LoRG 5

Congratulations Your Skill the First Tree Suffers Only Fealty has grown to Level 1035

Randidly took control of the thingÆs veins and drove them into the main body over and over again With a flick of the wrist he produced Acri and wove another dozen holes through his opponentÆs fleshy body The venus fly trap screamed and twisted attempting to rip itself out of the ground but it found that none of its appendages could be moved RandidlyÆs will settled over the area brooking no disagreement

After thoroughly skewering this sick monster its life finally began to flicker and fade Even its monstrous vitality stolen from the ratlings beneath the ground had its limits RandidlyÆs lip curled in disgust unwilling to forgive the monster he fought against But knowing what would come next he still manifested the Fatepiece orb in his hand

As with the previous target it accepted probably without understanding what sort of contract it had signed The light in the orb flashed Unknowingly these beings picked up bricks and began to build their own Ghasthunds

Your Fatepiece the Keystone of the First Ghasthund has grown to Level 10

Your Fatepiece the Keystone of the First Ghasthund has grown to Level 11

Randidly blurred backward to his original position Because the power had grown further he ended up traveling out of this being’s domain by the time the forgivenessÆ ended Pursing his lips Randidly accelerated as soon as he had control of his body to try and catch up with his quarry The veins withdrew before his eyes but he speared them in place with spikes of wind Rapidly he caught up the venus fly trap

Rather than wait for its fate the creature actually had ripped off the veins that Randidly had immobilized It rapidly fled a third of its tentacles left behind undulating across the sands But its speed wasnÆt enough

When Randidly caught up he created another manifestation of the World Tree This time Yggdrasil demanded The creatureÆs body couldnÆt help but answer

Congratulations Your Skill The First Tree Suffers Only Fealty has grown to Level

In its haste to execute a bow before a vastly superior being the venus fly trap ripped its body in half and smashed all of its organs to pulp As the twitching remnants bled out its lifeblood into the ground Randidly offered it a devilÆs smile

Want to try again

Chapter 2342

Charlotte Wick folded her arms across her chest and looked out from the walls of Homewell Already she could tell it would be an exhausting day And that was before she listened to some of their alliesÆ complain

I had thought your master was smarter than this Kethope spat over the edge of the wall The wrinkles on the old TurtlelineÆs face were especially pronounced today and there were deep bags underneath their eyes After RandidlyÆs dispensing of justice yesterday all the Turtleline elders had assembled to investigate As the most favorable to their cause Kethope had come to Charlotte to ask for an explanation That and most of the others feared Randidly This few will be willing to trust him after this What was he thinking Power must be wielded with purpose lest it becomes carnage

CharlotteÆs eyes traced the horizon She allowed the other womanÆs emotions to fade somewhat before she responded

At first Charlotte had been similarly aghast at the swift fury displayed to simply go and kill the two BeigonÆs after they had spread their slanderous rumors When she believed it had been retribution for spreading lies she felt a tinkling of fear wondering if Randidly Ghosthound had more similarities to her deceased grandfather than she initially thought But as those fears faded she could gradually see the broad view of the event

Those two attempted to hold their old lives and the lives of everyone fool enough to listen to them hostage in order to extract benefits for themselves Charlotte said to the old Turteline woman The killings were a callous action but also a brutally practical one she shrugged acknowledging the place for practical methods at the moment What would you have us do Reward that sort of behavior

KethopeÆs expression wavered between a hint of comprehension and alarm Eventually she said Be that as it may Many will take this as an indictment of Hungry Eye and his allies They will not believe his warning not when they fear his methods

And thus they will die by being misled by malicious actors Charlotte sighed Luckily the slum remained steadfastly in support of the Nether King although some of that respect was now tinged with fear Randidly Ghosthound never wanted to be the type that would save an individual from themselves He can only offer another Path Provide the possibility of salvation That is the extent of his mercy

For a second it seemed like Kethope would respond yet she simply shook her head Both simply looked out over the city as dawn came If Randidly had set the stage now it became their change to fight a much more ungainly battle for the soul of the population here Even CharlotteÆs master would not lower himself to argue about the truth with people

That didnÆt mean he would mind if she did

Already Charlotte felt a headache brewing Definitely today would be a long day

Likely Randidly took this action because he had just come from killing the Beigons He sought out balance And in true typical Ghosthound fashion he made more work for someone else

You want us to simply explain the situation to them

Randidly tried not to smile at the exasperation and resignation in the young manÆs face Tatiana had become almost frustratingly skilled at simply blinking and saying yes when Randidly approached her to solve annoying problems he didnÆt want to handle but at least Naffur Suite had the decency to display the right sort of indignation It made the whole process much more enjoyable

Well they seem so enthusiastic Randidly had tried to sound as blithe as possible as he gestured vaguely to the Ratling horde that had surged out of the caverns when their horrid keeper was slain Even now they danced in concentric circles radiating out from a hunched ratling waving a crystal scepter

Thousands had already surged to the surface with more pouring out of their cave systems every second

He had been idly wrestling with a massive cross between a pillbug a stone golem and a turtle The thingÆs heavy slabs of defensive flesh could actually endure the full force of a punch from his body so long as he didnÆt utilize any image He had been scrutinizing the problem not really even paying much attention to the fight until he had slipped past the defenses and smashed a punch into the monsterÆs chest obliterating its heart

To RandidlyÆs surprise when he offered to activate the Fatepiece the Levels finally arrived

Your Fatepiece the Keystone of the First Ghasthund has grown to Level 21

Your Fatepiece the Keystone of the First Ghasthund has grown to Level 22

Was it just the accumulation of experience No itÆs more than that It was the emotion felt by this thing when I offered it the chance RandidlyÆs eyes widened in recognition He ducked under a blow as the monster lashed out with a veritable wall of reinforced stone It believed it could still win when it accepted

Because of the benefit it had given him and because it didnÆt subjugate any other peoples Randidly left this wild monster alive Further experimentation proved the insight correct the Fatepiece worked better when the target believed something would change during the fight

Just like that Randidly fought a dozen more monsters quickly pushing his Fatepiece up to Level 40 And again he reached a plateau where further Levels refused to occur With a small headache he began a rapid series of experiments to figure out what sort of roadblock waited this time Randidly kicked through the sky around a four winged massive hummingbird/mosquito before dashing forward and an ax kick drove the monsterÆs broken body into the ground

Just like the armored monster Randidly had encountered this one lived alone simply rampaging without any higher cruelty So he crouched above his dying opponent and offered it a deal If next time you can survive for five more seconds in our fight IÆll let you live

The bird bug nodded its head causing a squirt of blood to leak out of its broken neck

Congratulations Your Fatepiece the Keystone of the First Ghasthund has grown to Level 41

Randidly inwardly felt rather exasperated with his Fatepiece it really required the possibility of something actually changing in order to Level up further A headache brewed as he considered what this would mean for the next plateau

For the rest of the day he fought and testedÆ for lack of a better term the monsters of the Badlands As he neared the central areas this became much easier They werenÆt as powerful as Fatia Cerulean or Enmya but these monsters got close with their cold and calculating images and their years of experience plaguing the land

To RandidlyÆs relief he encountered no plateau at his Fatepiece Level 60 He smoothly sailed forward to Level 80 Yet the rosy outlook could not last forever As he had feared his Leveling halted abruptly at that last twenty Level step Just from the previous requirements to empower the Fatepiece he could see the basic shape of what would come next

Their belief then the possibility of a difference I suppose now Randidly licked his lips as he gazed toward the core area of the Badlands where he could sense the powerful images and significance of four true Calamities lurking Now itÆs my belief For it to improve I must activate the Fatepiece while also worrying about whether forgiveness will cause a change Likely a negative one

Yet even as Randidly mused over that problem a massive boom made his head snap up someone was already fighting in the core area of the Badlands As he took a deep sniff and tasted the Nether in the area he realized he recognized the individual

Hank Howard had wandered out to the most dangerous place in the memory and now tested his mettle against a lava spewing worm

Chapter 2343

You an ugly bastard aintcha

Hank hopped backward and immediately Dodge Rolled to the side after taking his first few shots At this point the Skill his second highest sitting at 694 practically teleported him when he activated it rather than moving him through the mundane realm of limbs and physics One moment he planted his feet on the ground and the next he was a meter to the side straightening and leveling his repeater for another slew of shots

His image rose and expanded to fill the wide sky In the Badlands under that remorseless sky Hank was at his most powerful The monster in front of him was beyond him normally but now he hoped to bridge that gap

Eight bullets smashed and sparked off of the reinforced armor of the monster that heaved itself out of the ground Its wide mouth opened its few ivory teeth blunt but as large as end tables Then came the lava regurgitated and steaming as it splashed out toward Hank Finally its image spread out from its open maw like mustard gas caustic and sizzling

Another dodge brought Hank sideways out of the path of the lava He trusted his stats but that didnÆt mean he was fool enough to try and wade through lava to fight against a foe An individual who attempted that could very reasonably be called unhinged

Besides this was not simply lava Along with the superheated molten stone and metal came an image of the planetÆs core a place of impossible heats and pressures Hank hadnÆt tested his theory but he suspected that the lava was also impossibly dense and heavy Underneath the cooling flows of rock he suspected the ground was cracking and buckling as it tried to support it

The air between them sparked half heatwaves and half a conflict between their two very different images

As the monster pivoted Hank continued to fire his repeater His Mana flowed down to empower each shot although he didnÆt have much hope of landing a significant blow like this He aimed and hit the exact location he wanted even while firing almost five bullets a second The sparks drew a grid pattern across the thingÆs armor methodically testing for weaknesses in the ravine like cracks that ran through the armor

Tsk might be stone but the seamstress made these stitches mighty fine

The wild image of adventure and bravery intensified around his body The sky pressed down on his enemies The longer the fight lasted the more the tension seeped into his nerves and drained from his body With the grace of a liquid cat Hank aimed and fired one last repeater bullet

The small reinforced hunk of metal crafted by HankÆs own hand and covered with small Mana Engravings to enhance its power punctured the left eyeball of the giant worm It roared and forced itself out of the ground revealing that its wormlike head followed a long neck to connect to the body of a stumpy centipede

From its narrow eyes it was clear the monster believed it could easily overpower him if it could just catch him

Why you gotta be so loud Shit if I had my horse Hank spat to the side The temperature in the area increased by a good ten degrees just as it revealed its true form Hank could see the glow of molten lava peeking out between the cracked armor plates along its body And then the monsterÆs image erupted out of the entire surface rather than just the mouth bringing with it another abrupt uptick in heat

HankÆs gaze sharpened as he activated Golden Irises of the Unbowed Sheriff The whole of the monsterÆs body came within his senses including the tight mass of power that sat within the beastÆs chest right at the position of a heart If he wanted to pierce through and damage that He stowed his repeater away and pulled out the revolver

After his image provided a dramatic tumbleweed rolling across his path Hank Howard took a step forward and prepared to kill the monster

Need some help

Hank glanced sideways at Randidly Ghosthound who stood arms akimbo and considered the writhing form of the lava worm The other man remained extremely powerful and unassuming just snapping into existence along the edge of the battlefield Hank grimaced and shook his head to the other manÆs offer Preciate the kindness but I want ta take this un on myself Easier if my horse were here ta kick the attitude out of im but IÆll manage

Besides part of HankÆs entire motivation for the fight was to improve himself If he simply relied on Randidly he wouldnÆt be able to advance at all

And HankÆs nose could smell the need to be stronger in the air He didnÆt have much time

But already the Ghosthound shook his head emphatically Not that sort of help Honestly well it might hurt more than help But it will give you another chance to fight against this enemy without its image being so Randidly gestured at the air and the bubbling ground I think my Fatepiece should be Leveled enough to offer it to an ally but IÆm warning you that the results could be strange

I could live with strange Hank said after a few seconds If the Ghosthound had seemed more sure he might have still denied him just out of principle But the expression of uncertainty on his face made Hank shrug inwardly And the man very obviously wanted to try out his Fatepiece whether or not it would actually help

Hank felt the strangest touch a tug at his image as though someone had tied a thin thread around the core of his body He blinked the sensation not what he had expected at all But he acquiesced to the tug He allowed himself to be pulled along Beneath the ground the monster rumbled out a sound of confusion

To HankÆs shock he felt the creature agree to whatever this was as well

Even more shocking was HankÆs body beginning to move without his input but he relaxed as he realized that he simply reversed his movements over the last several seconds or rather several minutes The ground firmed up as the heat departed HankÆs rifle bullet reformed inside of the wormÆs body and then quickly retreated back to his gun He pirouetted and leapt back on top of the foe sucked in several revolver shots to heal its eye and then leaped away

By the time the reversal ceased Hank had already pulled back all of the testing repeater shots with which he had started off the battle One last overwhelming Dodge Roll pulled Hank a little bit closer to the eruption point of the monster The air felt positively cool and refreshing against his skin as the strange power wielded by the Ghosthound ceased and the battle between the two could start over

This time IÆll take the shot at that heart before Hank stepped forward with aggressive intentions but the worm reacted just as quickly Instead of rearing up and roaring at him as it had done previously the worm shot him a single glance and then burrowed into the ground Mid draw of his rifle Hank paused

You varmint Did you jusÆ run Hank spluttered out the words

But as soon as he spoke he felt the change in the ground The worm had left the surface but hadnÆt gone far The ground began to radiate an uncomfortable amount of heat The stone and metal began to shift colors as it deformed and melted Once more the burning image of the worm began to dominate the environment

Underneath it the dangerous chemical fire aspect brewed itself into a more potent force

Rather than stay on the surface where Hank had previously hurt the thing it went underground and now attempted to simply melt rock around him until he died His lips curling Hank glanced over at Randidly Yea next time IÆll be fine without your help

Chapter 2344

Neveah stood at the edge of her cottage calmly eating some leftovers from Lowanna and EnmyaÆs date night Their happy ending meant that quite a bit of the paella had been left forgotten on the table which Neveah was only too happy to monopolize The metal spoon scraped against the clay bowl as she attempted to scoop out every last morsel she could find Even she felt a stirring of surprise as she tasted the food that Randidly had made pouring himself into a meal for a night

He might not have a related Skill with any Rarity worth recognizing but the methods Randidly Ghosthound had learned from Nrorce transcended the System With quality ingredients he just needed to avoid distracting from their natural appeal rather than needing to enhance it

After one last bite she set the bowl down on the nearby table and returned to her previous activity watching Devick manifesting her image the crimson furred Malice swinging the cursed scythe back and forth A grey and ominous fog followed after every swing hinting at the crackling destruction that occurred every moment Yet even that wouldn’t dissuade a watcher from losing themselves in the shifting pivots of Devick’s form Put simply the woman was graceful and beautiful in a way that made Neveah vaguely envious Each movement flowed smoothly to the next so the black grey of the scythe and the red of her hair seemed to be dancing Even in battle she seemed more art than a living person

Unfortunately Neveah shared too many traits with Randidly to possess that sort of effortless allure while she fought Rather than graceful the two’s movements could only be called efficientÆ Efficient pushed to the limit but rather unspectacular in methodology

At the same time the beauty wasnÆt the reason for the observation In a much less flattering way Devick could be described in a single word suicidal Her image had been irrevocably altered by holding onto the blade that Westrisser had so carefully forged The dangerous energies remained increasing the imageÆs power but Devick embraced the inclusion too fully

The flesh of MaliceÆs arm began to atrophy with each swing

In the end Neveah sighed and stood Devick please tell me you donÆt plan on letting the arm of your image rot off right in front of me

Devick paused in her movements She flashed Neveah a grin somewhere been impish and sheepish Well I donÆt have a solution for it now per se but from the vibes I felt from Hungry Eye what comes next wonÆt be easy And I

DevickÆs face scrunched up I refuse to be dead weight I want to possess the power to help him in this confrontation in his world Your world To do that I need to master this power that IÆve found Incorporate it naturally into my image Without it

He wonÆt leave you behind Neveah said with all the gentleness she could muster

I donÆt want him to even need to slow down for me Devick admitted Her lips twitched an aura of depression coloring the air around her Which I know is a bit unreasonable even for me

Neveah chuckled But necessary And I think you are missing a very literal way of interpreting that to alleviate this problem For example your image is basically that you now wield a power that is so dangerous even the wielder is damaged yes I donÆt think its smart to be rid of that aspect nowù you would be greatly weakened by trying to extract it But what you need to do is create a balancing force for it A way for your body to heal Why not just have your body be unreasonable too And have it heal from this horrific damage through sheer stubbornness

Chewing on the inside of his cheek Randidly ceased staring at the cracks running up into the fabric of this world and instead considered the flows of Aether and Nether that ran through the populations gathering around Homewell essentially he wanted to see how many people had believed his warnings

Even now he felt the news about the BeigonsÆ deaths weighing heavily upon the hearts of the crowds clustering around Homewell The people had gathered partially because they believed him but mostly because either they had been strongly persuaded to do so or because they wanted to convince the people already there not to fall for the lies of Randidly and the rest of his sinister cabal

The accusations made him want to snort if it hadnÆt been so heartbreakingly tragic

He could feel the emotions of fear and righteous fury burning especially hot in the area directly around Homewell Randidly shouldnÆt feel surprised about this but he had very few supporters from amongst the Turtlelines Aside from Kethope and her family essentially no one was willing to give Randidly the benefit of the doubt after he very publicly eliminated his detractors

Outside of the city whole new stretches of slums had sprung up functioning as transition camps for individuals who had rushed for the opportunity to embrace a better life Rather than emotional concerns a lot of these people were motivated by pragmatism A large portion were groups that Randidly had liberated from the Badlands while he experimented with his Fatepiece so they were more than willing to overlook a bit of murder

Groups gathered by Westrisser and Cerulean mostly included elite warriors and their immediate families These two at least had taken RandidlyÆs warnings about being unsure of how many individuals he could bring to his universe very seriously

Meanwhile the Nether contingent

A vein in RandidlyÆs temple twitched as he considered the vast host camped out along the edge of the Badlands Holy shit Lowanna Was there a single individual within the Netherlands that didnÆt listen to your words Tch no wonder the other side is convincing people that we are a horrid cabal

Just based on numbers alone the amount of Nether individuals streaming here is almost double the total number of people living in the Aetherlands

The group was beyond counting with long trains of individuals carrying only their dearest belongings snaking closer every hour All told RandidlyÆs conservative estimate at how many people were gathered below him sat at around fifty million

ItÆs possible to bring individuals into the Alpha Cosmos even if I donÆt quite have the current ability to make them realÆ and loose them in the wider Nexus Randidly muttered But how big is that number going to be Where will all these people settle She they be broken off into groups or just dumped in the wilderness somewhere Well I canÆt keep avoiding the answer forever

Randidly proceeded into his Status screen He clicked on his full MuseÆs Reverie Attribute and shivered He felt power radiating out of his new Class synergizing with the concerted power of his Fatpieces

Randidly closed his eyes as the world before him changed and he discovered how big a boost his Alpha Cosmos would receive

Chapter 2345

Six points of MuseÆs Reverie have been consumed

Reverie activating Reverie will last six minutes or until all reverie points have been spent

Randidly opened his eyes and saw a world made predictable and overwhelming by the detailed flows of power Whorls and arches held up the sky Runes and sigils delineated the ground Meaning was breathed between these two boundaries thoughts and emotions and images and significance all written into the whispering patterns

Congratulations Your Skill Infinite Incendiary Filaments of the Dove Moirae has grown to Level 1199

Congratulations Your Skill Randidly Ghosthound Executive of Nether Reborn has grown to Level 1521

Congratulations Your Skill Truth Within the Primordial Flux has grown to Level 1060

Congratulations Your Skill Infinite Incendiary Filaments of the Dove Moirae has grown to Level 1217

New examples lines and patterns swirled in his awareness as another layer of perception was stripped away revealing the flows beneath The Reverie shook existence as his Fatepieces sung together in harmony creating a cascading revelation that restructured the memory world The effect spread and spread bouncing and reverberating out to cover a massive area Perhaps it was due to the fact it was a memory maybe it resulted from finally earning his Sixth Fatepiece and Leveling it or maybe even the current situation had been caused by all the training Randidly had done with Lowanna since his previous activation For whatever reason the expanding limits of his reverie didnÆt seem to cease

The Muse opened his eyes and saw only possibilities around him

If the Reverie previously had shown him a hint of the majesty underlying a universe his eyes witnessed genuine beauty and his mouth breathed truth It flowed in and out of him rapidly earning him a whole slew of Skill Levels in the abilities relating to pattern and perception He pressed the notifications to the side letting wonder take over

He floated atop the patterns and savored the sensation of perceiving the foundation of all existence

He looked out and saw the sublime construction of the memory Although it had been animated by regret there was determination that sculpted the spine as well The minute runic shapes drew in power and animated unreality creating a place for regret to have limbs and independent emotions even the current Randidly could hardly believe the craftsmanship

His eyes traced the edges The lines and patterns unspooled even further than he thought Because beyond the memory there was the Nexus Inside RandidlyÆs body stood the Alpha Cosmos Patterns expanded and inverted simultaneously Randidly managed another explosive breath sensing the way he formed a conduit Meaning passed through him in both directions building to a crescendo

Again the Alchemist has surpassed himself to follow his muse glimpsing the truth inherent in this chaotic universe You have stepped beyond yourself for the second time in the future achieving points in MuseÆs Reverie will be slightly easier as you comprehend the disruptive actions that let you peel back the veneer of existence It is more likely that you obtain more than one point in MuseÆs Reverie at once

Go forth and experiment in this mystic state Alchemist The entire multiverse watches your efforts with interest

Heh I wish that raptor construct bad luck

After the first point Randidly spent the rest of his MuseÆs Reverie More and more invitations spread out across the gathered people offerings to become a part of his existence His Class hummed even before they acceptedù it reacted to even the possibility of his Legend growing to include a whole new population

After spending four points of MR Randidly paused He definitely wanted to invite more people into his Alpha Cosmos But he also took a moment to consider the benefits he could earn if he instead activated a different Fatepiece effect

Of the possible effects he only felt tempted by the use of the Codex Hexahedron RandidlyÆs gaze drifted up to the edges of the memory and out into the world But even in this paused existence of reverie and patterns he could feel the pulse of ElhumeÆs image He pressed his lips together as he toyed with the idea and then discarded it While knowing whether his theories about what originally happened at the end of the Second Cohort would be nice that didnÆt change the fact he would need to fight this brutal tyrant

And activating the ReverieÆs ability against one who had reached the Pinnacle made Randidly feel leery Just the connection to the ProphetÆs strange spiritual leader had been able to weaken the usage Randidly didnÆt want to find out what targeting a powerful individual directly would cause

Releasing a sigh Randidly poured out the last two points of MR More and more invites flowed out of his body Tiny threads of energy wound their way from the invited individual to the crystal clear orb floating in front of him demonstrating the path they would take if they accepted the invite and joined his world

Randidly shifted slightly almost tugging on all the threads They glittered in the air as he moved flashing to show how numerous the connections he had offered were A part of Randidly felt strange to be pulling so many individuals into his Alpha Cosmos he had expected the amount to be much more limiting but he could only chuckle quietly

Yes well IÆve already got a strange sort of stew going in my Soulskill a few more millions cant hurt

With his last point of MR spent the sensations began to fade The universal understanding of the patterns of the world which had granted him that brief power receded Some insights lingered due to the growth of his Skills but most would vanish

However the activation of the Reverie granted him one last notification

Due to the first activation of Keystone of the First Ghasthund in the Reverie a special effect has been granted Building Blocks of the Mythic Alpha Cosmos Resonance with the special benefit of your Soulskill has occurred

For each individual who accepts your invitation from the first batch of invites you will receive a Tithe of 01 PP

As the world settled around him Randidly blinked slowly and considered those worlds His skin prickled Receiving 01 PP from the first batch 7 396 000 invites possibly as much as an extra 73k PP

Due to an accepted invitation you have earned 01 PP (a single PP will be granted when a sufficient amount has been gathered)

Chapter 2346

Outside of the Sonara events marched toward a dramatic conclusion Randidly made his preparations but so did others

In a deep secret area of the Nexus Actus Suprem Devick wielded her twisted chains to follow out all the connections of Fates and prepare to bind them back into a sewn together body Crimson and black energy bolts crackled out from the careful chains that flowed through the entire Nexus The flickering form of Elhume watched his attention occasionally shifting to the cracked and disintegrating Sonara above them

Devick would not finish before the Sonara finally collapsed but her efforts would be brought to bare soon enough And the Actus SupremÆs image might be distracted for now but when it announced its demands she could not be denied

Yet these werenÆt the only details becoming relevant for the approaching climax

From the core area of the Sonara a portion which had already begun to disintegrate into smaller pieces a crystal casket dropped slowly down along with chunks of metal and stone The energy suppression runes across its face meant that many of the scavengers that swooped through the debris missed its particular value That piece tumbled down through the starry nebula further and further away from the central seat of Nexus power

Eventually that container of crystal struck a random hunk of space rock in its fall toward the oblivion of Pine Considering the percentage of empty space to debris it was an extremely unlikely event The Engravings across the coffinÆs surface flickered and died as a small crack ran through the defenses Steaming mist hissed out through the opening A split second later a swirling world state image escaped and began to probe at the surroundings

Finding no immediate resistance the image began to work more quickly

The Monarch of Karma hewn away from the Patron of TruthÆs influence by Elhume and then isolated to fuel a portion of the Sonara began to wake from his long enforced slumber

Yet from the collapsing portions of the Sonara came even more new variables A large group of individuals appeared from the Upper Sonara including the companions with which Randidly had traveled under an Ascension Pact Pullas and Fiona Already the metallic liger Xershi had departed seeking to understand his own existence after encountering his creator and having his worldview shattered on their journey

Small broken pieces of significance fizzled along the edges of these individuals hinting that their interactions had not yet been completed

The leader of the Upper Sonara Society Tuthak Eloise undulated his tentacles as he considered the group that manifested around him A smile stretched across his face and his voice boomed out through space The time for our Grand Return has come allies No longer will we allow Elhume to monopolize the wondrous potential of the Nexus Our destinies and the destiny of this entire universe will be our own

Across from them a new portal opened The Xyrt Brigade streamed out pivoting instantly to combat their spreading images And whereas the images of the Upper Sonara Society had been fueled with dreams the images of the Xyrt Brigade had been reinforced by iron and violence

Elsewhere Don Beigon sat in his bamboo chair For the first time in years emotions threatened to drown out his resolve

He looked at a small picture frame held in his hand and a single tear rolled down his cheek His wifeÆs familiar smirk stared up at him He didnÆt bother to wipe the tear away Ah Diane If you were here you would laugh at me wouldnÆt you For waiting this long for delaying for checking every threat to be sure that nothing could go wrong

Mantle of the Patron 0/500 Aether Convergence II Puppet Master 0/100 Pain Immunity I 0/250 Cleaver of the World Tree Weakness of the World Tree 0/500 Guilty Conscience I 0/100 Ashes of Illym the Above Average Child 0/5000 Creature’s Toil II 0/ Violent Heat I 0/ Deathwish X 0/5 The CreatureÆs Apotheosis 0/25000 Piece of the Ideal 0/ Stat Evolution VII 0/100000 Determined VI 0/600 Excavator of the Two Failed Dreams 0/12 000 The Ash that Reigns Above the Open and Closed Sky 0/ The Living Soul of the Alpha Cosmos 0/ Herald of the Eternal March 0/10 000 The Crown of Four Authorities 0/100000 Peerlessness Through Woven Truth 0/ Bubbling Emotional Accumulation I 0/10000 Miracle Maker 0/10000 Achieving the Fifth Mille 0/10000 Achieving the Tenth Mille 0/100000 Echoes of the Ascension Pact 0/5000 Alchemist of Past and Present 0/10000 The Homunculus Advances The First Self Vivisection 0/ Song of the Void 0/ Visitor to the Mirage of the Second Cohort 0/2500 Font of Endless Milles 0/25000 Father of Ghasthund 0/ From the Nexus Dove Perdition 0/50000 Reality from Echoes Moirae and Alchemist Ascendant 0/15000 Heritage of the Nether People 0/ Balance Between Nether 0/10000

RandidlyÆs eyes glazed over at the massive list of Paths he could choose Since he had last looked the list had certainly exploded with interesting options At least fourteen new Paths waited for him most of which he wanted to see through to the end He scanned the list a second time and began removing options While there was a portion of his heart that wanted to finish small Paths and earn a few assorted odd Skills the confrontation with Elhume could be only hours away He supposed it was possible to flee down toward the present Pine to extend time but that course of action would come with consequences

Now that he and Elhume were obviously antagonistic some of the benefits he had taken advantage of previously would become more of a gamble

Randidly left several Paths related to his images present although he wanted to be careful about what he would choose now The Paths that involved weaknesses were probably too dangerous to consider In addition he skimmed through Paths relating to the Second Cohort and memory Another target of his mental scalpel was the Path related to the Ascension Pact that helped him climb the Sonora

Finally Randidly cut out all Paths that seemed too vague or unhelpful to his current concerns He wanted power now For similar reasons despite the possible benefits he set aside the Crown of Four Authoritiesù it would explode his capabilities but it simply cost too much PP

Despite all those choices he still had fourteen Paths to choose from

Ashes of Illym the Above Average Child 0/5000 The CreatureÆs Apotheosis 0/25000 The Ash that Reigns Above the Open and Closed Sky 0/ The Living Soul of the Alpha Cosmos 0/ Peerlessness Through Woven Truth 0/ Alchemist of Past and Present 0/10000 The Homunculus Advances The First Self Vivisection 0/ Song of the Void 0/ Font of Endless Milles 0/25000 Father of Ghasthund 0/ From the Nexus Dove Perdition 0/50000 Reality from Echoes Moirae and Alchemist Ascendant 0/15000 Heritage of the Nether People 0/ Balance Between Nether 0/10000

From that list Randidly considered his PP A little over 70k So the first decision is whether to consider the more expensive options

Peerlessness Through Woven Truth had its total hidden but the number of question marks hinted at a high cost Same with Ash that Reigns Above the Open and Closed Sky Living Soul of the Alpha Cosmos and Father of Ghasthund Despite each appealing to him in their own way he discounted those options

The CreatureÆs Apotheosis gave Randidly a small headache He wasnÆt sure whether the creature that the Path referenced was his previous image or Yystrix WouldnÆt have the Path vanished if it related to his image But the transformation into the Dread Homunculus could be considered Apotheosis of a sort

Randidly rubbed his eyes Not worth the risk And with all those gone the only expensive Path left do I want to follow From the Nexus Dove Perdition

The word Perdition gave him pause A word cast from his worldÆs religious undertones it referred to the worst sort of doom A land beyond salvation The corner of RandidlyÆs mouth curled upward Dove referred to one of the three Moiraes with which he had managed to accumulate his power

For the Nexus it made sense that he brought with him hell Broadly with Ghasthund specifically with the changes he sought to inflict

A fifty thousand PP Path alright letÆs have some fun Randidly grinned

Chapter 2347

Randidly began pouring PP to finish his chosen Path When he added his 50th PP he stalled out and blinked at the notification he had been given +1 Free Stats and +1 to Health Mana and Stamina

All told 1000 of the Attributes and 1000 Free Stats Randidly couldnÆt help but chuckle as he considered the soon to be completed Path Just for that this is a lucrative Path isnÆt it Now what will the final reward be

He sped through the rest of the 50k PP very quickly without distributing his free Stats after all the rewards were tabulated he could decide how to spend these little free bonuses Soon the Path completion notification popped up in front of him

Congratulations Your eyes turn from the sky and the distant possibility of the Pinnacle to concern yourself with the pragmatic realities within your reach And immediately you begin to work Each motion carves signs and truths into existence From your hands ash and ruin From your breath sacrilege and perversion From your fell alchemies revolution Worse even than the Dove Perdition you drag to envelop the whole of the Nexus in your wake lingers a passage that others may follow to similarly effect change against this great collective Even if your life would cease now you have created a flaw in the monolith that your predecessors built

It is a feat without equal in the history of the Nexus

Congratulations You have completed the From the Nexus Dove Perdition Path Your GhosthoundÆs Deviation Rarity has spread from your body into others Other individuals within the Nexus have an extremely minute chance of earning the GD Rarity when they evolve powerful Skills with unique twists Should those individuals embody the spirit of exploration and advancement with which you created the Rarity they can capture a portion of your power Should their aims instead run counter to your beliefs the efficacy of those Skills will be greatly reduced

Congratulations You have also generated the Deviant bonus designation for Skills This bonus designation is slightly more likely to occur over the next ten years Designation will function similarly to the Unique designation whereupon it will be added in addition to another Rarity to create the final designation Those with the Deviant designation will experience various erratic effects in the usage of their Skill As the proficiency increases their is an infinitesimally small chance that the Deviant Designation will evolve into a new general Rarity following the example of GhosthoundÆs Deviation

Congratulations For completing the From the Nexus Dove Perdition Path +200 to Grey MonarchÆs Authority and Discretion of the Apostate Moirae Congratulations You have gained the Skill What the Ghosthound Sows He Will Soon Reap

What the Ghosthound Sows He Will Soon Reap A unique Skill of Randidly Ghosthound gained when he caused a significant change to the Rarity System of the Nexus Impossible to duplicate As others take advantage of this created flaw Skill Level will increase Slightly boosts the efficacy of the userÆs Skills and the chance others can also become Deviant Gives the user slight resistance against deviant Skills Gives an even smaller immunity to regular Skills User has a small chance of immediately understanding any Deviant Skill used against him Effects increase with Skill Level

Randidly breathed slowly in and then out as he considered the reward given to him by the Path An extra four hundred Stats in those Stats that were already the highest A thunderous shift in the way Rarities would proceed that made his mind race with possibilities But perhaps most importantly the fact that the Rarity System could change gave him the inkling of a few other aspects of the System he could target

ThatÆs for later For now this benefit is plenty Randidly chuckled to himself Very quickly his bubble of joy fadedù an interesting development and power enough to improve him but he didnÆt have much time to waste He quickly looked again at his Path Screen additional PP flowing in had finally pushed him up to a little under 24k

He waffled as he considered the possibilities He needed to eliminate a few more possible Paths to keep accumulating advantages Because he was just short of the requirement for Font of the Endless Milles Randidly reluctantly decided to set that option to the side He had already earned the reward for a few Milles before And while the Stat evolution benefited him he wasnÆt too interested in further developments like that

Well perhaps endless Milles come with a more concrete benefit but IÆm willing to risk it to earn other immediate boosts Chewing on his lip Randidly considered the depleted list of Paths to choose from

Alchemist of Past and Present 0/10000 The Homunculus Advances The First Self Vivisection 0/ Song of the Void 0/ Reality from Echoes Moirae and Alchemist Ascendant 0/15000 Heritage of the Nether People 0/ Balance Between Nether 0/10000

When the first pain left Randidly had time to release a long breath If it stayed like this he would definitely be able to persist through several waves of pain The HomunculiÆs excitement rose even further He could almost imagine the image twisting its neck at an impossible angle to peer down into its opened chest

As he sucked in another breath the second wave of pain arrived Light and incendiary at first quickly deepening to a sharp chill that penetrated to his bones More than anything else it reminded Randidly of a combination of the light radiation and entropy layers of the Hierarchy of Burden

Randidly shifted uncomfortably acknowledging this would likely not be as easy as he had first expected

The third wave of pain finally brought a mental component A stomping strained headache like the many Randidly had acquired juggling all his abilities were the central component while his flesh seemed to ignite and tear itself away from his bones Perhaps even more ominously this wave of pain lasted much longer than the previous ones stretching to almost five minutes

A whole new worry clouded his expression with a frown but when he actually checked he released a soft sigh Looks like part of the passage of time is just mental The first two waves were thirty seconds but that third only lasted a minute despite the sensation Tsk but that means forcing my way through the Path could take a while

The fourth wave of pain arrived Yet it was a peculiar pain Rather than any harm to his flesh Randidly felt the almost unfamiliar sensation of fear An overwhelming fear poured into every inch of his body causing him to tremble and shake He felt like the blood was being drained out of his entire body devoured by a hungry entity capable of devouring him He squeezed his eyes tightly closed and endured it

The fifth wave was loneliness that old foe of RandidlyÆs

For what seemed to be an hour he swam through oblivion with no hope of release

It was almost a relief when the sixth wave arrived and it was once more pain Horrible thorn covered spikes plunged again and again through RandidlyÆs body but he could at least resist this more effectively than the mental attacks

During the lull between the sixth and seventh waves there was a knock at the door Randidly raised his head and squinted Who is it

Me Neveah replied ItÆs almost time to start bringing people into the Alpha Cosmos Considering the number of individuals coming and the disintegration of the memory structure if we donÆt start now we might run into trouble Are you ready

RandidlyÆs stomach bubbled He bit his lip then bounded to his feet and rushed over to a trashcan in the corner He opened his mouth and vomited as the worst sensation of nausea he had ever experienced seized him In the wake of the upheaval it felt like acid had been sprinkled across his stomach After a few seconds of wavering Randidly dry heaved expelling little more than stomach acid

The Dread Homunculus made a noise of interest and made a note

IÆm gonna need a minute Randidly panted

Chapter 2348

A small squirrel with two tails sat on a granite outcropping its expression blank as it chittered and gnawed on the severed finger of a yeti The small trophy was all that remained of the being that had previously held sway over the North face of the mountain With this last challenge vanquished none would challenge it for supremacy in the area

The squirrelÆs eyes traced the horizon as it considered the limits of this grand planet known as Expira The glitter in its eyes was not necessarily wisdom but definitely the seeds of ambition had been planted as it had rose to the absolute apex of the surrounding plateau Now it saw how its dominion could expand

Adventuring humanoids occasionally passed through its domain but the squirrel saw these interlopers as the positive sign that is was Based on the extra fur layers they hung across their persons the humanoids came from rich lands If the squirrel could expand its territory to include all the nut and fur producing lands in the entire world

A portal wrenched open nearby spitting out hunks of sizzling blue Mana For a second it wavered before settling down on the stone top of the mountain The squirrel king chittered angrily and hopped sideways to avoid the discharge When a humanoid figure stepped through the portal and glanced around the squirrel king decided to change its nonaggression pact with these fools No longer could they rely upon its generosity for safe passage

It drew itself up to its full height two tails fluffing up to double their usual size If they believed that this king would allow foreigners to walk all over him

Alabaster Finale

A gleaming feather flashed An overwhelming image of destruction cut down unwilling to brook any alien elements in its path The two tailed squirrel king only had a split second to react to the most powerful attack it had ever seen With its max Level and the bud of an image burning in its chest it just barely managed to twitch sideways and avoid the strike Its body twitched sideways as it wrung every drop of potential out of his wiry body

It turned out that it would be the last movement of its life

Its life as a two tailed squirrel king that is

With one of its tails severed and dribbling blood the squirrel fled The tall humanoid with arms covered in ivory feathers noticed the squirrel avoiding the killing strike but it acted like the squirrel king was beneath its notice In open mockery it turned away from the clear blood trail Instead the being folded his feathered arms and observed the surrounding plateaus with their meandering crags their small streams their harsh rock outcroppings and scraggly pine trees

Even these wild lands seemed beneath the beingÆs notice

A few seconds later the portal spat out more energy and additional humanoids appeared The squirrel king chittered out his plans for revenge at least a dozen trees away and hiding in the foliage but his chitterings fell off as humanoids just kept coming through the horrible portal Soon more humanoids had appeared than the squirrel king had ever seen They spread out and covered the entire mountain Several used small motions of the hand in order to cut down some of the tallest and finest nut producing trees

One of the latecomers moved to stand next to that warrior with alabaster feathers who clearly represented the pinnacle of humanoid attainment The squirrel kingÆs impression was reinforced as the other individual bowed Sir all our troops have made it through the portal No threats of note were detected in the surrounding area And this is to be our new lands Truly A higher Nether content is worrisome but the quality of the Aether

The Nether King said that an area almost the size of the entire Aetherlands around this portal is uninhabited It is hard to consider but I doubt he lied Even so arrange for both patrols in the immediate vicinity and far ranging scouts The Alabaster warrior spoke with the tone of one who knew he would be obeyed It is for the best if we can make contact with the locals as soon as possible The Nether King might have positioned the decision to put us out here in the isolated area as generosity but I suspect he hides something We cannot remain blind

The squirrel king observed the regal bearing of the feathered humanoid He stood on his back legs and straightened his spine waving his paws around imperiously in imitation He promptly fell on his face his balance thrown off by the missing tail

The subordinate shivered The Nether King did you sense the tightly contained fury of his expression Some of the soldiers they whisper about walking past the Nether King already on their way to enter the portal It felt more draining than hours of battle A few will need some time before they have recovered

The alabaster figure closed his eyes A warning I have no doubt Even though the energy only churned within his body it was apparent the force there would be overwhelming if unleashed Which is why we must now move cautiously From his explanations of what he will do next his attention will be largely focused outward and under no circumstances do we wish to be the reason he needs to break that vigil

Neveah moved to stand next to him a smirk on her face Most of those individuals almost shit themselves when they needed to walk close to you Little did they know you werenÆt sending a message you were just engaging in a positively cruel Path Just one more example of how your legend can grow from the strangest of places

Hopefully the reward I receive for this will be worth all the suffering it took to get there Randidly grumbled Even now the marrow chilling wave of pain lingered in his body Yggdrasil channeled warm flows of energy to recover the damage but Randidly didnÆt dare underestimate the pain provided by the Path Not only did it positively immobilize him for several minutes but it also inflicted lingering damage

Yet that only made Randidly show his teeth The worse the pain became the better the benefit he would receive for the Self Vivisection Path Even now the normally reserved Dread Homunculus practically thrummed with anticipation The longer the Path continued the more ideas it seemed to have as it experimented on itself

Congratulations Your Skill the World Tree Sips from Every Realm has grown to Level 1120

Congratulations Your Skill HomunculusÆs Monstrous Tenacity has grown to Level 1015

His body continued to repair the damage inflicted by the imageÆs enthusiasm While Randidly possessed full control of his faculties he also waved a hand and adjusted the AlchemistÆs Passport portal the next group was the former slum of Homewell and Randidly didnÆt particularly want to inflict them with the unfortunate curse of having Westrisser and Cerulean as neighbors

Under the direction of Charlotte the group rapidly proceeded through the portal The Homids and other formerly poor carried their belongs as they could and brought the seeds of the HomidsÆ sacred plant They had been disappointed that they couldnÆt bring their current homes along with them but Randidly didnÆt trust himself to maintain an opening that large while suffering through the Path

He clapped Charlotte on the back as she walked past him Help them establish themselves Maybe even provide a rough map in case they wish to trade with surrounding populations And then prepare I wish to provide you a gift and after that we will need to fight

Charlotte Wick saluted him her furry expression serious Then she proceeded through the portal

Randidly turned and regarded the next group Kethope led a group of Turtlelines forward but

Only sixty The population of Homewell Randidly said

Kethope lowered her head ashamed and frustrated in equal measure Yes it nears a hundred thousand I could compel more to follow me but the other factions are already using the alliance with you as a wedge to attack my supporter base At least I know all these individuals are fully loyal to me

Randidly gestured for her to move forward sensing that the thirty seventh wave of pain approached However the ancient Turtleline hesitated Are you are you entirely sure There is no mistake about what will soon befall my people Many are ignorant I know but

Sighing Randidly shook his head I cannot prevent them from posturing above the edge of oblivion And if they fall off the edge

KethopeÆs face folded in anguish She walked without any further words leading her group through the portal

When they had passed through Randidly waved the portal closed All of the Aether forces that wanted to take advantage of his offer had proceeded through the portal Now all that remained was situating the Nether beings on their own planet

But before that Randidly gritted his teeth as the next gauntlet of pain arrived

Chapter 2349

The cycles continued Worsening but not to the point that Randidly wasnÆt able to endure Through every roadblock he understood how to advance

At this point his preparations were simple He stretched his body until he worked off any lingering tension and then exerted his will to call to him a small bit of interference Hundreds of shades of darkness the variations of night and despair he and the Alpha Cosmos had encountered on their journey wove themselves into a mantle of woe across his shoulders All sensations all foreign incursions or forces first need to endure the implacable disdain of those layers before they could affect him

Congratulations Your Skill GhosthoundÆs Cloak of a Thousand Lightless Horizons has grown to Level 1100

Congratulations Your Skill Arch HereticÆs Thaumaturgy has grown to Level 807

He didnÆt like using his images in order to blunt the worst of the damage but the Dread Homunculus assured him it was fine in fact it was quite a bit more interested in the data it could gather when he utilized his images The more he could endure the more it could attempt

Honestly Randidly began to resent the constructed being for how often it complimented him on being such an excellent experimental subject He could clearly feel that the criteria for this grand achievement rested in a very mundane truth Randidly Ghosthound was extremely durable

When he started being complimented between every horrific wave of pain he started to feel rather insulted

The forty seventh wave of pain felt somewhat different than those that came before It began with an opening of his chest cavityù he could feel the Dread Homunculus carefully carving through the flesh of his organs removing each piece in turn careful that none of the complex connections between them were damaged

His Nether swam uncertainly through the sudden hollow inside of his body unsure what ot make of the shift Other physical processes also stuttered to a stop confused by the recent developments His body was only kept alive by the dense Aether that animated his person

Randidly had settled into a meditative position in the depths of the Badlands in the cavern of the lava worm that Hank had fought against three times finishing with a draw a loss and a decisive victory Around him the lingering magma pools continued to cool At the very least Randidly believed that no one would be mad enough to follow him into the steaming depths of this place and disturb him

And honestly the pressure he released could suffocate a weaker individual He isolated himself for the benefit of everyone involved

He could feel an increasingly worried pulses coming from Lowanna as her sharpened instincts for Nether sensed the approaching collapse of the Sonara but now that he had started this process Randidly wasnÆt willing to give up the benefit these harrowing experiences would provide

Once all of the organs had been safely removed which involved all of RandidlyÆs instincts screaming that he would soon die and Randidly forcefully suppressing before they worsened the process by causing pointless spasms the Dread Homunculus clucked his tongue in pleasure The image wove a strange and caustic energy from horrifying sources all the worst and most useless portions of Aether and Nether mixed together all the most dangerous and suppressed impulses from the Alpha Cosmos and all of the looming consequences swimming around in the Nether of the memory

Looking at that energy Randidly had some empathy to his opponents who feared what his alchemy could accomplish

This strange and concentrated liquid an alchemic miracle of instability and degradation was then painted on the inside of RandidlyÆs skin His bones were carefully lathered He shivered as the furious embers of pain began rapidly rising into an obliterating agony as his body was cleansed

For a while he simply swam through the sensations He gritted his teeth struggling would only make the process worse He forced his eyes closed Usually he would breathe or circulate his Nether in order to calm himself but the former was impossible with his organs removed and the latter quickly devolved into a negative vortex without veins to guide the flows

Congratulations +100 to all Stats as the Dread Homunculus improves all aspects of your physical form Your Skill HomunculiÆs Monstrous Tenacity has evolved into the Homunculi Pursues Perfection

Your Stat Uncommon Metabolism (Un) has evolved into HomunculiÆs Engineered Adaption Please note this is a special Stat as a fight against an opponent continues the Rarity will cease to describe its true power The longer the fight proceeds the higher the true Rarity will climb It is possible for the designation to be briefly appropriate

RandidlyÆs jaw cracked His veins practically sang with the flow of blood As the aches and pains from proceeding through the waves of pain were addressed and healed he definitely felt the benefits starting to accrue in his form He shook his shoulders and slapped his cheeks With the AlchemistÆs Passport he opened a portal with a simple wave Yet he didnÆt immediately step through

Now that the painful part is out of the way I still have 16k more PP one more Path to choose He brought up a much abridged version of his Path options

Alchemist of Past and Present 0/10000 Song of the Void 0/ Reality from Echoes Moirae and Alchemist Ascendant 0/15000 The Homunculus Advances The Forbidden Second Adjustment 0/

Sorry buddy but we are going to wait a bit for the Forbidden Second Adjustment Randidly told his Homunculus image It assented receding from the fore of his mind to examine the prodigious amount of data gathered through the Path Randidly considered his other options

Between the two Alchemist related Paths I suppose the one including Moiraes is preferable And I have enough PP So just that or the Song of the Void Randidly rubbed his chin genuinely unable to choose between them

To his surprise the Songstress of Absence spoke up it would like to wait before taking a Path that would improve its capabilities The image had rather recently evolved and knew the eventual result would be more powerful if they engaged in more fights before committing to an evolution Path

Randidly accepted this generosity gracefully So he began pouring PP into the Reality From Echoes Moirae and Alchemist Ascendant Path as he stepped through his portal For each 100 PP spent he earned a single free Stat point

Randidly popped out into the land of the silver dust the holy area of the Nether people which formerly housed the wandering settlement of Wyndaos

Lowanna and Enmya waited at the head of a massive gathering of Nether individuals the former doing a much better job at hiding her impatience despite the fact she had a much better idea of the approaching threat The millions of Nether people sat waiting for him ready to proceed to a whole new world

It is time Randidly said even while he continued to feed PP into his new Path Somehow it felt appropriate for both to occur at once

Lowanna nodded And so the deal between us is struck and fulfilled As soon as we begin the significance will gather Are you prepared for the bindings

IÆm prepared He nodded

The grand columns of Nether individuals began to move marching forward as Randidly widened the portal The Nether Heralds engaged in a massive humming song slapping black wicker instruments to create the underlying beat As they moved Randidly watched as young Nether beings released elaborate paper kites into the air Like the sigh of a deflating balloon a glittering silver wind rose across the land The wind spun the kites up in a whirling spring of ascension

The Nether beings departed from their ancestral land leaving folded constructs of rainbow gliding in the air above them

Chapter 2350

Randidly folded his arms and looked out across the new home of the Nether people It had taken a bit of Yggdrasil snaking thick roots across the interior Alpha Cosmos and gathering materials but he felt proud of the result

With a little help from the Pantheon Randidly had forged together the disparate chunks of space rock metal asteroids and assorted destroyed lands from the various Danger Zones to create a massive ring of land Shadows stretched across its rugged surface The construct floated in space so large and expansive the ring completely encircled the half dozen planets that made up the improved Alpha Cosmos

One more unusual interloper in this strange existence IÆm building

It had the slight downside of adding a strange black ring to the horizon on the planets and sweeping half hour long stretches of twilight racing across the landscapes but Randidly figured the System had already done enough damage to the sleep schedule of the people on Expira that the shift wouldnÆt matter much

Hopefully Randidly sighed already knowing that his Class essentially guaranteed that he wouldnÆt be able to make changes without producing consequences no matter how small his choices were

And this definitely wasnÆt small A whole new celestial body would exist in the sky above the Alpha Cosmos for a foreseeable future A whole slew of new myths regarding the skyring would emerge But those developments would happen naturally while Randidly ensured the future of this place remained peaceful

After the base shape had been built it had been a simple thing to utilize some of the natural life energy to seed plants and animals on the massive ring The Pantheon was in the process of figuring out a sustainable system of water flowing through the ring but they had at least managed to pin an atmosphere in place

Lowanna floated beside him looking across the massive ring Her people arrived in mass below spreading across the relatively small thickness of the ring and setting up a crowded base camp Already several foolish Nether Warriors had to be rescued when they attempted to navigate the strange edgeÆ to this world But while the thickness of the interior ring was only the size of a massive city the length could fit thousands of such encampments In time the Nether People would spread out and cover the whole of the land

And that didnÆt even address the possibility of digging through the ring to the opposite side Or Nether Warriors with a bit more sophistication being motivated to traverse the edge Randidly had already seen the PantheonÆs plans to use Engravings to reverse gravity and hide a few nasty little surprises for the Nether Population but he approved of the idea He had never promised them that the life he provided in the Alpha Cosmos would be easy Just that they would be free to conduct themselves however they wish

A strange world Lowanna commented softly But a smile crossed her face Her hands spread wide and released rings of warm significance to drift across the Nether Warriors and Heralds But ours

Enmya grunted much less impressed with the land we have given to him How can this world be sustainable There are only two directions in which to travel

Randidly supposed it was healthier if the individual he now shared a Toosah Bond with be willing to challenge him on his decisions but in the short term it would be much more obnoxious And in this instance Randidly could only shrug

He didnÆt have time for any more effective solution and he didnÆt have any conveniently located planets to gulp down until he left the memory It was a vessel informed by necessity but its strangeness only made Randidly more fond of it

The System dreads your existence It shudders as it considers what your next trick may be If it had a conscious will it would seek to kill you You benefit that the soul of the Nexus has been thoroughly buried

Congratulations The trio of Moiraes and the Alchemist conspire The ripples begin to spread as they plot the coming upheaval

Congratulations For completing the Reality from Echoes Path +1000 Free Stats Your actions have created substance from memory and absence Your Skill Nether Modification has shifted due to your impressive accomplishment Your Skill Nether Modification has evolved into Nether ExecutiveÆs Discretionary Genesis

The Alchemist and the three Moiraes come to an accord Your Skillset the Moirae of Minute Repercussions shifts to incorporate new aspects

The Apostate Moirae gleefully takes the first opportunity Your Skills Heritage of the Origin Beast Fruit of the Planting of Enmity and Diffracted Corruption of an Avaricious Impossibility are being incorporated

Your Skills have been merged into Apostate MoiraeÆs Seditious Touch Skill Level will be set at 1300

The Dove Moirae next steps forward It offers the universe a gentle bow as it prepares to peer through to the fundamental truth of perspective Your Skills ProtostarÆs Twilight Radiance GhosthoundÆs Acute Nether Nose and Infinite Incendiary Filaments of the Dove Moirae are being incorporated

As Randidly drew in a breath his entire awareness changed

Threads of energy and significance had previously been flowing in every direction The interplay between the forces had constructed the shell of reality With focus he had previously been able to peer through the edges of existence and examine the building blocks of existence Concentration allowed him to fold his own perspective and alter the entire world around him

But now all the movement of energy ceased

The world bloomed into a dozen different dimensions

At that exact moment the memory began to crumble and shake around him

Your Skills have been merged into Emerald Eyes and Dove Breath Certify the Objective Skill Level set at 1500

Chapter 2351

The ground around Randidly began to quake even as the notifications for completing his path kept appearing The pressure had built up in the ground slowly the cracks stretching up through the stone and dirt before wrenching huge stretches of land apart

Or at least that was what Randidly believed He blinked slowly trying to separate all the layers he now saw in existence They existed like halos of light touching and intersecting their hues mixing to create reality He expended a bit of Willpower and shifted the world into its more available alignment for a secondù he could see the crashing storms with their dark clouds the huge expanses of shattered ground the flickering tongues of spectral distortions as a world ended

Congratulations Your Skill Emerald Eyes and Dove Breath Certify the Objective has grown to Level 1501

In the distance he heard the screams of the dying He adjusted his awareness easing back from the familiar to the strange newness of these light halos Once he compared the two Randidly could feel the flow the pulse of time the passage of energy from one halo to another demonstrated through color He could notice sound but also the sharp spikes of fear a powerful nova of radiation weaving together from hundreds of starting points

Congratulations Your Skill Emerald Eyes and Dove Breath Certify the Objective has grown to Level 1502

Randidly closed his eyes briefly limiting the amount of information flowing into him through his new senses But only a moment later he forced his eyes open No I need to see this Because IÆm about to head back into the Nexus after this I will either break free from ElhumeÆs tyranny or fall prey to it

In other words Randidly looked out across all the halos the pain and fear the blame and recrimination the desperation and the opportunistic violence He felt the broad halo of the Lifeseal of Homewell and witnessed a massive crack shred the protection and destabilize the cityÆs foundation Either I will protect the Alpha Cosmos from a fate even worse from this or I will be forced to watch all IÆve built collapse

Congratulations Your Skill Emerald Eyes and Dove Breath Certify the Objective has grown to Level 1503

I would rather look now RandidlyÆs eyes bulged as he followed the devastation As the cracks proved to the memory it wasnÆt real huge swathes of land vanished underneath the feet of fleeing people Those people fell screaming for miles and miles until they passed beyond the wounded animating force of the memory and they just ceased to be To make sure I donÆt flinch and allow this to happen again

And while the world collapsed his Path continued to combine his Skills into more potent versions

Finally the Moirae of Minute Repercussions drifts forward in the space cleared by the others She stretches out her fingers and plucks the skills to create power enough to surpass her fellow Moiraes Your Skills GhosthoundÆs Baleful Storm Howl The Spirit Realm of Foregone Possibilities Certainty of the Dread Wyrm YggdrasilÆs Plasm Animus and all unassociated combat Skills are being incorporated

Your Skills have been merged into The DeviationÆs Inevitable Machinations Skill Level will be set at 1750

Randidly looked up from the notifications as a two headed dragon fluttered its wings and flew across the broken skies Already color and life began to drain out of the broken memory The substance of existence revealed its tearing like paper exposed to water Yet the dragon possessed enough individual strength that it forced itself to fly in his direction

Randidly tilted his head to the side as he observed the monster approach It was a being from the Badlands he had sensed it observing him when he was improving his Keystone of the First Ghasthund But it didnÆt dare approach him at the time

Before Randidly could even make an offer he felt a glimmer of connection from his Fatepiece Surprised he allowed the misty orb to manifest in his hand His brow scrunched in confusion but gradually his expression clearedù the FatepieceÆs activation felt so different because he was approached by a supplicant rather than extending an offer

The churning storm above their heads released a bolt of lightning But the pressure from the sudden explosion of energy was too much for existence around them The memory shattered completely around them cracks spreading out and annihilating larger and larger stretches of ElhumeÆs regrets

For a brief moment the two heads pulsed with power and kept annihilation at bay The dragon wished for another chance It had heard word of RandidlyÆs warning and ignored it apparently the drama of the BeigonÆs deaths hadnÆt even reached the ears of the beasts within the Badlands It was enough that Randidly was just one more humanoid promising the doom of the world

Fist sized chunks began simply fade across the dragonÆs body Its image was strong but not quite strong enough to persist without support

A Cheshire smile stretched across RandidlyÆs face You were foolish and late There will be a cost

Congratulations Your Skill Arch HereticÆs Thaumaturgy has grown to Level 827

The dragon did not wait to assent It had already lost too much of its mind and essence to hesitate All that lingered in its collapsing existence was the desperation and the instinct guiding it toward salvation

A case of theft this story is not rightfully on Amazon if you spot it report the violation

A moment of thought would have been fatal It was a close thing

Congratulations Your Fatepiece the Keystone of the First Ghasthund has grown to Level 87

Grim Intuition 3066

Predictive Synapses 2942

Chimeric Indifference 2596

Grey MonarchÆs Authority 4694

Cognition of the Aberrant Alchemist 2270

DeityÆs Ruthless Cerebral Scope 2967

Discretion of the Apostate Moirae 7267

Exquisite Piety 3592

Connections 6 290 342 119

Skills (Soul Skill) Figure of the Alpha Cosmos Lvl 562 950 (Next Tithe 600 000)

Accord of Three Moiraes and an Alchemist Lethal Tide of Izanami Lvl 1075 Truth within the Primordial Flux Lvl 1060 Motif of Unimagined Tolls Lvl 1100 (Fusion Domain) HelenÆs Sea Cradle of Unlikely Lives Lvl 1163 Apostate MoiraeÆs Seditious Touch Lvl 1300 Emerald Eyes and Dove Whispers Certify the Objective Lvl 1503 DeviationÆs Inevitable Machinations Lvl 1750 Heraldic Tongue of the Alchemist 1579

LoBW Class Skills Echoes of a Living Myth Lvl 1003 Wake of Miracles Lvl 810 Certainty of the Dread Wyrm Lvl 1089 Heralds of the GhosthoundÆs Legend Lvl 1010 A WorldÆs Regrets Beget Serrated Insurrection 1005 Arch HereticÆs Thaumaturgy Lvl 827

Dread Homunculus Nyx Reincarnated GhosthoundÆs Cloak of a Thousand Lightless Horizons Lvl 1114 ErebusÆ Baleful Waltz Lvl 1091 The Homunculi Pursues Perfection Lvl 1015 DragonÆs Fell Smite Lvl 1001 The Wrathful Calamity Rends Lvl 1005 NyxÆs Successor Births Fate Lvl 1100

Singularity of the Inhospitable Depths Songstress of Absence Hungry Eyes Hollow Heart Cadence of Tragedy Lvl 1063 SirenÆs Dirge of Bottomless Taking Lvl 1012 Absolute Insight of the Smoldering Abyss Lvl 1042 The Twin Lingering Shadows of Misfortune Lvl 1190

Yggdrasil the Universe that was First a Tree The World Tree Sips from Every Realm Lvl 1120 Aureate Arteries of Yggdrasil Lvl 1046 Marred Yet Reliable Foundation of Yggdrasil Lvl 1070 Dawn Opens the Sky and Reality Stirs Lvl 1009 Darkness Withers the Horizon and the Waiting Carrion Grins Lvl 1025 The First Tree Suffers Only Fealty Lvl 1035

Auxiliary Engineering of the Enigmatic Alpha Cosmos Lvl 1031 Cooking Lvl 101 Soul Bond Lvl 904 Nether ExecutiveÆs Discretionary Genesis Randidly Ghosthound Executive of Nether Reborn Lvl 1521 GhosthoundÆs Ceaseless Toil What the Ghosthound Sows He Will Soon Reap Lvl 1

Chapter 2352

The former squirrelking now officially the central figure in a high stakes guerilla campaign fussed with the woven grasses around his waist As he gained Levels in his Skill evading the spreading humanoid plague and sabotaging their supplies at great personal risk his mastery of his body had increased by leaps and bounds He was almost embarrassed by how easily the current him could wipe the floor with his previous self

If nothing else the arrival of the humanoids had shifted the wildlands to a different era One of growth and strife

Next to him the blind carp swam fitfully through the air with quick twists of her tail Her attention snapped to the two distant treelines despite the scars covering the ruined sockets of her eyes Are you not yet finished We cannot tarry long

We are too low to the ground The third of their intrepid crew an forrest green armadillo rumbled as he delicately split open tubers and took small bites of their delicious interior They will not notice

We cannot continue relying upon that The carp snapped back Sure a small problem we might be while we are considered to be walking corpses to be hunted and eliminated at their leisure But now that they have unknowingly ingested our excrement cleverly hidden within their food Had you heard their howls of vengeance

IÆm done The squirrel rebel said He straightened while trying not to fuss with his creation The grass around his waist rustled Pride surging up in his chest he decided to test out his new additions immediately He didnÆt control his speed at all streaking across the forest floor and then shooting up a nearby tree like a rocket He looked over his shoulder and there fluttering in the wind behind him

The familiar weight the glorious fluffiness the majesty of two squirrel tails

He slammed face first into a tree branch so enthralled in his replacement tails that he completely ceased to look forward With a pained squeak he fell to the ground The carp sighed The armadillo chuffed in amusement as was his way The two approached and the squirrel rebel knew the carp would take the opportunity to lecture him He wasnÆt looking forward to once again being told how silly he was

Luckily a figure manifested between them all Amusing but its time youngÆins Are you all prepared

Their guide the member of this PantheonÆ that provided blessings to the humanoids of Expira looked around with his blunt features The animals nodded The squirrel rebel could barely contain his anticipation their quality of character had earned these three the honor of also receiving the guidance of the Pantheon

The woodland creatures followed the dirt humanoid as it strode forward without any apparent effort Yet its speed was horrifying Each step of this creature could cross unfathomably vast distances half of a forrest disappearing at once so they needed to push their small bodies to the limits in order to keep up They ran and ran without rest for an entire day just barely managing to keep this oracle within their sights By the end the carp could only feebly drift down and lay upon the squirrel rebelÆs back She bit onto the remnant grass belt around his waist

She was the squirrel rebel reflected almost a size with him The situation was not at all comfortable

But he would never dare vocalize that thought

Soon they caught up to the Pantheon member who stood at the mouth of the cave He pivoted and looked at the three of them You may proceed forward one at a time I recommend you take the time to recover you faculties before you proceed what you will find in the interior of this cave are discarded aspects of the Ghosthound Even discarded they have been dragged toward the cusp of evolution by his Legend As such you should not take them lightly

Who is the Ghosthound The carp asked Both the squrirel rebel and the armadillo straightened curious about the answer

For several long seconds the Pantheon member thought in silence Around them the forest seemed to be listening too not a single peep of a mouse or chirp of a bird sounding out from the environment Only the cave made noise The squirrel rebel felt a warm and damp wind flowing out through his fur as though this were the mouth of a beast breath hot with anticipation

the Ghosthound is the one who changed the way our world worked the Pantheon member finally replied The humanoid shrugged Is that not what you seek to do as well Because we do not wish to be victims of circumstance

And it wasnÆt just any military force either The Xyrt Brigade itself had been assembled now manifesting a powerful image array to apply pressure

But the core image that released the pressure

RandidlyÆs eyes widened Standing at the center of the floating force was a core of pure destruction focused and clarified by the energies running through the broader image array It burned neon to RandidlyÆs senses emphasized and sharpened beyond the limits of safety Just by looking at that streamlined image made Randidly feel horrified at the NexusÆs capacity for destruction and that was with the Sonara steadily collapsing behind him

Even worse he knew the wielder

Her eyes were clear despite the bags under them Her body was one of iron spine and streamlined muscle Her azure hair had been cut shorter than Randidly had ever seen it on her reminding him of the older version of this woman one a little bit too scarred and worn and used But while the haircut and drained expression spoke to exhaustion her uniform was expertly pressed and the many buttons across her lapel shined

Randidly couldnÆt help but think of the kiss he shared with Devick His heart twisted with confusion and hesitation

He cleared his throat suddenly aware of the tense silence of the battlefield Vu Vualla ItÆs you

Vualla MatteoÆs lip curled upward as she considered him in the same methodical way he had examined here In her expression Randidly could see the same disdain and implacable will that had made the two feel so connected in their desire to tear down the Nexus Yet now a strange gulf separated them Randidly Ghosthound What an utterly insufficient greeting after such a long silence Well I suppose the situation is somewhat awkward letÆs clear something up quickly Are you with these rebels

Guilt and surprise warred in his chest Guilt because he had allowed so much time to pass allowed the connection between them to become so distant in a way he felt like he blinked and they teleported from the frontlines to the ruined pieces of the Sonara to standing at the highest heights of the Nexus Yet his relationships with others had grown and bloomed while this one had been in stasis

Or rather Randidly considered it in stasis He looked away and forgot about it Looking into VuallaÆs eyes he could tell their bond had rotted

Surprise because of all the rewards that Vualla wore on her uniform Surprise because of how powerful VuallaÆs image had become since they last metù her image was a more general aura of destruction versus a punch but she would have been slightly better than Elhume from within the memory And she also sat at the core of the formation

His mind was distracted trying to process so many emotional inputs at once so he responded without thinking ArenÆt you on the side of the rebels

Instantly any small vulnerability in her expression vanished What an amusing joke Mister Ghosthound I must caution you to take this interrogation seriously Although you have a known relationship with Actus Suprem Devick the Xyrt Brigade exists outside the bounds of military command exactly to identify and eliminate rogue elements I will not ask a third time are you allied with the rebels

Vualla what happened Randidly said Her power was one thing but it was extremely difficult to understand why her priorities had changed so much Why did she now support Elhume We were going to

Enough She snapped Her hands clenched into fists that buzzed with the collapse of worlds Some of the ranks of Xyrt Brigade members glanced at her their faces impassive Her shoulders shook as she raised her hands All those here suppress your image and allow yourself to be taken in for questioning Otherwise

Tuthak Eloise spoke up even as Randidly searched his mind with a way to bridge this gap that had emerged We refuse

At the very least VuallaÆs smile was just as sharp and vicious as he remembered from those sparkling eyed days plotting to tear down the Nexus Then we fight

Chapter 2353

The short announcement of combat set off a chain reaction amongst the five hundred Xyrt Brigade members They moved into small groups that had the vague shape of Nether Rituals to amplify their power Their images rose and gathered together into a dense concrete blade of destruction A pulse spread from warrior to warrior gathering momentum as it rushed around the group

Next to Randidly Tuthak EloiseÆs strange features twisted into a grimace Yet there seemed to be resignation there too He flowed forward his movements oddly graceful as his image manifested You do not fight against tyranny alone Randidly Ghosthound

The few dozen members of the Upper Sonara released their powers soon creating a chaotic soup of images that bounced off one another in defiant resistance to the show of force from the Xyrt Brigade The familiar figures of Pullas and Fiona rushed to RandidlyÆs side taking up fighting stances Randidly licked his lips falling behind the rapidly developing incidents He tried to speak out and stall the confrontation He almost felt like he was missing some crucial fact which led to the current situation Vualla you are now the core of a Xyrt Brigade formation

She spat to the side her own images of pure concentrated destruction rising through her limbs What you donÆt believe me capable enough to earn this honor

No I Randidly blinked as all the currents of force running through the Xyrt Brigade slammed into VuallaÆs body from four directions Her image rapidly inflated becoming a black dragon of force that raised its head and roared From small enough to be a scarf soon the black dragon became a long bus then a river large enough to wipe out an unsuspecting valley Randidly felt the desperation and certainty of that dragon resonate in his bones

His expression turned serious he had improved since they had last met but so had Vualla The support of the NexusÆs most developed military arm wasnÆt just for show

However even as the Upper Sonara Society mobilized their own images a new ripple ran through the tight ranks of the Xyrt Brigade They raised their weapons and crept closer but now a new image began to swirl around them a suppressing image About one person per small grouping produced it but the structure of the little arrangement strengthened it quickly

Randidly almost felt impressed as he observed it constrict around the Upper Sonara Society and weaken the resistance almost instantly

What a chill touch Pullas shivered next to Randidly as her image of death began to waver

VuallaÆs eyes remained locked on his Her lip curled This is an ancient method one lost to the current Nexus Before it all are taught humility We will speak further once I have carved the word respect onto your bones Randidly

Randidly barely even registered the challenging words instead following the strange halo his senses detected signifying this new image It even felt familiar And when Randidly followed that familiarity he realized the Xyrt Brigade released a subtle world state image One fixated on the fact that no other images existed but this rampaging one of destruction

Oh Vualla RandidlyÆs eyes softened as the images of his allies of necessity began to falter before the adjustments of the image They clearly hadnÆt encountered similar images and struggled to find ways to ground themselves as the worldÆ began to shift Well letÆs see how much youÆve grown You are at least correct we need to establish the pecking order to sort this situation out

Vualla snarled as though she had heard the rather unimpressed thoughts in RandidlyÆs head He belatedly realized that perhaps his inner workings had shown directly on his faceù Neveah always chided him on not being able to school his expression well But those thoughts fell away as Vualla attacked She leapt forward the black dragon of destruction merging with her body and rushing forward

The world state image wrapped around Randidly trying to shift his foundations away and cause his image to collapse Layer by layer it pulled the ground out from under him However

YggdrasilÆs canopy rustled in amusement at the efforts of this foe Its roots could pierce more deeply than this image could quickly reach Randidly had too much experience fighting against Mae MyrnaÆs world state image to be easily swayed So he stood tall and struck back against the black dragon as it attempted to devour him

He raised his spear Because of how much energy was stuffed into VuallaÆs body there were bound to be flaws in her execution He kept his eyes peeled during his first strike watching for the fault lines

Absolute Insight of the Smoldering Abyss Marred Yet Reliable Foundation of Yggdrasil The Homunculi Pursues Perfection

Yet while those two massive beats rushed toward a meeting most of RandidlyÆs attention flicked to that layered place of interactions and connections His hesitation vanished as he fixated on the flaws in these casual little patterns In a way Vualla was rightù they could converse further when one of them had been beaten into submission

All of the free Status points he had gained from his sudden series of Path competitions had been pushed into Discretion of the Apostate Moirae Now that Stat had passed the eight thousand point threshold his heights Stat by several thousand He found all those tenuous connections all those sacrificial and closed minded bits of image that imagined a world of destruction populated by naught else

SirenÆs Dirge of Bottomless Taking

Congratulations Your Skill Emerald Eyes and Dove Whispers Certify the Objective has grown to Level 1508

Congratulations Your Skill SirenÆs Dirge of Bottomless Taking has grown to Level 1013

Congratulations Your Skill SirenÆs Dirge of Bottomless Taking has grown to Level 1057

The Songstress of Absence tore through existence with a hungry aria The image manifested in two stages First a peck on the cheek of the target almost a chaste kiss to leave them marked by the crooning absence And then a second coming one of crackling event horizons and horrible depth as the image dragged away its allowed targets to feed the bottomless furnace of hunger it possessed

It took everything from the target Randidly had little guilt in gobbling down not only the offending image but also the emotions and history of the target In the end these were enemies

Still even with a monstrously high evolved Control Stat Randidly couldnÆt manage everything He hadnÆt yet grown to the point that he could handle the most highly trained fighting force of Elhume all on his own

At least not without spilling a bit of blood

The shadowy figure of a crow released a high shriek and raked its talons across the dragon but it was outmatched The dragon swiveled and obliterated the crow and then rushed forward Vualla avoided the thrust of Acri and tore into the flesh of RandidlyÆs shoulder

Almost immediately he felt a stirring from the depths of his body He could almost feel the mitochondrial engines activating from the impact reminiscent of the effect of Sulfur Yet now it was his newly evolved HomunculiÆs Engineered Adaption Dense waves of heat spread from his body as the Stat began to activate pushing the effect of the Stat higher

Randidly was tossed backward Pullas shot forward and caught him while Fiona roared and stabbed forward with her own hyper focused image Vualla avoided the strike and snorted with derision The dragon lashed out with a claw and cracked the attack

By then however the effect of RandidlyÆs other attack became apparent About a third of the arranged forces of the Xyrt Brigade those that had supported the world state image shuddered Their eyes rolled up into the back of their heads and they began to froth at the mouth

The world state image stuttered and collapsed completely eaten away from the inside by the Songstress

Randidly patted Pullas on the shoulder in thanks as he straightened Already his shoulder wound healed up He grinned over at Vualla The Upper Sonara Society exploded in power their images liberated

Chapter 2354

Pullas watched the confrontation between Randidly Ghosthound and the Xyrt Brigade representative feeling a quiet swelling of pride at her companion during the Ascension Pact At the time the two had been close enough in power that Pullas with her association with death didnÆt feel too disadvantaged But now

Now he stood and directly against the army arrayed against them and suppressed them all

In the first two confrontations Randidly had been forced backward by the Xyrt Brigade representative His body was wounded his muscles shook and his face appeared distracted Pullas wondered whether their apparent association made him hesitate Death leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear about ways she could assist him despite the difference in power PullasÆ unique image meant that she never lacked methods to strike a dangerous blow Even with the suppression of the Xyrt BrigadeÆs strange method death always possessed a way to press a finger on the scale

Yet during the second blow Randidly managed to release two pulses of images The first to fight against the black dragon of destruction and the second broke the suppressive image the Xyrt Brigade released

More than the fact that he utilized two powerful and complex images at once it was the feeling Pullas had about the second image that made her the most shocked Because what he wielded had shades of death in it of a certain bleak oblivion that consumed and devoured begetting more if itself as it satisfied its bottomless hunger

And Randidly Ghosthound had leashed such power

The strained expressions of Eloise and his Upper Sonara Society finally eased in a moment of silence after the image blasted outward Hundreds of their foes swooned unable to handle the brush with it Then their images exploded attacking those members of the Xyrt Brigade that had not suffered underneath the GhosthoundÆs image pulse

All the currents of power that had been concentrated in the blue haired representative faded and twisted around to face the immediate threat Each powerful in their own right the Upper Sonara Society exploded out into the lines of the blockade One of the representatives subordinates flushed and screamed You dare You stand against Elhume himself If you continue down this path

A strange being of folded space and barbed tentacles manifested in the space around his body Before the subordinate could react a tentacle wrapped around him and squeezed until his head popped and jelly oozed out of his orifices

Tuthak Eloise released a soft laugh his octopus appendages undulating From the beginning we understood the path on which we tread You will find none who lack resolve here

Combat exploded on ever side Massive brass swords gleaming beams of annihilating maroon light sweeping tides of salt flecked water hundreds of varied images turned the sky into a thick and murky storm They cut and hacked breaking off more and more of the tributaries of destruction that fed into that swimming black dragon The Xyrt Brigade members might possess less impressive images but they worked well together Small squads formed suppressing the more individually powerful members of the Upper Sonara Society

How easy it is to destroy something Pullas reflected looking at the images of their opponents But then again this entire gathering is to tear down the Nexus And I specifically only a thin veil separates my development from their own A sheet with a face drawn messily across it cast across the horrible truth beneath

PullasÆs eyes turned forward A fish headed Xyrt Brigade Member bellowed and rushed for In the past she hesitated for too long But Randidly had shown her the benefit of throwing herself forward despite fears Seeing his growth how could she doubt his methods

And in the end a single thin veil can make a world of difference PullasÆs eyes danced She raised her arms as the fish head unleashed a condensed blast of destruction The death smiled and sashayed forward

She cut through the blast and then kissed the cheek of the fishhead with her image As his flesh began to rot Pullas shot sideways and slammed into the side of another Xyrt Brigade Member who had been cutting toward FionaÆs blindspot

The other woman kicked her opponent in the chest then whirled around in a tornado of force to hack off the head of the foe Pullas had struck Fiona raised a hand and wiped sweat off of her brow Thanks for that These bastards are too persistent

Pullas was about to respond but a clapping wave of force sent both of them sprawling They looked up to the sky where a complex raven of darkness had again been obliterated by the black dragon Fiona grimaced Even though most of the support being poured into her image has ceased how does it still grow in power

Congratulations Your Skill Darkness Withers the Horizon and the Watching Carrion Grins has grown to Level 1071

Randidly utilized the same trifecta of Skills as he struck again once more leaving out the Songstress of Absence The event horizon/siren hissed in displeasure but instead Randidly pulled in the surging tide of kinetic forces

All the clashes below him became his power He sharpened that power into a spear and stabbed His eyes flashed and he guided the point of his spear which morphed and became the sharpened talons of his monstrous crow right to the small flaws in the energy flows of the black dragon Heedless of the danger Vualla rushed forward and initiated the contact

Their gazes met for a second Randidly could see how desperate she was to subdue him

They crashed into one another weapons tipped with images but fueled by raw power

Although most of the Xyrt BrigadeÆs array had been split off to fight against the Upper Sonara Society enough remained that the forces of destruction rumbled through RandidlyÆs bones Similarly VuallaÆs expression turned pained as all the kinetic force on the battlefield smashed against her and swished her internal organs around

Jarred both drifted backwardù in this encounter they had been even

Impossible Vualla bit her lip drawing blood Randidly wondered if it was a comment or a frustrated echo of her calling her impossible earlier

He spun his spear and settled into another stance As he healed away the small damages that Vualla had inflicted his new Vitality Stat unleashed another warming pulse His physical capabilities sharpened further The Dread Homunculus chuckled as it considered its prey

This isnÆt enough Randidly reflected So before Vualla managed to suppress all the cracks in the black dragonÆs scales he surged forward He carried with him a thousand ghastly specters from a million battlefields each in his thrall They lashed out together a garish imitation of his streamlined and simple spear thrust But when all those ghosts layered their power on top of each other were fuelled by kinetic violence and given weapons of YggdrasilÆs feathered monster

In their sixth clash Randidly knocked Vualla further backward

The seventh inflicted a deep wound down the dragonÆs side

In a massive display of sheer obstinacy Vualla bellowed before the eighth clash and completely restored the integrity of her image She moved and the whole world seemed to move with her hammering Randidly with a blow that contained not even a sink energy leak The contoured expression of violence was flawless

But against a Randidly who had built up his momentum the eighth clash ended up as a draw

For several long seconds they pressed against one another Randidly could feel her breath on his cheek Right before he was about to pull away she spat out some words All those sweet moments we shared all those memories because you donÆt seem to have meant our promises I wish none of them had happened

Randidly pressed his lips together intending to ignore her and pull away for the ninth clash which he believed would be decisively his

But although he wished to ignore her words a part of him did not Within its misty depths the Keystone of the First Ghasthund began to spark

Chapter 2355

Neveah bit her lip looking at Devick and then feeling through her connection to Randidly as he immediately engaged in violence outside of the Sonara Despite her relative distance from the conflict her core thrummed with tension Are you sure There are other ways of training This isnÆt a healthy method

They had known violence would be waiting for them outside of the memory but no one had suspected the goddamn Xyrt Brigade would be waiting to pounce when he left DevickÆs staying to be ready to assist wasnÆt necessary per se but she was the one person around whom Randidly could relax a bit As such Neveah felt reluctant to allow her to isolate herself for training

Especially training of this sort One that took a butcherÆs knife to the cerebellum

IsnÆt this a method utilized by Hungry Eye One of his Fatepieces you said DevickÆs eyes glittered as she looked down at the spiral staircase leading down through the grey moonrocks into the shadowy emptiness below It was a cold and lifeless hole drilled down with no amenities The mad woman had heard Neveah mention this method in passing and had since become obsessed with it Heh if Randidly managed to extract tangible benefits from this sort of place what the hell will I obtain I think we both know that even he canÆt rival me when it comes to unreasonableness hehehe and then when I come back on his level well itÆs pointless to compete physically but if my image has a small advantage mm

Neveah raised a hand and massaged the bridge of her nose They stood underneath the shifting aurora of the sea of dreams its light flashing garish shadows around their persons Staying in this place for that long is not advisable

Devick waved a hand I appreciate the advice but I think IÆll have difficulty not even trying it now that I know it exists

Which is exactly the problem Neveah sighed She looked again up sensing RandidlyÆs movements based on NeveahÆs understanding of him he would soon crush Vualla and at least establish a peaceful beachhead Luckily Elhume remained curiously absent They likely had some leeway to indulge

Neveah hadnÆt even intended this strange approximation to ever be used It had been an experiment based on her insights as she continued to decrypt the complex Engraving patterns left to her and Randidly by Yystrix It was her own contribution to RandidlyÆs identity as an alchemist That portion in particular was a half finished theorem speaking of the possibility of manifesting all effects in the galaxy through the use of Engraving A method of converting all energies back and forth into shape emotion significance meaning all of it

So Neveah tried to capture the Hierarchy of Obsession ItÆs gradual process of activation made it seem the most appropriate And now gave her a headache

She hid it on the dark side of the moon and pulled the remnant energies of the Sea of Dreams across the entrance to hide it further Neveah had felt a great deal of satisfaction when she had succeeded And she had comforted herself with the knowledge that no one but Randidly would be foolish enough to engage in this sort of training method

Tsk is this how Randidly feels when he looks at Devick Helpless yet unable to dislike her for the enthusiastic choices Also now that I really think about it wonÆt quite a few of his subordinates be more than willing to carve away portions of their psyche to improve themselves

I need to move this to a more secure location especially now that the ring of the Nether people encircles everything

Neveah felt rather miserable as she looked down into the holeÆs depths She had even added a time dilation effect trying to capture at least a fragment of the Engravings that the WestrisserÆs had pioneered Which made this the perfect pressure cooker for rapid advancement

Neveah forced herself to relax Because her image was the mother of fear she knew how insidious a force it could be IÆll observe from outside Considering the time difference I will intervene if you linger for longer than ten minutes IÆll throw a fishing lure down there with a photo of young and innocent Randidly

Give me at least an hour Devick scowled obviously suppressing the bit of excitement she felt at the offer of younger Randidly photos Neveah felt annoyed but the focus at least demonstrated Devick wouldnÆt just go insane down in the experiment The other woman raised her arm and flexed her supple limbs showing very little muscle IÆm a big girl I can handle it

No if you were injured Randidly Neveah licked her lips

At the very least Devick has the presence of mind to look embarrassed For several seconds the two women look at one another Eventually Devick coughed into her hand Alright how about two hours

A vein throbbed in NeveahÆs forehead Really the time limit went up Gah why do I even botherù

Drawing its influence from the MoiraeÆs in RandidlyÆs person those gentle fingers became a harsh pair of scissors One by one the threads were snipped

As those moments were erased or at least their significance robbed and their history obliterated Randidly and Vualla looked at one another and began to change Her eyes widened with alarm feeling the damage to both of their significance even if she didnÆt understand as intimately how horrible a fate this would be Randidly watched her cut by cut as the bags under her eyes deepened The small amount of flesh on her face vanished revealing the harsh lines of her skull

Her image faltered and twisted becoming destruction poisoned with bitterness and sour notes Small swirls of energy grew off the edges of her destruction ripping and tearing in addition to the core of annihilation

What changed Randidly whispered barely able to force out his words while the Fatepiece remained active He could feel ripples through his own significance but mostly it fed into a well of grief solidifying in his chest

Vualla perhaps finally understanding the gravity of what occurred released a hollow laugh Her breath smelled sour Are you really do you not remember our promise We did not hold the lofty aspirations that now fuel you Randidly Ours was a much more base craving We promised to destroy the Nexus

I did not change at all Despite experiencing immense amounts of dilated time since our last conversation my focus hasnÆt wavered at all You have changed Randidly So donÆt you dare look at me with betrayal grk

Additional severings squeezed the last few words off and covered her face with a pained expression Randidly released a breath Even if thatÆs true you are aiding Elhume

Who plans to destroy the Nexus and abandon his son Vualla countered just as quickly The sharp lines on her face deepened Even the memory of their connections faded revealing what she would have become if they had not met She looked sculpted a monstrous harpy the luscious mane of blue hair shorn away to reveal irritated skin and the harsh bulge of bone Although he also built this horrible place he plans to end that Should he betray that expectation I will kill him But so long as I sense his authenticity

Another pulse of light erupted from the Fatepiece In one fell swoop all the lingering connections between the two of them were shattered Still Randidly frowned Because as he looked at this twisted suppressed and bitter version of Vualla he realized that she was right They had bonded over destruction

And now he had reached a height where he saw another path one that wasnÆt so tainted by violence He had pivoted Perhaps that was why his mind had turned to her so infrequently

The effect of the Fatepiece fell away leaving the two once more freed to move Xyrt Brigade members and warriors from the Upper Sonara Society unleashed attacks Waves of sound and force buffeted the two splitting them apart While looking at one another both drifted backward allowing the distance to be created

Randidly made one more attempt Destruction

Was always my choice Vualla interrupted She spread her arms wide Her new image flickered and swam around her hands A choice I will keep making until I succeed or fail

He looked at her remembering his own fury at the System Yet now he cradled a world in his body He had a responsibility to all those souls he supported Her eyes flashed her lip curled He had dealt with the heavy negative subconscious of the Alpha Cosmos yet looking at Vualla twisted and poisoned form he felt a headache brewing

In the end it might have been possible to convince her To show her how short sighted her path was But already Randidly knew that it would require time and effort to sway her pride especially after he had very clearly forgotten her

In the grand scheme of the conflict with Elhume she wasnÆt worth the time

He took a fighting stance Opposite him with fresh currents of energy swirling back to empower her dragon she did the same

At the same time they launched themselves forward Her image had shifted as the bonds between them had been eliminated demonstrating the support that he had provided for her Now her destruction ate at the space around her a self destructive thing Yet in its short sightedness the image could wield immense powerù RandidlyÆs emerald eyes blazed as he moved to meet it

In the ninth collision between them Randidly shattered VuallaÆs wrist and drove Acri threw her stomach

Chapter 2356

For the second time in ten seconds Randidly and Vualla were pressed close together their faces inches apart Only now blood dribbled down AcriÆs shaft and fell between them

The new harsh lines on VuallaÆs face didnÆt vanish but some of them eased as energy seeped out of her due to the deep wound he had inflicted on her image Her eyes struggled to focus on him Is your brand of violence really that much superior to mine

At the very least itÆs not in service to a hollow ideal Randidly grunted ignoring the satisfied cackle from the Dread Homunculus

At the words VuallaÆs eyes flashed Those poisonous barbs running along the edge of her new image twisted around and shot toward Randidly and his images Clearly she had given up a victory here and instead aimed to annihilate a portion of his power in petty revenge The Homunculi released a trill of pleasure Randidly just shook his head and closed his eyes

GhosthoundÆs Cloak of a Thousand Lightless Horizons Hungry Eyes Hollow Heart Cadence of Tragedy Dawn Opens the Sky and Reality Stirs

Congratulations Your Skill GhosthoundÆs Cloak of a Thousand Lightless Horizons has grown to Level 1125

Congratulations Your Skill Dawn Opens the Sky and Reality Stirs has grown to Level 1030

Consequences and small details clattered against one another as Randidly held his image back VuallaÆs desperate stabs crossed all the intervening distance and were about to pierce into his body but then Randidly moved as the circumstances finally came into alignment

His images manifested so quickly that the dangerous stingers of VuallaÆs image seemed frozen in comparison

First came the darkness that cloak of utter night rewoven to be entirely RandidlyÆs That tide of darkness swept out and smothered the poisonous barbs of this alternate Vualla It was the void of oblivion the regrets and emptiness of the lives Randidly had taken all the weight of exhaustion he carried curdling slowly in deep space VuallaÆs barbs didnÆt stand a chance New and flashy this image might be but it couldnÆt handle the implacable oblivion of the original darkness

Yet the first image was just the beginning From that darkness the Hungry Eye opened A shiver went through the rest of the universe as it prepared for a monsterÆs descent The eye gulped down all the small details that would weaken or fray that perfect pattern it aimed for

For a moment there was peace as the eye closed and allowed the darkness to settle But RandidlyÆs powerful move didnÆt end there His sea of darkness bubbled and bulged struggling in a way it had not for the suppression of Vualla Increasingly powerful reverberations rippled outward until the darkness began to rip

Yet instead of a beast what came out of Randidly was the searing light of dawn A vast golden orb exploded from the darkness reminiscent of the big bang Rays cut open the suppressive wall of darkness and shot out in every direction Randidly focused peering through the halos and interactions around him All his seething emotional sea drained into these blasts of image light They stabbed with all the proficiency that he could wield his spears Not only was VuallaÆs image suppressed devoured and then pincushioned but hsi attacks extended beyond that

Across the battlefield the images of the Xyrt Brigade members suffered and died underneath the bombardment of light Dawn might not possess the sinister edge of Dusk but no other force in the world could replicate the transformative power of a new day arriving

All the force he gathered seared through his body and exploded out The pure light of dawn burned out leaving Randidly almost completely exhausted He could only grimace Even for me well fighting the whole Xyrt Brigade is a little much

Still that last blast of image had been enough

Fighting ceased as the Upper Sonara Society took steps backward and the Xyrt Brigade members swayed and succumbed to their wounds As one they looked up toward Randidly as he floated The last lingering notes of golden light and heavy darkness faded around him He looked at Vualla for several more seconds examining the withered and twisted creature she had become in a life without their shared dream He tried to think of a way to save her but stopped himself

This was your choice Randidly turned away

A flash from the USS blessedly distracted from this small reunionÆ The individuals had set up the pillars and were beginning to flood them with energy which both caused the Engravings to glow and also carved connecting Engravings into the space around them NeveahÆs consciousness brushed up against RandidlyÆs as she stared intently at the working

Tch you might be the splashiest but you arenÆt the only one with the idea to subvert the System Neveah observed Just based on the shape itÆs trying to hack into the central System and flood people with notifications Genuine notifications Not only that

Randidly blinked slowly as he pieced apart the Nexus infrastructure triggered by the notifications ItÆs the offer for individuals to become Patrons To almost everyone in the Nexus But considering how restrictive and exploitive the conditions are

From your perspective Neveah pointed out Bright lights arced out from the base of the pillars rapidly filling a space the size of a city block with complex interactions Energy began to pulse and flow along these veins as the Engraving sought to complete itself Yes powerful individuals have their images very obviously copied and put to work feeding into the next generation of individuals It is a hassle to be bothered by weaklings wanting to borrow your power The isolation the System requires But if every citizen became a Patron

Both Randidly and Neveah looked closer at the shaped Aether RandidlyÆs eyes glowed

Congratulations Your Skill Emerald Eyes and Dove Whispers Certify the Objective has grown to Level 1510

Congratulations Your Skill Truth Within the Primordial Flux has grown to Level 1075

As a Patron they wonÆt be subject to the same Aether as the rest A special allotment is set aside for the Patrons who cultivate the next generation Randidly finally said Anger began to build in his chest as he saw the shape of these developments They draw on a different lake of Aether but if even a fraction of the average citizens jump ship the entire System will collapse That allotment will run out But not before most of these new Patrons die of Aether Deprivation

It will be close but perhaps not Not if you support them Neveah observed Then she sighed Besides compared to the Nexus without the capabilities you possess you have to admit is at least a creative plan No one ever expected the dismantling of the Nexus to be without consequences With a few adjustments to the Engraving I believe it is possible to minimize the risks

Neveah manifested next to him She touched RandidlyÆs shoulder I will see if they listen to my advice Recover your Fatepiece manifesting like that has left you drained

Randidly nodded but then paused He raised his head and peered at Neveah noticing the slight tension in her shoulders and the way that she avoided his gaze hmm Neveah why is it that you seem vaguely guilty What have you been up to

I have no idea what you are talking about Neveah lied

Before Randidly could dig through their Soulbond and investigate this strangeness a portal manifested just outside the bounds of the circle of pillars A manifestation of Yggdrasil flared into existence its powerful roots digging into the ground and preparing for the fight he had expected since his arrival

Only two individuals stepped out of the portal Randidly recognized them both

Ha Finally nephew Your long period of undercover espionage is over Tuthak Eloise undulated forward toward Nathaz Eloise an individual with whom Randidly had cooperated in the past He pivoted and waved at Randidly With this our grand ritual can be directly plugged into the Overlay System As such it will be that much more difficult for the forces of the Nexus to stop the process Our chances of success just keep on climbing

Yet Randidly hadnÆt looked away from the second individual a young woman Randidly hadnÆt met or spoken to or even thought about in a long long time

Randidly Ghosthound Lyra Silver curtseyed Her lips didnÆt curl her eyes didnÆt twinkle and none of the playful barbs he had grown to expect from her were present What a pleasure to be working with you again

After the earlier farce of a tearful reunionÆ this one slammed Randidly in the gut

Chapter 2357

When the Monarch of Karma woke up floating on that tumbling bit of stone he saw the entire universe laid out above him Not only did the view possess more stars than he had ever seen but they sparkled without any intentions His eyes began to pulse with power as his image stirred All that he saw he deserved

No no not this shit again The Monarch of Karma scowled at his own instinctive reaction He refused to waste the clarity that he had regained His body ached and his head was blurry but at least the enthralling dream had passed he had somehow hiccuped his way out of the self fulfilling prophecy He raised a hand and squeezed the bridge of his nose but this simple act caused him to tremble as he saw his own fingers

He twisted them joints aching torn between fear and wonder His memories babbled out conflicting statements making him unable to get a clear grip on his situation Yet he believed his eyes his hands were creased with wrinkles and spotted with age The Monarch of KarmaÆs head swam When did I become so old

The affirmations flooded his entire awareness to buoy his consciousness toward that twisted viewpoint that gripped him for so long He wasnÆt old He deserved

Bah The Monarch grunted He shifted his weight and stood He had to sway to catch his balance because the stone on which he had landed or rather the bit of debris was probably just big enough to catch him Plus his old joins ached at any sort of sudden movement He tumbled through space on an uncomfortable bed of stone just large enough for him to lay out

He kept his thoughts disciplined so the affirmations werenÆt invited back to multiply and become dangerous As such his image became increasingly sluggish around him He simply floated for a while and tried to simply be impressed by the gorgeous world he saw without a single covetous or self absorbed thoughts

But the image of those wrinkled hands nagged at him He couldnÆt let go of the implications of that age With his shoulders trembling his thoughts turned toward his son

You are probably dead arenÆt you Quantan

If the universe tried to answer the question the Monarch of Karma didnÆt listen By now it had thoroughly learned to distrust a universe that tried to talk with you soon sweeping you up in its own strange impulses and desires Instead the Monarch just sat and wept He didnÆt think about whether or not he deserved this grief who had caused it or what could be done about it For now the tears were everything

And when finally he ceased sobbing the loneliness arrived and hovered above him stopping just short of putting a hand on his shoulder He felt so truly alone

IÆve been alone for a long time havenÆt I His chest shook and tears coursed down his face But now I realize it Mae Myrna was this really the truth you sought

Why are you looking at me like that Lyra said tilting her head to the side as she studied him a mannerism that felt so familiar yet simultaneously so strange

because I expect you to insult me or call me doggy Because Randidly pressed his lips together Since they had last met years had passed Lyra had grown from a young starlet adjusting to the System to a being of energy as a Village Spirit and now into a tall elegant woman who worked for the Nexus directly assisting in the underlying maintenance of the overlay System LyraÆs image hadnÆt developed to the point of being scary as with most of the individuals Randidly encountered recently He could feel the cool light of her lunar focus in her moderately otherworldly demeanor However

The flickering behavior of Aether around her hinted at deeper changes When Randidly peered at the energy halos underlying existence he could see the truth of her He saw the essence of her existence

You worry IÆm going to selfishly twist this project by the Upper Sonara Society Like I did in the past on Expira Lyra supplied Her voice was gentle but some of the sharpness remained in her features

Randidly shrugged You are more energy construct than human these days

You are Lyra brought both her hands to her cheeks her mouth oÆd in a look of total shock In the playful motion she briefly looked as she had when they were younger when the strange romantic tension existed between the two of them Well well well Color me impressed Be careful I suspect the one truth you will never really understand is the pressure it takes to stand by the side of a man who refuses to flinch or rest

Randidly wondered how he could casually change the subject when Neveah popped back over Luckily for Randidly I donÆt think he needs to actually learn in this case The individual in question is just as obsessed as he is

Instantly LyraÆs disposition cooled somewhat Clearly there lingered some less savory emotions between the two women Ah Neveah A pleasure as always Is it someone I would know

In a sense Neveah also spoke with a bit of extra haughtiness A version from another timeline but the object of RandidlyÆs affections is the charming Actus Suprem Well we havenÆt told the main Nexus version of Devick but IÆm sure we are all looking forward to the reveal

For several seconds Lyra just opened and closed her mouth

A wave of energy rose from the Engraving array as the pillars’ energy joined together The edges of the working began to churn Randidly could see those spots that Neveah had suggested changes marginally improving the energy transference of the process

Lyra bowed I need to assist Nathaz in his preparations But IÆm glad we are once more on the same side Randidly

He simply nodded observing Lyra and her grown form long and graceful as she proceeded to the side of the younger Eloise and began to draw sigils in the air Randidly pursed his lips watching as a secondary array came into being around the pillars Can we trust her

Not to subvert the array or whether she will betray us Neveah shrugged Well I cannot deny that sheÆs a genius looking at how she approaches Engravings But really I came over to scold you arenÆt you supposed to be recovering DonÆt allow something like this to rile you up so much

It was just a surprise Randidly rolled his shoulders

ArenÆt we approaching the last confrontation If any of these forces youÆve encountered has been biding their time they will soon reveal themselves Neveah said

Speaking of that Randidly raised his gaze from their working to the maelstrom of churning significance gathering above the main tower of the Nexus They were in the thick of it the invisible currents of history whirling around them He sucked on his teeth They will come in droves soon I suspect Not just Elhume but anyone with an image and a foundation This moment is becoming too burdened with meaning to miss

IsnÆt that why weÆve accumulated so much power Neveah poked Randidly in the side So you can Seize the moment

did you really just make a joke Randidly furrowed his brows Right now of all times

IÆm surprisingly free Neveah lifted her chin No one is attacking us yet

The energies of the working gurgled and seethed A thick liquid Aether formed a dense pool in the middle of the pillars A thousand small ripples fought and bred within the liquid energy a chaos that not even Randidly could see through

Just what the hell are you waiting for Elhume Randidly scowled Then he forced himself to relax as he breathed and did his best to recover his mental energy

Chapter 2358

Actus Suprem DevickÆs fingers were slick with blood yet her grin kept stretching wider and wider as she considered the sublime work of art she had woven Generally she considered Elhume an unimaginative prick but this plan had flair

Exactly her favorite iron flavored flair

It had been hard following the myriad traces and hooking the juicy meat waiting at the end but she had managed it Her image trembled in anticipation jangling chains of rust leading out to each of her targets Innumerable sweet meat fresh meat aged meat rotten meat The work of thousands of delis over hundreds of years After a week of focused effort she felt the usual triumphant exultation of success Just as quickly boredom arrived

It was an occupational hazard to being a prestigious person such as herself

And next Devick asked over her shoulder

For several long seconds the blurry form of Elhume didnÆt respond Its energy had been erratic in the last hour but Devick previously hadnÆt been so idle as to really take notice Now she felt a desire she believed long suppressed at the inconsistency she felt the overpowering impulse to pounce and attack Elhume He felt weak to her sensitive tongue

Not yet Devick chided herself She raised a hand and rubbed the corner of her mouth in case any drool had leaked I am a just and kind mother All this ehhehe yes this is all to prepare a platform for my cute son to have his ascension More than anything else isnÆt the act of motherhood one of innate generosity Perfectly describes one such as myself

although obviously if the Ghosthound putters around I will graciously also clean up after him A motherÆs toil never ceases

Next we drag them to us on their knees Elhume rumbled

The Actus Suprem squealed in anticipation boredom and treason forgotten Threads of rust color madness leaked out of her body ready to insinuate themselves into the entire Nexus The whisper of torture metal on metal spread throughout the entire Nexus

The giant array created by the Upper Sonara Society continued to crawl its way wider and wider requiring truly an impressive amount of energy to keep it running Aether lines were carefully carved and supported in their gradual evolution Randidly sat and meditated above the working partially observing its progress partially waiting impatiently for some change to manifest in the sky but also pulling his Aether and Nether into tight rotations within his body

The two flows ran opposite one another grinding against each other and eliminating impurities His body heated up from the constant friction generated between the two energies but it wasnÆt even enough for his HomunculiÆs Engineered Adaption to trigger Heat swirled about himù while his energies ground each other down into their purest form he drew ephemeral landscapes with the vapor rising from his body

Cosmic wind rising from the Engravings below swept through and distorted the misty reproduction of Donnyton while he moved on to sculpt Kharon He continued to work enjoying the distraction while he prepared his energy for the fight of his life

Congratulations Your Skill Motif of Unimagined Tolls has grown to Level 1150

yet still the final confrontation lingered right beyond his awareness Soon he had gone through every geographic formation on Expira that he knew without any further developments The Engraving continued to ooze its way outward

Randidly grinned He pointed and the drop spun and twisted flowing like liquid and gleaming like a gem Yet this was only the beginning While he was satisfied with this piece he needed more Randidly began working through each drop of liquid Aether taking it apart reinforcing and upgrading the insides and then reforming them

He felt his mental energy beginning to grow sluggish but he continued making drops of liquid Aether even after he had finished refining the old ones He pushed his mind until he had thirteen gleaming drops of energy hovering in the air in front of him

Congratulations Your Skill Apostate MoiraeÆs Seditious Touch has grown to Level 1313

Congratulations Your Skill DeviationÆs Inevitable Machinations has grown to Level 1755

in the middle of the intoxicating process Randidly heard the noise of chains rattling that also somewhat sounded like delighted laughter Madness ran a finger along his cheek

His eyes snapped open the process half finished In his awareness the isolating bubble began to crumble and fall At first he frowned but then a bitter expression twisted up the corners of his mouth Ah Well itÆs a little less bullshit like this A Reprieve is limited by your awareness of threats I had been prepared for Elhume to come at the head of the army or even to move by himself to crush us But for it to be Actus Suprem Devick

The chains rattled once more The noise seemed to originate from all around the area from the length and breadth of the Nexusù her madness had risen to encompass them all Randidly looked down at the Engraving Ritual to understand the scope of the threat against him However looking at the Engraving which still continued to grow he couldnÆt really understand

Randidly frowned ItÆs not an attack But that power

Her image sent chills down his spine From this distance it was impossible to tell the depth of darkness lurking in her heart But the shape of the image felt oppressive even for the current Randidly

The chains rattled again closer The Engraving faltered but not due to any attack for a brief moment the flow of energy into the array slowed

Lyra who had been standing next to Nathaz Eloise at the edges of the Engraving bent forward and vomited out blood

At that very moment Randidly understood He almost wished he hadnÆt Fuck They are doing a version of exactly our same attack An indiscriminate offensive But while we are trying to go after the NexusÆs supply of Aether they are targeting Grand Fates ElhumeÆs had Devick lace chains and madness through them all And now sheÆs hauling them back

Neveah flitted to RandidlyÆs side She nodded in agreement their thoughts moving together Stronger individuals can resist the pull after all Devick is targeting the whole of the Nexus with her effort

The chains came again loud and demanding

Fuck sheÆs a monster Randidly said impressed despite himself Did you feel that

Neveah gave him a harsh look DonÆt get distracted Your feelings toward Devick are complicated enough as it is but this isnÆt the pure hearted version youÆve come to appreciate This Devick is broken and hollow and wants to stuff you up inside her innards Or put her hand up your ass and use you to tapdance Domineering this definitely is but this is who you need to overcome And also

Randidly tilted his head to the side Neveah bit her lip ItÆs not quite correct to believe this method is similar to the Upper Sonara SocietyÆs It is a broad and indiscriminate attack yes but I suspect this isnÆt the endgame IÆm even more concerned with what followsù what does Elhume want Devick to do when she rips out Grand Fates from most of the Nexus and gathers them in one place

Chapter 2359

Devicks image tugging on all the Grand Fates in the Nexus had kicked the hive of the Upper Sonara Society The area around the Engraving buzzed with activity Only a token group remained behind to guard the members of the Xyrt Brigade The rest chattered about this newest threat

Tuthak Eloise gestured with its long appendages as his subordinates hurried around Randidly was almost impressed by how he seemed to be instigating such chaos Quickly So long as we create a shielding array around our project we will be able to continue the process despite the interference Because of how disparate the efforts are a common shield will be enough for now

The nephew Nathaz looked extremely nervous looking between the grimacing Lyra and the uncle But ancestor the Engraving the whole point is that the size will continue to grow Depending on how many individuals choose to accept the distinction of becoming a Patron such growth with be accelerated How can we guard

Create a variable shell one which we can expand to accommodate the work Tuthak replied as if it was the most obvious answer in the world

Completely obvious but probably impossible right Randidly glanced at Neveah

Well am I the one making it or are they Came Neveahs confident reply

Nathaz floundered for several seconds Randidly could practically see him picking from a dozen objections for the one most likely to sway his ancestor A variable size shield array will require at least the active manpower without more bodies to protect and fuel the Engraving

Randidly looked sideways from the arguing family members when Neveah patted his shoulder Looks like this bit is going to be a bit messy Ill sort things out but this only solves one of the problems The real issue

Yea Randidly said He raised his gaze and peered toward the source of disturbance tucked away in a deep alcove of the Nexus their side is going to finish first even without our Engraving stalling out trying to handle this Re?Ad lateSt chapters Only

Of course that was just Randidlys instincts Also common sense screamed at him that he was being completely unreasonable how could Devick forcefully drag all these opposing Grand Fates from people who were powerful enough to condense a Grand Fate rivaling the speed at which they made an array to provide a single notification to everyone in the Nexus

It was the equivalent of a single woman tying a rope around the mountain and dragging it around the world before a team of individuals erected a skyscraper on her starting location

And yet

Congratulations Your Skill Emerald Eyes and Dove Whispers Certify the Objective has grown to Level 1514

Randidly felt confident that Devick would manage it Especially because he could already feel her attention shifting away from the more powerful individuals her strange labor affected Although everyone here had become panicked they were no longer being affected Even Lyras expression had eased But this only made Randidly more certain

The Actus Suprem was before everything else a gleeful bully He had no doubt that the weakest individuals with Grand Fates suffered under her attention at the moment When they capitulated she would shift to focus on slightly stronger individuals

She would move the mountain across the world even if she had to carry only one boulder at a time

Randidlys heart ached to think of it but Lyra and her mediocre image were an asset at the moment She served the role of a canary in a coal mine When she began to suffer they would know they were running out of time

He pushed those thoughts to the side and moved on from the drops of liquid Aether Instead he proceeded into the depths of his body and found the whirling Nether Core He hadnt really appreciated it until he left the memory but the rotations of his Nether Core had been smoothed out those long stretches when he supported the phantasm really helped streamline his own process Now huge amounts of incredibly pure Nether gushed through his veins every moment

He still couldnt rival the weighty depths possessed by Deganawidah but Randidly suspected that individual was a unique existence As it stood he would soon rival Lowannas Nether in potency although her energy also seemed to be going through changes

However Randidly pushed deeper Beyond the impressive operations of the Nether Core lay a series of floating grey bubbles When he counted them he had to laugh unlike the drops of liquid Aether which formed by expending immense amounts of mental energy and emotions the Nether bubbles formed naturally as he accumulated significance Randidly suspected he could have helped the process along with certain Engravings but to his delight he found that thirteen grey Nether bubbles waited for him matching the amount of liquid Nether he had

He rubbed his chin Now lets see what I can do with both forms of this energy From that time I took the Glimpse of the Shallah Path and I saw the majestic flows of energy through that grey chrysanthemum of Nether sitting at the core of a gorgeous pattern I havent forgotten how much more I need to learn

Besides Ive also seen the death and the birth of Pine Hopefully hopefully I can catch just a little bit of that alchemy

So he began to experiment Randidly pulled the grey bubbles and the gleaming drops of liquid Aether together Crackling bolts of energy discharge leapt from one side to the other as they grey closer Chewing his lip he began to spin the two groupings of energy forming two opposing wheels The process almost resembled the purification he had done earlier but this time he didnt hold anything back

And this time he fueled the process with the condensed versions of energy not just the base form

Instantly the energies in his body rushed forward to support their energies Friction raged into infernos up and down his spine the tides of Aether and Nether contained within his body grinding against one another Nether responded by tightening its wheel condensing its force into a dense heart Meanwhile Aether expanded becoming rigid and uniform to resist the pressure His shoulders started to steam

No its not like this Randidly frowned and slowed the two wheels he had created Energies sloshed back and forth in his body worsening the steam pouring off of him Randidly wondered where all the water vapor came from and whether he could just lose it continuously like this without consequences

He focused on the results and rubbed his chin Maybe maybe if I continued like this those pressures would generate the results Ive seen But I dont think thats what I want Not for the energy in my body Anything forged from such pressure will be powerful but arent the two energies at their best when they cooperate Not forces at odds but energy working together to build the future

Randidly chewed on his lip structuring and restructuring the arrangement of energies He pulled and pushed but ran up against problem after problem His instinct was to use the grey Nether bubbles as the foundation but they wouldnt move too near to each other without external pressure they acted like magnets

He tried to use the liquid drops of Aether as the foundation but they had an entirely different problem Depending on the external pressures they would expand Which quickly destabilized any arrangement of energy Randidly tried to make

Randidly possessed a great deal of experience with both Engraving and Nether Rituals but the higher forms of the energy possessed a lot of nuances he hadnt encountered before Each trial just left him frustrated

After five minutes of effort Randidly sighed and rubbed his eyes Neveah appeared again by his side For now the protection Engraving shouldnt trip us up at least in the short term In addition I communicated with Alana and your other subordinates’ presence in the wider Nexus they will come to support you This is going to be a confrontation right do you want to pull more people from the Alpha Cosmos

Randidly considered it then shook his head I dont think this will require an army

If you say so Neveah looked down and then clicked her tongue A different sort of echoing image spread throughout the Nexus This one too was familiar Did you feel that

Randidly frowned down at the distant sight of the Nexus Another faint pulse came from its base He felt tension building up in his back looks like Solomon Rex wants to talk

Chapter 2360

Gasping for breath Devick pulled herself to the top of the moonrock spiral staircase The fingernails of her left hand had torn away but she had dragged herself up as quickly as she could manage Her vision spun For several seconds she could only sit at the top and breathe Her body refused to cease shaking All of her energies were drained to the minimum

Her forehead knocked against the safe ground but she couldnt move She had almost died down there without even noticing it

Oh Finally out

Devick groaned and shimmied After gathering a bit of momentum she managed to roll off her belly and onto her back Neveah stood over her hands on her hips Randidlys Soulbound companion waved with surprising cheeriness

Y you Devick panted she couldnt gather enough energy for the vicious dressing down she intended to deliver to Neveah But also she couldnt vocalize her reasons for being so furious without sounding like a fool

Ah Neveah brought her hand to her mouth Thats right I knew I had forgotten something I promised to help pull you out from his Visage of Obsession training so you wouldnt just lose yourself didnt I Well if you are only now belly slithering your way out I suppose youve been immersed in that place for a little over four hours With the additional time from the Engravings almost nine months Oh my What A Tragedy Then Neveah leaned forward her expression still bright But I bet this means youve learned your lesson about taking my words lightly doesnt it

Devick really had been in the hyper demanding area of the Visage of Obsession completely enthralled in the process of training She hadnt paid any attention as the strenuous activities had withered her down to twig bones and paper skin She had pulled and pulled on her energy to the point that she had begun to waste away without the stable connection to energy from Hungry Eye Only when her body had begun to annoyingly fail had Devick bothered to ascend a bit and check her condition

She was lucky she had Her body had begun to eat itself Her brain would have likely been next

Despite how returning to such a place certainly would mean her death

Devick flipped Neveah off She pushed herself off the edge to tumble back down into the darkness of the Visage of Obsession Even if she had been close to death it was better than Neveah acting superior after tricking her

Neveah grabbed her foot and dragged her back Okay okay Im sorry I shouldnt have been so condescending But if you go back down there now you really will die I dont want to deal with Randidly being mopey because of it

Devick grinned up at Neveah You really think hed be mopey For how long

You are literally insane Neveah sighed She offered Devick a hand and the red haired woman took it So How was it

Devick smiled shyly She raised a hand and the surrounding ground erupted with rose bushes Neveah watched as the buds formed swelled and then shyly opened to reveal blood colored petals The sweet floral scent filled the air

Devick reached out and plucked one of the nearby blooms As soon as she touched it Neveah felt a different sort of image moving The color bled from the petals The stem stiffened and died the flower turned bone white and stunk of death

So so Why is something pressing happening outside of Hungry Eye’s little pocket universe Devick sniffed the pale flower She grimaced I suppose this much will need to suffice for saving the world

It took a while but Solomon Rex because Randidly sensed the name Elhume truly no longer belonged to this being ceased laughing His lips quirked as he considered Randidly So How was it The past me

Rather pathetic Randidly didnt bother to lie

Solomon shrugged Despite you being a distant descendant of my humanity you have very little awe for me Well if you saw the beginning if you saw the heights for which the name Elhume is lauded I suppose thats true There is no word but pathetic for me Especially considering how far Ive fallen

I do have a question Randidly said Before we speak of the current world A little clarification So it wasnt you at all was it Who pursued Yystrix for those centuries seeking to find her and use her

No it was not In fact I only worked her identity out later during the Fifth Cohort by putting some pieces together about Elhumes movement Solomon Rex frowned down at the ground Definitely pathetic You went to the end of the Second Cohort By that time I had already forgotten about Yystrix entirely Fiero had taken the memory when he still bore that name He considered her well I suppose in a very real way she was his mother Fiero was born naturally from the universe you know A product of the Nexus She was the first face he saw when he woke up He wanted her as he wanted everything to be entirely his

Randidly nodded slowly at least understanding why Yystrix hadnt made herself known during the memory He scratched his chin his mind sorting through the details Thats also why Elhumes attitude regarding the Nexus and Pine changed so suddenly Whereas you wanted to give Pine the space to come into his own he now seeks to kill him

In a very real way Fiero now inhabits a pathetic corpse What he borrowed now weighs him down Solomon chuckled this sound much more gleeful and vindictive than the wide and hollow laughter he released before I have very little pity for the bastard but at least his actions make sense He wishes to carve himself free of the Nexus one way or another But I cannot allow that to happen

And you wish for my help Randidly finally said He stood straight and looked at Solomon Rex after climbing to the point where he could meet with this powerful figure this shaper of the Nexus and be at an advantage

From the first day he had manifested in the Dungeon and almost been killed by a glancing blow he had come a long long way

I seek cooperation Solomon countered Already the posturing had begun Although I am here much power passes through this place Elhume cannot attack this place easily Pines corpse functions as a bomb because Ive gathered so much significance here If he acts without caution my tragic child will pop And lead us all to oblivion

He wants to escape alive then Randidly confirmed

Solomon looked amused Dont we all Even you Mister Ghosthound who has a whole universe as a Soulskill Quite intriguing

Instantly Randidlys gaze sharpened So what is it you want

Cooperation Simply well the very universe I just referenced Your Soulskill Solomon spread his hands a used car salesman selling a lemon Not that I wish to possess what is yours but this cold war with Elhume has meant I have had to be very blunt with my preparations even to my eyes too much significance has been absorbed by Pine He needs to be stabilized I will help you defeat the current Elhume and in return you will either accept Pine into your Soulskill or form a connection between it and the Nexus That should stabilize my son for long enough for me to begin the process of reversing what he has become

You are going to betray me as soon as you sink your hooks into the Alpha Cosmos Randidlys eyes blazed like little emerald pyres he didnt need a Skill to predict how this psychopath would act if he had the advantage He felt a strong impulse to lash out right them testing himself against the being now known as Solomon Rex who had fallen to the bottom of the Nexus after a long career of borrowing the brilliance of another to succeed

However he could not for the same reason that Elhume could not move easily against Solomon looming behind this man was a mass of significance Should that horrifying hunger destabilize and collapse

But if I understand the way you react when other elements are present Randidly controlled his temper But in his heart the three Moiraes and the Alchemist looked at each other with knowing smiles doesnt that just make you another ingredient for me to use

Chapter 2361

Just another tool then Randidlys eye gleamed They stood on a plain of destruction hovering near the mouth of a fallen god and above the abyss of the entire Nexus He barely suppressed the urge to smile as the wheels of his mind began to turn What sort of reactions can you cause Solomon Rex

Congratulations Your Skill Deviations Inevitable Machinations has grown to Level 1760

Congratulations Your Skill Arch Heretics Thaumaturgy has grown to Level 980

Congratulations Your Skill Deviations Inevitable Machinations has grown to Level 1799

If Solomon Rex had an inkling of Randidlys shift in perspective he did not reveal it on his face You are wondering how I will assist you against Elhume yes His greatest strength as Im sure you are aware is his ability to swipe the images of others His grip on my old body makes his fingers somewhat clumsy sure but his avarice can penetrate through almost any sort of defense Especially as he spends some of his time solidifying his hold on that descendant of his With my spare time down here Ive been able to develop certain countermeasures

I appreciate the offer but I dont think they will be necessary Randidly shook his head Also another piece clicked into place in his mind Techetadore and those vague energy connections flashed in his mind That was why Techetadore had possessed a strange amount of power during their brief encounters Even now the Patron of the Borrowed attempted to solidify his power by grasping onto others

Solomon Rex gave Randidly a long look at the rejection May I ask from whence your confidence stems

Randidly grinned like a wolf Perhaps it is not confidence so much as honesty Even with your methods if I cannot resist Fieros power on my own wont all the rest of it be moot We will have lost if he breaks down the barriers

In addition I wonder how well his borrowing compares with my Seizing

Your life will be lost But I would not give up this struggle just because of a single casualty no matter how much present clout you possess Solomon spoke in a light voice clearly annoyed but restraining it He narrowed his eyes then shook his head slightly still I admit there is a certain savage clarity to your viewpoint

Solomon continued to speak Setting aside the issue of Fieros indulgences he has definitely been preparing for incursions into his domense Specifically against me but also against usurpers within the Nexus The particulars of him stealing my body I turned the situation against his greedy hands forcefully pushing my Aether toward crystallization sealing away the immense power he could wield with my limbs Yet Elhume is not without talents or you could say he has taken and honed all of my previous ones He used arrays to guide the expansion of the energy He created that labyrinthine mountain range of Aether my body might be sealed away because of it but the energy interference makes it impossible to know what occurs in the core

Randidly felt a brief flash of chagrin at his confidence he had been extremely self assured so far in this negotiation but it was worth noting that Solomon Rex before his body had been stolen from him could trigger a process in his body to cause all of his Aether to crystallize Even now Randidly didnt understand how that should be possible

I have my advantages and they have theirs Dont forget they clawed their way to the top of the Nexus with competitors just as desperate for supremacy

That will be an abomination Mister Ghosthound Finally the veneer of civility across Solomons face cracked But to Randidlys surprise the anger burning in Solomons purple eyes only seemed to be obliquely targeting him Instead the humanoid the original humanoid glared straight up into the sky his hands clenched into fists A soul assembled in that manner it has been poisoned by centuries of Elhumes mismanagement Without a thorough cleansing Pines vessel would only be tainted

Solomon released a shaky breath He almost seemed embarrassed as he glanced at Randidly ah that is well the energy itself isnt bad And as you say it is a chunk of images from the eldest and most refined images in the Nexus Beyond purity the quantity cannot be rivaled And that is the offer I am making others will aim for it but I will stall them The process started by Elhume will result in the destruction of the base framework of Grand Fates But all that energy will still exist gathered and potent A universes worth of energy Probably enough to be a half step toward the Pinnacle all on its own You should take it Randidly Ghosthound and strengthen yourself

Immediately Randidly mistrusted the offer But at this stage in the game he understood that all the elements he touched were volatile enough to make caution necessary And also that he needed to use them to accomplish his goals This power you consider tainted you offer it to me Even setting that aside how much power can really be gathered Although Devick will overcome weaker individuals wont the powerful ones resist until the bitter end

Solomon chuckled Yes my descriptions would not instill confidence I grew agitated speaking of my family My apologies it is one of the few precious true things that havent been taken from me

Even though Pine is not your son Suddenly Randidly could begin to understand why Elhume had been such a perfect pairing with Fiero Pine the source of original Elhumes achievements was never his It was a connection of convenience for a confused and desperate Yystrix Do you truly not know

Solomon continued to speak If nothing else you will know the sincerity of my offer when we attack Elhumes sanctum You can judge for yourself when you see the energy gathered You do not even need to use it yourself my offer in addition to the information about the outside universe is simply for you to choose how such a massive amount of energy is disposed And heh as for the Actus Suprem you should be careful not to underestimate her

If you or I were to attempt this task we would eventually run into such problems that you describe Moments when our solid images were unable to shake the entrenchment of those we have targeted Hell even if the body of Elhume were liberated he would falter in the face of that effort Solomons eyes glittered But you forget her image is madness incarnate Because what madness lacks in raw power it more than makes up for it with corrupting influence I have no doubt that those who resist most violently are being connected to the dangerous and insidious core of her image They will begin to rot from within

Randidly pursed his lips and again it makes me wonder how I can view an amalgamation of such rotten images to be a gift

Ha Yes well we are rebels In the end our affluence is restricted Solomon countered We make deals with the supplies on hand So do we have an agreement

For several seconds Randidly just looked at the creator of humanity of the original owner of the name Elhume the situation here at the bottom of the universe He felt sure his earlier impulse was correct Solomon Rex would try and betray him But from the significance flowing in the air his promises were at least genuine

Randidly would need to put the Alpha Cosmos or at least a connection to it up for collateral in order fo the cooperation And in exchange he would receive two items of dubious value

Honestly the most important aspect of the deal will be knowing what Solomon Rex intends Randidly thought In the end I suspect I wont need to wait until the promised connection for his betrayal to arrive

Lets dethrone a tyrant Randidly offered his hand They shook

Significance all across the Nexus began to turn murky as the universe’s inhabitants stepped past the point of no return

Chapter 2362

In a small cabin on a broken mountain in the Alpha Cosmos the Patron of Feathers born within a memory looked at the wizen form of herself laid out on the bed Her breath caused so little movement that the supine form could have been a statue The memory version chewed on her lip her insides in horrible pain from the decision laid before her

The version from this other timeline continued to lie on the bed The Aether around her had turned dangerously degenerative In the confined space the air quickly began to feel claustrophobic

The memory version had also met the other Patrons when she had been brought here those who had told her what it was like to live through the changes in Elhumes behavior in the third Cohort She felt simultaneously horrified and unsurprised by what was described The erratic mood shifts the ominous silences the combative stances the growing resentment for Pine and they spoke of the betrayal being locked away so they couldnt reveal what they knew

At the moment only the Patron of Blades remained in the cabin with her He sat in the corner drawing a finger across a hunk of wood and removing long and curling strips of shavings The rest had left for the memory version to make her decision

The Patron of Feathers felt bitter as she sat in the pooled quiet of the room First my father now a version of myself does our family truly possess so little respect for the individuals wishes That we would use them up to fuel our research

And yet the memory Patron of Feathers couldnt abandon this unconscious version of herself and embark on her own journey She couldnt just dismiss the request out of hand If it had been her father who approached her with such a sacrificial role who expected more from her after her soul had been so wounded by the temporal twisting she would have just gone numb She would have glazed over incapable of moving or feeling or helping allowing the situation to just slip past A part of her would have died immediately squeezed dry past the point of existence But the individual asking was Randidly Ghosthound who almost seemed apologetic about it

Even worse was the other Patrons they had been so delighted to meet her to see her so young Their feelings were edged with their own inner bitterness but they didnt blame that on her They explained the situation About how the other version of herself had been the only Patron kept liberated in order to assist Elhume While they understood their version of events it was also worth knowing how this Nexus had developed

Not necessary But it would be helpful

Across from her the Patron of Blades continued to carve His even strokes very deliberately liberated a carving of the Patron of Feathers from the wooden prison She didnt dare look over lest she catch the carvings expression and her heart break

Would it have the hollow eyes she currently carried Would she be smiling

She didnt have the luxury of delaying the decision for too long The Patron of Feathers could feel the impending war buzzing against her skin With or without the context she would provide the peace would soon be broken

The memory Patron of Feathers right now wished dearly her name hadnt been stolen She wanted someone to sweep her up in a warm hug to whisk her away from this decision from a life that seemed characterized by her pouring herself into a series of other individuals before they finished drinking from her vigor and left her staggering and hollow

You dont need to consider so deeply We understand that this would essentially hasten your descent toward the same end as her The Patron of Blades said interrupting her spiraling thoughts He flicked the carving knocking away a few stray bits You do not need to do this

For a long second the Patron of Feathers just bowed her head She drank in the silence the lack of pressure and expectation When she raised her hollow eyes she found herself asking a question What what do you think she would say if she knew the situation

The Patron of Blades sighed The lines of his face were sharp and aggressive even in grief I suspect you know what she would say so I do not wish to reiterate it Because your heart is too wide This I know about you Listen to me you do not need to do this

As they moved away Randidly felt Neveahs consciousness brush up against his own Her message felt tinged with sadness In the end the memory Patron of Feathers agreed to part with the Penance left for her by Yystrix It will take some time but after the transfer was initiated already the energy of the true Patron of Feathers appears to be improving

If the memory version impacts our plans shes true enough Randidly cracked his neck one more bit of information coming his way He wondered whether it would be worth the sacrifice When he had Alana and Raymund alone he started by explaining a bit about his understanding of the current Nexus specifically about the current Elhume being truly Fiero Raymunds ancestor About the feud between Solomon and Elhume about how Elhumes body had been trapped in a mountain range of crystallized Aether And also about how the current Elhume about how Fiero probably had been seeking to possess Techetadores body in order to have achieved his liberty once again

First came the fury blooming across Raymunds body like a wildfire sweeping through a dry grassland His image crackled Randidly took the chance to marvel at the difference between the images Raymund more than his ancestor Fiero deserved to be called the Patron of the Borrowed His image was a gentler but also more insistent force Because it was truly only a borrowing it was much harder to resist In addition it would inflict no true damage to the victim aside from the temporary deprivation of the image

Probably not a coincidence Randidly realized as he watched the significance spiraling around his subordinate Youve born so many names Fiero the Patron of the Borrowed Elhume it is only a matter of time before someone comes along to take one of those names away from you

Wait a moment Is that how curious Raymund Ballast abruptly frowned his fury ebbing as his mind caught up with the implications We had believed well we knew that the process affecting Techetadore was a method of the Swacc Family But they betrayed Elhume Did not the Actus Suprem say that

That Elhume personally hunted them yea Randidly nodded his own thoughts proceeding along similar lines Which likely means the betrayal was staged Or part of a larger plan It is bitter but I think if the Vulpis Squad fights it will be against the Swacc Family

Shal if I see you how can I best thank you for all that youve given me

What now Alana asked to pull Randidly back from his mentors situation

Now Randidlys head buzzed with possibilities Or rather than possibilities avenues He stood at the precipice of going to war with Elhume his next concrete step would be to travel to the crystallized Aether mountain range the one that trapped Elhumes body and also had been shaped into his fortress and discover how difficult it was going to be to kick down the door But before that

He had his experiments with liquid Aether and Nether bubbles

He had his Fatepiece which he wished to push up those last few Levels So that when the final battle began he could truly unleash himself and start harvesting all the gains he had earned

He had the small book passed to him by Solomon Rex which described a bit of history beyond the context of the Nexus

Randidlys gaze meandered over the sprawling Engraving maintained by the Upper Sonara Society centered on those pillars His eyes found Lyra across all that distance as she assisted the Eloises Her expression was pained but not too bad

Shes probably the weakest here When she begins to be affected in earnest we need to move Randidly thought For now

His mind found an answer He nodded sharply calling Charlotte Wick Alana Donal Raymund Ballast and DiOrtho Vant to him It was time to fulfill a promise

It was time to test the efficacy of one of his evolved Skills A Worlds Regrets Begets Serrated Insurrection

Chapter 2363

Don Beigon watched the horizon as the climax of this private universe seeped closer In the next few ways the inevitable future would clog their throats and strangle those who werent ready to seize the opportunity

Every second made the hairs along the Dons spine twitch His senses for Nether were frustratingly blunt but he had honed his instincts as a businessman for most of his life Ever since his wife had been killed he had been polishing his edge

Now he sniffed and smiled he smelled a chance

However despite all the preparations that he had made for the future for this moment where he would reach the Pinnacle and finally seize the capability to rein furious judgment down upon those who had betrayed him he narrowed his eyes A murkiness had crept up on him stemming from a new celestial phenomenon that warped its surroundings A star seemed to be forming in the area above the Nexus where the Sonara had once hung Every minute its light grew more clear and startlingly

That star cackled and swelled refusing to be ignored The radiation it released influenced the future It nudged it toward a different path

With the assistance of the Upper Sonara Society Randidly Ghosthound arranged for his own rapid ascent to prominence in the Nexus The young upstart might not have much going for him yet apparently enough had accumulated that the universe reacted to his presence and intentions In the coming clash between the rebel and Elhume the result was no longer as clear cut as the Don would like

Because the Don had been aware of Randidly Ghosthounds movements he had made some preparations But his hands had been mostly tied due to the debt between them Even now the fact that the Don owed the Ghosthound rankled It was an itch his image urged him to scratch every day Yet he withheld himself He waited

He endured his torture as he had so many other things The future oozed closer Probably some weaker individuals had already been entirely submerged They were at the mercy of fate The outcomes of their lives were no longer under their control

Pathetic

The Don pivoted away from the window rolling to the next room Incense lay heavy on the air He had lined the walls with candles with a wave of the hand they snapped to light On the floor he had drawn an elaborate diagram in chalk lines He understood the base Engraving System of the Nexus but this had been writ in his own private language of scales balance and inevitability Creating general Engravings had very decreased effectiveness but in the area of debts none could rival the heights he could reach

Soon high enough to brush the Pinnacle The Dons eyes flashed

I miss you Every day I miss you The Don said as he had done every dawn since his wife had died His heart stirred at her memory but just barely For that he hated himself In the beginning his emotions had been a tumultuous storm barely able to be contained within his body Now it felt more like rubbing a thumb along an amputated elbow receiving only a tingle for the bodys downtrodden recognition of what was missing

Still it was around this feeling he had built his whole life It was for that reason he strengthened himself sharpened his image forced his body into motion That and his daughter of course But he had done all he could for Claudette she had chosen to refuse his protection for the coming war

Diane This was your invention And I always cautioned you against using it It weakens the fabric of our image just by existing You you always laughed at me Told me that exceptions prove the rule The Don mumbled Around him the lines of his Engraving began to glow One last time I will trust you Even if your recklessness is likely what brought down Elhumes wrath you didnt place me in any danger did you And you never would have You were too smart for that

So lets prepare a Reversal of Fortunes The Don raised his head and glared at the distant star Randidly Ghosthound have you ever suffered like I have suffered

Pillars of color churned around Randidlys body as he channeled his Skill A Worlds Regrets Beget Serrated Insurrection In total he conjured five different pillars A piercing azure blue that made his heart ache A vivid emerald that matched his eyes A searing pink orange practically sparking at the edges A deep maroon that felt a bit too close to madness Finally a grey lavender an almost dead color that made his shoulders slump just from looking

DiOrthos hatchets sat in front of him on a spot of ground already charred and smoking from the previous weapons he had enhanced

Meanwhile activating A Worlds Regrets Begets Serrated Insurrection unveiled these emotions Randidly bared himself to the world He felt vulnerable

To his surprise he flinched back during the first try for his Knight Which caused a split second of hesitation and then he hammered back with all the emotional force that he could muster Especially drawing from the emerald and maroon pillars Randidly created a ghost of primal impulses and unexplored wilderness

Which actually fit quite well with Charlottes Primal Force But from a purely execution perspective it was an ugly working Made all the more frustrating when Charlotte had thanked Randidly profusely as she beamed and waved her new toy around

Next came Raymund Ballast For him Randidly began with azure with notes of pink and grey lavender The horrible vulnerable ripping emotional ghost Randidly crafted was one of consideration and sudden action A sort of vigilante a self righteous individual that burned with stubbornness

Third Randidly had made a weapon for Alana Donal He placed his hands upon her spear already beginning to feel his body made feeble by the constant production of emotions feeding almost entirely pink orange into her ghost with some ancillary notes from the emerald pillar What came out was an emotion close to awe an emotion resembling satisfaction a pure grasping feeling of a journey about to start

And now above these hatchets Randidlys eyes opened again He pulled from the grey lavender pillar with equal parts also from azure and pink orange Randidly watched the ghost as its personality developed right before his eyes

He channeled all his current woes all his worries about the later consequences of his current actions into this ghost Because an ancient machine god would leave a long wake in its path Thats what Randidly grasped The sense of times passage the flow of years the accumulation of small choices that became the pressures of history steering toward a certain end The casual movement or bricks that eventually constructed a Ghasthund

Randidly released a breath as he finished feeding the violent emotions into the ghost Relief swept through him as he allowed those orbiting pillars to fade Unlike the others it paused before it sank into Vants weapons It pivoted and looked at Randidly with pure black eyes

Then it vanished all at once and air began to churn above the hatchets

Another tremor racked Randidlys body but Neveah appeared next to him to steady him Are you going to be alright

Probably Randidly snorted His internal organs felt slightly fried from containing all those emotions He wondered how effective they would be in adding some extra power to his subordinates weapons He wondered what his subordinates would think feeling the emotions he had poured into them He shook his head to dislodge those thoughts Any updates

The Vulpis Squad is ready to move There was a bit of squabbling in the Upper Sonara Society but they have split off a chunk that will proceed with us when we approach the mountain of crystalized Aether Neveah reported

And Lyra Randidly pressed a hand to his chest

Neveah grimaced shes been getting pale for the past ten minutes Still seems able to suppress the feeling with the addition of the barrier but

Looks like the Actus Suprem is even more monstrous than we thought Randidly sighed Alright I have one last thing and then we head to face Elhume

You also need to rest Neveah squeezed his shoulder I had no idea that Skill would hollow you out like that

Randidly raised his head and met her eyes There have been so many times youve been right about needing to rest But this time I cant Neveah We dont have any margin for error any longer

In the end Neveah looked away first Randidly turned his attention inward and found the grey bubbles and the drops of liquid Aether He began to build his personal trump card truly weaving the two energies together

Chapter 2364

Randidly hummed to himself and considered Energies continued to gather around their base of operations as the Upper Sonara Society continued their efforts With energy came choices Right now what was most important was efficiency

Once the fighting began Randidly would fight until he won or died Obviously considering the mood of his subordinates he kept these thoughts to himself But it was upon those axes that his decisions were made

Randidly had been delighted to discover that the conversation with Solomon Rex and perhaps even his work to create superior weapons for his subordinates had boosted him in the density of his significance Two complete grey bubbles had formed in the depths of his Nether Core Which put his total to 15 to 13 drops of liquid Aether

Randidly didnt worry about the amount for now instead followed a hunch and began to assemble the volatile pieces

The drops of liquid Aether were the base framework for his working Even if they were a bit more unpredictable than the bubbles they could resist outside pressure without giving ground But this time Randidly had a bit of inspiration between the drops of liquid Aether he would place the grey bubbles as a buffer

So when the pressure came the Aether could expand and the Nether could compress to compensate

The two energies still resisted his attempts to keep them close together but only at first Once Randidly figured out his base formation for the Aether a circle of eight a circle of four and then a single drop of liquid Aether anchoring the middle the grey bubbles practically snapped themselves into place to help support his work

He began with the outer circle of eight inserting grey bubbles into place between the surly drops of liquid Aether A frown creased Randidlys brow as he proceeded with the work already he could feel a growing outward pressure created from the ring of condensed energies They rotated in a rainbow arc as he restrained their expansion discharge crackling along their furious motion

Randidly grimaced as a particularly nasty bolt of inverted energy twisted off and slammed into one of the Yggdrasil Skill constructs A pulse of warm golden energy swept through healing the minor damage to his Soulspace Yea this is not a process for the faint of heart

By the time Randidly had inserted four of the eight buffer bubbles he had to activate Yggdrasil anyway to restrain the quarter finished arrangement wrapping golden roots around the whole construction to keep it from exploding outward in every direction The pressure mounted with each bit of energy Along those spectral roots gnarling whorls of wood bulged with the strain of keeping everything in place like plant muscles flexing

The seventh grey bubble shook the circle with its arrival Randidly began to feel slightly lightheaded moving from the emotional forging to this difficult process yet Yggdrasil only seemed amused

In the end its about attitude And Yggdrasil you are the part that has grown with me the longest All of my accomplishments they are yours as well Just like this next success will also be laid at your feet

To one who has accomplished so much this is nothing

Congratulations Your Skill The First Tree Suffers Only Fealty has grown to Level 1040

He had created the Ghosthounds Deviation Rarity of Skills but he wasnt sure if that would be enough He didnt just need to create a new demonstration of power he needed to be able to overcome Elhume to overcome Elhume to overcome the plots of Solomon Rex and to escape the long shadow of the fallen Pine

He needed power But he also needed another Path An alternate method to offer a foil to the Nexus

Sitting here in his Soulspace Randidlys Nether Core gracefully pirouetted and told him that this might be the answer

Randidly waffled for a few seconds between adding some buffer Nether bubbles now or trying to force all four into the inside of the working first and then slipping the bubbles in between to stabilize the situation In the end the former seemed more destabilizing so Randidly said a silent prayer and just stuffed the last two drops of liquid Aether into the core area

Yggdrasils trunk vibrated with a sound of recrimination that sounded suspiciously like it came from Neveah but thin tendrils slithered out and formed a buffer sphere between the stable outside circle and these four new free radicals Randidly could only frown as he watched the four drops of Aether sense each other and expand to fill the space And then as they sensed the others expanding around them they expanded again

They didnt grind against each other but only just The entire core area had been filled with Aether flexing and puffing itself up To take a more positive spin on the situation it did at least provide an illuminating example of how Solomon Rex could have taken all the Aether of his original body and caused it to become crystalized Aether By providing the illusion of pressure Aether would respond furiously and foolishly on a fundamental level Once even a little bit of your Aether felt that pressure it could start a cascading explosion of fuckery that could even produce an entire mountain range of solid Aether the larger the crystal became the less willing it was to ever shift back from its new form

It just becomes a matter of how much fucking liquid Aether Elhume had Randidly felt somewhat helpless as he tried to estimate that amount He had chosen long ago to direct most of his Aether to physicalizations spreading it across his body rather than concentrating it to condense liquid Aether

Yet if he took his powerful body and squeezed out all the Aether how many drops would he condense

Maybe a few fucking puddles Randidly Ghosthound shook his head But he let go of his worry and regret He focused on the working Because he believed in his efforts here would provide an answer

Yggdrasils tendrils wiggled themselves until they were small enough to squeeze into the cracks of the flexing Aether For a few seconds the image struggled with raw energy The World Tree moved based on just regular Aether while the drops of liquid Aether were energy reinforced and refined Besides that the more the drop of Aether felt the pressure the more it bristled and resisted his efforts

But Nether flowed through his images as well And in the end Randidly forcefully suppressed the drops and opened up a few spaces Bit by bit he wedged the Nether bubbles in between the four liquid tears of energy

Powerful oscillations made the core area hum after Randidly had finished his efforts The four crammed into so tight a space seemed on the verge of cracking and shattering Luckily Yggdrasil had already put the protective sphere in place And as Randidly had expected bit by bit the Nether bubbles normalized the pressure The violent expansions gradually receded

Randidly chewed on his lip as he waited observing the last drop of liquid Aether and the three Nether bubbles remaining These pieces would become the key to finishing this

And maybe saving the entire universe

Chapter 2365

Randidly waited until his energies stabilized then moved on to the next step If this would truly be a method to empower the Alpha Cosmos he didnt think many others would be able to manage this for a long long time

Even his honed Willpower trembled as he inserted the next bits of energy

This fit was even tighter than creating the core area Yggdrasil was pushed to its limits to prevent the new addition from expanding and then causing the surrounding four drops of Aether to expand which would then expand the outer ring essentially it acted as a containment framework until all the pieces were in place

But he ran up against a problem as he prepared to add his finishing touches

He didnt have enough Nether bubbles

The middle drop of liquid Aether needed an additional four Nether bubbles one to modulate the division between each of the four drops in the core area Randidly only had three

So now Randidly had a working pulsing with power which he didnt dare release which he wasnt really sure what it would do when he did finish it a Nether Core insisting this was important work and also the greatest confrontation of his existence waiting in front of him

He dearly hoped Neveah didnt peer into his thoughts and spot the situation She would be so disapproving and superior about it

Fuck me Randidly almost laughed at the impasse reached by his relentless drive to push forward Yggdrasil wasnt fully occupied keeping the working balanced but wouldnt be able to wield its usual implacable force A decrease in its force meant utilizing it in activation with his other two images would have mediocre results

On the other hand he had already condensed two additional small grey bubbles by interacting with Solomon Rex and then adding some extra power to his supporters’ weapons So very soon he suspected he would create one more tiny grey bubble

But would it be in time

In the end I can always pull Yggdrasil out if I need it And the power Level of the fill in Skillset has really improved Randidly allowed his awareness to leave his Soulspace and return to his body He blinked several times looking at the tense faces of those around him Soldiers hurried back and forth their expressions twisted into scowls Over by the grand array the mood had clearly chilled

Randidlys gaze immediately snapped to Neveah What is it Did something happen

honestly no we just have a bit more context Neveah clenched her hands and then forced them to relax Reports are coming in from across the Nexus Not that they are killed by the process but having the Actus Suprem rip out all of the power gifted through Grand Fates knocks the victim into a coma As of yet we havent found anyone who has recovered from this state Even with healers encouraging them

Randidly shivered he hadnt really considered the smaller consequences of Devicks actions just the monstrous amount of image power she would extract

Thats the problem of reaching the heights of power Randidlys thoughts darkened A lot of the advantages that Ive used to climb up to this position you miss them from above Details pass beneath you And just as inevitably weaker individuals die because those details are vital for their survival

Without the nudge of necessity its very easy to become blind

Orders Raymund Ballast brought his fist to his chest as Randidlys expression changed

His emerald eyes gleaming Randidly stood and rolled his shoulders His gaze went from Neveah to Alana to the nervous representative from the Upper Sonara Society to Charlotte Wick and DiOrtho Vant toying with their weapons Finally Randidly Ghosthound looked at the leader of his Vulpis Squad Fury made his voice smolder Prepare to move We are going to kick down Elhumes door and stop the Actus Suprem as quickly as possible

Yes The soldiers roared back up at him The significance shivered in pleasure

Randidly slipped the key through existence following the source of all dread in the Nexus He didnt attempt to drill through everything and arrive at the final result Just by peering through existence at the halos he could tell defenses had been erected Even to his extremely meticulous mind the layers and folding of space around Elhumes main base left him somewhat lightheaded

He ripped open a portal wide enough to hover in front of them like a lake And then he led the way to stand right outside their final destination Randidlys skin prickled as he looked up at the mountains that sealed away Elhumes physical body He suppressed the impulse to swear

At the very least I now understand why it fucking shattered my Class just to have this being look at me

Even though they came with intentions of violence the entire group paused and looked up at the glittering crystal majesty in front of them The peaks rose high enough that even Randidlys powerful vision couldnt reach them The jagged peaks seemed to stretch out endlessly to the left and right the concentrated energy as large as a country

Randidly wondered if this was what it was like for travelers to come up to the highlands and raise their heads to the Himalayas on his old planet A row of twisted and flawed protrusions of crystal filled the area directly ahead of them almost resembling pearly teeth The Aether around them was so dense that a misty half formed shroud of energy covered their bases And the raw power radiating off of their presence

And the jagged maw of mountains was only a fraction of the whole

Even from this distance the oppressive energy of the crystal mountains sizzled against his skin He breathed out and unleashed the Dread Homunculus A vast darkness spread out from him wrapping himself and his people in a protective barrier

Congratulations Your Skill Ghosthounds Cloak of a Thousand Lightless Horizons has grown to Level 1143

Almost makes us seem like the bad guys Approaching under the cover of darkness DiOrtho Vant observed

Randidly shrugged while tugging on a string given to him by Solomon Rex Isnt that the conceit That if you stay around long enough eventually you become the villain Some young upstart leads a revolution to tear everything youve built down

Neveah shot Randidly a warning look but Solomon Rex already materialized next to him The slim humanoid looked up at the mountain range of crystalized Aether with his violet eyes His presence added a stream of significance to the growing cataclysm above their heads Ah So I see its time to finally slay this beast

How do we get in Randidly said annoyed at having to rely on this very unreliable ally so soon His eyes scanned the fault lines of the energy monolith in front of them There were definitely a few avenues of ingress but the final hurdle rose very very high into the sky in front of them

You choose Solomon Rex gestured broadly Waves of dense Aether by product curled like beckoning hands in front of them

Randidly narrowed his eyes He felt a sinking feeling in his gut as though he should have expected an answer like this Choose

There are seven entrances to Elhumes castle Solomons expression turned serious Wave by wave the dense mountain range of Nether punished them for their continued presence with its dense energy In the end while there is probably one answer that leads more efficiently toward the critical area where the Actus Suprem yanks on Grand Fates Ive been unable to penetrate the outer barrier I recommend just selecting one and starting a blitzkrieg

Just Select One Randidly clenched his jaws In front of his awareness a massive beachhead of significance rumbled Below that he witnessed the dense halos of all the energy produced by the mountain range Beneath that he scoured the threads of Grand Fate connection for lines leading to the source of the ritual But those System apparatus connections seemed to drill directly through the side of the mountain range caring not at all for the mundane concerns of body possessing individuals

He pivoted and looked at his assembled army Any ideas

After a few seconds of silence Neveah sighed and rubbed the back of your neck Well yes But its not my idea and you wont like it

Chapter 2366

Devick raised her chin and endured his sharp gaze Now more than ever she refused to take a step back

You dont know what you are suggesting Nether King Hungry Eye or Randidly Ghosthound as he was known in his main universe practically blazed with power as he glowered at her If he could reach into her mouth and rip out her suggestion before she offered it he probably would have

His jaw clenched and unclenched His emerald eyes seemed to seethe with a whirlwind of energies hovering just beneath the surface He could crush her with either his Nether or his images even after she had vastly improved relying on a knock off version of his Fatepiece It is far to say that you and this woman had the same starting point But the Actus Suprem has had a thousand years to stew and twist herself into a monster Just establishing a small connection would be disastrous

Even the fact she stood in front of him right now was only because he protected her from the oppressive force of Elhumes crystalized Aether above them

And maybe because she had to rely on him even to stand next to him here Devick refused to abandon the thought without a fight This was a way that she could be useful Would you rather just pick one of those ravines and march forward You asked for ideas This is an idea Dont be petty about it If you think its bad just say so But we both know it isnt

Randidly reached up and rubbed the bridge of his nose She could practically see the thoughts crashing into one another inside of his head a thousand a second a million impacts and redirections She wanted so badly to reach out and touch his shoulders to rub out the tension But she could only watch as he sighed and spoke Im not hah Look the Actus Suprems image is one of madness Even a brush can be destabilizing

Im not particularly stable to begin with Devick added A little more unpredictability couldnt hurt

Randidlys glare sharpened but we would need more than a brush to get the information we need To find the path the Actus Suprem took we would need to establish a connection of Nether and then thrum it to create an echo outlining her passage You would not brush her you would draw the gaze of the Actus Suprem Because if nothing else you share the same curiosity

Randidly you can just call her Devick Devick said quietly I wont be upset I know we arent the same person

She watched the muscles along his jaw clench for what felt like the hundredth time today Neveah stepped forward before they could get sidetracked on this other issue We dont have much time Randidly If we are going to do this we need to do it now Or we need to just choose as Solomon suggested

The mountains of Aether sang their song of power The mist seemed to be creeping further out from the base approaching their position Soon they would be engulfed by its aura For two full seconds Randidly chewed on the problem Crash crash crash his thoughts terminated their brief and violent journeys His gaze rose to Solomon You really know nothing else

Nothing Solomon shook his head I didnt dare leave Pines position until I was ready to commit I could not investigate what had been done with this place

The Vulpine Raymund Ballast stepped forward and slammed his fist against his chest Ghosthound if our theories are correct the Swacc Family and their forces are still present within this base Why not allow me to take on this burden If we create one of these sympathetic links to Techetadore the danger

Already Randidly shook his head I appreciate the thought and would much prefer it but even if Elhume is attempting to possess Techetadores body he likely wont be at the place where the Actus Suprem is working And stopping her from fucking the Nexus is priority number one I dont want to fight the Swaccs and end up lost But Devick

You cant do this alone Neveah said at the same time as Devick spoke

You cant bear all the risk yourself

Those rusty motes of light drifted closer to Devick and she could see that their edges were jagged and vicious as though the Actus Suprem had used her finger and thumb and ripped them out of discarded sheet metal The womans image pulsed and whispered at once overwhelming and calming It swirled around her almost as though it was preparing to chew and digest her

Devick gritted her teeth and lifted her chin And you are a monster

If anything the Actus Suprem seemed even more pleased by the rebuke Well thats nice of you to say You should see me when I hold one of my little parties I have a fur trimmed cape that is simply to die for Abruptly her gaze sharpened Her smile widened stretching her face showing more and more teeth You know if you dont survive this Ill bury you in it How about that A promise from one Devick to another

An answering pulse had formed around the Actus Suprem and began to bounce back toward Devick Yet compared to the one going out the one coming back seemed to only crawl forward Or rather it could not cross the shortened tunnel that they now viewed it had to traverse the full distance between them

A horrifying thought struck Devick This small tunnel that makes it possible to see her to see me as I could have become Thats not Hungry Eyes working Its her She pulled me closer

Her resolve hardened underneath the pressure of the Actus Suprem And now Devick understood a bit of why Randidly called her that because this version of Devick had climbed atop millions of bodies building a veritable citadel of death and madness from which she could reign It was an acknowledgment of the womans accomplishments even if the dreadful cost disgusted him

The return pulse continued to ooze through the space Devick manifested her own Grand Fate forcing back the skittering little rust motes around her body Malice crimson furred except for the deathly skeletal hand that had held a god slaying weapon glared across the small tunnel between the two women