LoRG 5

Congratulations You have completed the Throne to Nether Homage IV Path From the abandoned wilderness you wade deeper into the miasma and find the exposed bones of a city Most of the taller buildings have ossified and collapsed but you can still see some of its shape amongst the ruins Yet you pause feeling a more sinister danger lurking ahead

Again the projection shifted Randidly walked among those abandoned buildings the Nether flows having swollen into something more caustic and violent He traced the lines that attempted to weave a net for him and snorted RandidlyÆs perception moved outward and began to work through the intervening distance

This Path was difficult but not impossible Soon the knot in this abandoned village unraveled and revealed the reward

Congratulations You have broken through to a deeper layer of this mystery Dreadful Alacrity +250 Your Nether flows have become increasingly smooth Change continues to bubble up from the base of your Nether Core hinting at a more influential transformation that will be forthcoming

Congratulations You have completed the Throne to Nether Homage V Path The darkness condenses into physical forms in order to fight against you However your own momentum and the force of the army that you bring behind you manages to overpower all opposition Compared to the pulsing heart of darkness the force in front of you doesnÆt manage to slow you down

You arrive at the core of an ancient empire a place where Nether once ruled You can feel the dried remnants of the energy pathways a hint of the old energy still trickling through them In an ancient hall built of granite you find a specter staring at its own shadow Without looking up from the darkness it raises its sword in challenge if you want to proceed the only option is overcoming this adversity

Randidly fell into the new projection feeling exasperated at how labor intensive these Paths were proving to be He stabilized his mind and began to attack the Nether flows in the projection Very quickly he began chewing on his lip Compared to the previous attempts the fifth Path in the sequence possessed a high degree of difficulty Yet as Randidly toiled he felt himself improving

Compared to the others this one was much more useful for improving his own Skill His mind hummed and began to overheat as he exhausted possibility after possibility in order to proceed But eventually the dark figure that symbolized the opposition broke apart into separate Nether flows and Randidly pierced his way forward

Congratulations You walk into the grand hall of this place looking around at the high walls and the stark architecture This is a place that has not seen another living soul in quite some time However as you approach the final room you see a pulsing orb of light Intelligence +300

As you approach the pulsing orb of light it activates of its own accord You hear a voice begin to speak Welcome If you are hearing this I suspect that you are Randidly Ghosthound Very few others possess your potential with Nether none should receive this message before you

I have a few things to say But most importantly I owe you a favor You freed me from the frontlines Perhaps it was an action done without thought but it deeply affected my life For that I am grateful We have encountered each other in the past but it was never the right time to reveal our connection only when you possess the requisite Nether understanding will my gift to you become clear

But as a small part of the repayment I owe you I offer one truth Do not trust Solomon Rex

Chapter 1941

The notification projection fuzzed at its edges as the glowing light the Nether King used to speak pulsed with meaning Seemingly unleashing the hidden message threatened to destabilize the fragile Aether that held the Path together As Randidly rapidly tried to corral the Nether flows that animated the message he could almost hear a womanÆs scream of pure frustration in the back of his mind

However even as Randidly focused on the framework he didnÆt miss that a new connection flickered to life from his Nether Core It was a thread of pure bonding stretching out from Randidly into the universe and probably leading to the Nether King wherever he may be

You might not even remember when you freed me I was stuck inside a recursive script at the edge of an ancient battlefield without even my knowing my energies were channeled back through to the beginning of my attemptÆ to break out in an endless loop Its an insidious method that finally ended any meaningful struggle in the war between Aether and Nether during the NexusÆs Second Cohort Once any Nether being is afflicted in this way they cannot escape without outside assistance The greatest warriors of the Nether race became powerless when isolated

And I bring up Solomon Rex because he is the one who created that method

HeÆs also the one who orchestrated the initial offensive against Nether Of all the different powers within the Nexus he is the one who knows Nether the best But that is only because he spent every waking moment trying to undermine that energy and eradicate it If you encounter Rex he will undoubtedly be friendly But be warned he will never be able to see past the fact you possess a Nether Core

The light from the message grew increasingly bright and now Randidly definitely heard a woman cursing quietly He smelled ash But he was too busy trying to make out the remainder of the message to pay much attention The Path projection continued to tear at the edges as it struggled to convey the recording Honestly Randidly had no idea how this was even possible

Had the Nether King left this directly in RandidlyÆs person in the form of a Path Or did he somehow rig the light orb to flow through their Nether connection when a certain Nether based prerequisite was obtained

Anyway as I said previously you might not even be Randidly Ghosthound However I hope he receives this message If you are aware of his existence please pass it on He possesses the first genuine Nether Core I have seen in the Nexus

I have one last gift traveler for having made it to this point

My time stuck in RexÆs recursive trap wasnÆt fruitless being exposed to the smooth transition of Nether gave me quite the insight into how the energy might be used It has given me the power and confidence to move freely in the Nexus opposing Elhume and making strides toward establishing a new safe haven for Nether beings

There are no endings or beginnings Randidly Ghosthound not truly Where we are in the story just depends on your own perspective We are both already dead and not yet born Such freedom is the greatest gift the universe gives us

Congratulations +200 Free Stats Your Nether Core begins to writhe and seethe You feel your energies being purified by a unique flow You feel your flames of Nether Weight becoming slightly more effective Please continue to study the changes in your Nether to trigger an astounding evolution

In the end the reward barely held RandidlyÆs attention for a few spare seconds where he acknowledged a shift within himself Because he immediately felt a small seed of meaning pass between that connection that appeared between himself and what Randidly assumed to be the Nether King Its sedate approach seemed slow but then it was there twirling innocently in his Soulspace

His usually rock solid handling of Nether was slightly shaky as he surrounded that seed with some flames of Nether Weight for an added layer of security Before he even attempted to open whatever the Nether King had sent Randidly seriously considered the manifested connection and whether he should sever it

But could I even cut through this Randidly whispered to himself His eyes went unfocused Because his insight into Nether informed him that it was theoretically possible to eradicate their connection but it would carry a steep cost

He sat and stared at the seed His awareness reached out and brushed it It unfolded slowly popping open from a small bit of meaning to become a simple diagram of Nether flowing in a way that resembled a circular maze

Randidly didnÆt let his guard down even as the pattern continued to curl in and flow into itself for several minutes without change At about a half hour Randidly moved his focus away from the arrangement itself and looked at the Engraving and Nether Ritual he had created to isolate the seed neither had any signs of tampering or unexpected damage from exposure

Only then did Randidly frown and look at the pattern A thorough examination didnÆt take long It was a simple closed system organic flow Nether passed endlessly through a series of similar looking loops Occasionally Nether broke off and created unexpected patterns forcing the whole of the system to adjust the new shift However there was only so much energy in it at a time thereby limiting the amount of variety it could achieve

Randidly chewed on his lip watching the Nether patterns in constant motion The branching pathways did demonstrate the Nether KingÆs awe inspiring combination of spontaneity and simplicity but Randidly felt bewildered by the fact that the Nether King believed he was doing a favor for Randidly by showing him this He might not have come up with exactly the same sort of arrangement but it wasnÆt so complex

Caught by a sudden thought Randidly paused He went back over the last few lines of the Nether Kings message He reached up and rubbed his chin If itÆs not about the pattern itself its about time Not the way it changes but

Randidly cracked his knuckles against the vaguely warm ground The Nether King had said that they were simultaneously already dead and not yet born As though time didnÆt truly exist that all creation occurred simultaneously

The idea was a strange one and he wasnÆt sure exactly how such an insight could help Nether But it did make sense that the Nether King would come to that sort of conclusion if he had been stuck inside of some labyrinthine recursive trap

If Randidly hadnÆt had that weird flash of insight about Nether earlier he probably wouldnÆt have been able to reach the right state to understand the Nether KingÆs message Or at the very least he would have needed several weeks of aggravating conclusion in order to stumble across the right mixture of focus and vague waiting

Yet Randidly had seen Nether in a different way His understanding was sore from being challenged but it was game for more He looked intently at the pattern for several seconds letting his mind wander He knew pure timelessness would be hard to grasp so he started small And eventually in the way that was sometimes possible he convinced himself that the Nether was flowing backward

The inverted made him blink and then laugh This is it This is why there are so many times I canÆt quite get Nether to behave the way I want Connections arenÆt unilateral things Nether is flowing in both directions simultaneously

He released a breath and leaned back to try and change his outlook on a larger scale

He looked at the sky In his chest his Nether Core whirled But Randidly distanced himself from that impression For as long as he had the Nether Core he always believed that it spun and released Nether that could then be applied to other tasks But what if that wasnÆt the case RandidlyÆs lids sank downward as his consciousness began to hum with effort

The mental gymnastic reminded him of those drawings of 3D cubes on 2D surfaces where the right focus could pull out one corner of the shape and make it seem entirely different The process was similar but Randidly had to ignore the whole of the way he had trained his mind in the past year in order to reasonably ask the what if Æ he needed

Gradually all the Nether connections quieted He pulled away from the Nether Ritual he had placed in ExpiraÆs core He closed his eyes to the way that every single life in the Alpha Cosmos had some small connection to him He ignored his more developed and important Nether connections

Eventually Randidly looked simply at his Nether Core It spun but he managed to glaze over his eyes until all he saw was the rotation

What if Randidly wondered Instead of exhaling the Nether Core inhaled

Chapter 1942

Randidly scrunched up his forehead pouring all his concentration into the task His Nether Core slowly rotated as he adjusted his mental state His eyelids fluttered as he almost began to view his inner workings in a cross eyed manner His focus became razor sharp

For several minutes he just existed in that extended moment of strain His muscles were tense and his mind buzzed with the effort he poured into it The Nether Core rotated inscrutable and unimpressed by his efforts to completely invert the way he had viewed it for so long His examination shook until it was quite blurry

Yet when the shift happened Randidly nearly gasped at the massive difference it made

His Nether Core spun pulling in Nether For several seconds he kept his attention focused on the Nether Core marveling at how natural this new perception seemed Then almost nervous about what he would find Randidly expanded his awareness of all the Nether connections that formed himÆ He opened himself back up to all the information that he had to ignore to get to this point

Nether surged toward him in a constant tide pulling all sorts of different bits of significance into Randily All rivers of significance flowed downhill to fill him He seemed to be in the center of the world a whirlpool of energy that devoured everything Examining the process what struck Randidly most of all was how much other people had to give to him The meaning that flowed along was perhaps not as refined or elegant as his own but it possessed just as much heft and significance

His perspective widened He had assumed that his Nether Core meant it so he was the main source of Nether especially in the Alpha Cosmos And that was definitely one of the dominant ways of examining the process

But Nether came from connection He had the ability to make those connections in a way that most people lacked but once the bridges were present traffic went both ways Compared to the whole of the Alpha Cosmos Randidly gathered significance at a snailÆs pace

Randidly raised his fingers and rubbed the bridge of his nose He pulled away from his Nether and simply allowed some of the aching in his brain to subside He even felt vaguely dizzy as he forced his perspective into a new arrangement But he suspected quite like his earlier insight into connections being present without him noticing that looking at the Nether flowing in this manner would help him understand the overall structure of Nether Rituals and organic systems in profound ways

His emerald eyes flickered He could imagine the way that he would need to layer these two awarenesses on top of one another one a Core that produced silky Nether and another that consumed it And once he had those down Randidly wondered if there were other ways of viewing the energy that would help him How many ways would he need to stretch his mind before the end

He came back into his inner space with those distractions and everything immediately fell to pieces Part of the problem was some of his focus slipped he no longer was thoroughly convincing himself that energy flowed in a certain way Another was his mental exhaustion making his instincts blunt and hasty forces

The result was that there were portions that Randidly remembered flowing in one way and others that flowed in a different one He viewed them a certain way so that was how they behaved even if both flows affected the shape In this case tides of Nether smashed into each other with a cataclysmic sizzle and screech Above the island the storm darkened and thundered The force of RandidlyÆs prodigious Nether flows charging into each other manifested in the physical realm The storm began tearing at itself ripping huge gashes in the air that imploded in deadly sounding claps

Randidly reached out to try and correct the flows but some portion of him still felt backward his instincts guided him in the wrong direction in a few key points He tightened his grip on the power and somehow opened a massive gaping rift in existence above the eye of the storm Very literally it seemed like he had conjured a massive sizzling pupil that looked dispassionately down at all the training individuals The environment became harsh the pressure the Nether exerted grew

Releasing a shaky breath Randidly forced himself to lean back and relax His head pounded The Nether storm has been going for a long time without my micromanaging IÆm destabilizing it by forcefully interfering So I just need to lean back and relax

Just relax

Even Randy stiffened at the movement on the television as the camera pivoted to show a man walking into the back portion of the courtroom and taking a seat Other people moved out of his way Every eye in the room was glued to him His hair was cut short and dark He moved with a lithe grace that Randy somehow knew everyone desire but very few could actually grasp A frown was etched into his face that made him resemble an austere granite outcropping all weight and grey implacability

But the weirdest part was that Randy could feel him Looking at him even knowing that he was so far away she could feel his heartbeat his headache his impatience But below all that Randy felt the same ugly thing they had experienced earlier magnified a thousand times She had briefly housed a drizzle of bile in her body during that flare of anger but this man was the monster that oozed that vile with every movement

Randidly Ghosthound And he looks fucking pissed The new chef said a sizable amount of awe present in his tone Durro and Bethyl nodded in agreement Even Takeyhands stopped his constant fidgeting and lowered himself onto his stomach

GUYS Everyone Dessy one of the new servers bashed through the swinging doors into the kitchen with the same sort of grace Randy had displayed earlier Her frogperson knees were constantly splayed out at 45 degree angles from her hips so she slammed one against the edge of the doorframe and stumbled for a bit But then Dessy was back up eyes bright and panicked ThatÆs Randidly Ghosthound

Yea we know Durro said sardonically as he folded his hands across his chest Just like everyone else knows I havenÆt seen him before but who could miss those features Those eyes of his

No no no no DessyÆs tongue flicked out and messily wiped across her face HeÆs here Err well he was here A few days ago At BÆs Crossing They had a table Him and two women Beautiful women I might add Do you remember

What Bethyl blinked several times

Impossible Durro announced The other chef gave Dessy a long look but said nothing

when I got that one hundred credit tip That was them They

Randy couldnÆt look away from Randidly Ghosthound in the same way that the camera person seemed unwilling to pull back and show more of the rest of the courtroom while he remained there A scene should begin and end around this dark haired man Putting him in the background felt like a mistake

For several seconds the television feed was just Randidly Ghosthound the most powerful man in the world sitting on a bench and leaning forward so his elbows rested against his knees His eyes seemed unnaturally bright His emotions radiated off of him like heat Randy could barely breathe

Takeyhands hopped onto RandyÆs shoulders finally making them realize they had probably just stood there bug eyed for a full minute They sucked in a hasty breath and began to cough Takeyhands picked through RandyÆs hair for nonexistent bugs but it did do a lot to calm them down

The argument between Dessy and Durro was silenced as the camera finally moved away showing an older woman in a judge’s robes She walked up the small stairs to the judgeÆs bench and sat down with little fanfare

Alright letÆs The judge began but from the way her eyes flicked sideways and then visibly widened Randy knew that the judge noticed Randidly Ghosthound She recalibrated swallowed and then continued to speak Ahem LetÆs begin This will be an expedited trial governed by a blend of laws agreed on by the World Council To that end I will not be pronouncing a judgment but simply making notes on rules of law for later deliberation The final decision will come down to the World Council with input from representatives from approved Orders

Now council for the prosecution would you like to make your opening statement

Chapter 1943

To his surprise Randidly didnÆt mind being present in that small room for the trial The furtive glances he earned left him somewhat anxious but they died down as the two sides began presenting their arguments Most of the people present were either witnesses trusted media outlets or competent representatives from the Zones

They knew enough not to bother him not with such an important event occurring in front of him

And Randidly felt how correct Tatiana was for encouraging him to be here He was the focal point of most of the attention even as the camera wasnÆt on him But he could feel the way he was just part of one more connection using his name to channel attention toward the crimes of this woman

The lack of fixation on him left him some spare time to close his eyes and just let his Nether Core settle back into its own alignment The tension he entered the room with slowly bled away and his mental acuity recovered He could relax his shoulders and pay more attention to the actual content that the two attorneys began to present Although soon he regretted that he listened as closely as he did

In the end the arguments boiled down to this the prosecution listed the crimes of Missy Carp including her close sponsorships of some of the most brutal flesh industry rings on Expira The defense claimed that the tribunal didnÆt have jurisdiction because they presented crimes from all across Expira and therefore didnÆt possess the standing to judge her Her crimes needed to be tried individually in the areas where they had been committed

Randidly barred his teeth So she canÆt be held accountable for her actions because sheÆs committed crimes in too many places That sounds idiotic

Despite his simmering emotions Randidly didnÆt say anything He simply observed as the trial continued Several witnesses were brought in testifying to the veracity of the claims against Missy Carp The people in the courtroom learned about the training centers to breed the image virus her brainwashing organization to create zealots and her many examples of assault and blackmail that she had used to hide her activities The lawyer for the defense did ask some questions of the witnesses but essentially repeated the same tired message the entire time

There was no standing for the World Council to engage in a judicial hearing This whole assembly including the defense attorneyÆs employment was an egregious breach of justice

Gradually as more and more details of Missy CarpÆs actions came to light Randidly felt his tension return to his body His chest thrummed with barely controlled anger His face stiffened as he prevented himself from snarling at this woman It was all well and good for him to say that he wanted Expira to be able to handle problems on its own But when he knew the details of the problems it became increasingly difficult for him to think of reasons why he shouldnÆt just skip this farce and punish her

Congratulations Your Skill Soul Bond has grown to Level 503

Yet Neveah was there with him in spirit She soothed his emotions not with any sort of communication but only with her presence and the obvious empathy that she had for him It helped Randidly settle if only just slightly

Because he felt NeveahÆs anguish toward the current situation as well She shared the same opinion

Missy Carp was a squat uncomfortable looking woman But what really captured RandidlyÆs attention was the fact that she was the only person present who didnÆt glance at him during the proceeding The whole time she kept her eyes down on the handcuffs that prevented her from moving Yet the Nether swirling about her body clearly resonated with him It seemed like she was very pointedly ignoring him

That is until it came time for her to speak

Missy Carp The judge said in a clear voice Below her the stenographer rapidly typed away noting down everything that was said YouÆve heard the crimes arrayed against you Would you like to make a statement Please note that anything you say can and will be used against you in further proceedings

However I have something else Knowledge Understanding of the Nexus and the threats it poses and thatÆs why I make those decisions without consulting anyone Because no one on Expira but I possess the requisite experience RandidlyÆs expression hardened In his chest he felt the First Authority crowing with pride and happiness to take such a domineering position He could have avoided her questions but Randidly knew that Missy Carp would just try and make him look like a liar

He leaned forward Randidly didnÆt regret cutting off the Alpha Cosmos from the Nexus He didnÆt mind scrutiny and muttered talk that he shouldnÆt possess this much power What he minded were dishonesty and confusion Better to speak clearly now and cut through the bullshit

There was no need to dance around the relationship between himself and the Alpha Cosmos and the Nexus

RandidlyÆs impression of Missy Carp went up by several ticks when she didnÆt seem thrown by his acceptance Her smile even widened Indeed understanding is it Well youÆve certainly made sure that no one else can challenge your knowledge of the Nexus But there is another matter on which I mean to speak You had a deep influence on the first Calamity didnÆt you You helped shape it Because itÆs not just that you refrained from helping but you also orchestrated the whole thing didnÆt you

MissyÆs face showed flashes of triumph behind her wariness Randidly couldnÆt help but laugh This was the truth she wanted to use to crucify him His insides seared him with guilt as he felt the answers coming out of his mouth Orchestrated No But I will agree that the task was handled by my subordinates with my blessing IÆm afraid that I wonÆt always be enough The day that I stop protecting Expira it needs to be ready to take up the mantle

You felt it was necessary for thousands to die to prepare for some possible eventuality Those deaths must weigh heavily on you MissyÆs eyes narrowed to slits Randidly could feel her tugging on the Nether bindings But you donÆt deny that you shoulder the blame for those months of tragedy

Inwardly Randidly assented But outwardly he lifted his chin Nothing would be gained by appearing weak in the face of the truth Quite a distance exists between responsibility and reprehensibility I can both mourn those deaths but also know that exposing Expira to danger is necessary

Something shifted in the worldÆs attention as he said that He felt them hearing his answer Perhaps not accepting it but understanding his firm stance

Missy wasnÆt willing to let him go with just that You are the one with all the power You toy with our lives like you feel like some sort of god Can you not see how your perspective has been warped

Of course its warped Randidly almost replied as he stared at Missy His eyes burned Do you know what its taken to get here How many times I gambled with my life I stripped away my senses or my personality to train more efficiently How many times IÆve broken my body down to try and build it back stronger How many friends or companions IÆve watched die or be broken struggle to survive

And if I fucking share even a fraction of that anguish with Expira

I think thereÆs been quite enough of this The judge began as he remained silent but Randidly again raised a hand

He looked at Missy CarpÆs bright and wild eyes for several seconds He couldnÆt believe what he was about to say but as he looked at her he knew it was the truth As he looked at her near feral expression he just thought of Helen and ached You donÆt understand None of you none of the people of Expira understand whatÆs out there And thatÆs preventing you from realizing the threat thatÆs my fault ThatÆs something I can rectify

Randidly turned to look directly at the camera One last statement before this interview ends No matter how much Missy Carp wants to make her crimes not about her I think weÆve all seen enough In two weeks there is going to be a tournament to determine ExpiraÆs strongest fighters For this one LetÆs expand it to all of the Alpha Cosmos Everyone may participate And I would encourage all of the previous winners to come back and attend vying for the crown

I will personally reward the winner by refining their image And in addition to demonstrate to the entire planet how horrifying the Nexus can be I will face the top eight of Expira all at once after the tournament concludes Maybe if you see the power a figure of the Nexus wields youÆll understand why IÆm so worried about protecting the planet

Chapter 1944

As the legal proceeding moved forward Randidly could clearly feel Missy CarpÆs frustration as she clumsily grasped at her generated Nether threads The significance in the air had shifted almost rolling downhill to some strange inevitability he couldnÆt read in the air Missy seemed both to be able to understand why he had responded so confidently and why nothing much had happened when her orchestrations pulled against him Around her the Nether abandoned her cause

If she hadnÆt done so many miserable things Randidly might have felt pity for her However the current version of Missy deserved every hell heaped upon her in light of past actions

The judge reiterated her earlier statements about rule of law and what a peculiar circumstance it was for Missy Carp to be tried like this over so many disparate crimes Randidly folded his arms across the chest appreciating the careful way that the judge explained the rules but also beginning to understand that in this case the judgeÆs fairness might mean that all this came to nothing

To distract himself Randidly released a pulse of Nether that resonated through the massive Nether RItual he had created in the core of Expira From there it bounced out to all the other planets in the Alpha Cosmos lighting up every Nether Ritual it passed through with a crooning symphony Yet Randidly admitted it might be too subtle to have much actual effect It would be more of a feeling that than anything else a beckoning finger to every powerful fighter that was connected to Randidly It was time to come to Expira and prove themselves

Champions would rise to prove themselves the definitive figures of an era

But how will the winners feel to know that their victories carry the heavy price of a prizefight For a second Randidly smirked

After all not everyone would be interested in the trial and watch the broadcast to see his announcement And the news would be spread but only through Expiran channels But what hero wouldnÆt be out there waiting for a call to action This could be the impetus that many needed to grow and change

In front of Randidly the legal proceeding finally concluded The judge left first and then Missy Carp was led out by a few stern faced and competent seeming guards She showed Randidly one last poignant glance filled with all the pickling spite that she couldnÆt put into words Then she was gone and the rest of the media gave Randidly the side eye Resisting the urge to roll his eyes Randidly left next

Once he had gone the rest gladly followed

Quite on accident he caught a strange reverberation as he walked to a deserted portion of the building and opened a portal back to his volcano Randidly stiffened He felt Missy Carp move with competent violence several rooms below him She had been left alone in a cell with a special alloy pair of handcuffs that kept her bound in place Yet she moved her hands sharply ripping her way out of them with raw physical gifts

Randidly was honestly impressed he had no idea that she had put so much effort into honing her body It was a point of emphasis he appreciated But even as the metal warped and tore he crooked a finger and all his power moved with him

Congratulations Your Skill the First Tree Suffers Only Fealty has grown to Level 871

The courthouse around him shivered as his developed Skill and the powerful image behind it activated Within MissyÆs small cell her failing physical bindings ceased solely being metal and became a portion of the First TreeÆs root system A bough waved and the metal bowed in fealty Even while still in the act of being shed and dropped the metal bands screeched and curled back into place

Missy stood not even noticing the minute shift but then looked blankly down to find that after ripping her way out of the handcuffs the metal still somehow bound her hands In the hallway there was a flurry of movements and a sharp eyed enforcement officer opened the door and scanned the room for signs of change He immediately released a pulse of some Skill looking for any weakness in the walls Then he followed up with another Skill that Randidly sensed was designed to dispel illusions

Alana coughed lightly hoping they would take the hint

Z you know this isnÆt about children The man waved his hand IÆm the Prince of the Empire Considering the influx of new people and the difficulty in policing the archways if we could just find a little bit of stability at home

Yes so my life should live on your schedule Azriel observed in a humming tone She folded her arms So that I can fit prettily into the dream youÆve had of being the perfect prince for your whole life

What dream You are my whole dream you The lion headed prince began but then he bit back the rest of his words He released a slow breath Without saying anything further he pivoted on his heel and stalked away

Eventually Alana looked down from the massive pillar and broke the silence So You wanted to spar I didnÆt know the Pantheon could participate

I know IÆm not being fair to him Azriel sighed completely ignoring AlanaÆs actual question She shook her head sadly But these last three years living here with him managing the Paths and Classes of the people in this world IÆve changed Mostly due to him He has that powerful of an effect on me and I canÆt have that around right now

And if I want to convince Randidly itÆs worth going a little easier on the people of his Alpha Cosmos I need to regain some of my old bloodthirstiness AzrielÆs eyes flashed IÆll need to be as deadly as ever But to answer your question yes letÆs spar ItÆs been a while since IÆve held a spear so I want to work off the rust As for the other Pantheon I donÆt think any will participate

Why not Alana asked

They consider themselves above it Or maybe its fairer to say they think it would be unethical if they admit they arenÆt above it The two women began walking down the hallway Azriel led Alana into a side room filled with dust The ornate wooden furniture seemed to have grown fur hunkered down and hibernating Azriel went to a sliding closet door against the far wall and pulled it open From within she gently removed a jade box from the shelf and placed it on the floor

Azriel was reverent when she removed the lid and set it upon the ground The case was dark but the treasure was clear Within a long needle sat on velvet cushions In the dusty room it was streamlined perfection

how long has it been since youÆve touched a spear Alana found herself asking

Azriel laughed Three years obviously A different life since I left Tellus behind But just managing other peopleÆs dreams wonÆt be enough IÆll need power to hop into this fun

Alana looked at Azriel for several seconds really studying her Even with my help if you havenÆt touched a spear in three years do you truly expect to be able to succeed in the Alpha Cosmos tournament

Azriel bared a wicked smile as she lifted her silver spear If I want it enough thereÆs nothing that I cannot accomplish

You know I bet every starry eyed idiot out there is saying the same thing right now Alana observed But feeling the confidence rolling off AzrielÆs shoulders she couldnÆt help but think that maybe this woman was right about her chances

Chapter 1945

Mrs Hamilton and Donny sat at the top of the recently constructed observatory on the hill above Donnyton looking at the twinkling lights of the town below Behind them the glass dome of the observatory faded to a shadowy mound The sun had long since set leaving them only with the few electric and torch lights spaced out around the training areas situated periodically in the hills to keep luminance in their eyes

Tonight all the training areas were at full capacity The glare from the arenas was so bright that it was difficult to see the stars Mrs Hamilton had done some basic calculations Almost 40% of the population pushed themselves to their limits looking for any way to improve before the All Alpha Cosmos tournament

Donnyton was full of vigor and motivation eager to prove themselves still a dominant force in Expira after a disappointing showing at the prior tournament

There are two types of people who will attend this grand tournament Mrs Hamilton said She spoke to the stars hoping that she could change the way her instincts predicted the tournament would unfold The first is someone who truly wants to prove themselves They will come for the main fighting and throw everything they have into the contest to see where they rank amongst the whole of the Alpha Cosmos And the other group will come with more conflicting intentions They will participate in the tournament but only because they aim for the Ghosthound They wish to grasp at the peak player of Expira

I think Randidly can more than handle those desperate sort of pretenders Donny said If what he says about the power shift in the Nexus is true

No I donÆt doubt that Mrs Hamilton shook her head Did you see Randidly when he sat at the beginning when he still had something else on his mind He anchored that whole television frame for several minutes with just his affect Before he released that tension I donÆt think a single viewer at home could take a breath More than anything about Randidly himself IÆm worried about Expira Because Randidly has done a great job protecting the planet from the truth about itself

What truth Donny reached into their snack bowl which was empty and grimaced

That at the end of the day we are small minded and ill equipped to compete with the dangers the Nexus throws our way Mrs Hamilton continued softly as she leaned back in her chair Monsters were fine Dungeons and Raid Bosses we eventually grew accustomed to Yet as soon as these smaller problems were addressed we found ways to turn back on each other As a planet weÆve displayed remarkably little empathy and understanding for our fellow people

Paradoxically the only way Randidly thought he could prevent us from sinking back to the grip of apathy that held most of pre System Earth was by allowing danger to continue to threaten the average person But without his appearance on Earth if we as a planet had been exposed to the true threat of the System we would have experienced a cataclysmic loss of life Our current prosperity is almost completely built upon the actions of a single man

So Donnyton still seemed confused

Mrs HamiltonÆs expression twisted If we have eight champions go against Randidly in a fight and lose if we can even manage to have that many individuals compete meaningfully against Randidly from a group that includes all of the Alpha Cosmos that facade of competency will be ripped away People will be scared at how much they depend on others No one wants to be called out for clinging to someoneÆs coattails even if its true T/his chapter is updated by

Understanding flickered in DonnyÆs face That fear might become an extra lashing they will take out on refugees in Expira Or other marginalized groups

Mrs Hamilton nodded Right now the lights around the training centers burned with hope But she knew that wouldnÆt last forever The reason they could continue with such determination was that none of them had been forced to acknowledge their genuine place in the hierarchy of the Alpha Cosmos Very rarely do fearful people react well to hard truths about themselves ItÆs easier just to blame someone else

But what can we do People already feel so Donny trailed off unsure of how to proceed

Because while the Aether in the surroundings seemed placid he sensed the immense depths that lurked beneath it The idyllic scene masked something if not sinister certainly artificial and full of guile

Coming from me the request will seem insincere Huang Shou spoke quietly barely a breath passing through his lips so Huang Li struggled to hear even with his powerful senses However to have the guardian of Zone 7 acting humble will hopefully move his heart This man is our greatest treasure a Zen master who has been instrumental in grounding this governmentÆs legitimacy Without his support we would have crumbled into chaos So be respectful and mindful He is obviously extremely well mannered but he is sensitive

Huang Li nodded despite the fact this was the tenth time that Huang Shou had reiterated something similar It did make him realize a strange fact his adoptive father was nervous Not just a little nervous but extremely so

They arrived at a sliding bamboo door and Huang Shou opened it and gestured Huang Li to lead the way The young man did so unsure of what to expect He was perhaps slightly disappointed that what he saw was exactly what he would have expected from the description Huang Shou gave

An old man leaned over in the middle of a small courtyard deftly using his fingers to trim a few stray leaves from a gorgeous little bonsai tree But what really grabbed Huang LiÆs attention was that in addition to almost ten picturesque little bonsais there was a larger tree in the middle of the courtyard with flames for leaves and that swayed back and forth in a slow dance

Well well The old man turned around with a knowing smile What possible reason could you important figures in our Zone 7 come to visit a retired old man like me

What No Nrorce scowled powerfully Why the hell would I want to participate in your stupid tournament My people may be idiotic enough to think they should participate and get their ears boxed in but I feel my age when I get out of bed Who has the energy for fighting

Randidly tried to suppress a smile but failed He busied himself with eating the zucchini hash that Nrorce fried up for him He used a fork to cut into one of the almost obscene large eggs that Nrorce now produced on his farm and mixed the honey colored yolk through the hash Nrorce watched his suspiciously sensing his cheer at his expense

Randidly coughed and shifted the subject Well thatÆs actually not all of the reason why I came here I want to talk to you about something

You do always need something when you come to see me Nrorce observed sourly Despite him seeming much more personable these days much of his moods and actions were flavored by a low grade constant bitterness What you want a loan Just a free meal Catering for your tournament Even if the paycheck is huge making that much food

I want to know if youÆd be willing to teach someone to cook Randidly interceded before Nrorce got himself on a roll

The small blue goblin looked at Randidly with sharp eyes Oh so you want me to babysit some kitchen amateur I really donÆt understand how you humans can consider yourselves adults when you canÆt even cook yourself a solid meal

Not an adult HeÆs young Randidly successfully suppressed a grin this time Then he leaned forward knowing he had a hook to pull the goblin in But there is one reason why youÆd be interested in this kid He has an ability that allows him to do what you attempted to do with your isolated farm on the fly He can strip away the added image in food products and leave them pristine

Nrorce opened his mouth and then closed it how well does it work

Chapter 1946

The Patron of the Sun sat with the Pantheon member Alta and watched her squirm slightly She still seemed to be constantly simmering at the edges The Patron had a great deal of respect for the woman after watching her handle most of the GhosthoundÆs recent Paths Others had assisted but the heavy lifting had fallen on her shoulders She had sworn and raged the entire time but there was never a moment of doubt that she wouldnÆt handle the work

Compared to the methods in the Nexus the Pantheon asked a lot more of its members

IÆm honestly surprised none of you older Patrons want to participate in the tournament Alta eyed the Patron of the Sun with a speculative look DonÆt you want to teach us the mistake of disrespecting you Demonstrate how age and your influence a thousand years ago makes you superior to all current fighters

There was something challenging in the womanÆs tone which rankled against the PatronÆs pride However he liked Alta He liked her unrelenting determination and her unwillingness to flinch before hard work Compared to some of the other more whimsical members of the Pantheon the woman was infinitely preferable Yes well we might have the only competent images in this entire Alpha Cosmos but I donÆt know if our performance would be as dominant as you think

Still struggling against the environment in the Alpha Cosmos Alta tilted her head to the side

Pah you think I canÆt overturn one little Alpha Cosmos The Patron of the Sun lifted his chin and snorted dismissively in spite of himself Then he eased himself back to the conversation Sure if Blooms Abyss Blades and I worked together we would probably have a much easier time fighting against the Ghosthound than anything this isolated space could manage However our growth has admittedly been stagnant

We are improving more now than at most other times because we spent so long locked away in the Sanctum with severe restrictions on the ability to manifest our images but you are correct that this comparatively Nether rich environment has been a challenge Combined with the weird Nether apparatus that is propagating across the Alpha Cosmos The Patron of the Sun trailed off Honestly he felt quite a bit of fear at how quickly some of the people he oversaw as part of the Pantheon were beginning to grow

What the Nexus did with Aether Randidly Ghosthound had begun to do with Nether The method was rough and simple but it helped Compared to the outside universe their growth speed would be almost doubled Obviously they were quite far behind and incredibly unrefined but that speed of improvement grabbed the attention And was the true reason that he didnÆt want to participate

There is also the matter of us being foreign to this place The Patron of the Sun narrowed his eyes That is a weapon that the Ghosthound can use against us that would not be effective against anyone who had grown into their image here

You realize that IÆm dead right Alta pointed to her chest If I participated and pissed him off he could just snuff me out Poof like blowing out a candle

Well at the very least The Patron of the Sun lifted his chin again We find respect in our duties Participating in this tournament seems to cross some lines

Just admit it if you are scared No one minds Alta snorted The Patron of the Sun scowled in response If Alta had been one of the ones participating he might have forgone the temperance urged by the Patron of Blades and thrown his hat in the ring just to make her eat her words

Zack Krum groaned and buried his face in his pillow hoping the insistent knocking at his door would go away If anything it quickened throbbing at just a high frequency the whole of his apartment seemed to hum with it

He cursed first building materials and then architects generally for creating such resonant objects His muscles tightened and spasmed as tension crept into his legs

Zack made a choking noise That is only some of his allowance

So are you in Allowaen asked She waved her hand and produced a sack with a dollar sign on it the fabric sagging against the heavy weight of metal currency I have done some research and I believe this is the most convenient method of transfer

Thousands of warriors hooted and raised their spears in a chaotic mass standing on the rolling hills south of the city What had previously been green rolling hills had been trampled down by so many feet into a muddy moor that left those that traversed its worst pits vaguely splattered and damp

So many had answered the spiritual call that sounded out five days ago making an impromptu pilgrimage with weapons in hand in burning hopes in their hearts And the leadership of Tellus had responded gathering a vast amount of officials to handle the event Their experienced warriors watched and judged pronouncing victor and defeated

After a brutal battle a hundred participants had been selected and now the crowd roared its approval as these chosen elites walked onto the top of the hill They went especially ballistic as the final figure walked out a well muscled young man with dark hair and a heavy spear The crowd clanged their own spears together until the air seemed to be humming with recently kissed metal

A tall imposing man took long strides to walk in front of the victorious selections He raised his hand and clenched his fist The waiting crowd fell silent He looked down his heavy nose at the gathered spear users and smiled Welcome Tellus One more time greet your champions

The crowd barely needed any encouragement Just the word greetÆ was enough to set off another wave of rhapsodic throat undulations Part of their screams was approval and pride but the other half was envy The crowd looked up red eyed and near mad with the fresh shame of their own losses and they screamed

They stood in the mud the powerful images of the victors still lingering in the air and screamed

The man raised his hand and made a fist squeezing the noise out of the air with the physical force of his image However this is a historic day for more than just participation in this off world tournament Because today we found something truly special amongst the participants Today we discovered that the powerful foundation of Tellus had not been lost Although we have not heard from Shal in far too long we discovered that the SpearmanÆs legacy was recently discovered Today we name a new Spearman a young man whose thrust can shatter expectations with its passage Everyone join me in greeting my grandson Illdan Thai

Illdan Illdan Illdan The sea of people roared and frothed at the mouth At the end of the line of victors the dark haired young man frowned down at the ground

The imposing man continued With this centerpiece of our history restored with the fonts of Aether opened on Tellus we have entered a new age The time has come for us to seize our rightful place in the history of the Nexus Prosperity through power

Power through push The crowd roared back Progress at any cost

Without power we were stagnant for so long Struggling to find our identity But no longer WeÆve found it WeÆve discovered Illdan Thai and he will reignite our destiny The imposing man swept his gaze out through the sea of raised spears and fists He smiled Let’s let them know that spear users from Tellus are not to be trifled with

Chapter 1947

Raymund BallastÆs eyes swept sideways along the line of recruits as they stood on the beach The constant drizzle and the lapping waves at the back of their heels made it sure they were dripping with moisture In the face of the inclement weather they stared stubbornly forward

However he felt immense dissatisfaction as he cleared his throat Now when the Ghosthound came to me to inquire about us I told him that the Vulpis Squad wouldnÆt be interested in joining the All Alpha Cosmos Tournament That there would be no point in sharpening our edges against fighters that had so much less time to acclimate to images and werenÆt professional soldiers but only enthusiastic amateurs However itÆs come to my attention that certain members of our Squad

He glared at Charlotte Wick but the bear woman didnÆt even blink

have gone behind my back made quite a case to Tatiana who has passed the word on to the Ghosthound And in his generosity he doesnÆt care if we debase ourselves by humiliating those far beneath our power Still I donÆt think it is quite appropriate for a professional special forces organization to run without limits Raymund Ballast folded his arms So IÆve made some rules First only four of the group will earn the right to participate Second the bracket will be adjusted so all four will need to fight each other before the round of 8 so only a single member of the Vulpis Squad will bear the shame RaymundÆs lip curled up as he saw other soldiers whispering to each other in excitement for our foolishness For learning with their body the price of hubris

The eyes of the soldiers gleamed it was clear that his words were not getting through to them He glanced sideways at DiOrtho The ram demon shrugged and communicated nonverbally with only a soft crinkling at the corner of his eyes

DonÆt you want a chance to take a shot at the Ghosthound

Raymund sent his message back with his pursed lips Do as you wish ItÆs your funeral

Randidly pressed his fingertips to his temples and wished he could utilize a bit of ClaudetteÆs image Steam swam up from his neck and shoulders while heat waves danced above his short black hair Before he could continue with his training he had to make some adjustments

Randidly had obtained almost five hundred free Stats during his earlier blitzkrieg through his Paths which he now poured into Unnatural Capacity his Runic Rarity evolved Wisdom was critical to his new perspective altering Nether pursuits And hopefully increasing his Stats would help equip him to handle the strain of reworking his thought processes

Adding that many Stats at once carried with it a singular moment of explosive satisfaction as though a grainy filter had been pulled away from life and the truths of Nether laid bare and crisp before him His brain gradually cooled falling back below temperatures that would cook an egg Randidly grinned rolled his shoulders and then once more closed his eyes and dived down into that place where he examined the way Nether flowed

Five minutes later his headache returned and sweat dripped down off his brow He sighed slightly Well if it was easy everyone would be doing it IÆm trying to understand the underpinnings of the world There is no easy answer

Despite the growing pains Randidly definitely had made great progress in his understanding of Nether over the past two weeks Small insights into the way the layered Nether affected each other led to small steps forward in the efficiency and construction of his Nether Rituals However the abrupt and catastrophic collapse of his Nether Systems when the wrong instincts kicked in at the wrong time continued to be a problem Randidly treated the shifts in perspective with immense care even as he experimented with other ways of viewing Nether but eliminating all possibilities of failure was maddeningly difficult

New intermittent bolts of black lightning crackled through the Nether storm above his island His organic systems became more sophisticated but the occasional grinding mistake in Nether flows meant that the tension over the island only grew more intense

Underneath these heavy clouds almost a thousand warriors continued their vigorous training

Randidly blinked The Nether Ritual wasnÆt just rumbling what he heard and felt was a heartbeat

All he had to do was look Because once his attention sank into the Nether Ritual he felt the way it had shifted as it developed The core areas were still the same humming with significance that traveled back and forth between the various planets in the Alpha Cosmos In addition there was a larger framework that gave a sense of connection and transmission that some users could utilize to draw more information about the situation

Yet aside from that a new active portion of the Nether Ritual had come online and released a beating pulse through the world Randidly watched solemnly as significance was absorbed by these massive contractions The Nether spun and tightened pressurizing the gathered significance As he watched the Nether Ritualrefined the gathered energy into bits of Nether Weight

The Nether Ritual is responding to the spirit of the Alpha Cosmos It feels that so much significance is gathering for this tournament and of its own volition it now is attempting to generate a reward for the victor Randidly pressed his lips together Due to the vast amount of Nether being funneled into the tight space it was difficult to get an idea of how much effect this would actually have In the short time that Randidly watched the contractions it failed almost as often as it succeeded as the framework contracted and squeezed And its successes were just little glimmering grains of grey flames far from even a single point of RandidlyÆs Nether Weight

However at this rate a lot would accumulate and be given to the victor Randidly rubbed his chin considering how a 5% increase in abilities given by the world would affect the balance of power on Expira and the other planets

Pah Well probably not as much as if Sam makes an amazing weapon Randidly muttered to himself Then he grinned and looked to the Northeast Even now Sam was tirelessly hammering away at metal trying to finish all the requests that he had accepted in advance of the tournament Dozens of people wanted an advantage by obtaining a cutting edge weapon even if it mattered less than their own ability

Randidly produced his PhilosopherÆs Key and opened up a portal to TatianaÆs office As he had sensed she sat at her desk and tirelessly wrote down notes and checked on other communications She didnÆt even look up from her papers as he walked over to the far cabinet and poured himself a drink Tomorrow is going to be a big day You donÆt need to be present for the preliminaries but it would be helpful if you didnÆt cause any large scale disturbances

Randidly waved his hand dismissively

Tatiana sighed Okay letÆs not beat around the bush I have my Skill so I know that you are here for a reason What do you want

Randidly sipped the drink and then grimaced he had no idea why Tatiana adored the peat tasting specialty whiskey that came out of Donnyton He set the glass mouth and opened his mouth to say he had no idea what she was talking about but suddenly he knew why he had come here His shoulders slumped somewhat Am I doing the right thing

Tatiana looked at him without judgment for several seconds Some part of Randidly wanted to add a bit more specificity to the ask because even to him he sounded vague Yet he couldnÆt Certainly a portion of this question came from the details of Missy CarpÆs trial percolating in him while he engaged in intensive training But it was so much more than that

He had made a lot of mistakes He had let thousands die when he could have protected them He had followed a whim to create this massive Nether Ritual which now began to evolve in ways that bewildered him He because a passive presence in the Alpha Cosmos where he grew without him even taking a step forward He felt curiously disassociated from himself

Well no Tatiana cleared her throat But you are human and youÆve been consistent You reflect on your mistakes ThatÆs all we can ask of anybody

Randidly almost snorted to be called a human but decided not to point out the error Despite the accuracy it felt nice to hear After staring at the amber liquid for a while longer he looked up and smiled at Tatiana So tomorrow

Tomorrow Tatiana took their conversation shift in stride answering with a long groan My work gets that much harder Tomorrow the preliminaries begin The greatest warriors from other worlds will begin pouring into Expira God help us all

Chapter 1948

Raymund Ballast felt embarrassed but he kept himself from rubbing his perky ears to ease his nerves The two stood on one of the newly erected buildings on the final island situated on a deck overlooking the sea Tatiana slurped from her straw while she waited for him to speak perhaps it a bit unprofessional no I cannot in good conscious say that this act is anything but unprofessional However I worry that the Vulpis Squad wonÆt be able to provide unbiased officiating to the preliminary portions of the tournament

Oh that Tatiana waved her hand a dreamy smile on her face Her tongue flicked out and licked some pink ice from her lips DonÆt worry about it The Order Ducis has the first week off as well all of us do Randidly has agreed to handle the preliminaries himself although obviously through intermediaries So just relax and enjoy yourself

Raymund frowned The thought of taking a vacation right now gave him a slight headache Abruptly he realized that Randidly Ghosthound might be rubbing off on him in more ways than just training methods Well who will be handling the minutia

Tatiana sat up from her lounge chair and pointed along the curve of the beach Raymund moved to the railing and looked out

What he saw was a parade of murderous and sulfurous hellspawn lounging and chatting with one another A figure with sparks jumping from the corner of his eyes sat atop a veritable war fortress of spikes and armored plates that left massive hoof prints in the sand as it ambled forward Another cracked a whip of bone riding atop a chittering spider with venom leaking enthusiastically from its fangs Some weird variation on the GhosthoundÆs Lancer transformed into a massive freight train led by a powerful looking slug mount but with progressively smaller and spikier shells in a long line

Apparently they wish to test themselves in their social interactions With RandidlyÆs help what could go wrong Tatiana said breezily and took another sip of her drink At this moment it occurred to Raymund that the orchestrator of this entire event might be slightly tipsy

And that she was doing it purposefully to avoid worrying too much

Illdan Thai stood with his back straight and his chin raised as the strange hellish creature that had flown in on a massive eagle explained the rules of the competition The rules were relatively simple A dice would be rolled to determine starting distance between competitors either five twenty or fifty meters Touching the ground outside of the ring area was considered a forfeit Hurting an opponent after they conceded would result in your participation in the tournament being revoked Each individual would fight in fifty matches over the next four days At the end of that time the top third of participants would proceed to the main tournament

It was a brutal schedule one which the fighters of Tellus would approach with bloodthirsty grins

Despite himself Illdan felt a tickling along his ribs Feeling the obvious power of the ghastly official he felt genuine anticipation for the competition The individuals chosen to run this preliminary were strong And hopefully the competitors would be strong enough that maybe Illdan would be able to let loose and test his own limits

They were situated in a small series of four stages next to high cliffs above the ocean The water compared to that of Tellus was so incredibly blue here that it almost looked like the sky had taken the day off and laid across the horizon in restful slumber The smell of sweat metal and blood was thick but not as suffocating as a true battlefield All of the Tellus hundred had come here but they were dwarfed by the rest of the crowd Humans ogres frogpeople lizardpeople strange plant beings and warped monsters the turnout was enormous

At this preliminary which was one of twenty

Illdan looked around trying to keep his gaze less direct than the sneering gazes of most of his fellow warriors from Tellus Despite the few powerful individuals most were weak But it was admirable that so many sought to achieve glory in the tournament

The Lancer folded its arms and spoke in a growling voice For now amuse yourselves The first matches will be up in an hour

Illdan winced very aware of a group of three young women essentially gawking at him and whispering to each other behind their hands He could hear them wondering if he was some sort of model I donÆt think it is my talent that captures their attention

The scrutiny only grew more intense as more time passed and word of IlldanÆs decisive victory spread to the other arenas The Tellus contingent hadnÆt paid attention much to the ancillary facilities besides noting the area which offered food and baths but soon they were a constant presence in the betting facilities where Illdan had shot ahead to be the most favored contestant to make it to the final tournament

If empathy couldnÆt get them to coexist with Expirans having their egos stroked might be able to bridge the gap

It was a relief when IlldanÆs next match rolled around The whispers and attention were really getting under his skin Stepping up onto the stage felt like moving to a different world The air there was cool and he could focus This time his opponent was a girl with baggy clothes and thick glasses Her messy blonde hair curled around her jaw as she rubbed her hands nervously and looked at him The official rolled a dice and five meters came up

Illdan almost felt bad for the girl who didnÆt seem to be using a weapon He assumed a fighting stance and waited for the start signal Aim to impact her skull with enough force to stun her Then toss her outside the arena

Progress should not be pursued at any cost

When the signal came he accelerated forward once again However this girl at least had some Skills she stomped her foot her blonde hair fluttering and released some sort of image pulse The distance between them was short so Illdan responded by unleashing a rumbling thrust with some of his inner ferocity The ghost of a massive spear hummed through the air

To IlldanÆs surprise his attack passed through the ripple without any notifiable effect Just as Illdan began to frown the girlÆs image activated and kicked up from the ground The effect wasnÆt painful but he was essentially bounced up a small distance from the arena The girl thrust a palm forward and unleashed a blast of air

Her movements were snappy she might even have a similar amount of Stats to him

Of course he shouldnÆt have been handled so easily But in that moment of confusion too much useless information filled his mind The stress of being watched the feeling of being on Expira the vague fear he felt toward his increasingly extreme Tellus warriors

His instincts got tangled up in that important moment By the time he blinked back to wakefulness he stretched his feet down and got only a scraping drag along the edge of the arena before he was sent tumbling off the platform His twisting legs caught on a crack and the ground and he slammed face first to the dirt

The pain more than anything finally cleared his head He sat up dazed and shaken As he pushed himself up and rolled over Illdan couldnÆt help but notice how silent the surroundings had become

A squeal broke the silence Oh Oh not your face IÆm so sorry Are you alright

Illdan watched with a detached sort of horror as the blonde girl scurried to the edge of the platform and hopped down next to him She seemed young probably still a teenager and pressed her glasses back into place with her thumb as she fretfully hovered above him But when she did adjust the glasses some of the glare from the sun went away and he saw how blueberry blue her eyes were

You beat me Illdan felt himself deflating like a balloon

But the girlÆs shy smile the crinkling at the corner of those eyes breathed life back into him Well I cheated a tiny bit I looked up your first match before we fought If I know you are charging straight forward to finish it quickly even someone like me can plan around that ItÆs tough being the favorite isnÆt it

Chapter 1949

You can do it Illdan A young woman held her hands to her mouth as she screamed while next to her a burly Tellus warrior frothed at the mouth and shouted at the top of his lungs Crush them For glory For Tellus

Apparently no one else saw the painfully juxtaposed composition of the cheering section but Illdan He pushed that fact out of his mind and turned to his third match the sting of the secondÆs failure still hanging in his mind He did his best to push all those dangerous stresses away and sank into those deep impressions that Illdan had stumbled across in the ruins where the Second Calamity had finally ended on Tellus

Behind him a shadowy form stirred

The judge rolled the dice and the middle distance was selected The two competitors took their place Illdan opposite an older woman with flinty eyes He sucked in a breath and held it deep in his chest The images that his grandfather recommended he hold in reserve for the tournament itself stretched and seeped out of his skin There was no point in hiding his potential here not when there were others going wild and improving

Not when he needed to make sure he could control this image in actual battle

Illdan suspected that even if he hadnÆt lost in such an anticlimactic way he would have struggled against the girl with bright blue eyes But it was the wake up call that he needed From now on no more leaving anything to chance He released the long held breath and felt the tension leave his body

Smoke escaped his lips and the amorphous figure of a phantom flexed its hands behind him

IlldanÆs opponent deployed a hundred illusions beguiling him while striking at Illdan from the side with long range Skills However while visions might be convincing breath didnÆt lie Illdan eventually followed the trace of his opponentÆs breath and landed a sharp thrust into the womanÆs thigh Blood bloomed seemingly from nowhere Soon the haggard form of the woman followed raising her hands and conceding

The cheering section erupted with his victory as though it completely redeemed him in their eyes A single victory was enough for the people of Expira to forget his prior match

As he hopped off the arena a young girl leaned against the edge of the stands and looked dreamily at him Those cheekbones

His senses still burning from the strange Skill he had uncovered in the ruins Illdan went back to the preparation area as fast as he could And of course Daemont was there waiting for him amongst a group of Tellus warriors a sour expression on his face A single victory in his mind just paused his continuing reprimand I believe we agreed that you would hide your greatest weapons until the actual tournament Especially after a loss now is not the time for hubris

Daemont Illdan growled his edges still sharp from the battle Plus he had dealt with enough This nagging did not help him I appreciate your council But I am the reborn Spearman And this is my decision The combat experience will be useful DonÆt question me again

Daemont pursed his lips but simply nodded Illdan reflected that there were some benefits to the strange fabrication his grandfather wove But as he turned away his eyes caught on ClayvoÆs frustrated expression as his father looked at the ground IlldanÆs breath caught but he kept turning He walked away heading to get some food

There were also complications to having power Nothing was ever easy

Illdan fought four more matches that day each finishing faster than the last As he had observed when he first arrived most of the applicants didnÆt have any serious chance of grasping victory They participated to improve themselves and make the process more onerous for those with true talent But he took each fight seriously releasing his signature image and familiarizing himself with it

One more event of note happened on the first day A particular human had beaten one of the weaker members of Tellus in a close match earlier in the day When one of the more powerful Tellus fighters faced that individual next they had ignored the gasped surrender and unleashed one last thrust Not to kill but to maim and inflict pain for the dishonor suffered by the other Tellite Low and with the spearhead vertical into the side of the ribs

Aiming to crunch and puncture

Almost at the same time both settled into more normal posture Illdan loosened his aggressive stance and the girl straightened and adjusted her glasses with her thumb She smiled awkwardly at him I suppose thatÆs what I get for trying to catch you by surprise You looked so serious after our match I just thought I could

Is that why you are here Illdan felt a flush creeping into his cheeks the longer he looked at the girl Anger seemed easier than thinking about why she agitated him so He sounded like the worst of TellusÆ harsh older generation but he couldnÆt stop the words from passing through his lips To trash talk your defeated opponent

Oh of course not I want to encourage you The girl reached out and tentatively patted IlldanÆs shoulder She used her palm and kept her fingers extended making the display extra wooden She cleared her throat and hurriedly continued IÆm umm well relatively strong And IÆve seen you defeat so many other opponents So vigorous I saw you brooding up here and just wanted to check on you

IÆm not brooding Illdan lifted his chin

The girl waved her hands frantically in front of her face No of course you are not This is a good place for some private thoughts The smell of dead fish and the chilly wind and all that Very nice and secluded

There was another awkward pause The two looked at anything but each other Illdan wondered what Daemont would say if he stomped up the slope to the cliffs and saw the two of them standing opposite one another Would the old man sneak attack the girl from behind How well would she respond

How strong was she

So the girl said reaching up and twirling a strand of her hair through her fingers

Illdan was bewildered and nervous Was there something else

Oh Oh I guess not IÆm disturbing you arenÆt I Jeez IÆm so sorry IÆll give you more time alone The girl wiped her hands on her pants and then offered the same palm she had patted him with earlier IÆm Beatrice LetÆs letÆs meet again in the final tournament yes Our first fight wasnÆt really fair

Illdan nodded slowly and reached out to touch BeatriceÆs hand It was very very warm And vaguely damp Illdan couldnÆt help but wonder how damp it had been before she had rubbed it on her pants Yes I would like the chance to redeem myself in your eyes It was a shameful display

Beatrice blushed They were still holding hands You werenÆt shameful at all Even falling onto the ground you looked very cool

My face was covered in dirt IlldanÆs lips twitched But I appreciate it And I am glad that I came to the tournament The quality of foes here is much higher than I anticipated

Yea you Spear world people are pretty full of yourselves arenÆt ya The girl grinned and then winked She blushed and her smile was fragile afterward but she didnÆt break eye contact will Illdan You shouldnÆt underestimate other people Who knows when you might meet someone who might change your life

Or end it Illdan said solemnly glad to be back on ground he understood

Beatrice just looked at him for several seconds Oh Well thatÆs possible too Um IÆm going Have a good day Well night

She sprinted down the hill away from him Illdan raised his still slightly damp palm and rubbed it against his chest Expira certainly housed some interesting characters

Chapter 1950

Hydie MordathÆs lips twitched A vein throbbed in her temple She considered her words carefully Oh So you all were here just enjoying the view

Three vaguely smiling faces turned to her Tatiana sat in the middle a veritable glass menagerie of empty cocktails on the low tables around her The installation was a testament to the time she had spent here and the determination with which she ran away from sobriety Raymund Ballast sat to her left reclining in a chair and holding a heavy looking green bottle of alcohol next to him At the very least his eyes looked alert Commissioner Arrietti sat on the right holding a half finished sudoku puzzle

Weirdly Arrietti looked the worst red eyed and strained Apparently the puzzle wasnÆt going well

We are on a vacation Raymund Ballast She watched him raise a hand to cover up a large burp

A well needed break from the mundanities of leadership Arrietti spoke through gritted teeth He set his book down on the table but knocked against a few of TatianaÆs discarded glasses With HydieÆs aura of misfortune a half dozen tumbled off the table and shattered on the ground

Tatiana squinted at the broken shards and then waved a hand The shard sprung into the air whirling up and melting until they formed one giant glass about the size of a laundry basket All four of them looked at it for several seconds Tatiana blinked Hum thatÆs quite strange That should have just remade the broken glasses

Hydie cleared her throat Anyway I just wanted to give the report regarding the preliminaries to the tournament Most are now on their final days with most of the participants having been finalized Despite our preparations we arenÆt cutting enough participants our goal is 8 192 and we are projecting the final tally to be a little over twelve thousand We donÆt want to change the preliminary rules so Naffur has suggested we just add another secondary preliminary round Endurance in the presence of Nether as the method of differentiation to eliminate the remainder

Sure sure Tatiana yawned Then she rapped a knuckle against the massive glass testing its structural integrity

What an idea Commissioner Arrietti chimed in clearly trying to sound like he was listening while his attention wandered back down to the puzzle in his hand He stuck out his tongue in concentration

Hydie felt a headache building She wished that reliable bastard Moss hadnÆt also taken the bait and agreed to the vacation Probably right this moment he and his new wife were boning each otherÆs brains out in a hotel room Meanwhile Hydie had to deal with the mess that no one else seemed to want to manage

Of course she felt a great deal of empathy for Tatiana after this experience The woman was a saint for cleaning up the small messes that RandidlyÆs wild actions made But at the moment it was a cold comfort

Right now it was HydieÆs turn Because Naffur was handling the final preparations for the tournament itself

She cleared her throat again The only other issue is the complaints about the actions of some of the GhosthoundÆs Lancers So far reports of nineteen instances of violence have emerged Most of them center around a few troublesome preliminaries but already news stations are questioning whether they summons should be given positions of responsibility

Honestly thatÆs lower than I was expecting Tatiana said before slurping the last of her drink out of her cup We are just lucky that the Ghosthound isnÆt present He makes a certain sort of person crazy

Yea everyone who works for him Hydie grimaced

He moved quietly leaving the lights on as he switched on the screen He could sense Tatiana thoroughly enjoying her time off and knew she wouldnÆt mind that he was staying abreast of current events His hands trembled with the humming swirl of his emotions as he clicked open a news feed and looked at the announcement As his eyes excavated the meaning he barred his teeth at the screen Did you think you could put it out during the tournament and I just wouldnÆt notice

His eyes caught on a line near the bottom of the press release

The various governments of Expira are unwilling to apply a vague common law to a very specific situation

The rest of the article explained how even now other suits were being brought up in the various Zones Missy Carp would not escape punishment The author opined that this was a good thing Such a show of discretion on behalf of the world governments bodes well for the eventual creation of an actual worldwide set of agreed laws

However Randidly could only sit in that dark room and think about those children that Missy Carp had tortured until their Nether had degenerated to the point that they could weaken their own significance Of all the bodies that Missy Carp had bought and sold on the promise of gaining faster Skill Levels The bodies she had used to profit

Randidly stood abruptly His first impulse was to charge out and destroy something but he somehow sensed that wouldnÆt make him feel better That would just stoke the flames of rage that whispered their way up through his bones and into his mind Motion would just strengthen the helplessness he felt

For a few seconds he considered paying Missy Carp a private visit But somehow he knew that would just bring her joy More joy still if he strangled her himself and she died a martyr to the tyranny of the Ghosthound

Yet he couldnÆt help but find the prospect oddly tempting

He might have fumed for quite some time had not a communication come in to Randidly Not a message not some sort of emotional sense but a young child speaking to the cloud avatar Randidly had left

ItÆs not fair Mr Cloud Randy whispered to the night sky Randidly closed his eyes and his awareness ripped its way out of his anger and the darkness of TatianaÆs house He followed the whisper North and East traveling about eight hundred kilometers until he alighted on an orange ridge above a low basin filled with twinkling lights

Randy lay out on the stone looking up at the stars No matter how hard I work the goblin doesnÆt like me I donÆt think he likes anything about me even if he can cook really yummy food couldnÆt you find a nicer teacher

Nearby the monkey that Randidly had blessed with intelligence twitched as it heard RandyÆs words It fled fearing RandidlyÆs retribution But hearing a similar enough sense of helplessness from the child allowed him to take a deep breath He spoke in a rumbly voice more natural force than vocal cords Hard now Better later

How much later Randy sighed

Randidly couldnÆt help but smile Hard then opportunity Difficult isnÆt pointless

Randy continued to mutter and complain but RandidlyÆs attention flicked away Because suddenly he realized that while he couldnÆt personally take action that didnÆt mean he couldnÆt use this outcome for his own gain In Tatiana’s house his eyes opened He looked down at the ground to the grand Nether Ritual churning out Nether Weight below him His grin stretched across his face

Then he went to TatianaÆs office in search of a notepad

Chapter 1951

Merrick felt his body trembling The sensations were distant traveling through his increasingly squeezed nerves to his brain One this was clear each moment was agony like sitting and watching as your family was flattened by a steamroller Except you were watching yourself pressurized until you popped Sweat clung to the tip of his nose itching his skin But the worst was the silence

The silence made the agony endless and final

A little over nine thousand individuals stood on the bobbing platforms Some stood with their hands clasped behind their backs some sat with their legs folded beneath them all with the same expression of concentration on their face The tournament participants here to cross the last threshold They had been allowed to choose whatever position they found the most comfortable but from there any sort of significant movement would be deemed a failure

This test had already stretched for five and a half hours The thick oily energy of the Ghosthound flickered merrily in the air crunching their psyches beneath its sheer force Images withered and recoiled beneath its pushy ministrations Merrick had anticipated a lot arguments over what constituted a significant movement by those disqualified and asked to leave the test However none he had not seen anyone argue

Not that he was in his most attentive state But from what he could tell all who gasped and collapsed were led away quietly with hollow expressions on their faces

After experiencing this hell for so long Merrick understood it Those who had given in to the force were almost happy to allowed to leave hiding their disappointment within their strained bodies and frazzled minds Perhaps they couldnÆt even face the relief they felt

A relief the rest of them now dearly craved

Merrick allowed himself a small movement lifting his chin and hissing a breath out through his nose They were coming up on an hour mark which meant that the intensity of the Nether would be rising The trembling in his arms worsened as he considered the difficulty increasing once more

He felt chewed The aura of the Randidly Ghosthound just rolled them like a plump grape between their teeth ready to squeeze until juice leaked out between the ruptured skin

All at once the pressure vanished The sudden lack made Merrick collapse backward his head cracking against the wooden ground The clouds churned above briefly leaving him mesmerizing Then he began to sob realizing that what he just did definitely counted as a significant movement and some part of him felt a deep sense of relief

Congratulations all those who are still here Naffur Suite the leader of the Order Ducis and the public face of Randidly GhosthoundÆs influence over Expira boomed his voice over all the panting individuals a balm on their hot skin He stood with his hands behind his back his eyes playful YouÆve made it You are in the final 8 192 And so welcome to Tournament Island

Merrick pushed himself off the ground one of the 90% of participants that looked like they had spent the night kneeling in front of a toilet with a stomach bug rather than just waiting for their opportunity to prove themselves They rose unsteadily looking at NaffurÆs serious expression Something broke in MerrickÆs heart His eyes began to gleam and blinked away tears

He had made it Despite how many powerful fighters turned out of the woodwork for this tournament he had been selected It was definitely a step down from being victorious last year but

Merrick said that he needed to let loose as well Somewhere between five and twelve shots of specially brewed liquor later the two were arm in arm and swaying as they left the bar to find somewhere else to drink They passed by a bowling alley and an outdoor volleyball court where an octopus played along against a group of humans

The duo was overtaken by a group of bobbing frogpeople heady with excitement Trailing in their wake they went into a homey pub with a roaring fire crammed into one side of the establishment Their beer came in mugs and while they cheers and threw back their drinks a solo arrival came into the building

Lucifer the powerful poster child of Franksburg sidle up to the bar next to them and inclined his head Charlotte Glad to see you are getting off of that rainy island

The bearwoman made a sour face Merrick swayed side to side unable to believe that Lucifer the intense man with long hair and a Skill named after him had come over to their group to join Lucifer cleared his throat I actually had another reason for looking for you As IÆm sure you know IÆm recently married IÆd like to surprise my wife with a portrait of us drawn by you IÆve brought some photos

I donÆt draw much anymore The bearwoman apparently Charlotte said Merrick wondered if she had introduced herself and he had forgotten or whether it just hadnÆt come up during their drinking

LuciferÆs hands were large and he tapped his finger evenly against the bar Despite the noise of the rest of the patrons those finger taps seemed to resonate with MerrickÆs chest Maybe so Well I just thought IÆd ask If you change your mind let me know I hope you enjoy your night

Afterward CharlotteÆs mood turned bleak They took several more shots but the magic had been lost Merrick cleared his throat trying to sound mature Is everything alright

She simply shook her head Very soon after she left leaving Merrick to find his way on his own He wandered out of the quaint place drawn by thumping bass and bright lights to the place at the end of the street called Moondust Purple spotlights shone up on billowing gossamer banners the light rippling with the fabric in the night wind Once inside Merrick was hit by sound and the smell of sweat all at once sometimes it was a negative to have their empowered senses He squeezed through the press of dancing bodies some of that tension coming loose as he saw a dozen individuals dancing at such fast speeds that their bodies blurred

For an indeterminate amount of time he joined them flailing and screaming along with the latest Raina hit song The lights pulsed in different colors and someone was projecting images of waves crashing through the club Everything rushed around sloshing in the enclosed space Merrick didnÆt need to breathe didnÆt need to think Motion carried his entire existence He was image personified all body and emotion in a surging sea of the same

Eventually even the powerful brewers out of Donnyton couldnÆt keep his senses blurred He came back to himself slick with sweat and with a fast disappearing headache Coughing he pushed his way off the dancefloor and found a balcony

There he found a young man standing and staring off the high ledge toward the other glittering establishments along the street At the same time as he walked out and stopped the young man looked up Their eyes met There was a sort of defensive guardedness in his eyes that Merrick found very appealing The young man had his spear leaning against the railing out of any storage device which revealed he was one of the people from Tellus

Hello Merrick managed

Greetings the young man returned

Merrick tilted his head to the side would you like to do some shots

Chapter 1952

Illdan felt quite good The night stretched around him in every direction full of possibilities

He looked over at Merrick and grinned His companion was now trying to make a tower out of all of their empty shot glasses They had left the relatively noisy Moondust and proceeded further down the road until they arrived at a cabana right on the beach Now they sat underneath a rooftop of dried palm fronds and sipped from cups with fruit adorning the rim between the shots that had become a stable of their interactions Everything had a pleasant warm rind that made Illdan release the subconscious clenching of his stomach that he hadnÆt even noticed start

But now with a new best friend with his presence in the tournament locked down

I feel great Illdan hit his fist against the low wooden table It made a satisfying noise He felt the air and floor hum in agreement

Merrick nodded cheerily a similar smile of contentment stretched across his face Too true CanÆt let loose like this too often but sometimes nothing hits the spot like the right sort of alcohol and some good company

Illdan swayed slightly Through the pleasant haze his forehead pinched A word lodged in his mind that he hadnÆt expected alcohol What does alcohol have to do with it IÆve never actually had alcohol before but I thought that our Stats are too high for alcohol to affect us Vitality burns it off before you can feel anything We are invincible

YouÆve never had alcohol before Something flickered in MerrickÆs expression IlldanÆs new friend looked at the table covered in empty glasses He cleared his throat awkwardly and rolled his jaw for several seconds Well yes alcohol canÆt actually affect us But the intoxicating agent in modern alcohol isnÆt actual alcoholic compounds but Skill Levels from brewers Its like being under the influence of a low grade illusion or briefly hosting a foreign image Made easier by the fact that people drink alcohol knowing what they are doing So yeah

Oh IlldanÆs head spun as he tried to make sense of this information Some of the glitter of the night flaked away and left him feeling raw and strangely nervous But before his thoughts could spin too much out of control two individuals pushed their way through the purely symbolic doors of the breezy establishment Illdan tilted his head to the side Because while one was an athletic seeming young man with red hair the other was one of the servant class metal beings that handled the serving on the island

Next to Illdan Merrick raised a hand The young manÆs expression brightened and the two new arrivals hurried over Merrick stood and offered a hand Krum you slippery bastard you made it into the tournament

Not going to let you walk away with another easy victory The man teased Then he slapped the brass humanoid beside him IÆm not sure if you have met but this is Zeta one of my best friends Its having a bit of girl trouble so I figured we would try drinking

I do not possess the proper organic tubes to be affected by alcohol Zeta muttered but it allowed itself to be guided to a seat while Krum raised a hand and gestured for another one of the Brass Automatons to hurry over

As I was telling my companion Merrick sat back down and reached over to squeeze IlldanÆs shoulder Most of the intoxication doesnÆt come from the alcohol but Skills from the brewer Since you possess well intelligence and free will and a soul it should theoretically affect you in the same way Do you have places to pour liquids ThatÆs really all you need

Technically yes but usually they are only used to store dangerous materials Zeta hummed The other brass automaton arrived and released a quick series of clicks that Zeta returned After a short bow the servant departed

KrumÆs gaze swiveled to Illdan His eyes were intense and honest You You are pretty strong arenÆt you Just being near you is enough to tell And one of the Tellites where the Ghosthound went to train for quite a while

Oh Illdan felt heat come to his cheeks Once more the light around them became glimmery and reassuring The happiness flowed back through his body The world pulsed with pleasant pride Yes thank you You seem powerful as well I hope we can both do well in the tournament But did you say you were having girl trouble I have had trouble with a girl as well

And if we face one another Zeta tilted his head to the side

Krum nodded righteously We kick the shit out of one another We have this bond which demands we give each other the respect of our full capabilities

IlldanÆs eyes brightened Truly he got along well with these individuals The night began to accelerate between shouts and shots and the whirl of moving to other bars For the next two days the four were inseparable

However those two days quickly came to an end Media arrived on the island and the participants settled either in their personal dwellings or in the training area in order to avoid undue attention Illdan sat at the window of KrumÆs room and felt more and more people pouring into the island either to support or watch

There are so many people on Expira Illdan muttered

Zeta looked up from a small piece of embroidery that it had been working on lately Indeed This is a very special tournament All of the Alpha Cosmos has been invited to participate In addition the Ghosthound will be overseeing it personally and challenging the top eight How could the world not want to be here

Is everyone ready Krum asked ItÆs almost time

The four nodded As a group Illdan Merrick Zeta and Krum moved out into the hall and walked down to the street They joined other participants some moving in jovial groups while others walked alone their eyes sharp and directly forward Today was the day of the opening ceremonies which was why the crowds surged into the island

But for the participants the day was even more important today was the day that the tournament bracket would be revealed

Before they even arrived noise welcomed them Shouts and screams and hooting laughter the sheer mass of people waiting in the stands announced itself from half the island away They walked into the massive arenas their names checked off lists by automatons before they were allowed to proceed Groups of audience members held back shouted to get their attention When that didnÆt work they slapped their hands against the metal dividers

Some of that clenching came back to IlldanÆs stomach as they proceeded into the arena When they moved out of the tunnels into the open arena the noise was worse

But waiting there on a giant board was the tournament bracket

Illdan quickly located his name and found that his opponent was some being from one of the Nemesai worlds But very quickly his attention was pulled sideways by MerrickÆs sharp intake of breath Shit

Illdan switched his gaze and find MerrickÆs And there opposite his new friend was a very recognizable foe

Wivanya

Chapter 1953

Sound and heat warped the air Breathing felt impossible

The stage seemed enormous even as Merrick raised his chin and stared into the sapphire eyes of the massive Frost Dragon Broodmother that he would be fighting in his first match Despite his inner resentment for the dragons he couldnÆt deny that the cooling effect of Wivanya was a blessing it kept him focused away from the roaring distraction around them

Their face off was midway through the first day so Merrick had carefully studied a hundred other pairings where one individual was defeated and the other ascended to the next round His heart teetered between hope and horror his power definitely earned him a spot in this tournament He had seen individuals he estimated weaker than him win but he had also seen stronger individuals lose

Merrick tried to stay positive He saw his Path forward with the utmost clarity For this tournament thirteen victories would carry you through Ten would earn you a ticket to fight against the Ghosthound In his heart he decided he would be happy if he won only eight times

All I need to do is start with one Merrick pressed his eyes tightly shut trying to ignore the roar of the crowd It buzzed at his skin The rest will follow And IÆve been training for this for being able to overcome frost dragonÆs even if its the most powerful version of this monster

Begin The Ghosthound sitting on a comfortable leather chair on the far side of the arena waved his hand Blessedly his voice cut through the crowd leaving the two combatants with only each other

Instantly a pulse of chilling frost burst from Wivanya Her tail flicked sideways and a scything blast of frigid air hit Merrick in the face She shifted her bulk but lazily like a cat stretching in the sunlight He settled into a fighting stance breathing and listening to his pounding heart accelerate His muscles coiled ready for action His eyes narrowed

He planted his foot and charged forward Wivanya raised her head and unleashed a belch that became a comet of ice howling across the arena and leaving flurries of snow in its wake He shifted sideways quick and graceful as a loping cheetah but the projectile hit the ground and erupted in shards of jagged chill The impact force knocked Merrick off his feet sending him skittering across the suddenly slippery floor

But the worst was the cold It wasnÆt just temperature but her image Where Wivanya walked the chill followed

The shock of his cheek slamming against the hard and frosted ground woke up MerrickÆs fury He had won the previous tournament He deserved better than fighting against such an impossible foe in the first round With self righteous fury igniting through every muscle fiber he slapped his palms to the ground and tossed himself back to his feet His image of the sort of dominant warrior he wanted to become surged His movements became sharper more violent

Merrick made a beeline toward Wivanya power condensing in his fists He threw himself in the air moving so fast that he almost couldnÆt control his momentum He saw the massive pupils of his draconic foe dilate as she struggled to track him Wivanya leaned back and brought a claw swipe to meet him The limb was as long and thick as the trunk of an oak tree The juxtaposition of size was almost laughable Yet Merrick just gritted his teeth Claw met image strengthened fist

Merrick felt his knuckles crack the force sundering the small bones of his hand wrist in a spike of pain But his eyes flashed with triumph their attacks had equal force WivanyaÆs scratch was stalled as well He tumbled awkwardly mid air gathering his image for another strike

He didnÆt even see the tail coming One moment he was floating the neck blood leaked from his lips and he bounced off the reinforced arena floor He collapsed in a heap his chest on fire his ribs shattered barely able to breathe The chill seeped inside of him impossible to escape His heart fluttered and struggled

His eyes bulged as the chill spread and the rest of his muscles seized Despite his hands somehow becoming numb he scrabbled at the ground trying to push himself back up to his feet This it canÆt end like this I need to prove myself I can overcome bad luck with the matching If the Ghosthound got struck down like this he would never just give up

Merrick clenched a fist squeezing the sun warmed grass His head spun Yet something in the GhosthoundÆs tone made him realize something else He forced himself to relax You you are doing this with everyone Or all of the losers Meeting them in a dream like this How why would you do that

Suddenly the GhosthoundÆs face sharpened into a wolfish grin Because IÆm the most powerful man in the Alpha Cosmos Who else could manage this

He blazed with those words in a way that made Merrick unable to look away He could see them hovering behind the Ghosthound his rumored trifecta of images A vast tree adorned with emerald leaves and golden runes across the trunk A humanoid being sharpened and honed beyond humanity all claws and burning eyes and two flicking tails watching Merrick with enough intensity to strangle him with pressure And then the vast maw of darkness the hungry thing that devoured a portion of ExpiraÆs PP to keep them all safe

Beneath that in the ground Merrick sensed a maelstrom of Nether a heavy natural phenomenon with enough current to sweep him away if he stepped too close to this powerful being He felt as small and rustling as a dried leave before a waterfall

But Merrick spoke only in a whisper Even his vocal cords were cowed by this direct visual of Randidly Ghosthound Why even if you are the strongest thereÆs no point in doing this Us losers

You wield the word loss against yourself to maim and hurt To punish yourself for not achieving the goal you wanted The Ghosthound softened again the specters of his images disappearing He released a long sigh looking very very human Albeit incredibly muscular and at ease in his own body I get it I really do I chose this place this hillside above the Hallat for a very specific reason I fought in a war here a war we were very close to losing That small cemetery used to be thirteen unmarked graves that I dug burying my friends Some of those graves are empty They died as we retreated and I just watched unable to do anything to stop it

Because both can be true I lost that day something precious and important The Ghosthound raised his hand and looked at his fingers And now here IÆve made the Alpha Cosmos and risen to a very impressive level of power I can be scarred by the first truth and proud of the second one IÆve come a long way its with that distance that I reassure myself Because it proves I can go even farther

As for why I would greet each of you individually itÆs because I see you

The phrase I see youÆ plucked at some metaphysical guitar string that connected Merrick and the Ghosthound He stiffened as his inner world swirled with those words in an entirely different way than the GhosthoundÆs words usually resonated This was personal

This was between just them

You struggle and exhaust yourself You push yourself to edge desperate to seize upon some scrap of proof that you matter that you have a positive influence on your surroundings and friends that you wonÆt simply fade away from memory Each word another note of percussion cracking open the deep and desperate fears in MerrickÆs heart At that moment the GhosthoundÆs eyes were dark and forest green For all that the Path I had to walk is brutal beyond imagining people needed something from me the entire way The threat of death kept me distracted from the gulf of meaninglessness

The Ghosthound straightened quick and graceful Then he came over and clapped Merrick on the shoulder You have lost But you are not weak Because you are going to go right back and train some more so you do better next time arenÆt you

Merrick couldnÆt respond because tears started streaming down his face He choked back a sob desperate not to break down before the strongest man in the Alpha Cosmos

But he was weak and broke quickly

Chapter 1954

You do not wish for a permanent weapon Sam raised his bushy eyebrows If the issue is the price

Azriel shrugged A weapon is always just a means to an end I only wish to make it into the top 8 and earn the right to face off against Randidly A tool that could carry me farther than that is somewhat meaningless to the current me I do not need it My fiance will only wait so long and I feel enough guilt for making him wait as much as he has

Sam hummed to himself sensing that there was something off about AzrielÆs words but he didnÆt press her Instead he studied the thin needle spear that she brought to his workshop He traced his fingers across the jagged fractures that ran through the item reducing it to a jigsaw puzzle of torn metal Honestly the destruction was a thing of beauty It was clear that the material hadnÆt been able to handle AzrielÆs thunderous image Her strike had defeated the opponent but also obliterated her weapon

Considering the quality of this spear creating a similar object that can handle your power will not be an easy thing Sam chewed on his lip A dozen materials crossed his mind but each would be insufficient AzrielÆs affinity with moonlight made this a unique challenge Even if I rush the job

It doesnÆt need to be strong enough to contain my image Azriel waved a hand in a casual dismissal In my next match I can more efficiently channel my energy There will be no more accidents

Just like that huh How many spears did it take you to manage that sort of control Sam raised an eyebrow

Azriel met his gaze without blinking or looking away A single spear This spear I think youÆll find that I can be the most excellent student especially when it concerns martial pursuits Many claim that I am uniquely blessed Despite my sabbatical from combat I am swiftly rounding into proper form

Sam grunted noncommittally Then he scratched the back of his head You are the customer If it just has to be a sturdy spear in this shape I can have it done quickly Definitely in time for your next match

Randidly felt more drained than he had in a long time at the end of the first week of the All Alpha Cosmos tournament He sat in a bathroom in his mansion on his island drifting above Kharon which was squatting next to the tournament island Moonlight spirits flitted in and out through the walls fleeing in mock terror from the Unborn Duo He rubbed the bridge of his nose It was the first moment in quite a while where he was out of the public eye and he sorely needed the downtime

First because he was present for all of the matches and the new Tatiana (recovered from her vacation of binge drinking and lounging) stressed that him appearing checked out of the matches was not a good thing

Second because he continued to refine his emotional affect in order to make use of his dwindling time in Expira The Patron of FeatherÆs condition continued to deteriorate making him wonder if this sprawling tournament would finish in time for him to complete this challenge Of course the further along they went the more efficient the rounds would be But now as they cut themselves down from 8 192 fighters to 4 096 the tournament was a sprawling thing with too many arms and details for the public to grapple effectively with it

Third everything was made worse by the massive attendance of Expira and elsewhere crammed into this island to cheer on their favorites and to see some of their heroes And in the meantime make so much noise that Randidly considered starting down a Visage of Obsession and hoping that his hearing was one of the first things to go

Randidly walked to the sink and splashed water on his face Fourth and most depressingly he had gotten the idiotic idea in his head to briefly convene with every defeated participant in the tournament

Tatiana snorted but did push herself off the bed and smooth her dress Randidly frowned trying to understand this sudden arrival Is there something you need I know that several of your people lose in the first round of the tournament but

No no this visit is not one of necessity Although I can understand why my sudden presence would be unnerving After you gave us free rein over our own worlds we didnÆt feel much cause to interact with the broader Alpha Cosmos The Winged SerpentÆs tongue flicked out Randidly felt its unease as it looked at him it still feared him Yet it had forced itself to come here After your call for a tournament pulled so much of the attention of our worldÆs population perhaps we will see this was a mistake However thatÆs neither here nor there I am here to say thank you For your kindness

Understanding bloomed in RandidlyÆs chest He felt oddly warm at the recognition You mean for talking for the participants from your world that lost

Not just my own but for all of the Nemesai worlds it is noted and appreciated We well maybe of our people have wondered about the treatment of them on Expira You gave each one time and attention It will not be forgotten If trouble comes know that our lot is tied to the Alpha Cosmos The Winged Serpent bowed its head Its scales gleamed in the light

It was vaguely reassuring but Randidly had previously been under the impression that the Nemesai had already agreed to help if anything went wrong He licked his lips and managed a thank you

Randidly left with Tatiana to proceed to the tournament putting the meeting out of his mind He had another few days of brooding above the fights sharpening his emotional edge This second round included quite a few more notable happenings Dinesh one of DonnytonÆs early elite was defeated by a three headed ogre Kadir one of the strongest bodyguards around King Phirun collapsed against a young woman with curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes

The crowd slowly found their favorites cheering violently when Alana Donal executed a single attack and forced an opponent to concede

At the end of the period the number of competitors was cut in half once again down to 2 048 Not a very small number at all but already one fourth of the warriors that had come to the Alpha Cosmos to prove themselves The great Nether Ritual within the core of Expira continued to churn making medals and ornaments out of the dreams left shattered in the arena

Again Randidly met the losers in the dream above the Hallat There were only half as many but he found these meetings to be even more difficult The emotions of each individual ran hotter and more violent they had tasted victory once and now their tongues soured to the truth about their capabilities He ended the last night exhausted and drained with even the Stillborn Phoenix warning him that he had absorbed too much

One thing he did note was the difference in power The first round had rid the tournament of all the individuals who were good fighters but hadnÆt yet found their pure image In the second everyone had strong images but some were just better honed and polished than others

He slept again when he came back to his physical body waking to find his Nether humming with the pressure of the significance he absorbed He was close to a shift he sensed it With the exit interviews for the tournament he sensed he would make a new sort of breakthrough with his Nether

The next morning Randidly took a hot shower letting the water run off his back for almost ten minutes before he snapped back to wakefulness and yawned He knew that the third round would be even more difficult

But he also knew that he couldnÆt be late for the start of the round Because the first confrontation would be a showdown from old Donnyton an arrangement he had made casually without thinking deeply about it But as the weaker people were sheared away stronger fighters would eventually encounter one another

The match was Tykes versus Glendel Raw powerful versus the Sovereign of Ghosts

Chapter 1955

Illdan disliked being part of the crowd almost as much as he suffered in front of it The group shuffled down the narrow aisles to their seats moving past groups excitedly talking with or at one another at demonstrably excessive levels of volume But Illdan couldnÆt deny that the anticipation in the air was palpable this match felt different than those that had come previously While before the crowd had seemed content to whip themselves up into a frenzy for any fighter that put on a show this time it was acknowledged to be the first great face off

Now everyone could have opinions

As far as Illdan could tell these two were extremely famous across Expira Every member of the audience had an anecdote that explained how this fight would play out and was only too happy to loudly expound on their theories whether someone was listening or not

That had been in the days leading up to this match At the event itself everything buzzed with the infectious frenzy of a spectacle

It was a relief to finally plop down in their seats even if it now meant they were fair game for particularly opinionated individuals around them to target for conversation Illdan looked at Krum next to him and Zeta beyond him Merrick after his loss was too occupied with his intense training regimen to join them Illdan privately wondered whether his friend was actually training or still just recovering from the setback

He cleared his throat Neither of his companions looked at him anything less than a shout was meaningless in this environment Illdan raised his voice These two are powerful

Krum hesitated for a few seconds before nodding They canÆt be considered the top warriors of Expira However they have stably been around the top warriors for a long time Training and interacting with them Took part in Dungeon hunting and the First Calamity Definitely we will see more images in this fight than we have in the other matches

Illdan nodded and faced forward He had noticed that while Expirans seemed to have endlessly varied inspiration for their images most of them lacked a cutting edge that could be wielded to deadly effect on a battlefield The spirit of this planet was still developing After his first match Illdan had used this fact to reassure himself that he would go far in the tournament For all TellusÆ other drawbacks the images they created had been honed by violence and years of tradition They would not falter easily before these weed like varieties of images

But during the second match Illdan witnessed how much those ephemeral and recently created images grew in strength in just a short time Battle honed them to more usable tools And most of those images were then struck down by fighters that already possessed extremely solid images and hadnÆt felt the need to reveal them early in the tournament

That was why Illdan had agreed to come and watch Because he hoped that these two being forced to clash against one another would finally reveal the depths of ExpiraÆs power He could perhaps have a better gauge of his own chances to emerge victorious

Sir Spearman

Even through the babbled of voices in the surrounding crowd that call cut through and made Illdan flinch forward Zeta gave him a sidelong glance but said nothing by now his new friends understood the complex and unsaid dynamics he had with his people Illdan decided to ignore the shout raising his chin and hoping the voice was smoothed away by the other conversations

Sir Spearman Hope of Tellus

Of course this speaker wasnÆt so easily dissuaded Sighing inwardly Illdan pivoted in his seat and looked behind him Five rows back three Tellus warriors sat amidst a group of strange frogpeople All threeÆs eyes brightened when they saw him They waved furiously and started chanting progress at any costÆ

Submerged in the rest of the audience no one else even seemed to notice

The chimera began to walk slowly forward amongst its fellow ghosts More and more little grey flames sprang into being around its body Meanwhile the small spider began tossing out spectral webs in TykesÆ path hemming in his methods of advancement They laid like unassuming rugs on the tiled ground but obviously they could not be underestimated

Tykes didnÆt bother to change his vector walking straight toward the heavyset badger the eagle hovering above the long arms of the Kraken curling around and behind him No path of retreat remained open to him He beckoned and the iron ball rolled a few meters back to his hand He plucked it from the ground like it was made of wax paper

The muscular man planted his foot that image of strength so vast and overwhelming that even Illdan couldnÆt help but have a grudging respect for him and then launched his iron ball up at a speed that shattered the sound barrier Before it could even flap a wing the eagle was spectral mush

The departure of the weapon finally added a horrifying grin to the elongated mouth of the chimera It lowered its shoulders and charged forward even as the Kraken began slamming its thick and rubbery tentacles against Tykes body With a grimace he stoically endured the blows staggering slightly from the first and wrapping his arm around the tentacle on the second Small cracks began to form beneath TykesÆ feet the empowered arena unable to handle their confrontation

Even more than the physical force it was the rising presence of the two images that set IlldanÆs teeth on edge Staring directly at the fighting felt uncomfortable like standing too close to a burning building A crown of blue green flame formed above GlendelÆs head hiding a shadowy set of cheekbones drawn with the jagged edge of shattered glass and eyes that seethed with unending resentment for the living

Meanwhile Tykes radiated enough power to reach out and squeeze the world The iron ball rolling through the air hummed with that overwhelming strength

The muscles of TykesÆ arms bulged as he gripped the massive tentacle dragging the Kraken several meters toward him The monster shrieked in rage and fear as Tykes raised his free hand and jerked his thumb downward Far above the metal orb reversed its direction and accelerated ripping a hole in the Kraken’s body and obliterating the rest with sheer velocity as it cratered into the stage

Tykes was still holding that tentacle when the chimera arrived next to him its finger ripping at his throat He jerked his head backward to avoid the strike and whipped the tentacle sideways to knock the chimera away A sharp slash from one of its long arms severed the weapon before it hit the remaining portion of the ghostÆs body dispersing harmlessly

Then those small flames around its body exploded like little missile turrets buzzing and unpredictable small projectiles zipping out and slamming into Tykes body Despite his previous unflappable attitude he grimaced and took a step back before this onslaught Each time the small bits of energy landed on his body his skin around the impact point turned grey and began to dry and flake

With his small retreat his image of invulnerable strength rapidly lost momentum Glendel gestured again summoning two massive werewolves from the ground that loped forward to join the fray

The badger spear tackled Tykes aiming to apply even more pressure while he struggled Tykes flashed his teeth using his left shoulder to endure a slash from the chimera while he dropped the dissipating tentacle and used his right fist to deliver a downward strike to the badgerÆs thick forehead

As with his other strikes it left the ghostÆs body pulped and helpless the body collapsed without a sound Yet even as it dissipated the chimera whipped its leg around and slashed with a gnarled toe across TykesÆ face Illdan watched the stoic manÆs eyeball rupture and burst pus and blood leaking down his face and dripping onto the stage

Tykes roared and lowered his shoulders He charged forward to try and grapple the chimera but it danced sideways into his blindspot He drew up and twisted around to seize upon the two loping werewolves Their claws opened gashes across TykesÆ torso but he physically reached out grabbed their arms and legs and simply tore them to shreds Their muscular and skeletal structures were tissues before those large hands

In the process the chimera gathered more grey flames and Tykes stepped into one of the increasingly dense network of webs spread across the arena When he tried to take another step the web stretched for a second but held his foot fast to the ground He was forced to take another half second to rip his way out

Across the arena Glendel and Tykes eyes met GlendelÆs long fingers beckoned and another two werewolves rose from the ground these taller meander and more dangerous looking than the previous group They raised their heads and howled before launching themselves forward to hunt their masterÆs enemy

Chapter 1956

Tykes tried to build up more momentum for his powerful image but the webs became an increasing problem The spider hadnÆt stopped its frantic weaving since the start of the fight Illdan could understand the manÆs plight He could force his way through but it would open himself up to attacks from the packs of werewolves Glendel now sent against him or make him vulnerable to strikes from the chimera already one of TykesÆ ears had been cut off as it aimed to get rid of his other eye

The grey patches on Tykes’ skin were growing larger as more and more of those flame projectiles landed on him It wasnÆt that they weakened him per se but they slowed him down That unstoppable strength that Tykes exuded earlier in the fight was steadily being suppressed by the cruelty of the Sovereign of Ghosts

More than a duel this seemed like some elongated torture session

Tykes ripped his way out of more webs but the chimera cut off one of his fingers

He took several steps forward and strengthened his image but then had to stop as the spectral werewolves surrounded him and pounced from every direction He swayed to avoid the worst of the damage and his overwhelming hands tore them to shreds but he bled from more wounds The chimera summoned more flames as it watched the entire process eyes glittering

Tykes accelerated forward activating some Skill to force his way through several webs in quick succession but the spider paused its web making long enough to spit out a barbed projectile from its mouth The chimera allowed Tykes to bring a fist against its elbow and obliterate the joint to make sure that the attack embedded itself deep in his thigh

His next few steps were fine but then a noticeable limp emerged in his movements

This is a chess match A true battle between images IlldanÆs expression was serious as he looked down at the arena He was very very glad he had bothered to come and watch These two didnÆt quite possess the acuity of his own image but it was a close thing And both had experience fighting with their lives on the line Although they are ostensibly fighting they are also battling over the mental space in the arena They are arguing which is more powerful the strength of the sovereign or the strength of an individual

Each move is almost a demonstration an offered proof

Illdan spared a glance for the Ghosthound wondering what Alpha CosmosÆ most powerful warrior thought of the conflict But although interest was present in the GhosthoundÆs face Illdan could discern nothing else

The crowd roared drawing IlldanÆs attention back to the battle Tykes ball shot forward at Glendel from where it had cracked the arena in its meteor like descent earlier Tykes must have realized the current situation wasnÆt advantageous for him and decided to stop holding back Even now that ball amped up the image of strength giving it even more reach

But GlendelÆs fingers just continued their fluid dance in response A carriage sized turtle blinked into existence between them twisting its body so the shell was angled toward the ball The impact shook the arena but the massive iron sphere was deflected sideways where it skidded a bit across the arena And even though the turtle coughed up blood its shell hadnÆt shattered

It twisted its head and glared hatefully at Tykes

The chimera didnÆt miss the opportunity thrusting its hand forward and drilling a small hole in the thick muscles around Tykes neck A little to the right and it would have plucked out his jugular

Finally TykesÆ expression began to change His face warped in barely controlled fury But in the face of that anger the Sovereign’s image became even clearer Bright became its baleful crown It looked down on the struggling man with a determined distaste ItÆs stark features seemed almost offended by TykesÆ continued attempts to resist its will

So Randidly sat looking out over the river letting all GlendelÆs emotions be filtered through his dense significance He hoped that a better man would emerge on the other side One who appreciates the need for power but wouldnÆt let it warp him into a monster of violence

Eventually Glendel shook his head Well there is a bigger problem I wanted to test myself sure but I didnÆt hold much tenacity toward winning the tournament Realizing these things about myself and knowing how to improve are enough for the current me

Not very competitive Randidly tilted his head to the side ItÆs a bit late for me to tell you this but there will be some unique prizes for this tournament Prizes definitely worth your time

Glendel glanced sideways at Randidly quickly a hummingbird alighting to dip its beak in a flower then away ItÆs not that But just that IÆm scared of you Randidly If I went up onto the stage to fight you again I donÆt think IÆd be able to manage it

Randidly paused unsure of what to say to that Inwardly he felt a new sort of exhaustion creeping through him

After speaking to the rest of the roundÆs losers Randidly went back to his house with a strained ache in his head Immediately after he arrived he paused the swirling movements of the moonlight sprites revealed that someone was present in his room someone that they liked quite a bit

He opened the door with a smile Neveah to what do I owe the honor

Neveah looked up as he entered poised as though she was sitting on a chair of the moonlight spirits At RandidlyÆs entrance they erupted revealing that she had been simply crouching in the air from the zooming way the spirits flew around the room they found this to be incredibly amusing

Neveah straightened and waved I had some news I wished to share with you And I thought it best that I deliver it as quickly as possible

RandidlyÆs stomach fell out of his ribcage Then the Patron of Feathers

No not that Neveah raised her hands She hopped several long steps forward and wrapped her arms around Randidly He blinked but then relaxed into her embrace marveling in her Skill with illusions that all he felt was a slender humanoid Then she leaned back and gave him a wry smile Also partially to thank you Not only is the news mostly good but you are entirely responsible for it

When Randidly quirked an eyebrow up Neveah continued The Nemesai They came over to my home a few days ago with several volumes’ worth of Engraving research that they had possessed Not of the modern Engraving methods as you know they donÆt match YystrixÆs work but old stuff Early Third Cohort workings that they had access to With it IÆve managed to make some serious progress specifically in one area of YystrixÆs tomb But with that progress I found something very interesting at the core of it all is another letter and one of the most complex EngravingÆs IÆve ever seen inlaid beneath all the training Engravings

RandidlyÆs skin prickled An old fear one that he had thought buried stirred within his chest Almost unbidden the eyes of the Grey Creature cracked Then did she

Oh shush Neveah squeezed him tight again Nothing like some last trap I can only discern a few words but the word childÆ is definitely present Figuring out the rest will probably take me years IÆll need to understand her entire Engraving method But in the meantime what sort of massive Engraving would Yystrix leave us that has to do with Pine

RandidlyÆs eyes flashed as his thoughts began to spin Very slowly Huh Maybe one last fuck you to her ex husband who has decided to kill the son keeping the whole Nexus running Maybe if we are lucky something that we can actually use to make a difference

Chapter 1957

Wivanya walked forward with sinuous grace a cat on a fence even as she was an oppressive dragon atop a cliff The wind tickled her its touch depositing a heavy layer of salt that she would later need to scrub off her scales if she wanted to escape from the smell Yet she did not mind sometimes the discomfort of new experiences was part of the novelty

Growth required fresh perspectives So she experienced

Several of her brood circled high above the cliffs too excited from the latest batch of matches to be still Especially the fight between Tykes and Glendel invigorated them showing them how powerful one could truly be underneath the System They burned for the chance to wield images that frightful

Perched on the high cliffs some of the older Frost Dragons discussed more seriously the favorites now that the numbers had been cut down to a little over two thousand Yet with so many potential dark horses it was hard to whittle it down any further T/his chapter is updated by

Still a certain sort of individual loved their pet theories

And some were shared rather widely amongst the group Especially because monsters like Hank Howard Alana Donal and Wivanya herself remained in the running for champion The well established Expiran group cast long shadows on any potential projections

Eventually she arrived at the brooding youngling that Wivanya sought He lay his long neck down across the cliff so just the tip of his snout poked past above the water His eyes were hazy as he looked toward the horizon She wasnÆt sure exactly what his thoughts were but she could imagine the pain he must feel

The youngling had lost in the most recent battle to a previously unknown but cheery old man from Zone 7 The story of his glory had been cut short in a decisive fashion It was the sort of loss one could only accept the difference in their power had been obvious

The youngling didnÆt even acknowledge her arrival as Wivanya shifted her significant bulk and settled into place next to him After a long glance she breathed two streams of chilly air out through her nose It was a valiant fight However do not despair Your opponent may have a better grasp of his image but that might not always be the case

Hum The younglingÆs head jolted as though noticing WivanyaÆs presence for the first time It twisted around nervous Ah Matriarch Y yea the loss was unfortunate But after that I had a profound experience with the Ghosthound He gave me personal guidance even if this current setback has knocked me down I know that I can soon grow to even greater heights

Wivanya stiffened You received a revelation from the Ghosthound

The youngling nodded eagerly Its eyes seemed to glimmer with faith All the losers of the tournament are greeted by him during the night after their losses As we suspected the depths of his compassion for the world know no bounds

All the losers WivanyaÆs tongue flicked out of her mouth

Randidly almost felt like he was sleepwalking as he watched the round of matches So many fights came and went in front of him without grabbing his attention Compared to the previous conflict between Tykes and Glendel none of these came close in competitiveness

Yet even through the haze of emotional exhaustion and alternate perspectives on energy systems Randidly could sense the desperation of the tournament had changed Someone twisted at the participants and their tension rose in response The matches were quick and decisive because no one wanted to be surprised by the power wielded by a foe And all the remaining participants now flocked to the extensive training halls on the island desperate for an edge

With the high number of matches remaining they had time enough to push themselves Or to test insights gained during a fight

As soon as he said the words out loud he knew what he could do to relieve some of his tension He produced his PhilosopherÆs Key again and inserted it into the air A rift in the Alpha Cosmos appeared and Randidly stepped through to the hill above BÆs Crossing wondering how well that boy Randy had adapted to NrorceÆs teachings

He hoped the goblin had softened somewhat from his days of instruction

Randidly blinked when he arrived on the ridge looking around with a strange expression on his face Because he almost didnÆt recognize the landscape The main buildings in the basin remained the same but the shantytown that housed the refugees had been swept away before Zone 1 development money Paved roads and neat corners now sat in its place He could spot a similar ghetto in the distance pressed a harsh looking ridge but now around BÆs Crossing and the general store were several mid tier looking storefronts and a massive outdoor movie theater

Further away both on top of the hill around Randidly and below neat and spacious houses had been thrown up Groups of Expirans walked the streets chatting and laughing Families rolled slowly forward children begging to go into various stores and parents either resilient enough to say no or tired enough to acquiesce A fountain sat in the middle of the developed area topped with a gleaming golden statue of the newly elected Zone 1 president Roman Lear

Below the statueÆs victorious stance Randidly could read the inscription on the base of the fountain even from this distance For a better world where everyone rests safely with their freedoms

Randidly spared one last glance across the basin to the shantytown He pursed his lips and then descended toward the restaurant He followed a manicured pathway that connected the upper and lower neighborhoods

He pulled a cloak out of his interspatial ring and pulled the hood up across his face as he moved into the areas crowded with people With the advent of the tournament and considering his presence at every match it was unreasonable to expect anyone to mistake his identity With his disguise in place he turned to another question how had the area changed so quickly

Much to RandidlyÆs chagrin he realized it was likely his fault albeit because of the All Alpha Cosmos tournament As he neared BÆs Crossing he noticed that the massive outdoor movie theater was surrounded by signs announcing that it provided live broadcasts of the tournament for all to view Albeit at the cost of a measly entrance ticket

For those unwilling to head to Tournament Island but also interested in the spectacle of a great convergence of people BÆs Crossing became a lucrative option that had already reached most of the populationÆs ears through word of mouth for the fine cuisine Apparently quick on the uptake the developer had accelerated its efforts expanding the housing providing adequate facilities and shooing away troublesome elements so the middle class of the Zones could make the trip without worry

Randidly walked in the front of BÆs Crossing itself and noticed several things at once First a couple of men in business suits laughing and pointing at a departing frog person server Second the general vibe of the restaurant had changed The servers were less happy the guests more uniform in their humanity and constantly distracted And finally that a large family of people had come in directly before Randidly and the host was having difficulty finding seats for everyone The entryway was crowded with bodies already waiting for seats

Some looked at him with suspicion considering his rough leather cloak in broad daylight

So Randidly spun on his heel and walked around to the back

Nrorce was standing over an open stove in the kitchen studying some pastry baking within Enough heat wafted forward to visibly warp the air but he simply studied the edges likely waiting for the perfect golden brown crust Randidly took a deep breath and smiled the smell was positively heavenly

You want a meal dontcha Selfish bastard Nrorce grunted not even bothering to look up The goblin waved his tiny hand his eyes fixed on the pastries Go to the break room and make yourself comfortable IÆll whip something up when IÆm done with these

Randidly grinned and nodded following the instruction He arrived at the break room and paused in the door Because as he entered the young woman who ran BÆs Crossing looked up and met his gaze Piles of forms and receipts sat on the table in front of her evidencing the complex situation in which the business now found itself

BethylÆs mouth opened and then closed Her eyes bulged You you are Randidly Ghosthound Like like from the tournament

Randidly scratched his cheek wishing he had thought to come in as a cloud

Chapter 1958

The strained silence in the back room at BÆs Crossing lasted for almost thirty seconds as the two considered one another

To RandidlyÆs relief she didnÆt require as much of an explanation as he thought when he volunteered that he was a friend of Nrorce Bethyl laughed and shivered simultaneously showing that the small goblin had established a firm position in the restaurant That was all the explanation she needed

They then sat in an awkward silence She made some attempts to restart her work on the financial statements in front of her but it was clear she was too distracted by RandidlyÆs presence ot focus Meanwhile Randidly would have preferred to leave but didnÆt want to go without getting his meal The smells seeping in from the kitchen acted as an anchor wedging him here for the foreseeable future

Maybe Nrorce is right about me being selfish His mouth twitched slightly

Still the heavy silence was starting to unnerve him mostly because he had come here for a break not for additional mental stress piled on top of the work he was doing for the tournament So Randidly cleared his throat and attempted to make conversation He felt profoundly out of his element So I know that much of the reason your ingredients are so high quality is because of a young boy How is he doing Handling the work alright

Boy Bethyl seemed genuinely bewildered Then slowly a wry chuckle escaped her mouth Is Nrorce still calling her a boy You must be talking about Randy No sheÆs a girl even if a bit dirty and rough and tumble SheÆs doing well The changes around here have her a little stressed but A cloud passed across the womanÆs features Her eyes flicked to the stacked piles of papers Well we are all making adjustments as best as we can

Randidly nodded slowly Some inner muscle about small talk seemed to have been activated in Bethyl because she began asking Randidly polite questions about the tournament and its processes Equally polite he ignored the sense of awkwardness and answered Still the interaction felt restful

What struck him about the exchange was the lack of awe in her face that had characterized his recent interactions The simple questions were meaningless but they were based in the moment and the two people who were present Through them Randidly walked out some of the numb haze of Nether usage that had clouded him

His headache remained but the sense of being muffled receded

Eventually Nrorce came into the break room with a massive tray of food Crispy roast duck over pan seared noodles forced a groan of pleasure out of Randidly even before he brought them to his lips The sweet buns that Nrorce provided for dessert were almost better lightly and delightful After a thoroughly satisfying experience Randidly said goodbye to the two of them and then returned to his island

He released a breath and conjured the dream His Nether Core began to spin in anticipation It was time to meet another batch of users

Afterward he collapsed for a long sleep He woke up to his Nether Core gurgling like an infant who had eaten too much and had troubled digesting solid foods Rubbing his hand on his collarbone he straightened and checked the time

He had slept for almost nineteen hours He was quite glad he had told Tatiana to add an extra day break before the next round But that didnÆt mean he was free the long time period meant that the borrowed Penance needed to be satiated He slipped into that dreamless darkness his thoughts evaporating

When he returned to himself he had just enough time to eat shower again and ponder Nether before the next batch of tournament matches began He sat on his comfortable chair above the arena phasing out the roar of the crowd and once more looking with his Nether awareness to follow the details of the fight He studied the strange patterns trying to find similarities between the times his instincts were incorrect

His eyes never wavered from the flow of significance even as the noise of the crowd rose and fell

Congratulations Your Skill Nether Sensation has grown to Level 902

Are you punishing yourself for some reason Tatiana ignored his words and scrunched her eyebrows together When Randidly frowned in confusion she continued Others might not be able to tell but I can feel the mania in you even while watching the tournament You are training constantly Not even training it feels like you are trying to reforge your entire subconscious through sheer volume of information

RandidlyÆs mouth quirked in a grin as he considered his struggles to unlock the secrets of Nether patternÆs TatianaÆs observation was actually quite astute He scratched his head No punishment Just trying to make the most of my time here

TatianaÆs face betrayed how little she believed him but she didnÆt push it Together they went back to Tournament Island and prepared for the next round The battles to cut down to 128 had a desperate edge that meant that a portion of RandidlyÆs attention had to remain fixed on the action The conflicts between images overcame the natural Nether currents he ran around the arena threatening the audience

Of course even just the attention of RandidlyÆs First Authority was enough to eradicate those shockwaves But it made his pursuit of Nether understanding that much more difficult His accumulation of information slowed much to his disappointment With that bit of extra attention he could observe the matches much more closely

In the end he was pretty impressed Most of the warriors that made it this far at least possessed as much power as an average soldier that Randidly had seen working as guards in Military High Command

The people of the Alpha Cosmos were growing But that just made him even more aware of how much more they needed to improve to resist the Nexus

Perhaps the youngest participant that had made it this far Delilah had the poor fortune of running up against DiOrtho Vant in this round The ram demon gave her a platform to manifest her particular images and lash out with her most powerful Skills but in the end it didnÆt matter Compared to Vant who had honed his image fighting in the Nexus Delilah was stuck on Expira and far too young

Ghost rolling around in a sleeker motorcycle body that could fit on the stage finally lost The AI couldnÆt quite rival its opponent In the end its drones were destroyed and it was forced to concede

Meanwhile some of the disguised participants were finally forced to reveal themselves based on the capabilities other competitors One man from Zone 1 ripped his way out of his armor revealing that he had some sort of specially made Manatech suit on underneath this whole time With this specialty technology activated he managed to overcome one of the lesser warriors from Tellus in a surprise win

An ominous figure with a heavy image had his cloak blasted away Randidly was genuinely surprised to find that Drake SydneyÆs right had during her time leading East End had decided to participate in the tournament And made it this far Once Randidly knew what to look for he found the familiar notes in the Nether However he made a mental note that sometimes even sensing the connection between them the patterns could be deceptive in how much significance lay between them

Drake still no longer spoke but it was clear that he had mentally recovered from the hellish experience that left him in a coma for so long When he manifested his bone armor around his body a towering image of a Death Knight rolled off his form Over the next few minutes he leveled the unfortunate Donnyton Classer he fought against

Meanwhile in a reveal that had Randidly rolling his eyes an anthropomorphic wolf from the Armgrast Empire finally pushed Uncle T too far After his clothes ripped the image fell and revealed the sprawling monstrosity that was Thorn which quickly constricted around the unlucky foe and choke held him into submission

At least you are getting out more Randidly raised a hand in acknowledgment as Thorn waved shyly up at him after its victory

The round ended Randidly rested sifted significance then slept He had definitely earned himself a break Because from now on only the truly powerful survived in the tournament

Congratulations Your Skill Nether Sensation has grown to Level 910

His subconscious however continued to toy with everything he had witnessed

Chapter 1959

Images hung in the air above the island lingering even after the battles had ended They didnÆt have physical presence but their mark had been left on the fabric of reality If the users of those images returned to that location and fought they would have a slight advantage A massive spear a pure spinning crystal the overwhelming force of the sea all these twinkled in the sky

Yet what was even more horrifying was the currents of Nether that spun around the area steadily erasing those images Just passively the presence of the Ghosthound invalidated all the warriorsÆ efforts It did not bode well for the chances of the top 8 fighting against him

Illdan Thai sat at the edges of the patio looking up at the remnant images in the sky His own image had already been wiped away leaving him with a hot coal of frustration in his chest To distract himself he looked down on the crowded streets below The night was surprisingly bright lit by a luminous moon that add a bit of polish to the whole island Inwardly Illdan assured himself he should feel proud he had made it to the top 124

Yet the time and watching the imageÆs being wiped away made him anxious A break of three days was being taken before the next round of the tournament would begin

And honestly no one had yet pushed his image to the limits He knew he could continue to climb further Perhaps if he went all out his image wouldnÆt be so quick to be washed away by the tide of the GhosthoundÆs Nether

The grating laugh of Daemont Scythe echoed out behind him Nearby most of the significant amount of Tellus warriors sat at a massive table their cups raised in a toast A legion of empty plates and glasses lay before them Illdan turned and watched them noticing the flush on DaemontÆs wrinkled face To the Spearman Reborn And to the glory of Tellus seizing forty out of the remaining spots in the tournament At this rate wonÆt the end of the tournament be dominated by Tellus warriors

The warriors in question hooted and pounded their fists on the heavy wood of the table Their zeal wafted off of them like heat becoming a part of the celebratory night Yet after only a few more seconds Illdan couldnÆt watch them any longer

His mood was morose as he turned and looked out across the island Yesterday his new friend Zack Krum had been eliminated from the tournament which was why Illdan celebrated now with the Tellus contingent rather than his new group Illdan had watched the entire match from start to finish KrumÆs opponent had a similar enough skill set that it wasnÆt some innate advantage that made the difference But when the two had clashed Krum had been immediately outmatched

Both in terms of Skill but more importantly in image Illdan clenched his fists KrumÆs opponent’s name was Paolo

PaoloÆs image of indomitability had faded quickly yet now somehow remained in the sky It was an ember that refused to be quenched

Just like the middle portion of the tournament had stripped away those who didnÆt have specificity in their image KrumÆs match made Illdan realize that a new culling would happen as they proceeded through the next round Except no longer would detail or ingenuity or application could save you No in the next round the only thing that mattered was power

No one had made it to this point that didnÆt deserve their spot

Illdan

Twisting in his chair Illdan found Clayvo standing with a glass half full of golden liquid His face was carefully neutral he had unfortunately been one of the Tellus warriors eliminated in the previous round Due to their failures they now served as servants and lackeys for bringing dishonor to the planet Clayvo raised the glass offering it to Illdan Would you like another I believe there will be more toasts in the near future

Illdan shook his head and turned back to the street More than anything else these breaks in the tournament gave the warriors from Tellus time to develop a taste for alcohol all of them imbibed vast amounts competing more eagerly in this diversion than they addressed their training Even when Illdan had pointed out that many showed signs of inebriation they had just laughed and laughed content in their new pursuits

Randidly made the request that after the matches to cut the final participants down to 32 they take a one week break Tatiana pressed her lips together but ultimately acquiesced Randidly understood why she would hesitate in a way the Alpha Cosmos was already tiring of the extended tournament A month had passed since it had began longer since the preliminaries A lot of powerful individuals were concentrated in one area during that time while the threat of monsters and newly born Chimeras remained constant

While the tournament churned forward public safety began to dip in certain border areas The jovial feeling around the pageantry of the tournament began to sour somewhat Still Randidly knew that lack of anticipation would shift somewhat as they honed themselves down to the truly elite

Because now there were no longer so many people that you had to essentially pick a few favorites to watch and allow the marathon of matches to pass you by The accomplishments of many of the top groups spread throughout Expira Betting houses finally had some data to use and were pushing gambling very hard

Randidly sat at the edge of his skyisland and rubbed his neck His Nether gurgled unpleasantly still teetering on the brink of a qualitative shift He pushed himself off the edge several nearby moonlight spirits seeing the movement believing it looked amusing and following him into a wild freefall He allowed himself to accelerate until the wind blasted past him the distance between himself and the dark ocean waters rapidly decreasing

Then the Stillborn Phoenix spread its wide maw and seized the gravity in the area RandidlyÆs drop transformed into lateral movement so he skimmed across the surface of the ocean waves Water exploded with the force of his passage

Unfortunately he had a bit of extra homework before he could take a rest tonight He sensed his intervention was necessary

He arrived at the massive main arena on Tournament Island which was completely deserted Sometimes participants would come here at night and lay on the stage looking up at the stars but dark clouds had come with the evening masking the sky In addition Randidly suspected the grand Nether Ritual he had put within the planets had guided everyone away

The process of refining Nether Weight had gone quite well the rewards were being prepared for the lucky winners of the tournament However the Nether Ritual had realized a problem it didnÆt know how to handle the burden on the recipientÆs bodies

The Nether content in the Alpha Cosmos was higher than the Nexus for sure but it still was mostly an Aether environment Suddenly being injected with some Nether Weight without a Nether Core to house and process that energy was akin to having a steel bar inserted into a personÆs rib cage The energy would figuratively alter their conversation in unpredictable ways

So Randidly sat in one of the high observation boxes around the arena and concentrated on the stage He took control of the swirling flows of Nether in the area and began to wrap them tightly around the central area

Congratulations Your Skill Precise Nether Ritual has grown to Level 663

He wove together a tight dome around the stage and nodded in satisfaction at his work Not only would it suppress lingering images slightly thereby lowering the danger to the audience during fights but it applied a certain amount of Nether pressure to the participants They wouldn’t be exposed for a significant time but this pressure would prime their bodies to receive rewards

Almost time RandidlyÆs emerald eyes glittered Who will come together to challenge me I wonder

With that he turned away and returned to his island He needed to spend some time training while he had the chance

Chapter 1960

Alana stood with her arms folded as the final match of the round slowly unfolded Already she could tell that hubris was transforming it into a trainwreck A good lesson for Annie if a bit inconveniently timed However her focus wasnÆt on the fighters it was on Randidly

He seems a bit spacey Hank Howard stood next to her and squinted up at the Ghosthound Neither commented on AnnieÆs increasingly volcanic gushes of swearwords

Alana nodded slowly as she systematically cataloged his countenance RandidlyÆs gaze didnÆt waver from the fight but somehow she knew that he wasnÆt even looking at it His attention was elsewhere Perhaps on the churns storm of Nether that had grown increasingly dense around the arena Or the even larger storm that hovered around the island he had claimed for himself quite a few miles distant As always he continued honing himself even while accomplishing other tasks

It was an admirable amount of efficiency At the same time Alana couldnÆt help but resent him for it How vast really is the space between us and you Do we not even merit your wariness Well I suppose when Annie claimed she could make the top 8 with her left hand

The cheer of the crowd finally brought AlanaÆs attention around Annie was scowling as she vacated the stage leaving a mild looking middle aged woman from Tellus to wave at the crowd with a satisfied smile Just like that one of the most powerful warriors on Expira had been defeated Mostly because she had played around too much but that Tellus warrior was strong The loss stung especially because of how much Annie had been in the public eye this past two years due to Missy Carp

It made one fact abundantly clear From now on none of the matches would be easy

They had arrived at the final 32 Anything less than your all would just get you eliminated

As stated previously RandidlyÆs words boomed across the arena We will be taking a week break before the next batch of matches I encourage everyone to return to their homes and lives during that time aside from our thirty two finalists All fights will be broadcast and the impacts will be increasingly dangerous Tomorrow the final bracket will be released make your preparations to fight with all your might

Then Randidly turned away at almost the exact moment that Annie stomped past Hank unable to resist his baser impulses walked forward with a smug smile on his face He wiggled his fingers of his left hand at her Did you really think you could remain undefeated only shooting arrows with your left arm Ya probably would have been better just tossinÆ arrows

Fuck off Annie flounced her way back to the changing room Hank chuckled

Meanwhile AlanaÆs thoughts turned to the final group Expira broadly and Donnyton specifically had done as well as expected in the tournament Herself Tykes Dozer Mrs Hamilton Paolo Kayle and Donny had all made it to the final group Beyond them Hank Wivanya an old man from Zone 7 Lucifer Drake the fellow who styled himself as a Rat King Zone 1Æs super suit and a cheerful young woman named Beatrice gave Expira fifteen of the thirty two final tournament spots

If you extended that to include the Chimera woman Allowaen Thorn and the Monster Prince from the world of RandidlyÆs original Alpha Cosmos it was a solid lineup that had proven its power in the Alpha Cosmos

The Nexus had its contingent that earned its spots including DiOrtho Vant Charlotte Wick Heiffal and the Nether Gatekeeper Randidly had brought into the Alpha Cosmos They were strong honestly Alana hoped she wouldnÆt have to face any of them until the top 8

Recovery was quick with the System but the sort of mental exhaustion that would result from confronting any of them would not vanish in a few days Especially if the friction did any damage to the images themselves

The Danger Zones and Nemesai worlds had several representatives The mysterious Fisherman who covered his entire body with a cloak a Toad Lord a rune writing Winged Serpent and finally the masterful Wolfram made sure their races were represented

Finally Tellus also had a large chunk of bodies to round things out There was of course Azriel whose belonging was only nominal but there was this Spearman RebornÆ Illdan Thai Yet compared to him there was a group of two older warriors that made Alana even more serious the woman who just defeated Annie was one of them

There had been three powerful warriors like that but one had the misfortune of running into DiOrtho in the prior round Strong they may be but not as strong as the Vulpis Squad He had crushed the stupified man whose image was robust but unimaginatively just a spear Alana almost wished it had been the woman who had been seriously challenged her instincts whispered the woman was the real threat

The final two participants were weaker soldiers from Tellus that didnÆt catch AlanaÆs eye All together thirty two individuals all aiming for the same prize

So now what Hank sauntered back over to her

Although aside from me has anyone had their attention wander Randidly observed Then he shook his head slightly disappointed with himself

The duo climbed the stairs to the observational platform the noise of the crowd steadily rising as they ascended Randidly raised a hand and traced the rising excitement the watchers felt He also felt some darker emotions lurking beneath the surface Tatiana looked at him This group is going to be special isnÆt it You werenÆt kidding about the reverberations being more dangerous

Randidly nodded slowly Obviously he could suppress them with his own images or Nether Core but it might be difficult to do so without damaging the fightersÆ images and interfering in the match These fighters wonÆt be able to hide their true capabilities any longer

He raised his voice to allow the words to echo across the arena So letÆs begin the round of thirty two Our first match is Alana Donal v Uncle T

To the crowdÆs roaring approval the two fighters walked out onto the stage AlanaÆs stride was long and even She wore her signature furred armor and winged helmet the metal base of each glinting in the early morning sun She held her spear at her side solemn and oddly ritualistic with the two handed grip Even the refractions of light off her equipment sparkled with supernatural radiance a natural side effect of her potent image

Her purity was a physical force surging around her and isolating her from the world

Opposite her a man in a trenchcoat with its hat pulled low down over his face sauntered up Where she was virtue and honesty he was sleazy dealings and disguises Thorn paused at the edge of the stage and gave Randidly another subtle wave before heading into the Nether Ritual Randidly tried to resist rolling his eyes at his plantÆs stubborn insistence on the costume especially after his fearsome victory in the last match

Especially because Alana knew exactly the sort of foe she was fighting against

Randidly inspected them both feeling the Aether and Nether that moved through both of them Both had powerful images Both also had potent combat Skills This time the momentum of Nether and his Grim Intuition agreed on who would win

Randidly licked his teeth Begin

Dangerous waves of energy exploded from both Alana settled down into a crouch Thorn maintained his humanoid form but rushed forward his arms lengthening until he galloped like a horse in an aggressive charge

Alana raised her spear Despite the simplicity of the movement the light around her grew harsh and violent The way she pivoted on her feet and transferred force was immaculate Sun Strike

Briefly the air around her ignited Her Willpower ripped through her surroundings moving with such speed that the friction of its passage generated a howling orange plume Then all that heat and sudden genesis of light were funneled into her attack An enormous spear of orange flame formed in front of her and accelerated forward

Randidly leaned forward The force she utilized was casually the more dangerous attack that had yet appeared in the tournament And it was only her opening gambit

Yet he didnÆt make any move to intervene ThornÆs form trembled for a second and then bulged out in a half dozen directions Its trenchcoat shredded to pieces as its body swelled to its natural size Even as the horrifying flame spear surged closer Thorn expanded from a human body to a mass of tangled thorny vines the size of a house then a small apartment building Those vines as thick as a bodybuilderÆs thigh wove themselves into a thick barrier

Force and flames ravaged the front of ThornÆs defensive efforts The stadium shook with the force of the collision For a moment it was impossible to see the outcome Then the light faded revealing that many of Thorn’s roots had burned away But as the crowd watched more exploded out to replace them

Thorn lifted his bulk off the ground revealing a massive and grotesque heart of pink black and forest green that pulsed each second Each shudder of the heart sent a gushing wave of monstrous life force surging through the massive plant being Even after a few seconds the burned vines were regrowing A thousand thorny tentacles wiggled outward preparing to strike

Alana flashed a wolfish grin as she reset her stance Yea this is what it has to be like

Once more both exploded into motion

Chapter 1961

Randidly rested his chin on his fist his emerald eyes glittering

In a bombastic first match Alana Donal showed why she remained the favorite to win the tournament Thorn was a gifted Soulseed and had evolved to become nearly invulnerable But in the end it simply didnÆt have the same capacity for images that humans possessed His enormous body resisted her fire regrew its limbs and ravaged the stage but it could not touch her

The pure flames around AlanaÆs body sang with inviolability

And she didnÆt even use her Revelations

Plus Randidly mused as he watched Alana walk away from the stage with her head held high I donÆt think IÆve given Alana enough credit Compared to every participant aside from the Vulpis Squad she is the most well adapted to Nether environments The pressure of the arena didnÆt even affect her Is it a quality of her image or just because she has been following me for so long

Not very gently Tatiana prodded him in the side She raised an eyebrow at him urging him to continue with the announcements They had a schedule to keep

Randidly rolled his shoulders and announced the second match of the day Tykes v Azriel

If anything the cheers for this match were even louder than the previous one TykesÆ match against Glendel had been the most re watched match of the tournament thus far A single man had managed to overcome a legion of ghastly soldiers and grasp a surprise victory Because of that the victor had walked away from that confrontation with a sizable support group who wished to see him dominate the tournament with that overwhelming image of power

Meanwhile AzrielÆs bone white hair and piercing crimson eyes as well as the elegant sway to her walk had earned her quite a few fans of her own Yet what puzzled Randidly was that she didnÆt even look at Tykes as the two took their positions She continued to lift her stare and look directly at him

Begin Randidly announced

Just like the prior match both released their image as soon as they received the signal Tykes rumbled forward lifting his enormous metal ball off the ground with a single hand Opposite him in more than just distance Azriel seemed to skip and skate lightly forward Her movements were as sharp and graceful as a diving bird The spear in her hand resembled a double sided needle thin and without any distinguishing feature

Crimson light gathered around Azriel and trailed behind her like a crimson scarf Tykes rolled forward and gathered momentum

Tykes altered their predestined clash first suddenly leaping forward and bringing his metal ball smashing down Even in terms of speed he didnÆt lose out When the implement hit the arena the tiles cracked and ruptured in terms in raw physical power Randidly suspected Tykes would be No 1 in the tournament

But Azriel had lightly sidestepped and now jabbed her needle spear toward Tykes neck In the moment of attack crimson moonlight spun around and empowered the attack Tykes leaned back barely avoiding the strike

He gripped his metal ball and lifted it again but Azriel precisely spun her needle in her palm The tip ripped through the tendons of Tykes left hand briefly loosening his grip on the ball Azriel rushed forward in that opening and Tykes stomped a foot in response

But what seized RandidlyÆs attention was the strained feeling in the air Azriel despite her powerful image radiated a deep fear that she would lose And with that emotion in the air he could feel her desperation building as Tykes arms tightened Unfortunately for Tykes behind that fear lay a horrifying resolve

Her gaze became increasingly harsh bulldozing its way through his upper body and arms but his grip didnÆt loosen

I concede Tykes announced looking more like a corpse than anything else He eased his grip and set Azriel down on the ground The audience which had been holding its breath heaved a collective sigh of relief

Tykes left a trail of blood as he walked away from the arena leaving the victorÆ collapsed in the middle of the stage

The quality of fighters that still were a part of the tournament was stunning Each match was a lesson a demonstration of prowess

Illdan watched the match of the man who defeated his friend Krum closely This Paolo fought against an individual called the Monster Prince clashing in a bombastic fight that lasted almost a half hour However PaoloÆs determination never wavered At least in mental strength the man appeared to have no flaws His fists might not have the raw power that the defeated Tykes demonstrated but in terms of brutality of movement he was matchless

It is a capability worth emulating Illdan admitted to himself Then he shook his head and waited for the next match

The more matches he watched the more nervous he felt Not for the current round but for the future It would be extremely difficult for him to win the entire tournament The mysterious middle aged woman from Tellus fought against a Nether Beast and defeated it None of her moves seemed flashy but her opponent had been unable to cope with her light image

Yet after the match several of the key participants gave that woman long looks Despite masking her capability it seemed most people realized her potential

One more Tellus warrior was knocked out by Hank Howard the cowboy That chimeric woman who obsessed Zeta managed to defeat a Toad Lord who engulfed the entire arena in a damp image but struggled to rival her raw power And perhaps most importantly in the bracket directly above Illdan that confounding blonde woman Beatrice managed to overwhelm the stellar performance of the man in a mechanical suit

If Illdan won they would fight again His hands tightened into fists It was the rematch he had been waiting for But for now

Illdan walked up onto the arena Waiting for him was Daemont Scythe his expression serious Even if you are the Spearman Reborn you will not grow without trials I will not hold back in our match

Illdan nodded Whatever else he thought about Daemont he was a determined and no nonsense warrior He would not hold back to protect IlldanÆs pride Which was exactly what he wanted

After seeing the amazing images of the other participants Illdan wanted to test his limits

Let the final match of the round of thirty two begin The Ghosthound announced

Chapter 1962

The two fighters moved toward each other at rapid speeds Their tendons stood out from their arms the muscles of their legs bulged with each accelerating step Their spears seemed to bend as they whipped the weapons around to face their opponent When they met the encounter almost seemed choreographed

Thrust block dodge advance cut sweep hop slash thrust dodge

RandidlyÆs eyes followed the movements Both possessed impeccable spearmanship They were variants on different themes Even from a glance Randidly could tell Illdan came from the Spearman School where Daemont appeared to have heavy influences from the Death School which he believed to have been all but extinguished during the WightÆs invasion The surprise of his movements was a brief if pleasant diversion

Illdan utilized grace leaving a dozen small cuts on DaemontÆs body from subtle strikes DaemontÆs eyes blazed with something very like hatred as he attempted to pin down the younger man and crush him Eventually his patience paid off and he unleashed a sinister thrust that Illdan was forced to block with his spear

Both blazed with emotion and image power Both refused to give up ground before the other

The arena shivered the growing cracks started by Tykes and continually enhanced by every fight after that leaving the entire location shuddering with the possibility of collapse A few more good impacts would demolish the entire building

Tatiana would be quite mad if I let that happen Randidly resisted the urge to glance over at her Undoubtedly she was calculating costs even at this moment

Illdan advanced paving a path for himself with sharp thrusts Daemont didnÆt dodge at all instead he welcomed the possibility of trading several quick wounds for one quelling sweep of his spear But then Illdan was gone ghosting backward out of his opponentÆs range before an attack could land

Advance sidestep cut roar chase thrust thrust thrust

Yet even as he cataloged their movements with his eyes RandidlyÆs mind wandered He felt slightly uneasy likely because he didnÆt dare use the First Authority to stabilize the arena afraid he would affect the fighters with the presence of his active Nether Meanwhile his mind fixed on the letter that Neveah had discovered within all those educational Engraving series Yystrix had left

Based on the timeline that Neveah had provided

Another impact shook the arena Randidly crooked a finger unwilling to let TatianaÆs worst fears come to pass Under the pressure from his Grey MonarchÆs Authority air in the area twisted and wove itself into roots and tightened around the stage He carefully activated only the Skill with none of the potency his image could bring Even if the fighting shook the location to pieces it wouldnÆt fall apart

Congratulations Your Skill The First Tree Suffers Only Fealty has grown to Level 890

based on NeveahÆs timeline it would take years before she could decode the main message She could interpret a few words but she had hit a dead end with that method it would be faster just to reveal it the old fashioned way by learning all the Engravings and revealing the inner portion

But Randidly wondered if he could accelerate the process by taking apart the movie of her memories that Yystrix as left using Nether Perhaps he could obtain some clue from what he saw there Because Yystrix

His Nether Core twinged painfully Randidly grimaced and pressed a hand against his chest The sharp pains were becoming increasingly frequent in these past few days His emotional affect training had almost been entirely derailed He probably needed to make a decision about his Nether transformation soon Even his powerful Nether Core had difficulty teetering on the brink of a transformation for so long

Kimpap (the vaguely familiar middle aged woman from Tellus) v Wivanya

Paolo v Mrs Hamilton

DiOrtho Vant v Charlotte Wick

Hank Howard v Wolfram

Allowaen v Li Hong (the smiling old man who Randidly sensed had a strong connection to Arbor)

Drake v Kayle

And Finally Illdan v Beatrice

The most talented individuals in the Alpha Cosmos

RandidlyÆs eyes blazed for a second as he went through the names once more These would be the finalists for the tournament and the winners of the next match would need to demonstrate capability far beyond what they had displayed this round if they wanted to threaten them Some part of the Grey Creature stirred it had been increasingly restive lately likely due to the threat he hoped they would present

But his Nether Core churned with such momentum he couldnÆt imagine himself losing Randidly looked down at his hands After how far IÆve come especially since Vant will probably knock out Charlotte to be the only member of the Vulpis Squad to join the challenge how could they rival me

Also Randidly spoke aloud bemused with himself IsnÆt the whole point to show them the level of the Nexus Why the hell would I want them to threaten me

Yggdrasil activated unconsciously to demonstrate the fullness of his presence The emerald canopy spread behind Randidly radiating the first light of the first dawn of existence Everything was new pure and raw burning with potential His skin tingled He felt his power swelling as he settled into the proper emotional affect allowing his feelings to ebb and flow in the manner he learned from the Ashes of Helen Path His spirit soared and his entire Skyisland began to hum with the force of his image

The silver moonlight spirits followed the grooves of his will becoming a massive silver tree that reached up to hold up the sky and down to grip the ground

RandidlyÆs mouth twisted into a grin With all the progress IÆve made with emotional affect for my images aside from the slight problem of the Unborn Duo in the Stillborn Phoenix IÆll cut them to pieces

His Nether Core twinged Randidly scowled then shook his head If the pain was triggered by him going all out that might be a problem After napping he would need to ponder the issue of shifting his Nether Core so he wouldnÆt need to hold back

And then RandidlyÆs mind flitted to the Patron of Feathers and the need she represented IÆll need to return to the Nexus obtain Tier 3 Citizenship and finally see the last group of monsters that have been hiding in the Nexus How many of them I wonder are at the Speculum Tier

What is waiting for me back at the Nexus How will they react to my defeat of Commandant Wick

Chapter 1963

Alana sipped her beer and leaned back in her chair The night air coming off the sea was pleasantly cool Tonight was a well deserved break after the past two days of tense matches A lot of people were leaving Tournament Island returning to their lives Partially because their favorite had lost partially because of the extended nature of the fighting There would only be two days of preparation before the round of 16 where the group who would fight Randidly would be determined

Alana barely prevented her image from slipping out of her person As she won in each match another bit of heat was added to the flames burning inside her chest Each victory was a little more sizzling anticipation she needed to endure She had been waiting for this opportunity for a long long time As much as she was thankful for the Ghosthound and how he had helped shape her image her Book of Revelations she also had her pride

Alana released a scalding breath through her nose Her spear would find his flesh in this challenge

Next to her Hank Tykes and Donny were laughing and joking mostly at DonnyÆs expense He had lost in the round of 32 to Wolfram unable to keep up with three headsÆ worth of Skills being cast at once For all of his wide area defensive brilliance he didnÆt have any decisive offensive component to his image Some part of Alana wanted to join in the harmless fun but the tension in her kept her from relaxing

The heat kept building She was so close She wanted this chance so bad

Alana raised her head she felt it immediately when Azriel walked into the restaurant And also when the woman stalked past the host without even a glance making a beeline for their table Conversation died as she passed due to how recognizable a woman Azriel was

It was also relatively predictable that the jovial nature of the night rapidly evaporate as Azriel approached the group Donny frowned and Hank clicked his tongue loudly Tykes only glanced at Azriel unflappable even when the entire table knew that the reason Azriel won was that she was willing to die for the victory and Tykes wasnÆt willing to kill her He hadnÆt spoken about the concession all night and no one had pressed him on it

However what took them all by surprise was that AzrielÆs gaze went straight to Alana She didnÆt even acknowledge Tykes I would like to request a spar with you Alana Donal

There was a moment of silence as they all processed this information and pointedly didnÆt look at Tykes Then Hank snorted and slapped the table before standing up Alright yÆall sort this out IÆmma find some tequila

Why Alana tilted her head to the side

Azriel lifted her chin with a determined set of her lips Because I cannot see the way to defeat you given our relative power and the consistency of your training regimen over the last few years However with exposure to your techniques I believe that I will find an appropriate way to counter you and seize victory despite our differences

Are ya fuckinÆ Hank stopped and turned around a few steps from the table when he heard AzrielÆs words Alana gave him a look and he held his hands up in surrender Yer right none of maÆ business Figure it out ya selves

Alana turned back to Azriel glad she didnÆt have to remind him how little she needed his help And what benefit do I get out of this arrangement

AzrielÆs gaze didnÆt waver She folded her arms behind her back I believe my qualifications speak for themselves Our spars will be beneficial to you as well after all I am your next opponent Finding my weaknesses and understanding my image will only improve your chances

Alana couldnÆt help but chuckle she would give Azriel this the woman had no sense of shame She could easily matter of factly state two narratives that were completely incompatible with each other Next to her Tykes raised his glass and finished the rest of his beer in a single massive gulp

Azriel remained very very still She simply stared at Alana with her intense crimson gaze Her abrupt passage through the bar continued to hold the attention of other patrons now drawing their attention to the relatively low key group A man nervously asked Hank for an autograph on his way to the bar

Alana sighed inwardly all the cool breeze of the night vanquished by the attention and the heat in her chest Now that they were fixated with so many strong gazes the crowd began to whisper wondering why two foes would be talking to each other Especially with a defeated participant there at the table as well

Huh Illdan frowned Online

On Beatrice looked him up and down Do you really not know what the internet is So you havenÆt seen the message boards about the tournaments And the sections about you specifically

No What are the people of your planet saying about me Illdan asked At least this would give him something to focus on aside from her intoxicating gaze

A ah if you want me to s s say it out loud Her face flushed U uhm that every night you descend from your window and stalk around the island That you pick a girl who you donÆt know a new one every night usually someone pretty and blonde because that is your t t t type And ahem and then you convince her to come back to your room you donÆt take no for an answer and you your c cheekbones and the night air the things you say as you whisk her away the things you promise her the way your hand rests on her hips the heat of your touch and because you are a spearman you are especially good with your ahem ahem hmm the stabbing part

Illdan leaned back in his chair I what

I did think it was just fanfiction but when I read Beatrice blinked several times and furtively scanned his face O only the start of a few stories I just couldnÆt help but wonder if that was something the sort of thing you did Or would be interested in doing Sweeping up a girl at night strangers who

I literally have no idea what you are talking about Illdan felt very out of his element on this planet If anything he started to wish they would just fight and be done with it already

Alana waited for almost a minute her nose crinkled up at the smell Then she shook her head and stood Well it is pretty admirable that you already came up with a third piece of advice to get me here LetÆs call it here for the night after that last session

Azriel lay inert in a smoldering crater the last vestiges of orange flames dissipating at the edges If not for the womanÆs surging fury Alana might have assumed she was dead Alana walked away slowly giving her time to perhaps think of another recommendation To her surprise the woman had come up with two very solid pieces of advice the first night when they spared

A lot of her own hesitance about her chosen style disappeared with the intense womanÆs comments If nothing else AzrielÆs direct nature made her advice quite relevant

Of course Alana had thrashed her three times using the Revelations of Advance Struggle and Anguish respectively So they had adjourned with Azriel unable to match up to her Now the night before their match Azriel had returned with a new piece of advice prompting one important rematch

Using only those three revelations to which Azriel had developed countermeasures in the meantime Alana had thoroughly crushed the other woman into silence

Outside the entrance to the training area Tatiana waited with her arms folded You know the audiences will be quite disappointed if you obliterate her fighting spirit outside of the tournament and she forfeits People pay for the pleasure of watching their most powerful warriors demonstrate their Skills

We both know that there is no way that Azriel is going to back down That woman would walk toward her own execution and reprimand the executioner for being late Alana shook her head Then she raised an eyebrow at TatianaÆs bare feet Also after so long Randidly finally converted you

Tatiana flashed an aggrieved expression Well in a sense I had a breakthrough in my Skillset related to him I can borrow some of his Skills in their lesser versions And wouldnÆt you fucking know it so many of the useful ones require contact between the feet and the ground and seriously what is wrong with him How do buildings not interfere in the connection with the energy roots but shoes do

Alana patted her shoulder DonÆt let it drive you crazy Anyways goodnight

Oh no Alana not so fast Tatiana smiled at her but in that expression Alana could sense the wicked aggression of the Ghosthound Tatiana widened her stance and put her hands on her hips I would have overlooked wrecking one of the training areas a few days ago but doing it twice in a short span While other participants are clamoring to use them No no no You owe me quite a bit of money

Chapter 1964

Her body had shaped the stone beneath her into a more comfortable arrangement but her heart ached as she lay there In a very concrete way Azriel hated the tournament island No matter where she was if she ever looked up that dead spot hovered above her Once she had seen it it was impossible not to have that disfigurement become the resting place of her gaze

Yet even with its continued presence no one least of all Randidly Ghosthound seemed to want to acknowledge it Which was why Azriel took up the mantle

For the first time in her life she found herself conflicted She pushed herself up out of the cracked ground of the training area the squabbling Tatiana and Alana had long since left the area and left her in peace Azriel looked down at her bloody knuckles She wrenched her knee to pop the joint back into place and simply breathed for a bit She kept her eyes closed so she didnÆt have to look up at the sky After her body had taken a few minutes to heal she shakily got to her feet

She found the shattered remnants of her spear scattered across the far side of the sparring area The pieces glittered in the buzzing lights of the arena She pulled another cheaply made weapon from her interspatial ring and gripped it grounding herself in the physical sensation of her hand tightening around the weapon

It was not supposed to be like this Azriel muttered to herself Some of the crimson light in her eyes dimmed At this rate all of my suffering will have been for nothing That emptiness will remain there

Her spine straightened at that comment It was an unacceptable outcome She was Azriel Blanche and she would accomplish her goal no matter the cost She settled into a combat stance and began to slowly move through training forms For now she ignored her doubts instead focusing on the concrete

Yet even if her body was busy her mind drifted back

Azriel acknowledged that her upbringing on Tellus was unusual In retrospect she had been created to be the perfect receptacle for the abilities of another Her natural talent and inclination to adjust to counter an opponent meant that it was very easy to use superior combat techniques to guide her growth in predictable directions She had been exemplary at adapting and growing Her pride had been planted in that garden and beautifully flowered for her entire life

Now they are so far beyond me Azriel paused in her forms and looked at her hands Her joints ached and her muscles felt like they had been mixed with hardening concrete Blood still stained her knuckles and huddled underneath her nails She paused and limped to the wash facilities to clean up a bit

Several years ago she had chosen a Path to power that didnÆt involve violence Her spear had been hung up on the wall She then immersed herself in the life of a betrothed to the heir of the Armgrast Empire The transition had been marginally fraught It continually irked her that so many saw in her not herself but a reflection of the man she would marry However Azriel was confident that she could change that outlook soon

She was both right and wrong Some cutting political and social moves had made the entirety of the Armgrast Empire and the entire world tread casually around her Some no longer dared meet her gaze Yet Azriel couldnÆt help but notice that it was the framing that changed they never looked at her directly She never stood on her own legs She simply became the gorgeous ruthless new arm of Armgrast

An enemy to be feared part of a vicious family

She couldnÆt deny that part of the reason she had followed this impulse to turn her attention to Randidly was the impending arrival of her marriage date Somehow the problems emerging in his image seemed easier to grapple with than her own

But using more than one is premised on the fact I would lose AzrielÆs eyes blazed crimson And from now on I will not lose I cannot fail

Her nerves hummed with tension as she walked out the thin tunnel and onto the arena She stood with her head raised even in the face of the thick smog of shouts and cheers the crowd rolled against her

But Azriel was completely taken by surprise by the surge in the air she felt as Alana Donal appeared The woman walked calmly but appeared to drag all the noise and exultation of the crowd around her Her armored form seemed to warp the spread of sound creating dangerous ridges in existence that had every noise slushing down to surround her And as she arrived

The air hummed with pressure AzrielÆs pupils dilated Even after her time in the Dungeon she felt that fear surge back with double its previous force

What if she wasnÆt enough

Azriel turned away from the approaching form of Alana Donal and scanned the crowd to distract herself When coincidentally her gaze landed on a furred visage sitting in the stand and staring straight at her she briefly froze Then she frowned at him

The Prince of the Armgrast Empire raised an eyebrow at the display Very quickly Azriel flashed several hand signs toward him This is my business There is no need for you to be here

The prince looked at her with none of his usual pride Instead he was just a man covered in fur with the head of a lion Yet that man smirked at her words not even bothering to send back any hand signs

AzrielÆs hands blurred I donÆt need you to support me

Finally the prince raised his hands YouÆve never needed me this I know But I also know that even if you donÆt need me I will be here Because I want to be a part of your life I want to be your family

Azriel felt relief and frustration swirling each other in her chest But she had to push those to the side as Alana finally arrived opposite her AzrielÆs fierce pride compelled her to pivot around and glare fiercely at Alana In front of her betrothed she refused to back down

Alana tilted her head to the side Her words were filled with genuine curiosity Are your preparations going to be enough

They will have to be Azriel responded Alana chuckled coldly and raised her spear Azriel produced one of the thin needles she had generated and spun it in the air The deadly tips glittered in the air

The Ghosthound watched them both his gaze heavy Let the round of sixteen begin

Chapter 1965

Randidly found it odd the way that Nether was surging toward the arena as Azriel and Alana faced off against one another The significance deepened each second that the two stared at each other Even he felt the tug of the intensity that both of them had brought It rushed around their feet pooling and slowly filling the bubble he had created

Soon the intensity of the Nether chamber would be intense enough that it would suffocate an average person

He rubbed his chin and looked at the shape of the patterns in the Nether flows The confrontation was a monumental moment for Expira that much was clear But for the life of him Randidly couldnÆt figure out why Was it just because the round of 16 would determine who would challenge him after the tournament

Especially because when both released their image the power both held was not equal

A pillar of gold orange fire erupted from AlanaÆs body Her dripping radiance made it difficult to look directly at her Sunbursts of light settled onto her shoulders and arms like a cloak Beyond that the pillar extended into the sky and ripped open a jagged hole in the drifting clouds That light seemed to connect heaven and earth creating a bridge down which holy light could flow to the mundane realm The Nether bubble Randidly made to protect the audience strained to contain her power

She raised her spear which had grown almost a full meter of searing orange flames on top of the metal shaft Her eyes glowed with golden righteousness underneath her powerful Fate helmet Those wings grew and flexed sending feathers as white and delicate as snow swirling around her She was an intent valkyrie prepared to ride to war

Azriel settled into her stance with much less fanfare Her image spread to fill the sky and conjure a crimson moon but its light felt feeble compared to AlanaÆs and was quickly suppressed out of existence The bloody radiance couldnÆt get a word in edgewise before that harsh and holy gold orange light More concrete energy sizzled around AzrielÆs limbs but even that seemed wan next to AlanaÆs display

RandidlyÆs eyes narrowed Yet the significance is still swirling so tightly around her interesting These patterns something peculiar is at play here Some deep lines about the fate of the Alpha Cosmos are coming together to fuel this

Congratulations Your Skill Nether Sensation has grown to Level 913

Once her superior grip on the area was established Alana leaned forward and spoke The air hummed with her image making her words incredibly clear The First Revelation Advance

Randidly felt the audience sigh in anticipation already they knew that this would be the spectacle they had so long wanted to see

AlanaÆs words opened an invisible door behind her releasing a surging torrent of holy force following her in an eruption of movement and violence She became a single entity with the attack charging forward with her spear paving the way for her assault Against that overwhelming front Azriel seemed incredibly small

Randidly observed the ways she twisted and folded her image energy to generate something more concrete At a scale on which Alana could operate her crimson moonlight couldnÆt manifest Orange fire lay across the entire sky But when AzrielÆs image was tightened and whetted and folded until she held an incandescent sizzling spear of ruby power

Azriel accelerated briefly sideways out of the direct path of AlanaÆs onslaught Then she rapidly shifted her direction lancing in sideways at AlanaÆs massive manifestation Her spear screamed as it pierced through the image aura and began to pry into the holy wave For a brief moment Randidly felt the shiver of Nether as the two foes clashed against each other

Yet in the actual conflict between these two religions

AlanaÆs elbow crunched AzrielÆs nose in an abrupt strike Azriel spun away but an unassuming thrust from Alana empowered with Sun Strike forced her to dance backward another half meter Azriel adjusted her vector so many times she threw off phantasms with each feint that she made Yet when Alana shifted into the motions of attack her power scorched the air Underneath that belch of high temperature burns and blemishes opened up on AzrielÆs arms