This insight made the corner of RandidlyÆs mouth turn downward Sure in terms of power the numerous examples that Nyx had encountered meant this truth was incomparably sharp Yet This is a harsh Truth you offer me My options will be restricted by it
Nyx offered him a sweet smile True But I think you will find that just as much as restricting your options it frames them For one such as you the Heretic Alchemist and his Hungry Eyes being able to subvert that framing and overturn expectations is exactly where your power comes from
For a split second Randidly only grew more annoyed and impatient But then he saw it The possibility in her words He stilled and gave Nyx a long look Thank you
I look forward to witnessing your other Truths Randidly Ghosthound Nyx offered him a bow
Randidly broke off the invitation releasing a hissing breath His mind raced He saw it Or at the very least he suspected he now understood the right method to become a Shallah Yet he could only roll his shoulders As for the specifics IÆll need to work out my other Truths My own will be alright but what sort of Truth can I find in DevickÆs Deviation
Chapter 2415
Devick looked down at the glowing crimson furred rabbit with its floppy ears and its creepily deep voice She petted it absently as its power continued to grow as it announced its sudden offer The whole area around them began to swirl and churn images turning space milky The longer she maintained eye contact with the inky eyes of the bunny rabbit the more Devick could feel her own image responding to its Aether
The bunny opened its mouth again Its momentum continued to build So long as you wish for a higher Truth Upstodatee from
Devick flicked the bunny between the eyes IÆm not interested in your Pinnacle little bunny Even if I stood upon the bunny Pinnacle what would happen when I encountered a greater foe Like groundhogs or beavers And the second a fox showed up wouldnÆt I be doomed No I will not accept any panaceas from woodland creatures
With her flick the image resonance quivered and collapsed around them Once more the two stood on a bit of normal ground between the two statues The bunny blinked several times as Devick continued to stroke its soft fur But then a humming note of Truth gathered in its small body once more turning all the images around them into liquid You do not understand what I offer I do not speak of a bunny Pinnacle but a true Pinnacle So long as you agree I will lead you
She flicked the bunny again between the eyes sighing Truly bunnies have no sense of humor Perhaps I am a revolutionary talent in that regard Hehe obviously I didnÆt think you were talking about the bunny Pinnacle Although if you had some tips to make my hair be as soft and delicate as your fur I would appreciate them
For the third time a wave of power burst out from the shape shifting creatureÆs small body This time the hazy waves sharpened the surrounding air remained clear as the bunny gathered itself The release bounced off of DevickÆs skin and rebounded to concentrate in front of her The creatureÆs voice grew loud echoing in the surrounding space You wish to develop power You wish to escape the shadow of this being to whom you are deeply connected The Truth I offer will provide that For a moment listen
Her eyes narrowed but she did And images in front of her formed an attractive image
In front of Devick the rebounding waves conjured an image of a possible future Devick looked for a second unable to resist the temptation of just peeking She released a long breath as tension flowed out of her She felt power more than anything else Crackling around her
A Devick standing tall and proud with waves of crimson blood swirling around her body A whirlpool of wicked slaughter large enough to swallow an entire world And she felt a deep confidence that if she took this strange statue spirit up on its offer she would be able to achieve this image intensity she had craved for so long She could reach the Pinnacle She would be a blazing comet rising rapidly in power burning through clouds and sky until she reached a height she could stand next to Randidly Ghosthound with pride
She saw herself wearing a wedding gown horrible and soft wicked and filled with gaiety pledging her life to stand next to him Her cloak would be woven of blood and laughter She would be the Consort of Perdition and while they would fear his power more all would shiver and sweat at the prospect of drawing her attention
She felt tempted She felt a small corner of her heart hesitate and want to agree And suddenly the illusion broke Because more than she wanted to be strong she hated being told what to do
Little bunny DevickÆs gaze sharpened and she offered the creature in her arms a lazy smile Her hand slipped down and wrapped around its soft neck Her thumb and pointer finger touched and she could feel the rapid bulge of its vein as its tiny heart raced With a twitch of her wrist sheÆd be able to snap its neck Yet she just caressed it feeling the delicate joint You think I would be happy escaping RandidlyÆs shadow by relying on your power You are missing the point IÆm not upset by my situation but by the fact IÆm not able to escape by myself Your help is not help at all
But The bunnyÆs resonance shattered for the final time Those glittering promised images dissolved in the air Devick had some rather vicious intentions but she couldnÆt help but feel shocked at the trembling in the voice The bunny hesitated before speaking again If you do not want my Truth am I useless
Am I useless
Devick shivered Although it was a coincidence how many times had she had that very same thought about herself Before she had met Nether King Hungry Eye in her adopted fatherÆs city before she had developed confidence playing Hobfootie before she had found her pure image and grown rapidly in strength And even then at every turn Randidly was giving her a hand up providing assistance providing pure Aether and Nether to accelerate her growth
She wished she had done it all on her own Because she hadnÆt she couldnÆt escape the small thought that she never would have
Part of her sudden empathy was the form the creature had taken but Devick couldnÆt help but look at this red furred rabbit without feeling her own insecurities Her hand loosened from its neck and she went back to stroking its fur
Damn so fucking soft Devick muttered to herself but when the bunnyÆs confusion and sadness seemed to deepen at her random thoughts she coughed and refocused Ahem little bunny I donÆt want the Path you offer to the Pinnacle But you at least know the general direction of the Pinnacle yea Let me show you my image and maybe you can offer some advice
I could look I just might not be much help
RandidlyÆs eyes flashed remembering the much abridged version of events that Yystrix had passed to him in her tomb Of her life before the Nexus her people her relationship with Elhume and then the birth of Pine But the more he learned about how singular his existence had been nudged to become the more he admired her
When all this was over he hoped he would have the opportunity to return to the tomb with his current accomplishments and dig more deeply into Yystrix But for now time in the Reverie continued to trickle past
He snorted out a breath through his nose the powerful exhalation stirring the glittering lights of the reverie He had spent three of his seven points with four remaining Two points was a steep price for the conversation with Nyx but it had given him quite a bit of understanding of the general situation It wasnÆt a waste
For a brief moment Randidly hesitated His attention turned inward to another troublesome object A frown creased his brows Now at least I have an understanding of why Nyx wished for my assistance But this
His attention flowed to PanguÆs Asymptote the Momento he had received that had allowed him to see a reflected version of existence Randidly gritted his teeth but couldnÆt deny his current accomplishments still heavily relied upon this without the extra layers and connections provided by the Asymptote his current Nether Core would be impossible The energy density needed stability anchors provided by it
He shook his head he couldnÆt waste more Reverie points investigating this matter For now he would need to allow this small mystery to remain
Randidly plucked up another of his Reverie points as he flickered and arrived in the sky above Expira He crushed the Reverie point in his hand and his Fatepieces began to release a bright light This time three manifested around his body Because it was a relatively small task a single Reverie point was enough to fuel the process even with multiple Fatepieces
But even if it was relatively small it was quite necessary for Randidly His awareness spread out as the Codex Hexahedron Visage of Obsession and Dreamcatcher of the Long Night all activated He covered Expira with the Codex isolated with Visage and recorded with the Dreamcatcher
His target the impression of time of the people on Expira
Randidly had witnessed the whole of the fabric of time and understood the wounds weakening it He had even fought against it completely suppressing time for brief moments resisting its endless waves successfully in many others Because of that awareness Randidly had a philosophical soft spot when clashing against LaplaceÆs aura
Although Randidly didnÆt agree that time was fickle his own understanding of time held the possibility of it being warped by a powerful enough individual to resemble fickleness
So now Randidly drew on the Alpha Cosmos filtering down to the base impression of the people who had survived the System feeling their awareness of time He pulled and pulled gathering up their experiences their fear their awareness of the relentless march of time that could bring additional threats their developing attitudes
To the average person time was an inexorable tide Sometimes it paused like how bubble cities were maintained in the early System and sometimes it could be twisted through Dungeons but eventually time always stabilized It pressed forward
Randidly felt a smile tugging at his lips Part of this certainty he now took back from the people he had helped build With the Order Ducis and the challenges against Donnyton and then later with the creation of Kharon Randidly kept reminding Expira that they could not simply rest on their laurels They needed to improve
Because if you did not advance down your Path you would soon find Fate breathing down your neck
The particulars of the threat didnÆt matter what mattered was that the people of the Alpha Cosmos believed time would surely carry those threats forward The ideological battle between those who wanted to stop fighting and those would continue to adventure was ongoing But both sides had an implicit understanding of time that Randidly now needed
The Reverie point flowed out of him
In exchange he harvested the powerful impression of time and stored that within his heart to use as a weapon against Laplace
Chapter 2416
The Monarch of Karma scratched his chin He had been sitting on the outskirts of this area for several hours observing the slow process of maturation for this grand plan The light from the grand array flickered across his face
Because of his aura of deserving that he couldnÆt quite suppress the individuals of the Upper Sonara Society didnÆt discover him They didnÆt deserve to discover him It was a disgusting side effect of the image but one that was convenient in this instance The figures continued to toil below as the thunderous booms of combat echoed out through the Nexus and then still as the almost more ominous silence of dread settled across the deeper layers of the Nexus
The Monarch of Karma glanced toward the point of contention a barrier had been erected preventing the worst of aftershocks from destroying the nearby area But from the deviant image waves flowing out the horrible struggle had reached even a higher peak
Just the faintest whiff of Pine and LaplaceÆs existence leaked out throughout to the wider Nexus but that was enough to fill these individuals with dread The Monarch of Karma didnÆt know the source but he also knew that their time was limited Still he observed unable to decide what he wanted to do The Upper Sonora SocietyÆs actions became frantic They poured more and more of their Aether into the process of carving their grand array By this point the massive working had grown almost ridiculously large so vast it was difficult to keep the whole of it within your awareness at once
The final effect actually left the Monarch of Karma somewhat impressed Because it couldnÆt be witnessed in its totality you could only glance at a corner and create an impression based on that area And when you moved your awareness the goal of the formation seemed to warp the pieces and the impressions you received from examining a single section didnÆt seem to quite match up Perhaps it was the haste of creation or the scope of what these individuals intended to accomplish but the Monarch of Karma wondered if this would have the effect these people desired
But more than the patterns and Engravings they drew what he became fascinated by was the hope they had It was the fuel that drove them onward that allowed them to resist the horrific radiation of the core battlefield The hope that this would change the Nexus and create a better place The hope they could pull this off before their foes were freed up and could stop them
A hope centered around Elhume finally being deprived of the unilateral power to slaughter those weaker than him and starve out those with the potential to be stronger by taking away their Aether
Aether became chaotic but the unifying Nether wove itself together during the collaborative toil They pushed for a new existence in the universe
The Monarch of KarmaÆs heart stirred His eyes brightened lit from within by a sudden insight The problem with this image that has so much righteousness in its ideal yet becomes so warped in practice is that it stems from a singular individual Others become amplifiers but then it becomes a comparison who deserves more The application becomes a hierarchy But what if
The Monarch of Karma licked his lips He knew the dangerous power his words would have but suddenly couldnÆt resist uttering them Because at his core although he didnÆt trust what it had become he still believed in the bright eyes of Mae Myrna when she had created this world state image He believed in that same determination that he had seen in ShalÆs eyes when he had his connection to Randidly Ghosthound severed yet still decided to pursue his former student
What if we each deserve better than weÆve been given And that is enough of a nudge for even the most deserving Upstodatee from
There didnÆt need to be an ordering an allotment based on who deserved more It was enough just that each individual deserved the respect and blessings of life
Beneath the Monarch of KarmaÆs feet his patterns began to stir The sleeping world state image opened its eyes and flowed into the vast array taking form in front of him Perhaps in a more controlled array such an addition would be immediately noticed there were several places where the world state image nudged the Engravings to incorporate this new truth
But only a portion could be viewed at once Only a small amount of the changes would be noticed and without the broader picture it was easy to miss the Monarch of Karma influencing what the new Nexus would become
After absorbing the concept of time from the Alpha Cosmos Randidly didnÆt stop there he wouldnÆt feel confident in his challenge against Laplace without additional weapons He used another Reverie point to specifically activate the Dreamcatcher of the Long Night He swam into his own past and pulled from his earlier image wanting another piece to use to bind Laplace
From the humming crystal memories within the Dreamcatcher Randidly pulled out the perfectly preserved image of his early Spear Phantom Skillset Idiosyncratic Cut
His fingers were gentle tracing its shape He held the long arm of a clock buzzing with the sharp report of passing time
Despite his reassurances Sulfur rumbled again This time Randidly laughed He reached over and squeeze his left bicep affectionately with his right hand DonÆt worry buddy just because of this you donÆt need to stop being my left arm Honestly IÆm not sure I could go back WouldnÆt I be helpless without your help My original left hook had nowhere near the jaw crushing power you have
As Sulfur hummed in pleased agreement the Hierarchy of Burden activated The horrific forces sliced downward toward RandidlyÆs left shoulder targeting not SulfurÆs physical form but the underpinning spiritual body
In the past RandidlyÆs left arm had been severed fighting Aegiant That conflict was one of the most harrowing moments of his life as his opponent blazed with solar energy and turned more and more of the environment into lava Rather than trying to heal the wound after he had won the fight Randidly had used it as a way to bind the nascent Alpha Cosmos to him physically He had created his Crossroads of the Alpha Cosmos Domain from the connection and begun his journey to creating a powerful Vessel by building a bridge between his Soulskill and his physical body
Since then Randidly had fought first with a constructed metal arm and then later incorporated Sulfur directly Later his Crossroads of the Alpha Cosmos had been woven into the fabric of Sulfur so the arm could support the Domain he had inherited from Helen And while his current actions unraveled the base of connections there were now so many bonds between himself and Sulfur that Randidly didnÆt worry this would harm the current arrangements
His target was that original bond that had made the Alpha Cosmos a part of his body The dense threads of Aether that had connected him to the Alpha Cosmos for so long For a human being ta spiritual binding between a body and a world was a necessary step but for a being more legend than physical existence it was superfluous
RandidlyÆs Grey MonarchÆs Authority wrapped around the sizzling radiation of the Hierarchy of Burden and sharpened it into a blade The edge narrowed until it was as thin and insubstantial as a breath of wind This wind slid into his shoulder and sculpted the joint With great care he cut into the deep significance between his bodyÆ and the Alpha Cosmos
Randidly remained still for the entire process He cut and cut pulling out more and more of the dense connection that had been maintained throughout his adventures from fighting against Aegiant and barely able to survive to standing at the heights of the Nexus now
As he pulled more and more of this valuable threadÆ out from his body RandidlyÆs jaw began to clench The material grew heavier and heavier unwilling to be taken out of his spiritual body And that wasnÆt even recognizing the growing agony It felt like he was scraping out his body marrow and leaving his skeleton hollow A chill settled through his existence one that caused some small disturbances in the rotation of his Nether Core
He pulled and pulled extracting more and more thread The cold seeped into his bones It went down his arms into his ribcage and hips As the Hierarchy continued to crackle and he cut deeper and deeper into the bond Randidly could feel the looming presence of his own insubstantiality grow He felt a hint of regret he hadnÆt expected how much this spiritual connection to the Alpha Cosmos had grounded him Yet he also did not stop
There came a point when Randidly sensed that he might have extracted enough valuable thread from his connection It burned with power in his hands a material forged of universe spanning bridges He would be able to refine the raw materials he created into an almost infinite amount of thread containing aspects of both Aether and Nether No matter how many wounds crisscrossed the fabric of time this would be enough to utilize Yet he continued to draw out this valuable grounding allowing the cold and lack of substance to seep through his entire being His spine felt like a totem of ice now radiating out a vicious stillness
Tasks should not be left half done Randidly thought with a certain grimness The coldness flowed through his body creeping into a stubborn smile Besides I said earlier my second miracle of the day was discarding my reality And it might have appeared like I had done so but so long as this connection lingered that final bit of foundation would have remained For my final miracle I need the accomplishment to be resounding
ItÆs almost lucky I chose this Path and can eliminate this lingering tether to reality Just what will it feel like to truly become without any substance
Randidly cut His Hierarchy of Burden steadily weakened as the one point of MuseÆs Reverie faded but he was almost finished He gave a sharp tug ripping away almost all of the remnant connection between himself and the Alpha Cosmos Finally there was just a bit of winnowed tendon connecting to RandidlyÆs heart
He pressed his lips together He gripped and yanked with all his Primordial Nether Juju The last connection broke
Two things happened simultaneously All the chill in his body spiked almost freezing his thoughts and internal space At the same time his Nether Core began to roar and spin galvanizing his images into action
For several seconds Randidly couldnÆt breath But it wasnÆt like he needed to any longer
Chapter 2417
Shal thrust his spear forward cutting through the waves of dangerous radiation Energy splashed outward in every direction The spearhead began to sizzle and melt but his image was sharp enough that he could cut through the dangerous environment and take another step forward
He didnÆt even have enough time to suck in a breath before the next wave of energy came He could only grip his teeth and unleash another spear thrust He ignored the growing ache in his knees and attacked
Shal had abandoned one of his most important connections in the pursuit of power He had also given up on the image that had allowed him to overcome the Second Calamity of his home world He had discarded everything desperately clawing his way to the Pinnacle and it had backfired Now he had only a new image He tempered on the fly
And the knowledge that a single mistake now would doom him
But he also had a crazed dedication to continue to advance despite his weakness After talking for so long with the Monarch of Karma all his emotions had settled He had a brief moment of clarity Despite the mistakes he had made in the past despite severing the relationship Shal did not want to walk away He arrived at the decision and it lit a fire in his chest He burned with his resolve
Despite the danger he stalked toward the core danger of the Nexus creating just enough of an opening for his feet A single failure meant he would be annihilated But despite the danger Shal felt at peace for the first time in a long time
But it was very easy to feel at peace with such a constant source of distraction
His muscles ached and his consciousness began to blur at the edges He had spent so much effort and he only reached the edge of the danger zone the air filled with cracking significance and time that would gladly devour him He could only fold his tension and apply it to the edge of his spear
He released a hissing breath and thrust another spear forward The strike created an opening by forcing back another wave of energy But as he pulled the spear back the goopy spearhead wiggled and snapped off For a split second Shal froze His mind went blank unable to decide how to proceed He did not have a replacement spear If he tried to retreat without a weapon the waves he had braved to reach this point would rip the flesh from his bones After struggling for so long and giving his attention fully to the toil a single stumble was enough to completely floor him
The next wave of powerful radiation gushed forward
ShalÆs instincts took over even while his mind remained in turmoil Without a spearhead he took another step forward and thrust out his spear As he did so his will condensed at the head of his spear shaft his Willpower practically incendiary as he poured it into the fires of his resolve It became an arrowhead shaped snake head The snakeÆs eyes gleamed as it considered its target
Shal thrust again almost relieved to once more settle into this habit
The wave of radiation shattered to pieces His will trembled but held as the spearhead And compared to his previous strikes this was a superior result The vacated space in the radiation was enough for Shal to suck in several breaths and recover a bit of his focus But after a few moments of precious time the radiation came back frothing and dangerous Shal gritted his teeth
I have walked this far I can continue
He thrust out his spear The features of the snakehead sharpened as they experienced the baptism of the dangerous energies His understanding of his own image deepened The details became increasingly exquisite
He thrust again his hands trembling An energy wave shattered but there was another hiding close behind the first He barely had enough time to loosen his grip and flex his hands before he needed to thrust again Although his image sharpened with every attack the balance of the thrusts began to waver A sliver of destructive energy slithered past and cleanly annihilated the pinky of ShalÆs right hand
He could only grit his teeth ignore the blood dribbling on the ground and thrust again CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin( )c0m
ShalÆs resolve burned Yet he could feel his body steadily failing With pressure on every side his disciplined movements began to falter
why did the warm image he had honed due to his student and his brother seem so much more precious
Randidly tilted his head to the side Are you alright How did you make it here Your image
Shal blinked woken from his thoughts Gradually all those confusing impressions faded Shal smiled He raised his spear and brandished it as casually as he could trying to hide the trembling in his arms I thrust and eventually the path opened before me It is the only reliable method I know
Randidly snorted and shook his head much of the tension falling away from his expression But when he next looked at Shal his face seemed solemn and vulnerable He hesitated suddenly unsure of himself About what happened
I have made a horrible mistake Shal said his heart wrenching to watch this powerful individual be so conflicted He lowered his head In a very real way the horrible sense of being not good enough that plagued his whole life also manifested here in being so emotionally weak he decided had to cast aside relationships in order to pursue power I Well itÆs probably difficult for you to understand my mindset When nothing I had tried worked I decided to try anything
The storm roared and crashed above Yet the noise was distance It could not approach this reunion
No Randidly Ghosthound spoke very quietly I understand completely How you felt stuck in place How nothing you did felt like it mattered And how you understood that without power this would be your limit It is a simple thing to follow the Path in front of you ItÆs another entirely to keep trying when every direction you look shows you a wall So many times I would have failed if not for your lessons
You understand Shal couldnÆt help but be puzzled When Randidly referenced the lessons Shal felt a strange flickering in his chest He couldnÆt actually remember their interactions but he could image remembering He imagined that perfect moment when his Wraith Adder image had come into focus When he had broken through with his potential and earned a ticket to the Path to the Pinnacle
Even now Chuckling Randidly shrugged ItÆs kinda hard to believe right If I had to give an explanation itÆs not that IÆve stopped bumping against walls just different things have become walls to me As he spoke he twisted and looked up at Pine in the sky an orb of darkness that swallowed almost the entire horizon
I really am so sorry Shal whispered I hope you can find forgiveness for this old spearman No I do not even deserve that term I am just a man who tries to use the spear
Randidly nodded slowly His eyes twinkled as amusement drifted out across his features You know people always talk about how much easier it is to destroy than to build And that is true But in terms of the passage of time the requirements for destruction are so much harder If you take the first of ten thousand steps toward destroying something youÆve barely done anything at all But just by taking the first step to build and create
Randidly held out his hand you are already on the right Path A man who wields a spear can become anything even someone able to defeat a Spearman with ease Of course I forgive you If not for you I would not have been able to make it this far Shal You shattered our bond The significance between us was scattered But I have not forgotten that day I walked into the Safe Zone and saw you meditating in the pool the Creature sculpted me to become a Vessel but every good thing IÆve used to fill that Vessel came from you
When they shook hands tears formed in the corner of ShalÆs humanoid eyes Even his third eye stirred slightly Shal brought his other hand around and gripped RandidlyÆs warm and strong hand with both of his shaking it partly from the complex storm in his heart partly because his exhausted body had started constantly trembling His heart bled All of a sudden he began to weep
The vast gulf of what had once been stills yawned between them The easy connection they had possessed even while Shal had fought as a member of the Swacc Family no longer existed Yet it was also true that some of the pressure had eased Now that the way forward was possible the anguish of ShalÆs heart seeped away with his tears Action had poked a hole in his grief With the gurgling flame of resolve refusing to be smothered he would steadily begin to heal
Stubbornness Shal sniffed That is the only thing a fool like me could teach you Stubbornness to the point of masochism
Randidly clicked his tongue but didnÆt deny it Turns out in that particular area I had almost infinite potential
Eventually both men took a step back But RandidlyÆs gaze sharpened There is not much time remaining for me before I need to go So Shal I want to ask you for a favor Please lend me the fires of your unwillingness In exchange IÆll show you just how much your stubbornness can accomplish
Chapter 2418
Around Randidly the sense of connectedness with existence provided by the Reverie steadily faded He stood back on the battlefield and stared up at Pine in the sky into which Laplace had slithered
He had no more time to delay The final confrontation had arrived
Through the reverie he had found answers regarding Eternities he had extracted thread to sew together the shredded fabric of time he had gathered a steady impression of time and his early image regarding clock hands and finally he had taken from Shal an unrefined image of pure determination and stubbornness almost on a whim
Randidly held out his palm and looked at the ember he had received from Shal The difference between this raw form and an image with a shapeÆ comes from pressure In a highly pressured environment when an individual is pushed by circumstances beyond their limits the shape will become distorted and collapse But because of that concentration the amount of emotion contained within reaches an incredible potency
An image seed like this can become anything I need It will refuse to collapse adding an incredible resiliency to any image to which it is added But will it be enough
Randidly passed the ember to the Dread Homunculus who began repeatedly squeezing it within its claws To maintain that concentrated form Randidly would need to apply pressure to it constantly The might of the Dread Homunculus stoked the fires of the stubbornness He didnÆt know for sure if that image seed would be the last ingredient he needed he had no plan associated with this piece wasnÆt sure how it would fit into either of his plans for Grand Fate or Penance
But he did know that what Shal had accomplished with a body emptied of significance and powerful image thrusting his way forward until he pierced even the barrier of Nexus citizenship should have been impossible And due to their relationship Randidly knew as soon as he found Shal fighting his way toward the battlefield on which Randidly had crushed Elhume and Fiero he would look and listen to one last demonstration of the man who had been his master
Meanwhile the Alchemist cackled and rubbed his hands together finally they would soon begin their final act A third miracle would soon delight the Nexus Especially now that the second miracle had become completely legitimate
RandidlyÆs MuseÆs Reverie reset back down to 0 The total amount required to trigger a Reverie ticked up to 8 points Several meaningless notifications popped up in front of him but he ignored them Breathing slowly Randidly calmed himself Then he stared up at the open maw of PineÆs corpse
The Nexus trembled around him It was infected by a viral world state image about time and shuddered under the pressure of Pine If he didnÆt act the universe would likely shatter
One last fight LetÆs put an end to Eternity Randidly announced His Heraldic Tongue of the Alchemist burned with intensity He kicked off the ground and shot up to follow Laplace into the dangerous core of the Nexus Dense waves of significance gnawed at him like hungry animals but RandidlyÆs translucent Nether was impervious to this type of erosion He shot up and up nearing the inky barrier
He pierced through the inky edge of PineÆs corpse and crossed the boundary He tensed unsure of what to expect
Passing through the edge of Pine felt like nothing at all just a strange twist of pressure But that easiness only made him more vigilant
Despite his preparations pressure on the other side made even Randidly Ghosthound pause The significance here was dense to the point of oozing across his skin Existence constricted periodically against him like the beating of the old Stillborn PhoenixÆs heart Time and space warped around him curling like gusts of wind Randidly stood in a vast space shrouded with mist He could vaguely detect the vast banks of fog drifting back and forth obscuring writhing shapes From the corner of his eyes he saw flickering movement so fast that even his Grim Intuition couldnÆt recognize the source
On the contrary Commandant Wick chuckled and offered Randidly an elaborate bow We are to be your honor guard Come Randidly Ghosthound letÆs climb atop all of the corpses in the history of the Nexus together
Randidly still confused turned to Ezekiel His father rolled his eyes Ignore his sarcasm his remarks are true We are truly here to assist in your Path You have two advantages going for you First youÆve already discarded your body Those who would be tempted by your lifeblood cannot be moved to ambush just a legend And second
Ezekiel looked up toward the maelstrom of winking light in the distance Even through the mist it was a clear goal More than anything else the dead resent those who refuse to die Comparing an invasion from you versus a being boasting about being an Eternity well rather than liking you we just hate Laplace more
An explosive impact up in the heights of PineÆs corpse echoed down with enough force to cause the banks of mist even at the bottom of this place to shiver and recede slightly RandidlyÆs eyes flicked down to track the movement and his pupils dilated In that brief moment where the surroundings werenÆt obscured he saw the layered ranks of the dead waiting with dull eyes to march to war Some were specters some were skeletons with flesh hanging off their bones some had archaic armor some were naked
But when he looked at them the dead ceased staring up toward the source of the disturbance and regarded him with the patience of those who lived in the grave
We must go Randidly Ezekiel whispered He followed RandidlyÆs gaze and offered a small smile You have ErebusÆ Baleful Waltz In this place we will give you the greatest weapon imaginable for that Skill You will be Erebus incarnate riding a wave of corpses to crest atop this existence
As his father spoke Randidly felt a faint trembling in the surrounding significance Although the inner environment of Pine was a desolate storm of currents this pronouncement had the force to alter all those energies Truly the dead were offering Randidly something very valuable
But the ease of receiving the offer left him somewhat bewildered And because his grief for his silently deceased father still felt hot and tight in his chest he couldnÆt help but speak I can understand wanting to help repel Laplace but why are you putting forth so much effort to assist me
Laplace would scramble the boundaries of time What are we simply supposed to sit back and accept him blurring the boundary of life and death Commandant Wick folded his arms across his chest
Ezekiel just looked at Randidly It is a favor which you will need to repay There are no tricks here You will naturally come to understand our request when you travel to the core area of Pine
Another powerful blast echoed out from above Randidly still didnÆt quite understand the actions of the dead here but he gritted his teeth and nodded Both Ezekiel and Commandant Wick flitted upward at a high speed so he kicked off the ground
Spontaneously Randidly felt the Dread Homunculus manifesting his Cloak of a Thousand Lightless Horizons The damned and broken specters swarming through PineÆs corpse hopped upon his coattails and road up with him waving broken weapons and screaming with glassy eyes
They gathered momentum as they rocketed up through the misty space intent on crushing the invader
Chapter 2419
Through the misty expanse of PineÆs corpse Randidly followed the two spectral guides up toward the maelstrom of light and the confrontation against an Eternity waiting for him there Yet the corners of RandidlyÆs mouth turned down by degrees Even if these two and the innumerable phantoms following behind Randidly were welcoming it quickly became clear that the corpse of Pine was not
The group rushed upward and Randidly felt his body pierce through some invisible boundary It barely had any resistance to himù he passed through without any effort But just experiencing the barrier made him understand the spectersÆ earlier comments about the importance of already setting aside his physical body
RandidlyÆs eyes narrowed as he looked upward a lot of space hung above This place is like the Visage of Obsession Ten severings to isolate and reach a completely focused state But in this case the severings are boundaries that limit the horrifying might of Pine
So his rotten flesh doesnÆt simply crush the Nexus CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin( )c0m
Waiting on the other side of the first barrier was significance almost double as dense as the initial area of Pine But the real horrifying addition was the sense of torn and shredded Nether waiting beyond the first barrier In sympathy for this wounded energy despite the twoÆs recent reconnection the broken bond between Randidly and Shal ached
The barbed significance ripped at RandidlyÆs skin but he gritted his teeth and shoved his way forward His momentum sent ripples of energy outward which rebounded off the wide seething sea and crashed back against him The mist stirred and swirled But relying on the powerful and evolved Stats he had accumulated Randidly broke his way through this wild energy Each impact washed over his body and a small portion of that energy was channeled through to his Nether Core
The faster his Nether Core spun the more valuable translucent Nether he produced And as the refinement process strengthened small glittering notes of color began to appear within the flow of his Nether If nothing else the pressure of PineÆs corpse would assist his own steady evolution
Also as he forced his way forward his three images stirred and stretched in preparation for the more dangerous trials to come They each honed in on their individual notes of emotional resonance while Randidly braved the significance with just his flesh The steady determination of Yggdrasil the inexhaustible craving of the Songstress of Absence and the vicious unwillingness of the Dread Homunculus all empowered his movements
The Dread Homunculus showed an especially powerful reaction to the waves of dense significance that crashed against him Part of its energy continued to be directed toward applying pressure to ShalÆs burning stubbornness held in its hand for safekeeping Yet also the image achieved a greater and greater resonance with all the assembled damned and departed souls that flowed upward in his shadow using Randidly as the edge of the blade to ascend through PineÆs corpse
First came the sensation and weight of those small souls all imitating RandidlyÆs motion a bit after the fact With his potent of the Privilege of a Half Shallah Randidly made a hundred a thousand five hundred thousand small adjustments to the ordering of souls A pattern began to emerge in their undulating train Even then innumerable more followed after him in a growing train of insubstantial fury
He could feel them all stirring his emotions percolating down through their bodies The empathy between each overlapping shade increased The Dread Homunculus cracked its neck its expression becoming increasingly serious Because the higher they climbed the longer the flood of souls stretched steadily thickening lengthening so the base remained at the bottom of PineÆs corpse More and more flooded to support their rise
Randidly Ghosthound dragged up the train of souls and crashed through the second dividing barrier of Pine
Again the significance in the air sharply increased The wild winds of memory cut and slashed at Randidly But with the energy he had gathered with the Dread HomunculusÆs rising power he burst right through the barrier Randidly clenched his fists and accelerated forward The damned leaked their anticipatory glee and rushed behind him
Just ahead of Randidly Ezekiel raised a thin arm and pointed Be careful LaplaceÆs poison spreads even here
By the time they caught up to Laplace he wondered how much momentum he would have built up
Like this Randidly punched through the third barrier This too easily parted before him his sacrifice of shedding his body still enough to have earned him passage this deep into PineÆs corpse Beyond the third barrier another temporal distortion waited Randidly used his rapid movements to again sew the wound back together
He felt a little bit of tinkling from his Nether Core Not only did the significance continue to refine itself into a translucent energy studded with bits of color but now he felt like within the rotating Nether Core a little bit of something extra existed It sounded like a nickel lost in a washing machine clanging around during the intense rotation But rather than being annoying the noise was clear and soothing like an immaculate wind chime
To RandidlyÆs surprise there was no temporal distortions waiting beyond the fourth barrier He focused his energy and streamlined his presence to resist the increasingly ferocious storm of significance that ravaged him but continued upward His attention went to the Dread Homunculus The tower of the dead rose and supported him
They advanced in unison their bodies slightly superimposed on those in front of them with the ranks behind supporting them Randidly did not need to breathe any longer and in that horrible stillness in his chest cavity he found a unifying sense of disgust for this invader leaking up from the deceased clinging to him
The power of the dead flowed through him but so did their emotions
Randidly combed and refined the emotions carefully allowing a portion to flow into his emotional sea Right now the emotions of the dead had already accumulated into a dense specter hanging over his head In terms of volume in just the minute or so of leading the charge of the dead just as much emotion from the dead pressed against him than he had absorbed from the Alpha Cosmos in the last ten years
And the amount of emotion from the dead increased exponentially every second The space inside of Pine stretched out in every direction vast and almost unending In this place there was an almost limitless supply of dead from which to draw
Pine devoured the extra significance of those who had died since the beginning of the Nexus Or more accurately since he had been slainÆ at the end of the Second Cohort through the widespread use of Fatia CeruleanÆs Grand Fate method His Alpha Cosmos hadnÆt existed for a fraction of as long or cover an area even 1% as large as the entire Nexus
But this emotional power thatÆs the intensity of an entire universe If I cannot handle this how can I stand in front of an Eternity RandidlyÆs eyes blazed The Songstress of Absence quivered and then moved forward She began to sing a scything song cutting through all the raw emotion that flowed into him The dangerous obsessions and associations from all these dead the loved ones they missed the enemies that lived and thrived while they suffered the dreams buried with a bouquet of resentment under the cruel realities of the Nexus those were taken away and devoured
The raw pure determination and violence of two thousand years’ worth of corpses ran rampant through RandidlyÆs veins His powerful Stats held this power at bay but a weaker individual might directly rupture from the searing heat of all these emotions
He crashed through the fifth barrier finally feeling some genuine resistance from this point forward advancing would be harder than just forcing his way through with Primordial Nether Juju And as though to prove this impression Randidly looked around in the next section and saw almost twenty temporal distortions buzz sawing their way through PineÆs significance
Randidly grinned Alright letÆs get in some practice
Chapter 2420
No this is horrible A pathetic attempt
Keh a shape like this Try again there is no Path forward for you like this
You were you even listening to me This is bad as well From what I can tell not a single portion is salvageable
Haah Friendship isnÆt enough to cover up your lack of talent Has this been a joke this whole time Do you have any other images
IÆm saying this as your friendù give up on the thought of your image reaching the Pinnacle These past efforts could barely even be considered a coherent endeavor Even a genius such as I am without any helpful advice when I witness your eclectic foundation
DevickÆs face had settled into a constant state of twitching She gnawed off a sizable chunk of her cheek Even if you keep saying you are my friend itÆs becoming difficult to believe you if all you do is vomit trash onto me What does a bunny know about the Pinnacle anyway
The past fifteen minutes had started with quite a lot of hope although the strange shapeshifting bunny was alternatively prickling and haughty it had still agreed to help her refine her image It seemed genuinely willing to help Plus Devick was at the height of the Nexus in a location where pushing an image to the Pinnacle was the easiest and most natural thing in the world Just by being here she felt Malice growing in cruelty and power
What could go wrong Upstodatee from
Well first off Devick rapidly realized that whatever remnant bit of the first Pinnacle event this bunny was it truly had never interacted with people before She had her suspicions about whether it could manifest its own image but its Aether was at least dense In terms of communications skills Compared to her dazzling charisma the bunny was a long fart in a shallow pool It spoke only harsh and condescending words even though Devick could feel she improved every second in this place
Second of all the bunny itself was very distracting Not only did it constantly hop around her but its form continued to change as time passed From the cute red furred bunny it had rapidly grown over the course of DevickÆs attempts into a bunny as large as a hog Its fat ears became extremely droopy In addition its fur had darkened to black and a curling horn grew out of his head
Then just as Devick finally had a bit of inspiration and Malice stretched its bane hand out to grasp a new tier of power the bunny popped like an overfilled balloon The noise and image fluctuations in the conducive environment snapped her back to the present All those new insights evaporated at the shock
Where there had been a bunny there was now a handspan tall girl in a white lace bridal dress She frowned at Devick seeming unwilling to even acknowledge her obnoxious transformation Have you given up Perhaps abandoning this foolish hope is also a good thing Continuing like this haah YouÆll only break both of our hearts
You I wish you would have just died from being overfilled with hot air Devick bit the inside of her cheek to keep from snapping out some harsh words Blood had become a constant taste on her tongue
Because the true aggravating quality of this transforming remnant was that it was right she wasnÆt moving any closer to the Pinnacle
After the first couple of harsh comments Devick had been unwilling to believe So she forcefully used the surrounding space to its fullest and expanded those image directions as far as they could go But the result even Devick who could admit in her heart she possessed a little bit of bias toward her own superiority rapidly realized she had made a mistake These sorts of images would not help her Her Aether was tempered but the shape remained flawed
The bunny/former lizard/current small girl used harsh and insulting language but she wasnÆt wrong
Over the past minute the small girl had grown to be about the size of a carrot she shook her tiny head as she watched Devick trying to stumble back across those insights into her bane hand which might have been a step in the right direction Language is insufficient to convey the depth of your deficiencies Ah even my divine friendship teaching skill is restricted by reality
At this point Ezekiel once more released a string of keening notes Randidly felt a constriction through his temples just listening to the noise but the Commandant ignored it and continued your greatest wisdom was not to slay Devick Obviously squashing such a cockroach would have taken an incredible amount of effort but what you are about to see is a secret that we have long kept If her final insanity had arrived here even I would feel fear at the result
Wick We donÆt have time for this Ezekiel snapped
Would he not see anyway Preparing him now time will be saved as he need not react Laplace is not the only Eternity that has forced its way into the Nexus boy Just the first one was much more willing to negotiate
With that strange announcement Randidly slammed into the eighth barrier of Pine Like the seventh before it this barrier had developed resilience Its thick strands wrapped around Randidly to impede him The earlier barriers were easily traversable because he had already given up his body Yet these later barriers had more to do with his worldly desires To carry these thoughts deeper would be a great burden The barrier would not let him proceed easily
There would have been a time perhaps only a few days ago that this barrier would have been nigh impassible to him
With three kernels of truth burning in his chest and a growing amount of Penance accumulations Randidly didnÆt care When the barrier refused him entry his eyes flashed His AlchemistÆs Passport resonated with his sharp movement No doors will bar my passage Dread Homunculus The Wrathful Calamity Rends
His claws forced open the barrier and the dead roared their approval at this savagery Randidly charged forward and found himself in an entirely different space The vast misty realm of darkness vanished Even jagged flows of significance calmed Suddenly Randidly found himself standing in a vast building
To his right an empty coffee mug sat on a table RandidlyÆs brow knitted together as he tried to rationalize what he was seeing
From the wooden benches covered in tools the near infinite shelves stretching up toward the ceiling and the half finished dolls lying around he seemed to be in a cross between a workshop and a warehouse
RandidlyÆs heartbeat quickened as he sensed the incredible significance coursing through this stable place his momentum stalled out somewhat as he considered the environment Rather than rampaging freely all that torn Nether had been channeled into establishing and strengthening this strange space Looking around he realized that the energy of this place felt somewhat familiar
Then in his Soulspace he felt a quiver of recognition His other gifted Momento PanguÆs Asymptote released a faint quiver of acknowledgment
RandidllyÆs mind went blank He might have completely caused all the built up efforts of his ErebusÆs Baleful Waltz if Commandant Wick hadnÆt appeared at his elbow and given him a sour look We cannot waste time here Move boy
After a moment to blink and adjust Randidly stepped forward The moment of stalling had hurt his patterns running through the specters of the dead but they quickly regained their vigor as he dragged them back up to speed Besides the way forward was quite clear opposite RandidlyÆs entrance point several worktables had been smashed to pieces and a few of the tall metal shelves had holes drilled directly through the middle
Because the significance in this place had been used to stabilize these manifestations Laplace had needed to break his way forward toward PineÆs core
Randidly accelerated forward even as his thoughts remained uneasy The deeper I go the more secrets IÆm crashing into Just what is PanguÆs game What sort of negotiations did this other Eternity enter into that such a deep area could be converted into a workship
Most importantly what the hell has been manufactured here
Chapter 2421
The group raced through the scattered chips of wood and metal that LaplaceÆs rampage had left smoldering on the ground of the strange workshop They passed several areas of temporal wounds but the restricted nature of this portion of PineÆs corpse meant that the wounds had almost healed naturally on their own But what Randidly noticed most of all were the vibrations running through the ground
Ahead of him he saw a particularly powerful reverberation bounce a half finished doll off a shelf and have it shatter on the ground RandidlyÆs gaze sharpened Laplace hasnÆt passed through the next barrier IÆve almost caught up with him
This realization was almost enough to push down his rising unease at the mysterious purpose of this facility
Behind his back the dead began to get excited at the prospect of contact The Dread Homunculus released a noise somewhere between a hiss and a sign trying to cope with the pressure of all these souls borrowing the momentum of the image Their small movements were insubstantial on their own but they learned from the patterns Randidly sent out through their ranks The damned increasingly moved as one relentless entity multiplying their power to a ridiculous degree
In a way he had become a tireless legion And he provided all the fuel for the army gnashing his teeth from his shadow
Randidly rolled his shoulders and focused as much as he could His feet kicked off the shattered ground and chased an Eternity His three images roared with their individual emotional affect The notes came into harmony His Nether Core continued its rotation the healing of temporal wounds adding more and more interior substance to the function Very soon he sensed that he could begin the process of condensing a Penance
RandidlyÆs three half formed Truths buzzed and sharpened They stood in stark contrast to the simple and firm Truth passed to him by Nyx You canÆt have it both ways Or to put it another way a choice always needed to be made Randidly understood why Nyx had given this particular Truth to him These powerful moments of the Pinnacle and Eternity represented an opportunity
But there was always an opportunity cost
RandidlyÆs jaw clenched He raced forward the speed of his passage and the train of dead following him knocking delicate shaving tools to the ground and starting a small clatter When he stood at that crossroads what would his choice be
But while most of RandidlyÆs attention focused on these last minute preparations he couldnÆt keep his gaze from flickering out to the strange workshop around them As the Songstress of Absence began carving a path in the ground in her vocalÆ warmups they moved from the shelving area to a place filled with three meter wide basins of water Most along the path made by Laplace were cracked and drained but further away Randidly saw an endless plateau of the pools stretching to this left and right Small sparkling clouds of light glittered over the unbroken pools filled with esoteric patterns
Yggdrasil stirred with interest as they passed through to an area covered in wooden frames with draped silk in a thousand different hues The long materials fluttered in a nonexistent wind
The Dread Homunculus growled and gnashed its teeth almost driven mad by the pressure of the dead as they moved to an area filled with bookshelves Randidly pressed his lips together could the entire knowledge of the Nexus dead be gathered here
It was only when they passed through to the final portion of this space the rumblings of LaplaceÆs violence shaking the air that Randidly finally put together the true meaning of this place
Broken chalkboards littered the ground in this section but from the shattered pieces Randidly saw complex Engravings of a style that Randidly didnÆt recognize Different portions of the ground were covered with Engravings of poured and set gold making glittering arrays of indeterminate purpose In the distance Randidly saw marble pillars with immaculately made dolls sitting atop them He didnÆt recognize the dolls but he could feel the general aura of this place so similar to his own PanguÆs Asymptote
The epiphany came when Randidly looked across the vast distance to the left and saw one doll in particular with half of its face and its left arm missing but with an emerald for a right eye The doll sat beneath a flowering tree with a monster for a shadow and cradling an event horizon in its arms
All details matter
A Truth had naturally formed in RandidlyÆs chest with the accumulation of all his efforts in the Nexus so far GhosthoundÆs Deviation finally had a concrete name as each second passed its volume rose and rose searing the inside of his body
Randidly pressed his lips together After a moment of indecision he sent out a strand of Willpower and quieted the approaching crescendo Discovering the shape of my Truth couldnÆt have come at a better time But I need all three before IÆm willing to step onto the Pinnacle If all details matter timing is also very important
Almost unwillingly that calculative perspective on existence shivered and settled down within his body waiting for its chance to explode
Randidly planted his foot against the ground as another wrath filled temporal explosion occurred in front of him He felt grateful for the tightly bound significance of this workshop as he mobilized the whole of his Primordial Nether Juju and Dreadful Alacrity His physical body pushed beyond the bounds of the System accelerated He tore through the air dragging the dead behind him
The vision of Laplace sharpened The snakeÆs long arms his scaled back his fat dragging tail were clear The Eternity raised a clawed hand and jabbed it forward Arrayed against this monster were a half dozen souls of the dead but even to RandidlyÆs eyes they blazed with powerful energy halos Their Aether and Nether did not move in concert but at least did not sizzle and weaken their auras
Yet when the temporal hammer fell the dead soul faltered and fractured His history had been sundered and his energy sputtered and died Laplace cackled with glee
The remaining dead didnÆt move to attack but instead bellowed out keening whispers the trickle of grave dust the scrape of dry bones shifting against each other The spoke in the language of the dead hoping Laplace could hear their words But Laplace simply waved one of its fat hands Time spun in whirlpools The keening noises reached its senses but in a scrambled order
Like all others the language of the dead was still a language When jumbled it would lose all communicative power
Laplace slithered forward its horrific world state infecting outward It slapped one defender to the side and smashed another to the ground ItÆs black clock eyes turned to the soul of a young woman who released a piercing note
For a moment the Eternity paused But then it pounced forward and shattered her body This horrific being cackled again releasing a burst of its dreadful significance The last of the defenders were knocked to the side Laplace turned and faced the far wall of the workshop where the final barrier of PineÆs corpse remained
The Eternity reached
But then it jerked to a stop RandidlyÆs hand had been faster in seizing its tail For the first time since it had arrived its confusion weakened the temporal significance it released
Those black eyes turned around and regarded a grinning Randidly Ghosthound He settled into that familiar stance of a spear thrust as he inserted his image of a clock hand along AcriÆs edge Behind him all the dead and damned began their stampede forward Are you ready for round two
Chapter 2422
For a long moment Randidly Ghosthound and Laplace stared at each other
The Eternity seemed shocked deaf to his words Randidly ran a light mental finger over all the weapons he prepared making sure each was in its place This was it all his preparation and growth just for this moment
Power existed within just attention Randidly felt his own temporal reality unravel just slightly from the extended focus of the Eternity Laplace seemed to maintain a constant aura around its body that pulsed with dangerous shape the significance had been hammered into for untold amounts of years But while Laplace used that attention just to puff up its aura Randidly fully uncorked the bottle holding all the vicious emotions of the dead riding on his cloak Darkness violence and howling desperation distorted the air with its intoxicating presence
Very few events could unite the bitter dead like the presence of an invader in their midst They breathed out spite and settled ready for the explosion
The long and fat tail of Laplace twitched RandidlyÆs left hand tightened as he leveled his spear Both strained their eyes still locked on one another Image the emotions of the dead significance Truth vessel CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin( )c0m
All had been prepared
Randidly felt a grim pleasure as even through the black expanse of those clock faces Laplace had for eyes he could read the shock in the EternityÆs expression as he physically held it in place He planted his left foot He pivoted power flowing through his waist as he unleashed his thrust
The dead burst past him with a keening roar An invader was in their midst a foreign being that had bulldozed through all the restrictions of PineÆs corpse seeking to destroy devour and manipulate the core of this land of death Randidly nudged them slightly with his Synechdochence layering the various specters upon one another until they became an endless torrent of caustic emotion Despite the powerful shape aura of Laplace they scythed forward without pause His body had been reinforced beyond belief on his journey through the Nexus but even he trembled as he channeled all this dangerous force
Congratulations Your Skill ErebusÆ Baleful Waltz has grown to Level 1123
Congratulations Your Skill GhosthoundÆs Cloak of a Thousand Lightless Horizons has grown to Level 1259
Even if only a rotten dreg lingered of a soul after their death Randidly had scooped up all those dregs and erupted like a necrotic volcano He rode the wave and attacked
Congratulations Your Skill ErebusÆ Baleful Waltz has grown to Level 1201
Congratulations Your Skill GhosthoundÆs Cloak of a Thousand Lightless Horizons has grown to Level 1313
RandidlyÆs spear made contact with the dense skin of the horrible serpent The dead followed a split second later all their accumulated rancor smashing directly against the significance of the Eternity
Space tore and time stuttered as the two powers smashed against each other with all the subtlety of an avalanche A few nearby pillars cracked and collapsed the half finished dolls upon them falling to the ground and shattering The dead physically inundated Laplace and began to dig with their fingers trying to find purchase in the EternityÆs grey body Yet even with all this built up momentum they stopped just short of being able to wound this foreign monster The dense barrier of its significance only began to waverù RandidlyÆs eyes flashed in recognition
Not there yet He hummed to himself his body screaming from the reverberating feedback of his powerful thrust being stopped dead But as he shifted his weight backward and reset himself his three images all gathered together Randidly nudged the prepped image back into place and attacked again
However Laplace recovered just as quickly from the first calamitous impact Those handless clocks seemed to grow larger and larger on its sagging face A piercing bolt of the EternityÆs power ripped through the intervening space creating several whirlpool temporal distortions and slammed into RandidlyÆs chest His experiential time wrenched in several directions almost scattered by the force of the smite
Upon LaplaceÆs arrival a glance had been enough to lock Randidly within the complex and poisonous currents of significance
He reached into deeper rings of experienced time and his body began to break down
RandidlyÆs stubbornness and the bead of the same he had taken from Shal grew even more adamant in the face of this suffering The sensation of time vanished without the fabric around him it was difficult to feel how the situation truly developed Randidly felt suspended in the moment of struggle his muscles constantly rupturing and straining He pushed and pushed
A huge and oppressive wave of time settled across his arms and back He rose to meet it drawing on all the grand potential of his vessel
Yet he was locked in the moment of strain Every extended experience suffocated his hope that he could escape this He pushed and nothing seemed to change His muscles trembled and he squeezed out every drop of sweat and effort from his physical form but all he seemed to accomplish was damaging his own body by fighting against a weight that greatly overmatched him
Randidly almost laughed aloud as he felt the pressure increase again the existence of an Eternity was ridiculous He knew that Elhume and Fiero had somewhat faked their way to the Pinnacle but the difference in accomplishment felt comical His images slowed in their rampage and were forced back The constant charge of the dead stalled out behind him He could maintain a thin film of his superior Nether around his person but he could no longer cut through the sheer weight of memories that the Eternity had experienced
For all the dead Randidly now unleashed Laplace had probably seen ten times more die and had never felt even a tremor The density of his significance was impressive but a sufficient quality could overmatch him with just the horrific power of memory That was what it meant to be an Eternity
So this is the extent of your power Randidly let out a self small laugh He felt the memories grinding away at his vessel and his vessel slowly being pushed back The bend in his knees increased His toes were pushed back desperate for purchase on the ground The trembling in his legs grew worse and worse His smile widened Well I always figured a direct confrontation would be dumb but can you blame a guy for trying
Those blank clock faces bored into Randidly still not even seeming to acknowledge his words Finally feeling his limits nearing Randidly flicked his left hand and produced the AlchemistÆs passport Normally he wouldnÆt be able to affect such a powerful creature but the wound to the temporal fabric left spatial tears all around
Just because Randidly wasnÆt prepared to perform the grand finale of his three miracles didnÆt mean he was above a few sleights of hand to warm the crowd up
With a grunt Randidly did two things simultaneously activate his Fatepiece and rip Acri out of LaplaceÆs fat and grey flesh The sense of relief he experienced while no longer needing to endure the echoes of LaplaceÆs manipulated time was so strong he couldnÆt help but stagger backward It was the equivalent of stepping off a tiny boat and forgetting the ground would no longer be undulating beneath you
Laplace didnÆt miss the opening as RandidlyÆs balance failed himù the massive creature whipped its tail sideways Randidly barely was able to get Acri up in time to block gritting his teeth through the splash of its horrible weight
As Randidly staggered backward Laplace turned away from this annoyance and pounced toward its original goalù the Eternity crashed face first into one of the nearby storage shelves Still leaking that horrible pressure the metal warped and the other building materials directly imploded The explosion set off a series of smaller collapses as debris were sent flying in every direction After a long moment the Eternity pressed itself up out of the wreckage and turned to glare at Randidly
Randidly laughed the air rippled softly behind him With the AlchemistÆs Passport he had rotated the two around Not only had he caught up to the Eternity but now he stood between it and the last barrier before Pine
ShalÆs bead of stubbornness had brightened to the piercing beam of a lighthouse Even now even if its hopeless we can still advance Shal
My Grand Fate will be to harmonize three Truths Randidly proclaimed as he leveled Acri at the monster And my chosen Penance will be to heal all the wounds youÆve inflicted on the fabric of time
Laplace attacked still unwilling to allow him the pleasure of some verbal banter But also in that moment Randidly felt a tremor from his Nether Core One that felt bad
For whatever reason his Nether Core didnÆt like the framing of his Penance Which felt like a pretty late moment for this realization to suddenly manifest
Chapter 2423
Devick burned It wasnÆt necessarily painful but she was very aware that their would be lingering damage
But in that heat she also found power
The essence of her soul had become fire Each of her thoughts and emotions just existed for a split second before it became further fuel for the inferno rampaging through her body The flames rose higher and higher dancing past the edges of her skin emotional intensity and the raw essence of shape turned into incandescent plasma The specter of Malice floated and shimmered in that manifestation being forged as Devick discovered this genuine Path forward for her image
The flames that consumed her were varied Some were the dark color of rust some were pitch black others were pure white Devick gradually focused her attention toward the most pure and hottest flames finding the materials necessary to burn away the more stubbornly persistent parts of herself that didnÆt waver no matter how hot the flames of her image had become
Malice lived and breathed in the furnace of Perdition slowly being refined The hareÆs ears lengthened the muscles on its body developed and more and more bleak emotions concentrated in that left hand The process echoed out through this perfectly amplifying space until it bounced off the far wall landing on her again and doubling the benefit
Is this warm feeling pride Huhuh who knew that guiding a friend toward the Pinnacle would be so fulfilling The current form of the shapeshifting spirit had become toddler sized walking around Devick with an admiring gaze But from the increasing pudginess of her cheeks she approached another point of loud rupture and shift to a new form Yet the longer that the shapeshifter looked at Devick the more she hesitated Ahem but you know you burn away more and more of yourself in this way Your image is becoming pure but
Haah it seems my methods of teaching are too profound for you to handle You have turned them into the crucible of destruction
Are you still insisting on continuing this self immolation Your personality is warping
Devick didnÆt blink She didnÆt move She felt surprisingly calm For the first time in recent memory the wild emotional rollercoaster of her everyday existence had evened out She poured more and more of herself into the radiant flames Her awareness dribbled and oozed down her bubbling psyche She had found a Path She felt herself advancing Malice grew stronger and more ominous mutating in the shadowless baptism of these flames
She wondered how much she had narrowed the gap between herself and Randidly Her fingers twitched but she urged herself to be patient
Shit really IÆm practicing patience now Devick thought but a split second later the thought popped and vanished The wry humor followed another second later until finally even her bitterness went too All that remained was purpose
Girl n now now be reasonable Do not burn away your memories I have some experience with this Bad experiences Without memories the valuable connections cannot be grasped
If its me Devick didnÆt recognize her own voice papery and fragile as the air passed through her lips She could barely whisper the flames must have begun to eat into her physical form A few little bursts of pleasure manifested in her heart before the flames took those too Her lips stretched slowly carving a smile across her face If itÆs with this hand
Devick raised her left hand It had become a twisted black claw all obsidian and charcoal all imperfections burned away to leave only the sinister fulcrums of inevitability As long as I reach I can grasp anything
Impossible In the Nexus
Devick cackled more and more joy feeding into a bright golden flame that rose in her image hotter and more annihilating than any that came before it Gradually those stubborn parts of herself that had thus far resisted the inferno began to soften as the joyous flame ballooned outward I am a Deviation What is impossible for others is not necessarily so for me
The shapeshifting spirit attempted to respond but it had reached that point in its maturity Its body had been overfilled and it popped Devick laughed and laughed at the perfect timing the golden flames rising higher and higher until it rivaled the rust colored madness in her the black hatred and the white devotion
Well that will need to do
Laplace howled and pounced forward with more quickness than Randidly would have given it credit for but by then the roots arrived chewing down from above and below teeth of craving and life respectively They closed and bit on their target
Fueled by the powerful emotions of the dead Randidly pinned Laplace in place His three images worked in perfect concert Each emotional affect was a honed blade cutting through the dense significance of the foe and anchoring its body in place Randidly then focused his attention on the clock hand image he had prepared Once more that image settled along the blade of Acri He took a single step arriving right in front of the Eternity
Laplace the Fickle Crossroads of Time heaved its massive and bloated body held between two powerful manifestations of RandidlyÆs image perhaps the two most powerful he had ever managed And the teeth tore underneath the raw pressure it wielded In a split second Laplace shredded the top teeth and even brutalized the manifestations of Yggdrasil That horrifying resonance developed from all the time it had lived was almost unstoppable
Almost
RandidlyÆs Nether Core spun faster and faster He spat the words out while he leveled his spear The First Authority Seize
The impact of the Authority slamming into the Eternity ruptured something in his projected body as his Nether Core heaved and sputteredù his lips parted and blood spewed out over LaplaceÆs face But Randidly Ghosthound had thrown too many thrusts in too many impossible situations to let that distract him He completed the motion while Laplace remained pinned down by spending both the momentum of the dead and all the significance of his Nether Core
Randidly shoved his spear into LaplaceÆs left eye He released the image fragment and an ornate black wicker second hand appeared on the eye After a moment of trembling stillness it began to tick in constant motion
As Randidly kicked off and created some more space Laplace released a horrifying screech that transcended sound Waves of distorted images exploded out with the noise The constant swirl of infectious time that Laplace had maintained began to contract and writhe with instability It flopped around him still destructive but now lopsided Each rotation of that force saw its area contract
Randidly warily took a step back unsure of how effective a blow it had ended up being But he felt the back of his right heel sink into a sticky rind A glance over his shoulder confirmed that the air had begun to ripple more constantly despite the series of blows he had landed against the Eternity he had lost ground and ended up pressed against PineÆs final threshold
He couldnÆt fall back any further not at least while the Eternity still remained so potent
LaplaceÆs agonized keening continued for several seconds The air rang with pain and rage The temporal fabric tore in a wider and wider area around them adding a strange dreamlike quality to their confrontation The scream might have only been a few seconds but it seemed to contain hours of pressure Or perhaps that horrifying breadth of its existence began to leak out past its skin
However RandidlyÆs expression became solemn Gradually its pained screech tapered off The left eye had a ticking second hand its infectious image remained hobbled by the addition Yet with the temporal fabric unwinding further and further away it seemed to find a balance with itself
And then Laplace looked at Randidly favoring the black clock face of its right eye He could see a decision in its expression Sure it had been annoyed before had moved its powers against him but it hadnÆt ever really looked at him It was an Eternity and he was just an individual within the Nexus that hadnÆt yet even reached the Pinnacle It had knocked him aside and moved on to more pressing business
No longer
Randidly licked some of the remnant blood off his tongue and spat it to the side Even now his Nether Core had only begun to regain its momentum The resonance of his Truths began to accumulate into a knot of tension in his chest So looks like you are finally taking me seriously How Fun
Chapter 2424
The two figures stood in the void with jagged waves of warped time wrapping around their bodies Their meeting would decide the fate of the Nexus
As Randidly faced off against Laplace he considered an alternate option to rushing into this confrontation stepping back through the barrier behind him and fighting in the final threshold of Pine It would essentially be a stalling tactic gamble that Laplace due to the interference of the dead would take longer to make it through to the final area than Randidly would Ezekiel and Commandant Wick had vanished since the fighting broke out but Randidly suspected they were still lurking around and coordinating the actions of the regal dead
Temporal distortions buzzed against his skin as he clenched his fists At the very least the choice would give him a bit more time to consider what to do about the strange dissonance Randidly felt in his Nether Core every time he considered his Penance
Yet almost immediately Randidly discarded that idea He clenched his fists even tighter until some of his knuckles popped For one thing he wasnÆt sure what he would find on the other side of the barrier The Truths in his heart were gathering momentum toward shaping themselves into a Grand Fate His intention was to condense the Grand Fate at the same moment those Truths reached the Pinnacle and he wasnÆt sure how much longer he could delay
But perhaps most gallingly after their physical clashes Randidly wasnÆt sure if he would be the first one to break through this last barrier
Green puss leaked out of the wound from the ticking second hand inserted into LaplaceÆs left eye The strange liquid stained the blank expanse the previous paths of the ooze drying to an offputting yellow brown But around the Eternity its vicious time had regained its stability
With deliberate care the massive serpent creature used its arms to drag its heavy body forward Randidly took his own step forward to face it He felt a sense of unreality as he defended PineÆs Corpse from being desecrated but at the very least a spiteful part of Randidly refused to allow the benefits of the Nexus to flow to this bastard
He would not step back not before this asshole
Cheh maybe Devick is rubbing off on me more than I thought Randidly reflected feeling the heady burn of DevickÆs Truth resounding through to him Yet he did not try and separate himself from the heat If anything he allowed it to echo out from their connection achieving more and more resonance with his Yggdrasil which housed the Inevitable Deviation Promises Doom a DevickÆs Deviation Rarity Skill
With his Penance continuing to show problematic stutters Randidly pushed it to the side He observed the gathering of temporal power around Laplace with a solemn expression His hair fluttered back and forth across his eyes An Eternity looked at Randidly with righteous fury pus still oozing out from its wounded eye RandidlyÆs lips twitched as the monster condensed six floating books
The fat hand gestured imperiously The books slowly opened each to the first page Several strange moons formed around the books and orbited their spines The pages of the books began to flutter forward
Tch so dramatic RandidlyÆs lip twitched trying not to think about how convoluted his Skill names had become
Time wrenched and curdled underneath the pressure of those six books And the more the pages fluttered from the beginning of the book to the end the worse the pressure became The whirl currents of time concentrated into a vicious cyclone
CanÆt just let those gather up momentum RandidlyÆs eyes narrowed Laplace pointed and the first book zipped forward just as Randidly took an aggressive step opposite it Just a look told him that the horrifying force that overwhelmed his body was where these temporal tomes started from there it only went up
This was the genuine power of Laplace the Fickle Crossroads of Time
The toes of RandidlyÆs right foot dug into space trying to find purchase In his heart he felt the potential Truths he had gathered Each came from a different place each hinted at a different Path to the Pinnacle
He had his three base images each with potential and a growing certainty adding an edge to their bite His consciousness shifted away to the other tools he had assembled for his grand miracle
First Randidly acknowledged his own nascent Truth formed with the help of his methodical Alchemist Every detail matters
While the physical changes occurred what was really important was the Truth in RandidlyÆs heart The emotional affect achieved the supportive harmony Yggdrasil had always exemplified The Truth of this core image of Randidly Ghosthound was slow growth and near divinity through nurturing and support RandidlyÆs efforts had been able to provide high quality examples of the former and he could use emotional affect to mimick the sensation of the latter but it hadnÆt been genuine
Now riding on the quickly flowing time Yggdrasil made up all of that ground In only a moment it had existed for several hundred years After three seconds of the hug between book and tree it eclipsed a millennium The World Tree matured
Yggdrasil grew massive and flowering
Laplace howled again its rage palpable The book accelerated the flapping of its pages But although the World Tree shook from the impact it was just a resettling Over a thousand years old the universe supporting tree would not sway against temporal flows of this magnitude
RandidlyÆs chest burned as he felt the keening note of resonance gathering momentum
Warning Strange energy signature detected
Your image is devolving in a dangerous manner Please see your nearest Village Spirit
Your Image Yggdrasil Universe that was First a Tree is approaching a qualitative transformation We suspect this will result in a Pinnacle event
Reach the Pinnacle Now or Delay Now/Delay
Randidly snorted at the sudden choice notification that popped up in front of him It had been a while since he had bothered to notice their passage He pressed Delay feeling a strange sense of separation settle across the World Tree image the Pantheon now acted to maintain that state so he could bring all his images to where he wanted them before he actually condensed his Grand Fate
Book and tree leaned against one another giving themselves fully over to the battle of time Laplace watched an ugly expression on its face Likely it could sense the same outcome that Randidly could Halfway through the book and its fluttering pages it seemed like the attack would not be enough to shatter Yggdrasil
This time when it screamed and pointed the remaining five books shot forward all at once Randidly could only wince and mobilize his remaining two images understanding he was the last barrier before the core area of PineÆs corpse Their power shook space those books might rip their way to Pine all on their own Alright you two This is not a drill Are you ready for the Pinnacle
A ripple ran through the surrounding area The specter of the Dread Homunculus stood by RandidlyÆs side still dragging a long cloak of night that teemed with the unwilling spirits of the dead Its eyes burned with steady resolve Randidly could feel the anticipation it possessed ready to thrust itself forward
Yet it was the Songstress of Absence that cracked open space as she descended
Randidly couldnÆt help but laugh the Siren of the Inhospitable Depths had been waiting a long time for the chance for her solo And now she could sing her heart out without worrying about anything of note being caught in the crossfire
They stood in a corpse surrounded by the dead She could devour it all and the Nexus would only be improved for it
Chapter 2425
Do you sense that
Nathaz Eloise paused in its efforts its many limbs trembling from the exertion It leaned back and looked at its ancestor who had spoken Around them the massive working of their dreams unfolded almost as though it already existed and they were simply excavating it Adrenaline surged through NathazÆs body but the sudden voice brought him back to sloshing consciousness
He looked around He couldnÆt believe how much his spinal column ached His thoughts seemed sluggish How long have we been working on this
Nathaz blinked several times shaking his head obviously it was for the best that he threw himself totally into the labor Only then could they accomplish their goal before Elhume intervened And while it seemed Randidly Ghosthound currently had the situation in hand the dangerous rumbles of Aether and Nether spoke to a balance that could be shattered anytime They needed to work quickly
Just would he really feel this much sense of exhaustion if they had only a small span of time to struggle
After a moment Nathaz recalled the question and cleared his throat Sense what Honorable Ancestor
This shape TuthakÆs features scrunched together as it looked out across the sprawling working that would rearrange the hierarchy within the Nexus Its powerful lines rippled and shifted speaking to its status as a breathing and organic Engraving certainly a masterwork achievement The luminous radiance released by the growing working spoke to their accomplishment Yet Tuthak seemed to hesitate This is definitely the shape we talked about Yet sometimes when I consider the whole
A strange breeze leaned against all their efforts The lights flickered and warped Every time Nathaz felt like he was about to get some clarity on what he witnessed a flicker in the corner of his eye distracted him
He blinked slowly Truly he was frazzled by this toil
well we have made our decision TuthakÆs gaze shifted to the middle distance He nodded Now all that remains is to see this attempt through to its end Let us continue
Five more ominous tomes shot forward toward Randidly where Yggdrasil still struggled to consume the first attack Soon the World Tree would use the first as a springboard to become an even more dominant form but that would require a small opportunity
Laplace no longer overlooked Randidly enough to give him that
So Randidly gathered up all the mental energy he could muster folding and compressing his determination his emotional sea continued its tumbling turmoil to generate more force The Dread Homunculus and the Songstress of Absence gratefully absorbed all the emotional intensity blazing as they settled into their own emotional affect Space quaked around the event horizon as the Songstress manifested resulting in spiderweb distortions spreading out to become a barrier in front of him
Because strangely when Randidly focused on the different Truths in their core the Songstress moved first It wasnÆt just that she felt liberated by the lack of collateral damage she could inflict inside PineÆs corpse
She felt closer to TruthÆ
Randidly almost couldnÆt even see Laplace through the five new temporal vortexes churning between them although he felt the pressure of time increasing as the Eternity dragged his body closer Yet oblivion whispered out as the Songstress began to sing hinting at a deeper purpose Her notes hummed in a narrative arc She had been inspired by the language of the dead A language that could kill you if you listened a little too closely An ominous Truth that the words could only be heard and spoken by the deceased
The beginning of her aria collided with the temporal aura produced by five tomes and their orbiting moons
Again Randidly hit delay Another step closer to his Grand Fate Yet the circumstances in front of him didnÆt exactly fill him with confidence
As they reached the Pinnacle Yggdrasil and the Songstress of Absence both began to overmatch the books with which they grappled Yggdrasil especially had gone through 80% of the books fluttering and was only solidifying its foundation Yet the Songstress hadnÆt even gotten to the halfway point
And meanwhile the Dread Homunculus
RandidlyÆs most practical image spat out pure spite and unwillingness as the combined force of four books steamrolled the image a few feet backward At this point only a small amount of distance separated it and the location where the other books were being calmly devoured
A bitter smile twisted RandidlyÆs mouth Of course I would find myself in a situation right at the end where the original form the mandate of simply survive would be more useful than advancing But thatÆs part of growing We let go of who we were before and dress ourselves in the vestments of who we want to be
Homunculus you need to hold here at least for a second at least long enough for me to find your emotional
Randidly blinked his thoughts briefly stalling He felt the strangest moment of imbalance like he had taken a misstep His chest ached He looked down the motion seeming to take much longer than he intended A tremor wracked his body as both of his delayed images weakened
He saw blood first Dripping out of a hole in his torso the crimson liquid glittering with motes of emerald and gold Another blink sharpened his focus to the fleshy grey/pink protuberance stabbing through his ribcage now squeezing a painful vice around his heart
The long fleshy tube led back underneath the ongoing conflict between images and tomes back to the wide open maw of Laplace who leered at him
From the EternityÆs expression the message was clear If you wound me I wound you
The slight distraction meant all of RandidlyÆs focus had vacated the Dread HomunculusÆs body Upon the next impact with the group of books the Cloak of a Thousand Lightless Horizons tore completely The dead spilled and sloshed out of the wound flooding the area with their flickering forms
At the same time that tongue tugged on RandidlyÆs heart threatening to wrench it out of his chest cavity
Chapter 2426
Note to self an Eternity shouldnÆt be underestimated RandidlyÆs eyes blazed as he dug his teeth into his lip to focus Fat drops of blood splashed onto the ground from the hole in his ribcage He felt the pressure in his chest as his heart was tugged out of its resting place Meanwhile the rampant heat from Yggdrasil and the Songstress of Absence had become an inferno
Each individual activity required so much of his focus that he could barely manage them all Images emotion Nether Core concepts regarding his Grand Fate and Penance Laplace hadnÆt missed that vulnerability And what was the most galling about the whole situation was that he had been bested by this shit
Meanwhile his two images being delayed right before the Pinnacle were incensed they demanded the capability to reach the Pinnacle and deal with this sudden threat Randidly quieted their complaints ignoring the pain His hands snapped up and grasped the tongue that had taken him by surprise He squeezed intending to tear his way through the thick strands of muscle Sticky saliva oozed up between his fingers Even more dangerously the touch once more exposed him to the horrible pulses of time His muscles vibrated with the powerful resonance beginning to tear underneath the strain
Damnit damnit damnit RandidlyÆs eyes blazed His whole body shuddered For the first time since he had remained his Stat anchors he felt directly overmatched He considered his options Setting aside the problem with condensing a Penance his Nether Core continued to purify and produce vast quantities of significance If he corralled that and cut through the tongue
RandidlyÆs thoughts might have been scattered by the wound but his images did not lose track of their roles Yggdrasil and the Songstress endured and shredded the temporal waves as per their preference while the Dread Homunculus stepped up again and threw its body forward to buy more time Its hip bone was pulped by the impact But despite its best efforts the four final tomes were now only a short distance away from upsetting the equilibrium of those images
And still Randidly had a tongue wrapped around his heart
The Dread Homunculus ignored its wounds and forced itself back to a standing position If nothing else its stubbornness kept pulling it back to its feet That and the beacon bright spark of emotion taken from Shal animated it despite the damage it had suffered The light wrapped around the imageÆs shoulders and urged it forward
The tongue unleashed a temporal distortion through RandidlyÆs hand and then pulled
RandidlyÆs gut reaction was to dig in his heels Every muscle in his body quivered ready to resist this foreign invasion to his last drop of blood A deep instinctual part of him growled in the face of these threats He considered each individual problem dissecting the methods he could use to smash apart his opposition
Then he forced himself to relax The Alchemist in him snorted and reeled in his wild emotions Part of advancing is letting go of the past Possessing sufficient self awareness to avoid the same mistakes you made previously
His eyes dropped to his chest He released the grip with his hands which meant that his heart was wrenched out of his chest cavity gushing blood out of its torn ventricles The pain was horrendous but Randidly just pressed his lips together Because you donÆt matter at all do you Just a distraction
The raw confession was enough for that pumping gleaming muscle to fade and vanish from the tongue of the Eternity The blood remained on the ground but the wound passed like a strange dream Randidly had already given up his body It hurt to so bluntly admit it but that heart didnÆt matter to his wellbeing Instead he had to deal with the group of four tomes His eyes fixed on the crooked silhouette of the Dread Homunculus the hordes of the dead milling around the imageÆs ankles Yggdrasil
Time to begin the counter attack
Rustling slightly the canopy of Yggdrasil parted and allowed a bit of the universeÆs original light to seep out A nova of golden light suffused the surrounding area Randidly felt his own exhaustion vanish under that warm honey illumination but also knew that the temporal waves of Laplace were enduring a much less friendly pressure
The birth of a new world inevitably meant another would be shattered by the violent birth
A thick golden root wiggled out and connected to the wounded form of the Dread Homunculus The healing energy flowed without ceasing circling through the limbs and helping the broken flesh of the image to knit together A little bit of the integrity returned to its body even while its face remained twisted in that vicious smirk
Perhaps with only five minutes maybe even two the Dread Homunculus would have returned to its full and glorious form reinvented and with the clarity of its true emotional affect Randidly Ghosthound didnÆt currently have that sort of time
What will you do That solemn part of Randidly asked his final image searching for its own Path to the Pinnacle When painful collisions are unavoidable when you are pushed to your limits How do you feel
The orbiting moons around the books began to glow Through the haze of shattered space and liquid time Randidly could see the looming form of Laplace slithering closer behind its powerful attack
Are rigid Will you break
The Dread Homunculus released a low groan and slashed with his right hand The claws sank for a second into the dangerous temporal momentum but were then wrenched and twisted until the digits snapped right off The stumps spat out blood but most of the small discharge was lost when the convoy trundled forward and smashed into the Dread HomunculusÆs chest For the second time the image was catapulted against the slightly elastic barrier
Are you supple Will you bend out of your original shape
To RandidlyÆs right from the battlefield between Yggdrasil and the first tome the sound of fluttering pages became increasingly loud But as frantic as the temporal book became it could not force its way past the World Tree The emerald canopy rustled unleashing a deafening pulse of noise that suppressed the book More and more golden veins of energy snaked outward struggling to assist the Dread Homunculus
The Songstress of Absence found a pure note perfectly exemplifying her annihilating music She cut and shredded all the waves of temporal force in front of her Even the pause maintained by the Pantheon shuddered underneath that power A few crescent slices flicked sideways passing out of the space of her tome and sideswiping the convoy
The attack barely made a dent in the maelstrom of the central attack But barelyÆ was enough space for a small flaw in the whirling temporal vortex to spin in the Dread HomunculusÆs direction and give it just a split moment to suck in a breath
Marginally it healed A small amount of muscle and detail wriggled back into black
Then the convoy crunched into its chest temporal waves squeezing the image from one side while PineÆs barrier unwillingly gave ground on the other RandidlyÆs thoughts quivered and then he was there his vessel and the Dread Homunculus superimposed the last defense before Laplace could infect the entire Nexus with its horrible world state image
His body was the spine of this defensive effort
That separate observational part of Randidly abruptly found itself as the Dread Homunculus smirking as the image filled with a wild glee that didnÆt seem to match the current situation at all Yet he felt it bubbling in his chest It was an answer to the question he had been repeatedly asking but one that didnÆt make much sense
What do I feel Randidly raised his head and laughed even as the vice tightened around him The Dread Homunculus image shivered and shifted The small marble of stubbornness that he had taken from Shal had been pressured and pressured until it gleamed like a blazing incendiary diamond
He felt unwilling He felt wronged He felt vindictive He felt challenged
The Dread Homunculus opened his mouth and gulped down the bead of light he had received from Shal His emotions began to sing as he prepared to force the issue of creating a Grand Fate
I feel like I just need to Advance The crooked smile had been drawn in large strokes across his face The rest will work itself out
Chapter 2427
To burn was to exist And it was also enough
The sensation felt strange settling across her but not unpleasant She had become an incarnation of fire in a vast cave The flickering light of the gorgeous flames licking up and down her body provided bright splashes of color Every one of her motions manifested as beauty She swam in the rainbow flame tongues a being of purpose and emotion The more she followed the sensation the larger and more resplendent she became
The cave seemed to stretch up endlessly above her The more she grew taller and yawned wide to expand her lovely manifestations the living embodiment of a vicious wildfire sweeping through the whole area the more the room seemed to expand to contain her Not in a restrictive way but just by being an appropriate size to contain her vast multitudes
She felt full and whole for the first time in her life She felt poised to take the next step She would finally become the woman she had always been meant to be
The firescape trembled The only problem was that now that she was here ready to pounce toward any goal
She couldnÆt quite remember why or how she had gotten here
Which did make the flames of fury running through her being seeth Frustration and determination warred in her chest
Wait a chest Did she have a chest Heat flushed her cheeks which she also didnÆt have She should just be a giant amalgamation of different emotional flames And immense destructive power
Well anyway she was mad because she always seemed to stumble on this step This teetering felt familiar The flames seethed and reached higher searching for a clue Some hints as to what the next step should be She was aware of the small fist of flames that swam through her flames an imitation that was foreign but had long since ceased listening to those flames those flames were obnoxiously self important
The flames curled light a tightening hand A hand that could reach out and force its fingers into any target so long as she willed it So what can I
And then he was there A luminous consciousness touching her shoulder Calm cool familiar and instantly enough to ease her tense shoulders
Devick itÆs time He whispered to her He looked at her with gratitude I need this power of yours
ItÆs all yours She responded The hand of flame relaxed she offered her prize glittering on the lovely palm of sculpted flame She felt a whooshing sense of collapse as much of her emotional force flowed through their connection and filled him dimming the flames until the wildfire was no more and she was just a woman with long red hair
Well not just any woman Devick mumbled A stunning bombshell by any metric
On cue the small fist of foreign flames drifted closer Confusion and disappointment radiated out of it You give everything to him Do you not feel unsatisfied constantly giving so much to other individuals Giving them control
Devick pursed her lips as she glanced at the fist of flames After calming some of her own emotions she said ItÆs not like your entirely wrong I would give him control if he asked for it But in the moment when I interact with Randidly Ghosthound I feel more clarity than at any other moment in my life Will my whole being I say yes to him He makes it so easy
The fist of flames considered that if you give they will take Until you are empty
What will you choose
Congratulations You have reached the requisite qualifications to condense a Grand Fate Please select a Great Path from the options below and follow it as long as it will lead you forward
(Grand Fate Myth of the Alpha Cosmos) (Grand Fate Randidly Ghosthound the Moirae Chimera) (Grand Fate Temporal Wanderer and Cultivator of Miracles) (Grand Fate & )#N# (Warning this is a partial Grand Fate
A light brush of will selected the final contorted option in the notification A Path with three images blended to become a third Truth The Dread Homunculus laughed again pounding his fist against the temporal barrier with such force that his palm fractured Simultaneously a change occurred in RandidlyÆs Soulspace as he began to lay the groundwork for his final miracle
His Nether Core spun churning out his potent translucent Nether He created a space with two sections separated by a powerful asymptote barrier in between them The areas became a reflection of the other with thin veins of significance creating interplay between them Above a delicate cage of manifested Engraving lines of written Aether to strengthen and fuel Below Randidly swirled together a dense whirlpool of his deepest significance a sort of foundation that would amplify and ground what would be created within
A frame of Aether to house and feature an Eternity A pool of pure Nether to stabilize and nurture a Truth Those two energies working in concert feeding through the asymptote to influence one another to condense a Grand Fate and a Penance
The pressure against him grew increasingly intense Lesser beings would have directly popped But in that inner sanctum of his soul his Aether and Nether were unperturbed He polished and carved with rapid strokes shaping the inner sanctum of his miracle The cage became gleaming and luminous The pool was so deep as to be unfathomable
As Randidly raised his arm for another strike those small orbiting moons around the tomes shifted They spread out to the exterior of the temporal vortex rotating around the whole rather than the individual sources
But most dangerously they began to whip around with malicious intent So while Randidly tried for another strike one moon swept past and crunched into the elbow joint of his right arm He hissed in pain noticing a second luminous moon curving around to shatter his jaw He jerked his head back just in time
He pressed just slightly deeper into PineÆs final barrier before rebounding with so much of his muscular power resisting the temporal forces he didnÆt have much to spare for this other opponent So instead of clipping his chin the moon smashed directly into RandidlyÆs cheekbone The eye on that side of his face ruptured
The Songstress of Absence let out another furious screech as RandidlyÆs effort to channel all these Truths wavered upon impact Randidly blinked and then spat out a bloody and shattered tooth to the side Warm life energy flooded up through his next and rapidly began to heal the wound But even that small distraction meant he could only endure as the growing vortex pressed a little bit more forward
He lost a little space just like that with his sanctum barely in a passable state
The Dread Homunculus hadnÆt lost its edge though It examined the advancing force carefully smirk still in place Well if this fucker wants to ignore reality I can do the same With all this distorted time I bet messed up thought experiments are extra effective You know you need to cross half a distance before you can cross the whole
If you Laplace are limited by halfs
I have almost an infinite amount of time to nail this emotional affect and polish the sanctum
Chapter 2428
Even if he had the shape of a strategy that didnÆt mean Randidly had much time to execute it His lips twitched The only upside of Laplace being entirely silent is that the monster isnÆt making any time puns
Randidly felt his body being squeezed as the convoy pressed forward Another one of his ribs fractured and released bone shrapnel through his internal organs His jaw was as clenched as it could become without his teeth being fused together like an igneous rock He examined the temporal flows and quickly refined his idea into a workable solution
Trap Laplace in ZenoÆs Paradox Even if the Eternity would eventually tear its way forward it would give Randidly a chance
His Moiraes stirred finally discovering the opportunity to manifest their abilities They reached out and began to create curling temporal eddies with their long fingers Organic patterns began to swirl around his body even as he was forced into a smaller and smaller space between the tomes and PineÆs barrier
Weaving quickly Randidly created the basic shape LaplaceÆs world state image tugged at the stray threads he had gathered but just this much was possible for Randidly to resist Through most of his experience with the Nexus Randidly had possessed a superior ability to manipulate energy than his peers Recently it had manifested as a maelstrom of kinetic energy churning it way forward half a destructive aura and half a mobile battery that could be consumed at any moment to empower his abilities
However the power of the Eternity had completely invalidated that ability Randidly had barely managed to keep the energy within his body in line underneath the constant grinding of time against his skin While also maintaining his images any sort of relevant energy adjustment had been impossible
But now two of his images had reached the Pinnacle waiting for a third image to finish his TruthÆ So he could fully dedicate his energy to tugging and nudging the temporal maelstrom into an advantageous position He gradually arranged the minute details so they would fall into line
LaplaceÆs four tomes crossed half the distance from their starting point to the final barrier of PineÆs corpse Randidly twitched a finger weaving a temporal knot to add some extra oomph to the paradox When it immediately began to fray even with the reinforcement he flooded the connection with his dense significance
His Nether sizzled but held
The tomes advanced a little further The vice around his chest tightened his ribcage popping and collapsing on his organs The barrier behind him gave again just slightly unwilling to allow him to advance any further but even it couldnÆt rival the raw power of an Eternity Randidly trembled and spat blood onto the temporal wave in front of him
The frame pulsed with light The pool deepened becoming cloudy in the depths
He twisted and twirled a finger As the tomes advanced through the next half distance the air around them distorted Randidly showed teeth as he utilized all the broken flows of time against this fat snake The surrounding space continued to quake as his other two images continued through their own confrontations The situation hadnÆt exactly stabilized but it would be enough to grasp an advantage
RandidlyÆs eyes began to glow His work in the Sanctum accelerated Now he also had a few seconds to reflect on the Dread Homunculus and the shape it would become And it only took a split second for him to see the Path forwardù the image would continue to advance but what was important was the method And it was the same method the Grey Creature had used and then the Grim Chimera after it The image would use its powerful grasp to pry away the very tools that had built up this pyramid of oppression
And with the plundered weapons it would lead the revolution
RandidlyÆs eyes glowed even brighter Pain surged through his body a physical presence in his crushed torso but his fingers continued to work The convoy of tomes slowed further time becoming curiously stagnant under RandidlyÆs direction He pushed away the suffering his other images the waiting pool of Nether and Cage of Aether all Randidly focused on was his Dread Homunculus image and the sensation that would guide it forward
A change occurred immediately one he didnÆt expect
The Dread Homunculus for the first time in the fight paused in its struggles and looked back at Randidly If we continue to take their weapons to advance are we really offering our people a different Path
Recalculating Incorporating the image of Neveah
Congratulations Your image has evolved into Tiamat Dread Chimera and the Grey Fear (NeveahÆs Deviation)
Congratulations Your Skill GhosthoundÆs Cloak of a Thousand Lightless Horizons has evolved into TiamatÆs Veil of Death and Shadow (ND) Skill Levels will be maintained
Your Skill DragonÆs Fell Smite has evolved into Alpha DragonÆs Fell Smite Skill Levels will be maintained
Your Skill Wrathful Calamity Rends has evolved into the Chimera Reborn Unleashes Dread Skill Levels will be maintained
Your Skill NyxÆs Successor Births Fate has evolved into
Recalculating The DevickÆs Deviation Truth within your body is reacting to the shifting image Flames of passion surge around the nascent Skill The process is being refined Your Skill is evolving further
Congratulations Your Skill NyxÆs Successor Births Fate has evolved into the Alpha Cosmos Births a Shallah Skill Level will be maintained
While the notifications continued to scroll past the body of the Dread Homunculus wriggled and exploded Randidly saw its shoulders swell as the leathery black feathered wings of Tiamat Mother of Fear forced their way out of his back The hands reformed due to the sudden rush of image details The chitinous armor of the Dread Homunculus merged seamlessly with the scales of the original dragon A grey cloak settled around the new imageÆs shoulders even while the whispers of the dead drifted across the veil
Tiamat unleashed a pure roar of fury with enough power that the temporal advance faltered Neveah slashed out with her hands shattering one of the orbiting moons as it drifted too close
Hurry Randidly Neveah urged him Although the image merger wonÆt revert back I canÆt hold this for long
I wonÆt need long Randidly grinned as his attention fixated on a particular detail
Congratulations You have created an Rarity Skill You have received the other half of the qualifications to understand the Truth of the Shallah Experience the baptism of the Pinnacle and of Eternity in order to glimpse the fundamental Truths of the universe
Randidly released a breath The new Tiamat Dread Chimera and Grey Fear rang out with its own desperate Truth growing louder and louder It quickly fell into harmony with its waiting siblings Yggdrasil and the Songstress of Absence Combined they flowed together to create a blended Truth from three images
Randidly felt surprised to find that the TruthÆ they formed actually came from NeveahÆs earlier words If the change isnÆt made now it will be made never
Along with the two other Truths he possessed Randidly condensed more and more powerful resonances in his body He blazed with them Already weakened by the battering from Laplace his Vessel trembled barely held together
But first RandidlyÆs attention fell on his Nether Core The Penance With information about the Shallah waiting for me IÆm not willing to wait around for the right answer NowÆs the time
Chapter 2429
In front of him Neveah burned through all her emotional force and Willpower hammering back the convoy of books in a surge of power In terms of ferocity and violence even Randidly felt a bit taken aback as flecks of spit flew from the mouth of the newly evolved Tiamat She held nothing back
The image manifestation warped space as it physically bludgeoned back a storm of time While lacking in shape emotion granted her power
Because when Randidly looked into the wild eyes of the image what he saw was NeveahÆs grief Her pain from so long watching him toss his body in front of threats of stepping up in the face of impossible monsters fighting and struggling to create the glimmer of a miracle while so many people relied upon him to do so over and over again Of being forced to observe blood leaking from his wounds and tears leaking from his eyes
For all the long nights Neveah waited for whether or not Randidly would finally make a mistake and crumple Tiamat radiated power She blazed and unleashed all the pent up dread that his Soulbound partner had been forced to bear
She howled without restraint The temporal convoy sputtered and stalled out The sharp edge of her sincerity dominated at the height of her fever pitch A moon whipped around but Tiamat flexed a wing to deflect it Her claws carved the opportunity Randidly had been waiting for
Within the inner sanctum the carefully crafted frame of Engravings hummed in satisfaction He nudged a few lines into place replaced a few inefficient patterns and felt the whole begin to breathe like an organism The deep pool of significance swirled slightly but Randidly concentrated his attention on the deepest drop at the bottom of the pool which began to form a translucent orb
He spoke to his Nether Core still hesitant about the incompatibility Is this choice really not enough for a Penance To spend the rest of my days healing the deep wounds of time underneath the Nexus
The spinning core wobbled out a clear and emphatic answer it was not enough His significance even gave a sympathetic twinge RandidlyÆs expression tightened His mind fluttered through a series of other options He thought of other meanings his PenanceÆs could move through ways he could become a better variation of himself Or ways he could prove his value to the Alpha Cosmos Ways that Randidly could even make up for all the sins he had committed in the eyes of Neveah so long ignoring his own happiness in order to try and create a future for his followers
But he reached and found only half formed ideas Ahead of him the temporal convoy began to force back NeveahÆs desperate assault RandidlyÆs brain whirled searching for an answer to this question
A loud clap echoed out from the confrontation between Yggdrasil and its tomeù after being forced shut the book began to disintegrate Yggdrasil instantly released a rustling sound of pure pleasure as it could blossom without any opposition Then its roots and branches snaked out away from where it had endured the passage of time and began to wrap and pull at the convoy of tomes that threatened Tiamat The gnarled protrusions wrapped until the attack seemed to be encased in a wicker ball The World Tree began to pull lowering the momentum further
Tiamat lashed out with renewed vigor For a little while longer Randidly had the opportunity to consider his Penance So he considered flitting quickly from one idea to another
Several seconds passed just with the sound of his Nether Core serving as an anchoring for his psyche His face tingled from the reverberating impacts between Tiamat and book convoy But despite the passage of time he could not find an answer What price could he pay when he wasnÆt sure why the prepared price hadnÆt been accepted Was his offering too much Too little
Based on the fact that Solomon Rex gave up a portion of his experienced time with a Penance could it even be too much of a price paid RandidlyÆs Nether Core didnÆt seem to agree with that so he could only purse his lips But then again Solomon Rex is the husk left over after Elhume had given up his past So perhaps The price of also surrendering a portion of his present could be considered extremely steep
For me what is the price that I could pay What is my particular weakness
He almost chuckled He spared a nervous glance for TiamatÆs back wings flapping and grey veil fluttering Heh good thing sheÆs too distracted to notice my thoughts right now Because my instinct is just to give up more of my own humanity Haah But honestly how much more do I have to give
Would I still be able to utilize this Nether Core if all the foundations for my Authorities were worn away A counterproductive measure
Yet soon NeveahÆs emotional intensity began to wane The wicker barrier around the four tomes began to groan The moons rotating around the fluttering books avoided direct conflict with Tiamat and instead smashed apart the critical bindings that restrained it The temporal maelstrom began to grind its way forward once more
Randidly felt one of those moments of utmost clarity as he realized his time had run out The swirling moons slowed to a crawl Despite all the ways his attention had been split the whole of his awareness settled back into allignment He looked around at all his preparations feeling so inadequate in his understanding of Penances
Congratulations Your Skill Lethal Tide of Izanami has grown to Level 1245
He folded all that dangerous kinetic energy and shredded space over and over again layering the blade until became a truth all on its own Then before the Penance he had failed to create could settle into the created frame Randidly slashed with all of his power
After that several events happened in quick succession
First RandidlyÆs folded blade whispered down and impacted the pinprick The pinprick cracked but wasnÆt cut in half as he had expectedù it seemed the false Penance was more powerful than he had given it credit for
Second the strike that wounded but didnÆt break the target sent it careening sideways with a spreading series of cracks
Third Randidly heard a scream and rustle of warning Both the World Tree and the Songstress of Absence reached out to help him but couldnÆt directly intervene Adrenaline spiked through his non body a memory of physicality
Fourth he felt a sharp blossom of agony from NeveahÆs psyche Her consciousness flickered
Reeling from all the rapid developments Randidly turned his focus outward just as the convoy of tomes slammed into him and compressed his body against PineÆs final barrier
Which is why Randidly missed the fifth development until the notifications began to flood his vision
Recalculating Pantheon Intervention Warning
The process of a Grand Fate cannot be halted by outside forces
Congratulations you have chosen the Grand Fate Temporal Thaumaturgy Mends Eternity For the rest of your existence you will be bound to notice and address wounds to the fabric of time in the surrounding universes Although you may put off these tasks for a short while the longer you do so the more you will suffer from this inaction Due to the nature of your selected Grand Fate you will not be drawing power from the Nexus at large benefits will be minor mostly relating to temporal Skills and your abilities as an Alchemist
Every 10 Levels in your Grand Fate gain +1 Privilege of the Half Shallah and +1 Free Stat
RandidlyÆs eyes bulged For a few seconds he couldnÆt quite understand what he was seeing I chose my Grand Fate but
His awareness snapped back to his Sanctum He discovered that his strike had not only wounded the pinpoint Nether Ritual but also sent it careening sideways Instead of settling down into the frame of Aether it had been almost spiked into the pool of Nether
The Path leads ever onward Randidly Ghosthound Good luck
Once in the pool the pinprick had cracked further almost opening along the fracture Dangerous jagged bolts of Nether snapped out building a framework within the pool of Nether New patterns shredded the flows of significance in the pool and left bits of Nether fluttering around like confetti Randidly blinked several times his mind frazzled A pulse ran through his Sanctum But if this has become my Grand Fate what the hell do I do with all these Truths
Because his awareness had gone inward he missed the next development as well A particularly vigorous shove from Laplace forced Tiamat back into his body And then in a massive display of force from the Eternity all of them drilled through the final barrier of PineÆs corpse
Chapter 2430
Randidly felt the impact on the solid ground only distantly For better or for worse the developments he refused to acknowledge left him briefly blinded
His head rang his torso ached and his mind continued to spin as he tried to grasp what exactly he had just experienced Different experiences fought for prominence in his bedraggled consciousness
Memories began to flash before his eyes as he wondered how he had arrived at this painful place He felt the first physical impacts of the tomes slamming into this body he felt the triumph of Yggdrasil and the screeching alarm of the Stillborn Phoenix he saw the smirk on LaplaceÆs face as its tongue drilled through his chest and wrapped around his heart
RandidlyÆs eyes snapped open as he clenched his teeth and forced aside his own stupidity He immediately groaned as his vision revealed blurred color and very little else Despite his powerful body being used as a battering ram through PineÆs final barrier did not feel excellent He managed to flop over onto his back and begin to push himself up onto his elbows to get a look around
He saw sunlight filtering through a deciduous forest along a worn dirt path Down the meandering pathway Randidly could also see a small wooden cabin The place felt warm and alive
Abruptly RandidlyÆs expression twisted as the original reason for his distraction reasserted itself Shit what happened with my Grand Fate
Yggdrasil sounded a warning A woozy Randidly spun around to see a net of golden roots weaving themselves together in front of his body and a sneering Laplace swinging one of its fat hands in a wide swipe Randidly was happy to see that Laplace also seemed a bit the worse for wear having passed through the barrier not only was the flesh of LaplaceÆs head discolored as though it had been bruised but the hand Randidly had used to blind its left eye had been bent into a hook and carved its vulnerable flesh
Then the attack arrived and Yggdrasil could only weaken the attack Randidly was sent sprawling backward cracking through a treetrunk and becoming embedded in another As Randidly forced himself back to his feet he felt an unfamiliar tingle emanating from the core of his being
He watched as Laplace turned away and began to draw itself quickly forward in the direction of the small cabin Yet what caused the tingles through RandidlyÆs body were the strange grey whorls left in the air in the EternityÆs wake
He blinked again wondering if he was hallucinating Then all the details of the past minute snapped together what he now saw were the temporal wounds left just by Laplace moving through this area The tingle strengthened as he recognized it Randidly could sense that he could put off addressing them for now but a secret itch would slowly grow
Almost instinctively Randidly raised his right hand He felt the fabric of time stir at his attention Very intuitively he guided the eddies back into alignment The distortions settled the air became clean Bigger wounds would probably require the thread he had removed from his binding to the Alpha Cosmos but these were just messy distortions
Congratulations Your Grand Fate Temporal Thaumaturgy Mends Eternity has grown to Level 2
Congratulations Your Grand Fate Temporal Thaumaturgy Mends Eternity has grown to Level 3
Congratulations Your Grand Fate Temporal Thaumaturgy Mends Eternity has grown to Level 21
Just with those few Levels Randidly felt his connection to the fabric of time growing increasingly strong Now he simply looked at the invisible tear left by the Eternity and it began to knit itself back together His inner image regarding time became increasingly sturdy However his expression hardened
A hammering temporal explosion sent Randidly reeling back and spitting out a mouthful of blood Laplace screamed out its agony as it blinked and struggled to see with wounds to both of its eyes Hitting the ground hard Randidly rolled a bit away He bit his lip not wanting to miss the opportunity to wound this foe His Nether Core still burned with power so he closed his eyes and called on his Authority The Fourth Authority Animation Nova
Life energy surged through his body a brilliant ray of pure genesis birthed by his powerful history With his powerful Privilege of the Half Shallah he sharpened the Authority so it became a directed blast that hit him and only him
Although he didnÆt intend it to be so the sudden surge of wellness and rejuvenation rushing through his person toed the line of a miracleÆ
The few lingering wounds to his body healed at a rapid pace His mental fatigue fell away The blurred and dimmed Tiamat once more blazed with life His emotional sea remained largely depleted but Randidly straightened only a split second after first contact and cracked his knuckles
As Laplace lurched back toward the cabin Randidly noticed for the first time that the revealed entryway was not mundane in the least although the interior of the cabin should have been revealed all he could see beyond the removed cabin door was a deep darkness Before he could close the gap Laplace pushed its fat serpent body through the gap
Bracing his bare feet against the strange ground of this place Randidly pulled the invigorating power of both his Fourth Authority and Yggdrasil through his limbs Translucent Nether flowed rapidly to follow the two flows running counter to one another and creating a rumbling friction With all that power he grasped the tail of the snake and yanked it back
The two stopped dead perfectly equal Laplace twisted around and glared over its shoulder with bloody and blind eyes
Via the Seize Randidly once more began to heal the distorted existence of the Eternity
Congratulations Your Grand Fate Temporal Thaumaturgy Mends Eternity has grown to Level 109
However the ground beneath his feet exploded before he could accomplish much Those four tomes from the convoy halfway through fluttering through their pages emerged and smashed into his body The continued blaze of his Fourth Authority rapidly regenerated his shredded muscles but Randidly frowned
With a single tick of time he made his decision he maintained the First Authority and allowed Laplace to drag him down through the opening and into darkness Two moons whizzed past and shattered his left leg but the wounds healed almost immediately
Across the threshold waited a vicious pressure that dragged them into a fall Randidly gritted his teeth through the pain then realized he recognized this what ravaged them now were the very same forces he experienced from his Hierarchy of Burden
We are right at the edge of the Nexus Randidly whispered feeling the truth of his words through YggdrasilÆs roots stretched out through the surrounding space But as the forces of spatial distortion shattered light radiation entropy and electromagnetic discharge ravaged their bodies he and Laplace tumbled down the abyss running along the true limit of Pine’s corpse They flew close to the edge of a wall of Aether the massive working that sustained the Nexus in the first place
As Randidly gathered all his Aether and Nether pulling Laplace closer to him he hoped they wouldn’t find anything too rotted at the bottom
Chapter 2431
The two tumbled over the edge of the threshold and began to fall
Laplace whipped itself around looking at Randidly with hateful eyes Blood had dried into flaking maroon finger paint on its clockface eyes It opened its wide maw filled with broken and chipped teeth and roared at him through the howling of spatial forces and the crackling of electromagnetic discharge
Randidly gripÆs on his foe didnÆt loosen He hauled himself closer following the fat armed serpent as the fell down along the edge of the Nexus Gritting his teeth Randidly gathered all of the power he possessed within his body Power and willingness surged at his touch ready to deal a decisive blow against this Eternity Part of him craved an ending to this long slew of struggles Each surging rush of Nether through his veins whispered of its impending arrival
If anything he began to worry about his Soulspace in the aftermath of his prodding the area had begun to tremble from the notes of his Truths which continued to rise
His expression twisted as he briefly examined his Truths again still climbing hand over hand up LaplaceÆs tail His plan had been to use those three Truths to reach the Pinnacle at the moment he condensed his Grand Fate but
DonÆt fixate Use their power If nothing else IÆm refining them by activating them Randidly bit his lip At almost the same time he felt a roaring crescendo echo out from the Songstress of Absence in the distance She had overcome the tome that had held her back outside the final barrier and now rushed to RandidlyÆs side
Laplace rolled midair trying to dislodge him but RandidlyÆs mouth stretched wide in a malicious smirk WonÆt be getting rid of me that easily
The further they tumbled down the worse the spatial forces became RandidlyÆs body had endured the Hierarchy of Burden in the past but what the Fatepiece had missed was the scope of the powers against them as the two twisted and snapped at each other Each second saw them drifting further away from the protection of the Nexus although Randidly couldnÆt quite tell what their destination would be
Laplace roared again as spatial destruction ravaged both of their bodies the note of its voice rising It was clear that if Randidly decided to force the issue it would stop using its powers to protect itself and lash out
Still with the tight grip of the First Authority in place Randidly dragged himself forward His smile begged for retaliation
LaplaceÆs flesh rippled as it removed the protective temporal barrier and unleashed a few concentrated blasts These time spikes drilled bloody holes in RandidlyÆs chest and shoulders leaving temporal whorls both in the air and in his vessel But as Randidly settled in more to his Grand Fate he easily stitched together the wounds The Songstress released a triumphant cry as she caught back up to his body
A song of utter devastation rippled out through him His skin tingled with it Somehow that annihilation put the dangerous spatial radiation in perspective RandidlyÆs smile widened His eyes traced the way weaponized space and time interacted brushing up against one another to create energy imbalances With his Lethal Tide of Izanami he began to see new currents to mobilize
Within the core of his person RandidlyÆs Truths blazed The continued proximity to each other meant that they had moved closer into alignment This resulted in their powers increasing while also strengthening the pressure Randidly had to endure by housing them
Every detail matters
What you can reach you can touch
If not now it will be never
Laplace howled again and was again ignored The spatial pressure mounted but Randidly conjured his images into his body transforming into one of his image physicalization forms To face the Eternity he became his most monstrous version of himself Bare and gnarled branches from the world tree stretched out from his back like wings His entire head vanished consumed by a keening event horizon His limbs lengthened and sharpened
From his waist stretched a thick tail of woven roots ending in the heavy axe blade of Acri
Laplace unleashed another barrage of temporal spikes and Randidly blurred as he dodged amongst him His Grand Fate healed the worst of the wounds and Randidly arrived right in front of the Eternity At the last second Randidly bit back a curseù right before contact Laplace swung one of his hands with all the stupidly powerful physical force it possessed
Tiamat stepped forward eyes burning with intensity even while Neveah continued to slumber to heal her mental wounds Yggdrasil stretched its branches high creating a rustling emerald canopy The Songstress of Absence still triumphant from overcoming a tome on her own by crooning it to oblivion unleashed her vicious notes within his person
Randidly felt the climax of his Legend approach He shivered in anticipation
His eyes snapped open Laplace howled and howled a storm of temporal destruction that set RandidlyÆs teeth on edge As the Eternity moved closer Randidly settled back into the familiar stance of a spear thrust He had practiced this movement tens of millions of times He knew every pulley of his body every shift on his muscle every explosive delivery of force The repetitions began to accumulate details He grasped no attack as fully as the spear thrust
He had survived and he had advanced He had reached the cusp of the Pinnacle listening to the whispers of the Truths of his body Through the machinations of Yystrix he had been blessed with a Vessel without having to reach the Pinnacle and make his selection
At that moment Randidly remembered the curious eyes of Nyx When you are faced with that choice what will your decision be Will you open the door to a new world or become one You canÆt have it both ways
Randidly forced that thought back His images gathered together within Acri Yggdrasil became the unbreakable shaft Tiamat became the cutting metal head and the Songstress became the sheering edge He thrust his spear to carve out the next beat of his legend
At the last second Sulfur acted independently As the rest of his body executed the thrust the left arm tightened up into a defensive posture pressed up against his ribcage Despite its own depleted health it attempted to protect him
Randidly pierced easily through the temporal waves and then scythed through the front of the temporal storm He saw in the bloody clock faces of LaplaceÆs eyes as the Eternity recognized the simultaneous threat they posed to each other Laplace didnÆt slow his swipe in response And now that they neared each other Randidly could see the powerful temporal tears created by those claws
RandidlyÆs spear drilled through the chest of the Eternity The claw swipe slammed into Sulfur
Still acting independently Sulfur blazed with all the gathered kinetic energy it had earned by being absolutely obliterated earlier It swelled and exploded condensing huge plates of dense armor along its length that would be nigh impenetrable should the opponent be a being born within the Nexus
As it was these heavy chitin plates instantly began to crack underneath the ravages of those claws
For his part Randidly forced his spear forward As the weapon sank into the flesh of an Eternity he felt again all the accumulated temporal wounds within the snakeÆs body His Grand Fate activated raging against all these flaws With the momentum of his images and Truths he unleashed a massive wave of temporal stabilization
Congratulations Your Grand Fate Temporal Thaumaturgy Mends Eternity has grown to Level 121
Congratulations Your Grand Fate Temporal Thaumaturgy Mends Eternity has grown to Level 193
However the immediate successes only made RandidlyÆs attention darken Just like ElhumeÆs physical form sitting at the core of the mountain range of crystalized Aether the truth about these high achievers is that the lack of balance in their energy means that most of their immense power is restrained by their own existence And then when someone like me comes along that can vaporize those calcified layers
Randidly had felt it earlier when he pressed his weapon deep within the body of Laplace but the deeper he went the more destructive the temporal reverberations became And now with the weaker temporal wounds healed all he had done was liberate the more ominous rumblings within LaplaceÆs body
Yet Randidly still had a weapon He gathered up the hyper animated Truths he possessed even as his Soulspace began to whistle and rattle like a boiling kettle He pressed the Truths together and when that didnÆt quite work he tried to weave them together
The Truths didnÆt merge despite his insistent efforts Like oil and water they slipped off one another and ran through his fingers
Chapter 2432
RandidlyÆs eyes bulged standing with mounting temporal pressure conveyed through his spear and Sulfur rapidly breaking down as it bought him a few seconds from LaplaceÆs monstrous physical power His mind stuttered and stalled He simply watched as the threads of Truth began to drift apart without impacting each other in the least
Again his plan to create a Penance failed him His Truths seemed profoundly uninterested in aiding the process They swirled around his Soulspace agitated but independent Should he just allow them to blossom fully and let him reach the Pinnacle Set aside the issue of a Penance
No if all I end up accomplishing is reaching the Pinnacle even with three separate Truths I donÆt think it would completely narrow the gap between my current state and a powerful Eternity The muscles in RandidlyÆs jaw twitched from clenching for far too long I need to achieve a decisive advantage and part of my strategy for growing is balance So if it wonÆt happen naturally
Randidly knew he was doubling down on bad decisions but he couldnÆt help himself His Nether Core began to rev and hum He gave in on one more impulse fixating his attention on the three Truths
This time Randidly targeted the three Truths he had managed to accumulate He put the whole of his existence into this manifestation of his Authority not worrying about conserving any Nether for later All of the history and significance he had earned tightened around those wavering notes of Truth He pressed and pressed constricting around those Truths until he had pulled them into a tight marble exactly resembling the gleaming marble that had been created before his Grand Fate
Well a version of that marble An eclipse to the gleaming nugget of possibilities he possessed earlier
With the space they could operate restricted the notes of the Truths became increasingly shrill beyond the limits of human hearing The frequency of their vibration was so high that Randidly felt his imaginary organs beginning to tear just by being in metaphysical proximity His mucous membranes were shredded blood leaking from the corners of his eyes his nose and his ears
He squeezed even tighter Despite the strain at the very least the marble gave him a glimmer of hope
Sulfur groaned in pain the high notes of Truth penetrating his defensive capabilities and damaging the vulnerable marrow While simultaneously LaplaceÆs claws ripped through the fractured armor
The next wave of temporal wounds crashed against Acri and vibrated their way up into RandidlyÆs body His form distorted the pressure high enough that even his Legend began to waver in the face
Through sheer force of will Randidly Ghosthound held himself together against forces both internal and external He believed in himself and refused to concede on that point His Nether Core spun faster and faster He allowed the three Truths to slowly join and merge together into one domineering harmony The Truth ball darkened It drifted closer to the frame of Aether Randidly felt his imagined heart begin to race
They struggled against him but he ignored their quivering He wasnÆt sure what sort of Penance would be condensed from all these powerful Truths but once both were condensed he would receive the promised reward from the System regarding the Shallah And with that if he couldnÆt manage to overcome this measly Eternity
Randidly felt the palpitation from his significance and knew something had gone wrong His First Authority immediately weakened as the damage spread out through his Nether The tight grip he maintained on the Truths weakened The slight weakness was enough for the dark bead to explode outward
Randidly felt his mind go blank as the so called seed of a Penance instead became a bomb that detonated within his body The wave of force ripped outward obliterating what little emotional force he had managed to muster and destroying his image manifestations that covered his form Sulfur cracked and shattered completely
Reeling backward Randidly barely managed to corral a portion of the explosive pressure he had created and use it to beat back the deeper waves of temporal damage radiating out of LaplaceÆs body The swipe completed its arc smashing Randidly back and bouncing him off the ground
He cracked against the crouched form of PineÆs corpse finally ceasing in his uncontrolled tumble Everything hurt And worse the pressure within his Soulspace had only increased from the attempt to force a Penance into existence The Truths had only become more agitated A fault line would soon rip open his entire Soulspace
Randidly coughed up blood and pressed his lips together as he watched it pool on the ground beneath him From the beginning that was a bad idea How could Truths be forcefully merged together like that At least not without significant preparations And even if I had succeeded what sort of Penance would that have become
Randidly looked down at the floating power in his hand groaned slightly and forced his exhausted body to bound up and follow the Eternity They moved up across its back the snake moving quickly and Randidly trying to keep up while also making sure the unstable bit of Shallah energy he had managed to create remained contained
Very soon Randidly understood the reason for LaplaceÆs strange urgency On the corpseÆs back there was a crack More than a problematic flaw in the NexusÆs anchor it seemed to hint this was less an anchor and more discarded skin Stretching out from the crack and into the distance was a thin connection the core anchoring point of the corpse leading off into the distance
Laplace waved a claw and time distorted The wound this time was deep but it also began to display what happened Randidly watched along with Laplace as a thick maggot wormed its way out of the corpseÆs back Through the temporal distortion Randidly could even sense the shift that had caused the reaction It was due to his confrontation earlier the reverberations echoing out throughout the Nexus But it was not his side of it
It was the note when Elhume and Fiero joined hands that animated this small bit of struggling life
After looking around the thing crawled away The vision followed the wriggling thing as the maggot grew fatter and fatter until it exploded and transformed into a small lizard
RandidlyÆs eyes widened as he encountered one more surprising truth Pine was not yet dead
As a lizard drawn by the image of his adoptive father Pine moved to an unfamiliar location where there existed two statues Randidly recognized these two although he could hardly believe it He saw a statute of Yystrix and one of Deganawidah although Deganawidah as a young man with a wild and unruly expression
There the lizard waited until
Devick RandidlyÆs whispered The lizard became a bunny and hopped out to talk to the familiar red haired woman He felt a mixture of exasperation and panic how did she always end up in the worst places at the right time
Having seen enough Laplace waved his hand The distorted vision vanished It dragged its body forward following the tether RandidlyÆs gaze sharpened as he lifted his right hand Hey asshole
Laplace looked over its shoulder with a curling lip Then its eyes finally landed on the small and unassuming orb on RandidlyÆs palm For the first time in their confrontation the Eternity seemed genuinely taken by surprise Randidly barred his teeth He unleashed his discovery
The beam of pure white cut forward The flesh of his hand burned away just to release it But when the attack landed on the unprepared Eternity the effect was even more pronounced Rather than its temporal wounds being healed it was simply annihilated Half of its body vanished in a moment of absolute silence
The beam hummed out into the darkness quelling even the silence and stillness
Then Laplace began to wail its body from its stomach down through its tail melted into nothing
RandidlyÆs arm hurt but the effect was almost nothing compared to the obvious agony of the Eternity Just like that LaplaceÆs aura had diminished by half Randidly pulled the last dregs of his Animation Nova through his body restoring his physical form He rolled his shoulders and started forward Perhaps like this
Laplace used its arms to force itself into a sitting position Hate radiated off of its skin and its voice was chilling as it spoke Samsara Fickle Time and Regretful Heart
Remembering the explanation of Nyx Randidly understood that this was LaplaceÆs most powerful move He leapt sideways to avoid it but felt the area around his body turning milky even as he dodged The present situation swirled away and he felt himself falling into his own memories
Chapter 2433
Devick laid on her back her crimson hair arrayed in a fan out from her head She looked up at the distance roof of the strange image space content to just be for the moment The far off sight would stretch away anytime she moved for it yet an almost unfamiliar feeling had settled in the pit of her stomach beneath the places she breathed and digested Even if the ceiling would move away having her image experience such a transformation made her realize she could reach far off goal if she kept pushing
And even if she didnÆt she hadnÆt just given in the contact with Randidly Ghosthound She had felt his burning determination that animated his powerful body Even if she didnÆt reach the goal she would just keep going And that was fine too
Despite these rather revolutionary and unreasonable realizations a prodigious frown covered her face at the conversation topic Which she had started but the little monster was being a real bitch about it
No the whole point is the method by which fire can turn consumption into power ItÆs there that lies its ultimate advantage as an element in desperate situations it can overcome any sort of adversity via sacrifice Devick argued Well obviously blood and madness are also relatively strong but if I had to pick
Fire is an element like any other Her companion currently in the form of a small blue haired monkey countered It also jabbed with its fingers for emphasis in a very insulting manner All elements have advantages and disadvantages This dangerous methodology of which you speak would be completely smothered by the presence of water Just with the restrictive and cool presence the power transformation cannot occur
You have no sense of romance Devick growled How can you judge fighting strength by any metric except the heights of passion to which it can rise
Very easily Using logic
Devick couldnÆt help but laugh She rolled onto her side looking over at the monkey not really remembering why they started talking about this She indulged in a few finger jabs of her own finding the movement very cathartic You know you seem perfectly willing to criticize my choice but you havenÆt offered any thoughts of your own Which do you think is the most powerful element
For several long seconds the monkey fidgeted Its thick fingers picked at its fur Contemplating power has never brought me pleasure
Ugh seriously such a killjoy Devick flopped over onto her stomach She shifted some of her long hair out of the way and then waggled a finger at the creature Just because you have assisted me doesnÆt mean I will let you off the hook How hard is it to make a choice Choosing is the easiest and most satisfying pleasure I have Maybe not the most powerful but which is your favorite element
Once you make a choice your options have vanished You become pinned in place All you can do is wait for disappointment Others will take advantage of your weakness The monkey chittered between its words In the end all elements all choices ow
Feeling very satisfied in her flick to the monkeyÆs head Devick folded her arms across her chest Where did this negativity come from If you felt confident enough to force yourself into my image and provide some minor pointers
I rebuilt you from the ground up The monkey grumbled
Devick grinned then I will graciously take it upon myself to teach you the very valuable tool of being unreasonable No longer will you suffer from petty concerns LetÆs begin immediately Stop worrying about what choices others will make and have some confidence in your own choices I want you to look to the sky and shout your deepest desire
This is foolish
Devick put up finger guns Now you are getting it
They looked at each other for almost a minute When it became clear that Devick would not back down from this the monkey sighed For a little bit more time it picked at its own fur It rocked back on its heels and slowly wrapped its own torso in its long arms It spoke but in a whisper I simply do not wish to die A mundane existence would have been enough But no element can provide that
Then almost to add an even more whimpering note to the admittance it began to cough DevickÆs eyebrow twitched But she couldnÆt justify another flick not when the monkey seemed helpless to stop the coughs And now that Devick looked at her strange companion
WasnÆt it looking relatively wan and pale
Are you really dying Devick asked
They were fighting in the Shaft of the Nexus right before Randidly had been forced to throw himself deeper in order to escape the superior Velio Dunn
Okay letÆs not just play around in here For the first time since entering into the Samsara experience Randidly grasped for his images To his great surprise he found nothing His body was empty of both Aether and Nether The sensation threw him entirely He drifted and therefore wasnÆt prepared when Velio finished savoring the moment of battle and moved again
In a normal fight it would have earned him a mouthful of blood Yet despite the lack of energies through his form his Vessel gave Randidly quite a few advantages
Just like with Aegiant the movements were relatively slow compared to RandidlyÆs current capabilities But he could do nothing but watch as the broader restrictions of this place activated The temporal vortex around him tightened He felt another pure note of meaning animating this memory something akin to a Truth that kept him bound
Randidly Ghosthound fled in the face of Velio Dunn
Apparently each memory had its own principle Velio locked his powerful fingers together and hammered Randidly Ghosthound deeper into the Spine
The memory shifted again With a grunt Randidly hit the ground He was suddenly in a new memory although this one didnÆt appear to have any defining details Shadowy emptiness stretched in every direction the only presence was the ground beneath him And when he tried to move Randidly found himself stuck
Well this Samsara wonÆt matter if I can just break my way out of here Randidly thought to himself He squirmed a bit but he was well and truly bound in place Maybe he could just overwhelm these bindings with physical force but that probably wouldnÆt help his broader situation Pursing his lips he shifted his focus So strange that I donÆt have access to my images but the Truths are still about to rip open my Soulspace well luckily I learned a new overpowered method This Samsara might be strong but as long as I can condense another scrap of Shallah energy
RandidlyÆs senses spread out but he quickly realized a fatal flaw in this newly discovered solution None of the energy in the environment was pure Even the pittance of Aether flowing into him though Neveah and the vague memory of Nether spun out from his Nether Core had been affected by his existence
Yet the presence of scraps of those energies did at least confirm he hadnÆt been cut off entirely And he likely experienced some sort of time dilation lost in his memories
However one fact was obvious In a place like this it would not be possible to condense Shallah energy Perhaps if he made a particular Nether Ritual to isolate the energy
He heard a voice breathe into his ear and suddenly he understood when he was
Give in Randidly Ghosthound Yystrix as the Creature whispered to him in the dark isolation which had spurred his first Class formation You are mine
Randidly Ghosthound is forged by Yystrix into the Vessel she had long hoped for
The memory warped again But because he had experienced it before Randidly instantly recognized that he was back with Aegiant the furious sun image spear user rushing toward him with violence on the mind His skin burned with the heat of this place And this time AegiantÆs speed was pretty impressive
Almost on instinct Randidly brought up his spear to meet his opponentÆs blow The two weapons clanged against each other the physical impact cracking the ground beneath their two feet
Aegiant showed his teeth after their clash Impossible Truly you are a delight Fine then letÆs see how your spear work has improved
The memories are changing Randidly felt a sinking sensation in his chest Shifting so that the underlying TruthÆ of each memory becomes more appropriate to the current me And if I donÆt break out of this cycle soon IÆll just end up stuck in LaplaceÆs Samsara
Forever
Chapter 2434
Aegiant accelerated toward Randidly moving with a speed that would only be possible if he had broken past the physical limitations of the System RandidlyÆs lips twitched but honestly he couldnÆt muster up any sort of indignation
After all the unfair things he did this Samsara boosting the power of his past opponents was a pill he could safely swallow
His images were gone and his Nether Core was absent from his chest the only accumulation of current power present was the Truths rioting in his Soulspace which was quickly approaching the point of meltdown And a few quiet tugs seemed to confirm that trying to extricate these Truths from one another at this point would only hasten the situation Without access to the raw forms of Aether and Nether that meant his only viable opportunity for escaping the Samsara would be to form his Penance
But I still donÆt even have a clue Randidly gritted his teeth but raised his spear Other than that well my Grand Fate definitely has a response to this environment If I can have some downtime to study the barrier and search for flaws
Congratulations Your Grand Fate Temporal Thaumaturgy Mends Eternity has grown to Level 200 Your understanding of time has deepened
While a wisp of his will began to dig into the environment he faced forward with a straight spine and a spear held in readiness If nothing else he had a lot of experience working through mental blocks with a spear in his hand
As he raised his spear Aegiant responded with a flicking viper like thrust toward RandidlyÆs neck that would have made Shal proud Randidly swept his spear sideways to knock the blow aside but Aegiant was already pivoting on the ball of his foot bringing the butt of his spear hammering toward RandidlyÆs ribs
RandidlyÆs eyes flashed as he took a half step back far enough to turn the blow into a glancing one but not far enough to give Aegiant space to shift his move again Despite the fineness of his response Aegiant grinned A mistake boy
God I donÆt miss people calling me boy and feeling like it was deserved Randidly reflected Then Aegiant blazed with a powerful all consuming image of the sun Heat and light warped space the image wasnÆt detailed enough to actually be this powerful but the Truth of this memory pressed its entire hand against the scale upping the danger
Even so Randidly ignored the pain of the burns and hopped only a short distance backward When his feet hit the ground he shifted his weight forward and thrust Aegiant shimmied his muscled body to the side but Randidly calmly withdrew his spear and unleashed another thrust This one Aegiant attempted to intercept but Randidly drew a half circle with the tip of his spear and knocked the other weapon to the side
His third thrust approached an almost defensively heart of Aegiant easily sheering through the opponentÆs image with just concentrated kinetic energy
You AegiantÆs eyes bulged and he scrambled back with unnaturally quick speed he didnÆt originally possess However Randidly was a few barriers beyond the System limitation The point of his spear pricked through the opponentÆs leather armor The entire memory shuddered around him Time froze and fractured as the Truth made itself known
Aegiant is more powerful than Randidly Ghosthound
This time due to his heightened focus he caught an expulsion of significance from the Samsara It expended quite a bit of energy when the Truth was forcefully used to suppress his actions
Yea yea Randidly clicked his tongue as the environment shifted around him again gobbling down the released significance Now that he knew what to expect he could feel the transition much more clearly His Grand Fate buzzed against the shifting forces as it tried to understand the mechanism Definitely the overwhelming power of this Samsara made it difficult to get hold on it but it was definitely possible to interrupt the shifts
His mouth twisted slightly Provided Randidly had enough power which wasnÆt entirely clear without true access to either his images or Nether Core Perhaps he could try and gather enough kinetic energy in a few brief clashes to help fuel the process
The familiar portrait of the Nexus web appeared around them He floated in the air in a meditative sitting posture while significance drifted steadily down toward the abyss waiting below Struck by a sudden impulse Randidly reached out and took some of that significance into his body He might not have a Nether Core but the Weight of his own existence had already reached the point that the pressure in this place barely bothered him
To his delight the significance acquiesced to his will and settled in his chest Oho WonÆt be as steady as the original but looks like its entirely possible to build up my accumulations from scratch in this place Images should work the same way Shaping the Songstress of Absence or the new Tiamat would be a bit complicated but just like before Yggdrasil can start with just a seed
He wondered whether he should try and physically rip his way out of there and see what Yystrix did to stop him
Instead most of his attention flowed into his temporal senses via his Grand Fate Not worth antagonizing Yystrix and getting kicked back into the memory cycle At the very least this memory gives me time to think I need a method to crack open the Samara and escape Otherwise Devick no its impossible to tell the passage of time outside But I cannot linger here too long Devick will die and the whole Nexus will be lost If creating another bubble of Shallah energy is off the table then its still just the Penance isnÆt it To give me that last boost
YystrixÆs energies drifted closer prodding and pushing She almost seemed curious why he wasnÆt struggling For now Randidly ignored her movements I felt a minor shift when I gathered all my Truths together something like a possibility of a Penance but it didnÆt feel right The other reaction was when I thought about ignoring is my Penance to ignore a part of my own life for all eternity
Even just thinking it stirred up echoes of that desired resonance although his Nether Core was not present in the Samsara The strands of Nether he had woven together gave a brief wiggle Yet Randidly could only grit his teeth That fuck even IÆm starting to feel bad for myself What if my Penance is to cut a portion of my life away in addition to everything IÆve satisfied Somehow I donÆt think Neveah would ever forgive me
Also His heart tightened If what I need to sacrifice causes me to lose my connection to Devick or become blind to it I might have nudged her onto a different Path by intervening in the memory but she will snap right back into something sinister if I let that go Instead of trying to bind a child together she will probably become a being who would do anything to revive that connection Force me to remember her
Haah the intensity of her obsessions can sometimes be a bit of a burden
He pulled more significance into himself ignoring YystrixÆs consistent approach When he didnÆt have a good idea to follow the least he could do was store up supplies The Alchemist in his core turned over the options considering todayÆs miracles eyes bright and glassy as it moved from one element to the next Ripples ran through the significance as he considered various options hinting at the possibilities but not giving any definitive answers
However Randidly spoke aloud not caring that the memory Yystrix listened At the very least forcing the Truth to impress itself against the Samsara generates a lot of significance If I want to escape
Escape That will never happen Give in Randidly Ghosthound Yystrix whispered into his ear He could feel her possessiveness and her hopes for success You are mine
Randidly tskÆd despite the fact he felt quite a bit of sympathy for her after having dealt with Elhume and Fiero and their codependent antics Please donÆt stick your nose into a place where you donÆt belong If I want to escape maybe the first step should be breaking through one of the memories By overcoming it without violating the Truth
As he had these thoughts Randidly sharpened YygdrasilÆs roots They stabbed into YystrixÆs barrier The Engraving patterns instantly warped and twisted almost expecting the attack but Randidly could see the underlying patterns she had used to bind him
She might still be faster at building it but Randidly Ghosthound had a particular knack for destruction He ripped his way out The Samsara spun around him an endless vortex that refused to loosen its grip
But just like he intended a great deal of significance puffed out into the environment a massive exhale from this EternityÆs powerful technique Randidly crooked a finger and the energy sprung to his will It spiraled together into a tight little heart in his curiously empty chest Soon he would have the beginnings of a Nether Core
The memory warped and faded Soon he stood again in the middle of that room Witch King bodies littering the floor lava fountains on his left and right Aegiant blazing at him from across the room As with the second iteration this version of Aegiant had become quite a bit more formidable
LetÆs build up a bit of momentum then shall we Randidly spun Acri and ignored the rising pain vibrating out from his Soulspace And then IÆll smash my way out of here
Truly your arrogance is a delight Samara power leveled Aegiant boomed across the room Fine then letÆs see how your spear work has improved
Chapter 2435
The Samsara spun around him It set RandidlyÆs teeth on edge knowing a threat stalked for both Devick and the broader Nexus while he was stuck here Yet at the moment he was coming up woefully short on methods to break out of this equilibrium
Randidly needed energy to put an edge to his various scraps of abilities and cut his way out of the construct of Nether His Vessel remained overwhelming but he was playing catch up in almost every other category Which to be fair to the potential of the environment would have let him construct himself from the ground up with the benefit of hindsight
He could then break out and combine the two versions of himself to create a more powerful hybrid The potential tempted him
If he had been willing to remain here and engage in a long bout of training Which he was not His pulse raced with desperation worry and barely controlled power So instead he prepared to rip this piece of shit apart fast and brutal and vindictive
Randidly took a fighting stance and aimed Acri at Aegiant who now blazed with all the image potency of the original timeline Devick at her peak His focus narrowed to the flow of Nether through his veins reinforcing his body Yggdrasil shivered and matured behind the protective barrier of significance He improved quickly concentrating power for his explosion and escape
With one small aspect already engaging His Grand Fate got to work scrabbling and dismantling the surface defenses of the Samsara with what little significance he possessed
Congratulations Your Grand Fate Temporal Thaumaturgy Mends Eternity has grown to Level 225
Congratulations Your Grand Fate Temporal Thaumaturgy Mends Eternity has grown to Level 271
Need to give my Grand Fate time to get some Levels under its belt Randidly launched himself forward Aegiant did the same but the spear userÆs image flowed down into his spear until the weapon was just a molten pole Aegiant roared out a challenge and drew curving slashes in the air Where the tip of the weapon hit the ground his attacks scythed through the ground and left shimmering curves of lava in their wake
Randidly grinned Is this the best you can do God IÆve missed these sorts of fights Images help but the bodies are the main focus
As YggdrasilÆs roots thickened more and more kinetic energy flowed through into RandidlyÆs form Those intrepid roots also wormed their way into the environment and provided a little bit of Nether to Randidly The accumulation of significance meant his Nether density rose to more acceptable levels His muscles relaxed as the familiar flow was restored Each moment a step forward for his combat capability Yet those same seconds brought everything he held dear closer to ruin
He tried not to let it distract him Randidly rolled his shoulders and then slammed his spear against AegiantÆs
unfortunately Randidly had to juke sideways as the molten spear just melted its way through RandidlyÆs weapon on contact He pressed his lips together but didnÆt let it bother him After all what is a spear Anything can be a spear
Randidly popped back up to his feet and pulled on his YggdrasilÆs roots They wound around his right arm forming an extended twirling lance Most specifically Randidly observed the way they could pull the energy out of the air AegiantÆs sun energy blazed slowly filling the room with heat The ground began to melt before Aegiant even manifested a a nova of fire in the space as he had in the original memory
YggdrasilÆs roots could absorb quite a bit but RandidlyÆs smile widened Next time through letÆs try that
Aegiant thrust as Randidly thrust but the Yggdrasil root arm crushed the molten pole and pierced toward AegiantÆs chest The Samsara roiled and bubbled in unwillingness Significance flooded out of the Samsara which Randidly happily gobbled up His Grand Fate slammed against the pieces of the Samsara looking for weaknesses
Congratulations Your Grand Fate Temporal Thaumaturgy Mends Eternity has grown to Level 299
Dodge this Velio hissed as he unleashed his first horizontal cut
Randidly leaned backward into a limbo position the blade near enough to kiss He twisted out of that stance and unleashed a blistering thrust upward Velio swayed back out of the way Both men were slightly off balance and then they snapped into ready stances The violence erupted
VelioÆs chop caused RandidlyÆs sidestep Then Randidly feinted a horizontal sweep and just smashed the butt of his weapon at VelioÆs face Velio grinned and just allowed the blow to crunch his nose
He used the opportunity to drop his weapon and whip it upward in a vicious cut Randidly spun his spear and nudged the attack sideways He then pivoted on the balls of his feet and brought his knee Velio narrowed his eyes but again chose to exchange blows his arms twisted up into an overhand grip and then stabbed downward willing to take the body blow to drive a weapon through RandidlyÆs heart
RandidlyÆs smile widened Nether and Yggdrasil surged through his form Not that he had been holding back but he wrung every ounce of force from his Vessel The empowerment of the Samsara
couldnÆt rival Randidly GhosthoundÆs accumulations
The blow slammed into VelioÆs stomach knocking the wind out of the muscular man The Samsara spat in annoyance A nova of kinetic force bloomed outward and Randidly devoured it all before any could escape
He became a storm of violence incarnate his eyes blazing
As he forced his stiff body to straighten Velio lowered his closer shoulder and prepared to charge Randidly vindictiveness animating his movements Channeling every bit of Nether he had managed to refine into his left arm Randidly whipped his left in a brutal hook that cracked against VelioÆs chin Randidly felt the bones splinter and the Samsara spat once more as he violated its Truth
The rest of VelioÆs weight slammed into Randidly as the man reeled slightly and Randidly let himself be pushed back by the half tackle The Samsara eased in its palpitations allowing Randidly to identify a few more weak points in the system
You only know how to run Velio spat out the words around with a globule of blood
Randidly pressed his lips together taking another bit of will to suppress the existential pain of having Truths ready to split him in twain But he also had an idea Velio stepped sharply forward to bring the two of them back into melee distance and Randidly began to drift further away Simultaneously Velio became incensed and the Samsara around him hummed with pleasure at his adherence to its truth Another wave of tendrils slithered down which were summarily annihilated by his Grand Fate
This time from the shuffling of the Samsara it seemed like it sensed something was amiss The fact he retreated slightly didnÆt quite quiet its antagonism As he drifted back from the spitting mad Velio RandidlyÆs face twisted into a frown Does it still have weapons to use against me
Those previously impenetrable walls of significance that had been built into the Samsara cracked open RandidlyÆs Grand Fate perked up immediately Yet before he could get too excited by the vulnerability horrible corkscrews of Nether shot outward from those vacancies These werenÆt honed of significance but were calcified weapons of memory
RandidlyÆs eyebrows knit together When simply getting him bogged down in his own memories didnÆt appear to work it seemed like Laplace intended to just supplant RandidlyÆs own memories so he would be a bit more well behaved
Congratulations Your Grand Fate Temporal Thaumaturgy Mends Eternity has grown to Level 360
This time the shift in focus had consequences
Randidly released a subconscious grunt as VelioÆs long blade sank into his gut the other man cackled and pressed the two downward This was always your fate for having the hubris of breaking through the physical limitation limitation ugh
Randidly had enough leverage to smash Velio in the face as the two careened downward
Chapter 2436
Around RandidlyÆs body the tugging of significance grew stronger as they fell deeper out of the Nexus web and into the Abyss below The conjured reality of the Samsara was almost impressively genuine Velio twisted his grip on the sword running Randidly through and drew another grunt out of him VelioÆs image used the wound to sink into RandidlyÆs body but Yggdrasil had developed quickly enough it could quash and sup on all these interlopers
Yet despite the physical trouble RandidlyÆs main focus was on those impending corkscrews
His emerald eyes flashed In a way it was a race his senses moved much more quickly than the memory attack stretching out and glimpsing the wider structure of the Samsara through the gap Even with just a few seconds he began to see the way the Eternity used replicating waves in order to keep him tracked in here Although the edges shown to him within the memory were resilient in the face of his attacks these inside mechanisms were not
He could see the weaknesses from here and Randidly finally felt a bit of raw bloodthirst thinking what he would be able to do with his newfound Grand Fate should he sink his teeth into the inside
Congratulations Your Grand Fate Temporal Thaumaturgy Mends Eternity has grown to Level 392
Still I cannot believe what IÆm seeing here Laplace might be an ugly monster but these interior patterns This is beyond anything IÆve ever seen before Even the significance flows used by Deganawidah are childÆs play compared to this Randidly took a breath to quiet his growing worries I canÆt see the load bearing functions at all
The point of the first corkscrew neared aiming to sink into RandidlyÆs subconscious and brutalize his sense of self He observed them continually dealing with the image waves both trying to break his Soulspace and half and the weaker reverberations bursting their way from VelioÆs blade He looked he felt his Grand Fate advancing and they fell
Everything moved too quickly for him to be comfortable Randidly Ghosthound had a long experience of handling crises but these were starting to get to him
One fact he didnÆt miss was the response from the Samsara in regards to the situation between himself and Velio Again it wavered Partially it wanted to hum in pleasure as it did earlier as they spiked down through the spine but also it kept spitting Randidly retreated from Velio technically true But because VelioÆs weapon had been shoved through RandidlyÆs innards he dragged the bastard afterward just as quickly
Velio flailed and struggled a bit more drawing RandidlyÆs attention back to the physical altercation Apparently the bastard had noticed his image alone wouldnÆt be enough so he released the grip on the saber with one hand and reached for RandidlyÆs throat Randidly didnÆt even react as the hand closed around his windpipe and began to squeeze it wasnÆt very dignified but an attack like this was entirely worthless as a method of killing him
While RandidlyÆs eyes began to bulge slightly from strangulation they hurtled downward into darkness The Nether content in the air increased which allowed Randidly to spoil more and more significance through his form and began to purify it with the raging Truths
They kept just ahead of the memory attacks Randidly prepared himself as best he could
You transgressing scum Velio cursed and aimed a head butt at Randidly Acri went flexible coiling into a spring to catch the forehead of the man and rebound it backward You cannot win in a fair fight so you intend on dragging me down with you to hell
You ambushed me while I was training Randidly couldnÆt help but roll his eyes at this conception of fair Then he ignored Velio even as be began to use his heavy fists to pound at his body Because above him those corkscrews had arrived
The Samsara creaked and roiled But the memories spun down with liquid smoothness aiming to drill into his body As they grew closer Randidly could feel them The horror and dullness they contained to obliterate his sense of consciousness and cause him to be completely lost in these memories To fight against them Randidly wove together his Nether and his Aether centered around Yggdrasil
Those deadly points spun toward him but Randidly followed his instincts He moved the seedÆ of Yggdrasil from which the branches spread upward and the roots spread downward The circular source of possibilities condensed back as a sphere The font of potential settled at the middle of the World Tree the transition point between roots and branches All the weak and mild Nether he had managed to convert flowed into that point spreading down into the roots until the tree was the mirror image of itself the golden and emerald above and the grey and shadow thorns below
Randidly wove a Nether Ritual and moved image and significance to meet the memories Velio was screaming and howling as they fell deeper and deeper down the spine Ignoring the man completely Randidly poured all of his focus into the ritual
He almost couldnÆt believe when the Ritual shattered to pieces on contact Those memories spiraled forward and penetrated into his body without slowing down at all Aether and Nether moved to stop the memories from hitting his psyche but they werenÆt enough the real power of the Samsara was how it had hollowed out RandidlyÆs Vessel when it brought him here
Randidly tumbled out into a seething storm of patterns still complex and glittering as they attempted to constrict around the locationÆ he had just left The world became warped around him all half impressions and the esoteric underpinnings of existence laid bare He could see through to the bones of the Eternity Triumph bubbled in his gut
Simultaneously he felt a spike of panic considering the rapidly declining situation of both his Soulspace and his Nether Core The destabilizations continued He felt a constant agony a part of his attention now being spent holding his Vessel together He didnÆt even want to know the situation in his actual body
At the very least his Grand Fate improved even more quickly with all this information available Randidly reached out and touched the Samsara causing visible distortions in its mechanisms even if the functions werenÆt yet threatened
Congratulations Your Grand Fate Temporal Thaumaturgy Mends Eternity has grown to Level 602
New unfamiliar patterns activated in the Samsara as though it sensed his interference Before Randidly could make any headway in the chaotic soup a bubble formed around him A split second too late he saw similar restrictions now rushing to surround himself
These damn patterns
If nothing else the Alchemist in him was eminently practical It looked around with calculating eyes and then turned its focus to the shattered pieces of PanguÆs Asymptote that floated inside of his body It considered these new tools broken as they were and considered what sort of miracle it could create with them
The Aspect had separated into two forms the bare frameÆ and the floating shards of glassÆ that had separated from the frame due to fractures As they tumbled end over end Randidly saw that both were covered in strange patterns
Randidly stilled His eyes narrowed Despite the opportunity to study and damage the Samsara around him that was rapidly vanishing he focused on the remnants of the Aspect The glass shards had various snippets of Nether Rituals imprinted upon them glittering and mysterious From just a look Randidly could tell they helped create the asymptote portion of the Aspect that connected and separated two infinitely close worlds
But this structure Randidly burned in indignation He knew from the beginning that PanguÆs assistance wasnÆt for free From the upper most portion of PineÆs body the mysterious Eternity had its fingers deep into the Nexus It copied and stole the dead
Yet what Randidly didnÆt expect was for the inspired patterns on his Aspect to match the other energy he had sensed in the Samsara Even Laplace had been given a nudge from Pangu
Even that Randidly perhaps could have accepted He would have gritted his teeth told himself not to be distracted from the current threats arrayed against him and instead focused on breaking out of the Samsara Yet the betrayals didnÆt end there Because hidden underneath the glassÆ portions against the base frame of the Aspect there was a pattern of a different nature
It only took him a few The glass created the Asymptote The frame captured all the details of RandidlyÆs Soulspace aimed at copying and duplicating his Truths It was an observational pattern of extreme specificity Such that even though he was unfamiliar with the patterns Randidly could understand how they worked
What the hell are you doing with our Truths Pangu Randidly stilled his emotional sea taken from him but the raw feelings still chilling his blood and freezing his heartbeat
He fought against an Eternity the most dangerous invader the Nexus had ever faced And another Eternity observed waiting to see the Truths powerful enough to overcome this assault
Simultaneously Randidly had destabilized his his Nether Core by destroying PanguÆs Aspect and had riled up his Truths toward a grand miracle while accidentally sealing them off by creating an unrelated Grand Fate
Shit Randidly pressed his lips and eyes together
For the first time in a long time he had no idea how to advance through this situation
Chapter 2437
The space reacted almost instantly to the new presence However instead of an image fluttering and expanding to fill the area a suffocating sense of loss seeped out to soak every aspect of the area
Devick spun around her back already beginning to tingle with bits of chilling perspiration She couldnÆt believe it the air still retaining that washed out quality as though even reality had begun to melt Her heart pounded IÆm afraid Without even seeing the foe
Flee The monkey urged again
Devick ignored its words and her own heart’s emphatic drumbeat of support She pulled on her image allowing stubbornness and malice to blossom in her chest Flames wrapped around her body yet the manifestation remained filmy and insubstantial with the horrific aura The flames resembled paper cutouts rather than any real raging inferno
On the far side of the room a slit formed in existence A fat and scaled hand pushed its way through One by one those fingers curled around the edge and began to draw space back like a heavy curtain
What began to filter through the opening however was nothing like sunlight
Next to Devick the monkey had almost folded in on itself It wrapped its torso in its furred arms and bent forward already shivering Devick reached out through her connection with Randidly and grasped for him Yet the connection felt dull and sluggish she didnÆt receive any sort of timely response
From the opening a head forced its way through A fat serpent pulled itself forward long arms connected to a massive body Its face was a mess of gore both of its eyes had been carved up and bled fat drops of ichor onto the ground ItÆs head swung back and forth blind and searching
Then with a horrific sense of finality it swung in Devick and the monkeyÆs direction Its long tongue poked out of its mouth Its slouched and lazy posture reminded Devick of an overflowing pile of garbage And the aura of death it radiated was just like the stench such a presence would produce
DevickÆs eyes began to water
We must immediately you girl what are you doing
Devick had stepped forward The fetid taint in the air strengthened to the point she could barely breathe She ignored her coughs and plucked up her paper flames into her hands and crumpled them all together the texture thin and insubstantial and so fucking weak She couldnÆt help herself she began to laugh Me IÆm just I believe the miracle will happen and he will show up But we canÆt just sit around and wait for it can we
She opened her palms The folded paper flames had become a crimson chrysanthemum of malice It seemed on the edge of wilting its petal wan and unhealthy The armed serpent opened its mouth and roared
In the face of its suffocating power Devick took another step forward
Randidly felt genuinely stumped His burdens continued to wear on him none easing as he persisted
No ideas came to him or his mind had gone through too much or the pain of keeping his body from shaking itself to pieces required too much of his focus He clenched and clenched to resist letting any more of his momentum be lost but he could feel himself wavering above a great fall
The prospect of escaping the Samsara and liberating the Nexus now seemed so so large It loomed above him His hands were raw and he would need to claw his way up without being able to see the top
This is the problem with sometimes accepting help RandidlyÆs chest felt so tight Sometimes you need it but you are the only one here They canÆt follow me here Shit
His images and Nether Core were largely cut off from him with both energies becoming increasingly unstable He remained trapped in the Samsara with no viable methods of escape occurring to him at the moment His Vessel had been repeatedly brutalized during his time in the Samsara holding up against the erosion but not possessing enough force to overwhelm the situation
Even worse he felt a faint tug through his connection to Devick His expression hardened as panic surged up through his body the lack of an answer became increasingly unforgivable His hands were trembling He wanted to do something but that old sensation of being powerless those horrific nights from childhood where he would lay in his bed and just stare at the ceiling filled him
but nothing changes if I just stay still Randidly bit his lip and tasted blood He flexed his hands and looked around So when the hell is this
He froze as the thought finished Randidly focused on his emotional state burrowing through his growing sense of helplessness and searching for the source of the thought His Soulspace released an ominous groan Even that he had to simply allow fixating on that small corner of his heart and the insidious connection from the Samsara that had latched onto him adding this foreign pride into him
Randidly used his Grand Fate to obliterate the connection But this just proved the dangers of lingering within the Samsara for too long even for him He didnÆt have much more time before
The young man screamed and fell to the ground his hands desperately trying to wipe away a few drops of liquid from his body Randidly felt confused replaying the physical developments back in his mind The attack had been just as slow as the first time Then Randidly noticed that the memory had empowered the edge of the young manÆs weapon giving it a cutting surface that could damage his Vessel if only slightly
The young man had inflicted a small cut on Randidly and then been sprayed with his blood Those few drops of blood possessed enough potent vitality to devour the flesh of this completely average young man He rolled back and forth on the ground clawing at himself As his flesh melted away it almost looked like the wounds were self inflicted a madness of physical form that had finally tainted his mind
With every scream Randidly flinched The obvious agony nudged him hinting that he was just as harmful as Elhume and Fiero
Randidly Ghosthound kills even innocents who stand in his way
Such fucking bullshit Randidly felt the cleansing heat of rage flooding through his body as the memory warped around him He devoured all the significance he forcefully suppressed the shaking in his Soulspace and was practically prowling forward as the memory reset again The young man stepped forward and Randidly felt the overpowering urge to obliterate him DonÆt you dare tell me who I am IÆll crush
The violence of the instinct stilled him even through the accumulated worries Randidly possessed Releasing a frustrated growl Randidly swept his awareness around with his Grand Fate His worst fears were confirmed at some point another one of the strange connections from the Samsara had been made without him noticing He shredded it but Randidly had a sinking feeling in his chest
Stop right there The young man repeated his line and stepped forward Randidly eyed him but made no moves What I need is just a little bit of time a way to regain my mental and emotional balance To stabilize both my Aether and Nether
The young man attacked Randidly sidestepped so fast he probably appeared as though he had teleported from the young manÆs perspective The clumsy attack missed For a second Randidly wondered why the memory didnÆt bother to strengthen the young man but then the screaming began and Randidly had the faintest inkling of the SamsaraÆs intentions
The notification that followed drove home the point
Congratulations Your Skill Apostate MoiraeÆs Seditious Touch has grown to Level 1359
As the young man screamed and trembled completely untouched by any weapon but RandidlyÆs warping touch Randidly felt the bitterness in his chest swelling and seeping out sourness through the whole of his being So much hurt the amount of problems he needed to overcome had become so piled and intermingled he didnÆt know where to start
His mere presence mutated this innocent to develop grey scales and gnarled bloody characters through his flesh until he eventually died The Path he chose might very well have been different but the bloody cost it exacted on the universe was just the same He had become a monster
He closed his eyes again He shook Calm down Calm down Calm down
But his imagined heart only began to race more quickly He lashed out with his Grand Fate and slaughtered most of the worming connections spreading down from the Samsara but he also acknowledged he probably missed a few in his unbalanced state Yet he couldnÆt find the spare attention to worry not while his Nether continued to bubble with its unstable foundation and his images
Before the memory even reformed the screaming began RandidlyÆs awareness went jagged and blinding as his Soulspace split down the middle finally cracked open by the cooped up Truths
Randidly Ghosthound was the one screaming The only thing hatched from this eggÆ in his chest was an annihilating malady of the soul
Chapter 2438
The memory reformed but Randidly almost didnÆt care
The sensation of his Soulspace fracturing was different than his Class being obliterated by the gaze of Elhume that had been pain but some sort of deep invalidation The foundation of how he was and the power of his existence had been scrubbed away by immense friction The pain had started sharp but then had dulled to an underlying weakness
This was different His Soulspace formed the foundation of his identityÆ It housed his Skills contained his Truths and was the foundation of his three images Not only was that now deeply wounded but some primal instinct screamed out the alarm of wrongness To be rent open like this had violated some important principle He now seeped out of the opening and drifted through his Vessel
He felt unmoored but he also felt horrifyingly alone
At the same time the Truths he had contained bounced and reverberated through him but slightly warped from their prolonged proximity to one another They combined and mixed forming strange chimeras of their original pronouncements
Every detail can be affected
Yggdrasil reaches and matters
You cannot affect both ways
Yet all of these follow up developments were simply footnotes to the endless horror of the pain that swept through RandidlyÆs existence
Stop right there The young manÆs voice seemed so far away RandidlyÆs vision swam blurred with agony and maybe the presence of too many sneaky Samsara connections against his psyche adding superfluous and damaging thoughts Yet the only response he could manage was a groan
Luckily the Alchemist portion of Randidly wasnÆt so easily dissuaded by pain Because he quickly realized half of the problem was the rays of warped TruthÆ released through the fracture in his Soulspace and bouncing around on the inside of his Vessel Or at the very least it complicated a half dozen other problems in a way that even Randidly wasnÆt able to endure Conjuring a bit of will the Alchemist wrapped one shard of the broken Aspect and pulled it into place to guard the crack
ТЕЛЕГРАМКанал с обзорами, анонсами новинок и книжными подборками
Книжный Вестник
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Саморазвитие
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