LoRG 5

Demonstrate your revelations AzrielÆs voice cut through the roar of flame and the crash of spears colliding She hopped several steps backward spinning her spear which at this point was held together with more emotional intensity than metal Her eyes blazed Let me prove

The Second Revelation Alana didnÆt even let the other woman finish She settled down into a fighting stance Golden light rotated around her a prelude to the explosion that would soon be released Azriel seemed shocked by the acquiescence She barely had time to resettle herself before Alana finished the careful intonation Struggle

The orange tint to the flames sifted almost entirely to rays of radiant gold Alana blurred in a vicious incarnate of violence her previously steady thrusts becoming a tidal wave of flame kissed blades Azriel gripped her spear a fraction too tightly pushing the metal past its limits Huge chunks of melted steel splattered on the ground

It was with a weapon entirely composed of emotional affect and barely contained image that she met AlanaÆs assault Yet to RandidlyÆs surprise she torqued her shoulder and whipped that sizzling bolt of crimson light and there was a shrieking grind as she cut into the fabric of AlanaÆs Skill Underneath the pressure the Skill collapsed golden light exploding like glitter in every direction

One of the large pearly wings from AlanaÆs helmet caught AzrielÆs thrust and knocked it to the side The emotional weapon ripped out several pristine feathers but inflicted no serious damage Azriel began to shift back but Alana was already there Her fist bulldozed into AzrielÆs gut and bent the white haired woman over

Graceful as a dancer Alana spun on her heel and brought her left leg around in a whirling roundhouse kick AzrielÆs jaw shattered on impact But Alana wasnÆt finished

Dropping her spear entirely Alana hopped off her one leg the other leg still hanging in the air She then brought that hopping leg up in the air and then cut down with it slamming into AzrielÆs back and bouncing her off the ground

The crowd went wild the noise and rising excitement finally forcing its way back through the images that clashed in the arena After rolling for a bit Azriel settled and struggled to push herself up onto her hands and knees

Her eyes were still bright and violent as she looked over at Alana YouÆve made adjustments

Alana snorted

Azriel clenched her broken jaw seeming to fracture it even further Then she forced her up to her feet swaying I will concede I suppose this is my limit

Weirdly what Azriel felt in that moment wasnÆt a disappointment but a vast and paranoid sorrow To complicate this weirdness as the crowd heard her words and redoubled their noise making Azriel looked up and stared at Randidly for several seconds

Chapter 1966

To be frank Alana didnÆt work up much of a sweat during her match Azriel Yet still she felt somewhat awkward as she moved out of the fightersÆ portion of the stadium and went to the stands People surged around her waving papers for her to sign and she wished that there was a competitors only viewing area

Just when she had resigned herself to signing a few autographs a wave of Nether settled heavily around her seat The air crackled and buckled underneath the overwhelming pressure that descend from the Nether storm Randidly maintained The people around her rapidly went white and then fled A few couldnÆt move but luckily the effect had been designed with an outwardly swirling current eventually carrying them away

Alana offered Randidly a thumbs up who rolled his eyes at her Next to him Tatiana shook her head ruefully perhaps worrying about the public relationships aspect of his casual use of power to brush people away Still better for the Ghosthound to do it than Alana herself And normally Alana wouldnÆt insist on sitting right here But the next match was Wivanya

The next match would determine who Alana would fight The heat in her chest continued to build the fight against Azriel had only fanned the flames Waiting was agony At least by watching she would be briefly distracted

What Alana hadnÆt expected was for a still bloodied and disheveled Azriel stalked through the GhosthoundÆs Nether pressure and plopped herself down next to Alana A furred lion man came after her clearly more uncomfortable in the pressure than either of the two women Azriel gestured to him almost as a way to break the silence You have not met my fiance However you shouldnÆt have too much interaction in the future so there is no need for further introduction This is him

Alana rolled her eyes If nothing else she had to respect how direct this woman was I wonÆt be invited to the wedding

That seemed to genuinely throw Azriel The lion headed and thus far unnamed fiance took this opportunity to lean forward and elbow Azriel gently in the side See I told you that you were mistaken that you had no one to invite to the wedding Time is short but letÆs reexamine the guest list

Azriel wielded her elbow like an emphatic period putting an end to the sentence Then she turned back to Alana as though nothing had happened We do not have time to play around like this There is something I wish to tell you Specifically about challenging the Ghosthound

Is there any rush We need to get through all of todayÆs matches before we determine the group to challenge him And IÆm quite curious about your wedding Alana scratched her chin So tell me is it going to be a large ceremony Do you have your dress picked out yet Does your hair just blend into a veil You know are you even inviting Randidly I believe heÆd definitely want to be there

The fiance held up a triumphant finger ThatÆs exactly

He blocked this elbow from Azriel but still pouted and fell silent Azriel pushed her hair back behind her ears causing her large eyes to appear even more intense than usual There is indeed time but I want your answer now I am hoping I can tutor you in the art of the GhosthoundÆs image As a member of the Pantheon I have a bit more access to his abilities and habits And IÆve noticed a distinct deficit in his arrangement Not that I think there is much chance of overcoming him but I believe if you address this weakness directly you will stand a slightly larger chance of inflicting damage

Knowing you youÆve done calculations How much larger of a chance Alana asked curiously The crowdÆs excitement began to build around them the two fighters were about to come out and take the stage

From about a single percent to 3 4% Azriel announced That is that you force him to go all out As far as I can tell there is no way for eight people from the Alpha Cosmos to defeat Randidly Ghosthound Even the entire Vulpis Squad would be defeated by him in a direct confrontation

Alana didnÆt bother to prevent her face from warping into a sharkÆs grin That was honestly better than she had expected The heat rose up her throat dancing across her tongue

Before the conversation could proceed further Kimpap walked calmly out onto the stage She offered small waves to the crowd even as they surged and screamed for her attention If Illdan from Tellus had captured the adoration of younger women with his model esque looks KimpapÆs cool demeanor and confidence had swayed the older generation to her side All sexes seemed intoxicated by the sense of controlled capability that she exuded

She was capability personified to a lot of the people of Expira To Alana she just looked like a smug version of Mrs Hamilton

Currently Kimpap had risen to become the second favorite to win the tournament behind only Alana And AlanaÆs odds were much much much smaller but the only reason that those amounts didnÆt converge was that the two would fight in the next round against each other One would inevitably knock out the other

The matches began to accelerate through the day a rising tide of excitement that carried them all forward

Randidly leaned back in his chair Let the next match begin

Paolo and Mrs Hamilton faced off against one another leaving Randidly wondering which of the two would emerge victorious For these matches he tried not to look with his Grim Intuition wanting to be surprised by the outcome He shifted in his chair to a comfortable position and put his chin in his hand

Mrs Hamilton mobilized shadows and complex wires to hem in PaoloÆs movements Rapid attacks ripped open his skin and left him constantly wounded Her image was one of sinister control and manipulation However opposite her was Paolo Here on a stage with his image of a champion in front of the approving crowd few could match him in terms of raw resonance

Each drop of blood spilled only added to the oppressive significance of their confrontation

Being here strengthened him Each cheer brought him additional capability which let him rip through an impediment and earn himself an even louder cheer He methodically advanced stoically enduring blows that Mrs Hamilton reflected back at him and closing the distance between the two fighters

It was actually in this final portion of the fight that Randidly wondered if he had been a mistake The last minute of the fight seemed almost choreographed with the two exchanging flurries of blows at a close distance

Mrs HamiltonÆs hands bit like snakes and scattered like flower petals in the wind when Paolo tried to counter attack She retreated with small steps injecting venomous shadows into PaoloÆs arms with each successful strike PaoloÆs speed finally began to slow However even if his speed went down his physical Strength only increased His steps became heavy and ponderous but he never ceased advancing

Mrs Hamilton performed a complex combination of Skill and image to aim for a decisive strike but he endured that too After swaying briefly he began to advance once more Her abilities couldnÆt overcome his intolerance of loss Eventually he pushed her to the edge of the arena touching the ground wasnÆt a disqualification in the actual tournament like it had been in the preliminaries but the jump from arena to the ground would be a few seconds too long suspended in the air

Mrs Hamilton bowed her head and surrendered The crowd cheered but Randidly could sense they were disappointed they didnÆt see some climactic finish Meanwhile Paolo laughed raucously and threw his swollen and clumsy arms around Mrs HamiltonÆs shoulders With his sharp senses Randidly could hear Paolo telling Mrs Hamilton how worried he was about losing the match

A kind liar Randidly shook his head ruefully A strong warrior too

Next came DiOrtho Vant and Charlotte Wick Honestly Randidly felt bad not for these two but for all the people who suffered silently in their corner of the bracket Because of Raymund BallastÆs pride it was always arranged that the two members of the Vulpis Squad would fight in this round Only one would make it into the quarter finals And everyone else who had the bad luck to be there would be inevitably squeezed out

To RandidlyÆs surprise one did have a decisive advantage over the other but it wasnÆt who he expected Charlotte WickÆs image still vaguely resembled Frankenstein in the way her original and the influence of Helen were stitched together but her emotional affect was nearly perfect

It might even be better than RandidlyÆs When her images flared they sung with the fabric of the world The colors they manifested made the world seem cold and blade The hopelessness of death and the endless nearly ignorant optimism of life swirled together in a peculiar harmony

DiOrtho Vant had higher Skills His physical capabilities were higher Even as a raw fighter he was much more proficient

However that day Charlotte Wick wanted it more

She tore him down and raised her head at the sky in a victorious howl When Randidly announced her victory she held that pose for several seconds Tears coursed down her face Randidly wished he could tell her how proud Helen would have been

Chapter 1967

The fight between Charlotte Wick and DiOrtho Vant at least satisfied the audienceÆs desire for a huge confrontation Most of the high level image work went above their heads but there was certainly plenty of arena breaking and massive impacts Randidly was in fact forced to deploy more and more of his Nether storm around the arena to keep the kinetic impacts from ripping outward and pulping some of the more mundane audience members

Who knew that Tatiana just wanted me here as a public safety mechanism

After that match the tournament took a two hour break for lunch Randidly licked his lips and looked over at the wooden board on which Tatiana wrote the winners of the various matches Halfway through the round four of the people who would challenge him had been determined Alana Kimpap Paolo and Charlotte Wick

Get four more competitors like this and maybe this will be fun Randidly grinned wolfishly Then he pulled out his PhilosopherÆs Key and went to BÆs Crossing for lunch

He came back slightly late earning him a sharp look from Tatiana He could practically see her judging the timeline of various events to keep the day from going off without a hitch But Randidly didnÆt regret it after hearing about BÆs CrossingÆs increasing pressure from the Zone 1 developers from Bethyl Randidly planned to act personally

Partially because he was tired of relying on Tatiana to handle certain problems but partially because he felt like he should interact more with an average person on Expira

But that was for later For now the next match Hank Howard v Wolfram

The massive three headed ogreÆs skin had darkened since Randidly had last seen him His arms were covered in vicious scars that made it appear the ogre had dipped his arms in lava But each of his three heads still wore vicious expressions of determination Despite the fact that most ogres outed themselves as kindly scholars in recent years it was still easy to understand why so many were afraid of the ogres as Hank Howard stood at one third his height

The former leader of the Ogre World had ruled for quite a while That innate dominance rolled off him and pressured the entire arena

I feel obliged ta admit I made anti magic bullets ta fight ya Hank grinned without acknowledging that aura

WolframÆs middle head smirked The left head snorted The right said I have anti bullet magic So we are even horse rider

This match felt like watching a pre System fireworks display Both the complex tapestry of mana Skills released by Wolfram and HankÆs sharp shots from his repeater glittered and exploded in bursts of delightful color And the variety was breathtaking There were fireballs lightning bolts ice novas acid splashes purple waves of corrosion and white rays of annihilation Wolfram waved his hands and the various Skills seemed to combine and split until he fire bolts of acid waves of annihilation balls of lightning and sweeping tides of fire

From a small group of starting Skills soon he had thousands of different combinations sizzling across toward his foe

Yet each time HankÆs shots were accurate and cut through the core circuit of the Skill For a small amount of time the attacks drifted forward but eventually they sputtered and exploded in a burst of color

The ogre staggered and sighed Heh my tools are too mundane even with clever arrangements I just recently achieved this capability For now I am inferior However when I develop higher Rarity Skills when I finally grow a fourth head to incorporate into this capability

IÆll take a rematch annatime Hank flashed a smile He blew smoke away from the barrel of his revolver spun the weapon then slammed it back into his leather holster

The winner is Hank Howard Randidly announced And so the tournament continued

Next came Allowaen the woman who was also a Chimera descended from Randidly subconscious fighting against Li Hong from Zone 7 Before the match Randidly had very little impression of either of them aside from the fact that Li Hong possessed a deep connection to Arbor

In the match both demonstrated that they were much more capable than RandidlyÆs cursory glances had indicated

Allowaen had inherited more than a little of the CalamityÆs raw might Her attacks were vicious and filled with an implacable greyness that was born in the vicious intensity of the Grey Creature Randidly rubbed his chest where his Nether Core twinged painfully as Allowaen managed to release great wedges of raw destruction toward her foe She hacked with a massive ax cleaving the very air with each attack

However Li Hong simply smiled and spun in a graceful dance His arms twisted and swayed to an inaudible rhythm He dispersed AllowaenÆs raw force and left her frustrated and spent His own attacks were deft palms with surprising penetrative power After deflecting a massive destructive wave he spun closer and jabbed with his dangerous hands He was the viscous surface of water reacting up ultimately reducing all outside force to dispersed ripples

His ability to connect energy is quite impressive Randidly mused And more than that what he appreciated about this match was that the nature of Li HongÆs methods meant that he didnÆt need to use extra Nether to neutralize AllowaenÆs wild attacks Sure the stage suffered but that was the extent of the damages He simply allowed the match to continue to its inevitable conclusion with the Chimera woman collapsing with exhaustion before she even conceded or Li Hong landed a direct blow

The second to last match of the Round of 16 was Kayle versus Drake Randidly straightened as the two fighters walked onto the stage because Nether swirled in a way he hadnÆt expected the momentum of Nether indicated that Drake would win

Randidly refrained from checking their images with Grim Intuition he wanted to experience the match for himself

Kayle stood on the balls of his feet with two long knives in his hands A dozen more were strapped to his chest and sides He was a glittering figure of leather and steel ready for any threat His image was direct and potent from what Randidly could tell Kayle had recently begun receiving some pointers from the Patron of Blades His eyes released a gaze that was sharp enough to cut

Drake at first seemed a much more mundane competitor He walked out in jeans and a t shirt a bastard sword slung across his back However when he drew that sword his whole visage changed

Another presence settled on his shoulder his elemental a strange little mahogany hedgehog raised its head and released a squeal Shadows congealed around his body condensing into heavy slabs of bone across his torso shoulders and arms Those shadows flow down covering his legs and creating a massive knight of bone that stood in the middle of the arena A heavy and dark helmet covered his eyes revealing only two glowing red coals Smoke wafted out from beneath his feet

Drake in his Death Knight form cracked his knuckles and tightened his grip on his bastard sword In response an ominous pulse spread out through the Nether in the surrounding area RandidlyÆs eyebrows went sharply upward He spent quite a while within his coma there is no way he could catch up in Levels or Stats But in terms of emotional affect

Kayle nodded solemnly in recognition of his opponent The match began with both men advancing with bared blades

Chapter 1968

The longer the fight between Kayle and Drake lasted the more RandidlyÆs expression became increasingly serious His eyes unfocused so he could watch the energy beyond their physical movements ItÆs not just DrakeÆs emotional affect I think I remember hearing that his memories were blurry when he finally woke up from his long coma He needed to work for a while before he pieced his life back together

That steady Nether foundation he recovered serves him well

Kayle cut three times leaving gleaming flashes with each of his blades with his quick strikes DrakeÆs armor screeched as he hopped back just a fraction too slow allowing several deep gouges to be cut into the bone These marred locations began to smoke slightly evidencing a strange aspect of the Death KnightÆs armor Kayle ghosted sideways seeking a new position

While Drake adjusted his grip and raised his sword his elemental on his shoulder shuffled his shoulders and pressed itself tightly into a ball Then the small porcupine body began to merge into DrakeÆs armor and then later expand until four long and insectoid pincers stretched from his back in a poor impersonation of wings

The tips of those bone harpoons looked wickedly sharp

Kayle reversed his grip on his long knives and rushed forward intimidated not in the slightest The upper two pincers twitched a little but mostly just stayed behind DrakeÆs back as he prepared an executionerÆs swing at his charging foe Yet Kayle gracefully rolled sideways landing like a cat and streaking past the bone warrior at an unexpected vector Two new extremely deep marks curved across DrakeÆs side

RandidlyÆs eyes flashed emerald as these new flaws also began to smoke A certain haze began to build around the arena a sticky oiliness to the air that released a strange starburst of color It oozed out from DrakeÆs wounded form and stained the air It had the glittery sheen of pollution Oh This

KayleÆs eyes narrowed likely his instincts also began to notice the strange behavior from Drake His body suddenly accelerated knives seeking weaknesses in DrakeÆs heavy armor The larger man moved with surprising grace his torso swaying so that the blows were only glancing Drake then planted a foot and leaned forward abruptly aiming to smash his shoulder against KayleÆs head which might have cracked open the other manÆs skull

Like a ghost Kayle slid out of the way and appeared behind Drake With vindictive glee he drove both of the knives into the large bone plate across his back The sturdy material cracked Just as quick as he had attacked he was away his eyes warily on the strange pincers that had spawned earlier However the protrusions of bone remind inert even with Kayle right there behind Drake

More oily gas spewed out of the gashes but this time it was accompanied by the trickle of dark blood Drake whipped around with his blade extended a full second too late to land a hit However something changed in his demeanor The ominous and overpowering image of the death knight which was a mediocre image boosted by an immaculate emotional affect began to change An edge of madness crept into Drake as he hunched forward his bone covered shoulders heaving

For all that the wounds on his back were obviously deep only a few fat and heavy drops of blood rolled out of the holes in his armor

A purple cloud now drifted around the fighters It didnÆt exactly impair visibility but it had spread to fill up most of the area Kayle rushed forward and Drake raised his sword into a high grip once more But right when Kayle appeared before him the sword remained still and DrakeÆs left fist whipped out in a surprise jab

Kayle ducked under the blow and then scrambled backward and Drake aimed for another body check As distance opened between them DrakeÆs back arched and then he threw his bastard sword like a hatchet

You KayleÆs expression continued to grow tighter He planted his foot spun out of the way of the thrown sword then accelerated back toward Drake The Death Knight unleashed a few more vicious jabs to try and maintain distance but Kayle was simply too fast His long knives dug deeply into the joint around DrakeÆs left shoulder

Several times Kayle roused Randidly into protection mode as he unleashed continent splitting slashes in an attempt to disperse the haze of insanity that now coiled above the arena However these attempts failed miserably Yes Kayle possessed the immense power to split something solid but the genius of DrakeÆs image was its weakness

Most people started their image with a holistic projection However DrakeÆs began with that small foundation more of a germ than an image It didnÆt matter if a host of germs was split each functioned as a small factory to propagate itself in the future even without any outside support They worked tirelessly

Shattering their unity would do nothing The only option was to eliminate them

By the time that both of DrakeÆs overly muscled arms and one bulging thigh were revealed he and Kayle fought in a bloodthirsty melee Eventually Kayle caught a turkey sized fist and was crushed into the tiled ground of the arena

Sighing he waved his hands in surrender Which left only a single match in the round of sixteen Beatrice versus Illdan of Tellus This match Randidly had some anticipation toward after the prior round This was the fighter who borrowed RandidlyÆs Breath of the Spear Phantom and was named the Spearman Reborn

Drake stood silently even in victory RandidlyÆs gaze sharpened at his hunched and entirely too still posture Yet eventually Drake pivoted on his heel and walked out of the arena still leaking gas and blood Randidly wondered how true the madness was and whether he needed some time to calm back down before he could lose that form

Randidly raised his hand Take notes The best way is to annihilate DrakeÆs image But if you canÆt manage that

The Stillborn Phoenix opened its maw and devoured everything leaving the air relatively pristine It rumbled pleasantly enjoying the different sort of flavor that DrakeÆs image possessed

The final two competitors of the round came up onto the stage and approached each other Significance swirled around them but in an entirely different dimension than what had been present around Drake and Kayle Even Randidly was slightly flabbergasted as the two spent several minutes awkwardly flirting in the middle of the arena while legions of young women chanted IlldanÆs name from the stands

The two young people shook hands stiffly Tatiana giggled They are honestly pretty cute Do you think they will become a couple after the tournament

Maybe So long as the fight starts soon some of IlldanÆs fans are turning decidedly sour toward Beatrice right now He glanced down at the stands His eyes could read the emotions wafting up from some of the more powerful audience members Can you feel that Several of them are starting to hope that he breaks her head open and is permanently disfigured Jeez IÆll never understand fandoms

You are lucky you project a very unapproachable aura Or youÆd need to deal with even worse Tatiana pointed out Randidly shivered in mock horror earning a laugh Do you know what some people would do to control the most powerful man in the world

RandidlyÆs face went to smile but in that moment he thought of Yystrix trying so hard to control him in the early days Tatiana seemed to sense the sudden drop in his mood and reached toward him but he shook his head and waved a hand Sorry just some weird Nether indigestion IÆm feeling better but this tournament is still exhaustion

Tatiana clearly didnÆt believe him but they both let the subject drop

When the two opponents finally took their position opposite each other on the stage he raised his voice Let the final match in the round of sixteen begin

Chapter 1969

Randidly took his time going through the eight losers of this round Their significance was thick and weighty But more than that getting here had not been easy They deserved some respect for their accomplishments

Azriel was first She almost seemed offended that he brought her to the image world She squinted around and poked at the various aspects of the generated landscape with an intense gaze She eventually sat down and looked at Randidly with an expression of dissatisfaction YouÆve been very thorough in the creation of this place Must have taken quite some time and effort

Randidly couldnÆt help but chuckle enjoying the feeling of sunlight and the wind coming in off of the Hallat River Thank you But I have to admit most of it wasnÆt me because IÆve brought so many other people here their impressions become a part of the space even after they leave I didnÆt take the time to polish every detail because the passage of so many experiences formed the foundation all on its own Nether is pretty convenient in that way

Her nod was sharp and birdlike There was a strangeness to Azriel She sent him furtive glances while he tried to make other small talk and she haltingly responded Not that she seemed nervous but that she seemed to be looking for something in his manner that she couldnÆt find

However the significance of the place soon indicated that Azriel was ready to move on whatever tension she carried it wasnÆt related to losing in the tournament She carried other demons on her shoulders

Next came Wivanya If anything the Frost Dragon BroodmotherÆs enthusiasm to speak with Randidly was even more stressful than AzrielÆs standoffishness The sessions lasted much longer as well Wivanya wanted to give Randidly a complete update on the codes of the religion they had based on him He endured it with a pained smile on his face glad that the dragon didnÆt seem very good at reading emotions

Hurting her feelings would only make the interaction more agonizing But then watching WivanyaÆs large sapphire eyes he wondered if it could possibly be just that he couldnÆt read her disappointment with his lukewarm reaction

That particular anxiety twisted his stomach into a knot

She only departed after securing a promise from Randidly that he would come visit the inner alcove of the Frost Dragons Randidly rubbed the bridge of his nose and moved on to the next dreamer which was Mrs Hamilton

She slumped into the seat next to him and released a long sigh IÆm honestly surprised how much I feel like I need this Talking to someone about it someone unrelated IÆm slightly bitter about the loss Not that I donÆt think Paolo deserved to win I always knew my match against him would be extremely difficult but I wanted to fight against you this time

Randidly raised an eyebrow This time

Recently as IÆve focused more on martial pursuits IÆve discovered that IÆm actually pretty good at them At fighting overcoming opponents Targeting opponents Mrs Hamilton seemed to age ten years as she sat there allowing the lines on her face to sag and cast long shadows across her cheekbones Her gaze remained on the ground in front of her I see more methods more ruthless shortcuts more effective uses of violence Some part of myself the one that has adapted so quickly to this mindset is fearful That IÆll hurt someone That IÆll be so wrapped up in victory that I will not care about my methods

Randidly just observed as she continued to speak It was he had to admit a worry that he had once wrestled with himself

IÆve felt myself becoming a monster that would twist the world in order to obtain my victory I cannot deny its a thrill feeling that capability The ability to force the world to acknowledge you with raw power and desire But I cannot stomach it sometimes So IÆve held myself back I felt it most of all in the match against Paolo That certain instincts would come to me bloodthirsty and vindictive ones instincts I didnÆt dare indulge Who knows if they would have led to my victory or not but at least against you I feel like I could have completely let myself go I could have lashed out with every dangerous thought I possess confident that you could handle it

You definitely wouldnÆt have defeated me with that attitude Randidly pointed out

If I ever fail in my fight against the Nexus if Elhume captures me or grinds my bones to dust Thinking of those futures Randidly felt them Their ways forward were briefly illuminated even as his own potential end loomed closer His body began to tremble a horrible abyss of death pulling him into its depths She will pick up the spear She will have help of course But weirdly she is the being closest to my disposition Everything that I have she could learn

She could avenge me

The moment passed The two of them were simply sitting on the hill about the Hallat To their left the neat cemetery stood with its iron gates and geometric gravestones Randidly released a shaky breath causing Allowaen to flinch They parted silently the sudden lack of negative emotions and her genuine desire to leave teleporting her out of the dream

Which only left Illdan

The spearman from Tellus still seemed shocked as though he still hadnÆt been able to grasp that he had lost in the arena He sat very quietly for a long time on the hill just looking down at his hands

I what do I tell my people Illdan eventually volunteered His voice was low and raw I was supposed to be the Spearman Reborn Even if I didnÆt exactly believe everything they were staying I still have a responsibility to Tellus And I failed them All the effort and resources that have gone into my training have been wasted

Perhaps it was the exhaustion speaking through him but Randidly had no more patience for being kind to this morose younger man If you believe that Tellus had truly named you Spearman Reborn for anything other than grabbing the attention of the masses you are a fool Do you believe you are the most powerful spear user on Tellus Especially while Kimpap has made it a round beyond you without revealing her true depth

Illdan blinked several times as though just noticing RandidlyÆs presence But then his face creased with anger True I might not currently have the most fighting strength However my potential should be one of the highest in the entire Alpha Cosmos And my image is directly from the Spearman

That is also incorrect Randidly shook his head several times Even now it seemed comical to him that he should have to be here having this conversation Your image is actually mine Well I donÆt want to disturb whatever history they are spreading about the Spearman on Tellus these days but his true image wasnÆt related to a spear It was just a tool to pay back a very old debt to someone he loved

And if you want proof about the image being mine Randidly shot Illdan a sharp glance as the younger man opened his mouth undoubtedly to offer a rebuttal Do you remember your previous match Against the other spear user from Tellus IÆm sure you had a sense of enlightenment in those moments You felt unstoppable like you could find an answer to every attack the opponent threw at you ThatÆs because the protective barrier around the arena was made with my memories you were relying on my combat experience in order to fight The reason it transferred so smoothly was that you utilize my Breath of the Spear Phantom That small connection made it possible

Illdan went pale and hiccuped

Now letÆs get to your third and most damning reason that you were absolutely crushed by Beatrice Randidly began to frown just remembering the sorry display of a match that he had been forced to watch She predicted most of your moves because she had been paying attention to you the entire tournament Have you even seen her fight Did you not even bother to research the opponent You

Randidly cut off his small rant feeling the sense of helplessness beginning to waft off of Illdan The spear user slumped in his seat looking lost and weak

So what do I do now Illdan whispered

Randidly reached over and squeezed his shoulder You start again You work on your foundation You train If you want to follow your Path to the finish all you need to do is keep going no matter how difficult the losses become

Chapter 1970

Myself Hank Li Hong Charlotte Wick Paolo Drake Beatrice and Kimpap Alana counted off the top eight on her fingers She and Azriel sat on the edge of a cliff along Tournament Island watching the waves crash against the shore about ten meters below them The air smelled of salt and warmth The heavy stones beneath them had been warmed by the sun Only a few of the individuals I expected have made it Makes the whole process of the tournament interesting I wonder who will be champion

AzrielÆs mouth twisted She impatiently waved a hand in the air The championship ultimately matters not at all What will have a definite impact on the development of the Alpha Cosmos is the challenge against the Ghosthound By targeting his weakness we can ensure he addresses it That should be our main goal

I disagree Alana sucked in a deep breath The heat in her chest made her lightheaded It made the stones and even the sun above them seem cool and light She tapped her foot on the ground eager to move

You think Randidly wonÆt address the weakness once he knows about that Well thatÆs why we must demonstrate its importance Azriel rubbed her chin Although I cannot deny that sometimes that man makes inexplicable decisions

No I mean I think it its a mistake to say that who wins the tournament doesnÆt matter Alana cracked her jaw and rubbed the tip of her tongue along the inside of her front teeth She played with the heat examining it as it radiated out through her limbs in uneven pulses It wasnÆt exactly excitement although there was an element of that

The Ghosthound has promised prizes but recognition and objects will eventually fade Azriel said dismissively

Alana chuckled But itÆs all in preparation for what follows It is ritual do you see The shape of the tournament the steady culling of the unworthy the final winner uniting with some of the most powerful defeated to challenge the Ghosthound sure the winner has no special authority but donÆt you think that the winner will be the centerpiece of the plan to attack the Ghosthound in the challenge That first place is an anointing You become the blade to pierce his heart These are necessary steps

It was an honor that Alana burned for She spent the last few days being consumed by those emotions

That and her desire for revenge on Kimpap for humiliating Wivanya

Hum Yes well Azriel considered that I believe that ritual is often a purposeful delay to artificially inflate the value of something So in a way I suppose there is an element of truth to what you are saying Randidly created the tournament and dragged it out like this so peopleÆs expectations could be set on the power of those from the Nexus Then he could swoop in and shatter those expectations with a thorough demonstration of power

Then Azriel shrugged However that matters little to me Today as I told you IÆd like to show you something A concrete piece of evidence proof you need to listen to my words We can examine the literal manifestation of the GhosthoundÆs folly Do you have the capability to view Nether

Alana clenched her fists and tightened her control over the inferno inside her chest Sometimes she couldnÆt believe she wasnÆt smoking as she walked around the island Gradually she forced back that heat and folded it into a corner of her heart leaving herself clear headed Then she tapped into the Grand Ritual that the Ghosthound had placed in the Core of Expira Her eyes went unfocused as she looked up and saw the milky and dark energy of Nether churning in the sky Yes I can see it

They all sat under it A horrifyingly powerful maelstrom hung over Tournament Island announcing RandidlyÆs presence The lines of energy were beautiful in a way but dangerous as frothing river rapids

Azriel nodded Then she pointed to the sky Look there Right there Do you see ThatÆs the weakness

Alana followed her finger For several seconds she couldnÆt understand And then frowned You mean but why would that be a weakness

Ah of course KimpapÆs smile returned You were raised under the Spearman School a group of body obsessed brutes And your master is Shal who had an extremely rough upbringing himself It could not have been easy to develop as you did

Gradually the amusement slid off RandidlyÆs face He was too tired to engage in this strained discussion what do you want

How quick you are to shift into hostility Kimpap maintained her polite tone but her wicked little smile revealed that she was only too happy to move on to her true purpose in meeting him As you are no doubt aware Shal is very politically important due to his image being used to pass the Second Calamity However once he departed Tellus he never returned Quite a bit of business was left unresolved We are hoping youÆd be able to get us into contact with him

And your involvement in the tournament Randidly said slowly

Kimpap smiled Personally Just to make sure we were able to get your attention There are still some of the old guard alive on Tellus who remember your service to our world Mr Randidly Ghosthound I will gladly bow out and allow your people to claim the top spots in exchange for your assistance

Randidly kept his expression neutral while his mind raced through the possibilities Kimpap had rather impeccable control over her significance and emotions without making his attempts obvious he couldnÆt peer too deeply into her motivations and thoughts And what he could glean just make him feel vaguely uncomfortable She wanted something Very very badly

His pupils dilated as a possibility occurred to him Because Shal being politically important didnÆt seem like the heavy handed and indulgent Tellus elite at all But if it was about more concrete benefits

Considering the patterns that the System followed Randidly had an idea about what this unresolved businessÆ might be

Ah this is about the ancillary reward Randidly said slowly He smiled widely at Kimpap For defeating the Second Calamity

For a brief moment KimpapÆs emotions surged She worried when he said those words But she nodded coolly Indeed As far as we can tell it is extremely difficult for Tellus to accept this reward without him being personally present Some failed experiments revealed it is theoretically possible but not worth the cost Have you been in contact with him recently

RandidlyÆs expression clouded thinking of Shal The current version of Shal who had given up on his own image and boosted his power with crafted armaments His heart ached to think how far his master had fallen

Still no reason to reveal everything I know Randidly glanced at Kimpap gauging her calm eyes Especially when I have no idea whether heÆs still alive

I have been in contact but not recently Randidly said aloud Then he reached up and rubbed his chin Let me make you a deal If you win the tournament IÆll help you resolve the business Either by contacting Shal or making arrangements myself I promise you I donÆt covet the NexusÆs prizes But only if you win the tournament

Kimpap narrowed her eyes You want me to continue competing But why

Because I donÆt think winning the tournament will be as easy as you think Randidly grinned

Chapter 1971

On the day of the quarter finals the mood on Tournament Island changed Even the sky felt it cloudless and endlessly blue

For the past several weeks attendance to the various matches had been steadily dropping The tournament had simply lasted too long for anyone with steady employment to enjoy But in those few hours before the match between Alana and Kimpap the docks and quays were flooded with new arrivals and excited attendees Expira broadly and Donnyton specifically were out in force to support their most powerful fighter

The Frost Dragons too glided in on large glittering wings to the island They made a camp on a deserted beach belching up glittering snow flurries up to the sky and performing religious rites Alana Donal was the ultimate prophet of their religion She wielded a fragment of the GhosthoundÆs divinity

They wouldnÆt miss this fight for the world

Randidly sat on his skyisland watching the sun grip the horizon and leverage itself slowly up into the sky The blue only deepened as it made its ascent Shades and color bowed before it Viewed in this manner it struck him how powerful an image of the sun could be It was a false perspective obviously even with the shenanigans pulled by the System in the rearrangement Randidly was pretty sure Expira still revolved around the sun and not vice versa All movement was done by Expira itself while the sun watched However there was power even in false things

He lowered his gaze to the conflux of significance that began to mix around the arena Then he peered down further into the bowels of Expira where the Nether forges continued to churn out fragments of Nether Weight more efficient than ever

Randidly stretched out a hand and conjured his own Nether Weight the appearance of those shadowy flames across his fingers causing the fabric of reality to hum With enough power we really can warp the world how we want However Mrs Hamilton the question becomes what exactly do we want And will we be able to live with what we think is best

Randidly shook himself to dispel the mood Even if his insight into Nether allowed him to alleviate all the pressure in his Nether Core the interviews with the losers still left him with a strange taste in his mouth Perhaps it was the throughline of regret that they all held

His own regrets inevitably began to bubble to the surface His shoulders ached with the weight of choices not taken

Again shaking himself Randidly sent a message to Neveah checking to make sure there was no change with the Patron of FeathersÆ condition Then he proceeded down from his skyisland to Tournament Island immersing himself in the bustle of noise in preparation for the match For this round two matches would happen a day so Alana and Kimpap in the morning would be followed by Paolo and Charlotte Wick in the evening

Donnyton and their allies were currently hosting a parade a massive sprawling mobile drinking extravaganza that was gradually making loops toward the arena The delegation from Tellus and members of the Vulpis Squad and HeiffalÆs army had similar gatherings each working themselves up into a lather to cheer for their chosen representative

Randidly found Tatiana in the small office box by their high seats above the arena She looked up from several reports in front of her and sighed Well if nothing else you have made a killing in alcohol sales these past two months And now that people have come here and had a taste they want to order bulk shipments back to their homes restaurants and bars You are now a majority shareholder in what will soon become the largest alcohol distributor in the Alpha Cosmos We might need to set up branches on Tellus in the near future We might need to expand our current operations even further

Randidly chuckled wondering if he should suggest Ghostlite a watered down beer to be a part of his alcohol empire Students at Kharon Academy could sneak it into their dorms and sip it while doing a bad job of keeping the noise down But thinking about business reminded him of another task he wanted to address He looked at Tatiana Without him even having to ask she shook her head and said We do have an hour and a half But donÆt you dare come back late Keep things short whatever you want to do

Randidly grinned I mean I would love to keep things short Just depends whether the other party is willing to negotiate

The water cooler glugged as Jane twisted the light blue handle and liquid came out into her small cup Inwardly she cursed the office manager for always purchasing these tiny paper cups She cursed herself for always forgetting to bring in a water bottle She brought the container to her lips and drained the cup without completely quenching her thirst She could only lower the cup and wait to fill it once again

I donÆt need rest He flashed her an irritated look and twisted away He gripped the edge of the doorway and frowned as though he considered breaking it Jane always worried he was about to break something when he got that look I feel great right now Shit bring me a map I bet I can hit another real estate gold mine if I just think a little

N n not a meeting The secretary repeated In JaneÆs hands she was shaking

While patting the poor young womanÆs shoulder somewhere between sympathy and exasperation Jane aimed one of her sharp glances at Johann Johann letÆs be real You are going to make a lot of money due to your foresight in buying the area around BÆs Crossing Jane decided not to think too deeply about the fact that the whole reason he invested in the area was because he liked the food there and that proves you have talent in this field But this is Randidly Ghosthound who owns Kharon and a controlling interest in GhostÆs shipping company He has fingers in Donnyton and the Orchard as well as every expedition that travels to Danger Zones or other worlds for rare materials You need to be clear headed about this This is not a man who dabbles in speculation If he reached out he wants something

Even your father wouldnÆt dare try and make a deal with Randidly Ghosthound Jane thought inwardly

Do I look like IÆm not clear headed Suddenly JohannÆs eyes were filled with bitter antagonism He jabbed his finger at Jane IÆm so tired of you treating me like a child You might have gotten away with this sort of attitude with dad but IÆm

He didnÆt arrange a meeting The secretary screeched rocking everyone back on their heels The noise felt impossibly loud in the cramped and brown hallway

Everyone looked at her After hyperventilating for a few seconds she managed to string together a coherent sentence He Mr Ghosthound didnÆt reach out to arrange a meeting HeÆs here waiting upfront ThatÆs why I could only run right I couldnÆt just stay there in the room with him sitting on that couch oh god

The secretary finally collapsed pressing her head against the wood paneling of the walls Jane reached out unsuccessfully her hand wanting to continue comforting the young woman while the rest of her body was now transfixed Her fingers groped air Even more than his name the rumor of his presence squeezed the group

This time when Jane and JohannÆs eyes met they were in agreement Both began to walk briskly back down the hall toward the small waiting room

As far as waiting rooms went Ironwood Capitol had skimped on their perfunctory attempt There was a desk at which the secretary was positioned directly opposite the glass front doors There was a bland painting of a vase of flowers above a small and poorly upholstered couch to the left Squeezed between the couch and the wall was a slowly dying potted plant

The room they walked into to face the Ghosthound had been transformed by his presence The potted plant in the corner had grown into a twisting bean stock creeping across the walls and ceiling until the room was more leafy foliage than wall Thin tendrils curled out in every direction with more spawning even as Jane took all of this in

The painting had been every more warped the subject matter still vaguely resembled what had been there previously yet Jane felt briefly transfixed by the vase Suddenly the painting seemed to have been wrought of the life essence of ExpiraÆs greatest painting talent Several sprigs of lilac were tucked into that glass container Just looking at it took her breath away

The curl of the petals was achingly beautiful Small motes of violet wafted somehow away from the painting filling the room with a fresh smell

The couch remained the same which only served to make the muscular and athletic body of Randidly Ghosthound appear more out of place Jane felt dizzy looking at him He wasnÆt exactly handsome only sharp and direct He sat in a clean shirt and pants Meeting his gaze was like jumping into an emerald firework above a frigid lake A whooshing rushing shocking experience For several seconds she couldnÆt breathe

Mr Ghosthound JohannÆs voice squeaked What a pleasant surprise Why why donÆt you come back to my office so we can discuss business

The GhosthoundÆs mouth quirked up at the corner No need LetÆs just talk here

Chapter 1972

Johann shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he choked on the GhosthoundÆs words Jane eyed the young man next to her with something like pity But the initiative displayed by when he addressed the Ghosthound ran out So the two could only stand there awkwardly while the Ghosthound leaned back on the cheap couch and studied them for several seconds

Besides Can we even deny that the Ghosthound has made this room the most interesting in the office simply by waiting in here for a little less than two minutes JaneÆs mouth felt very dry

Looking at him she was reminded of a conversation she once had with Dmitri Rainor JohannÆs father only a few months ago In retrospect she suspected that it had been this interaction that led to her current post They had been sitting in his sunroom with Dmitri slathering butter onto a roll as part of his morning ritual Jane had brought a prospective business plan to DmitriÆs attention a pet project that she had been secretly researching for almost six months

The wait was agonizing Inwardly she had been mentally sprinting through the plan over and over again as he examined it

The Rainor Family was rich but just rich enough to provide for their descendants Not politically dominant rich like some of the other factions on Expira This plan Jane sincerely believed would change that

Dmitri read through the plan with his characteristic attention to detail His habit of pausing and rereading an entire paragraph he didnÆt quite get was agonizing Occasionally he took a sip of his coffee The roll had been left forgotten on the side Sunlight filtered through the wide windows as he read

Eventually he set down the packet and looked up at Jane This is a very good idea Well done Jane

Jane had nodded eagerly as relief swept through her to earn his approval Alright IÆll get the documents drawn up in the morning If we move fast

Wait We wonÆt be implementing this idea ourselves Dmitri had straightened and carefully adjusted the starched collar of his shirt He picked up his roll and returned to buttering it as though he had never stopped I have some contacts I can pass the plan along to Very original Perfectly timed Impeccable work as always Jane Your holiday bonus will surely reflect the initiative that youÆve displayed here

I what Emotions had warred in JaneÆs heart She felt flush with the confidence she had feared would be proved false for so long vindicated in the months of extra hours at the office trying to piece together data from shipping yields and sales numbers She felt slightly dizzy as she looked at Dmitri We will pass this on But why I calculated the loan we could expect to get If itÆs a matter of capital we can handle

Jane DmitriÆs voice had been gentle But more than that his tone hid a deep and sorrowful fear as he looked at her She had worked for him for almost three years following him as he picked the Rainor Family up from the scraps and made it a business power in modern Expira He was the most competent man she knew And because of that she was just a little bit in love with him

But right now he was afraid

He reached out and put and weathered hand on her shoulder His touch felt light I can understand why you would be disappointed but the Rainor Family cannot eat this meal youÆve prepared for us We dare not lest we attract the wrong sort of attention

Why the hell not Jane blurted out

Dmitri sighed We do not hold the power to protect anything more than what we have Without genuine power without someone who has begun to understand their own image well it is not safe to be too successful on Expira

In the present Jane finally felt how what Dmitri had said was indeed true She couldnÆt suppress the fascination she felt toward his every minute detail this man felt more real than anything else she had ever encountered The GhosthoundÆs chest visibly rose and fell as he breathed And Jane felt his muscles contract and relax Sitting atop the planet this man reigned Had reigned for about as long as the System had taken over the world This sensation was entirely different than Dmitri

Jane had even once met the newly elected President of Zone 1 once shaken his hand after a speech on expanding System education Classes to refugees At the time she had been captivated by the PresidentÆs charm and presence He could manipulate attention at will utilizing his clever framing to quickly rise to power in the cutthroat Zone 1

Meanwhile the Ghosthound released a bark of laughter Cash And what would you do with more cash Continue throwing your life away

For several seconds Johann just stared Standing like this his limbs seemed too thin for his torso Then he went red You have no right to talk that way to me

You stupid here look The Ghosthound flipped his hand around and beckoned Almost of its own accord JohannÆs body walked toward him Her bossÆs eyes bulged evidencing his shock and fear as he approached Jane could see sweat glistening on the back of his neck as he kneeled in front of the Ghosthound who reached out and tapped a finger to his chest

Dumm

That light touch resonated in JaneÆs bones

You what Johann collapsed beginning to cough

The Ghosthound made a graceful gesture with his long fingers A strange brown liquid flowed out of JohannÆs nose and mouth He gathered it into a ball floating above his pointer finger You are being dosed with a nasty sort of Skill to make you addicted to something And suggestable And it would instill a certain sort of admiration in you toward the original user See All this trash was in your body You agreed to have it within you or else it wouldnÆt have penetrated so deeply

The Ghosthound flicked his hand sideways sending the brown liquid splashing on some of the plants growing on the wall When touched by the strange liquid most of the leaves began to wither and curl Johann could barely breathe let alone speak as the Ghosthound leaned back in his chair The coughing fit continued to stretch

The GhosthoundÆs face stiffened for a second time Suddenly his green eyes looked gleeful as he looked down at the heaving body of Johann Is this sort of favor acceptable as payment

His words echoed with a much more sinister question how much cash is your life worth

Tatiana looked up and then beamed at him as he stepped out of the portal lease in hand Oh my what a pleasant surprise You actually came back twenty minutes early

Randidly rolled his eyes Am I really that unreliable

Undoubtedly Tatiana answered with mock seriousness Then she offered Randidly a playful curtsy After you We have a tournament to watch

When Randidly walked out of the preparation box and onto their dais above the arena the crowd noise rose like the tide beneath him Complex webs of Nether spun in the air churning around his person in a grand pattern The current of the present swept so much of history into its urgent pull Even RandidlyÆs Nether Core hummed in sympathy to the rising tension that came over the arena

Once Randidly and Tatiana were in their seats the two competitors walked out onto the arena The howls for Alana Donal were deafening she was definitely the home favorite Yet the pressure released by Kimpap silenced the crowd somewhat forcing their jeers to recede before her presence

Right before the end she looked up at Randidly with sharp eyes as though to ask if he truly wished for her to go through with this and utilize her full power to win

Randidly just chuckled For the first match of the quarter finals Alana versus Kimpap

Chapter 1973

As soon as Randidly called out the words AlanaÆs instincts began to scream in warning Goosebumps sprang to life up and down her arms Although it ran counter to her entire strategy although the burning inferno she carried within her chest demanded immediate violence she had not survived the System this long by ignoring her instincts

She sidestepped A culling wind swept across the arena from Kimpap to the spot where she had been standing previously A wicked curve was carved in the floor of the arena in a split second by the lashing strike that whizzed past Alana The whole stadium shook Randidly suddenly floated at the base of the stands absorbing the force of KimpapÆs attack with his body after it ripped its way through his Nether barrier

In a single moment AlanaÆs opponent had completely seized image control in the surrounding area Kimpap smirked over at Alana Behind her back a massive shadowy face grinned Its bleeding gums sprouted skinny spear teeth giving it the horrifying mouth of a miniature whale For eyes it had two deep abysses holding nothing and drinking in the sights of the world

The air whispered to Alana telling her that she would die Kimpap raised her spear for another attack The blade was slightly curved and the rest of the weapon was matte black Only the edge of the blade shimmered in the dimming light

Yea AlanaÆs hands began to sweat with nervousness But she couldnÆt prevent a grin from stretching itself across her face Light began to radiate from her body but was quickly devoured by the gloomy atmosphere Her Fate transformed pearly wings stretching above her head This is what itÆs supposed to be like The First Revelation Advance

Golden fire surged around Alana as she launched herself forward KimpapÆs figure blurred but with AlanaÆs high Stats she kept up with the movement However Kimpap took a very familiar route to meet her she was utilizing AzrielÆs method of striking the Revelation at the perfect angle to disperse the force

Alana adjusted at the last second even as Kimpap made another adjustment to counter her Both their spears bent at the rapid calculation right before impact AlanaÆs spear arrived in time deflecting KimpapÆs attack Around her a river of orange and gold fire surged forward to inflict some damage

The revelation shattered Alana didnÆt even have time to react before a second spear drew a searing line across her side Cursing Alana hopped backward Above the arena the horrifying face with its thin teeth leered down at her A shadowy figure hovered in the space to Alana’s right where the strike had originated It held another dull spear that ended in a curved blade

Her eyes narrowed This woman is a Tellus Master Her images can move independently of her body

It was a method of honing images that wasnÆt very popular on Expira mostly because Randidly didnÆt rely on it for his own power Maybe even most people didnÆt know it was possible Randidly instead chose to combine his three images into one powerful whole rather than separating them into independent actors Against more powerful foes RandidlyÆs strategy made sense But against individuals around your strength an image moving independently was a dangerous prospect

AlanaÆs pulse rose to the challenge She lowered her spear even as the two Kimpaps one shadow and one Tellite moved to surround her Even as the arena became gloomier her wild smile remained fixed in place The Second Revelation Struggle

Momentum and energy surged through AlanaÆs body She feinted forward then pounced at the image Kimpap A thick burst of orange first spun around the tip of her weapon as she struck The image body would probably reform but attacking it seemed the unpredictable option Her spear blurred into a dozen thrusts fangs of orange gold fire to rip into this image being

What Alana hadnÆt expected was that the shadow Kimpap would just grin showing those ugly teeth It thrust a shadow spear forward on a whispering line that somehow severed the core of AlanaÆs image For a split second she simply hung their her momentum dispersed In a much more efficient method than the one Azriel had come up with her Skill had been broken

The follow up thrust caught Alana in the shoulder even as she tried to shimmy out of the way And even as she managed to open up some space from the image projection the real Kimpap slammed a kick into AlanaÆs wounded side Grunting she crashed to the ground and rolled several meters

Even worse than the pain was the numbness Too many of her Revelations had been broken too quickly Her mental wounds ached

Of course Kimpap wouldnÆt miss this chance The three versions of herself one physical and two image projections circled around Alana The expressions on those faces in the sky twisted into warped and exaggerated versions of themselves

Not only were the thrusts viciously targeted to exploit AlanaÆs weaknesses but occasionally they were empowered by that horrible whispering force The longer they fought the more wounds dotted AlanaÆs body Her blood dried on her arms as she was forced into a flurry of motion and unable to staunch the wounds as they were carved open

Alana slipped on some of her own blood falling to a knee The main body of Kimpap lunged forward Alana activated Revelation Struggle Her image trembled not used to switching between the Revelations in such short succession But after a few sputtering seconds light and pain erupted across her skin

The ache doubled when Kimpap casually cut sideways into the image causing whispers to surge in a mournful harmony The gloom tightened and squeezed Beneath that pressure the Revelation shattered The grimacing face projection of Kimpap was behind Alana and she had no choice but to reach again for the Revelations The Fourth Revelation Divinity

The two faces that dominated the sky warped into a leer The whispers grew louder and AlanaÆs body grew rigid KimpapÆs spear riggled and aimed for that perfect source of golden light hovering near her chest The wings of AlanaÆs Fate curled down protectively but that thrust couldnÆt be deflected

Divinity shattered and AlanaÆs body crashed to the ground

For several seconds she just lay there looking up at those horrid faces that loomed above them Alana could hear her breathing but very little else around her the entire arena seemed to have fallen silent Because of the haze of KimpapÆs image she couldnÆt even see Randidly Alana squeezed her eyes shut

After allowing herself a single moment of self pity she pushed herself to her feet Kimpap inclined her head slowly You fight well I will agree to a rematch in the future after you have time to polish yourself further Goodbye Alana Donal

Her lips were dry and bloody But Alana couldnÆt help but laugh mostly because of how sure her opponent was of her victory

Alana would give Kimpap this she was quite professional as she moved to finish the match She didnÆt pause when Alana laughed simply lowered her shoulders and charged forward The curved end of the spear gleamed with promise The two image projections spread outward prepared for her to dodge

Yet Alana didnÆt feel fear In fact she felt relief Because when Divinity broke she finally felt something in her image shift The limit for her power rose now it was just a matter of reaching out and taking more

In the next moment Alana stepped forward as an avatar of orange gold fire to meet the warrior from Tellus And she wanted to win

Chapter 1974

Randidly sat next to the bedridden Alana and worked on his Nether awareness Occasionally he glanced at her taking in the torn image remnants left on her skin that still glowed like cooling coals But mostly he kept his attention inward with the amount he was activating his Animation Nova her body would soon pull itself together

As for her image she would need to try and make sense of the aftermath of the match Randidly closed his eyes and focused on his Nether Core Time began to accelerate

Congratulations Your Skill Nether Sensation has grown to Level 921

Congratulations Your Skill Nether Sensation has grown to Level 940

AlanaÆs eyelids fluttered at first and then the remnant embers of orange flame that clung to her skin surged into finger length tongues Randidly watched impassively keeping her from setting the bed alight with a curt gesture of his finger Otherwise he simply continued to manifest his Fourth Authority Animation Nova Her body and Willpower both almost entirely depleted eagerly absorbed the radiation

A few minutes after that her eyes opened her gaze was immediately aware and focused She looked at him and grimaced How long was I

Almost two days Randidly flashed a wry smile as he allowed his perception to leave the folding world of Nether For a while during the match I was definitely worried about you You started pulling in a lot of strange Aether and Nether and burning it to fuel your explosion of force for that Skill From what I could tell the combustion created emotional pollution and that eventually overburdened your brain to the point you collapsed

Alana closed her eyes again She squeezed the small blanket covering her body So I lost

Randidly shook his head ruefully If you had lost I wouldnÆt be so intent on nursing you back to health in a short time You won if only because Kimpap was unwilling to truly manifest her images to fight against you In your rage you targeted her physical body and forced a confrontation she wasnÆt willing to commit to I donÆt think she wants me to see her actual power She will regret it though the reward for the tournament is shaping up to be more valuable than I thought and will be split amongst the top four

Alana mulled that over for a few minutes in silence If anything her tension seemed to rise with the knowledge she hadnÆt yet lost Randidly could feel her emotions steadily churning through relief disappointment and a burning determination in just a few seconds Eventually she grounded herself and opened her eyes once again You probably would have preferred that I lose yes I am considered ExpiraÆs most powerful warrior I would prove your point about us being out of touch with the power level in the Nexus had Kimpap been able to come in from Tellus and defeat me

Randidly chuckled and waved his hand The tournament is just a tournament for the population of the Alpha Cosmos A way to encounter different warriors from different areas and breed goodwill And itÆs supposed to demonstrate your powers to the broader population this match did that splendidly After your power is established IÆll take care of showing Expira how dangerous the Nexus can be with only needing a small amount of assistance from you

Alana clicked her tongue in distaste at his arrogant attitude but she couldnÆt refute it She just shot him a sour look and changed the subject So Two days What happened to the rest of the matches

Charlotte beat Paolo He did not flinch before her overwhelming physical abilities and she started to feel very threatened by how stubbornly he refused to lose She had to shatter his left leg and pop a few organs before he collapsed Honestly he looked much worse than you did Randidly shook his head The only difference was that he was definitely conscious fighting through every moment of the pain After that Hank lost to Li Hong The betting houses made a lot of money from that one It didnÆt seem like his heart was in the fight and the dispersive nature of Li HongÆs abilities was somewhat difficult for him to address After you lost and had to be healed well

Tatiana blinked several times Those arenÆt those the romance novels that star a young Classless girl being swept away by a rich and high Level millionaire With several well described physical interactions between the two of them

Whose stubbornness obliviousness and awkward emotional moves distinctly resemble a certain irresponsible Ghosthound Neveah continued to look distinctly scandalized Her grimace was comical enough that Tatiana huffed out a laugh Ugh I used to Bleh

Sydney threw her hands up in the air This is sorta why I didnÆt want to talk about it Yes I drew heavily from RandidlyÆs personality Or at least from his palpable presence And knowing him and the people from Donnyton made it easy to be inspired to create the mysterious and harsh character of Edwin Hawk for the flagship series But honestly after all the shit I went through due to Randidly IÆm pretty sure he at least owes me a fictional cameo Besides it would never even occur to him to be accidentally romantic If anything IÆm doing him a PR favor by writing these books Suddenly ten thousand teenage girls are moon eyed over the possibility of meeting a mysterious and powerful stranger appearing in the dark

Teenage girls Tatiana couldnÆt help but giggle More like a million middle aged women fantasizing about him Do you know anything about HawkÆs DarknessÆ becoming a movie Ha I wonder who they will cast This is a secret that we definitely canÆt let him find out

Then change the subject Neveah hissed She pressed her hands to her face her expression was flushed IÆve read those books IÆve fantasized ugh IÆm seriously going to throw up That was my Soulbond companion and Randidly isnÆt training so if I get any more embarrassed heÆs going to notice and his consciousness will drift over to investigate why IÆm feeling like this

Several mimosa pitchers into the meal Tatiana spoke and then regretted it immediately She looked at Sydney So whatÆs going on between you and Drake

The table fell into an uneasy silence Tatiana scolded herself for speaking as thoughtlessly as Randidly She was definitely spending too much time with him But at the very least it did change the subject

We had a fight Sydney said slowly About about him trying to work through some of his trauma and recover his fighting strength I thought I just want him to be happy you know And we have been since he recovered and finished his rehab ItÆs been I wake up in a warm dream every morning Yes IÆm busy and yes I write with a heavy reliance on Randidly and that makes me feel vaguely guilty but IÆm happy

But he got it into his head that he wants to be strong for me He wants to directly overcome whatever pain put him into that coma in the first place I think part of it is that he hopes he can rediscover his ability to speak in the process Sydney let out a long breath and her body seemed to sag without the air But itÆs not worth the risk What if he falls into another coma

Neveah reached over and put her hand on SydneyÆs Her smile was brittle ItÆs a hard thing Watching the people in our life run toward danger so constantly It can eat away at you being the one who thinks and feels the consequences But you canÆt let it overshadow everything else

I know Sydney whispered She reached up and dabbed at the corners of her eyes with a napkin She force a warm smile on her face and took another deep gulp of mimosa ThatÆs why IÆm here right To see you two obviously but also IÆll be there to see what happens to him

I mean he made it to the semi finals Tatiana observed HeÆs certainly strong And Randidly gets a very intense gaze when he watches DrakeÆs matches I can sorta tell from it that heÆs intrigued by what he sees

Ugh Sydney pressed her forehead against the table ThatÆs the worst Because now that he made it this far even if he would win he will fight Randidly And whatever else I know about him he will not be gentle to Drake because he is recovering from injury

Tatiana and Neveah both took their own deep gulps rather than acknowledging that statement Because neither would be able to deny it

Chapter 1975

Randidly folded his hands across his knees Even if this was a projected image the sun felt pleasantly warm on his skin He took a deep breath and reached out through the significance of the tournament to find his targets

Four losers were a number that he could definitely handle without breaking a sweat And he took his time with these because they would be part of the group that would challenge him The first arrived very quickly Suddenly next to him Kimpap looked around with interest You so perfectly preserved this view Such a nostalgic scene Did you pass through here once before the reformation On your way with Shal to fight against the Wights

He felt confused but tried not to let it show on his face She recognized him before did she really not understand his circumstances no it was because I was deployed on the front during the retreat I fought all the way from the South coast to the Hallat The WightÆs road to the Hasham was paved with the bodies of my unit That cemetery I dug the original graves by hand

Randidly felt a vein throb in his brow as he recalled it Suddenly all the foreign impressions he had discussed with Azriel were twisted by the truth of his emotional memory of this place A deep and subtle ache spread out from his chest and restructured the entirety of his constructed vision Nothing physically changed but the tone of everything became more reserved

Intellectually Randidly could acknowledge how fascinating Nether was as an energy to see it ripple out and cascade out to arrange itself But at the moment the old feelings of desperation and fear rose in his throat

The Nether that connected the past with the present hummed

Oh of course You were part of the war effort as a special forces officer Shal was busy with other pursuits and left you alone Kimpap favored Randidly with a small smile Something tightened in his chest as he looked at her expression She had known he had fought here but she had pretended like she did not Why

To taint his feelings for Shal

Of course my opinion of the current Shal is quite complex But not for any reasons you understand Randidly sighed to himself

Kimpap continued to speak while looking serenely around at the rolling grass of the hills If IÆm being honest I much prefer this landscape to what it has become The past several years have been rather rough for Tellus The grass has withered and been stomped down a lot of areas around the capital have become haphazard training centers for Styles trying to establish names for themselves Without a centralized leader with so many displaced people after the Wight Wars with the continued problems with Aether

Randidly felt that tightness again as he listened to Kimpap He narrowed his eyes but he still spoke There should be no problems with Aether any longer I would have assumed that in the time after Shal overcame the Second Calamity energy would flow freely And now that Tellus is part of the Alpha Cosmos Aether is no longer a problem

Oh indeed Perhaps IÆm not abreast of the current developments Again Kimpap showed an embarrassed smile Then she fell silent and stared forward

Randidly wanted to growl at this pointless gaming but held himself back Clearly she wanted something from him not the other way around If she refused to do anything but play coy it wasnÆt any of his business But he did have one more question for Kimpap so he cleared his throat and asked So why did you decide to hold back against Alana Even with that final effort I have a hard time believing you couldnÆt have held her at bay for long enough for her psyche to collapse

You overestimate me Kimpap bowed her head She is young and I am old The constant rise of new heroes is part of the sorrow and joy of educating the next generation I can only hope that someday our Illdan becomes talented enough to surpass her

So IÆve worked really really hard to try and catch up to your power I well IÆll challenge you right But losing against Drake IÆm probably not too close yet Since I have you here I guess I just wanted to ask what itÆs like Being so powerful but having to carry so many made and unmade decisions with you

Rand clenched his right hand and then loosened his grip before the dream world picked up that aching sense of helplessness He tried his best to think about the question even as his heart shed ugly tears inside his ribcage I can sorta understand the feeling you are looking for ItÆs not something that I can describe But I will say that itÆs something that clings to you Because once you are exposed to it you can never escape it Every step you take possibilities infest every decision you are offered And some morning I wake up and it takes a long time before I feel okay with sitting up I just canÆt move But I also have to move Do you see You are pulled both ways The momentum of my invisible mass keeps me rushing forward But the weight makes every bit of distance traveled that much more difficult

Beatrice just nodded and vanished from the dream world

Sighing Randidly returned to his skyisland and took a nap Somehow he knew that it would be difficult to shake this mood When he awoke he spent some time polishing the emotional affect of his three images Then he worked on pushing his Nether Sensation even higher he believed he would be able to get it to Level 1000 before he turned to the Nexus

However it did not happen yet Before he knew it it was time to officiate the semifinal round of the tournament As he settled into his seat he felt the mechanisms of the grand Nether Ritual in Expira becoming more sophisticated Not only had it successfully fabricated quite a bit of Nether Weight but it also began to tailor the rewards to the Alpha Cosmos The winners would receive some extra benefit so long as they operated within the Alpha Cosmos

Alana Donal fought against Charlotte Wick in a cataclysmically destructive fight that forced Randidly to deploy YggdrasilÆs image entirely to prevent any collateral deaths from the enthusiastic crowd The two women stoically flared their images and engaged in a vicious melee in the middle of the arena Alana continued to push the limits of her slightly reworked image and Charlotte continued to hone the synergy between her original image and HelenÆs

Both improved over the course of the match

In the end Randidly suspected that AlanaÆs injuries werenÆt quite healed from fighting against Kimpap Charlotte raised her head and roared a defiant call when he announced her the winner Her spirit shook the arena

On the other side of the bracket a much less bombastic match occurred Li Hong fought against Drake Where the other side possessed image power these two were more concerned with emotional finesse Li Hong thrived my misdirecting force and unleashing penetrative palm strikes However those only broke open DrakeÆs bone armor and revealed his monstrous inner form more quickly

RandidlyÆs face became increasingly serious as he felt Drake walk purposefully toward the edge of madness The emotional complexity was intimidating even for him More and more of DrakeÆs armor cracked and was discarded His self control fell away with it His elemental continued to try and pierce through his limbs and keep him focused but Drake in that form ignored all pain

Drake swam in an emotional sea of his own making just as dangerous and vicious as the Path waiting on the dark side of the moon His significance lay heavily across his shoulders as he lashed out with crushing blows against Li Hong In the end it almost seemed like he fought just as much against himself as fought against the man from Zone 7

Just as the fight began to get exciting enough to rival Alana and CharlotteÆs fight Li Hong conceded The crowd muttered in disappointment but they quickly brightened against as the final match of the three month long tournament was announced

Charlotte Wick would duel against Drake an old warrior from Zone 32 Both fought like mad dogs it was sure to be entertaining if nothing else

And then finally it would be time for Randidly to act personally

Chapter 1976

Randy sat in the back portion of the kitchen at BÆs Crossing looking up from an eclectic mixture of carrots and parsnips they were supposed to rid of image fragments before the dinner rush began Nrorce leaned against the stove humming tunelessly to himself while he pulled out the morningÆs scones From what Randy could tell with their nose the scones were blueberry walnut

The goblin made a frightful face when he meticulously examined the baked goods The steady darkening of his expression indicated that he was deeply unsatisfied with the result even as an incredibly appetizing aroma spread throughout the kitchen After activating their image and absorbing for a bit Randy moved to the long window that let the kitchen staff see the restaurant they hadnÆt opened yet but there was already a long line of people waiting at the door for their scones

Even if they didnÆt meet NrorceÆs impossible standard Randy guessed they would sell just fine They certainly looked good

So after the tournament is over Randy began slowly Lately they had been getting increasingly anxious about the future Are we going to be okay Can we stay here Bethyl has been so stressed And she says the only reason we get so much business is because of the tournament

These things tend to work themselves out Nrorce shrugged without even looking at Randy Then he swept over to the carrots and parsnips and inspected them Did you do your job properly

Randy nodded and shrugged at the same time But what if they donÆt work themselves out What are we going to do

We just do it somewhere else You think I can only cook in this kitchen Nrorce grumbled and gestured with his hand Some Skill of his levitated the vegetables so they marched in a neat line after him as he walked over to the cutting board With practiced ease he began to chop the vegetables into thin slices His hand moved so fast it looked like a blur to Randy We can always make another restaurant Maybe someplace with goblin sized bathtubs

RandyÆs expression twisted thinking of the house they shared with Bethyl tucked away in the hills But I like it here

Which do you like more here or this This atmosphere with the people Nrorce paused in his chopping long enough to wave his gleaming knife around at the restaurant Sometimes life makes you choose

I donÆt want to choose Randy continued stubbornly But now Nrorce just shrugged and continued his task

The conversation ceased as Randy tried to make sense of that Eventually Nrorce cleared his throat So who do you think is going to win in the tournament

Randy shook their head IÆm not sure But everyone keeps bringing up the challenge that happens after Is this Ghosthound really so powerful he can fight eight people at once The same Ghosthound that visits us sometimes while IÆm not here

The squat blue goblin gave Randy a strange look Then he chuckled and rubbed his chin Heh The people in this world donÆt understand what sort of monster sits at their head The Ghosthound is too distant in some ways Yes he will defeat them all I suspect it wonÆt even be very much fun to watch

That seems impossible Randy remarked These people can crack the ground with punches

Even now remembering that brief moment when Devick had unleashed her full image against him in the competition for Charlotte left him somewhat shaken The insidious madness that burned in her gaze

ThatÆs why I need to take on this challenge and demonstrate the gulf that exists between myself and the people of the Alpha Cosmos Randidly clenched his fist until his knuckles popped I might be kind but someone like Devick would not be She would do horrible things to Expira if she could come here

Every 100 PP put into the Path earned Randidly two free Stats A thousand free Stats later he received the completion notifications

Congratulations You have completed the Keyholder to the Infinite Nether Passages Path You have ascended beyond the mundane trails most use to traverse the vast wilderness Thick masses of Nether energy cloud the air Your perception has expanded to include dimensions that most others would miss the combination of your affinity for Nether and innate sensitivity to your environment opens up a whole new method of travel

You walk down dark passages entering into secret areas that lay untouched Every turn folds the world You head deeper toward the core of space

Before you a vast array of portals appear Some are doors some are windows some are gates some are holes All of them lead to different pasts or futures Time and space blend together to become one indiscernible morass of alignment But the longer you examine the phenomenon the more you realize that nothing is fixed When you look away toward other eye catching openings the passages drift Possibilities make all the clusters pathways run amongst each other If you wait long enough the past can become the future If you wait long enough the mundane becomes novel

The charged possibilities of transformation excite the crossroads

Congratulations Your realization about the nature of the world refines the functioning of your Nether Core Its capacity to hold Nether has increased Its ability to pump Nether through your body is greatly increased Your physical affinity to all Nether is slightly increased you are much more at home in Nether environments

The dark crossroads wait eagerly for your footsteps Some ancient force begins to stir

Congratulations Reaction +300 You have gained the Skill

Warning Your Nether Core is beginning to activate in response to your Path completion Your Fateset The Paradox of the Alchemist is reacting to your Path completion

Skill has been incorporated into your Fatepiece the Philosopher’s Key Your PhilosopherÆs Key has evolved into the AlchemistÆs Passport Ride the flows of time and space move freely through the insubstantial barriers of existence Warp the fabric of reality around you Perhaps in your fantastic travels you will discover that critical ingredient to make the impossible attainable

Chapter 1977

Raymund Ballast moved through the stands toward his seat Due to his large size and three fluffy tails several children cooed in wonder at him as he made his way through the press of the crowd Some parents made perfunctory efforts to quiet their children but most were too caught up in the chatter around the stadium to say anything

In a very real way the excitement of the finals was already contagious Now this mass of people just waited for the spectacle to begin

Honestly Raymund didnÆt mind the wonder in the childrenÆs eyes He was just inwardly glad that he hadnÆt participated in the tournament so that he could still move through the city without being crowded by fans Being mobbed by such a high energy group felt oddly terrifying

DiOrtho Vant noticed his approach and waved Due to his relative fame he kept a low burn of his image present in the air the grinding screech of his Machine Horror dissuading even the most enthusiastic fan Raymund squeezed down the hall and sat next to his second in command looking up at the giant board above the arena which announced the battle between Charlotte and Drake

Happy Raymund was definitely happy that he didnÆt get the chance to fight to his limits in the arena The consequences of doing so would have been quite inconvenient

DonÆt look so sour Vant laughed next to Raymund This portion of this event might draw attention but it will only become pain when they need to fight against the Ghosthound

Raymund glanced sideways at Vant Despite the fact he wanted to agree with the sentiment some inner fire flared in his heart Have you no inner desire to challenge the Ghosthound yourself

Well whether or not I have that desire is kinda irrelevant to my point Vant shrugged but wouldnÆt meet RaymundÆs gaze Every time I think I understand what Randidly is capable of he disappears for a few months and comes back with unexpected depths He is not a man that rests at all HeÆs always pushing his limits The challenge against him will be a rather overwhelming confrontation I believe Even for these eight

But the event will be quite illuminating Raymund said firmly Before the conversation could continue further the appearance of the Ghosthound and Tatiana caused the noise of the crowd to explode out across the arena

The moment had arrived

Soon the doors to the different contestant entrances opened From one walked a tall and sturdy looking bear woman Her metal armor wrapped tightly around her body only showing a few tufts of thick brown fur Her eyes were bright and the strange mixture of forest green and maroon swirled about her body evidence of her powerful image The specter of the Primal Force stalked behind her with its wide rack of antlers and the bloody wings of bone and clumps of torn flesh

It had once been a majestic creature that resembled a stag but the additions Charlotte had made morphed it into something vaguely sinister It walked on two legs hunched over the knuckles of its long arms dragging against the ground Its firm muscles were a testament to how robust its tenacity for life was

And the implacable determination of its master

Opposite her came Drake Raymund had seen a few of DrakeÆs matches but still found this participant to be slightly inscrutable He was dressed in shorts and a t shirt with only his bastard sword as equipment Due to prior trauma the man didnÆt speak or make much noise at all In addition his image had only a vague manifestation that stood starkly in contrast to the other competitors in the top 8

However Raymund had a theory about why Drake had been able to make it this far anyway he believed the true form of DrakeÆs image was inside his body Although the audience couldnÆt see it the fact that he managed to stand toe to toe with his foes thus far proved he didnÆt lack potency and focus

Somehow Raymund suspected that this final match would draw out that inner power

Still the entire audience felt the impact and saw the ground rupture as Charlotte brought her hammer blow down on where Drake had been struggling to his feet A horrifying roar of blood and life exploded drilling wildly in every direction and digging several thin tunnels in the ground around the area

As CharlotteÆs image dissipated the Ghosthound lowered his key In a disorienting jump the ground vanished and suddenly they were back close to the action The ground just beneath the front of the stands was still cracked and collapsing from withstanding CharlotteÆs strike Those perfect holes twisted and curved down into a complex warren The crowd held its breath trying to make sense of the scene in front of it

Clouds of dust billowed outward eventually revealing a cracked and barely whole bug creature

Even Raymund had a moment where he couldnÆt grasp exactly what he was seeing At first he wondered whether Drake had completely transformed into some segmented insectoid with six spindly legs but gradually he recognized this creature At the deepest point of the crater directly underneath the remaining portion of CharlotteÆs wiggling attack was the morphed body of DrakeÆs Elemental

The thing had inflated itself to protect its struggling master As for Drake himself there was no sign

It had only a small face of a porcupine remaining beneath its heavily armored and now cracked frame Its eyes were red and hateful as it glared up across at Charlotte Then its legs collapsed the elemental unable to withstand her power Like a drying sandcastle its extended limbs flaked and cracked away Only that small face and a trembling pink body remained Blood leaked out of its mouth

The elemental emitted a whimper

You CharlotteÆs gaze grew heavy Yet before she could speak further the stage behind her erupted Drake his body pulsing and almost quantumly jittering side to side A geyser of soft purple gas erupted with him as he returned to the stage It swirled outward slipping in beneath CharlotteÆs more domineering image He had no bone armor on his body and the top of his helmet had been ripped away revealing wild eyes and torn skin

Only the bottom part of his rigid exterior remained on his head looking his jaw in place

He whipped his body around in a brutally fast heel kick Unfortunately his opponent was Charlotte who had endured the grueling physical training regimen designed by the sadistic combination of Randidly Ghosthound and Helen Her arm whipped up and deflected the kick Then she closed the distance and reached for his throat If you fucking think this will be enough

Raymund felt the strange resonance coming from DrakeÆs chest Time seemed to slow and the hair along the VulpineÆs arms began to stand on end This feeling

In terms of power it was still a feeble image from an Expiran but in terms of shrieking intensity and pure madness Raymund Ballast couldnÆt help but recall the leering face of Actus Suprem Devick

DrakeÆs head vanished and appeared a half meter to the left while CharlotteÆs fingers tightened on nothing but air A hundred possible fists blurred at his sides and slammed into her body She took a staggering step back but then her eyes blazed with fury Behind her the figure of the Primal Force condensed once more It raised its head and roared releasing a gushing wave of brown maroon and forest green power that swept away DrakeÆs purple gas and even threw him physically off the stage once more

A painful execution then CharlotteÆs footfalls were heavy as she crossed the stage

Drake’s muscles bulged as heaved himself back to a standing position His eyes were nearly incandescent with pain and madness the man might be witnessing the future or entirely blind it was difficult to tell

Yet the emotional surge within his chest came again He captured that feeling once more Drake slammed his fist against the ground and the hilt of a sword jutted up past the base of the area He gripped the hilt and pulled out his massive bastard sword When Charlotte lowered her shoulders and charged forward this time Drake was ready

Chapter 1978

Each impact shook the arena both the fighters had almost impossibly powerful bodies although one was based on an image and only one had been honed through training Their titanic collisions had enough momentum that a low pressure system began to build above the fight If not for RandidlyÆs gentle guidance for the fight it might have started to rain across tournament island

He couldnÆt help but grin as he watched them matching each other first with physical contests Perhaps IÆve had more of a distinct impact than I thought At the very least this amount of physical prowess will take the average soldier in the Nexus by surprise

The collisions began to accelerate Drake slashed with his massive sword and Charlotte nudged the weapon to the side with her knuckles Even as the blade ruptured the surface of the arena she drove her right knee into DrakeÆs side and unleashed a blast of blood colored image energy that surged out from his skin

Drake skidded backward and jittered sideways his joints twisting at impossible angles to avoid a vicious follow up swipe from Charlotte Then everything popped back into place and he barreled forward on an offensive His thrust was viciously fast and edged with a powerful thrill of hatred that had Randidly slightly envious

Charlotte growled and batted the attack to the side earning a small gash along her shoulder As she pulled her arms back to punch more brown leeches grew curled together behind her so that her furry fists were backed by massive brown fists that crunched more of the arena surface Randidly didnÆt even know why he bothered empowering the arena when the competitors could turn it into swiss cheese

Drake hopped backward to avoid the blows his body again buzzing between stillness and a new position with no discernable time passing Each movement spread a bit more of his purple mist although CharlotteÆs massive strikes dissipated it as they crashed against the stage

Randidly could feel frustration building in her movements as she failed to catch his impossible image She moved quickly forward but Drake continued to somehow slip sideways at the last second slipping under her blows and landing a few less damaging slashes of his own on the stage

She gathered up both image projection fists into a wriggling mass and slammed it down against the stage creating a massive canyon as stone cracked and rocks sprayed in every direction Drake squirted sideways like a fish and swam toward Charlotte with looping slashes of his huge sword

Howling she whipped her massive image arms sideways and bulldozed the left side of the stage into an obedient pile of rubble With remarkable grace Drake hurdled the strike but those tentacles lashed up and wrapped around his legs

IÆve got you Charlotte began to smile but then Drake shifted midair in an impossible burst of momentum He tumbled sideways in a cartwheel landing on top of her image Then he stomped his foot with enough force to rend open her image Torn pieces of brown leech bounced off the remaining ground

He feinted an aggressive charge toward Charlotte and she bit exploding in a wave of brown leech tentacles in the area directly around her Her image rose to a fever pitch burning in the air like lit gasoline dancing atop oil Yet Drake remained where he was that hatred curdling the air around him as he prepared for a giant expression of his own image He gathered himself all too quickly compressing and folding his power

The tense moment passed in silence Drake couldnÆt speak

Yet on the heels of that moment a much darker cloud of mauve spread out from DrakeÆs body quickly covering the arena Randidly frowned and leaned forward intensifying the Nether barrier as the madness spread toward the stands Quickly he realized that wouldnÆt be enough against the emotions mania he activated the Stillborn Phoenix which was only too happy to devour all the images that spread out around the arena

Most of the crowd should be fine if they are exposed to DrakeÆs madness Randidly rubbed his chin But I just donÆt think it would be a good sign if the finals of the first All Alpha Cosmos Tournament included a riot or shared hallucination

Ignorant of RandidlyÆs countermeasures Charlotte released a keening pulse of her own image to push back DrakeÆs madness But unlike the lighter puffs of mist released from his body this clung stubbornly to the edge of the stages about knee high drifts oozing across the broken stage The darker clouds began to swirl closer around the two of them CharlotteÆs shoulders heaved as she watched Drake sprint toward her Fine then LetÆs stop playing around LifeÆs Inevitable Route to Oblivion

The Aether in the air shivered as she uttered those words Her Primal Force leaned back on its heels and raised its arms above its head in a worshipful stance Space seemed to tighten around the shattered remnants of the stage a lung exhaling and contracting In a much less sophisticated manner CharlotteÆs image bent space in the same way RandidlyÆs PhilosopherÆs Passport did

Charlotte sniffed as she looked at the restrained individual in front of her At this point my image has begun corroding your body In terms of power in terms of combat ability in terms of physical prowess IÆm superior to you on every attribute So it is time for you to cease your childish escape mechanisms and lose

Charlotte looked at DrakeÆs twitching until blurred profile for several seconds waiting for a response Even though he was at a severe disadvantage she didnÆt let down her guard Sometimes it was possible for a brief moment to see his eyes white with madness and near rabid with instinctual struggle However those moments were intermittent separated by jerking movements that made him look more like an impressionist painting than a human

Still Drake hadnÆt exactly been idle His emotions bounced back in forth his body gathering more and more momentum Closely observing his body Randidly almost believed that his own power was inflicting more damage on his body than CharlotteÆs squeeze

However that would soon change

She clicked her tongue The aura of death hanging above the arena sharpened and stretched upward into a vicious specter with long fingers It seemed to have infinite arms reaching out toward even the audience with arms that fluttered like ribbons ending in those monstrously long fingers Randidly intensified the rotation of Nether around the arena to make sure CharlotteÆs image wouldnÆt cause anyone to froth at the mouth and become unconscious

Yield CharlotteÆs eyes were bright She squeezed with her deadly image Blood spurted out of the haphazard and shifting wounds across DrakeÆs body The air around him rippled their images destabilizing the space with the intensity of their conflict He tried to avoid but there was no longer any space to which he could escape

Even while the physical body of the Primal Force continued to wither tossed aside while Death rode freely across the arena the shadowy fingers of CharlotteÆs image wormed their way forward They were brown and ugly but they manifested as specters around the bound Drake jabbing into him again and again to worsen his wounds Shadowy figures held them as spears drilling them into his sides The faint impression of Helen was present in those strikes leering and targeting weakness

The frequency of DrakeÆs struggles rose His image squirmed like a fish But the net was tight and strong

Charlotte grinned In a way she enjoyed her dominance Yield

Randidly could feel the unease of the crowd Although Drake displayed his strange madness he was a much preferred winner to Charlotte a bear woman who walked with the specter of death hanging over her The feelings of the Expirans especially were tinged with fear likely influenced by the aura of her image Especially after watching Drake essentially dodge and endure unable to inflict any serious wounds on this foe

They could feel what sort of foe Charlotte could be Finally they sensed why the Nexus was such an ominous place

Nether began to surge toward the middle of the arena as the climax approached DrakeÆs head twisted around like the victim in an exorcism looking for any escape CharlotteÆs image didnÆt flinch before his hyper sonic struggles She just continued to squeeze

Nether spun together in a new pattern Briefly Randidly stopped paying attention to the actual figures looking in wonder at the subtle beauty of the Nether He rubbed his jaw This is why IÆm sometimes wrong about predictions IÆm not seeing the result of the match IÆm seeing a possible version of their significance Even though it might not occur the possibility presses against the time

Congratulations Your Skill Nether Sensation has grown to Level 952

DrakeÆs body broke down first despite his obvious overwhelming emotion He cracked open like an egg

And the image hinted at by the Nether stepped out onto the stage honed and birthed by DrakeÆs overwhelming emotional power

Chapter 1979

Sydney watched the match with tears almost constantly streaming down her cheeks It was impossible for her to be here without weeping Next to her Neveah occasionally reached over and squeezed her shoulder but Sydney didnÆt really feel it Her skin tingled but her body felt numb

It didnÆt feel like hers It was a terminal from which she could distantly view DrakeÆs struggles But that didnÆt make it any easier to watch

You fool The tears screamed at Drake on the stage as he dodged the powerful strikes of his opponent The punches of Charlotte Wick could demolish cities and this man wanted to stand up against them with just his body This is exactly why you should have just lived your life without fighting So you didnÆt need to experience this pain this constant tension You could have stayed with me

These were words she couldnÆt say out loud but the tears had no such qualms in making their desires known Sydney understood that her emotions swept around her in a storm but it was a smaller storm present in a large catastrophe So many thousands of people millions at home simply sat by and watched while Drake struggled before them A thousand different reactions

Even if hers was more potent than most she couldnÆt help but be diluted amongst so many

DrakeÆs pain became entertainment The entire world leaned forward with anticipation as he bled for them all It made Sydney sick Her stomach twisted into knots and hung itself from the thin bones of her ribcage

And she just sat there in the stands crying and feeling her dead stomach slowly turning to rot and wiggling maggots A part of her wanted to die

Sydney Neveah whispered around the time that Charlotte got her grip on DrakeÆs body with those impossibly powerful hands Sydney shrugged off her hand Watching him squirm within her grip

Then the shadows came and thrust more spikes into DrakeÆs sides He was being tortured in front of them all Squeezed and squeezed pressured and ripped and draped and bled across the entire stage And suddenly Sydney was in the past hearing rumors about how Drake had gone mad about he was rampaging across the Great Sea He was more monster than man His elemental has assumed control of his body and was slaughtering anything it met And Sydney

Why wonÆt he let me protect him Sydney whispered Neveah sighed The two women simply sat there until all of the possibilities that DrakeÆs image reached for popped in a surging wave of blood

Sydney panted releasing so many quick breaths that she became dizzy The buzzing movements stopped DrakeÆs body cracked open A hole burst from the middle of his chest

The bone plate around DrakeÆs jaw had cracked but remained largely intact From his trembling corpse a shadow rose For the first time in a while the air on the stage began to change

Protect

At first the edges of this unfolding silhouette were blurry but soon they sharpened into a dark cut out of a woman with long and fluttering hair Charlotte took a step back her image dominance weakening as she weighed the threat posed by this emergent image The purple mist Drake had released rapidly spun together and firmed up the edges of this projection even further

It was darkness and possibility made solid It was a featureless demon of violent emotions and guilt

Its hair fluttered just a shadow drawn on the world standing in front of the still body of Drake It had no mouth to speak but its voice once again boomed out across the arena crackling with power

I will protect him

It was SydneyÆs voice In her seat in the stands Sydney stiffened to hear it To hear how casual and cruel this shadow sounded using her voice The only two spots of color on the body of this shadow projection were her two eyes one cobalt blue and the other neon yellow The shade raised a hand that ended in sharpened fingers

You CharlotteÆs uncertainty vanished Her gaze flicked from the rather inert body of Drake to the projection and determined that this was still her opponent Her eyes hardened DrakeÆs body was dropped and the brown tentacles twisted around to aim at the shadow

Sydney straightened in her seat She could no longer breathe but if anything that only made her dizziness worse Yet suddenly she found purpose On her shoulder her two furry elementals appeared Her eyes began to shift as their power coursed through her body A strange resonance began as the projection drew her own power to manifest it on the stage For a second the real Sydney wavered unsure of what was happening but the sight of DrakeÆs trying to push himself up on the floor of the arena united her resolve Her eyes burned with every ounce of her rusty power She threw everything she could manage along the tenuous connection between herself and the shade

The shade waved a hand behind it conjuring a massive wall of ice between itself and the pursuing tentacles The Primal Force slammed against the impediment and created deep cracks but it bought the shade enough time to flit forward with its opposite hand raised Electricity crackled around its long fingers

Maroon energy gathered around her hammer blow toward the back of DrakeÆs head But he ripped sideways just shredding the leech tentacles as he made a beeline for his sword In the past he had definitely had the superior emotional affect but it was a small thing It was like possessing a gleaming switchblade as Charlotte sat within a sturdy log how with a mounted wooden ballista

Sure his material was theoretically superior But her other advantages outweighed the difference Yet suddenly as he stopped above his discarded bastard sword and seized the handle that emotional advantage began to gather some impactful momentum On his left hand a small bulging Aether construct appeared DrakeÆs Fate

Significance darkened RandidlyÆs awareness the sky was alive with energy pushing itself into his every pour Drake put both hands on the hilt of the blade Inexplicably DrakeÆs Fate began to morph and change RandidlyÆs eyes widened His Fate didnÆt just go from its base form to its solidified form but it became somehow part of the bastard sword The protrusion became a bond and built a bridge

Although he didnÆt like doing it very often Randidly changed his perspective in a different way he went into the Aether constructs that he had created for the Pantheon There he found the Patron of Blades and the Ancient Weaver both speaking very quickly as they tried to keep up with the shifts that came over Drake

Randidly nodded to the two of them and checked the notifications that Drake was receiving

Congratulations Your Fate The Implacable ProtectorÆs Gauntlet is evolving Weaknesses in your Fate detected Dangerous flaws have emerged Warning proceeding without sufficient energy will result in sickness and death Please proceed to your closest village spirit

Congratulations A new phenomenon is being born Your Fate has morphed into a Chimeric Fate A special trait available only within the Alpha Cosmos Unable to generate a suitable description at the moment Based on the context your Fate has developed the ability to shift its physical form to match the situation

Your Chimeric Fate has been renamed Chivalrous Vow

Your Chimeric Fate has morphed into your weapon Your Chimeric Fate has taken on the form of Dead ManÆs Last Wish

Chivalrous Vow Dead ManÆs Last Wish A powerful form of the newly discovered Chimeric Fate Only possible due to the presence of both Aether and Nether in the user Upon the Path they had chosen no one is willing to sacrifice more than a Dead Man At this point they have nothing left to lose Dead ManÆs Last Wish greatly increases the performance of the weapon in which it has morphed Also serves as an image magnifier increasing the strength of the user Reaction and Perception are greatly boosted Wounds heal abnormally quickly The heavier the duty weighs upon the user the higher the benefits will be

On the stage Drake pulled his sword from the stone The blade hummed with gleaming waves of white power Emotional force and the strange boost of his transformed Fate had left the weapon unrecognizable

Again Drake licked his lips as he pivoted on his heels and looked at Charlotte Wick His sword had become incandescent hosting his new Chimeric Fate Randidly was torn between a sense of awe at how he had influenced Expira to a confusion of what this meant when Drake spoke again I am her Knight I can fail But I can never fail to come home That is my vow

RandidlyÆs expression became solemn looking from one fighter to another Drake stood proudly his body still vaguely purple and muscled but looking much more human than he had in the past His features were thrown into stark relief by the light rolling off his sword Opposite him Charlotte Wick stood with a sea of wiggling brown tentacles behind her the rotting combination of life and death churning at her back Her Primal Force had almost latched onto the ground becoming some sort of monstrous plant rather than an animal Its ribcage continued to rise and fall but otherwise its main body was entirely still

The crowd finally seemed to catch up with the action From somewhere a chant began to rise

Drake

Drake Drake Drake

Comparing to the two foes it was easy to spot which would be the crowd’s favorite to win With his gleaming sword one looked like a hero A hero who had been tortured by his foe but now finally found his perfect weapon That small metal switchblade had become a solid ax which he could now use to demolish CharlotteÆs wooden defenses

Drake sprinted forward with his sword raised A hundred tentacles lanced out in response crashing through the remnants of the stage and attempting to impale Drake as they fell like rain He continued to jitter accelerating during his approach

However Randidly simply watched the significance which had begun to flow back around Charlotte A new possibility was being born Her eyes began to redden as loss and frustration warred across her face

In the end Drake had made an inadvertent mistake

He had used the word Knight

Chapter 1980

Drake sheered his way forward through the barrage of attacks without apparent difficulty When he slashed with his weapon Randidly could feel Dead ManÆs Last Wish strengthening the slashes Curving arcs of bright light cut down entire swaths of the tentacles with very little effort

Ugly bulbous brown pieces of grown flesh fell to the ground and wiggled for several seconds But without the connection to the Primal Force they eventually died and withered After another second they almost seemed to turn liquid behind Drake and spread out across the ground The sundered stone soon had a weird brown layer of moss across everything thick with the scent of death

In this way too Randidly seemed to have influenced images in an unexpected way

However DrakeÆs momentum carried him away from this dangerous area increasingly dominated by death directly toward Charlotte With his sharper emotional affect and this dense combination of Fate and image he could rival her power She gathered more tentacles together into heavier attacks yet he seemed unstoppable His thinner image burned through the flaws in her combination and continued to advance

His sword glittered with power His steps were sure His jittering movements made him nearly invulnerable He was Judgment incarnate seeking the head of Charlotte Wick In his madness Drake had perhaps stumbled across a secret recipe for becoming the first champion of the All Alpha Cosmos Tournament

Meanwhile emotions continued to build in CharlotteÆs body Her face twisted into a grimace You cannot this is not the place to be working through your pain Just accept and bury it Get over yourself and your loss

Drake was a human lawnmower From the emaciated form of the Primal Force behind Charlotte wave after wave of stabbing leeches aimed for his body Yet his sword was unstoppable The light it released burned away the scent of death that attempted to rush up behind him and corrupt his body The emotional determination he had been tempering through the competition served him well now

CharlotteÆs image was massive and powerful Yet it had been stitched together Skillfully Randidly had to admit but there was still an inherent flaw in it Before DrakeÆs offensive Charlotte could only watch her image force be severed and dispersed

Did you think youÆll find an answer Charlotte demanded in a slightly shrill voice Drake crossed the last several meters between them burning away the thick underbrush of death with his activated Chimeric Fate That sword seemed to release drops of sizzling intensity cleansing the brown moss off of the ground If you keep struggling like this will you feel better

Drake leveled the blade at her chest in a smooth motion he had perfected over a thousand practices CharlotteÆs shoulders were heaving incensed by his assault Behind her the Primal Force raised its head and stared balefully through CharlotteÆs body at her foe Steaming ichor dripped out of its mouth it lay in wait behind its creator with so much anticipation it had begun to drool Randidly could hear its fluttering and uneven heartbeat

Can you promise me this victory wonÆt be hollow Charlotte cackled as the weapon ripped toward her chest She brought her hands together aiming to catch the thrust with her bare hands albeit empowered by the surging aura of life from Primal Force The last surge of life it could manage

The two images met in a grinding crash the blade quickly melting through CharlotteÆs initial image burst without too much trouble That emotional affect sharpened the edge to a deadly degree The ground beneath them shook and cracked unable to withstand the force The last remaining portion of the original arena stage collapsed around them leaving only broken stone The fur of CharlotteÆs hands began to smolder and burn as the blade surged closer The last dregs of her life image were stronger closer to CharlotteÆs actual body but it still eventually parted before that emotional scalpel

Weak Charlotte hissed Behind her the Primal Force shot out its tongue Pathetic She meant so much to you and died before you could tell her that

Randidly shook his head Of course she has been talking to herself this whole time

Charlotte allowed the blade to dig into the flesh right above her heart Meanwhile the Primal ForceÆs tongue punched through her ribcage and erupted toward Drake in a sneak attack He instantly jittered sideways but his dodging ability was limited by the fact their images were so entwined Her scalded hands squeezed the incandescent Chimeric Fate blade

After recognizing the past the folding gave him a glimpse into the future Randidly saw the winner of this confrontation He saw the requests the winner would make of him one which he would agree to and the other he would deny And he smiled in spite of himself

DrakeÆs empowered sword continued to intensify the radiation of his image Most of her fur had been burned away at this point leaving a scared and bare torso Behind Charlotte her Primal Force collapsed genuinely dying Its delicate organs failed The balance between life and death that Charlotte maintained finally fell to pieces

All she had remaining were emotional force and image fragments And yet

From amongst her memories of Helen a few burned with intensity They nudged her in a particular direction

Bloody River Fist Charlotte said All those fragments and emotions crystallized RandidlyÆs eyes widened in alarm sensing the bloodthirsty and destructive power contained within that small name

Somewhere Helen laughed long and loud as Charlotte clenched her fists

Drake seemed to sense what was coming He ripped out his sword from CharlotteÆs chest and slanted it defensively across his chest The Chimeric Fate shifted its affect From the burning heat it released earlier it became a protective aura A Dead Man would give anything to protect his most important person Yet before that surging power

She threw a punch She tore a hole from which a very familiar crimson light began to rush

The sword melted before that light DrakeÆs face contorted in pain as his Chimeric Fate was forced out of the weapon and damaged in the process Yet the red radiance birthed by the collapse of Primal Force wasnÆt so easily sated It bulged and stretched its mouth yawning to devour all of Drake and then reap across the stands behind him

Randidly hesitated a fraction of a second But as Drake twisted sideways mobilizing all of his image and physical gifts to avoid it and he couldnÆt manage it he realized this was too powerful a force for his barrier to withstand The red light took a thousand more minuscule bites eating into his side and torso Randidly blinked and then surged into motion his Nether Core whirling with all the force he could muster

He reached out and Seized the attack For a few seconds it bucked against the touch of his hand but soon the surging mass of dense Nether Randidly wielded rendered the attack inert Through sheer force he broke that wild power Despite its destructive capabilities it had to shape So it could only begrudgingly begin to fade before his guidance

As it departed it howled shaking the air with the ferocity of its hunger The bright red light that Charlotte briefly unleashed faded leaving the cracked and smoking stage revealed to the entirety of the audience

There on the stage Drake lay on the ground looking up at the grey sky with a huge hole bitten out of his side He had collapsed backward onto the ground Blood began to seep out between the piled debris beneath him Above him Charlotte stood with her hand outstretched Her gaze was distant too but it was clear between the two of them which was in better shape

Next to him Sydney released a sob Randidly sighed inwardly and stepped out into the sky Nether swirled downward He could feel it already heavy chunks of Nether Weight forming within CharlotteÆs body

There you have it Randidly raised his head and looked around at the stands The winner of the All Alpha Cosmos Tournament is Charlotte Wick

Chapter 1981

The night after the fight when most of the audience members were still partying through the Tournament Island one last time and the two competitors were still recovering from their injuries Charlotte Wick limped her way to the house of Randidly Ghosthound He saw her coming a long way off

He had predicted her coming even during the fight

Randidly grinned as she walked up to him on the roof just the two of them exposed underneath the wide expanse of stars He moved away the clouds and revealed the natural wonder of the cosmic environment above them made all the more stunning by the fact that he didnÆt even know if it was real anymore with the creation of the Alpha Cosmos There were definitely some bright celestial bodies that corresponded to some of the other planets he had absorbed but he hadnÆt generated a sun to fuel life on these planets at least not consciously

And beyond that the sky was filled with tiny pinpricks of light Were their sources all contained within his body Would he need to literally explore in order to find out He might have superhuman powers but travel was still inconvenient

No matter what the source it was a tapestry of wonder laid above them But since it functioned without any problems RandidlyÆs curiosity wasnÆt enough to pull him from his other tasks

You should rest Randidly observed as the bear woman swayed and barely managed to catch herself Walking up the stairs to the roof had left Charlotte trembling It wasnÆt physical weakness that afflicted her but the steady collapse of her Aether foundation now that she ripped up her stitched together Primal Force With time and probably copious exposure to pure Aether she would rebuild herself However tonight was a bit too quick for her to be moving around

Her image remained a hollowed out corpse The pressure of the Nether flows around Randidly which he purposefully maintained at their usual force was not easy for her to withstand

Combined with the strain of her own new Nether Weight settling into her body resonating with the significance she already possessed

I needed to speak with you as soon as possible Charlotte spoke in a single breath If she felt the pain that she should be feeling it didnÆt show on her neutral face She sucked in another breath and steadied herself Because what I want to say concerns the challenge against you I would like to bow out please allow someone actually from the Alpha Cosmos to compete

Randidly leaned his chin against his fist His eyes glittered Significance swirled between the two of them so familiar in its shape he felt the specter of grief settle on his shoulders He did his best not to acknowledge it The reason

Charlotte settled down onto her knees She trembled the entire time struggling to keep her torso upright She met RandidlyÆs gaze from her lowered position pride and raw desire in her expression IÆd like to be the next Knight of the Ghosthound As such it wouldnÆt be appropriate for me to fight against you in the challenge

Randidly felt his First Authority stir A hand squeezed his heart That ugly and possessive part of himself rose to the surface aiming to dominate the world entirely and obliterate his sorrow The Stillborn Phoenix stretched out its hunger toward Charlotte to accept this offering but he cautioned his image back For several long seconds he simply studied the kneeling bearwoman What makes you believe you have the qualifications to fill that sort of role

For the first time Charlotte smiled with obvious relish You saw that last attack in the tournament yea

And how long will it take until your wounded ass can produce it consistently RandidlyÆs smile stretched into a mocking grin Something feral twisted his features with glee as he studied Charlotte rifling through her images and significance The significance tightened around the two of them

Her face fell Yet she remained determined as she lowered herself down and pressed her forehead to the ground No one else is better suited to the role than I am I have won the tournament IÆve trained for this You I admire you more than you know Randidly Ghosthound The fact that you defeated my ancestor only makes me more sure I want this As your Knight I will fight your enemies to my last breath

Randidly leaned back in his chair Truly if Charlotte could create a whole image around that red light and produce it reliably she would probably be more powerful than Raymund Ballast Of all his current allies probably only Claudette Beigon and Edraine were reliably stronger setting aside the issue of your suitability what makes you believe such a position is necessary What you can do I can do better That position was only created due to Helen It is not something I need

No matter how powerful you become there will be greater and lesser threats vying for your attention Charlotte continued to speak with her forehead pressed to the ground Having a reliable subordinate to clear out the debris will only benefit you Helen may be the first but she doesnÆt need to be the last

RandidlyÆs eyes became almost neon That feral possessiveness of the First Authority surged in his chest as he prepared for his next question Drops of cruelty rolled off his tongue I canÆt deny that I wish to have more time for my own projects However do you truly covet this role You recall what happened to my previous Knight And I cared deeply about her You will always just be a replacement A convenient fit A tool that will likely meet just as horrible and pained an end as she did The foes I will fight against will not become kinder

With one extra and very opinionated individual

Kayle would be the ideal victor Azriel observed In terms of usefulness his penetrative image will fulfill a much needed role in the time

IsnÆt DrakeÆs image somewhat similar Paolo waved a hand That fucker buzzed around with a sword of pure light We donÆt need Kayle

His image is unrelated to that power it is DrakeÆs emotional affect and the strange incorporate of his Fate that manifested in such a way Azriel frowned at Paolo Besides the others are even more useless WolframÆs image is based on the GhosthoundÆs capabilities without his thematic power Allowaen is a Chimera based on the GhosthoundÆs other image Her body is shaped to be similar to his Meanwhile Illdan is a short sighted child

Please be more respectful of the Spearman Reborn Kimpap made a face somehow managing to convey both sarcasm and a fierce defense of the young man He is the future of Tellus Or have you completely abandoned your homeworld

It holds little emotional value to me Azriel retorted And unlike certain groups I have no desire to monopolize power and suppress the average individual in order to maintain an outdated lifestyle

Now now Hong Li smiled around at the group and raised his hands placatingly LetÆs not fight over a future that might not come to pass Observation will bring us naturally to the truth so long as we wait And who knows Perhaps the winner of the competition will surprise us Maybe even enough to give us a new perspective

Yur such a flower fart Hank snorted AlanaÆs eye twitched he was clearly still bitter about his loss Hong Li just responded with a smile and took a sip of his tea

WasnÆt there another purpose for the meeting Paolo looked around at the group To actually discuss fighting against the Ghosthound LetÆs get to it then Before we start wondering how well we would have faired in the other side of the bracket

Kimpap shrugged Is this really necessary I have seen the GhosthoundÆs powers and truly the breadth of his capabilities makes him a monster However he is just one man With the eight of us working together

You have seen his capabilities manifested separately Azriel clicked her tongue Yet what makes the Ghosthound special is that he will be doing each of those things all at once

Are you kidding me The mental energy required to mobilize even two images let alone harmonize three manifestations while somehow working in Nether into his attacks Kimpap started off speaking with a laugh but as she looked around she noticed Hank and PaoloÆs grim expressions Even Hong LiÆs unshakable smile had lost some of its cheer Kimpap blinked several times

The kidÆs a monster Hank shrugged While being essentially indestructible to boot

Obviously it will be difficult but there is some hope His manifestation of his Nether Storm clearly reveals he has a glaring weakness Azriel continued One we can exploit

Paolo tilted his head to the side Alana mentioned this but I donÆt really get it What do you mean you can see a weakness

Alana leaned forward and spoke slowly to the group At first I was similarly skeptical But IÆve watched it closely during the last few matches of the tournament And I have to admit that Azriel might have a point It is unnaturally still whereas the rest of his emotions flow smoothly these are unnaturally held stiff and preserved

Kimpap frowned And you can see it

Azriel grinned Of course His problem is the eye of the storm Perpetual stillness right in the middle of all that swirling energy Obviously there are physical reasons for actual storms to possess an eye but a Nether Storm follows very different rules In this case RandidlyÆs emotions toward his Grey Creature image He refuses to let it stir too directly so far as I can tell there are emotions there he doesnÆt want to disturb or examine Attacking this weakness directly will give you a chance The rest will be up to you and your teamwork

Chapter 1982

Tatiana made no public announcement about the run off tournament she planned to make a press release only when the final participant in the challenge was determined The administration of the event would be easier that way She simply accompanied the four to a deserted island and observed the process without any others trying to follow and get in the way of the fighting Randidly didnÆt even come occupied as he was by arranging a training regimen for Charlotte

An added benefit was that all Tatiana needed to do in RandidlyÆs absence was protect herself

The matches shook out to be Allowaen v Kayle and Illdan v Wolfram After a brutal fight that destroyed half the island Kayle smashed Allowaen into the sea and she didnÆt resurface for quite a long time Kayle hovered there for a minute simply staring down into the sea his gaze slowly returning from the cloudy intoxication of violence to awareness

In terms of commitment to winning the chimeric woman didnÆt stand a chance Tatiana privately believed that feeling like he missed out and now suddenly being granted a second chance had put KayleÆs intensity on overdrive

You alright Tatiana had asked Kayle nodded without speaking his face pale

The second match destroyed the remaining portion of the island making Tatiana glad she had brought a Scrawled barge to use as a viewing platform The stone foundations shattered and sunk into the sea leaving Illdan tiptoeing across waves to try and close the distance to the Skill slinging Wolfram The ocean churned around the two fighters wild with the fury of so many Skills being thrown in a small space

Tatiana felt genuinely impressed in just a week and a half the ogre man had deeply refined his methods She wondered how he had managed to push up the Rarities of so many of his Skills in such a short time But it was also obvious that the power of these attacks relied on the combination and his base Stats he had acquired better Skills but hadnÆt had the chance to Level them

Considering the situation it was impressive enough that Wolfram had rebounded so quickly and thrown himself into the training

In the end Illdan lanced a spear through the ogreÆs left lung After a horribly wet exhale Wolfram conceded The young man from Tellussucked in a deep breath and trumpeted his victory like a gleeful elephant Ripples spread out from him across the surface of the ocean

Tatiana shook her head almost disappointed in the island for failing to withstand the pressure The group moved to a different small piece of land to the South It was all jagged rock without any sand or plant life The final match of the runoff tournament began

For three minutes their exchanges were brutally fast and left the island deeply scarred Their movements whittled away at the rough stone outcroppings quickly smoothing out their footing They seemed to split into phantasms fighting several battles with each other at once Both possessed overwhelming penetrative power and almost predictive Agility Yet at some point Tatiana saw KayleÆs resolve begin to wane The vindictive jealousy he used to crush Allowaen seemed to run dry He continued to strike with exacting precision forcing Illdan to address deep issues in his fighting style or take deep wounds But it became a different sort of match entirely

KayleÆs graceful movements became more instructive than dangerous Lost in his desperation to survive Illdan didnÆt even appear to notice

It ended up being exceptionally long It took an hour to settle the final match Tatiana eventually announced the end when Kayle prepared to stand after taking a near blow to his neck Alright I think thatÆs enough Illdan youÆve won return to Tournament Island and make your preparations Kayle come with me We should speak

Illdan swayed for a second his eyes still revealing him to be in a battle trance Then he blinked back to wakefulness and looked around bewildered by the sudden development He still gripped his spear unsure if this was a trick Kayle pressed his lips together and hopped onto the barge without comment The slow transport rose and drifted away leaving Illdan to find his own way back

Once they were in the sky Kayle sighed His silky black hair fell down around his face masking his expression His long limbs were covered in small cuts he had ever so delicately danced around IlldanÆs attacks for an hour with only that last serious wound on his neck to show for it And even Tatiana had noticed several moments where he lacked the aggression to strike when he had an opening

Perhaps going through them one by one will be helpful Azriel gave him a similarly pointed look Both pushed their bowls out of the way and regarded each other Tell me about your World Tree image

Is this Randidly began but then he remembered that he was dealing with Azriel who did not take half measures or show much give when she had decided on a course of action He clicked his tongue once then decided to at least go along with her for now Fine An image first given to me by the Sister Village of Donnyton Kith Klark through a Skill that accelerated recovery by drawing roots of golden power in the ground An image that craves stability and growth something that perhaps was lacking in my childhood The first of my images and the most reliable Is that a good enough explanation

Azriel nodded Okay next the Stillborn Phoenix

Randidly had to consider for a few seconds before answering A more complicated image Path I donÆt quite remember exactly which Skill started it but the Stillborn Phoenix is a metaphor for my larger journey right To make the impossible possible To overthrow the Nexus the source of my newfound power The image is me trying to give birth to a glorious phoenix from an egg of darkness It contains all of my more violent emotions hope rage fear grief it consumes all those things and generates cosmic power The emotional affect for that one well I admit there are two glaring flaws However I have no idea how you would go about addressing them For now that dreamer aspect of my personality fuels the emotional side

I appreciate the breadth of your images But finally the Grey Creature Azriel leaned forward

Randidly pursed his lips her problem was with the Grey Creature The Grey Creature is the bastard child of Shal and my early struggles with the System and Yystrix It came from the Kata of the Ashen Spear and then eventually took on the shape of the Spear Phantom In addition it drew heavily from other struggles I had in my childhood when I was exposed to complex emotional situations that I didnÆt understand So I already had an instinct to lower my head and survive That instinct served me well in the System

What about its emotional affect What does the Grey Creature feel

Randidly pressed his hands against the table The Grey Creature is concerned with survival More than anything else I think every day about how much a threat the Nexus is to the development of the Alpha Cosmos IÆm about to go back out there to seek a cure for the Patron of Feathers and hope she has some answers about what happened at the end of the Second Cohort and what Elhume is trying to accomplish So I live with those fears every day I face them every day The Grey Creature endures them That will to survive is honed by those fears

Azriel titled her head to the side And how do you feel about the Grey Creature

I well itÆs obviously incredibly useful ItÆs the most martially proficient of my images The question caught Randidly off guard

Azriel smirked as though she had scored a point You give such an answer but you claim there isnÆt a flaw in your attitude toward that image

Randidly leaned back in his chair He tried not to clench his jaw IÆve played your game so tell me what you want to say IÆm honestly getting pretty annoyed Azriel

I believe you refuse to address your negative feelings toward Yystrix And in a way I suspect it is by extension a purposeful ignorance out that relates back to your mother Azriel steepled her fingers You hold a lot of anger toward both of them so much so that you would probably feel something akin to hatred But you perhaps more to your emotional intelligence than most would acknowledge donÆt want to be defined by the violence of those emotions So you havenÆt dealt with them or given them an outlet You havenÆt expressed them You have simply buried them and allowed them to exist Essentially you built an emotional bomb at the core of the Grey Creature

Randidly blinked What

IÆll leave it at that then Azriel nodded The rest we can figure out in the challenge I hope you are prepared We wonÆt spare you on account of everything youÆve done for us If anything that will make us only more determined

Chapter 1983

Huang Shou sat next to Hong Li on the beach The soft sound of waves expending themselves on the sandy shore sent a tinkling resonance through Hong LiÆs chest The other man seemed nervous unwilling to sit and admire the wonder of the new day How would you estimate your chances to win the challenge tomorrow

Hong Li simply smiled The sky was a dark blue bruised and recovering before the light of dawn came through and cleansed the world He would sit here and watch its rebirth finding his peace in the constant movement of the natural world If there is one thing that I know it is that life is filled with surprises Even in the most unexpected places and unlikely of times

Huang Shou nodded but that horrid expression of greed flashed in his eyes The gambling odds offer should you even manage to seriously injure the Ghosthound

Only participate if you have money you do not value Hong Li harrumphed Now please leave me I have to tend my daily meditations

After apologizing profusely and bowing several times the other man left Hong Li sucked in a breath for five minutes held it for five minutes then released it for the same amount of time By the time the sun peaked over the horizon he had forgotten he was anything but one more shifting aspect of nature

And nature held no fear toward itself

Derek Moss leaned back on the sofa looking at the figures talking animatedly on the television terminal Next to him his son frowned at the screen as the announcer listed the known abilities of the eight people who would be challenging the Ghosthound They had even begun to speculate how to challenge Randidly based on his known habits

Can he win Tim asked There are gonna be so many of them

Derek Moss rubbed his jaw He wondered if it was too early to drink a beer Well I definitely donÆt think he could lose HeÆs the strongest man in the whole of the Alpha Cosmos HeÆs the best of millions

Tim rolled his eyes Dad there are more than millions of people in the Alpha Cosmos

TimÆs right Gertrude walked back into the living room from the kitchen carrying two plates of homemade mac and cheese She placed one on the edge of the coffee table by NAME and then curled up against Derek She flashed him a smile while offering him a fork to share with her Kharon Academy is actually attempting to do a census Part of the problem is getting an accurate count of the population in the Nemesai worlds but you wouldnÆt believe how obnoxious the Zones are about releasing accurate population information

Not everyone shares your love of statistics Derek laughed and kissed GertrudeÆs cheek But no more census talk they are about to reveal the stage for the challenge

Where are they fighting Tim asked his attention suddenly riveted to the screen

Derek scratched his cheek From what I hear up In the sky Way way up

Tournament Island was curiously silent around them Aside from Order Ducis members and Kharon civil servants everyone else had been evacuated A bus waited in the ruins of the destroyed arena to carry them up to the Little Moon

Hong Li Hank and Beatrice were already present when Alana arrived The group had settled along the wall between the arena and the stands They exchanged small greetings and settled down to wait Although there was still a half hour before the challenge would begin they didnÆt have to wait long Paolo arrived next his squat and powerful body already slick with sweat Based on the slight wildness in his eyes he hadnÆt slept last night

Even now the demanding song of his image wafted off him like heat

Next came Illdan and Kimpap walking together and carrying their spears with sharp intent Alana noticed the way that Beatrice offered Illdan a halfhearted wave and the attractive young man ignored the gesture He seemed much more interested in his own feet than the pretty blonde girl who obviously had a crush on him

Kimpap also seemed to notice and shrugged at Alana as though to say Such foolish youth but what can you do Æ

Alana wondered if Kimpap would be scandalized if Illdan decided to couple up with someone not from Tellus She hoped it would happen just because she suspected the answer might be yes

The last arrival was the man who had gone the furthest in the tournament Drake He maintained his casual exterior just wearing loose pants and a t shirt with his bastard sword slung across his back but his disposition had changed He stood straighter the light in his eyes was brighter

And after waving he spoke in a voice still croaky from disuse LetÆs do this thing

The runner up himself here to lead us to a flawless victory Paolo laughed and slapped Drake on the shoulder His expression was one of genuine cheer as he squeezed the slighter manÆs arms That sword of yours was mighty fine better than KayleÆs for sure Are you ready for this Fully recovered

Drake nodded seriously IÆve had to reshape my image heavily but yes With the addition of my Chimeric Fate I can accomplish a lot of different tasks Drake took a short break to cough several times before continuing Excuse me Plus I inherited something from the tournament that has boosted my capability across the board The Ghosthound told me it is Nether WeightÆ

Alana nodded reflecting on that little extra oomphÆ she had felt in the past few days The rest of us in the top four also received a small boost Charlotte likely received the most itÆs unfortunate that she wonÆt be joining us Her help would have been invaluable

Ah that explains my excellent meditations the last few days I truly feel one with the environment Hong Li hummed to himself The world speaks and I am its voice

The time approaches Kimpap observed Perhaps we can wait to share our private personal outlooks until later

Honestly heÆs growinÆ on me Hank drawled But can you feel it in the air The spear woman is right the moment is coming

Alana looked straight upward The sky just looked clear and blue But she knew that out there floating in the sky was the location of the challenge She clenched her fists and felt the heat building in her veins

Soon

Chapter 1984

Beatrice told her knees not to tremble as she sat in the transport and floated up toward the location of the challenge She felt unmoored from her body moving up through the cloud layer along with the bus Her knees acknowledged BeatriceÆs feelings but told her very directly that they would continue to tremble regardless thank you very much

Beatrice pressed her eyes closed so she at least didnÆt need to watch her insubordinate body The seats were faux leather and reminded her of a school bus She hadnÆt been very popular in grade school Middle school had been worse The creep of those memories just added to the unreality of the moment as she floated up in a bus filled with some of the greatest heroes of the age

And worst of all

Beatrice told her eyes not to give in to temptation But the needy ocular grapes whizzed around to fixate on Illdan two seats in front of her For one seconds two seconds three seconds she simply stared at the angular structure of his face becoming more panicked that he would notice because she had been staring for so long Finally she was able to tear her gaze away She released a shuddering breath

It was almost worse that he wouldnÆt acknowledge her Like she was a drifting ghost fixating onto the living and sucking away their life with her presence The strained silence between the two of them only added to her nerves regarding the fight against the Ghosthound combined her anxiety had become crippling

Young Miss

Beatrice jumped as Hong Li leaned over and put his hand on her forearm His smile was warm and aimed directly at her She felt some of her tension ease We shall be working together in the fight so letÆs do our best to support each other Only together can we succeed

She offered him a quick smile and nodded Truth be told she was quite relieved that she and Hong Li were going to be acting in concert to try and limit the GhosthoundÆs physical movements in the challenge With some of the others Beatrice would have been too intimidated by their storied accomplishments to focus And with Illdan she would have been constantly wondering if despite how bad an idea it would be he would twist around and pull her into a slow kiss right before the fight began

There it is Paolo said in a booming voice The bus had burst out past the clouds He jabbed his finger at the window The rest of the bus a blushing Beatrice included leaned forward to get their own look out the slightly smudged windows

The Little Moon that would host them felt like the secret dwelling of some ominous space demon It was shaped like a godÆs hands had simply dug into the surface of a planet and levitated a cupped handful of stone rounded at the bottom and mostly flat across the top Beatrice squinted and activated her Incisive Gaze to get a better look Right now the Little Moon was only the size of a fist but as the bus carried them closer it continued to expand Even from the distance she could make out strange pillar shaped rock formations

The Little Moon seemed to be covered in a forest of stripped stone trees Beatrice couldnÆt help but wonder why

As they moved closer and the platform expanded from a fist to a small town and then further to an entire city Beatrice also began to notice the autonomous camera drones hovering around the area Their lenses caught the light in the thinning atmosphere of Expira small sparkles of the attention the whole of the Alpha Cosmos heaped upon them

Grim place Alana observed

I almost think the Ghosthound made it that way on purpose so it would be more fun to obliterate Paolo cracked his knuckles

Kimpap clicked her tongue I am still freshly introduced to Nether as an abundant energy we could not access it before being formally included in the Alpha Cosmos However the way those pillars are arranged causes slight dizziness if I look too closely Somehow I believe they are arranged in a pattern that damages the flower of Nether

With renewed interest the group looked at the island There were dense sections of those somehow uneven pillars in several places but the ring around the edge of the Little Moon was complete

Now why would he arrange it like that Hong Li wondered No one else could think of an answer

What Illdan fell to his knees Then he hopped up and rounded on Hank with a glare For the first time since Beatrice had gone on that date with him he had fire in his eyes What are you doing We are a team

Which is why I think ya should take tha chance to apologize to B To BeatriceÆs horror Hank nodded at her YaÆve been ignorinÆ her Will be good for morale to settle things

I t thatÆs none of your business Illdan flushed We just things are complicated

Is ignoring a girl complicated Alana observed picking a minuscule bit of dirt off her spear

This isnÆt the time to talk about that Illdan managed to spit out But he for the first time in a week gave Beatrice a genuine glance and held her gaze Her heart began to pound WeÆve only a few minutes CanÆt this wait until after the challenge

Strangely everyone paused to survey Kimpap and get her reaction The older woman from Tellus seemed profoundly uninterested in the exchange IlldanÆs cheeks grew more flushed Besides the drones the entire Alpha Cosmos is watching Issues like this should be resolved privately

If ya wanted to do that Hank crouched down and pinched the ground He rubbed the sandy dirt of the Little Moon between two fingers He squinted at Illdan Ya had plenty of chances Ya didnÆ take em right So donÆt go blaminÆ us

This is just distracting Beatrice whispered Her heart spun in place unable to decide what to feel

Hong Li laughed ThatÆs the point young ins The two of you are too tense to do anything but think about each other Do you think we can win with this extra tension Unburden yourself and commune only then will you truly understand the otherÆs emotions

C c commune Beatrice felt like her face was on fire Here In front of so many cameras

Paolo barked out a laugh Drake shook his head in disbelief and slid his bastard sword out of its sheath Alana sighed YÆall make this too easy But donÆt let your guard down Only one more minute

The air began to darken rapidly A weight ground down against BeatriceÆs body making it almost impossible to move Without having to be told everyone knew that the Ghosthound would come at them with the intent to subdue them immediately Beatrice tried not to count the seconds but she couldnÆt help herself She kept shooting glances at Illdan during that time wondering if he would actually apologize

He simply looked down at his feet

Suddenly AlanaÆs expression shifted Shit

Right as the promised five minutes expired the GhosthoundÆs Nether was there where it had been flowing this entire time at an impossibly slow speed Yet when they became his enemy that power whipped itself into a fever pitch and smashed into their bodies

Most staggered sideways unable to withstand the force Only Paolo endured it his eyes bright with stubbornness

But then the Nether shifted It became an open hand reaching for them

Beatrice paled they were about to be Seized

Chapter 1985

BeatriceÆs heart continued to bounce off her ribs as it tried to escape the suffocating reality of her current situation She stomped her foot to disperse some of the force contained in the first fingers of the Nether Storm but very little of it was physical most of the restrictive bindings were the thick and gooey substance of connection The currents served as bindings holding them in place for just a bit too long

And an even more restrictive power swept closer to the group of eight all frozen in varying positions of unwillingness and alarm Beatrice tried to speak but could only manage a strangled choke

Randidly GhosthoundÆs First Authority was one of the thornier problems to address when considering how to fight against him They had discussed several countermeasures but they involved very long and noticeable preparations or most of their number being able to compete directly in a battle of Willpower against him Neither seemed like a very fruitful avenue so even Azriel had thrown her hands up in the air and instructed them not to let it come to that Move as quickly as possible preempting that ability Force him to engage with his images or with his body Considering how rarely in his fighting history that he was the superior in all aspects he might not rely on the qualitative gulf between them

In AzrielÆs words simply suppressing them that way would be accurate but make for an unsatisfying lesson

Right before that massive hand clenched around the group Hong Li waded forward through the Nether currents An unfamiliar image blossomed from his body His hair and the tips of his fingers were on fire as he raised his hands and struck a pose in front of that hand A slight but stubborn tree flared behind him the mystical and quasi religious existence of Arbor T/his chapter is updated by

The Nether around them hummed in recognition

The air rippled and distorted The small tree waved its arms refusing to concede before this Authority That hand of Nether reformed into a massive root poised above them like a snake It paused for the briefest fraction of time held at bay by the clash between the Nether of the two moves Because within Hong Li the Nether reward for making it into the top four was on full display

For the slightest pause it was enough

The resonance and impact shook Beatrice to wakefulness Which was good because as soon as she had recovered herself and began to hum with her image Hong LiÆs face contorted Most of the fires of his image flickered and were extinguished His chest shattered like he had been kicked by an invisible donkey The image of Arbor wilted and began to fade but that root stabbed forward and grabbed it

The First Revelation Inglorious Advance However that delay had been enough Into the roaring Nether storm around them exploded Alana bright gold and orange Her spear was the burning heart of the firestorm blasting away the constant buffeting of significance around them Beatrice finally managed to suck in a breath

Her searing image while briefly effective soon stopped expanding within the massive churning scope of the Nether Storm Beatrice could practically see the coiling flows twist and tighten in new ways The bubble of relative safety produced by AlanaÆs image stopped expanding and then began to sharply contract

Drake cut forward with a sword of gleaming white light Nether once more attempted to crash against their images and ground down their momentum but Drake pierced out forward and cleaved a path through the storm Right on his heels came Paolo brimming with confidence and constantly expending himself to pry open the sliced storm even further

Combined the two created a path the rest followed as they rushed forward toward the Ghosthound

During their planning sessions Kimpap had once asked If the physical prowess of the Ghosthound is so overwhelming why even bother to approach him We can take his powerful body out of the match

Unfortunately for us his Mental Support Stats are even more ridiculous Azriel had responded Then she had shrugged If you want to land an emotional hit on him youÆll need to get close Just donÆt expect anything physical to even slow him down And be prepared to break a few bones for having the gall to approach him

As the group sprinted forward with the shadowy Nether Storm howling around them Beatrice flared her image with more wild abandon than she ever had in the past Her ribs hummed at a high pitch frequency as she tried to gather as many different wavelengths within her person as possible With Hong Li smashed across the pillar and spewing blood from his mouth she was the only person remaining that was supposed to try and slow the Ghosthound down when his body made a move

It didnÆt make her feel very confident to see how quickly Hong Li who was supposed to handle the lionÆs share of the restrictions had been overwhelmed

Alana only a half meter in front of Beatrice raised her head slightly The pearly wings of her Fate began to spread outward Careful its coming

Before anyone could acknowledge the words the GhosthoundÆs images warped the horizon

And already a feedback headache began to form

The GhosthoundÆs horrifying speed slowed down His spear was a short distance away from DrakeÆs chest and the slight deceleration gave the other man time to bring up his sword to block Beatrice could now recognize that what had cracked her forearm and knocked her sideways was the GhosthoundÆs tail A simple sideways flick had completely brushed her to the side

The small blessing of his approach was that they now stood in the eye of the Nether Storm and no longer had to withstand such constant and grinding pressure against their images At the back of the group with the Ghosthound occupied Hank Howard drew his revolver and took aim

The GhosthoundÆs tail continued its sweep crunching into BeatriceÆs side with the flexible appendage She felt a lung pop but forced her legs to stomp six times in the air The harsh notes of Hymns of Burden passed through her lips Her image exhausted itself slamming six times against the sheer presence of him She felt almost blinded by the growing ache behind her eyes Affecting him with an image especially while trying to resist all his other draining powers felt nearly futile

His emerald eyes inhuman and calculating flicked sideways to Beatrice The Ghosthound smiled at her

The sharp report of HankÆs revolver reminded Beatrice of something else Azriel had said during the long nights they had plotted out how this fight might go She had been rubbing her chin while Kimpap and Hong Li discussed ways to suppress his abilities She interrupted and said You know putting too much emphasis on restricting the Ghosthound isnÆt the best idea First because that was a favorite move of everyone who tried to use him in the past heÆs very very used to being suppressed And secondly well He is at his most dangerous moving from stillness That acceleration is impossible to prepare for

DrakeÆs sword met the GhosthoundÆs spear The Ghosthound didnÆt even seem to be paying attention to the completion of his thrust still grinning at Beatrice Yet the blazing white light that had won the tournament flickered and died beneath the brutal power of his attack The leafed spear Acri drilled into DrakeÆs chest Then his torso began to twist and rupture his skin visibly flapping outward in a ripple from the force of the attack Around the edges of the puncture flesh pulped and began to disintegrate

The bullet ripped through space while releasing a whistling aura of destruction but in a fight of this tier there was still plenty of time until it posed a threat

Paolo threw a punch at the Ghosthound that should have broken the monsterÆs nose But Beatrice felt the Ghosthound tug at the restriction that she had placed upon him with her notes The next moment he shredded through them without being slowed in the slightest PaoloÆs punch hit nothing but air and he was collapsing sideways his knee shattered A vortex of frigid apathy was left in the GhosthoundÆs wake seeming to suck away will and motivation

Beatrice finally slammed into the ground Practice took over and she was throwing herself to her feet already releasing the pure Song of Healing Drake was struggling to his feet a few meters away caught in the tight edges of the Nether Storm Alana put herself between Ghosthound and bullet her light darkening from orange to rust The Third Revelation MortalÆs Anguish

The conflict was blinding but a split second later Alana shot backward the broken pieces of her spear clattering to the ground behind her The Ghosthound reached up and wiped a drop of AlanaÆs blood from his cheek BeatriceÆs Skill finished and she through the last of her emotions into wishing her team would heal From the dizzying wave that followed the group must have been more wounded than Beatrice had noticed

Beatrice dry heaved her drained body trying to void her stomach

The Ghosthound raised his spear preparing to meet HankÆs bullet with a brutal thrust But from the bulletÆs shadow sprung Kimpap and Illdan pincering in at the Ghosthound from either side Before Illdan could close the distance more of those wicker roots shot out of the Nether Storm and staked him to the ground His image flared to avoid it but the shadows around him tightened and kept him in place

Similar attacks shot at KimpapÆs back but she flickered sideways in a much more savvy maneuver The aura of death that she released thickened It was almost a taste to the air that hung in the back of BeatriceÆs throat reinforcing her bodyÆs request that she vomit Yet Beatrice gritted her teeth and straightened preparing to assist in any way she could Fully five death specters sprung to life around the Ghosthound each wearing a different expression and wielding slightly different spears

His gaze surveyed them all Another mental pulse blasted outward Chimeric Impunity Marred Yet Reliable Foundation of Yggdrasil Wicked Waltz of Tartarus

Taking different angles each specter howled at the Ghosthound with weapons raised The image affect mobilized by Kimpap at that moment was ferocious leaving her previous attacks and what she had demonstrated against Alana in the dust The Ghosthound shifted slightly but more in a settling movement than any tactical preparations He didnÆt even flinch as the blows fell on his body

As each landed another monstrous Ghosthound briefly superimposed itself over the monstrous image physicalization form It sneered down at the strikes disdaining to respond That flashing image possessed all the violence and rage that didnÆt exist in RandidlyÆs normal expressions He approached the challenge with clinical dispassion but this version opened its mouth and bellowed

Beatrice tried to find a few more notes in her stomach This then is the Grey Creature And really thatÆs the image we wanted to target

HankÆs bullet arrived Frowning the Ghosthound smacked it out of the air with his left hand The punch didnÆt even seem to be a Skill just a firm denial Hank’s image was filled with wilderness and hope and then it was gone After an impact with enough force that Beatrice almost ten meters away rocked back on her heels the Ghosthound scanned them all with that dispassionate gaze He raised his spear

Over his shoulder Beatrice could sense the lurking image spitting hate at them for daring to come for its life The Grey Creature took all threats seriously A wolf among sheep his teeth gleamed with promised retribution

Chapter 1986

The more they fought against Randidly Ghosthound the more he looked less like a living being and more like an avatar of violence Beatrice could feel it she could see the way his form had been designed and streamlined in a thousand life or death situations

Any one of those could have ended him A single failure would have meant his light was extinguished But a thousand successes A thousand moments of death deferred

There was something almost magical about the improbability of it Magical and dreadful That he could face their strongest strikes clash again and again against their most powerful images and grin like the experience had only whetted his appetite

Beatrice felt like a hand had reached into her heart and mind and scooped out most of the important decision making bits She felt herself falling to her knees underneath the pressure that the Ghosthound threw out but she was still conscious Her fingers twitched but it was difficult to imagine gathering enough Willpower for another burst of image

Essentially she could watch

The group clustered around the GhosthoundÆs form now warped with the power of the Grey Creature His movements became alien shifting between stillness and completion of a task without much concern for acceleration between two points His spear swayed and flexed the rapid physical movements he executed straining even the living weapon

Alana and Kimpap surged forward to counter him and strike at the emotional weakness of the Grey Creature The ExpiranÆs spear when high and the Tellus warrior swept low Once again Alana activated her MortalÆs Anguish for a third time her evolved Revelation curling out rust colored flames from her body More weeping specters of death flitted out from Kimpap All together the Ghosthound faced off against a dozen spear users

That horrid smile stretched wider His mental pulse stilled BeatriceÆs heart

The Ashen Doors to Pandemonium Unlock Revelation of the Atramentous Threshold Darkness Withers the Horizon and the Waiting Carrion Grins

Beatrice could barely catch his movements Mostly she just saw the shattered remnants of his opponents crack and collapse She heard the rustling of the canopy of Yggdrasil and then what might be a laugh and might be the shriek of a raven

His body jerked forward From stillness execution A death phantom took a spear to the chest

Another had its throat slit but a whirling sweep that positioned the Ghosthound to fight Alana directly

After deflecting AlanaÆs fiery thrust and sending the whole of her image momentum staggering backward the Ghosthound chopped and severed her left leg in the shin He jerked the butt of his spear backward and cracked the real Kimpap in the sternum while she floated just a hair too close The Tellus warrior watched with bulging eyes while being tossed backward unable to believe what she was experiencing

These two moves gave her created death phantasms time to strike but the Ghosthound twitched and avoided the strikes effortlessly Then his spear reaped left and right demolishing the remaining foes AlanaÆs shortened leg hit the ground and she grimaced The flesh skidded over the stone and left a trail of blood Opposite her Kimpap crashed onto the ground and grunted

Beatrice wondered why they had ever thought they could challenge him Her remaining will to fight died Her head and heart ached

However the rest of the team of eight hadnÆt given in yet With the small opening granted by the two spear users Hank Howard and Drake moved in to engage in close combat Hank in particular burned with a strange whistling song that reminded Beatrice of hopeless standoffs and sweaty gunfights underneath the desert sun Due to the context the Ballad of the Last Cowboy rose to a fever pitch that manage to briefly restrain the pressure of the GhosthoundÆs image

She could feel how this was all connected all these struggles built tension but it would be worth it In a way hearing the Ballad of Hank Howard injected a little bit more hope into BeatriceÆs body

Hank raised and fired several bullets from his repeater The GhosthoundÆs spear cut them down as they came throwing off a few sparks but completely crushing HankÆs image when it dared move too near Drake gripped his sizzling sword with both hands his emotional force tightening into a near physical form in the weapon The two circled closer moving out of the restrictive Nether into the eye of the storm

Beatrice knew Drake was shifting the form of his Chimeric Fate to a new more dangerous form It had been one of the methods that they had strategized to actually wound their target

Beatrice felt that single note rolling around in her stomach The Ghosthound rolled his shoulders and she felt alarm building within her The crumbling debris of the destroyed pillar tumbled in slow motion around them She felt weightless and unmoored It had to be her For a single moment she needed to pin him down and create an opportunity

Nether squeezed her threatening to pop her fleshy body open Yet she resisted She wanted to know the feeling of power And to Beatrice the ultimate power seemed to be able to accomplish something when you set your mind to it

She would do this

A shadow flickered sideways making a beeline for the Ghosthound Illdan blood still leaking out of the holes in his side and thigh raised his spear An enormous specter spread out from his person his image shimmered with power and determination The Ghosthound finally moved his gaze away focusing on this new threat Beatrice sucked in an instinctive breath and that was all the time it took for the Ghosthound to shred IlldanÆs image and bring his massive left fist hammering down on IlldanÆs skull

A single spear thrust to demolish this young manÆs accumulation A fist to knock him out of the challenge and keep him from rising again

Protect Beatrice shrieked Her image ripped itself out of her chest with all of her remaining strength With more strength than she could spare It was everything she possessed all her dreams and long glances and small miscommunications with Illdan For a brief moment the GhosthoundÆs fist slowed just slightly When his fist encountered the barrier it did provide some protection

IlldanÆs skull didnÆt crack open like a bloody egg But his body did shoot backward like it had been hit with a baseball bat Very audibly he crashed into the ground and dug a deep trench

Drake slashed sideways out of the rubble In terms of opportunities this was the best they would get right now That searing note lingered at the tip of his bastard sword The Ghosthound glanced sideways Then a few of the spines on his left arm shivered and split open

A wave of shadowy fire keening with a horrifying funeral dirge and gathered around a withered flower exploded outward DrakeÆs emotional affect flared to its highest degree cutting its way through this sudden and unfamiliar attack

But after ripping his way through the curtain of shadowy fire the Ghosthound was gone Drake whipped around but the GhosthoundÆs spear took him in the back Before he could even respond the GhosthoundÆs lower tail snaked out and wrapped around DrakeÆs bastard sword With a soft crunch the weapon was broken and tossed aside

Beatrice must have lost consciousness because the sensation of bouncing off the ground suddenly dominated her body Every joint ached and several large chunks of stone smacked against her as the rest of the pillar collapsed around her

Coughing she pushed herself up through the cloud of stone dust The Ghosthound floated down some distance away riding on a gust of wind that blew the dust away But to BeatriceÆs surprise someone waited for him there standing upright

Alana Donal standing on one leg with blood oozing from the stump of her severed shin propped herself up against her spear Her eyes burned Two pure white wings spread wide and flapped With the rising cloak of golden fire around her she seemed about to ascend to Valhalla We arenÆt done Not yet IÆve waited too long for this chance

The Ghosthound just looked at her His eyes were so intense that Beatrice had to blink and look away

The Fifth Revelation Alana said through gritted teeth But when she opened her mouth again she just coughed out blood Bewildered she looked down at her chest The shaft of the GhosthoundÆs spear was embedded in her torso The monstrous opponent they all faced studied AlanaÆs face

Beatrice hadnÆt even seen him move Neither had Alana

He shook his head You arenÆt ready to adjust your image again Not yet For today youÆve lost All of you

Something changed in the air When he said those words he made it true

He pivoted on his feet his eyes finding them all Beatrice noticed Kimpap and Hong Li pushing themselves out of the rubble nearby The others all wearily rose to their feet Then he turned his sharp gaze on some of the floating drones

Do you see Can you feel the gulf between us The Ghosthound spread his arms His lip curled “Without me as a shield the entire Alpha Cosmos will be devoured by someone more powerful than me Until someone out there manages to track down these eight and defeat them all let’s put these complaints to rest “

Chapter 1987

A whole crowd sat in DonnytonÆs arena to watch the action broadcast on the giant screen the viewing platform suspended over the sinkhole generated by their own challenge against the Ghosthound a few years ago Over the past minute the mood did a drastic one eighty The watchers sat in a silence that grew heavier as the challenge stretched on

Kayle and Mrs Hamilton sat at a raised dais originally intended to be announcers who could explain the minutiae of the battle to those with normal Perception Everyone understood that with so many competitors fighting at once and with how high their Stats would be it would be almost impossible for the average citizen to watch the confrontation and make any sense of the conflict Even with the most high tech cameras their minds couldnÆt recognize the movements before something else had occurred The announcers could speak quickly and maintain at least some context for the confrontation

Yet now they all watched in silence The lack of words from the announcers was just one more symptom of the realization dawning over the entire Alpha Cosmos as they observed Kayle pressed his lips together squeezing the table with his hands Mrs Hamilton kept a more neutral expression but Donny watched from the side and could tell she was also affected by what she saw

Donny pulled his gaze away from the watchers and back to the lightning fast action on the screen ItÆs hard seeing him like this The rest wonÆt get it but he used to be just a hair more powerful than us Everyone at Donnyton still remembers him as that standoffish college student who had a few dozen Skill Levels of an edge which seemed insurmountable right when the System arrived And now

The Ghosthound approached the group arrayed against him with a crushing wave of tension sweeping behind him He clashed with several of the challengers each time crushing the images thrown against him His Nether storm constantly suppressed their momentum keeping them on the back foot

His movements were methodical and vicious as he dismantled their formation The challengers sustained more and more wounds keeping up with him Donny glanced sideways at the dais again The two announcers remained silent The atmosphere grew heavy

ItÆs his Nether Storm Donny realized He looked up and widened his perspective relying on the power granted by the giant Nether Ritual in the core of the planet Dark tides rippled outward from that Little Moon hanging up in the sky Even from here they could feel his cold implacability

In a very real way the whole of Expira was submerged in his dispassionate butchery They had to feel it

All at once the clashes became increasingly disadvantageous for the challengers Alana took a wound then Kimpap and Illdan then Paolo and Hank The pillar exploded in a desperate attempt to destabilize the GhosthoundÆs footing but by the time they hit the ground the remaining competitors had been defeated and smashed into the ground

All told the challenge probably lasted less than a minute The silence lengthened around them No one could articulate their feeling their instinctual sense of weakness before that display

When Randidly pronounced the challenge over Donny felt people around him begin to talk They couldnÆt believe that it had ended so quickly using several methods to rationalize the way things had gone The most common one was that they decided not to push themselves Even though several blows had been struck between the two sides and the challengers had several deep wounds or severed limbs this was a System enhanced world Most Classers knew it was possible to fight through such impediments

To fight and thrive The GhosthoundÆs entire history was filled with such moments

Yet the bitterness on the faces of all the challengers as they stood up from the rubble especially Alana Donal and Paolo finally broke through their vague denials Smothered by the wide Nether storm of the Ghosthound people began to acknowledge the result The challenge had finished

People in the crowd began to whisper with a new desperation Especially the younger individuals those who came with excitement and lacked the Perception to catch some of the exchanges wondered why things had ended so quickly

On the stage Kayle finally cleared his throat There you have it In less than a minute without relying on any massive displays of image Randidly Ghosthound crushed most of the top fighters in the Alpha Cosmos We will dissect how exactly that happened tomorrow For now itÆs time to head home I think we all need a bit of a break

Compared to the legitimate physical challenge presented by these fighters her political machinations seemed pointless Even if she gathered momentum would the shift in public opinion be able to slow him down The Alpha Cosmos was his body but that went both ways If enough thoughts could influence him he would be able to pay back that interference in kind

With a lot of concentrated force

Missy shivered Of course there were those who had the capacity to understand that devastating feeling and those who didnÆt A watcherÆs senses needed to be well honed to truly understand how monstrous the Ghosthound had become

To understand the way his fingers curled almost lazily around them all ready to rip out their hearts at the first sign of resistance

Aw shit IÆm tired of this A tattooed man with a goatee blew a fat raspberry Missy glanced over to the next cell as he began to pace People just blowing smoke up the GhosthoundÆs ass to win favor with him That was no honest fight Probably to secure secret deals or something to actually make it to the Nexus and keep the average fella out of the cash flow

Missy raised her eyebrows too freshly removed from her fear of the Ghosthound to understand what he was saying But his voice had attracted the attention of some others in the surroundings

His chest swelled with pride at the attention He walked over and hopped down onto his bare bunk suddenly the picture of confidence and wisdom Yea look at how chaotic the footage is YÆall fallinÆ for this grainy shit How many times light or debris get in the way of the camera thatÆs how you can tell its all a setup Kharon and Donnyton and probably fucking commie Zone Seven were all involved in this hoax to keep us in the dark And these aliens from other planets Fuck Do I need to explain it all to you

What the hell are you talking about Another prisoner growled

Sneering Mr Goatee was only too happy to explain So yea weÆve got portals to different places but how do we know they arenÆt just far away places on this planet Any proof there are other planets we can live on Anybody ever get a Skill that lets em breathe without air And why donÆt I suddenly see these new planets hanging in the night sky What we do know is that the Nexus exists otherwise why did Expira and can I say how shitty it is that the System wonÆt even let us say the true name of the planet why did Expira suddenly go to shit

Goatee jabbed a finger forward He truly believed every word of what he was saying We might have Skills and shit but the world didnÆt change The top 1% controls everything spoon feeding the average dumbfuck opinions through the news and shit This is the perfect example After all the fucking hype of the long ass tournament this is the fight that we get It felt tired and disappointing Obviously fake Obviously a hoax

And you know why Because they had built up the Ghosthound to be a super powerful being more than everyone else combined The man waved a hand Yet heÆs just a fucking guy like everyone else He takes stinky shits after eating greasy food There was no way to fake him being some sort of partial god like people whisper These tournament winners are probably almost as strong as he is So they just dragged everyone else down to make him look better Made it really messy and gritty But jokes on fucking them we just saw all these people fight We know what they can do Suddenly they are shitting the bed all at once Yea fuck off

All the other prisoners mulled this over From a few of their expressions Missy knew that those people with any sort of actual capability recognized this man for a fraud Yet on others she spotted doubt Her eyes widened and she began to breathe more quickly Because across all of Expira most people werenÆt very discerning They just waited for someone to convince them

On the television the droning voice of the announcer continued Even now itÆs difficult for us to capture and recognize the true power of the Ghosthound

That Missy blinked several times Is actually a really good idea

Goatee snorted No shit IÆm not in here because IÆm the sort of sheep that just accepts the fucked up status quo am I IÆm an Alpha I see something I take something ya dig

Chapter 1988

I couldnÆt help but notice that you never allowed Drake to clash against you directly with his emotional force Azriel said quietly The two of them stood at the edge of his skyisland surrounded by gleeful silver moon spirits the night after the challenge

Randidly knew Azriel would come He had been waiting for her feet dangling off the edge of the island But he also knew he wouldnÆt be able to give her a satisfactory answer

Randidly released a noise balanced between a grimace and a chuckle His hands stretched down between his knees loose but not relaxed In the end he just shook his head He felt strangely exhausted all of his mental energy spent even though the fight itself hadnÆt been very difficult for him If anything the fighting felt simple It was dealing with the aftermath that left him feeling gaunt No I didnÆt let Drake just walk up and slash me Because well You are right about the Grey CreatureÆs emotional affect There is a lot a lot of calcified something in my heart I yes I hate Yystrix I still do She was She kept forcing me to

His words stopped stuttered and ceased His tongue felt thick and clumsy in his mouth The more he tried to force them out the hotter his neck became as though it was some contrived friction that kept him silent

Compared to explanations fighting was easier

His mind stalled out on those words on the knot of emotion that still gripped him Everything tightened around the eye of his Nether Storm Truth be told Randidly had not been able to stop thinking about his flaw since Azriel had come to him and talked about it He closed his eyes and released a breath he knew that Azriel had intended exactly this planning on forcing him to acknowledge the flaw or risk losing the challenge

What she probably hadnÆt known is exactly how far about the eight challengers Randidly was Someday they might be able to rival them That day was not today This flaw didnÆt need to be protected just not purposefully exposed

If handling this was easy Randidly finally continued I would have done it a long time ago I promise IÆll think about what I can do to hone that But we donÆt have any more time for me to delay Whatever kept the Patron of Feathers alive is very close to running out

Randidly you have been running from one crisis to another from the day that I met you Azriel countered She folded her arms across her chest Simply announce the truth you feared a collision with DrakeÆs dense emotions

Randidly helplessly shook his head Another time he wouldnÆt mind this sort of pressure but right now he felt He had shed the shell he had worn during the challenge where he had forcefully stirred his Nether storm to adjust the eye And that movement took his mind to dark places

For example after the fight Randidly wondered why the two people he owed the most his mother for his upbringing after his dad left and Yystrix for providing to him all the tools to excel with the System were also the two individuals he resented the most

Also why hadnÆt he ever tried to find his mother Even now the prospect filled him with a crippling anxiety What if he found her What would he say What would she think that her son had become the most powerful man on the planet

Would someday in some fight against Elhume the fact that he never faced these feelings make him suffer a loss Would he fail at the last moment just because he wasnÆt brave enough to seek out the woman who seemed intent on drinking and dating anyone so she didnÆt need to face the son she had to raise alone

Randidly knew his feelings werenÆt exactly fair And that only made him more depressed

Perhaps reading his mood Azriel pursed her lips and hopped off the edge of the island She became a crimson streak heading toward the horizon Following her movement helped ground Randidly and allow him to drag himself out of the morass of emotions around him After distracting herself for so long it seemed like she finally resolved herself to return and deal with her upcoming marriage

Randidly reached up and rubbed his neck His skin felt cool and sweaty Almost afraid that Azriel lingered just out of sight he released a scanning pulse of energy Then he forced a breath out through his nose and began to adjust his Nether rotation

I canÆt just leave it like this Randidly bit his lips He knew if he closed his eyes he would be back in his childhood bedroom pressing his pillow over his head to cover up the noise Or he would be in endless darkness as Yystrix demanded he give over control of his body The memories floated so closely to the surface that they crept in at the edges of his vision I need to restore some of the flow Settle myself a bit

The difficulty of restraining the disturbed significance had him gritting his teeth For all that he had deeply buried these memories and it had taken the clinical dispassion he possessed in the challenge to unearth them they also fiercely resisted his efforts to halt their wild rampage Those previously still Nether flows now spun tightly around his body pushing away other connections They became insatiable and rabid

All of his experience with Nether was premised on corralling natural force and watching it flow together around his body To ensure his lesson wasnÆt diluted he had demolished that entire structure The rebuilding process became extra fraught due to his recent experiments in widening his perspective the framework kept folding in on itself in unexpected ways

RandidlyÆs eyes gleamed briefly with purple black energy

Congratulations Your Skill Revelations of the Atramentous Threshold has grown to Level 720

I canÆt see the outcome but I can see myself smiling For my face itÆs a strange expression TatianaÆs face creased with worry but Randidly just sat completely still struggling to unravel the truth with his emotional response to it And then the future version of me turns back and speaks directly to me peaking into the future YouÆd do a lot to save the Alpha Cosmos right But how much would you give to save yourself Æ

TatianaÆs eyes were bright Her Skill guided her right through his thought processes I hope you realize that we all think the fate of this planet is fucking important But you are too Randidly If we lost you Expira

DonÆt go killing me off yet Randidly forced out a laugh hating how hollow it sounded to his own ears TatianaÆs expression darkened but she didnÆt push Randidly felt far too sensitive he hated what digging into these unresolved feelings toward Yystrix and his other mother did to him Even though his Nether Storm had settled back into place he couldnÆt forget the press of those memories That potent significance was just waiting for him to mine it I just itÆs a feeling That a time will come where the Alpha Cosmos will need to face a threat of the Nexus without me

WhatÆs most exhausting about this is that to obtain my Authority related to the Grey Creature IÆll need to sort through all this shit

Both held each otherÆs gaze for a long time As one both lifted their glasses and drained them Tatiana dutifully refilled the cups and then leaned back in her chair Alright fine we will let that mysterious and ominous prophecy go for now WhatÆs the second thing you learned in the challenge

Randidly allowed an appreciative smile Well this bit is a bit embarrassing But weÆve gotten so used to being able to improve ourselves with the System That the proper framing the right shape and emotion can turn pain and weakness into a powerful image Create something useful In many cases thatÆs true There are certain sorts of trauma that are suppressed and left to curdle inside of you Ripping those open and releasing the pain brings a lot of benefits Honesty is liberating But

He bit his lip and shrugged You know itÆs a bit embarrassing to admit But I almost think that my pain isnÆt quite like that For all that IÆve gotten better there are some things that are difficult for me to do IÆm an introvert emotional confrontation is extremely difficult for me Especially confrontation with two individuals who canÆt defend themselves any longer My unresolved relationships with them are my weakness as a person Yea getting rid of it would help me grow But

Tatiana nodded slowly Change is difficult

Change is difficult Randidly agreed And apparently IÆm still the guy who made those same mistakes to push things off until I was ready

And now you go to the Nexus Tatiana said

Randidly flexed his hands Now I peel back what should be the last layer of the onion The Tier 3 layer of the Nexus where Elhume himself and the rest of the monsters are hiding

“Are you ready ” Tatiana responded The air between them began to hum

“I have to be “

“You don’t have to be You’re human too “

Randidly looked at Tatiana for a long second It was oddly comforting thing to hear right now

“Well ” He cleared his throat “I’d better be Because otherwise we are all going to die “

“mm fatalism ” Tatiana raised her glass The moonlight caught the rim of her tumbler and danced across the edge “Cheers to that “

Chapter 1989

Raymund Ballast liked the sounds of the morning on the GhosthoundÆs island Like all good things it started with silence The perfect stillness of recuperating repose There were a few hours when the frantic activity ceased and what replaced it was pristine

All in preparation for the eventual transition to activity

Randidly still hadnÆt come back after the challenge but the tight schedule of training continued without him Dawn arrived and signaled the beginning In the earliest hours of the morning most people left their private training pods and stretched on the beach until their backs cracked They stretched their hands upward reaching for that next epiphany that would catapult them into sudden potency

The tireless waves crashed and bubbled across their feet A wind always began to rise from the East stirring the cool air around the island Then as a group all the members of the Vulpis Squad the Order Ducis and many of the individuals who wanted to train gathered together in a massive group and jogged around the perimeter of the island

Raymund reached up to the gravity array and twisted the difficulty up The air shimmered as the GhosthoundÆs Engraving began to pressure each jogger individually The Engraving rumbled beneath his feet The sounds of the joggersÆ breathing soon synced up a hundred determined individuals constantly pushing their limits Their shoulders and necks soon gleamed with sweat