Congratulations Your Grand Fate Malice Merry Bride of Perdition has grown to Level 971
Congratulations Your Grand Fate Malice Merry Bride of Perdition has grown to Level 972
For the first time the Actus Suprem seemed genuinely confused as she examined Malice She blinked several times That is wait a moment the codependence of your Grand Fate and upon my very own son Well well well for a clone youve got no but more importantly why the fuck cant I rip that out of you
She snarled the last few words Her eyes wept madness The Actus Suprem shook the chains she held half in anger half in an almost taunting gesture Blood splattered everywhere hitting the ground between them leaving arcing splashes like a pig carcass had been violently gutted And then as Devick watched that blood began to wiggle and evaporate Soon a whole new spore cloud of those rusty bits of madness wafted toward Devick
Malice raised its grey hand radiating hate and preparing to rip its way through any sort of attack
The Actus Suprem stepped past Devicks brave Grand Fate before she could respond The Actus Suprem held the chains in one hand but the other reached out for Devick The world seemed to move in stuttered snapshots making resistance impossible Right as Devick realized the threat the Actus Suprem grinned Are you going to flinch now little me
Devick felt chilled to the bone Despite everything despite all the differences in their lives the challenging note in the Actus Suprems voice proved that she understood Devick Proved she understood how desperately she wanted to be strong for Randidly Instinctively Devick raised her chin in response to the provocation
The return of the echo had come across almost all of the distance In another few moments it will have returned to touch Randidlys working Devick bit her lip and braced herself
So as the Actus Suprem drove her hand into Devicks chest and soul she did not flinch
Chapter 2367
Actus Suprem Devick couldnt help but feel a thrill of pleasure yes even driving your hand into a version of your own body provided a visceral thrill
Then she narrowed her eyes and got to work
Upon contact with the others soul the Actus Suprem immediately realized one bewildering truth this version of herself genuinely existed and possessed the same deep well of love for Randidly Ghosthound Her love was comically naive and without any of the necessary hooks to ensure a safe and healthy relationship but the emotions were at least present
That combined with the fact that the lions share of Devicks power was tied up keeping ahold of the Grand Fates she had gathered meant that her touch was relatively gentle as she ruthlessly ransacked the Aether connections around this other Devicks Soul The Actus Suprem might enjoy this process but she wasnt going to torture the girl
Consider it lucky you come as a harbinger of my cute little sons approach Devick mused as she ripped through several pesky defensive barriers half built as though to purposefully stop her from reaching the core Aether arrays Otherwise hehehe Ah think of how I could have raised myself To strip away all these weaknesses and blindspots I developed struggling on my own
Wait a moment Should I also have a cute little daughter Although even for me a carnal relationship between children is a bitAh why is my heart fluttering Such a forbidden relationship ah wait there it is
Devick punched all the way through to the core of this other Devick More than anything else she wanted to understand why she couldnt grasp this Grand Fate that popped up in front of her Devick hated the thought that she had missed something She reached out and brushed against the dense web of connections
From within those connections she felt a rising force of rejection that had enough power that even she hesitated to push forward Her madness hissed but it was also struggling just to keep the other Grand Fates in line But as she teetered on the edge of a decision notifications began to pop up in front of her Reading them Devick began to laugh with delight She easily pulled back removing her hand from baby Devicks chest
For now this would be enough She kissed her clone on the cheek and vanished
She snapped back to the present sweat pouring down her face crouched in the middle of the grand working The chains in her offhand rattled and strained almost managing to fight back and recover some of their stolen power
You are distracted Elhume boomed out his words His blurry form tilted his head to the side Why
Devick barely suppressed a giggle Im sure you can feel it We are approaching the end of an era Isnt it exciting Ah even for me I like to savor moments like this
Elhumes energy projection released a noncommittal rumble and the Actus Suprem bent back over her work Hand by hand she tugged on the chains leading to the disparate Grand Fates pulling them closer Her grin widened She glanced sideways once more looking at the notifications she had been given for even briefly connecting to that alternate Aether structure inside of her clone
Congratulations Due to your incredible honing of your image your Skill The Bloody Claws of Insanity has earned the Skill Designation Deviant
Deviant Skills signify exemplary development in individual Skills altered to the cusp of varying from the typical Rarity structures Effects of Skills are slightly boosted
Congratulations Due to your incredible honing of your image your Skill Bleak Breath of Pandemonium has earned the Skill Designation Deviant
After teleporting her back to within the Alpha Cosmos Randidly straightened and faced forward His body burned with barely controlled fury he had teetered on the edge of this confrontation for long enough They had the direction and now they just needed to open a path
He took two sharp steps moving from his starting position to the head of the column He unleashed the Dread Homunculus the being focused on advancement spreading its arms wide in the face of the crystallized Aethers pressure Watching Devick endanger herself had lit a whole new fire in Randidlys emotional sea
His energy came easily His fury cackled and swirled together tighter and tighter creating a drill He carved open the energy pressure of the glittering mountains leading the Vulpis squad between the high walls of the crystallized Aether
Almost immediately the pressure ticked upward Randidly grinned as he sensed several small side passages sliding open as they approached Porcelain automatons filed out of the openings spinning and activating Hundreds of the defenses swarmed toward their position While Yggdrasil might currently be tied up stabilizing the experiment in his chest
Alana Donal poked him with the butt of her spear Nope not for you This sort of stuff is why we are here
Vulpis Squad Raymund Ballast bellowed Shred them
As Randidly restrained himself the forces he had trained roared and charged against the tide of porcelain dolls rushing toward their position Charlotte Wick bounded forward past the front of the line her aura forcing back the mist of the crystal citadel without Randidlys assistance Her image became a massive club of natural energies she hammered down and shattered the first wave of opponents
DiOrtho Vant spun forward a moment later his machine god image screaming and grinding A half dozen porcelain dolls split perfectly in two from his strokes and those around the targets cracked and sputtered messily hacked past the point of sustainability
Behind them Raymund Ballast grasped with his hands and borrowed the energy from five hundred of the dolls As they stalled out the Vulpis Squad released another roar and conjured a grand image that covered all of them A massive spectral Vulpine punched and the debilitated dolls exploded
Randidly released a breath and stilled his anxious body his turn would come
He allowed the Vulpis Squad to lead the charge with some small support from the representatives of the Upper Sonara Society They rampaged forward destroying and breaking the automated defenses in their path The pressure from Elhumes crystallized Aether increased as they proceeded deeper the long shadows of the ravine growing but the group didnt slow down Randidly plucked up all the destructive kinetic energy tugging away energy that would impede his warriors leaving blasts that caused porcelain dolls to stumble
Ahead of them the echo of the Actus Suprem skipped her way forward
More and more continued to rush out of the openings along their passage Randidly wondered if they proceeded down the most dangerous path or if this whole place had been thoroughly built up Considering the amount of time Elhume had ruled from here it could have been either
Behind him the kinetic storm grew violent enough to churn and shred through any porcelain dolls missed in the rapid charge The significance above grew darker signaling how much more dangerous this conflict would become
Worst of all the density of Aether in the air continued to increase The passage through the ravines was clogged with the Aether mist Randidly grimaced they were approaching the point that it wouldnt be strange if drops of liquid Aether naturally condensed here
Charlotte Wick barreled her way forward huge swipes of her paws empowered by the emotional ghost Randidly had given to her She could physically bludgeon open their passage And all at once she blasted through the last line of defense The tight passage of the ravine opened up into a wide chamber The Vulpis Squad glided after her finishing off any stragglers and filling the open space not clogged with porcelain doll bodies
In the silent open space Techetadore Ballast floated above the Swacc Family army his eyes half closed uncomfortably bright due to the covetous spirit possessing him
Chapter 2368
Raymund Ballast knew he should be looking at the battlefield as a whole measuring the strength of the opponents waiting for them but his heart hijacked control of the rest of his body his eyes locked upon Techetadore and refused to budge
His brother had seen better days Even since their last encounter he had earned visible marks of suffering
The gaunt and hollow sag of Techetadores cheekbones as though this flesh were just the mask worn by the creature beneath had Raymunds eyes blazing Now that the Ghosthound had explained the situation Raymund could see the signs of the insidious hand upon his brother While the body did indeed belong to Techet a capricious slimy creature had made itself a home within his limbs It leered out through the eyes of his precious brother
Next to him he felt a heavy paw press down on his shoulder Easy If we charge straight into their midst it will not go easy for us Fight smart in the face of odds and we can yet win
Raymund tore his gaze away and looked at Charlotte Wick With the additional emotional ghost she had received from the Ghosthound her previous solid image had evolved into a rawer weapon one that pulsed and seethed with power The Primal Ground sat at the heart of this offensive fueling it with an irresistible nudge toward growth Each step forward saw energy flowing up through their feet and increasing their momentum
But now heavy layers of cool mud and rich dirt wrapped around Raymunds body an often unused aspect of the image His heat and fury seeped out of him draining through the porous soil His heavy breathing slowed and he could look around with eyes less clouded by Techetadores situation
Charlotte was correct this would not be an easy fight Raymund frowned A flat field
They waited for us here Charlotte nodded
The crystal mountains still rose around them but they had proceeded into a large open chamber A few meandering cracks distantly above them allowed light and mist to seep down and precipitate down through the room The main feature of this chamber appeared to be an elaborate mural painted on the ground depicting what Raymund assumed to be the birth of the Nexus Perhaps in happier times or during the rapid growth of this mountain range it had been assumed this room would host extravagant balls
Now it housed an army
Several recognizable Swacc Family members stood in rigid formation above an army of at least a thousand Yet the number of images released by the regiment tripled that Each warrior possessed at least one Armament with the more decorated members of the Swacc family bristling with the exaggeratedly large and serrated blades or wave patterned armor Chaotic as though their energy might be it at least blazed
And did seem to be restrained by the misty ambient Aether of this place as the Vulpis Squad continued to be It was not that onerous a burden especially not after the sadistic training regimens designed by the Ghosthound and perfected by Alana Donal but those small advantages would add up
Raymund pressed his lips together Forgive my brief madness Charlotte You are correct
A voice that rumbled through the marrow of the listeners bones covered the entire battlefield Randidly Ghosthound You grow quickly You have brought me many gifts Yet this is not enough to earn you clemency
Techetadores eyes glowed The two armies bristled in the general direction of the other but no one made any moves Because opposite the crowned leader of the Nexus the man with a voice that made souls shiver a tall man with black hair lifted his chin He looked into the eyes of Raymunds brother looked at the monster that had possessed him and did not flinch
Randidly Ghosthound grinned
What I bear are not gifts you nameless thief Their leader straightened as he drew on his own power Currents of kinetic destruction galloped out from the wreckage of porcelain dolls they had left in their wake These dark energies wrapped lovingly around his body spinning into whirlpools around his left arm before exploding out and covering the area above their invasion force
And their leader grimaced but only took a single step backward The rebel army shivered Their eyes narrowed with resolve They lifted their own weapons preparing to fight
The unspoken test had been passed
Look at Techetadore Randidly sent in a message distracting Raymund from his worry He looked and his eyes widened A drop of blood crept out of his nose and seeped into the fur around his mouth
I cant afford to be delicate not with him even though the body limits the power he can wield But if Elhume goes all out Techetadore wont be able to withstand it So before that happens
Raymunds eyes narrowed in recognition I observe for the opportunity to liberate my tragic brother
Alana Raymund began but when he turned to the spearwoman she was shaking her head
I would assume command but the Ghosthound wants me to personally greet an old acquaintance Alana said her eyes fixing on a single individual in the mass of Swacc Family fighters Raymund nodded and looked around Charlotte Wick needed to be at the front stabilizing the situation Which left
Shit dont look at me like that DiOrtho Vants eyes widened as Raymunds gaze settled on him He raised his hatchets as though to ward off the oncoming order Look while sitting here safe in the middle is fun the weird thing the Ghosthound added to my weapons is so interesting and Id love to just muck around in the melee
Do not struggle Elhume said The First Fist Dominance
Raymund frowned in rebuke As DiOrtho paled and groaned Charlotte patted him on the shoulder Vizzeret Clamman the obsidian wolf from the Vulpis Squad who had been moping since Vant had been chosen to receive the emotional ghost and he had not strutted smugly past the miserable demon man toward the front of the group
Yet as the pressure in the air changed everyone moved quickly to their positions without a further word Opposite them the Swacc forces roared and swarmed forward aiming to use their superior numbers to overwhelm the Vulpis Squad
As another fist formed above the confrontation between the two armies Randidly waved his hand His cloak of darkness appeared to intensify around his shoulders But then the cloak bulged outward as Randidly shifted to one of his image physicalization forms
The left side of his face vanished engulfed in a swirling maelstrom of darkness The event horizon turned his features unbalanced and monstrous His limbs elongated sharpening at the fingertips and joints the Dread Homunculus covering his skin and empowering his muscles The bulge of the darkness cloak grew and then the whispering barrier slid away revealing two wings of bare roots and craving twisting and reaching for the sky
The image of Randidly Ghosthound spiked upward clashing against the fist that rolled to crush him All the disparate kinetic force of the previous blow whipped back around settling across Randidlys body and empowering him further He blazed above the battlefield their silent sentinel
On the ground Charlotte Wick roared and crashed against the leader of the Swacc forces a four armed humanoid wielding two bastard swords The rest of the Vulpis Squad surged around her to support Charlotte protecting her from attacks from the side while her image grappled with the Armaments of the foe
And my role Raymunds eyes narrowed as he locked onto Techetadores figure More blood seeped out of his nose after the second blow His blood pounding in his ears Raymund settled down to watch and wait
His image hissed and seethed reacting to the power of his desire
Chapter 2369
The second impact went much worse than the first image wise During the wind up the punch Randidly could almost feel Elhumes attention shifting from other concerns likely Devicks toil and settling on the possessed body of Techetadore Aether wisped off of the walls and seemed to reinforce the attack The additional focus meant the power sharpened from Elhume being comparable to
Dominant
Randidlys body ached as he flew backward crashing into the wall of the crystal chamber The Aether did not crack in fact the impact caused it to furiously expand He kicked away from the wall both to hurry back to the fight and because if he had stayed it was possible the wall would have tried to expand and settle around his body
Not enough for your former body to have locked itself away but you also wanted to make sure any covetous hands were punished eh Solomon Well I suppose I understand why you would be so petty struggling against someone like this
His vision swam but he stabilized himself He forced aside the surreal feeling of fighting against Elhume even in a projected form and focused This was not the Elhume he had encountered in the memory this was Fiero ascendant and overwhelming after being baptized by the Pinnacle and betraying Elhume
It starts here Randidly breathed out of his nose And it doesnt stop until there is an end
Waves of heat rolled off Randidlys body as he plucked up all the kinetic disturbances and sharpened them into a blade His Homunculis Engineered Adaption his upgraded Vitality hummed to life and increased its Rarity from Legendary to Mythic His Nether Core spun faster and faster unleashing waves of significance that reinforced his body The lingering remnants of Elhumes image were burned away from his skin
His root wings spread wide as he flew forward The event horizon center around his eye widened devouring more of his face The Dread Homunculus fixated on Elhume marking down the impediment in front of him
Luckily Elhume didnt attempt to take advantage of the delay He waited above the grinding forces of the Swacc Family and the Vulpis Squad just waiting for Randidly to return More blood dribbled out of his nose completely unnoticed by the puppet master manipulating the Vulpines limbs
Randidly checked his Nether Core the bubble grew but not quickly enough Sorry Raymund I wont be able to hold back
His hands clenched into fists Shit shit Im finally here huh Im finally standing in front of Elhume I can take his punch Ive improved As long as I keep advancing
As though the monstrous tyrant atop the Nexus had heard Randidlys thoughts Techetadores mouth opened in a creepy smile The light in his eyes grew brighter to the point it began to leak out of other orifices His nose his ears and then the light began to ooze from his skin Another humanoid form stood shadowy and vague superimposed atop the six tailed fox
Randidly Ghosthound Elhume released a breath now almost fully present You will regret this obstinancy
I might die but I will never regret Randidly spat out the words even as he circulated his Aether and Nether as quickly as he could manage It will be a great pleasure to tear down this monstrosity you have built
The blurry energy figure within Techetadore blazed The First Fist unleashed for the third time filled Randidlys entire awareness It seemed to scrape against the walls of the crystal chamber as it rumbled forward carving out small bits of crystal that hadnt even shivered when Randidly had smashed against it
Randidly settled into a fighting stance He squeezed Acri For now he trusted his subordinates So much lay ahead of him on this crusade he could not play out his entire hand now His purpose was to delay while fighting for his life Because he refused to allow the light to dim in Raymunds eyes like he had seen in so many others
He refused to allow his subordinate to experience that raw vast isolating pain of losing someone precious as Randidly had when Helen died And he believed that Raymund Ballast would find a way to liberate his brother
Roaring he advanced forward and thrust his spear
Alana Donal He chewed out the words He released a pulse of the heavy image contained in his Armament She simply raised his spear and smashed the image pulse to pieces causing him to snort Do you think the student of my student can defeat me Step away or I will run you through
Alana kept her lips together motes of orange light drifting out from her pure stance But another voice cut across their confrontation Randidly isnt her master I am
A slender young woman materialized behind Alana her arms crossed in front of her chest More apparition than woman she possessed a tangle of white hair and piercing eyes Shal couldnt believe it Azriel Blanche You yet live If you wish to be shown the limits of your talent fight me yourself Do not send this girl child to die
This girl child has already stopped you once Shal Alana finally spoke She spun her spear and settled back into her stance The orange light around her felt strangely pearlescent and smooth And I will do it again
Besides Azriel raised her hands and wiggled her fingers at him I have given up the pursuit of violence you follow I hold a spear no longer
How can a student learn from a Master who does not use a spear Shal glared His mind bristled with wishes that they were not here that he could simply reach Randidly that he could prove
Azriel shook her head I pity you Shal You never understood the spear is just a tool like so many others A myriad paths to power exist Isnt Randidly proof
Any coincidence may masquerade as proof before the status quo reasserts itself Shal said His heart felt cold even as his mind boiled He needed to open his student’s eyes so he launched himself forward before he finished speaking He swept his weapon in an arc meaning to crush Alana sideways and hurry upward before the next conflict between Elhume and Randidly made the approach impossible
Yet the orange light around Alana sharpened Her spear caught his weapon bringing the two of them into a trembling deadlock But this was a foolish decision his eyes narrowed and Shal brought to bear all the wicked violence possessed in his Armament
The Second Revelation Struggle
Alanas energy turned frenzied Even still she couldnt overcome the power of the Armament but her image twisted and then slid sideways disengaging from him and creating some space Shal was bringing his weighty weapon back around when she spoke again
The First Revelation Advance
Shal jerked sideways His eyes widened despite his response she had taken a deep bite out of the shoulder with her spear Blood dribbled down his arm
Azriel laughed So this is your limit Shal I do not think you will be able to entertain Alana for very long with such enthusiastic attacks
If I Shal began to speak but then clamped his mouth shut Because what he had wanted to say was that this would have been over in only a few moments had he been wielding a spear as opposed to this vague metal hunk His teeth ground as he watched Azriels eyes turn crescent with mirth
He shook his head He raised his weapon glaring at Alana Donal She waited patiently for him the air around her filling with more and more motes of orange light Shal growled and unleashed a pulse of heavy violence pushing those motes out of the way He stepped forward his feet light trying to imbue his borrowed image with a bit of lightness
The lightness of a phantom The lightness of a serpent
Alana Donal gave him a penetrating look All the ugly emotions in Shal’s chest seemed to freeze The orange light around her body began to shimmer The Third Revelation Anguish
Chapter 2370
The Monarch of Karma tried to dream of a better life A simpler existence of farming and laughing with his son
But he woke up gasping every time he felt himself truly relax worried that his subconscious would start reaching grasping demanding the world exist in a certain way and he would fall headlong back into the cycle That he might forget for a moment his son had died might be struck again by grief and be twisted into another spiral His sleepless current situation needled him his past scared him the future he viewed with bleary sleepless eyes
More than anything he just wanted peace The Monarch of Karma pressed his hands against the ground of his small stone coffin drifting through the empty space At least the environment remained blessedly inert Recently he felt the tug of a grand flow of energy there seemed to be a current that had plucked him up and carried him along But a motion this small was fine Giving up control was a divine
His vessel jolted unpleasantly The Monarch of Karma sat up in surprise Another platform about double as large as his current one had knocked into his Now the two tumbled and spun lazily through space seemingly unwilling to part
The Monarch of Karma eyed this interloper to his self imposed exile suspiciously Waves of powerful emotion wafted off the new ground whether it had been sundered off a greater whole or used as a small platform he could not tell but it was obvious this place had served as some sort of holy site It had housed a powerful ritual and now just coincidentally smacked up against him A very powerful ritual from what the Monarch could sense
Despite his current even keeled current mental state he didnt dare look too closely Not because the land was that powerful but because of the possibilities his instincts might covet even in some small amount of power
This is always how it starts The Monarch of Karma muttered His body felt drained but he still forced himself to clamber over and pry the two pieces of stone apart He kicked this strange and mystic platform away Better to be rid of it than allow the temptation to linger
He settled back down to return to his rest that was not rest A dreamless non oblivion his awareness grating against him every few moments At the very least he returned to prolonged inaction He sought a state without desire as he meditated
Perhaps in absence he could find an answer But reaching such a flow state was easier said than done
To be frank he was bored For all that he didnt trust himself he also had been largely unconscious for the last well it felt like quite a long time So after a minute or two he glanced sideways in the direction he had kicked the stone platform for a little bit of stimuli He looked over just in time to see the platform bounce of one two three other drifting bits of debris which spun the platform back around and set it back drifting toward the Monarch of Karma
He let out an aggrieved sigh It always starts this way
Alana Donals nerves sang as she gathered her image power into her hands The golden orange holy light rippled off of her body and forced back the pressure of the crystalline walls Opposite her Shals face twisted into a scowl The heavy blade he swung back and forth could snap her in half their earlier clash while she activated Struggle had almost caused her liver to rupture and her shoulders to be dislocated from the few moments of contact
If she made a single mistake she would die
She sucked in a breath As above the Ghosthound struggled she would hold the line below She refused to fail Because her strange instruction from Azriel had truly taught her that there were many methods of attack even in battle The Third Revelation Anguish
Alana smiled without any mirth On the day that Azriel had agreed to personally teach her the pale and streamlined woman had looked at Alana with quizzical eyes You realize that Randidly would never ask this of you You do not need to push yourself to such an extent Considering the amount of time you have existed under the influence of the System and now the Pantheon you can be considered a genius Your accomplishments speak for themselves Why continue to push
Because while chasing accomplishments would have me cross several arbitrary finish lines at this point chasing him fills my view with a wide open Path and hopes for a breathless future Alana had responded
Azriel shook her head but they soon got to work
A boom echoed out from above shaking both the duelists When the pressure faded Alana and Shal both rushed toward each other Shal planted his foot and launched himself forward with his weapon kept low The violence of his Armament rose and almost suffocated Alanas image already pressured on every side by the crystal cavern Yet still she she raised her weapon
She could feel it so acutely fighting here the difference between who she was and who she hoped she could be The orange gold motes of energy glittered against her skin but couldnt spread much further beyond that Her palms ached and blood leaked out of the impromptu energy bandage she had created to stabilize her water balloon of a foot
But this is how we improve Surviving this Alana blinked She felt her image rising up through her body Not Anguish this time but a different sort of feeling one closer to awe From the bottom of her heart she understood that she never would catch up to Randidly Ghosthound because this feeling weighed her down
She admired him She couldnt help but appreciate how many life threatening situations he had crawled through to grow to his current form
Yet she didnt feel regret that she had such feelings and her potential might be limited She didnt intend to play mental games to try and avoid the problem Feeling this was honest And Alana Donal wielded an honest spear
The Fourth Revelation Divinity
A point of flawless light opened at the tip of Alanas spear She stood before heavy and inarticulate violence smashing her reverence against the onslaught of force A horrible screeching echoed out from their confrontation cutting down through the brawl between Swacc Family and Vulpis Squad
The pressure crunched her foot sending a wave of pain up her body She wavered but didnt fall Her Divinity dimmed as Shals weapon ground against it but it did not vanish The light did not fade
Both stepped back panting From the pains in Alanas joints her body felt much closer to collapsing than her image had Yet her eyes blazed with pride Even barely able to keep her grip on her spear and her body struggling to heal she spoke with conviction You cannot go up Shal This is your fight Here against me
He looked at her with bitterness in his expression for the first time of his emotional corruption revealed The tears flowed down his cheeks now bleak and pointless Ive already lost my fight I was not enough Now Im simply attempting to demonstrate to my student how the world works But you know
Shals eyes glittered as he looked up I did not strive for this burden I wish I wish we had never encountered one another Our paths separate perhaps then
Suddenly Alana felt a strange uneasiness Before she could respond the air shifted She could almost feel the pivot Azriel gasped but Randidly Ghosthound stiffened in his fight against Elhume and looked down to meet Shals gaze
And Shal saw the universe as it might have been
Chapter 2371
Lyra squeezed her eyes tightly shut and kneeled trying to imagine the clear picture of the blood red moon that had protected her to this point She saw all the shadowy contours of its form all the secret curves and broad expanses The celestial body hovered over a clear lake its reflection almost closer and more present than the true form above
The power of reflections and foils Lyra rubbed her eyes jaw still clenched Is not in what they borrow from the object of their mirroring but in the subtle ways the medium irrevocably alters what is shown They transform parading as imitation
A ripple ran through the lake The surface of the red moon turned chaotic a bubbling cauldron of blood The primordial pool from which all life crawled Her image power intensified she could almost feel the light beating against her skin And yet
Nathaz Eloise undulated next to her nervously flicking his tail Lyra are you well
Fine She lied She shut her mouth immediately after the word not wanting to allow any blood to leak
As though the monster on the other end of those hooks sunk into her soul could hear her words a tremor of amusement traveled down to Lyra from those rusted chains But that was also an opportunity For a moment stillness gave her a chance to catch her breath Lyra opened her mouth and gulped down air Her image roiled and seethed gathering up all its potential She opened her eyes and briefly glimpsed the counter stroke dreamt up by the Upper Sonara Society the growing mass notification that would remove people from the normal Aether streams of the Nexus and make as many as wished for peace into Patrons
In the next moment the Actus Suprem pulled The amusement in the chains rattling vanished replaced with grim determination Lyras moon trembled and shifted a minute amount
The lesser beings had been overcome and this womans calamitous attention had shifted Lyra came within her sight Inch by inch the moon was pulled from the sky
As she once more squeezed her bloodshot eyes shot Lyra offered a small prayer Work fast Randidly T/his chapter is updated by
Shal sucked in a breath All the current threats all his stress and worries all the pressures that the Armament put on his body they all fell away as a change swept through him A different awareness came upon him just as swiftly and totally as a child falls asleep One moment he fought to prove a point to his foolish student and the next he imagined how he wouldnt need to prove such a point
If Randidly Ghosthound had never found him in that Dungeon
His awareness whorled and revved Gradually he could see the threads of possibility
Shal had been in a Dungeon above his Level but he had also had a malaise laid across him by Lucretia his birth mother the Witch of Karma She had wished for him to remain hidden until the proper time Randidlys presence the act of training had snapped him out of the malaise A coincidence perhaps a tragic one The surprise meeting had been Shal believed at the time just the shock he needed to snap him awake and allow him to return to Tellus
An accumulation of blows from Armaments could never fell this image It would come back stronger every time without blemish or flaw
Shal still enthralled with the reimagining of himself for the first time felt the slightest hint of a tremor is it truly possible to have an image that would receive no damage or adjustment from this battle Obviously it wasnt yet perfect
Shal felt the strangest sense of impact He was suddenly back upon the battlefield He felt the fighting of the two armies behind him saw Alana Donal leveling her spear against him and releasing waves of orange light and finally could see Elhume fighting above against
Just a man Shals eyes flickered torn between a horrible sense of grief and a grim satisfaction The tears on his cheeks had dried He felt a vague sense of loss Randidly Ghosthound A stranger and a threat to the Nexus
One more shuddering reverberation bounced through Shals heart All the weight of failure and bitterness vanished He could feel his spirits soaring Anything he lost was covered up by the feeling of ascension He still wielded the Armament felt the heavy image of violence in his hands but an even more potent image prowled within the confines of his chest A smile tugged at the corner of Shals mouth
Now seemed the prime time to reveal his true image to the Nexus
With a quick movement Shal flipped the heavy weapon up from his hands into a more javelin hold Alana Donal narrowed her eyes but Shal already threw the weapon The heavy violence ripped through the air Shifting her grip on her spear Alana said The Third Revelation Anguish
Power fuzzed around her body and then exploded outward The force of the image pressed against the projectile and barely altered its course Shals eyes flashed he could see Alanas goal While this wasnt the most effective method for preventing damage now she looked ahead Because the Anguish bubbled outward to hit Shal If he had been the old him the him cursed by the presence of a certain connection Shal would have been frozen His fear would have been a critical weakness
The weapon of violence ripped a deep gash in Alanas arm Simultaneously Shal stepped forward through the wave of Anguish His heart seized but he recovered in a split second and produced an old spear from his interspatial ring No longer did he wallow in his suffering Now he prepared to spring and achieve his full potential
Shal took a stance and thrust his weapon forward The Hydras Long Fangs
His spear blurred into a thousand quick stabs Wounded and surprised by his quick motions Alana reeled backward A few admittedly deft strikes of hers invalidated quite a few of his attacks but this Skill was a numbers game At least a score of new wounds were added across her body
Blood dribbled down her limbs as Alana stabilized herself The phantasm of Azriel Blanche appeared at her side her eyes very sad as she examined Shal Can you feel the difference in how he moves A dangerous shift but one you can handle
Alana gave a tight nod Shal rolled his eyes Azriel could lie to Alana as much as she wished Shal was now the individual he had always wanted to be He had discarded his fears and tossed aside his Armament He spun his spear and his image manifested in the air behind him Its weight warped the air even with the powerful forces going back and forth between Elhume and the Ghosthound
The Three Headed Wraith Hydra grinned showing its needle thin spear teeth
And then the images above faltered With wide eyes Shal looked up and saw the powerful glow the image that had been dominating the sky around Elhume beginning to fade The Pinnacle of the Nexus began to weaken
Chapter 2372
Randidly felt positively brutalized after repeated impacts
Even with the reinforcement of his numerous physical passives and his defensive Cloak of a Thousand Lightless Horizons even as his upgraded Vitaly Homunculis Engineered Perfection activated to the point it teetered between being a Pinnacle Rarity Stat and a Ghosthounds Deviation one Randidly wanted a break
He felt like a trampled sock after repeated contact with Elhumes punches He felt like phlegm trapped in a skinbag about to rupture Every impact felt like he was just short of being able to divert the strike equal the force and endure without being knocked backward And the frustration ground against him just as surely as the impacts did
Yet waves of heat wafted off his body as his wounds healed His image physicalizations had taken on a slightly battered appearance but that only made the Stillborn Phoenix and the Dread Homunculus more ravenous Significance pooled within his chest He felt how close he had become to condensing that last grey bubble of Nether
Randidly felt Raymund Ballast strike right as he could feel Fieros divided attentions as he expended more and more of his power to try and squash Randidly And now the Patron of the Borroweds grip had been loosened on Techetadores body who leaked blood from the ears and mouth from the strain of the previous assault
Randidly loosed a sigh of relief now was the time to strike But perhaps not at the target he had intended He had another gurgle of an idea rising through his chest especially because of how close he felt the two were in their conflicts
Can you hold for a few seconds Randidly sent the message to Raymund
Indeed I would rather die than allow Techetadore to be tortured for another moment
Randidlys lips twitched The fatalism notwithstanding he needed a bit of time for this side project Because a shift in Shal one that shocked and wounded Randidly in equal measure had earned him a notification
One he had waited a long time to see
Congratulations Your Fatepiece the Keystone of the First Ghasthund has grown to Level 99
Congratulations Your Fatepiece the Keystone of the First Ghasthund has grown to Level 100
Congratulations For pushing your Fatepiece to Level 100 +8 Predictive Synapses and +15 Grey Monarchs Authority per Level
Congratulations You have completely Leveled your Fateset the first Fateset in existence Pantheon Intervention You have earned the Path Majesty of the Revolutionary Fateset 0/10000 Due to the fact your Fate has become complete you now may create a Grand Fate
The Grand Fate Myth of the Alpha Cosmos is open to you
The Grand Fate Randidly Ghosthound Moirae Chimera is open to you
The Grand Fate Temporal Wanderer and Cultivator of Miracles is open to you
Due to Keystone of the First Ghasthund +8 Predictive Synapses +15 Grey Monarchs Authority
Congratulations You have reached Level 66 +8 Stats distributed between (Base Names) Vitality Perception Resist Intelligence and Control +38 Free Stats +1 Stat to a Mental Stat +1 to a Physical Defense Stat +1 to a Mental Support Stat +2 Control +156 Health +165 Mana +160 Stamina +6 5 to all Regenerations +1 to Health and Stamina Regeneration +2 to all Stats
Congratulations You have reached Level 75 +8 Stats distributed between (Base Names) Vitality Perception Resist Intelligence and Control +38 Free Stats +1 Stat to a Mental Stat +1 to a Physical Defense Stat +1 to a Mental Support Stat +2 Control +156 Health +165 Mana +160 Stamina +6 5 to all Regenerations +1 to Health and Stamina Regeneration +2 to all Stats
You have gained the Skill Charisma of the Arch Heretic
Congratulations You have reached Level 90 +8 Stats distributed between (Base Names) Vitality Perception Resist Intelligence and Control +38 Free Stats +1 Stat to a Mental Stat +1 to a Physical Defense Stat +1 to a Mental Support Stat +2 Control +156 Health +165 Mana +160 Stamina +6 5 to all Regenerations +1 to Health and Stamina Regeneration +2 to all Stats
You have gained the Skill Protostar Sears the Fabric of Space
Congratulations You have reached Level 92 +8 Stats distributed between (Base Names) Vitality Perception Resist Intelligence and Control +38 Free Stats +1 Stat to a Mental Stat +1 to a Physical Defense Stat +1 to a Mental Support Stat +2 Control +156 Health +165 Mana +160 Stamina +6 5 to all Regenerations +1 to Health and Stamina Regeneration +2 to all Stats
Randidly released a breath as the experience stopped flowing He felt his self expanding empowered and reinforced will the sudden influx of Stats With time slowed to such an incredible degree he took a moment to examine the gains from ripping his way up twenty seven Levels in a single moment His images wouldnt change at all but he had accumulated a ridiculous one thousand and eighty free Stats In terms of total Stats the total was even more frightening these Levels had earned him a little over thirty five hundred Stats
In a single moment Randidly had accumulated more Stats than most individuals possessed If he had a half step advantage on most individuals in foundation previously he now left those individuals in the dust
Congratulations Your Skill Arch Heretics Thaumaturgy has grown to Level 1001
Randidly Ghosthound stepped forward as hot blood seared its way through each muscle His body tingled even his limbs tendons and bones tingling as they improved across every dimension at once At the very least each Stat received a bump of about two hundred However with the gains concentrating around his Discretion of the Apostate Moirae his upgraded Control
He took another step feeling the violence he had gathered prickling against his back He released a misty breath He started to sweat feeling a powerful change come over him At the moment his Discretion of the Apostate Moirae sat at 8996 And he had on hand the 1080 Free Stats he earned for gaining twenty seven Levels all at once
He poured all those extra Stats into Discretion of the Apostate Moirae and broke past 10 000 A wolfs grin dominated his face With his brain evolving in painful eruptions of fire he stalked toward the wavering Elhume and prepared for the second round of their bout
This time he would not come up short
Chapter 2373
Warning A strange change has been detected within your person Please see your closest
Pantheon Intervention Recalculating
Congratulations You are the first individual in the histories of both the Nexus and the Alpha Cosmos to push a Stat to 10 000 Warning it appears the efficacy of Stats in capturing your actual performance is failing Unable to adjust Addition research will be necessary
Please prepare for a rough go of it Randidly Ghosthound The next few seconds wont be pleasant
Randidlys lips twitched as he felt Lucretias calming voice in the notification Behind him Alana Donal continued to clash against this altered version of Shal With the opening created by his surprise attack DiOrtho Vant fired up the Vulpis Squad and began tearing through the remnants of the Swacc Family
His eyes flicked forward to Techetadore and the specter of Elhume The dimming of the light had slowed even during the short moment of his attack Randidlys jaw clenched sending jolts of static up across his cheekbones and down his neck He could feel the tension rolling of Raymund Ballast in dangerous waves I mean its not like I have much room to wait Just gonna need to grit my teeth and bare it
Not recommended However your foolishness is known Beginning transformation
Elhumes shaky form rounded on Randidly as he charged over Your treason will not
Like I said to start this these developments are Kismet Randidly snapped out the words He could feel the fabric of his awareness rippling and shifting tearing partially as he gained more and more in a rapid avalanche of mental acuity All the mental energy he had struggled to manipulate became a quality of the past now he had a sizable mass of power and felt he could rip off even the tiniest piece and use a method akin to Synechdochence to accomplish anything
Randidly stayed focused he needed to pressure Elhume ease Raymunds job All his gains urged him forward whispering in excitement
He brought up Acri and began focusing all his kinetic force through the weapon Already he could feel the shift in efficiency his Discretion of the Apostate Moirae eclipsing ten thousand shifted the manipulation of the complex patterns around him to second nature It didnt even take a thought He found several efficiencies and corrected them The storm of violence sang Randildy practically felt the waves of Helens vicious ocean lapping at his ankles The image might not have much gloss and detail added to it yet but the shape felt so perfectly balanced it conjured itself into the mind of the viewer with just hints
Congratulations Your Skill Lethal Tide of Izanami has grown to Level 1076
Congratulations Your Skill Deviations Inevitable Machinations has grown to Level 1805
Congratulations Your Skill Lethal Tide of Izanami has grown to Level 1102
Opposite him Elhume managed to clench Techetadores fist and throw a punch Despite his waning power this one appeared just as overwhelming as the others So much of Randidlys existence sang yet
Fuck Randidly swore as a spike of pain briefly stalled out his attack and made him insensible He swayed mid motion the flow of energy clashing against itself and weakening His stomach felt like it had been blended and then the pieces tapped back together again and then filled with acid so the dangerous liquid dripped out of the flaws and began to sizzle on his kidneys and liver
And his brain felt worse
Raymund sunk his teeth into his lip desperate not to pass out Perhaps my struggle will simply result in a few steps along the Path Yet someone needs to be the first to take those steps so those that follow witness and believe in the existence of such a Path If nothing else this is a lesson I have learned from the Ghsothounds knee So Techetadore
Observe Allow me to illuminate the way forward
Raymund focused on his grip on his brother and the spectral grip he attempted to extricate Somehow Fieros touch existed inside of his brothers body So it was somewhat like Raymund was trying to steal a glove from someone stronger than him while he was the only one of the two that cared whether the glove was torn in the struggle
As Randidly flew backward Raymund felt Fiero wielding more of his superior power Bit by bit his grip loosened
Randidly Ghosthound shifted his image physicalizations in a sudden spike of image power The transformation blasted back the drifting mist released by the crystalline walls of this place He became a crouched monster more chimera than human His eyes were hollow and empty hungry pits that had caused him to be Heralded as a Nether King Raymunds heart twisted feeling the suffering of their leader forcing out more power Perhaps
There was a whisper and an impact Any more than that couldnt be discerned even while staring at the situation
Suddenly Randidly Ghosthound had a hand reaching for Elhumes throat
Raymund swayed as Elhumes power abruptly waned The Ghosthound had moved far too quickly Just a skittering gait without deigning to notice the intervening space and slammed into Techetadores body Raymunds heart bled to see the bones underneath Techetadores skin shattering but they now had a chance
Raymund took a breath He gathered the tattered remnants of his capability He too could squeeze out a little bit more
You Elhume howled with fury as he turned again from Raymund to Randidly Techetadores broken body raised a hand and clenched a fist but before it could be thrown a massive claw seized the attack and held it still
Randidly Ghosthound reached out and grasped Techetadores shoulder with one hand and his throat with the other laughing as he did so Those pale and empty eyes crinkled at the edges even as the image physicalizations grew more powerful and consumed more of his face The fist and claw hung over them in strained stillness a poor facsimile of celestial bodies Less and less of him was human more and more a weapon forged to upend the Nexus
For the third fucking time A long tongue lolled out of the mouth of Nether King Hungry Eye tasting the air and savoring the strain Raymund could see that Elhume strained to unleash his punch and smash his opponent but in the grappling Elhume was losing In terms of raw force someone Randidly had caught up to him
The final word came out in a hiss after Fiero had struggled and realized he would not win this battle Kismet
The Hungry Eyes opened The Songstress of Absence gleefully belted out her piercing solo taking more and more from Fieros conjured energy form The form flickered and tore
From the weakened tyrant Raymund squeezed and pulled trying to pry Techetadore away from their foe For a split second he worried it wouldnt be enough He could force the issue but if distance wasnt created between Fiero and Techetadore before the process his brother would likely tear
Then Techetadore wiggled Not as a puppet but as a long suppressed prisoner finally seeing a ray of light With that small opening Raymund Ballast expended the whole of his image and liberated his brother
The ragged energy form of Fiero popped out and flickered uncertainly in the air He had been bested and the whole battlefield understood this truth implicitly
Randidly Ghosthound had taken the first few steps to changing the universe but Raymund doubted he would satisfy himself by stopping there
Chapter 2374
Don Beigon looked up sharply and peered out of the window The candles nearest the windows had been snuffed out long trails of smoke curling up toward the ceiling
The location of the dramatic performances was impossible to view from here even with a highly developed and evolved Perception Stat The crystalline Aether mountains that rumbled at the core of the Nexus prevented all from peering too closely Yet Don Beigon would not miss the subtle shifts in the air The long stifled slipstream of change had finally shaken loose from Elhumes hold Re?Ad lateSt chapters Only
He turned slightly the numerous remaining lit candles in the room casting layers of shadow across his features He surprised himself with the small tremor of anticipation in his voice Are our guests ready
Indeed sir They are enjoying refreshment none the wiser about their predicament A shadowy servant bowed
The Dons lips twitched This was an unfamiliar face one of the new trainees He did not like that this stranger had been assigned this heavy task But with the rapid need for preparation there was little choice but to rely on untested elements
A risk but one he could not avoid Too many other areas required sure hands Too many ingredients to the grand banquet of the day
The Don turned forward He flexed his fingers and gripped the bamboo frame of his wheelchair A tremor ran through his image spreading out across the whole web of debts he had ever created He felt a deep thrill of pleasure as he felt an almost overwhelming amount of feedback coming back to him Then we begin
When Raymund Ballast deployed his image and liberated his brother all the ambient power bouncing around the interior of the canyon went crazy From the depths of Elhumes stolen body legitimate or not came an upsurge of rage that shook the prison holding it in place The glowing energy form of Fiero staggered backward no longer able to inhabit the other Vulpine After a moment of shock Fiero blazed with light the details of his form becoming unintelligible He reached out with vague fingers but couldnt reach and take the body back Impossible
Opposite him Randidly Ghosthound threw back his head and cackled
Fiero pulled and pulled somehow galvanizing all the energy radiation and turning it into an Aether based acid that ate away at everything Still laughing the Ghosthound twirled a long and clawed finger A storm of kinetic energy whirled into being forcing all the dangerous energy away protecting his own Two storms grappled in the sky one of misty power the other of razor edged wind Again they reached a stalemate
With a howl the energy form shot after Techetadores body and attempted to possess it once more Randidly moved to intervene
Alana Donal had her own problems
This this Shals good humor evaporated as he watched with wide eyes as the two powerful individuals battled overhead and Fiero kept losing This image that Ive created all the time Ive poured into honing my own Skills Observe the truth of this existence Hell Beasts Due
His hydra with its slender and sharpened teeth manifested above Shals head The details sheered through the space around them almost too real to exist She could see the thick ropes of drool dripping out of the various mouths feel the fetid heat of its breath smell all the corpses left to rot between its teeth She felt its sinuous grace and power All those sharpened elements combined into a vicious spear attack aiming for her heart
We fucked em DiOrtho Vant waved his hatchets back and forth as he talked to the Ghosthound Lured them right into the trap And bam Right when they were most distracted you cracked them across the head Heh heh although me being able to hold them at bay for so long despite superior numbers
Dont gloat Vizzert Clamman sniffed A deep wound across his muzzle oozed blood All you really had to do is stand at the back and shout
My leadership Vant wheeled around and jabbed his hatchet toward the wolf
Randidly ignored them and looked over and Raymund Is he
Conscious for a single moment He smiled And it made all these efforts and more worth it The area around the Vulpines eyes were wet with tears
Still Eloise sends word that the problems with the Grand Fates are accelerating One of the Upper Sonara Society representatives piped up while rubbing her hands together Should the pressure continue increasing at this rate many of our weaker members will no longer be able to assist with the Grand Ritual Should that be delayed
We just need a moment to center ourselves then we move Randidly Ghosthound positively crackled the remnant specter of the monster he had been for those brief moments hanging around his limbs His spine straightened almost unwillingly as though just now remembering he was no longer burdened by the heavy weight of Acris blunt form His eyes regained some of their green luster Vant report on the injuries
Randidly paused in his words suddenly paling He leaned forward and blurted out thick globules of vomit and blood spattering the liquid across the crystal ground The ruby liquid glittered even more brightly than the crystal Neveah appeared at his side instantly holding his shoulders Randidly
Heh sorry about that people Randidly straightened his color instantly restored He rolled his shoulders his normal images settling more evenly across his body He burned with his will forcing back the ambient Aether mist back further and further Had to do a little bit of drastic growth during the fights That was just an aftershock I should be good now So Vant about the wounded
A collective sigh of relief went out of the group Although they had felt Randidly Ghosthound ascending and grappling so directly with the projection of Elhume the sudden show of weakness made them worry that such a confrontation had come with a steep cost The focused and confident expression now on Randidlys face the way his image blazed in the middle of the cavern and protected them all made it possible to believe this victory could be replicated
They really were going to do this
But although Alana felt stirrings of those same emotions she also didnt miss the way Neveahs expression didnt change as the Ghosthounds Soulbound companion eased back from the others and watched Randidly with fear swirling in her eyes
All too soon all the reports have been made A few individuals were left to guard the defeated members of the Swacc Family Right before they departed Randidly glanced over at Shal with a pained expression He clearly wanted to speak to his former master no matter the strange transformation that came over him at first invigorating him but leaving him hollow with a quick but weightless image
Alana stepped forward a shook her head slightly There is nothing you can say to him right now
I know that I really do But arent times like these the hardest to remain silent I just hate the feeling of powerlessness Randidly sighed for a brief moment looking human And when he shifted like that Alana could see Neveahs worry the raw wound on Randidlys heart oozed and bled a sad puppy abandoned by his master
Then the hero or monster returned Randidly Ghosthound became more Nether King Hungry Eye than human Alright rebels Our charge has not yet breached the keep The long day drags on We move
Chapter 2375
The Monarch of Karma started playing a game
He sat on a rock drifting through and toward oblivion afraid of his own subconscious He wanted a more normal life but as normal as he could become would be to develop a hobby A safe harmless hobby to pass the time to give him a bit of structure
So he picked up some of the pebbles that drifted toward him and began throwing the rocks seeing how far away he could accurately hit a target
Obviously before each throw he paused and cleared his heart of all desires He didnt want any nonsense to tie itself to these meaningless thrown rocks It was just a small focused physical activity It did not need to be anything more than that
The Monarch of Karma pivoted and threw a rock It sailed cleanly across the vast reaches of space and clacked against a chunk of debris barely visible from his current position Despite his lofty goal of remaining unaffected by the success the Monarch of Karma allowed himself a brief fist pump
He moved over to the strange holy ritual ground that refused to part from him and began to search for additional pebbles As he picked up his next bit of ammunition he could almost taste the stone He dropped the pebble startled
His senses swirled around him previously he had tried to distance himself as much as possible Even awareness became a bridge to far But connecting to his body through the simple actions of pebble throwing brought some of his powerful awareness back into action So suddenly he realized that his fears about this strange stone platform were well founded
Maybe he had even underestimated the risk of this place
A unified but muffled clack brought the Monarch of Karmas head up He looked at the distant stones they appeared now to be drifting around his position orbiting a sun Another clack sounded and suddenly he released that the previously thrown pebbles had entered their own sort of orbit bouncing off their targets and then hitting another target And then another
Clack
Clack
The Monarch of Karma sat in the middle of a totally accidental orrery and sighed It always begins like this
Randidly Ghosthound rushed at the head of the group keeping his speed suppressed so his small army could keep up with him Ahead the specter of Devick continued to skip forward almost mocking their seriousness He kept an eye above watching the flow of significance for any dangerous developments He coolly clocked the shift coming from the Beigon compound which likely meant the Don hadnt missed the opportunity
At the very least Randidly felt confident with such a large debt sitting between them Don Beigon would not be a problem Or at least he was one that he had proved capable of handling in the past
Congratulations Your Skill What the Ghosthound Sows He Will Soon Reap has grown to Level 200
If Nether flows through them a varietal would form She confirmed The power would be small but small expressions might end up being unusually sophisticated There is no way to know
Randidlys lips twitched The walls were pressing even more tightly around their bodies So a strange and impossible gamble with everything at stake Alright how close is Enmya to being ready to give his Phaea
We can expedite the process and begin almost immediately He will ahem Enmya has done an admirable job in demonstrating his intent to serve the people of the Alpha Cosmos He has passable control over patterns and is truly expanding
How long Lowanna Randidly interrupted As the shade of the Actus Suprem skipped forward it almost appeared like she turned and glanced back at them before she proceeded forward and around the corner It could have just been a strange twitch or the angle but
Seeing the specter check on their progress slowed Randidlys steps His eyes narrowed as he examined the surrounding the way the walls pressed closer from every side the way the density of the ambient Aether kept rising the unnatural stillness he felt in the air The flavor of their environment had changed and not for the better
Shit Randidly sighed right as the return message came from Lowanna It only confirmed his old fears but didnt address the new ones Likely at least six hours His attitude the creation of so many Phaea at once will be a strain even for Enmya
Randidly didnt bother to reply He glanced over his shoulder catching Alanas gaze she understood his intention immediately and bellowed out an order Double time
The few representatives from the Upper Sonara Society looked decidedly out of place as the Vulpis Squad surged forward and left them in the dust The long hours of physical training paid dividends They transformed in but a moment into a loping herd of predators glad to charge into the jaws of this trap and tear their way out
Randidly allowed his Cloak of a Thousand Lightless Horizons to stretch behind him as he bounded forward All the restrictions he had placed on his speed for the sake of his followers he abandoned All his passive Skills all the image physicalizations that had affected his body on a fundamental level all the recent Stat boosts were allowed to manifest to their full potential He remembered that intoxicating moment of advance as he had attacked Elhume he channeled that stampeding momentum and ripped around the corner
Devicks phantasm twitched when he suddenly stood only a meter away from her his eyes blazing and his hand reaching out to grab the projection Whether it was just a little stray deviancy or a deliberate trap he would stop this here
The projection released a soundless screech and flickered as his hand neared It flitted several meters forward sensing his intentions and displaying its own second gear in response Randidly only snorted such a small distance was still within his reach
As the claws of the Dread Homunculus sank into the projection and it began to wriggle and flail the projection began to look horrified that it had been caught It gazed at him with pleading eyes It looked forward then at its captor then back forward It broadcast desperation with every gesture In response Randidly frowned at this thing he had caught The rest of the Vulpis Squad caught up to him and stared at the projection in confusion
Even in the form of a wisp of an echo Randidly said slowly as he observed projection practically beginning him to go forward a little bit more The Actus Suprem would never show so much deference You are not a flicker of madness from her What the hell are you Who did this
The projection just continued to plead with its wide eyes Even if the form was a lie it was still Devick he trapped
Almost unwillingly Randidly looked across the current low ceilinged chamber to the dark hole opposite them The Aether density had increased again so it felt like the ominous hole in front of them breathed Aether out against them a monstrous beast born of solidified energy
Feeling that Aether Randidly realized they could have arrived at only one specific place for the energy to flow like this
And he knew of only one specific ally that would have used subterfuge to lure him here And already his chest felt like a congested volcano at the thought of being misled at this juncture
Chapter 2376
Just like all other aspects of his life Randidly could only advance Turning back would probably only waste more time He proceeded through the dark hole almost daring an enemy to leap out and attack him
Disappointingly he stepped through without incident Their destination was a surprisingly large room with a low ceiling The far end of the chamber lay quite a distance away Randidly led the way the Songstress of Absence sucking in a deep breath preparing to release a crooning aria of oblivion to eliminate any roadblocks present
The room opened up and spread out in front of him The space covered as much space as Kharon just a wide plane without defect or variation Yet even Randidlys skin crawled as he stood because the three meter high ceiling felt like a twisted inversion he half recognized The crystalized Aether in the area achieved a purity not present in the portion of the mountain range they had explored thus far creating the illusion they walked underneath a calm mountain lake
From a glance his senses urged Randidly that diving into that lake would be one of the most refreshing experiences of his life He snorted and ignored the optical illusion that calm water would devour you just as quickly as an event horizon and leave just as little waste behind
Out of the corner of his eyes Randidly would see movement within the depths that vanished when he focused directly Still looking directly up let him peer into the flows of the energy and appreciate how overwhelming the pressure would be in this water Despite the crystallization the Aether whispered at the possibilities it seemed to directly urge Randidly closer ask him to dive into the lake
If Randidly came into contact with the power here
Well Id be powerful but fucking trapped wouldnt I Randidly pulled his eyes down suppressing his urge to test the theory in the name of pushing his limits For better or worse he no longer had time to ascertain exactly how far he would go in non deadly situations He glanced behind him at the column following behind him A few from the Upper Sonara Society couldnt tear their eyes away but all of the Vulpis Squad quickly reined in their temptation and focused on the task
Pullas strode forward to stride next to Randidly There is a lot of unquiet death here To the point but I cant help but wonder where the bodies went
Randidly spared one more glance up toward the inverted lake that was not a lake but a parched throat above them I have a feeling that what we are seeing is an illusion The real depths of this place are not as pretty as the undulating energy currents we can see
For a brief moment he opened up his energy halo vision He quickly winced and deactivated the capability The depths of the energy field were filled with pain and anguish Those who fell for the temptation of the placid energy now suffered for all eternity
In a way perhaps this was the first Ghasthund in the Nexus
Congratulations Your Skill Heraldic Tongue of the Alchemist has grown to Level 1619
Congratulations Your Skill Heraldic Tongue of the Alchemist has grown to Level 1632
Pullas started muttering to herself and Randidy quickened his pace disturbed by the Skill Level increases The placid lake seemed to cease its attempts at temptation as he walked toward the central point like a toddler behaving well sd an unfamiliar adult walked through his home Randidlys suspicions about the culprit were confirmed as the saw the smiling and unapologetic form of Solomon Rex standing with his hands behind his back next to a strange runic machine and below the one shadow in the lake
Most of all Randidly felt power in that body A different sort of power from the dense cluster of crystallized Aether Even taking into account the heavy veil of turbid Nether that bubbled in the frozen limbs Randidly couldnt explain from whence the sensation originated An inexplicable quality was present in Elhume Once he had looked it was difficult to look away Attention turned sticky around the body
So that is the Pinnacle Randidly said slowly opening his energy halo vision and trying to conceptualize what he saw
Just the shallow reflection from basking in its light but yes That is what it means to be a vessel Solomon Rex agreed To contain something greater than the base energies with which we toy
Randidlys lips twisted in distaste He definitely did not wish to acknowledge even the smallest benefit from this visit Instead he pivoted to look at the runic machine sitting below Elhumes body Even now Mana circulated through its connections as it continued its process What about this Do you have another project planned
Oh that predates me One of Fieros subordinates an inventor of great accomplishment although this individual has managed to remain relatively unknown in the Nexus Solomon grimaced as though anonymity left a bad taste in his mouth This particular machine is busy recondensing one of Fieros other great minions Lathic NGick One more lever with which to control the accumulation of Nether once I established myself at the bottom of the Nexus
Randidly thought about Xershi and sighed He wondered where his former Ascension Pact member had gone Yet his anger at being brought here hadnt completely abated If this is all Im moving forward I dont suppose
The exit in that direction Go quickly Randidly Ghosthound We cannot tarry too long Solomon nodded even while staring up at his former body with the most bare and heated flame of jealousy Randidly had ever seen He offered no further words apparently now finished with the brief and pointless conversation
Randidlys chest seethed at the reactivated emotions after all this shit this bastard had the nerve to tell him to hurry He gestured sharply with his chin and Alana barked out the order The group formed up and charged toward the indicated exit Meanwhile Randidly brushed up against Neveahs consciousness Are you thinking what Im thinking
He antagonized you on purpose both when you arrived and when you departed Neveah confirmed A small trill of amusement escaped her And it worked like a charm
Fuck 13% Randidly shook his head not letting the emotion distract him Just fuck Anyway we are missing something Something important Why were we brought here Was it the crystal energy The way Aether turned into a lake like that The strange power of the body The machine to condense NGick Or even some step in a grander metaphor
A stronger bubble of amusement floated from Neveah Not everyone possesses your gift for flipping your perspective Randidly They are not Alchemists
But now that Ive shown them how I need to be on the lookout for copycats Especially with Solomon who has been laying at the bottom of this horrid place staring up and plotting his method to claw his way back to the top They reached the exit to the flat lake and Randidly had to admit he was glad to be away from those energies The Aether pressed more aggressively against him here and he was glad for the small defensive manifestation of his image to distract him
After a pause Neveah sent another message I did have a single thought looking at Elhumes body I recognize the power he possesses Ive seen it quite often
Who Randidly frowned scanning his own memory
You Randidly Ghosthound Youve never been standing in front of a mirror when you are at the height of your capability the way you blaze scorching and depressing the world in equal measure but that presence that confused you thats you
Chapter 2377
Friends companions Don Beigon smiled warmly around at the individuals The fat and greedy assembled fish stank with self satisfaction all bottom feeders with mediocre images and entitlement dripping off their swollen bodies Im so glad youve agreed to meet with me today Considering the circumstances Ill skip right to the crux of this important issue The Nether Lattice was a Nexus institution too important to simply allow it to fade with the death of Lathis The damage to the structure is significant but that can be overcome with concerted effort Especially with all the specialized capability assembled here
His opening comments earned a few nervous chuckles A few of the larger invitees fidgeted at the back sweat beginning to bead on their skin At first Don Beigon had worried that the actions of the Actus Suprem would undercut his plan before he could gather all the relevant pieces but in the end it only added a bit of ripe desperation to these individuals
They were canny to have survived in the cutthroat environment of the Nexus but even the most powerful individuals developed blindspots while in the grips of fear
What do you propose Don One of the attendees an amorphous being composed almost entirely of crackling storm clouds asked the carefully pitched rumbles of thunder
Don Beigon leaned back He was not eager He was certain and confident Yet at the same time he let his studiously controlled features show I plan on calling in a portion of the debts owed to me and have those fortunate individuals join the Nether Lattice in lieu of typical payment Well honestly isnt it almost like I am doing them a favor I am well aware of the capability given to esteemed figures within the Nether Lattice They should be grateful for the chance at power
Several individuals murmured their interest as the group considered this news A humanoid hawk retained her suspicions Yet why would you do this for us Don And why now
I do this now because we have a period of instability approaching surely you can feel it in the air Surely you have noticed rogue elements attempting to establish tiny little kingdoms of their own within the wider Nexus While Im sure Elhume will eventually bring these elements into alignment given enough time it also cannot be denied that Elhume has his vision focused on higher concerns Don Beigon spread his hands wide In the meantime a firm hand is required to protect the valuable institutions we have built
How different is your little estate here from those rebel kingdoms The hawk snorted Certainly youve spared no expense reinforcing your walls
The Don ignored the tone the fact that she was here and had already eaten his food meant that tiny variances in attitude wouldnt affect the outcome at all As to your first question in exchange for this assistance I hope for two boons First I hope the revived Nether Lattice and I will maintain a close relationship Truly I believe instability is coming friends in this time will be more valuable than any other currency Secondly I would like the insight of the assembled personages to help me condense a Nether Core of my very own
He allowed his very real desperation to accomplish this now leak the tiniest bit into his voice Too much would be revealed as melodrama too little wouldnt instill them with the overconfidence he wished to trigger
From just a glance around he knew he had succeeded
Already the Don could see the smirking certainty of these individuals believing they had sniffed out his true aim they would hem and haw and talk about the impossibility of housing a Nether style Core within an Aether body Obviously they would say pretty things about providing him with a powerful core outside of the Nether Lattice but they would also sink hooks into him they could manipulate from a higher tier within the Nether Lattice
A perfect position The Don looked around with a calm smile For when a Reversal of Fortune grants me everything Ive deserved And the weapon to carve vengeance into your body Elhume
This time it was Devicks smile that curdled bubbling and twisting unevenly across her face Ah so weve finally arrived at this juncture Is it not pleasurable the weight of a naked threat in your hand my sweet Randidly Youve grown up so quickly For my edification what will you do if I refuse If I continue For emphasis Devick rattled the chains she held in her hands and earned the narrowing of his eyes to be amused by their pathetic resistance
We fight Randidly Ghosthound produced his spear He pointed the gleaming tip toward her chest And I prove you arent invincible
Ah Randidly Devicks heart fluttered Happiness and sadness moved together as a complete whole Her awareness sharpened the boredom passed Because while this was perhaps predictable it was also inevitable That the son would crave the flesh of the mother That only with overwhelming power could she maintain her hierarchical position above him Such an action should not be undertaken casually
I think we both know I would not have made it here if my disposition was casual Randidly growled
Devick could only laugh For the first time in years she felt fragile What they had the slow journey of the Ghosthound rising and assuming his proper place as her son hurtled toward a breaking point And Devick loved breaking things But she also loved this the tension between them the not knowing how and where their bond would be crushed and pulped and annihilated and devoured
She felt a molten jab of jealousy She wished she could reach out and shred the soul of her other version and then live in her skin Randidly Ghosthound would be hers in another way She wouldnt need to break off their connection now
She flicked the chains comforting herself in the suffering she felt on the other end as the elites of the Nexus rolled and struggled Why is it whenever I think Ive found happiness a dark interloper always arrives to take it away This long shadow cast across my life is it truly impossible to escape
Devick shed those emotions a split second after experiencing them right now they were just a distraction In her place the Actus Suprem stretched and smiled with lips and hair as red as blood I have craved this moment for a very very long time Randidly Ghosthound Do not leave me disappointed You pride yourself on your firm disposition Show it to me
She felt the resulting surge in his image power and relished in it His face curled a mass of negative emotions she had inflicted upon him Her own joy grew and grew expanding to fill her body She knew fueled by this emotion she would be able to make some serious headway on gathering the Grand Fates like this
However Devick felt the shift in the air behind her and her expression fell Tch minor characters always choose the most narcissistic times to reassert themselves cant they tell we were approaching a climax But I suppose a great pleasure delayed is great pleasure spread
The crackling maelstrom of Elhumes energy form walked across the large dais His presence had tripled after he had gone to gather additional foci for his great will The Second Fist Vengeance
The wounds Randidly had inflicted on him became ammunition and Elhume unleashed his whole stockpile with a fist that warped the edges of the Grand Fate formation when it passed Devicks chains rattled torn between enjoying the violence and wanting to slither up and capture this new strike
In the end Devick winked at Randidly gave a what can you do shrug and then turned back to her own labor Her time would definitely come As much as she hated it her current role required patience
Randidly scowled and growled but his attention pivoted toward Elhume
Chapter 2378
Randidly took advantage of the short conversation with Devick doing his best not to let his fury seep into the work he did within his Soulspace His chances for downtime had practically vanished
Only through his new ten thousand Privilege of the Half Shallah could he create advantages for himself on such a tight schedule
A new small grey Nether bubble had finally formed after battering his way through Fieros projection With the utmost care he inserted it into its rightful place in the very middle of his array filled with drops of liquid Aether and other Nether bubbles trembling from the strain Yggdrasil could barely suppress Or at least he tried to the pressure of the situation seemed to have sank into the essence of his liquid Aether It refused to relax down from its swollen and bristling form Yggdrasils roots could squeeze and make additional space but that would again push the Nether bubbles dangerously close to popping
You need to relax Randidly told himself as he prepared for the confrontation he had been building toward for almost fifteen years as Elhume manifested and unleashed a fist image with a much higher concentration of power than he had previously in the bout over Techetadores body
His pupils dilated His powerful will flowed through his body doing his best to eliminate as much tension as possible He just needed to create the smallest opening the slightest release in the array
But he couldnt Elhumes attack took up more and more space absorbed more and more energy Too much had been channeled into this confrontation For too long he had been preparing too many of his fears centered around exactly this moment Beyond that his emotions seethed and crashed in his chest over the matter of Actus Suprem Devick
He couldnt forgive her the indulgent madness she represented the casual cruelty she wielded the sharp pain she so obviously enjoyed inflicting The betrayal almost felt more raw due to his association with the past Devick Now Randidly understood exactly the sort of person she could have been This twisted husk who laughed at his protests made him incandescent with impotent rage
Then the matter of Shal
Relax Randidly released a breath and stepped forward But he didnt raise Acri Sulfur hummed against him confused by his actions as Randidly took a few more steps forward without even gathering any of his images Elhumes fist crackled and rumbled as it moved forward Randidly just stepped into its face and stared straight forward
He needed a reset on his emotions in order to operate at the high level he needed to reach And nothing put life into perspective like the prospect of death Just for a second he needed to brush against that atramentous threshold
Randidly Ghosthound gambled because in these situations if it wasnt an overwhelming victory it would be a loss
Randidly heard Devick cackle but ignored her obvious glee as she recognized his decision At the last second his images surged forward of their own accord the instincts of his image physicalizations providing a natural defense against foreign attacks Ghosthounds Cloak of A Thousand Lightless Horizons and Marred Yet Reliable Foundation of Yggdrasil bundled him up and prevented a bone shattering impact Yet when the fist landed
Randidlys body slammed against the ground as he skidded backward the energy of his body in chaos Even his Nether veins were thrown into disarray by the force After he started Leveling again he had achieved a Health of a little under 75 000 A single unblocked punch from Fiero had taken 31 289 Health
He crashed across the strange dais the image relentlessly tearing through the muscles of his arms and legs pressing against him from every angle Elhume stolen image chewed him and spat him out
But it had also stilled Randidlys furious liquid Aether given it an outside distraction His body might have been discombobulated but his mind had not The strain eased The pressure dropped The small Nether bubble popped into place
BOUNDLESS
The world had folded because the mirror showed the world from another angle Twisted and compressed and warped but accurately scaled All the energy without produced within Even more bluntly Randidly had suddenly acquired a second perspective on the layered energy around him A perfect world of inverted energy And with two perspectives the amount of truth he could glean about energy flows had been transformed
Randidly looked up at Elhumes follow up attack and smiled His irises burned emerald A strange pressure condensed in the spinning heart of his Nether Core
Recalculating Shapes imported through Sea of Statues Incorporating insights
Congratulations By forging a genuine Memento of Eternity you have obtained another hint of the Shallah Efficacy of Privilege of the Half Shallah has increased Analyzing foreign universe Memento adjusting for relevant Hierarchies within the Nexus
Nyxs Hollow Needle has been reclassified as a Memento of Eternity
Ghosthounds Cloak of a Thousand Lightless Horizons has been reclassified as a half Memento
You have earned the Skill Pengus Asymptote Lvl 1 Muses Reverie +1
Pengus Asymptote A powerful Memento within the Multiverse Pengus Asymptote is the boundary generated when Pengu forced his way out of the primordial egg separating cloud and clay Those in possession of Pengus Asymptote will experience an extreme boost to understanding for naught but chaos may exist without its reflected opposite Effect increases with Skill Level Gives owner a preternatural sense of awareness and an acute instinct for danger Effect increases with Skill Level May provide brief glimpses of a higher order of being As Skill Level increases it may become possible to manipulate energies of the reflected world in order to change the present
Randidlys energies swirled through his body He didnt question his new insights although a part of him was wary after noticing this came from the Sea of Statues But for the moment he looked at the attack from Elhume pressing in on him from all sides It was less a punch and more a chokehold built by a punch not bound by the laws of physics He saw its approach inside and out
Congratulations Your Skill Pengus Asymptote has grown to Level 2
Congratulations Your Skill Emerald Eyes and Dove Whispers Certify the Objective has grown to Level
Congratulations Your Skill Pengus Asymptote has grown to Level 72
Now that you are liberated are you ready for this Yggdrasil
The emerald canopy rustled in anticipation Randidly spread out his hands Acri slithered into position Absolute Insight of the Smoldering Abyss Nyxs Successor Births Fate Dawn Opens the Sky and Reality Stirs
Chapter 2379
Actus Suprem Devick felt a shiver run through her body as the fight began in earnest The two images spread out and ground against one another Very happily she glanced up from the tiresome job of dragging unwilling Grand Fates into line and looked at the battle between her son and Elhume
The specters of their image (complexity from Randidly and an unrivaled fist from Elhume) already hung in the air The Aether they wielded seemed more sharp and bright and colorful and real than even reality
She had been waiting for such a titanic confrontation from the moment she discovered the existence of a figure at the top of the pyramid For a long time she feared she would need to be the one to upend the status quo but finally A challenger had finally arisen
In the one corner the monstrous Elhume a being whose power had warped his features to the point of being melted wax a twisted existence that hid some secret that Devick could smell wafting off his complex image but couldnt quite grasp For three thousand years he had maintained a stranglehold on the Nexus From atop his mountain range of crystal Aether he had reigned None had been able to ascend and rival him on the Pinnacle His Eight Fists had defeated all comers and obliterated even the traces of their existence
The champions fists clenched The air throbbed with his confidence
In the opposite corner the challenger her son her lovable underdog Randidly Ghosthound A true Nether King through some mysterious opportunity he had encountered the first the Nexus had seen in generations An innovator a miracle The source of so many delightful impossibilities including these Deviation Rarities to which Devick had been given access Quite the filial character Devick had to admit although his delicate sensibilities placed them in a minor spat at the moment
His image felt calm She heard the soft rustling of leaves She heard the long silence as roots curled deeper and deeper into the fabric of existence strengthening its hold Randidly Ghosthound stilled the air with his presence
Both images spiraled up rising higher and higher to rival each other
She prided herself on her sensitivity So while she continued wrapping her fingers around the rusted chains and dragging them in she also spared quite a bit of attention to the climactic confrontation In pure Aether Elhumes presence could only be described as overwhelming He had access to this enormous hunk of crystallized Aether His fists had been baptized in those lapping waves of energy for so long
And Randidly
Devick felt the moment when Randidly changed Not his energy but his methods The leaves rustled again pitched slightly higher The roots began to curl and twist
Randidly Ghosthound faced a fist without bounds and spread his arms wide A massive tree manifested above his head an ancient trunk inscribed with a thousand myths about the creation of universes Genesis had been writ cleanly upon that bark and the emerald leaves rustled with confidence Roots exploded from his back spreading to become vast wings that flapped lightly forcing back the oppressive image state of this place
The fist constricted around him from every direction Randidly Ghosthound might have been on the receiving end of the punch but the pervasiveness of Elhumes image meant that the delivery had more in common with being squeezed In the face of this pressure the fabric of his root wings changed They wove themselves together into new patterns Esoteric swirling patterns that seemed to catch and drag as they moved through foreign energy
Edged with darkness and shadows Devicks chosen son slashed with one of those massive wings Elhumes fist ground to a halt immediately upon impact the smack of the impact hit Devick so hard she almost lost grip on the Grand Fates The Boundless Fist cracked open like a dropped egg Beaming rays of dawn leaked out of the fractures
Releasing a hissing breath Randidly Ghosthound stabbed his second wing into that flaw and popped the entire image open The confidence of that domineering fist wavered
He hit exactly upon the flaw in the image Devick narrowed her eyes Images as massive and calcified of Elhumes are heavy but theyve existed for so long that pressure is bound to have built up somewhere Yet how did he sense it
You witnessed my first real triumph Or a version of it Elhume said You have no comprehension of the string of frustrations and setbacks that Ive experienced since then You know nothing of me
Elhumes energy projections started speaking without sound throwing soft punches out into the air around him Randidly spun his spear eyeing the ephemeral energy released by those punches then pulled kinetic force from the environment He thrust spikes of energy in several targeted attacks One by one those silent reverberations unraveled
Randidly pressed his lips together Ive seen your Timeless Fists too many times before They will not land
I preferred you weak Elhume boomed part fury and part frustration Yet the process of shedding the energy form continued Its light continued to dim The strong and blurry countenance of Elhume faded The greying almost ratlike creature waiting within made Devick simultaneously shocked and delighted
Yes exactly Pull out more of my sons prodigious potential The real confrontation is just beginning
Fiero Randidly said the name as a statement yet the delivery of the word contained a question
Devicks eyes widened connecting the dots Fiero the lauded Patron of the Borrow a being who had been believed dead for a thousand years sneered His tails hung bald and limp behind his body in a clump His spine rounded near the top Did you not believe you understood me boy Ah I remember the confidence that came with that first success Heh Let me teach you a lesson For each success of mine you wish to undo there have been a thousand failures Witness
Fiero raised a desiccated wrist and gestured From the other entrances to this central chamber hundreds of stick thin figures shuffled
Each was the same race as Fiero and each looked as though a monster had sucked them dry Their skin was paper their fur aged and spotty their muscles atrophied their tails limp and wasted their eyes dead Blood leaked from their mouths and some also had thin trails of rusty brown coming out of their nose and ears
My most recent convenience has been liberated So what Fiero pointed The shuffling zombies began moving to surround the group of soldiers that Randidly had brought with him Their physical forms spoke of immense weakness yet they released waves of intense images Echoes of Elhumes or maybe Fieros image They bore me for a time before they broke As my vessels they will gladly harvest your little seeds A pity theyve not had time to grow
The images from the husks continued to rise Not nearing the heights demonstrated by Devick Randidly and Elhume but still each possessing an overwhelming image that would qualify for the Fulfillment stage Blood began to flow from their eyes crimson tears of pain and suffering
Our fight Randidly said
Elhumes cackle interrupted him This is the detail you have missed for all your ingenuity Ghosthound This fight was never about us
Lethal Tide Randidly spun his spear
But Fiero shot sideways his waifish form intimidatingly solid Those aged fingers clenched into fists What was it you said to me Kismet Heh The Sixth Fist Folly
Now the air seemed to flee from Fiero/Elhume unable to even withstand his presence
Devick ground her teeth in frustration What the hell Why does this minor character get such cool lines and Im just here watching
Chapter 2380
When Lyra Silver felt the sudden attack of regret her moon almost crumpled like a discarded newspaper in a spring rainstorm Even though she managed to steady herself small pieces at the edge of the celestial body broke off and fluttered down to settle on the lake below She lost ground that would be impossible to make up
A crimson moons tears fading into ash as the imaginary water of the lake soaked them through and left them abandoned and without magic At this rate she would soon be bled dry
Because more than anything else Lyra did feel regret for the way that she lived her life It was a distortion sitting at the heart of her image a truth she couldnt avoid brushing up against every time she gathered herself She leaned forward almost completely deaf to the energies swirling around her as the Upper Sonora Societys ritual continued Her own pain felt deafening
Yet she knew she as soon as that song ceased so would she Fo?llo?w new stories
She couldnt remember quite when the regret started When it had twisted the innermost chamber of her heart But here slowly bleeding out all of the precious elements that made her exceptional was when it would end At the end of this road lay oblivion
She didnt regret witnessing Randidly manipulating Mana and allowing her wonder to sweep through her and transform her entire being reorienting her world from the mundane to the magical From that moment forward she had found a direction She DID regret not knowing how else to grab Randidlys attention than clashing with him of allowing petty jealousy to make her moods worse forcing him to endure eccentricities as she did her best to ignore her feelings and learn from his accomplishments
She didnt regret having different opinions than him Randidly Ghosthound was not flawless in the least At the best of times he was a risk taker at the worst of times he was stubborn and committed himself fully to the most dangerous option Especially in the initial orientation of the Zones he made so many mistakes simply by absenting himself from the seat of a decisionmaker
What Lyra did regret was going behind his back to try and accomplish her goals Working with the being who was then his worst enemy without considering how that would be seen Trying to undermine his efforts when she believed him to be wrong without ever fully understanding his perspective
She didnt regret her current efforts Of leaving Expira behind and moving onto the Nexus essentially severing her connection the Alpha Cosmos in an attempt to better herself She really believed that by learning the patterns of the System she would be able to provide a perspective that would be helpful to Randidly
Yet she regretted that she had chosen this particular path She had been lured into this life by the promise of magic Now she studied the bland nuts and bolts that supported the Nexus and wondered where she went wrong and why her heart felt so empty
Her image shuddered as the pulling started back up
A few more pieces of her crimson moon flaked off and fell into the water What was once a full moon hanging above a lake had proceeded through two weeks of celestial time nearing a half moon form As the pain and anguish forced Lyra to take a long look at herself the light from the moon became incredibly pure
But perhaps that was just the aperture steadily closing The same quality was being squeezed through a smaller space
I hate you just a little bit Lyra spoke silently to Randidly knowing that he would never hear her words She could have sent him a message but she was too afraid to Half afraid he would ignore her half afraid he would show up and save her and allow her to witness a whole new varietal of magic The other half is the same wonder I first had when I witnessed the way you moved
She suffered in silence waiting for the end
Her end
Randidly Ghosthound stared into the dense network of energy revealed by the mirror in his chest and saw the nodes holding the attack together He saw the vicious claw of a fist whipping toward him the full powerful of Fiero laid bare now that he had taken off his mask He saw the inner workings of that energy revealed by Pangus Asymptote He also saw the powerful husks shambling forward his Vulpis Squad forming up and preparing to clash against them
Fieros beady eyes didnt show surprise just more of the same bitterness Still so confident It wont be long now
Why do you act like Ive never failed Randidly countered leaning forward and pressing more of his weight against Fieros hateful Sixth Fist Only through a few impacts and already Randidlys joints ached Yet he wrung more pressure from his musculature to keep his foe on his back foot The ancient thiefs image didnt waver but the Songstress of Absence blossomed in Randidlys pupils He took more and more of the dark emotions and drank them down into the abyss
Your minor speedbumps
All resulted in someones death Randidly hissed back His shoulders trembled small bits of his muscles beginning to tear The negative influence had been safely cut out of his emotional sea but now he felt his own fury and guilt and mistakes smoldering in the depths of that sea turning all his emotion into incandescent plasma that threatened to be just as destabilizing
Randidly spat out the words his chest heaving Thats what you are missing You tell me that I dont understand how this fight isnt about us but what youve conveniently forgotten is that we arent the ones bearing the consequences for our actions Ive left a trail of devastation in my wake As I grow my very existence warps the possibilities for the people who follow me And I dont even fucking know what that means
Their images cracked and ground against each other for a few more seconds then parted Both Randidly and Fiero took a step back Below them the discarded Fiero hosts unleashed brutal half formed images that smashed back even the relatively more powerful Charlotte Wick and Raymund Ballast
If he couldnt wrap this fight up quickly
Damnit The veins of Randidlys hands bulged as he squeezed Acris shaft He knew he shouldnt feel this way having finally reached this plateau but Randidly couldnt help himself each step forward just demonstrated to him how much more distance he needed to climb The detestable sense of powerlessness swirled throughout his chest Damnit I need to do better than this To protect
You cant protect us all Neveah slipped into Randidly’s consciousness and nudged him slightly You are not Atlas Randidly with the world on your back You are the world Do you see the difference Because to fight every threat on your own really would be Folly
By existing we all fight We are the example of another Path
Fiero kicked off the air and rose higher in this central chamber until he landed against the ceiling Instantly the crystal Aether bubbled and seethed restrictive tendrils stretching out and trying to submerge and lock down Fiero Yet much more forcefully than this calcified energy struck at him Fieros vicious claws plucked up all that raw energy and pulled Raw Aether gushed down into his limbs confused and chaotic at being plundered like this
Fieros fists blazed The air flickered light bending and turning liquid in a halo around his body
All that extra Aether wouldnt add any extra detail to the fists Fiero threw but Randidly pressed his lips together knowing how much heavier all that energy would add
His eyes blazing Fiero drifted downward Snakes of concentrated Aether slithered around his fingers You consider it a mistake to squish the miserable lives of powerless individuals A laughable misunderstanding Because what lessons do you learn from such mistakes except that these individuals shouldnt have been weak
Randidly felt another tremor through his heart A part of him acknowledged that perhaps he had missed some emotional tang in Fieros Folly because the frustration and impatience in his body kept rising through him He wanted to be done with this draining fight He wanted to win now He wanted to have the climactic confrontation and not need to slog through more
He would advance but he was tired He still had all his Authorities but Randidly didnt know how they would fit into this struggle Even after a small number of conflicts with Fiero had pushed his powerful body to its limits And if he didnt continue to push himself to the limits on his own
As Fiero took a fighting stance and prepared to throw a punch a rumble echoed out throughout the crystal mountain range A split second later there was a resounding crack A small flaw split the solid Aether
Fiero stiffened His gaze twisted to the left in the direction the body of Elhume had been sealed
Randidly felt a strange sense of relief fill him as a small amount of the pressure against him eased Solomon Rex had finally made his move
Chapter 2381
Shal felt struck dumb He couldnt think He couldnt feel He barely even felt blood dribbling out of his wound He sat torn between two lives he might have lived one where he had encountered a student another where he had not
The memories hissed and spat at one another unwilling to accept the existence of the other In both he had followed the path of the spear The more he tried to dig into the specifics of either the more the memories blurred and blended into one another They simultaneously couldnt remain like this but also couldnt be extricated
He both existed and he didnt
He sat and blood continued to seep out of his wounds onto the ground Even breathing took a great deal of effort his chest heavy with emotions he didnt want to face Because no matter which of the lives Shal wanted to believe was true both had essentially now ended
He felt the scar on his fundamental soulshape seared there with the powerful blow Alana Donal had used Although an arm could be healed it would never again be a natural part of him He no longer had a future that he had so long reached for
Alright lets get up and move The head guard ordered with an anxious glance up toward the crystal mountain range Already one crack had skittered through the overhanging structure If the edifice would collapse with the waves of dense energy and the heavy materials all those present would be crushed
In a way Shal yearned for just that To have this suffering taken from him It would be so easy to just lie down and be crushed
Yet he felt so hollow he allowed himself to be hauled up to his feet and shoved forward With the other captured Swacc Family members he shuffled across the ground toward the exit Only when the person in front of him stumbled did Shal notice who proceeded in front of him the massive boar headed humanoid that he had fought against right when he arrived in the Nexus still reeling from his loss on the Path to the Pinnacle
With his Armament in hand and a booming laugh this being had laid Shal low right when he had been at his most vulnerable His memories of the confrontation were fuzzy and half remembered just one part of the entwined lives that he lived Yet now that same individual looked so small and helpless his face just as empty and drained as Shals own They shuffled on never even making eye contact with one another
The group trooped out of the crystal mountain range and examined the surroundings No ambush waited for them And honestly they were minor characters compared to the main fight still releasing shuddering tremors throughout the Nexus and destabilizing the area So they moved slightly further away so as to escape the spitting energy coming off the destabilized mountain range
Shal couldnt be bothered to listen in on the quiet discussions of the guards There were also a few amongst the Swacc Family who put their heads together to mount a resistance and escape but Shal ignored those small plots as well After all what would be the point
He sat at the edge of their temporary camp looking out across a sea of drifting space debris Occasionally the ground beneath him vibrated but the sensation didnt attract his curiosity His dual lives created friction as they rubbed against each other The ache where his right arm had once been grew stronger Who was he Who had he been Who would he become
Would it be better to die so he would no longer be plagued by these questions Could he
There was a soft tapping as a rather large grouping of rocks knocked against the solid ground on which the crystalized Aether was built Shal blinked and raised his eyes noticing for the first time the way the surrounding rocks seemed to be swirling in purposeful patterns There were no visible connections but the orbiting rocks seemed to be part of some massive machine
A quality Randidly couldnt yet rival lay in this fist
Randidly stepped forward despite this awareness He planted his feet and thrust his spear His images flared and swirled together each edged with its own unique emotional affect each naturally balanced with one another His spear blazed golden lined with green veins but edged in black
Although he shouldnt be able to clamber up to the Pinnacle without reaching that point on his own his power didnt know that It tried its best anyway The sharp report of the meeting boomed outward
The force of the impact smashed down on the battlefield below crunching a few of the Vulpine husks and giving the Vulpis Squad some much needed time to pause and regroup Spearlight ravaged the fist the two worlds behind the power leaning into one another to get an advantage The impact was also so powerful that some of the weakened crystal Aether near the spread cracks began to crumble
After an extended moment of struggle Randidly found himself thrown backward He transformed the movement into a natural back handspring and while righting himself his image shifted to the second form he had discovered Randidly as a monster His left eye and most of his face vanished completely the Songstress of Absence crooning out her annihilating song Yggdrasil stretched gnarled and thorned roots up to form two monstrous wings Not just that but roots also stretched from his waist to create a giant tail The heavy axe blade Acri fell into place
By now Randidly Ghosthound was practically beaming
His knuckles against the ground Randidly leaned forward and then launched himself for the second impact He blasted through the thick waves of disturbed Aether filling the chamber as the millenia old prison began to come down
Fieros worried glance had flicked back and forth across the spreading flaws in the crystal area so he was a split second late in unleashing his Seventh Fist Pinnacles Shibboleth Randidly pulled deeply from his own Nether forcing all the power and rebounding kinetic impacts through the tail Acri drilled forward
Space cracked briefly shattering and setting the rich ambient Aether nearby aflame Both Randidly and Fiero staggered backward standing in a sea of ghastly violet plasma flames flickering spreading and dying as the Aether combusted and Randidlys suffocating Nether extinguished the energy Energy churned and churned around his body
As the impact echoed out more of the crystal above them began to crumble Fiero eyes bulged out of his head You Randidly Ghosthound Keh
Randidly took a step back and gathered himself The event horizons moved to his eyes transforming his pupils into that horror in the abyss that looked back at you A cloak of pure darkness settled across his body His skin glimmered as golden runes spread across his available surface underneath that fluttering darkness He was a man he was a world he was a story
He was the Legend of Randidly Ghosthound And the Nexus would fucking remember him
He took a breath Yggdrasil gratefully sucked in also its roots stretching out and sipping from all of the rich ambient energy in the environment Even though he had suppressed some of the Aether there was so much more that came flooding into his body Kinetic force and raw Aether mixed and mingled Randidilys body felt aflame the concentrated core of a star about to approach a supernova state
He felt himself approaching a new plateau of energy He buzzed with the potential So long as he pushed a little further
Seems like today is the day I finally step onto the Pinnacle
Chapter 2382
Randidly breathed in through his mouth and through the roots of Yggdrasil All the energy he desired felt available to him He sat in the middle of a network of connections that spanned an entire universe And his body sang with the consumption and balance feeling the significance in the surrounding area all falling into alignment with this arrangement It was a whole new pattern a cascading reorientation that rippled out through the surrounding space and adjusted all the flows into his person
He pressed against the fabric of the universe and began to sink into it pulling with a force like gravity
In that heightened state of energy Randidlys perceptual acuity seemed nearly infinite The energy halos he witnessed layered atop one another in a constant swirling progression of inevitable shapes His body hummed up and down seeking to find the perfect note His impression on existence deepened
His steps were halting but some instinct of his knew that he approached the Pinnacle
Randidly Ghosthound Fiero breathed too pulling more and more of the chaotic Aether into his wizened form The air crackled and spat as rumbles split open the crystal mountain range around them Through the chaotic mix of energies Randidly could barely keep track of the Vulpis Squads struggles against the husks below Your transgressions doom you The Second Fist Vengeance
The words might be heavy but Fieros sentiment made Randidly snort he had already faced this second fist and defeated it It was the most unrelenting of Fieros attacks without a single pinch of give in the knuckles but that didnt make it the most powerful
Just like Fiero its only redeeming feature was borrowing the force you used against him to add some extra pressure And with a maelstrom of force generated by their previous impacts swirling behind his back Randidly Ghosthound was not someone who would capitulate in the face of force Fo?llo?w new stories
In his legend image physicalization form with his Cloak of a Thousand Lightless Horizons around his body and every limb covered in the sagas of the Alpha Cosmos Randidly Ghosthound took a stance and executed a basic spear thrust Violence erupted along the shaft His Hungry Eyes observed and dismembered the opponent’s flows of energy The tip of the spear slid cleanly into a small flaw
Although the horrible ache of impact had seeped down to the marrow of his bones Randidly slammed Acri against the stolen weapons of Fiero Briefly all of the ambient energy around their bodies was forced backward by the impact before it snapped back into place with a sizzling jolt His skin tingled with the strange electromagnetic force generated by the briefly vacated space
For the first time of all their struggles Randidly stood still in the aftermath and Fiero could only take a half step backward
With a light spin Randidly adjusted his spear The tip gleamed as he aimed it at Fieros chest The joyous sense of completion took root within his body The energy sang he experienced another small step forward This ends today Fiero Just let go
If you can reach the Pinnacle fucking prove it Otherwise Fiero grasped out with his hands and pulled down huge rivers of Aether some of it liquid some gas with even a few small crystalline chunks lingering in the flow That rich energy howled into his body from just a look at the cavalier brutalization of his physical form Randidly understood why Fiero needed to rely on these husks to maintain a presence His greed blinded him or caused him to ignore the risks of too much consumption
His flesh bubbled and melted as he became less a Vulpine and more a malevolent consciousness riding a torrent of energy
otherwise break and fall The Second Fist Vengeance Fiero screeched as he threw a punch Randidly wondered why Fiero had chosen to revert back down to his earlier fists but he quickly focused on this empowered second attack both in terms of the damage for which Fiero sought vengeance and the energy fueling the attack it had been completely transformed The punchs energy almost possessed a worn patina around its edges hints of an older and more ruinous fist that had been thrown
The alignment of energy resonated slightly with this fist and Randidly understood this had been a fist used previously to break onto the Pinnacle in the past He could see here the success of the Fiero in the actual Nexus
Randidly didnt adjust his stance despite the ominous force opposing him The harmonies within him continued to accumulate The cascading multiplied his emotional notes sharpening Step by step he advanced on his own Path toward the Pinnacle
As he thrust out his spear Randidly scanned Fieros eyes What he saw there was just a sea of bitter disappointment A craving for relief
Opposite him with Acri scratching and unable to pierce through even the front layer of his skin Fiero chuckled Even this sound was seeped in bitterness Can you now glimpse your foolishness I am a vessel For my crimes of transgressing upon the Pinnacle every aching hour of the day I bear Truth In this universe before truth you can only bow
Veins and muscles along Randidlys arm bulged as he tried to force the weapon that last few inches forward to inflict a wound Yet he felt it A barrier of not exactly of energy but of frequency A pure barrier of existence this was a being that had reached the Pinnacle
The rising tide of alignment responded to the impediment in front of his spear Randidly could feel his own transformation accelerating More pieces arranged themselves naturally more notes about his image hummed and focused their structure given guidance by encountering an example of the Pinnacle manifest
Yet Randidly didnt try and follow that Path It was one thing to take advantage of these possibilities it was another thing entirely to forget his roots
Instead of pulling back and reevaluating to seek the perfect note of harmonious energy one large enough to encompass an entire moment Randidly clenched his teeth His whole body roared All his Privilege of the Half Shallah concentrated on the minute execution of his musculature His evolved Stats focused themselves and pushed He had discarded his humanity in exchange for power He had allowed Moiraes and an Alchemist to settle within him altering the fundamental concepts of his person
Randidly could feel their rising glee He could feel his Nether Core spinning so quickly it had become a liquid ball of energy almost seeming to stand completely still Its complex flows wove their way in and out of the Momento he had built in his chest He relied on two parallel perspectives tying them together for extra stability
His body shuddered with the strain He leaned into the effort and grimaced Gradually the speed of his Nether Core lightened its edges from black to a translucent grey The central part of the core was clouded but the rotational speed kept increasing Randidlys body burned and steamed the friction of the rapid rotation spreading through him
The clouded Nether Core gradually seethed Rather than the black heart he possessed previously Randidlys Nether Core morphed to become a soothsayer’s crystal ball
Congratulations Your Skill Randidly Ghosthound Executive of Nether Reborn has grown to Level 1599
Congratulations Your Skill Randidly Ghosthound Executive of Nether Reborn has grown to Level 1642
He didnt try to match the foreign energy He just pushed
That thin veneer of inviolability broke Randidly Ghosthound grinned and leaned forward while Fieros face slackened with shock Did you really think this would stop me
Tiny beads of blood welled up from the wound and dribbled down Fieros chest Already Randidly could detect heavy and dangerous image elements even in the liberated blood He had some private theories about this Truth filling the vessel but no matter what Randidlys body could manage it had to be acknowledged how powerful it was
Something ugly formed in Fieros bitterness His aura sharpened as he raised his fists The Eighth Fist
But before he could complete the attack one too many cracks had formed in the crystal mountain range With a horrible groan it began to collapse
Chapter 2383
Devick plucked up daisies from the ground and ripped off their petals with the single minded intensity of a toddler If anything her mood was only worsened by the warm midafternoon sun and playful breeze in the scenic valley she had been left to recuperate Her eyes were blank but her fingers worked tirelessly
It was hard to not view the environment as a farce while also being aware that Randidly Ghosthound was throwing himself into the jaws of a monster to try and change the world Without her Maybe without even thinking about her Devick shuffled sideways and plopped down next to a new concentration of flowers to methodically dismember She bit her lip unsure if she was trying to hold back a bout of cackling or vomit
Devick had been jittery since brushing up against the alternate version of herself Her chest felt simultaneously tight and hollow She felt listless wanting to help somehow with the fight against Elhume and Fiero while also unable to avoid the knowledge that there was nothing that she could do
Devick
Devick jumped up and whirled around She was almost disappointed when it turned out not to be an ambush sent to subdue and capture her (she didnt bother to justify why she would be targeted by such a precision strike such minor details only detracted from the experience) but instead she blinked at Lowanna hands clasped in front of her
Ahem Devick glanced sideways at the very obvious trail of shredded flowers across the meadow The wind was a constant presence but it probably would be impossible to hide her culpability She tucked her hair behind her ears and lifted her chin Yes
We need your help Lowanna said keeping her eyes away from the trail of flower corpses
Devick raised two fists triumphantly Of course Through what hell do I need to walk to save the day this time
Lowannas lips twitched I appreciate the enthusiasm but the task this time will be quite a bit more modest We need a representative of the Alpha Cosmos but also of influences outside of the Alpha Cosmos to take part in a ritual with Enmya Considering your connection with Randidly you will be the perfect metaphor for Enmyas Phaea to the Alpha Cosmos
I want to be more than a metaphor I want to matter not just because of my connection to Randidly Ghosthound Fo?llo?w new stories
However Devick closed her eyes and took a deep breath Molten and cavernous her insides refused to cease their painful contractions Malice hissed and pressed her long ears against her skull When Devick opened her eyes she did her best to smile Sure Id be happy to help
Alana Donal happily hopped backward as huge chunks of crystalized Aether began to crash down amongst the chaotic and bloody melee on the ground A husk clacked its teeth together and staggered after her but a current of Aether buffeted its skeletal limbs back She released a sigh of relief and glanced around her at the other regrouping members of the Vulpis Squad Her heart sank
She had only lost the ring finger and pinky of her left hand when attacked from the side by a particularly ravenous husk but her heart broke to see about a fifth of the Vulpis Squad had been butchered and left on the ground by the husks and their corrosive images Most worryingly
In those horrible and chaotic moments of charging through the collapsing crystal Aether Alana suddenly felt immensely grateful she had forced her body through all of Randidly Ghosthounds hellish physical training regimen
It probably only took a minute or two with Yggdrasil ripping open a highway straight out of their strange environment but Alana staggered and fell to her knees when energy ceased cracking and crumbling around them She coughed for several seconds trying to regain her breath She might have stayed there longer kneeling on the burnt stone outside of the crystal mountain range had she not felt a prickling on the back of her neck Alana Donal twisted around and looked up
And her life vanished Her bible rippled open but all the pages fluttered past completely devoid of words The orange dust turned grey and
When a cloak of darkness slammed into place above their heads Alana gasped and sagged to the ground Around her several of the more powerful members of the Order Vulpis seemed similarly ill It was actually Heiffal wounded but apparently more coherent than the rest who liked his lips and asked the question What what the hell was that
A trap I didnt really expect Randidly said with a sigh He scratched the back of his head
What about the Grand Fates Alanas voice came out as a whisper She coughed again the clear her airway and tried again Did we stop the Actus Suprem
Yes for now Randidlys lips twisted The fluttering cloak of darkness above their heads contracted with his mood Fiero spirited her away right when things began to break apart Without the base ritual around her she cannot wield any more force But it wont take long to set it back up and we have company Lady Iellaya to what do we owe this pleasure
The Vulpis Squad covered their wounds and straightened as a troop of the Actus Suprems personal forces trooped through the dust and small aetherdevils spinning in the wake of the collapse In tight formation their collective image remained impervious for the small ambient eddies of energy At their head stood Lady Iellaya one time Commander at the frontlines and Randidly’s former superior officer She nodded solemnly toward Randidly I come bearing orders from the Actus Suprem
Surely youve noticed we are in the middle of a rebellion Randidlys smile turned feral
Lady Iellaya rolled her eyes Look you know I sympathize but clearly youve noticed the larger problems revealed by your actions Pine will literally end existence if he isnt handled The Actus Suprem believes that with the power she can gather through the assembled Grand Fates
For all her talent Randidly interrupted Devick was consumed by her work And with the collapsing Aether I have a hard time believing she contacted you recently She made preparations for this development beforehand
If you had contacted me before this mad crusade Lady Iellaya snapped right back I would have let you know that most of her preparations were actually for what comes next
Alana watched a new layer of tension settle across Randidlys shoulders And what comes next
Before he even finished the question Randidly straightened his eyes widened and he pivoted to look in a certain direction Lady Iellaya laughed In the words of our Actus Suprem that asshole Don will start waving his little prick around And based on her predictions Elhume is gonna come to you with an offer to help suppress this interloper Wouldnt your bargaining position be that much stronger if you and Devick were on the same side for this part
Chapter 2384
Randidly Ghosthound stared for several long seconds at Lady Iellayas hand after she offered a path to collaborating with the Actus Suprem Fury curdled in his gut but Randidly didnt indulge it completely
On the one hand he felt guilty he hadnt reached out to their cabal contacting Edraine and Lady Iellaya when he joined the Upper Sonora Society and barged into the crystal prison of Elhumes true body But he hadnt much choice Actus Suprems actions hadnt left him much time to hesitate With a tragedy happening right before his eyes he had moved to stop it
The Dread Homunculus hissed in Randidlys Soulspace Now that same vicious Actus Suprem extended her hand looking to twist the knife in the controlling powers to extract more benefit for herself In a way Devicks frantic efforts to gather Grand Fates made sense It gave her better leverage Yet the second hammer blow
Congratulations Your Skill Ghosthounds Cloak of a Thousand Light Horizons has grown to Level 1150
Congratulations Your Skill Ghosthounds Cloak of a Thousand Light Horizons has grown to Level 1193
Randidly grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck Every second the pressure of Pine increased Calling it pressure however was misleading Because it was a vast absence that slunk closer to the Nexus and gradually demonstrated its destructive impulses Already its consumptive drool seeped down and began to corrode the Aether structures holding the Nexus in place Even for his Vulpis Squad an unprepared glance proved deadly Even for him who had slaughtered a few dozen husks in their escape and grown to Level 99 Randidly felt constant tugs at his significance
He shivered slightly This is why Solomon didnt try to press the issue of me agreeing to stabilize Pine Because once his body was liberated it became inevitable that something be done Otherwise the entire Nexus would collapse beneath Pines weight That fuck
Congratulations Your Skill Ghosthounds Cloak of a Thousand Light Horizons has grown to Level 1197
Congratulations Your Skill Nyxs Successor Births Fate has grown to Level 1109
Do we have time to hesitate Lady Iellaya urged She gestured up at the sky with the hand she hadnt offered Her feathers were pressed flat against her arm winds edged with dangerous energies swirling around them Elhume will throw reinforce the TIer III Nexus citizenship area essentially trapping all that dangerous energy here for the time being While hes busy stabilizing the Nexus you should meet with the Actus Suprem and at least understand what shes offering Its the only logical course of action
Randidly lifted his head slowly Lady Iellaya shes everything weve fought against in the Nexus She did not create this System like like Elhume did but she benefits from it She enjoys the pain it inflicts
Lady Iellaya twisted her lips Morals are the privilege of the powerful Until we assume a more controlling position in the Nexus
Havent I proven that I have the power And its not just me The Upper Sonora Society has a plan that will hamstring the Nexus We dont need to associate with Devick in order to wield this influence And Im sure you know even better than I Randidly examined Lady Iellaya closely opening up his energy halo vision He saw the thin and insidious tendrils of rust madness happily swimming in Lady Iellayas soul all the Actus Suprem touches is affected
Yystrixs patterns get a bit esoteric and for the longest time I wasnt able to piece together the connections Too many organic shapes without guidance BUT based on the rambling journals Solomon provided and Devicks theory not all moments are created equal Not all truths possess the same oomph but maybe they reinforce the vessel at the same rate Thats the trick Variable potencies that generate a vessel at a fixed rate Likely with a Truth already present in your universe one you would need to wrestle with and survive in order for your vessel to catch up and grant you control over a moment
Lady Iellaya smiled talking about the danger of Pine lurking at the Pinnacle So you see it And if an individual attempts to reach the Pinnacle and fails the shadow cast by Pines corpse will grow larger We all will need to reckon with that weight The Actus Suprem might use blunt tools but all her efforts are for the betterment of the Nexus At least in terms of practicality she can be trusted Elhumes weakness is our opportunity
Neveahs excitement cut back across his physical conversation as her fervor built But what if you didnt need to wait for a vessel to form What if you could wrestle control of a moment without committing to a Truth
Congratulations Your Skill Ghosthounds Cloak of a Thousand Lightless Horizon has grown to Level 1214
Another wave of corrosion radiated down from the sky Randidly adjusted his feet and released a slow breath He raised an eyebrow trying not to let Neveahs chaotic mix of realization and excitement leak to show on his features Lets talk then about the blunt tools of the Actus Suprem There is no functional difference between what she is willing to do to achieve her goals and what Elhume has done to maintain his dominance for so long She might behave now but will she continue to do the same when we dont have a common foe
Lady Iellaya shrugged Will you not be there to check her
Maybe Im not being clear Randidly felt a muscle along his jaw twitch He leaned forward allowing some of his strain some of the wild tongues of hunger lashing down against his defensive image He let the Songstress of Absence leak into his pupils and the Dread Homunculus into his voice Why do I need her now
Neveahs babble continued This is a jump but what if the concrete process of the Pinnacle Truth is forming your version of the world That you become a vessel to a Truth that you hold a world So the legacy left to you by Yystrix
Randidly features froze He felt a tingle up across his skin as he began to see the shape that left Neveah practically frothing with anticipation Yystrix gave me all the tools to reverse engineer a vessel So if I wanted I could handle as much strain as I need upon reaching the Pinnacle Without even a Truth I wanted to force upon the world But is there any meaning in doing that
Theres also the matter of this core ritual Randidly Suddenly Neveahs enthusiasm dried up It should excavate compressed significance She didnt just want you to handle the problem she probably wanted you to save her son
All the geniality fell away from Lady Iellaya after Randidly laid bare his antagonism not even noticing his internal realizations Humph You remain infuriatingly sure of your capability Let me assure you the Actus Suprem does not have infinite patience
What happened Iellaya Randidly countered unwilling to waste more time The Alchemist in him was whispering he only needed a few more key ingredients to see the scope of his largest experiment yet When did you decide to side with the bullies
Lady Iellaya offered a joyless smile She manifested her image the massive feathered serpent screaming and spreading its wings But in addition to its sleek feathers and massive wingspan its body was riddled with a network of enflamed crimson veins Its eyes bulged with a horrible barely suppressed pain
I guess I started to understand her point of view Lady Iellaya whispered her voice husky with madness As we stated earlier even the brush of the Actus Suprem can be poisonous
Chapter 2385
Neveahs chest felt tight She stood over the pulsing core formation of Yystrix’s final gift following the patterns with her eyes Too many elements vied for her attention at once She needed to handle ten thousand problems which made even nine hundred arms feel overwhelmed This she reflected was probably how Randidly felt all of the time
This was why from individual perspectives he seemed to be doing a poor job of running the Alpha Cosmos Because inevitably details slipped through the cracks when you worked on the scale of universes
On the one hand she could feel a rising storm amongst Randidlys and therefore also her own Nether Some of the energy needed to be smoothed out less it began to affect weaker Nether warriors Enmya performed the first of the six ritual actions required of him and Devick accepted the first layer of the Phaea As far as Neveah could tell the process would be like adding extra lanes to the highway on which Randidlys Nether had been running
Already his Nether Core had transformed into a cloudy bubble As the prodigious amount of Nether he contained could flow more smoothly that cloudiness would clear She wondered what would be waiting in the middle
Thats the scariest part of this Neveah reflected clenching her fist so her fingers didnt tremble Randidly has become so strong but he can still grow stronger cant he Her image quivered To many we will soon become the original fear Upon our backs will all the failings of the world be pinned
Sin eater scapegoat punchline The Legend continues to grow
Beyond that Neveah had to cope with the increasingly worried demands for information from the denizens of the Alpha Cosmos She knew that Tatiana and Naffur were handling even more communications but everyone in the Alpha Cosmos was aware Randidly engaged in a meaningful clash in the wider Nexus The echoes frothed the seas and swirled the clouds Vast electromagnetic storm fronts swept into civilized areas from the wild lands
Worst of all was the rare breed of Chimera now morphed further to become Homunculi that Randidlys image released upon the world The excitement of these powerups of the violence had sent them into a frenzy Donnyton had mobilized almost all of their active squads to seek out and subdue them before nonClassers were hurt
Neveahs eyes dropped once again to the pattern in front of her Her intuition for Nether lagged behind Randidlys but the broad strokes were the creation of a massive vacuum that would counteract the warping power of Pines gathered significance A vacuum attached to an iron that would somehow flatten out some of the deviations transforming Pine into a monster At least it would do so if fueled with enough significance
Yet the longer she looked the more worried Neveah became Because she and Randidly had been taught lessons over and over again about the hooks that came along with the gifts given by Yystrix She might have provided all the assorted Engravings here for their betterment but finding this final little twist hidden in the middle seemed to vindicate a more selfish impression of Yystrix At the same time
The working sat alone inert It had been carved into the ground but it would need to be traced with Nether in order to create an actual effect It only represented a possibility one they possessed full control over
Neveah rubbed the flesh of her upper arms She had spent so much time in this room over the past few years familiarizing and reviewing all the patterns present With her research in such a rich repository of ancient and complex Engravings she felt confident she had become one of the foremost experts in the Nexus without peer in the Alpha Cosmos Yet it was a profoundly isolating experience to reach such heights She didnt like to admit it but she had spent more than a little time imagining what it would have been like just to converse and to exist with Yystrix
Aside from Randidly and a few dear friends Neveahs relationship with Yystrix through these Engravings might be one of the most important of her life
Neveah looked again at the pattern honed for a particular purpose only possible to be fueled by a being who could almost rival Pine in significance She rubbed her arms again She leaned back and looked up toward the sky
Well her awareness and adaptability were always her most ominous qualities
Out of wariness for even the smallest pinch of Devicks energy Randidly maintained his Cloak of a Thousand Lightless Horizons as he walked forward through the tunnel His heartbeat quickened as he felt little prickling nudges from the rust colored force as they proceeded behind Lady Iellaya and her elite troops Randidly felt his Nether Core humming in an unusual manner more and more Nether surging along his limbs He coated his skin with it trusting his energy to annihilate any foreign forces
When they exited the portal they stood in a familiar location the grand ballroom of Nexus Military High Command Randidly shook his head slightly At one point he had come here and been overwhelmed by the power possessed by these figures Their factions and alliances had been opaque to him before his association with Commandant Wick He had come to compete in the dance of the Masters pattern He had won and earned himself the opportunity he needed And now
Now everything had changed The ballroom was empty Trash and debris formed small drifts in the corner The complex marble patterns of the floor were split by a massive fissure The chandeliers had been taken down and in their place floated dozens of stone half arcs pivoting and swirling to corral the raw energy of the Grand Fates that the Actus Suprem had been able to drag out of her victims souls
However what made Randidlys mouth twitch in a gesture of exasperation familiarity and near disgust was when his eyes landed upon the figure of Actus Suprem herself She used the chaos of the crystal Aether collapse to execute a costume change Your flair for the dramatic is still aggravatingly consistent
Taking off the regalia of her Nexus position and wearing a simple cotton dress tch shes making fun of the other Devick isnt she How petty
Lady Iellaya gestured to several engraved pillars in a circle around the central portion of the ballroom The Actus Suprem recommends your subordinates do not pass across that dividing line
Charlotte Wicks eyes blazed but Raymund Ballast understood his role much more intimately Sir I believe we should at least send a small guard detail
No remain here at ease Ill handle our Actus Suprem Randidly shook his head and walked forward Immediately when he passed through the barrier created by the pillars the air behind him turned milky His much more attuned spatial sense let him feel the grip of the teleportation formation hidden in the carefully curated cracks on the ground but Randidly let it happen
His First Authority flexed and whined about how easily it could quash this interference but Randidly needed another conversation with Devick Not because he wanted to negotiate he had gotten a full understanding of her attitude earlier during their talk but because now he had a better idea of how historys momentum had begun to flow
However those thoughts were driven from his head as his skin prickled as he felt the energies settle and he found himself in another familiar ballroom This one was just as empty as the previous one but much more alarming to have been chosen by this Devick Because this ballroom was the ballroom of Devicks past This had been the place in the memory where Randidly had encountered Devick for the first time in the city owned by Devicks adoptive father before he had tried to trade her in order to protect his city
In oppressive silence Randidly walked up the stairs to the upper level of the ballroom He passed down the hall exactly as he had the first time in the memory accompanied only by his footsteps And when he reached that balcony where Devick had waited for him the Actus Suprem stood gesturing softly and manipulating the stolen Grand Fates
Should I be worried that you separated me from my subordinates Lady Iellaya gave her word they would not come to harm
Of course not If anything Im doing your subordinates a favor Devick looked up from her efforts and flashed a winning smile Just doing some light recruiting After all the tough fights youve put your people through I just figured they might consider following me for a bit
Randidlys jaw clenched but he had expected it his earlier at ease had been a signal for them to prepare for immediate combat He tried to ignore the Actus Suprems eyelash batting greeting and looked up at the mass of pain and loss she had rolled together
Chapter 2386
is it possible to leverage your assistance further Don Beigon asked sitting in the middle of a grand formation built on the edge of the cliff Waves of copper colored water crashed below sending glittering spray up into the slow golden rotation of energy around his person Nearby several powerful figures from the Nether Lattice floated and considered while adding a pittance of their shared significance to the working In the distance the Dons subordinates and former debtors called to join the Nether Lattice mingled freely
It had almost become a small festival The excitement and powerful images added weight to the air Many lingered over curiosity over how Elhume would deal with this blatant transgression growing ever more curious as the distant disturbance in the Nexus continued to delay the predicted hammer blow Of course they also remained far enough away from the action they would be able to escape sudden retribution
Upon his request the Nether Lattice representatives took their sweet time conferring with each other to weigh the options Knowing this would happen the Don closed his eyes time was a precious commodity to him right now although he needed to be extremely precise in its allotment
His image wavered and swelled before adjusting its shape and slimming back down to a more condensed shape He felt a low through through his entire being as he tried to perfect his image that would become a Truth Once he reached the proper volume the volume of the Pinnacle for his image note he would not be able to make adjustments The process couldnt be interrupted
His emotions twisted and writhed each exerted individual influence on the final note His deep well of vengeance his methodical patience his brutally exacting intellect the complex gears and flywheels of his internal sense of debt
He felt a grand machine becoming clearer and clearer in his mind possessing none of the vagaries of ephemeral karma No the Truth he would embody would be an empirical truth Connections brushes and touches wouldnt be so poisonous His would be a moment of clean delineation
Of fucking payment for which he was long owed A reckoning that would attribute culpability where it was due
It is possible The humanoid hawk that had hemmed and hawed in the negotiations now acted as though this agreement was the pinnacle of generosity However you must understand we take on a great deal of risk in this manner Despite all your preparations have others failed to at least gather this much support After all if Elhume were to intervene before you have repaid our significance
The Don bowed his head as though giving this pile of horseshit his due consideration Instead he simply followed the notes of his personal truth toward their inevitable conclusion The nobs of his emotion slowly slid into alignment He would generate a reordering of this Nexus A new order where power could not elude justice
I do have certain rare resources gathered over the course of my business operations for the past few centuries Secret vaults I am willing to provide their locations as collateral for your continued faith He finally said He looked around at his allies He witnessed the poorly disguised greed in their eyes
The Nether Lattice representatives nodded solemnly The amount of support they offered increased The trickle of significance became a healthy stream His left hand gripped the armrest with just a pound of force less than would be required to snap it For now this meager increase would be enough His foundation empowered its shape and structure pushing him upward
Irritation surged in the Dons chest both threatening to cause him to break his character and also lose the thread of his truth In the end this was a distracting farce and he couldnt wait until he could put it behind him
He followed the flow of golden radiance above him to the place where his foundation the available moment and his rising image led him A swirling portal opened a direct Path to the Pinnacle However the Don made no move to take this doorway
He honed his image He strengthened his foundation Across the Nexus his agents activated secondary rituals to give him a better grip on the moment
The portal to the Path to the Pinnacle wiggled and shifted The crossing over point to this trap gauntlet created by Elhume adjusted to his higher attainment Gradually the grand working created by the Don drilled upward giving him access to a higher point along the dangerous gauntlet guarding the Pinnacle
He thought we would win despite all that Despite all the reasons why most said we wouldnt be able to manage it Alana coughed a bit sucked in her stomach and took her spear stance Small wisps of golden orange light slithered away from her skin She could feel her image her faith percolating through and settling within that dense core of Nether in her chest
How Lady Iellaya chuckled as she looked Alana up and down
Alana shrugged unwilling to admit she also didnt understand Instead she focused all her attention on her next move her current five Revelations wouldnt cut it After such a long break it was time to open her soul and discover a Sixth Revelation
The place in her chest where faith and Nether mixed shook slightly Alana was disconcerted the shudder seemed to indicate creating another Revelation was the wrong choice
Another section of the Military High Command facade collapsed as two more bodies blasted out A group of three grim faced soldiers walked out after just as Heiffal coughed and writhed rolling off of Charlotte Wick who he had protected with his body
Large spatters of blood bloomed on those stretches of ground they had rolled across before their momentum had been expended
Heiffal Alana gasped out the words Charlotte released an inarticulate roar as she managed to get her bearings The ground beneath their feet writhed and seethed as her Primal Force roused it into action Waves of natural energy filled the air The warm smell of freshly turned loam filled the air
It was an empowered and inherited image one passed down from the Ghosthound
The three soldiers smirked They unleashed blasts of their sharpened images In concert the three ripped through and obliterated Charlotte Wicks defenses All the natural vibrancy she conjured barely held off the offensive for a second And in the next instant Heiffal came roaring onto the scene
Drops of blood dribbled out from his numerous wounds Alana could tell he was a firm shove away from folding over like a rotten tree trunk But in the face of those refined images from the Actus Suprems personal forces Heiffal didnt hesitate for a second His image was rough but it surged dramatically from the depths of his body It was a profoundly selfish image one that refused to concede
Despite its faults it possessed a foundation that an inherited image couldnt rival The Nether in Alanas body began to rotate
His resistance flickered but didnt wholly falter For a second he held back the attack giving time for Charlotte to reposition bring her furry around swinging around Heiffals waist and then yanking both of them to safety
The concentrated image blast from the trio shot forward ripping up a trough of marble ground Alana felt her Nether begin to settle into a new pattern Her ribcage continued to release twinges of pain but she knew what she had to do
As I pointed out you were abandoned Lady Iellaya said She took a step forward Her Feathered Serpents tail lashed back and forth If you surrender now we will be willing to spare the lives of your soldiers
It cant be about him all the time Alana whispered to herself Her orange golden motes of holiness began to flash and pulse We we need to begin to take full responsibility The paths have been opened And now
Now we walk Alanas eyes shifted to Heiffal coughing through lips wet with blood Her pupils dilated The Skill crystalized inside her chest The First Parable A Hopeless Soldier
Chapter 2387
Despite the strange circumstances in which they met these two strange men bonded below while the Nexus ended above them
Huh The Monarch of Karma leaned back and scratched his chin He felt quite sorry for his new friend after listening to his story So you dont even remember which was real Which life actually happened
No The man named Shal released the word in a giant exhalation
The two sat on what seemed to be the edge of an island drifting through space with huge clouds of crystal dust sparking and swirling above them Their feet hung off the edge of the stone above the abyss where different forces clashed and growled against each other The companions of Shal argued nearby as none of their options for escaping the current scenario seemed feasible Despite the rumbling environment they seemed to have found a small bubble of peace
Fate was content to allow the two to have a long talk about their lives
The Monarch of Karma fidgeted for a few seconds before he worked up the nerve to articulate his question Which do you want to be real
Is wanting such an easy thing Again each of Shals vocalizations came with a massive release of air from his lungs All the stress in his body seemed to seep into the circulating oxygen and he spared no bit of effort to try and squeeze the excess out of his body
For me The ease with which I want sometimes scares me The Monarch of Karma admitted Of the two of them he had spoken less over the last half hour But that didnt mean he didnt feel extremely vulnerable after the talk they had shared At the moment he very much tried not to let his mind linger on how nice it would be to have someone he could call friend
For a brief moment light flashed in Shals eyes I do not mean base covetousness that manifests whenever eyes land on the novel I speak of the want that will allow you to persevere across a lifetime A sustaining want that shapes your Path and allows you to seize your destiny However somewhere along the way I have lost mine I am light and hollow the slightest breeze will sweep me up now
At the risk of offending you is that not also a sort of blessing The Monarch of Karma spread out his hands The lightness is an advantage of a sort You have been given a clean state returned to the beginning From here you can discover yourself anew You can live without the weight of your previous want
You speak truth But I am torn by the source of my pain do I miss the guiding want or do I feel too old to discover another Shal shook his head
The Monarch of Karma watched the glittering waves of broken crystals cycling through the sky above them The drifting crystals had begun to be pulled into the rotation patterns he had brought with him Soon they would gather momentum and create some unpredictable effect So he stayed silent for now because he didnt have the heart to tell Shal that not moving was also a choice And currents were coming that would sweep them up whether they wanted it or not Re?Ad lateSt chapters Only
You do not need to want You could remain here The Monarch of Karma said unsure exactly who he spoke to
Shal again with the same ambiguous point of view shook his head The Monarch of Karma nodded in agreement Lost in the murky reality of existence both men turned their clumsy thoughts toward what they wanted
The Actus Suprem wanted to purr in satisfaction feeling the jagged emotional reverberations as Randidly Ghosthound walked through the abandoned ballroom and ascended to her balcony He possessed all her favorite emotions for inciting violence She kept her gaze forward savoring the feeling not wanting to spoil the moment by looking at his fate
His steps echoed He came closer He walked out onto the balcony He was only a few meters away Up close his emotions gurgled and seethed even more than she would have hoped His emotional prowess was nothing short of astonishing
Randidly Ghosthound looked at her her face troubled I dont want to kill you Devick
But I will if I need to
He hesitated So little of what happened in your life you chose Ive seen it
You can make a different choice now
Take a step back Release the Grand Fates At the very least I agree that we only have a little bit more time before the other players are going to make their moves in earnest The Nexus will change today If you are willing to compromise we can do this together
Abandon your power Collaborate with me
Devick felt small next to Randidly physically A little bit shorter and slighter probably a lot lighter She abruptly wished she hadnt changed out of her regalia into this dress just as a jest The flimsy fabric laid bare the differences in their physiques She felt her pupils begin to tremble as she looked at him His eyes were softened with sorrow but he was confident in his own power
In the end it came down to the same thing so many others had demanded of her over the year that she cede control
She would rather die than do so She would rather be a monster than do so
I might be in the wrong I might break it all by gripping too tightly but Randidly Ghosthound do you know the reason they call me the Actus Suprem Why I need these Grand Fates to be mine Devick let out a high pitched giggle Her arms shook Because I will never be the powerless one ever again What I want I will control
This time Randidly didnt open his mouth as sadness softened his eyes Im sorry I need to do this
Ill never be mad at you for trying to take power for yourself even from me Devicks heart released a low groan
She blinked rapidly both fluttering her eyelashes and trying to keep any tears from forming So what now Surely you wouldnt just strike a defenseless woman while she
Devicks image fled before a massive tide of Nether Her eyes widened in shock feeling the density of the significance that flowed through Randidlys body In just a second the chains in her hands vanished Even the reinforced Engraving arcs shuddered underneath the assault cracking and nearly collapsing
What had been hers now rested in his larger hands
While Devick watched Randidly opened his fingers and showed his palms to the sky All the Grand Fates she had not yet gathered whispered away happily retreating back to their original owners
His eyes were the impenetrable green of the first forest in which an ill prepared traveler died Your hands are now free Take a stance
Chapter 2388
Randidly leaned forward concentrating all his weight into the toes of his right foot Devicks face morphed its way through varying degrees of surprise
He gathered his images to himself His emotional sea surged between fury and anticipation His Nether grew into increasingly complex patterns breeding and reflecting itself in his Pangus Asymptote His whole body shifted more and more of his potency held upon his toes ready to explode forward
The note Randidly now understood as the stirrings of Truth become loud and clear through his Soulspace every second All his potential wound together as he prepared to face Devick
Finally her face reached the end of its transformation Of all the possible reactions to him so clearly manifesting his dominance with his First Authority what Randidly hadnt expected was a genuine smile She beamed with anticipation And as the first sparkles of rust colored energy gathered around Devicks body he suppressed a shiver Because in those first notes of power Randidly could feel an almost familiar discordant resonance to her energy
His eyes widened in recognition She has a Deviation Rarity of her own And fuck the power of her image
Against this strange deviation Randidly felt his own images rousing themselves to action once he had recognized the rival a nervous anticipation bred and exploded through his limbs The Accord of Three Moiraes and an Alchemist especially seethed with barely controlled indignation at this interloper An instinctual desire to rise and suppress this fellow Path surged through Randidlys body He restrained his wild impulse it but he didnt bother to stop all his focus narrowing to the foe in front of him
Randidly Ghosthound cracked the knuckles holding onto Acris shaft Devick offered a small bow Her body released a horrible sense of wrongness his instinctual offense spreading from his own Deviation Rarity images to that note of the Pinnacle humming in his heart
All his concentrated weight erupted
Their images exploded out from their bodies small supernovas radiating such heat and energy that the balcony beneath them shattered The walls and floors of the ballroom began to melt and ooze The rest of the surrounding ghost city cracked and began to collapse
Randidlys first strike was one of force He choose to corral all of the significant power he wielded into the blade at the end of Acri Flames of Nether Weight danced across the shaft His Stats had broken through the Nexuss limits and then continued to climb released repeated sonic booms Opposite him Devick spread her hands wide her eyes glittered as though she were on the verge of tears Her image dug and dug and penetrated and infected the fabric of space around her body burrowing deeper into the fundamental ordering of the universe
Her wrongness only seemed so deepen Randidly felt his stomach twinge
Their images washed against each other for a second until his easily forced hers to the side Randidly attempted to gather power while she laid the foundation for later imagework He narrowed her eyes at their respective tactics She quirked an eyebrow What you think a single strike is enough to eliminate one such as I Randidly I hope you dont regret your hubris
The two non Pinnacle image notes rattled against each other His skin crawled at the spreading corruption her note was becoming not sung by simply a single note but
He unleashed his prepared response Randidly thrust his spear with more than enough power to doom an entire world All his Stats were concentrated and focused to the tip of the weapon The Actus Suprem didnt even block it her smile stretched wider and wider as though she planned to laugh her way entirely through the impact
Or as though she would just swallow all his resistance with that manic mouth of hers
Randidly gritted his teeth it annoyed him to no end how this was exactly the sort of reckless method that he would use But by the same token he understood exactly how vulnerable the Actus Suprem was at the moment He just didnt trust the wrongness that blazed within her body Even viewing through his energy halo awareness he couldnt quite understand the source of this horrid aversion
Acri ripped into her chest Randidlys eyes blazed as he applied more pressure intending to tear her torso entirely in half
Devick released a shocked gasp along with a spray of her blood But Randidlys violence slammed into a series of dense images trapped and pressurized within Devicks body His eyes widened as his momentum ceased broken by the dense power of the images he found there Devicks back arched as a wave of kinetic force passed through her body The building behind her shattered and caved in as though a giant had driven his fist into a sand castle
As though Devicks internal organs had begun to rot the wrongness intensified as it splashed out of her wounds Her horrible poisonous note became clear
Youve been eating some of the Grand Fates youve taken Randidly whispered feeling the buzzing notes of at least a dozen different images crammed into her body He didnt hear a single note but a horrible song of pain and forced unity A song of madness echoed out from the Actus Suprem
The Deviation note prevented any of the individual Grand Fates from approaching a Pinnacle sort of Truth but he could also see the beginning of a harmony Devick created to replicate an attempt on the Pinnacle in a monstrous fashion A different sort of approach a different sort of truth
A powerful Deviation Pinnacle event Between the two of them Devick was much closer to finding a Path to reach her own bloody truth Re?Ad lateSt chapters Only
In the space Randidly used to reveal his own monster Devick leapt backward to open up some space Her crimson hair flared out around her making it seem like she bled outward into the environment both the moon and the reflection and all of the agony Yes Yes exactly this Thats how a son should look at a mother Resent me Hate me For everything I gave to you I took a treasure just as dear Family are those who could reach into your vulnerability without you able to stop them
Congratulations Your Skill Hungry Heart Hollow Eyes Cadence of Tragedy has grown to Level 1099
Her words were practically nonsense Randidly sought refuge in the oblivion of the consuming song allowing his image to press against existence without a thought to the consequences His movements made his body blurry so much motion and force that existence could barely contain him
Still cackling Devick grasped into the underpinnings of the environment and began to warp it even further She attempted to infect all with her wrongness In a mockery of Randidlys shift the area exploded with the rattle of chains They wound together and formed a hunched and monstrous spider of rust and madness lifting its two forelegs to slash at him
Randidly Ghosthound left hand tore through the first leg and he grabbed the second to drag the spider closer to him Her madness sizzled against his fingers but that was just more feed to pour into the Songtress annihilating ballad
Congratulations Your Skill Hungry Heart Hollow Eyes Cadence of Tragedy has grown to Level 1113
You know why I love you Devick giggled without seeming to care Randidlys wrath bludgeoned and overpowered her image as he dragged the massive spider closer You do not fear my touch Because you know we are the same
Randidly unleashed a wordless scream His grief curdled and lashed out scraping his chest cavity raw I wasnt the one who fucking
Just as the massive spider came close enough for his scorpion tail to strike and pierce into Devicks heart the body exploded All the disparate chains became reeling serpents filled with self destructive gluttony They pounced toward him intending to devour him to bite him until more poisonous madness flowed through his veins than blood
Like the fingers of the recently disturbed dead the bare branches of Randidlys wings twitched In the next instant Randidlys back bulged as more and more cruel protrusions forced their way out from his shoulder blades
While Devick could wield a near infinite number of restrictive chains the World Tree could produce enough branches to support all of existence Chain and branch met and grappled the swelling battleground grinding any remnants of the starting castle to dust
Congratulations Your Skill the First Tree Suffers Only Fealty has grown to Level 1121
Even through the haze of his fury Randidly felt the power of Devicks image Her madness resisted his anger A million serpents half organic and half bloody metal writhed and spat at each other For several seconds they remained locked in close contact Not only had her Deviation somehow slithered closer to fulfillment than his but she had been purifying her own image under normal System rules for a long long time Plus the extra Grand Fates she was in the process of absorbing acted as batteries adding a little extra juice to her
More madness sparked off her image and onto his as they ground against one another The battlefield began to change The touch of the metal against the branches became almost sensual
He saw Lyra her eyes sharp within the grasp of the Creature waiting for Randidly to come to save her He saw her considering him when he finally arrived and she told him that she believed the Creature to be right they could not fight against the entire universe they should instead attempt to hide
Those memories turned to embers within his veins Now with him just a step away from proving her wrong Lyra as he knew her ceased to be
Even so even if you are gone
Thick currents of Nether through his image prevented Randidly from being drawn into the strange warping power of Devicks image In a way she was definitely right They were similar Both he and she opened Paths his to a different way of existing hers to a twisted version of reality filled with agony and malice His to one where no matter how unreasonable your dream
Randidlys entire existence came into alignment In a way he learned from his close contact with her twisted Deviation Rarity He saw how to advance further along his own Path
Because for all the advantages that Devick possessed Randidly had been given a secret Path His vessel was already built he contained worlds and worlds When the depths of his emotional sea began to move the balance abruptly began to tilt
Ill prove it to you Randidly thought tears still running down his cheeks This whole Nexus Ill upend it
He was incandescent his emotions burning through his powerful body as he took a step forward Yggdrasil snapped its way through the chains and the Randidly approached a monster stalking its prey
Chapter 2389
Devick accepted the fourth offering from Enmya an unadorned copper blade that had been hammered into shape using solely Nether The workmanship of the weapon was rough but it felt both heavy and warm in her hands More annoying than any of the details however was how powerful this common weapon seemed to be
She suppressed the urge to brandish it back and forth like a child play acting at war Despite all the import of this ritual she felt quite bored And as though the multiverse heard and understood her frustration the Alpha Cosmos shivered
Holding the refined weapon Devick felt the strangest sensation beneath her feet As though the solid ground were cracking and she now was balanced precariously upon a tiny barge of substance drifting on the stirring sea of Nether within the Alpha Cosmos The ground became an unstable ice floe Any wrong move could overstrain her vessel and result in her plunging into its depths
Even Enmya began to frown looking down at his now empty hands The Nether Rituals circling their positions pulsed and flickered casting strange shadows across his face This should there have been such an immediate response on only the fourth offering
Devick did her best to stay still although she felt a strange tugging upon the weapon she now held Malice leaned closer peering at the energies sloshing within it Probably this could be used to slay a god too Even the small items in rituals used to empower Randidly Ghosthound are so powerful Can I really belong at his side
No thats the entire point isnt it Devicks grip tightened on the weapon until her knuckles were white and she felt the metal deforming in her hand Her vessel shook very slightly I claimed a place by his side because I refused to imagine a world where I did not Unreasonability is my greater weapon
Balance was just an illusion Only those who looked past their illusory refuge could see the most daring Path forward
Lowanna drew her fingers in the air tracing small patterns Her lips thinned at what she discovered We knew this arrangement was without any comparable predecessors The potency of the response simply proves we are on the right track As the volume of Nether grows unexpected wrinkles in the pattern are inevitable
Shouldnt we be more cautious in how we proceed We will not get a second chance at this Enmya frowned Can his body really handle this
Devick had a moment of monstrous clarity Just sitting through the ritual would not bring her any closer to her goal And she knew in her bones that Randidly was altogether too much of a fool to have taken the stable route
She knew what she had to do
Devick adjusted the sword in her grip and pointed her blade toward the ground With Malice grinning she drove the copper blade into small central point of dirt without any glowing symbols on it Both Lowanna and Enmya froze and watched her with wide eyes as Devick gripped the hilt and twisted it popping open an even larger flaw in the small bit of stable significance beneath them
What are you doing Enmya gapped
After a single warning tremble from the ground a grander ritual unfolded on that key Devick wielded A thousand organic Nether patterns swirled up out of the ground and created a storm of significance around their position The calcified skin of energy cracked and revealed the beating heart and lifeblood of the work they were doing More and more patterns slithered out and bled into one another forming a massive churning maelstrom of patterns
A dome formed above their heads blotting out light from the sun with its swirling arrangements
Twilight felt cool against Devicks skin after the heat of the daylight Rising winds tore down the small trees nearby and tossed them across the surrounding hills However the more ominous development was the long fingers forcing their way out of the ground Soon forearms and Randidly torsos followed blank eyed zombies shambling to their feet and turning their misty gazes toward the three individuals working in the middle of the Nether Ritual
Fascinating Lowanna announced with a remarkable amount of poise She nodded to Devick She used the sword to carve her way from the surface of the Randidlys significance to its very core Can you see the patterns Enmya You were perhaps correct we will need to make some small adjustments
But what the fuck are they Enmya waved a hand as the first few Randidlys began to stumble toward their position
Subconscious impulses Monstrous dreams Dark sublimated desires from the Alpha Cosmos Deviations or contradictions that developed within his Nether Core Flaws which upon being cleansed will make the result all the more overwhelming She raised her hand her own Nether beginning to flow between her fingers Do try your best to hurry Enmya I am not sure how long I will be able to hold them off
Now was the chance to stop her It would only get harder from here
His fury burned through his muscles trembling with the exhaustion of climbing to this point Even his powerful body couldnt bear the emotional intensity of an entire world for very long For this decisive strike he didnt rely on images just on his overwhelming emotional force He breathed in and closed his eyes An avatar of all the Alpha Cosmoss rage settled into a fighting stance
Vengeance incarnate for all those loved ones killed by the Systems callous methods thrust forward Randidly Ghosthounds speartail
The two reflected moon eyes watched the blow Devicks monstrous offhand reached up and caught the emotional force Image met image deviation smashed into deviation Devick laughed loud and echoing
He could feel her soul twisted and scarred She was not unfamiliar with an entire world hoping she would die She had endured such rejection for as long as she lived Where his fury seared her image her grief and pain chilled his attack
Even through his fury Randidly felt Devicks power rival his own He could feel the essence of her body rapidly shifting being baptized by her strange transformation He felt the wrongness proliferating corroding and altering the fabric of existence Her words seemed to haunt existence a world state adjacent image but one affecting only her
Where insanity can respire so can I
The light from the crimson moons brightened a slightly different shade than the hair of the Actus Suprem The reality of the current situation cut through the pounding of Randidlys blood his wild sense of loss and fury Devick grasped her way up to a warped version of the Pinnacle right in front of him The sky had begun to rotate the not Pinnacle event warping the surrounding environment with its imminent arrival
Randidly felt like his own personal grief took from him with just as much surety as his Visage of Obsession Seeing his strike rebound shook loose a few more cracked pieces of his psyche Rage lived and breathed within his chest swelling to fill the missing pieces
He would not stop until he had buried the Actus Suprem
He raised his arms and shredded the edges of Devicks avatar body His wings beat and beat the World Tree cracking the body in front of it Nether roared through his body His tail became a machine gun drilling again and again with Acri Striking the pure image reaction happening again and again
With the force he wielded he chipped and cracked her image array But that only seemed to make it fester and solidify more quickly His body was covered in sweat and his muscles trembled The event horizon of the Songstress of Absence spun its way wider beginning to eclipse the tops of his shoulders
Neveah unleashed a powerful mental warning to catch his attention Elhume is moving again in your direction If you do not finish this soon
Randidly just roared He had wanted so badly to protect the people from Expira And over and over again
Lyra Silver for all her flaws was the first person to ever tell him with her chin raised and sniffing that he wouldnt be able to manage it A single man simply couldnt protect everyone
No powerful Randidly became she had been right about that
She had died because he wasnt enough
Randidly Neveah tried to intercede but already the pressure built and burst within his chest
His scream was completely muted by the event horizon around his head but then the Songstress of Absence amplified and weaponized his wild outburst The Hungry Eye opened and revealed a mouth that screamed of cessation A pure blast of oblivion carved through the wild discordant notes of her image and crashed against Devicks main body wreathed in necrotic power
Chapter 2390
All had proceeded without a hitch And that was why he worried
Don Beigon watched the shifting portal to the Path to the Pinnacle Higher and higher they climbed More and more energy flowed through to the grand working he had created His foundations had become incomparably solid He felt some others attempting the Pinnacle but even from here he sensed their wrongness His own note of truth had become loud and clear thrumming through his body
The vibe of the gathered individuals had changed as well as more time had passed and Elhume didnt rip open a hole in the sky and use his fist to grind all their dreams to dust the celebrations became more animated Many had produced mead to share in anticipation They believed more deeply that this might not end in them all being obliterated
Of course the Don knew he would gladly do the obliterating himself when the time came They were fuel nothing more ready for when he had need of them Yet even he couldnt believe that Elhume still hadnt yet made himself known
Could the collapse of his crystal citadel have deeper implications than I suspected The Don felt irritated by the lack of response These details were outside of his predictions He didnt like not understanding the way the situation developed His careful calculations now seemed woefully insufficient
The continued ascension of the portal however calmed him down If nothing else he constantly improved the possibility of reaching the Pinnacle And once he reached that height
Once the Pinnacle comes within my grasp none will possess the power to stop me from bettering this world The Don didnt bother to suppress the smile stretching across his face
A great success yes The humanoid hawk fluttered her wings and floated nearby She watched the whole process in a way that only a predator could with pupils wide and soft
A great success The Don agreed
Congratulations Your Skill Protostar Sears the Fabric of Space has grown to Level 61
Congratulations Your Skill Protostar Sears the Fabric of Space has grown to Level 205
Recalculating
Your Skill Protostar Sears the Fabric of Space is reacting with your Singularity of the Inhospitable Depths Skillset Examining empathy incorporating influences shifting Skill associations
Congratulations Your Skill Protostar Sears the Fabric of Space has evolved into Singularity Engulfs the Finite Skill Levels will be maintained
Randidly gasped as an unexpected blast of force erupted from his chest The unexpected development caused him to stumble But if he were surprised Devick was entirely blindsided Two little fuzzy creatures with misshapen mouths locked onto both of Devicks hands keeping them from moving
For the first time all semblance of cheer fell away from her expression Her thread thin neck pivoted the hollow sockets of her eyes fixating on these interlopers What the fuck are these
Congratulations Your Skill the Twin Lingering Shadows of Misfortune has grown to Level 1199
Congratulations Your Skill the Twin Lingering Shadows of Misfortune has grown to Level 1200
The giggled nervously the sounds echoing
You little shit Devick hissed She was a hateful weightless puppet floating in the midst of all her clinking chains You choose now to throw these in my face What is it jealousy over your mother Does it taste bitter that I had other sons before you ones less perfect Keh You think these little maggots can stop me for even a second
Randidly just watched as Devick ranted He felt curiously detached Part of it was expending so much emotion at once the experience left him hollow and numb But the other part was a strange certainty that he didnt need to do anything further
He felt an invisible hand touch his shoulder The significance was clear he had done enough His role as always was to open the Path
Ill shred them I am all powerful All the aborted flesh and spirit in the world is me All the broken and repressed impulses These twisted failures are me If anything youve only made me Husk Devick gnashed her rotten teeth together The strain was invisible due to her thin arms but Randidly could see space distorting around the bindings A larger tremor ran through the floating moons Devick had affixed in her form as eyes more powerful I can just devour these things the past will never bind me Havent you shown me that Even our pasts we can change with enough power
Her horrible cacophony of bound Grand Fates twisted the world worming their way deeper and deeper into the fabric of the Nexus She took another step toward a horrible perversion of the Pinnacle Devick cackled her jaw clacking in a manner exactly like Ceruleans amusement All of my life can be remade with the proper deviation From now I will work my way through time until every moment is just us the two
A spike of crimson shot down from the brighter of the two hanging moons and pierced through the knot at the core of the partially annihilated Devick Her hands twitched recognizing and trying to block the attack but the twin spirits of misfortune held her fast
Once pierced her core began to whistle like a deflating balloon The madness in the air wavered with uncertainty
Congratulations Your Skill the Twin Lingering Shadows of Misfortune has grown to Level 1220
You sneaky bitch Devicks head whirled all the way around When the second spike came from the reflected eye the husk wrenched until one of the twin lingering shadows tore She caught the second strike and scowled upward
The moons dissolved The spikes flowed down toward the connection point until Lyra stood there head held high one hand buried in Devicks chest and the other caught by the monstrous husks hand Her lips twitched If you can plant self destructive impulses in me why are you being so petty about me doing the same
Ill kill Devick began
But before she could get very far Randidly was there hands clamping down on her shoulders His eyes burned with emerald fire Suddenly he understood how best to unwind this version of Devick You wont get the chance to inflict even one more scratch Actus Suprem
Chapter 2391
Randidly had felt the first inklings of Devicks monstrous resistance to adversity when he had battled against her emotions directly He had gathered up all his momentum and edged it with the bleeding blade of his images His fury backed by the Alpha Cosmos had barely managed to make a dent in the grief and scarring that crisscrossed her soul
The impact jarred him worse than even Elhumes punches
She quite like the original Grim Chimera was a being designed for survival Even he didnt know if he could wield enough force to squish and obliterate her hardy and persistent core So instead he stopped pressuring her
From viewing her life from multiple angles the one disadvantage the original Devick possessed is that she was so often the architect of her own doom And her stubbornness meant she often doubled down rather than concede A strength in the right circumstances
A deadly weakness in others
Randidlys Nether Core hummed a misty crystal ball releasing wave after wave of pure life energy His Fourth Energy opened up a wellspring and poured out the thick and intoxicating anima He channeled all that life all that acceptance all that possibility into the husk body of the Actus Suprem
He let her vindictive unreasonably do the rest
The effect didnt start as one that would undo her Devicks desiccated flesh ballooned back to its previous form Long waves of luscious red hair flowed down her back Her piercing eyes returned looking at him in confusion then wicked glee as she felt power flowing through her shoulders and down to her fingers Oh Now what is this Have you finally
And then her urge to squeeze and resist activated The power continued to flow in but Devick instinctively tried to force the kind energy to compact and twist
Her body collapsed in on itself the right shoulder snapping sharply down and collapsing her chest cavity Flesh grew and reformed in only a heartbeat healed by the same energy that couldnt be controlled The discordant notes couldnt defeat her near invulnerable core but the softly grown flesh Randidly had gifted to her couldnt withstand the vicious note And when the collapse happened a tiny wisp of the sadistic truth she sought escaped during the healing
What In a split second Devicks body had returned to its prior form due to the energy Randidly supplied His Nether Core continued to whirl The Fourth Authority gave without any strings attached Devick looked down at her hands Tch excuse me how unseemly to show you that lack of control Now if you truly wish to support me
Her pale throat began to rot as a remnant burst of her captured necrotic Grand Fate got ahold of it buoyed up by the warm animation The flesh fell away and her voice went with it leaving only a rasping noise as the rot spread down through the rest of her body
She couldnt resist that extra strength it followed Devicks instincts So she failed to compensate
Randidlys energy healed her wound but then her waist began to melt from the venom in the serpent tail Grand Fate The look on Devicks face shifted from confusion to genuine fear Her truth took another step away from the Pinnacle as healing was gifted freely to her Her resistance stirred and lashed Now she was just a powerful individual no longer with that approaching resonance
Over and over again Devick tried to find the balance in her image as Randidly channeled pure life energy through her limbs She popped she tore she collapsed her skeleton shredded its way out of her flesh her brain overheated until it melted her image falling and falling and falling Once one of her eyes turned briefly crimson as Lyra made her presence known Then the eye had popped obliterating half of Devicks skull
Randidly just observed and gave to her The Actus Suprem couldnt handle it
Panting and trembling with blood leaking out of her nose Devick stretched a hand toward him Randidly Ghosthound What
Do you hate it just a little bit Randidly said quietly His heart throbbed All the jokes you made wanting my love wanting the connection with me now that Ive given it to you its going to undo you It’s not cute to be unable to handle everything youve always asked for Actus Suprem
Lyra smiled You showed me a magical world one I had craved for so so long And I know that every time you ignored me every time you cursed me for my mistakes it was exactly because you wanted to rip down the tragic foundations that doom all of us walking through the Nexuss halls You dont need to feel sorry Randidly I deserved this
You deserve far worse than this Devick roared her torso bulging until she looked more like a grub than a person
You deserved better than this Randidly said This at least he was sure he meant
Lyra bowed her head Randidly gritted his teeth and looked away Her projection faded and settled back within Devick a crimson core animating a physical form suddenly provided with infinite gifts And Devicks twisted soul corrupted and squandered them all destroying herself in the process
Randidly released a breath that lasted for almost five seconds By the end his diaphragm trembled with the physical reality of compressing his lungs until nothing remained After holding that squeezed state for ten more seconds he allowed his mouth to open and for air to flood back through him I thought I had so much time to make connections or heal them But its also true I thought I had no time for anything but preparing to defeat you
Randidly pivoted his attention finally turning to the two very pressing details of the environment he couldnt avoid First despite the fact he now had undone Devick herself Randidly had been careful not to destabilize the giant orb of gathered Grand Fates above him Half because he wanted to figure out if these could be safely returned to their original owners Half because his heart sank as he witnessed the serpents of Devicks madness that swam and spat within the depths of that energy
In a way Devick had already won her Deviation would lurk within the Nexus for the rest of existence
The second detail was Fiero floating opposite Randidly in the ruins of this place who allowed the foggy halo of energy to fall from his body and reveal his withered form His long Vulpine arms hung limply at his sides but his eyes were bright I have observed your conversation with the Actus Suprem For handling her so neatly I commend you
However she spoke the truth While you insist on causing such chaos in mine demesne she did inform you truly about the threat posed by Don Beigons action Fiero squinted at Randidly Set aside this petty squabble The sanctity of the Nexus is more important than your pride boy We must not allow the husk that is Pine to shatter everything weve built If that fool Don is touched by even the edge of him that is exactly what will occur
You know Im not gonna agree to stop now You are losing Fiero Randidly rolled his shoulders It was a relief to set aside his regrets and focus his animosity toward a fight He felt a dull roaring in his chest as his Nether Core seemed to be looping its own flow around itself over and over again The changes were mirrored through Pangus Asymptote and some balancing tributaries traced out a rough organic ritual around them
Congratulations Your Skill Randidly Ghosthound Executive of Nether Reborn has grown to Level 1707
Foreign significance turned sluggish as it neared him The patterns became increasingly detailed as the process in the Alpha Cosmos continued Between Phaea Malaa and Toosah balance would be achieved
His Nether Core continued to spin and process its misty innards Soon Randidly sensed the depths of the crystal bubble would be flawless a new plateau of Nether reached Somehow he sensed he would need all the power he can get
Your foolhardy behavior is at least consistent Fiero said However I have already prepared my response While you handled the Actus Suprem your subordinates have been handled I have already cut off their connection to you If you wish to see them alive you will capitulate to my demands and eliminate the Don
For a brief second Randidly froze He felt confident in his subordinates in their fight against Devicks elite soldiers but withstanding Elhume moving directly was another thing entirely And when he reached for their connection
Congratulations Your Skill Emerald Eyes and Dove Whispers Certify the Objective has grown to Level 1531
Randidlys lip curled but the flood of relief included notes of alarm You didnt isolate the connection Youve woven a massive time distortion around me
Fiero didnt even seem put out that Randidly saw through him immediately He just chuckled And how well do you think theyve faired during your repose
Chapter 2392
The change arrived silently prickling across the back of all their necks
Finally Elhume moves Don Beigon muttered to himself as he looked at the horizon Behind him he could feel all the joviality falling out of the gathered individuals
All of their bravery had fallen away when the shadow of their tyrant The laughter and babble had been silence And honestly the Don couldnt blame them Even though he had spent the last several hundred years preparing for exactly this challenging confrontation his heart still started to flutter
It was not a soft heart or wise maneuvers with which Elhume had claimed his peak He had forged his crown with power
The strange Vulpine husks came first crackling with overwhelming power but walking with stumbling steps Then the sky darkened as though Elhumes disapproving attention could warp even the weather The crowd of Nether Lattice converts cowered before that darkness The grand Engraving that advanced the portal’s climb began to sputter and spark affected by the adverse shift in energy
Then came the fists puffing into the sky Timeless Timeless Timeless Timeless Timeless First hundreds then thousands then what felt like millions of prepared fists popped into existence Until the shambling husks became an afterthought until the darkened sky seemed harmless until Don Beigon had difficulty breathing beneath their hovering weight They formed a floating drifting wall of violence a briefly stayed but promised doom
We must flee The humanoid hawk whispered All of the members of the Nether Lattice shivered behind her Their eyes had grown wide and panicked
Despite the situation the Don couldnt help but chuckle He felt a sour note of satisfaction It is far too late for that
The fists began their journey forward They covered the horizon to the point it was just a teeming wall of knuckles Their approach seemed like the entire world was closing up around the ground
It felt almost inevitable that they would be crushed in Elhumes palm
Don Beigon began pulling more deeply from the Nether Lattice He borrowed and borrowed from their well of significance throwing more and more energy into the struggling grand Engraving sending it roaring to life with this impending threat He felt the debts he owed to these individuals piling up Yet each moment meant that his journey through the Path to the Pinnacle would be that much easier
Through the hanging portal the Don could sense a heaviness beginning to gather Small motes of oblivion crowded the edge of the portal Soon he thought to himself
Don Beigon The humanoid hawk squawked out her displeasure She fluttered her arm wings caught between conflicting impulses and emotions Now is not the time for this We must gather our power Nether Lattice move together and stop him from dooming us all
As I said too late
The Dons lip curled as she began to try and cut off his access to their significance He had helped them in their haphazard construction efforts which meant he understood exactly how precarious the current Nether Lattice had become no longer did a Lathis sit atop the pyramid a cabal clustered and crowded the top plateau Their responses were sluggish requiring a majority of their wills to accomplish her request He caught the eyes of a few unobtrusive figures of influence within the Nether Lattice Older debts were called in to be paid
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