time her seething sea of madness cooed and loved him with all its heart

Devick let out an aggrieved sigh and shook her head ruefully Being a parent is so difficult Yet what can you do We are family I suppose I can put up with these small misbehaviors

The unfortunate planet that had caught her attention continued to rupture and shudder crumbling away to a drifting field of debris Bored Devick left the area and returned to the comfort of her office

Randidly’s Nether Core released threads of spun night riding the most destructive wave of Nether he had ever unleashed These destructive currents lapped outward edged with the spectral flames of Nether Weight burning a path through the sky and latching onto the surrounding space

However the grey clouds belched out by the flesh titan continued to struggle directly against the Nether Its image was vague and general so Randidly couldnÆt exactly determine its purpose Yet precisely that general feeling made it difficult for his Nether to burn away It shifted and seethed surly and stubborn in front of his force

But cloud cover was the least of his worries

The flesh titan stepped forward again cracking one of the few remaining portions of solid ground in the large courtroom The rest of the flooring had shattered into gravel and piles of glossy rubble

Its rust colored body shuddered again expanding and contracting with a sickening consistency Copper spikes stuck out of its shoulders and eyes but Randidly could also spot the true core of this other image A bulging spot on its torso much larger than the ones that housed the weakened spirit that could only be its heart pulsed periodically sending throbbing tremors through its body

This even before it began to move

ThatÆs the target then Randidly crouched slightly and gave Dreadful Alacrity the moments it needed to build up that extra bit of overwhelming speed The flesh titan hurtled toward him heedless of his silent preparations Strike at that heart until Wick grows desperate and displays weakness

So if that heart is the core of the flesh titan Acri’s tip seemed to race across a metal plate seeping out of the thingÆs torso the defensive barrier manifesting itself only a small fraction of time before the strike ground up the surface The frequency of his strikes rose until he inflicted more damage around that image core Then Randidly abruptly fled unleashing the heavy burden of gravity in order to avoid getting lashed by its flexible arms What is the vulnerable portion of WickÆs image

Knowing him Randidly sucked in a deep breath More ripples became raw power that he forced through his body supercharging his movements to contain a hundred tiny servings of extra power It wasnÆt the same sort of overwhelming image he struggled against but it was something that core is safely within the flesh titan So IÆll just need to drag it out

He planted a foot He accelerated faster than he ever had previously Acri ripped into that targeted bulge sinking a few inches before copper rapidly congregated and forced him to a stop with a grating shriek of metal on metal

Then he withdrew choosing a new method But thick clotted blood gushed from the flesh titan

For a split second RandidlyÆs tongue flicked out to wet his lips The image physicalizations of the Grey Creature lengthened the appendage enough that the tip flicked out in the air as he did so He could practically taste the opportunity he had been waiting for All he needed to do now was force open his weakness

He flickered forward moving as fast as he had seen Devick traversing the ground in his body Finally it seemed the flesh titan realized it couldnÆt rely on its basic swipes to attack And rather than simply continuing this inefficient method as its claims of wanting to die should encourage it once more shifted its body It grew almost twenty long and thin arms out of its back each edge in a sharp copper hook These wriggled forward trying to hamper Randidly by sheer dint of their numbers

His heartbeat steadily aligning itself with the maelstrom he contained inside of his body He moved Acri so quickly that the weapon left blurred afterimages in its wake He shredded several of the feeble bits of stretching flesh but then grimaced as they curled in on themselves and toward his back

Maybe someone else youÆd catch like this but right now

Congratulations Your Skill Grit of the Ascendant Bane has grown to Level 553

Right now IÆm untouchable Randidly blasted back a few more tentacle arms and unleashed a flurry of attacks on the flesh titanÆs torso The storm inside of his body made his flesh hum Copper seeped to the surface of the image projectionÆs skin and it only made Randidly slam Acri forward with more vigor Those clanging impacts released raucous stampedes of ripples that were then gathered and used to add an extra bit of punishment to his movements

The flesh tentacles spun around and ripped toward him but Randidly was gone He landed on the other side of the flesh titan in an explosion of dirt and splinters already blurring into a gleaming torrent of attacks

This time he carved several deep lessons into the titanÆs skin as it wheeled around With naked physical force he tore out large chunks of flesh from the image and left them squirming on the ground The copper armor struggled to switch places and the torso produced more flesh hooks

Randidly crashed in from a new angle his chest heaving his emotions heaving Acri crying out sharp delights as it dug into the flesh More and more copper seeped to the surface and RandidlyÆs Grim Intuition traced out some of the energy flows through the copper He could sense the core areas As long as those came to the surface

But as he learned more about the copper RandidlyÆs long tongue tasted a new truth The knowledge curdled bitterly on his tongue and he skidded to a stop This copper image is not Wick

The flesh titan sighed Let me die

Above as though it had been waiting just for Randidly to make this realization the grey cloud cover churned With just a small shift the dour clouds turned into thick lines of binding The influence Randidly had ceded to the clouds as he shifted his storm inward came back to bite him for a split second he was totally bound

A blast of annihilation and oblivions bypassed his physical form and slammed into RandidlyÆs psyche

Chapter 1886

The flickering clouds became a sigil That sigil rushed forward becoming a mental sledgehammer with enough force to crack the personality of an average Nexus dweller like a pile of chicken eggs

To be fair Wick unleashed every ounce of his Willpower in concussing the Ghosthound He had learned his lesson with using emotions as the weapon and this time just cracked against his personality with a direct mental ambush Rather than trying to confuse him with emotions he relied on an overwhelming impression of oblivion driven directly into his psyche

For a brief moment after the attack landed the GhosthoundÆs face split in two half dominated by darkness and the other by a fiery green blaze Both eyes fixed on WickÆs core above him which flitted behind the thick layer of grey clouds safely out of the young manÆs reach For a few moments he fought that one way ticket to oblivion and teetered on rising above it

But then those moments of adrenaline passed the foolish boy swayed and then fell almost in slow motion Despite the fact that WickÆs image was so much more powerful it was hard to feel reassured by this victory During the entire extended moment of collapse Wick half expected the Ghosthound to shift and plant a foot before launching a vicious counterattack But the strike never came

Randidly Ghosthound collapsed His crumpled form sent some of the small stones beneath his body skittering across the ground

The flesh titan took a step forward raising a hand to strike down at the exposed body but Wick blasted it with his immutable grey smoke Its eyes clouded as the smoke forced its way into its nose and mouth becoming the only thing that the image projection could sense Wick wiped away its connection to the outside world as he usually did Its heavy shoulders heaved with a long sigh Ah to die

Next to it the copper spikes twitched fitfully Wick stretched out a hand After a moment of dithering the cowed image floated to him and slid smoothly into his body he had trained this one well

Wick cataloged and restricted the other two potent image even while feeling quite pleased with himself The Ghosthound hadnÆt made any sort of mistakes but how could he know that Wick could wield the copper image so freely without revealing his true colors It was a long laid trap with his Ominous Horizon image lurking for exactly this moment

Of course the current situation wasnÆt ideal

Emotions gurgled in WickÆs chest frantically trying to rip their way out of his grasp Even the docile copper image wriggled as he compartmentalized and bound everything in his person As DevickÆs binding unraveled each second held a greater threat of their soul collective collapsing into a mass of chaos and destruction However this much he could still handle on his own

True power Wick spoke to the GhosthoundÆs stunned form even as the heavy grey clouds rolled together into a thick column above them Is controlling the entire fight Manipulating the details Never losing sight of your goal Never becoming caught up in the machinations of your opponent And in that You failed

However I am not angry Wick settled on his haunches in front of Randidly The oozing and twitching form of the rust colored flesh titan collapsed into a puddle and then oozed back into WickÆs body In fact you taught me a valuable lesson We both learned from this clash The combination of that improvement when we are one we will both benefit from your capabilities

Wick reached out At the moment he played a dangerous game The emotions were becoming more demanding wanting to run wild now that the walls had fallen Thin tendrils of grey curled out from his fingers meandering through the air toward the Ghosthound Yet Wick couldnÆt help but bite his lip He began to sweat

As those tendrils stretched out he began to work on a very familiar set of bindings Even his firm Willpower faltered as he erected the walls around himself Wick after cursing these very restrictions for most of his non blurred memories rebuilt the prison around his soul More tendrils spun out gathering momentum approaching their target The thickening grey mist forced opened the GhosthoundÆs mouth and dug in through his nose and ears

Wick could almost imagine he could hear Devick laughing

Because when he needed it even now that he had been freed it was in her hand that he spoke These choices were hers Wick moved with all the independence of a glove meekly cupping her hand

Wick didnÆt try to deny that truth But the reason his mouth tasted like swamp mud was how easy it was He had studied it from the inside so many times perhaps subconsciously assuming there was something profound to the working Some secret that would stump him if he tried to escape Yet now that he created it himself and found no such secret found that he had been in charge of his own destiny for so long

The mist formed a bridge The images within him were cupped in that grey haze bound by WickÆs wavering Willpower while the clouds infiltrated the body of the Ghosthound He would need to travel into his subconscious and merge them directly before he could fully bind the whole of the new themÆ together

He risked their attacks by continuing But Wick resolved himself to ignore them Each had power but they couldnÆt rival him with all of the combined force of DevickÆs childÆ gathered in one mental form He took another step

A new figure arrived on the edge of this subconscious world A collective consciousness moving in unison taking the form of a monstrous city with a thousand legs It scuttled over and crouched protectively next to the Ghosthound Wick could feel the weakness of each individual will that spun together to form this city yet together they possessed significant power A strange mouth opened up on the side of the city and motes of silver light swirled around

This time Wick stopped looking around at these strange developments with alarm He only just managed to keep his mental form together But just because he no longer moved that did not mean that the surroundings no longer moved One of the GhosthoundÆs images the massive eye of darkness with its swirling event horizon of syrupy light lowered itself down and released two ugly masses They shivered and resolved themselves into slugs their mouths and eyes and everything about them poorly shaped But the duo oozed forward placing themselves to the left and right of the Ghosthound Periodical ripples syncing up to the beating of his heart continued to spread out through the lake

The torrent of emotional force swirled through Wick his body resonating with its passage Despite the infrequent shivers he began twisting his focus His foe lied there with his eyes closed his face at peace But after laying a trap Wick wasnÆt going to make the same mistake as his student How long did you plan this

The GhosthoundÆs eyes flickered Then they opened the left side of his face lost to oblivion and the right dominated by a brilliant emerald eye Right before you touched me For a few seconds whatever you did genuinely knocked me out But how did you know I was awake

Instinct Wick grunted But his focus flicked sideways in a very revealing manner If the Ghosthound had truly been completely unconscious his mental defenses would not have manifested in such an intimidating manner

The Ghosthound shrugged suddenly standing Wick built up more and more force all the complex emotions that tasted the freedom now that DevickÆs bindings had been shredded and wished for more They struggled and Wick corralled that force preparing to release an oppressive image shape

But he needed a bit more time to generate something oppressive enough to suit his needs Wick offered the Ghosthound a wan smile Let me guess once I revealed that the grey cloud image was mine you switched your plan You would endure the attack and recover and then spring the trap on me when I came here to wrestle directly with your psyche

More or less If thereÆs one thing I have confidence in its taking a hit The Ghosthound returned the smile

Wick did his best to hide the humming vibrations Even his tight control was strained to contain the force he now contained But you made a mistake Even with these strange defenses youÆve gathered do you think it matters Once I touch you we will meet directly You cannot overcome me

This time the Ghosthound didnÆt answer But frankly Wick didnÆt care

After allowing the silence stretched for a few seconds he threw back his head and laughed Fine then LetÆs settle this

Wick gathered all the image potency he possessed with his last scraps of Willpower and shaped it around his body in a truly inspired manner Using the two images from the weaker passengers in his body he created an engine out of rust colored flesh and copper That became his body in this thought area which he prepared to accelerate

A strand no an entire stream of emotions broke off from WickÆs careful control and spiked sideways within the deepest area of the image shape It tore open one of the fleshy sides of the engine he still created all of the pressure suddenly hissing out The image he had worked so hard to generate began to sag

The Ghosthound chuckled Fine then LetÆs settle this

WickÆs eyes widened Those emotions Those were from the Ghosthound when he blasted me with them earlier And this entire time he somehow maintained a connection with them how the hell did he refine them to be so marked

But he didnÆt have time to consider The Will o Wisps burned forward The images released blasts of force That reflected wingless dragon snarled and snapped The city of many legs walked forward its power rising

All to drown out Wick

Chapter 1887

Despite his confident words to Wick Randidly felt vaguely numb and tingling in this mental form Whatever image the Commandant forcefully injected into him lingered even now despite both Aether and Nether lashing out at the remnants

In addition some part of Randidly was deeply fascinated by the surroundings his attention got tugged in every direction All that he was drawn out around him a glittering magical wonderland His accomplishments became complex skyscrapers of energy and design Of course the small joy of examining himself quickly was smothered by the rather pressing issue of Wick

Even with most of his emotional force lost by that pressure release Wick still roared and barreled forward The copper bottom had wheels and a large cage that covered a large fleshy core area Two massive and lidless eyes sat at the front of the fleshy portion pressed right up against the copper frame Strange pistons pumped between the biological mechanism and the metal but those seemed mostly added detail What mattered was the shuddering core of the train car like amalgamation

When the form of Wick met the form of Randidly Ghosthound in this place they would grapple with each other directly Looking at the train car accelerating toward him Randidly didnÆt think it could be avoided the other presences had some power because they were literally inside of his body but they were limited by the fact they werenÆt actually him

The true mental blows had to be struck by himself

So the gathered Patrons and individuals from his Pantheon released blasts of their individual images that streaked and screamed across the intervening distance like fireworks They tore holes in WickÆs vulnerable flesh engine and left him ragged Yet their lights immediately dimmed and Wick continued forward leaking a chunky and ooze like version of blood onto the rippling black lake

At the very least Randidly thought still somewhat lightheaded as he glanced down The ooze sizzled and disintegrated as it touched the surface of the lake Nether can safely rid my subconscious of that shit As for Wick himself

Next came Kharon for the first time the Eidolon Crucible becoming a defensive force in RandidlyÆs body It rushed forward to meet Wick shrinking as it approached until all of the burning loyalty and bright spirits of Kharon condensed into a body the size of a minivan This regal and brave image consciousness slammed directly into WickÆs sagging train engine without hesitation ignoring the difference in potency between them

Well they probably donÆt realize even IÆm lacking compared to Wick

Congratulations Your Skill Reign of the Eidolon Crucible has grown to Level 523

Randidly winced in sympathy The impact had enough force that the lake below carried a massive ripple out in every direction Kharon skidded to a stop as a good third of the consciousnesses that composed it were dispersed Most were probably knocked directly unconscious from the collision Wick slowed its speed but then began to drill his way through The people of Kharon struggled but they were simply overmatched for the same reason that Randidly had been able to overwhelm them in the last conflict

Congratulations Your Skill Reign of the Eidolon Crucible has grown to Level 562

ThatÆs enough Randidly dispersed them before the population of Kharon hurt themselves further The lungsÆ of the current Wick form massive leathery bags contained within an especially tight copper mesh toward the back of the engine inflated and deflated rapidly Emotional force still leaked out from the left one Yet Wick labored and skirted across the last few meters between them WickÆs image form neared the point of breaking down

The tingling was fading Randidly sucked in a metaphorical breath and stirred his Nether

But before he needed to engage directly his images and one Authority lashed out at this rattling machine that seemed one solid hit away from collapsing Yggdrasil unleashed the brilliant light of genesis ripping the tear in WickÆs side even larger The Stillborn Phoenix howled and manifested its most imperative devouring warping the metal front of the engine into a twisted and crumpled ball like discarded aluminum foil The Grey Creature crashed itself directly against that front reaching through with its sharp fingered right hand and shredding one of WickÆs large and unblinking eyes

Then Nidhogg swam up from below and Seized the sight in the second eye The pupil and iris vanished leaving the blank white of the sclera Wick roared again but didnÆt waver And somehow Randidly knew that he wouldnÆt be able to dodge

WickÆs image form coasted those last few meters bleeding curry colored clotted blood and more of its emotional force every second It was a ragged and weakened being that Randidly needed to face At this point there were occasional flashes of other images in the space above the train engine as though each was about to split from WickÆs body without DevickÆs binding Yet even now Randidly didnÆt dare underestimate Wick

Either way significance whooshed through RandidlyÆs Nether Core strengthening it In that way it was clear that Wick succeeded at least partially some portion of Wick became a part of Randidly But Randidly had a feeling that he got the better end of the deal

Heat and toil they warped time until the struggle seemed an eternity His confusion grew And strangely Randidly found the sensation oddly reassuring it reminded him of using the Visage of Obsession

In those unconscious moments he stopped wondering what was happening He simply threw himself into the work Wicks attacks were steadily repulsed

Abruptly Randidly was free The jelly form of Wick sloughed off him dropping and curling like dead snakeskin Weak and scorched by Nether the whole of Wick collapsed onto the ground Little bits of him remained around twitching

The mental connection vanished Even in the subconscious contact was broken Randidly found himself standing before the sagging and melting remnants of that train engine Blank white circles were pointed right at him but they resemble tiny plates more than eyes After surreptitiously prodding it to see if it yet lived the Unborn began to nibble on the remaining fleshy bits

Congratulations Your Skill Twin Lingering Shadows of Misfortune has grown to Level 924

Then they were back in that demolished courtroom Randidly looked up at Wick’s hairy and blank face before the Commandant collapsed backward onto his ass Randidly stood quickly and then cursed himself as he swayed His head was still light He coughed up and spat out a glob of discolored blood

You WickÆs voice wheezed out He appeared to have regained some clarity because he managed a glare at Randidly Fuck you

A last and fitting expression of WickÆs disdain for Randidly

For a split second something ugly rose in RandidlyÆs heart He felt anticipation and relish for the moment where he paid back this sadistic piece of shit for every iota of pain he had inflicted on Helen He would lay him open and then thoroughly eviscerate the shattered remnants of his image feeding the scattered and rotting chunks to the Unborn before WickÆs eyes Then he would break his bones rip out his veins and weave a tapestry from his flayed organs For what he did to Helen Wick would feel regret

Yet the experience quickly turned sour as he ran through his planned vengeance His dominant emotion was black and suffocating a constriction sensation of being short on oxygen after a long run Yet panic drove him to move even weak as he was His hands rose almost unbidden leveling Acri at WickÆs chest even through the lightheadedness

Randidly swayed Pawing like a child in the dark he sorted his way through his own emotions

It was one of the hardest things he had ever done to lower his spear The black panic of rage and confusion squeezed his heart The desire for vengeance pounded through him near deafening Randidly sucked in a breath It would have been easy to blame Wick for this strange emotional affliction label it as some lingering remnant of the other that was lodged inside of jelly Randidly

But even if that was partially true it wasnÆt the whole truth

We actually arenÆt so different Randidly whispered He ached to say those words that was the seed that had grown that black emotion And bringing it to light forced the cloying hatred to wither We were both shaped purposefully by callous and selfish individuals We both so desperately want power We ended up relying on those twisted benefactors to grow The real difference is the choices weÆve made since then

Yet maybe thatÆs not fair to you Randidly couldnÆt say that thought out loud Maybe the real difference was the environment

Randidly pressed his eyes shut and tried to steady himself He felt so exhausted He felt like he would fail Helen by not slaughtering Wick with just as much prejudice as he had shown for her But Randidly found himself intending to let Wick live Which in its own way was a twisted revenge Because even now he could feel those other images lurking beneath his skin beginning to move and morph The weakened Wick would likely spend a lot of time tortured by his demons before he left this life

It was hard not to enjoy that thought But also he tried not to let himself dwell on it

Chapter 1888

By the time Randidly opened his eyes some of those inevitable shifts became physicalized in the body in front of him Copper spikes began to rip out through WickÆs eyes and oozed blood Drops congregated at the dull tips His bearman hair receded leaving ugly stretches of rust colored flesh behind

When Wick spoke it was with a different voice The tone was clipped I would appreciate it if you kill me

The black emotional sludge clinging to his heart quivered with renewed anticipation It would be so easy to assent and end this Plus it would be smart if he didnÆt end Wick with his own hands the powerful man might somehow come back to threaten him later Wick had already proven to be a dangerous individual Plus it was the revenge that Randidly had sought There were a thousand reasons why he should kill Wick quickly

And yet Randidly was afraid Because when he looked at WickÆs collapsed form he saw himself so clearly in the shape of this manÆs destiny He saw how near parallel their lives had run How small choices had brought them to diverging paths and the prospect of similar choices leading them back together terrified him

Plus letting him go does feel like the worse punishment for him

Randidly shook his head Precisely because it was a choice Wick would never make he felt drawn to it He knew it was foolish He knew he would likely regret it Yet at this moment feeling emotionally exhausted and vaguely tainted and fearful of the effects all that Wick jelly invading him might have all he wanted was proof that he was Randidly Ghosthound

You will regret it This new Wick likely one of the other personalities observed One drop of blood fell off the spike and spattered onto his bare skin Which at least solved the question of why his skin was that color

But Randidly couldnÆt help but chuckle at the words IÆve regretted a lot of things since coming to the Nexus This I think I can live with

His clumsy fingers groped several times before they settled on the familiar handle to the Philosopher’s Key He raised the bronze implement gingerly struggling more than usual to find its proper resting place to open back a portal to the safe house that Edraine had created After the key turned and the portal unfolded he turned back to look at Wick

Other portions of the CommandantÆs body began to bulge Some of them stretched into tiny limbs with misshapen digits while others became copper protrusions At the same time Wick seemed to be oozing outward like a scoop of ice cream left too long in the sun The bottom portion began to melt and run

We may have similar beginnings Randidly resolutely turned back forward and stepped through the portal He felt oddly hollow beyond even the exhaustion as he considered this powerful foe that had threatened him for so long now coming apart at the seams But we will have different endings This ending of yours whether it is an ending or not you deserve it Wick

YouÆll have to live your pain just like IÆll always carry mine

As he passed into the familiar room and right before he collapsed onto the bed for a long and dreamless sleep a portion of the notification he received when he created his Fatepiece came back to him It floated unbidden to the surface of his mind

Yet the paradox of the alchemist is eternal If they are flawed are not all dreams that they can conceive made of that same flawed flesh Can their hands not ultimately only wring more imperfections from the substance of this plane

Moonlight Blade gasped and sat up His clawed hand went to his chest which still felt numb even as the last vestiges of the nightmare passed

He had been sleeping in the corner of his deepest cave well away from most of his subordinates He hated that he needed some time away but he had been truly wounded by the struggle for the Beigon girl

Shivering the Canine pushed himself to his feet The worst part even worse than the strange erosion that had hit his images was the dreams Even now days later every time his mind wandered he would fall into a light sleep And waiting for him there was the keening song of ClaudetteÆs sword

Moonlight BladeÆs hands tightened into fists Every time he awoke because he felt that sickening chill as her weapon impaled his chest As someone who considered himself only a half step before the Image Fulfillment stage it was a horrible embarrassment to be so affected

Yet he did not hold a grudge against the girl for this She had bested him Although that strike had taken him by surprise who hadnÆt engaged in an ambush in the past Such is the mode of the wild To hold a grudge over such a thing was to curse the eagle for its feathers or the spider for its web Better to focus on the future

Besides there is the matter of the Ghosthound Moonlight Blade barred his teeth Then he glanced down at the bracer on his forearm He could very distinctly feel the way the Ghosthound had somehow adjusted Moonlight BladeÆs final attack using the tiny shard of an image that grew within the equipment

Due to that opening the Beigon girl had seized her own destiny

The wolfman raised his head and unleashed a howl that shook the mountain The heavy granite walls vibrated as the noise bounced back and forth through the tunnel system He took great pleasure in sensing the young of his pack being startled awake and glance around wide with fear Greater pleasure still when most of them tried to make themselves as small as possible remaining still so as not to draw his ire

He let the note fall away and rolled his neck Hum better to set my pride aside in this situation too The artisan who makes this equipment is from the GhosthoundÆs homeworld This is a genuine chance for me to improve my power Likely he wonÆt hold a grudge most of his fighting was done against Devick and that Rex girl But still perhaps it will be safest to sweeten the pot

Moonlight Blade began composing a message to the Ghosthound but soon was snarling at the interface and throwing his claws up in the air Everything he typed out felt meek and mild Obviously he was extending a peace offering but he didnÆt wish to sound like a trembling whelp dragging itself across the ground with its throat exposed

Ozark Moonlight Blade howled

Almost immediately a trembling form a few caves over jumped and slammed his head against a stalactite After rolling on the ground for a few seconds that pathetic servant character seemed to realize that he had been called and scurried toward the deepest cave Moonlight Blade laid down and did his best to seem sinister and powerful

Y you called Ozark practically chirped his eyes flicking to Moonlight BladeÆs chest as though looking for wounds

That certainly earned him no ill will but the wolfman felt oddly at ease around this particular subordinate of a subordinate This beingÆs entire body seemed to acknowledge Moonlight Blade as a superior existence was a sort of capitulation that was difficult to find

Compose a letter Moonlight Blade growl Let Randidly Ghosthound know there are no hard feelings between us Then request that he facilitate additional equipment for me along the same vein as this bracer Its maker is from his homeworld after all

Chapter 1889

Ozark

Moonlight BladeÆs voice sunk into OzarkÆs back like he imagined a wolfÆs teeth would if that ire was ever directed at him Miserable and not really understanding why he of all people was being called Ozark hopped to his feet

and slammed his head against a rock He crouched over and cradled his skull for several seconds all imperatives knocked away by the pulsing ache that scrambled his thoughts However he quickly remembered the demand in Moonlight BladeÆs voice and hurried through the dark tunnels knocking his shins and elbows against walls that he couldnÆt quite make out He arrived harried and trying to gulp down breaths as quietly as he could manage

In Moonlight BladeÆs main room at least a thin ray of moonlight shown down through a crack in the rocks In the dim light the powerful Pinnacle SeekerÆs fur glittered like spun silver He favored Ozark with a blood thirsty smile seemingly looking him from head to toe and weighing mentally how much meat he possessed

Y you called Ozark detested how much his voice squeaked He folded his hands behind his back

Compose a letter Moonlight BladeÆs chest rumbled with aggression each hot breath was heavy with fury He leaned forward Let Randidly Ghosthound know

Moonlight BladeÆs eyes flashed with an implied threat He bared his long fangs and the air in the cave grew hot know there are no hard feelings between us Then request

The wolfmanÆs lips pulled even further back from his pearly teeth More than what he said Ozark felt the weight of what he wasnÆt saying the consequence if the Pinnacle Seeker didnÆt get his way that he facilitate additional equipment for me along the same vein as this bracer Moonlight Blade fixed Ozark with a piercing glare Ozark swayed his palms sweaty The maker is from his homeworld after all

Ozark wanted to cry He had heard the rumors about the young man seen how he had brutally attacked his superior officer and then heard how the Ghosthound had managed to briefly fight Devick to a standstill If you want to so boldly threaten the Ghosthound why use me as a messenger He might just kill me for being disrespectful

But Ozark could only nod That was the lot of being a minion

He tried to maintain his dignity as he left the room then spent several minutes shivering in a small tunnel with his back pressed against heavy stone Only when the adrenaline turned to sludge in his veins did he begin typing a message

Randidly woke up with a gasp His dreams had been thick and chaotic with heat and impressions In some of them he was haunted by a cruel eyed Wick in others by a madly laughing Devick but the worst of them all were those where Randidly could only grit his teeth and try and endure the overwhelming fists of Elhume himself The pressure of their images still seemed to weigh against him

His palette was damp and steam wafted off of his shoulders and arms Randiddly rubbed the bridge of his nose with fingers from SulfurÆs arm which was much cooler than his flesh He had felt a sense of accomplishment finally reaching a point where he could tear apart Wick However he still found himself wanting against the image of both Devick and Elhume

For a brief moment the deflated loose skinned version of the defeated Wick flashed in front of RandidlyÆs eyes He sighed I won But itÆs really just the beginning isnÆt it

With very little else to think about Randidly began examining the Nether of the shaft Compared to his own the substance of it was light and oily Not oily in its graceful thickness which Randidly possessed in spades but in the spottled nearly speckled substance of the Nether So many different connections and meanings seemed to have been condensed in this Nether Like rather than a single Nether Core spinning it out there was instead a massive well of Nether around this significance where thinner and less refined Nether was forcefully pressed closely together which eventually combined all those thin layers into Nether of a more serious density

With time and pressure a powerful material could be forged

The prospect reminded him of the layered jelly like form of Wick and himself in that mental area The fragility of selfÆ made Randidly release a long sigh

Very quickly he dropped down to the 50% Nether content layer A small smile tugged at RandidlyÆs lips when he remembered his struggles before he condensed a Nether Core barely able to maintain his position here At that time Velio Dunn had found him forcing him to flee deeper into the Shaft and risk becoming a part of the significance at the bottom of this place to escape

What came next was the area with the porcelain defensive automatons which obviously let him pass without any harassment as he shot downward However right before Randidly passed their area he felt the hairs on his neck prickling someone was watching him Someone potent

He twisted his head around to look but he was already past that area All that lingered was a bit of anxiety and a strange feeling of familiarity Randidly frowned Who do I know that would be this deep in the shaft

Both Revelations of the Atramentous Threshold and Grey Creature Glimpses Providence activated Yet even combined he could not intuit the answer

That question puzzled him even as he tumbled down past an increasing number of Nether Gatekeepers born in this place and hanging here in constant meditation Reminded of an earlier promise Randidly sent a message to the Nether Gatekeeper that had helped him and now lived in the Alpha Cosmos the one with the powerful mantle of antlers Perhaps on the way back up he could talk to some of these Nether Gatekeepers and give them a new home

The distribution of the Nether Gatekeepers appeared to follow a bell curve There were a few at the edges as he blurred down and then suddenly there were dense clusters of them all sitting in furiously silent meditation to resist the pull back down Randidly slowed his speed just so he wouldnÆt disturb them Soon they were so tightly clustered that he had to swim between them The Nether content around continued to rise

Then suddenly the shaft opened up Both figuratively and literally as the amount of Nether Gatekeepers dropped precipitously and Randidly could see what the dense population had made him miss earlier the shaft continued to widen into something ridiculously massive He accelerated again traversing the last distance The substance of the atmosphere was so thick with Nether that Randidly could feel each of the Nether Gatekeepers their deep significance that rivaled his own even after he had borrowed so much from several generous donors

These Nether Gatekeepers Randidly spun his Nether Core and achieved equilibrium with the environment Significance tugged at him but he had enough power to ignore it He looked at one Nether Gatekeeper in particular a sleek armored humanoid that vaguely resembled an armadillo The twirling patterns of Nether this individual produced were incredibly profound Almost immediately one of the Nether GatekeeperÆs eyes opened under his scrutiny Randidly felt vaguely embarrassed to be caught staring

Because this individual made his instincts warier than even Wick had

Congratulations Your Skill Nether Sensation has grown to Level 663

Rather than respond to his stare the Nether Gatekeeper smirked and then closed its eyes Its Nether spun in those same beautiful snowflake patterns but then a screen of Nether rose to block him from observing it Randidly released a breath and shook himself That little taste wasnÆt enough to give him much inspiration but it did let him know that there was much more to learn about Nether

Then he continued downward and the composition of the atmosphere changed further With the sensitivity given to him by the medium around him Randidly felt it

Randidly had found the body of Pine the existence that had inspired the Nexus CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin( )c0m

Chapter 1890

Randidly felt it pressing against him entirely the opposite way as the powerful image of Elhume had when he needed to face that fist That fist had wanted to crush and break him releasing a grating pressure that sought to impose itself upon him DevickÆs rusty chains were similar They overwhelmed everything in their path

He slowed his descent What remained of Pine was very different It pressed against him but in an embrace As though it would accept anything and everything a wide and guileless affirmation to all nearby forces

Which Randidly supposed was why significance began to pool here

From RandidlyÆs talks with Yystrix and also later the Patrons he knew roughly the situation in the Nexus Pine was a child that Yystrix had with some Nether being a throwback to the Shallah the original pure beings of myth that lived in an Eden lost to history Due to various circumstances Yystrix had brought Pine back to Elhume her husband who was an Aether based being like her

Elhume had a particular role in the Aether society one that put him in a position of power In Pine he saw providence and opportunity Yet all was not well every moment that Pine spent in the exposed universe the light of his life grew dimmer He might truly be one of the Shallah however outside of Eden his only fate was to die

Yystrix and Elhume didnÆt understand the timeline but they understood how this was going to end if they did not act

So Elhume mortgaged the entirety of the Aether population in order to create an adequate environment for Pine He relied on the perfection of the child Yystrix had brought to reach the PinnacleÆ and create the Nexus from nothing However it soon became clear that the Nexus was only a temporary solution It stalled out PineÆs degeneration but couldnÆt heal the wounds that had already occurred Therefore Elhume mobilized the Nexus to try and bridge the gap to that lost Eden so Pine could recover and thrive

Randidly floated down through the thick air Out of the darkness of the Shaft the first hints of Pine emerged A stadium sized sphere waited below slurping up all the significance that floated down here and remaining thirsty for more It looked like the inversion of the Stillborn Phoenix the darkness seemed to intensify around the edges of the sphere becoming thick and impenetrable Out of the corner of your eye you could see nothing but the abyss there But when you looked at it directly a bright world unfolded before you

It looked full but that embrace sang of emptiness

Randidly couldnÆt make out any detail of this world because the fuzzy lines of mountain and sky and greenery were rubbed away at the edges by the gleaming sun touched spell that covered all of it The golden light refracted into blinding kaleidoscopes that beckoned Looking directly at it Randidly felt a deep tug on him to join that world Even with his own Nether Core this existence was strong

Hollow as it might be some substance existed there

Randidly turned away with an effort of will shattering the growing connection of significance between himself and that world Only out of the corner of your eye when that brilliant dream faded to darkness could you see the tumbling details that he had heard from Roy

In that darkness several limbs twisted mid air Randidly saw a single featherless wing folded neatly A bloodshot eye stared around sightlessly as it tumbled A luminously pale skull released a misty of glittering blue motes A fleshy pink stomach engorged itself on the significance absorbing more and more

The ugly and swollen organ couldnÆt be seen if you looked for it but lurked like the whisper of doom when refused to be pulled into the dream

The strange dream around PineÆs body already has such a frightful pull Randidly frowned and looked away entirely from this strange base How dense must the significance in his stomach be And why canÆt I feel it The significance that flows into him just seems to disappear

Indeed Or rather it was the true me Not just the unlucky bit of myself that remains conscious The man standing next to the bed gave a small smile His cheekbones were sharp and his hair was slate grey His eyes glittered with a purple so dark it was nearly black But now that Randidly was closer he could see that the figure in the bed and the standing figure wore the same face

Abruptly Randidly realized where he recognized the sharp features You are

Solomon Rex The mysterious figure bowed to Randidly He held the perfect bend of his bow for two seconds before he straightened At your service Mr Ghosthound IÆve been waiting for someone like you for a long long time

For several seconds Randidly just stared at the man His emotions twisted back and forth in his chest as he thought about the way that Neshamah this manÆs daughter betrayed Claudette at the last second Perhaps being under the sway of the Rex Family would have been the lesser of several evils but it had seemed unnecessary

But truthfully he wasnÆt even sure how close Solomon and Neshamah were

RandidlyÆs gaze shifted to the sleeping form of Solomon A small smile played across the manÆs face as though he wandered through a reassuring dream RadndidlyÆs frown deepened at the strange circumstances I IÆm not sure what to say to you

Nor I you honestly The mental projection of Solomon Rex reached up and rubbed the back of his head with a rueful smile I had always hoped someone like you would come along to threaten Elhume but I didnÆt have much hope

That certainly earned a sharp glance from Randidly You

Then he stopped short Was he surprised that this mysterious figure slumbering beneath Pine knew he wanted to overthrow the Nexus Compared to the other facts about this strange meeting that seemed to be the most innocuous Besides being aware of RandidlyÆs own goal was something different than being aware of the group gathered with the intent to bring down Elhume