LoRG 5

Raymund considered them all but his gaze eventually settled on the young woman Beatrice Her blonde hair bounced around her face as she moved He hadnÆt made the connection before the tournament but she had been coming to the island from the very beginning she was one of the first drawn by the spirit of training here to improve herself And even after achieving such fine results in the tournament she came right back

The hole inside of her heart was not one easily filled

Of course few individuals regard the tournamentÆs ultimate fight as satisfying Raymund rubbed his chin The long and winding Path was demonstrated in front of them all but is a difficult enough prospect just to accept let alone pursue Still it is gratifying she has not been dissuaded

The sun crept higher Heat began to settle down across the island on its haunches The joggers continued their dogged training as the strain on their bodies accumulated Raymund stretched out his hands cracked his knuckles and then stood His own daily training would start soon perhaps one of the last normal routines for quite a while A change was coming the Ghosthound had announced that he would leave in two days and return to the Nexus

For the Vulpis Squad that meant they would need to be ready for deployment at any moment They could theoretically be summoned to the battlefield almost immediately

Yet before he could begin his daily Willpower honing Raymund needed to address the group of people gathered at the front of his dwelling They had approached last night with a request Raymund had expected for quite some time and he had told them to wait while he thought about it None had moved through the night simply standing at attention while he made his deliberations

Alana DonalÆs expression was peaceful as she stood at the head of the small group But the rest had their own resolve as well Wivanya seemed to be taking a nap next to her rider her massive body crushing several of the nearby trees Allowaen the chimera woman burned with determination while also staying frozen with cool control The horrific sharpness in her eyes spoke to how long she was willing to stay like this for the opportunity

The ogre WolframÆs massive frame seemed positively demure as he sat and conjured exotic magicks across his fingers The young man Zack Krum was the one that Raymund was the most dubious about yet even underneath the pressure of the island he didnÆt waver even for a moment

Finishing out the small group a slightly overweight man they called the Rat King sat with his legs folded beneath him About a hundred rodents waited a short distance back from their king their eyes glassy and empty

Sighing Raymund walked to the front of the dwelling where the group waited He put his hands on his hips as he weighed each one with his eyes Do you know the peril in what you are asking

Those that had been waiting with their eyes closed now opened them to look at Raymund None answered but they all projected a spirit of confidence They lifted their chins

Jane lowered the documents signaling she had finished reading Based on the way Johann jumped to speaking he had been squirming the entire time We wonÆt stand for this You know I was really mulling it over and the way the Ghosthound just waltzed in and behaved wasnÆt appropriate We need to bring a lawsuit against him Even if we donÆt get the land the fact he demanded we sell this for no value while defacing our office

I have heard from multiple sources that you have renovated Ironwood Capital creating a larger wall around this defacementÆ And the magic left by the Ghosthound has expanded to the entire side of the building showing full flowering blooms of illusory beauty Dmitri leaned back in his chair as he considered his son At this point it has become a tourist attraction

Well Johann blinked several times He shrugged You taught me well father I made lemonade with lemons Are you trying to blame me for that

Finally the neutral expression on DmitriÆs face cracked You were given a diamond and now you flash it around No we will not have that talk right now This is too important Let me ask you a question what do you know about the code of unified laws introduced last month by the Order Ducis It is rumored they were produced at the personal request of the Ghosthound considering the situation with Missy Carp

Err well they donÆt have a snowballÆs chance in hell of being approved Johann replied He clasped his hands in front of him So I havenÆt really bothered to learn more than that

Dmitri glanced sideways at Jane She nodded understanding what he wanted Obviously Zone 32 supported the proposal immediately with many of the more liberal Bubble Cities wanting to ratify However Zone 7 very immediately also gave its support with relatively minor change requests They are sitting at the table chomping at the bit to sign

Jane could see the wrench being thrown into the rough machinery of JohannÆs brain Oh

Oh indeed Dmitri nodded So tell me son why would the Zone that has been staunchly opposed to outside interference suddenly acquiesce to acknowledging a universal set of laws

Suddenly JohannÆs eyes brightened Benefits of some kind

Benefits indeed I had my team go through the entire unified code of laws agreement Then I read it myself just to get a feel for the language Luckily it is not an obtuse document the Order Ducis arranged a very readable and logical code of laws The only controversial part is the text regarding increased penalties for powerful Classers However both I and the team noted a small passage near the beginning Dmitri leaned forward Only those sovereign powers that agree to the code of laws will be allowed to enter the All Alpha Cosmos sponsored tournaments

And if we control that Order we can use that leverage to gather Johann was practically drooling right up until the point his father slammed his fist down on his desk

Damnit Yoh CanÆt you see This is not our chance to antagonize other forces but to become invaluable to them Going back through the information offered by the Ghosthound about the tournament you can find several oblique references to the special way that the top 8 were rewarded And suddenly the Zones with fighters in the top 8 are meekly agreeing The reward is more than it seems

And while the effort to accomplish this task is enormous this will finally give the Rainor Family the chance to establish a foundation Dmitri suddenly seemed exhausted Which we desperately need Offering up this opportunity is a favor from the Ghosthound not bullying You should be thanking him

Johann nodded and lowered his head Jane could see that the young man didnÆt understand already his wheels were turning to find how he could use this to his advantage Jane could see Dmitri observing his foolish son too and seeing the same pattern of destructive behavior

Dmitri seemed so old and exhausted knowing nothing he said could penetrate his sonÆs brain But what could he do He was his only son

JaneÆs hands tightened into fists What could she do She was just a foolish young manÆs business manager

Chapter 1990

Randidly had given himself two days to tie up all the loose ends remaining on Expira The Patron of Feathers continued to be stable but this situation would last for long the other Patrons were getting decidedly ansty

Such a period of time wasnÆt enough to handle his still slightly unruly emotions It also wasnÆt enough time to figure out what sort of plateau his increasingly thick Nether approached or reinvent the flow of his energy to create a dangerous Nether Storm

But it was enough time to say goodbye To feel the pulse of significance across the Alpha Cosmos To make any adjustments he believed were necessary before he left Not that he wouldnÆt be able to pop back into the Alpha Cosmos but his focus would be aimed outward

The shadow of the Nexus dominated a larger portion of his anxiety these days It had ceded a lot of its space to his lingering fears and guilt regarding his emotional flaws but not enough to take it out as the dominant engine of tension in his life

Besides focusing on the task of touching base with people on Expira distracted Randidly from his emotions Turning his attention outward was a welcome shift

The first people he visited on this short tour were Nrorce and Randy in BÆs Crossing The latter was still ecstatic that the worries about keeping the restaurant open had evaporated and he was young enough not to ask too many questions about why They had a dinner together with Bethyl Randy suddenly grown shy after seeing Randidly on tv and Bethyl almost forcefully casual to counter the young boyÆs disposition Only Nrorce seemed genuine if a bit morose and the meal reached a happy conclusion

Afterward he and Nrorce went out back and looked up at the stars In the wide badlands South of Zone 1 the stars proudly gleamed Once Randidly started to say something and looked over toward the tiny blue goblin But the look he found in his eyes was terrifying

NrorceÆs eyes said IÆve said this sort of goodbye before when someone left for the Nexus And all that came back of my daughter was a useless hunk of Aether I canÆt ask you this but donÆt you fucking dare put me through that again

IÆll burn your fucking planet to the ground if you leave me alone here

Randidly closed his mouth and raised his gaze He blinked away several tears before wishing Nrorce goodnight He left and walked across the badlands feeling the cool dirt beneath his toes and feeling the starlight on his skin

It took him a while to calm his surging emotions But he couldnÆt let his trip stall out here he had more people to see ViiSiit for latest novels

He then went and visited the people of Donnyton He had after dinner appetizers and drinks with Mrs Hamilton Donny Sam Annie and Dozer Delilah was supposed to come but heard he would show up and abruptly vanished Apparently she was still searching for the perfect birthday gift for him and refused to show herself in front of him until she found it

This meal was much more subdued occurring at midnight and with some of the most powerful figures of Donnyton Even if most had taken a step back from running the town they still possessed deep sway Randidly amused himself for a bit by examining the thick connections between them him and the significance of Donnyton but hurriedly stopped when all the activity began to stir up his own emotions

It was evening when they finished the debriefing Tatiana twisted her lips and gave Randidly a sideways look Well I believe I know the answer before I even ask but would you like me to agree to any of the requests for meetings YouÆve got quite a few from business owners and politicians All sound pretty desperate for some facetime

I think I can at least spare myself that torture Randidly said cheerily Weirdly he felt cleansed by his nap He still felt the heavy significance swirling in that inert stormÆs eye but it was no longer lashing out Some of the tension left his chest Breathing became just a little bit easier

From there he moved to his island where the Vulpis Squad was gathering up its troops He stood at the edge of the volcano and looked down at the divided island the training facilities werenÆt being entirely vacated by this exodus The Order Ducis and other training fanatics would remain here working on the island even without the added pressure of his presence The infrastructure installed by Raymund was probably the most effective training assistance on all of Expira

The methodical architect himself Raymund Ballast walked slowly up the Path and stood next to Randidly on top of the volcano He thumped his fist against his chest in salute Everyone is accounted for aside from Charlotte We are ready to leave any time

She will need some more time before sheÆs ready to be shown to the world I think Randidly rubbed his chin A layer of high and wispy clouds drifted up toward them blown by the persistent wind that hung over the sea But you probably should prepare a rotation of people to assist with her training Seeing familiar faces will probably keep her

Randidly paused in his speaking as he noticed several individuals amongst the Vulpis Squad who had definitely not gone through the original training circuit with Helen He pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows at Raymund The Vulpine shrugged indifferently but wouldnÆt meet his pointed look New recruits We lost a few when you made it clear you were going to stand against Military High Command In order to effectively field a sufficient number of squads we needed additional blood

Randidly let his breath hiss through his teeth Adding more talented individuals made sense But knowing that these fighters from Expira and the rest of the Alpha Cosmos made him feel strangely vulnerable

Yet he forced those thoughts away He dismissed Raymund and sat at the edge of the volcano He breathed in and breathed out Then he pulled out his evolved AlchemistÆs Passport and moved himself to the area of the Alpha Cosmos where the Patrons stayed

The Patron of the Sun and Patron of the Abyss were there waiting for him He nodded to them ItÆs time Have everything prepared to track the connection

The Patron of the Abyss nodded The Patron of the Sun stared at Randidly for several long seconds with intense eyes that radiated flickering wisps of golden light along their edges I appreciate this Randidly Ghosthound The bonds I hold with the Patron of Feathers go very deep If you can figure out how to save her

Randidly raised a hand The movement felt heavy For now we need to at least find the source of this And that means back to the Nexus

Ah good you are already here Edraine floated out of the murky expanse around them She spread out her fingers and eight gleaming coins floated away from her fingers Three of them gleamed with a complex Engraving visible to the naked eye Your NexusÆ citizenship coins So long as we stop by the hideout and get one more token youÆll have it Are you ready

Yea Randidly said Inwardly he wasnÆt exactly sure of the answer But for the first time since the tournament he felt fine with that

Chapter 1991

Randidly scratched his chin as he looked at the busy forces of the Order Vulpis arming themselves and checking prepared supplies Ballast insisted they be ready for a full campaign on an alien world and Randidly could only acquiesce With the System food and clothing werenÆt as necessary before But it did make things convenient

Watching them work so hard almost made the waiting Randidly feel guilty

He was sorely tempted by the idea to sit and push his first Skill to Level 1000 with this opportunity To achieve his first Mille But something had been weighing on a while and he felt like it was important that he accomplish this task it first Just in case it affected the reward he expected to receive for reaching such a milestone

And accomplishing that task meant leaving

No time like the present I shouldnÆt need anyone from the Order Vulpis for a bit anyway Randidly closed his eyes and shifted himself His body within his body vanished At the base of the shaft surrounded by the horrible maw of significance that compounded itself and devoured everything around it Randidly opened his eyes

All at once his senses began to tingle The environment seemed to tighten around him Huge currents of significance whooshed past him Even touching the grounding Engraving that divided the body of Pine from whatever phantasms lurked below Randidly swayed underneath the constant barrage Powerful eddies of Nether whipped back and forth above him Strange shadowy shapes slammed themselves against the gleaming plateau below as though they could feel RandidlyÆs presence through the barrier and wanted to devour him ViiSiit for latest novels

His heart sunk realizing these shades must have steadily gathered while he was within the Alpha Cosmos

The gleaming light sucking sphere of Pine hung just overhead It begged to be stared at to allow it to devour your attention with its perverted permanence Yet even beyond the dangerous forces he had been prepared for Randidly felt a new pressure in the area a raging pressure emerged from the sleeping body of Solomon Rex resting beneath Pine

His Nether senses spread out through the air seeing and understanding so much more than what he had been able to glean when he arrived here Gradually he could make out the shape of the ancient engine around Pine although Randidly still had some difficulty understanding how that fueled so much energy production for the Nexus

But he could read deeper into the half finished and dismantled Engravings around Pines body Some to protect others to destroy In a way the history of the war over this being was written in mostly eroded shapes right here

Congratulations Your Skill Nether Sensation has grown to Level 991

Congratulations Your Skill Right Hand of the Nether Polymath has grown to Level 821

Right about the time Randidly refocused himself there was a shimmer next to the sleeping Solomon The projection appeared again smiling at Randidly like they were old friends Did you have a good dream

A dream Randidly asked trying to speak casually His mind began to race He had never truly known how much a watcher could understand about the process when his consciousness turned into his Alpha Cosmos Whether he displayed some outward sign He was especially leery of someone as powerful as Solomon Rex being able to study him at his most vulnerable

Of course considering the situation it wasnÆt like Randidly had much choice

The projection nodded easily You seemed lost in your dreams there for a bit Hopefully you dreamt of a more peaceful world Away from the backstabbers of the Nexus and their plots

good luck to you as well Randidly replied Then he whirled his Nether Core took a deep breath and hopped off of the ground Instantly the hungry significance of that broken universe fragment Pine had become grasped at him For a second he wavered but Randidly released a dismissive pulse of Nether a being that hadnÆt yet condensed a true Nether Core couldnÆt threaten one who possessed an Authority

He began to accelerate upward leaving the bottom of the shaft behind As he moved up through the thinning Nether rushing past the floating Nether Heralds and Gatekeepers the Stillborn Phoenix spread wide within his chest All those violent emotions that Pine regurgitated upward it devoured It had been quite well behaved in the Alpha Cosmos But here it licked its lips and began to feast

Destructive emotions were absorbed Then a few seconds later it would blow out an even more violent emotional typhoon marked by the impossibility that existed at the core of the image

Congratulations Your Skill Volatile Breath from Beyond has grown to Level 703

Congratulations Your Skill the Twin Lingering Shadows of Misfortune has grown to Level 930

Congratulations Your Skill Volatile Breath from Beyond has grown to Level 740

When he reached the midpoint and the strange porcelain drones began to flock out Randidly curled his fingers and Seized those nearest to him For a second they resisted protected by small threads of significance but he quickly snapped those They became an honor guard protecting Randidly as he zipped upward

Interesting Randidly reflected as he mobilized his Nether Storm So long as I keep using Nether the small flaws in my CoreÆs rotation vanish While fighting using Nether I donÆt need a Penance to balance myself Of course the consequence of that is probably that too long without using Nether will make my Core increasingly unstable

Noting that down he continued his rapid ascent He didnÆt slow until he reached the level where EdraineÆs hideout was He paused at the heavy iron door along the side of the shaft releasing a powerful belch of emotions from the Stillborn Phoenix and reaching up to sense the situation in the Nexus as best he could The layer of Nether here was suppressed but

Randidly couldnÆt help but chuckle as he felt the unease and fear of the Nexus The events prior to his trip into the Alpha Cosmos came back to him The terrorist attacks the violence between factions in Military High Command the sudden rebellion against Elhume to rush for the Pinnacle Elhume personally hunting down and eliminating the Swacc Family the mysterious death of the leader of the Nether Lattice

The people of the Nexus were worried Most of the commercial districts in the Nexus that Randidly could sense were completely abandoned Most forces had returned to their home planets to figure out the situation

Nodding to himself Randidly went into the base As he found the building he released Raymund Ballast Jieu Ronault and a dozen other members of the Order Vulpis They rapidly swept through the building and the surrounding buildings for any signs of interference or surveillance

Randidly went back to his own room and settled down He produced the eight coins given to him by Edraine and was about to head to EdraineÆs room to acquire another token when Raymund Ballast wrapped against his door A problem

Raymund Ballast was trembling Not the sort of problem we were looking for But

Then Randidly felt it and felt stupid for missing it A pure tether of significance ran off from the Vulpine man into the distance The connection pierced through the walls of the neighborhood and stretched out across the Nexus It hummed every second resonating with the bond between them RandidlyÆs expression twisted because a similar vital bond was stretching out from him to the same location

Randidly felt his hackles rising he didnÆt believe in this sort of coincidence After being purposefully hidden from his senses for so long suddenly Shal and TechetadoreÆs location rang clear

Chapter 1992

I will literally kill you when I get out of here Charlotte Wick cursed bitterly as she reached up and rubbed the small impact spot on her temple The antagonism of her emotions brought back a powerful lashing from the Engraving around her that shattered her budding image of bloody rivers She teetered back and forth trying to ride the backlash Growling she forced discipline back into her mind even though most of spine of her will became hatred for the man in front of her

Beyond the edges of her modified image reflection pod DiOrtho Vant chuckled She jugged five pebbles making them dance and disappear with quick movements of his hands I cannot believe that IÆm taking my valuable time to train you and all you offer me is hostility and cursing At least in disrespect you demonstrate an exemplary performance at every opportunity If only you were so high achieving in other areas I have half a mind to just leave you here alone for a few hours Perhaps isolation will help your attitude

Do it you sick fuck The teasing in VantÆs words made her shoulderÆs heave She felt like a pot of water boiling over The emotional violence was picked up by the reflection pod which then sent painful drills of vibration into her back and sides Charlotte curled up once more growling and helplessly trying to corral her emotions

But she had reached a breaking point in this exercise when a follow up pebble smacked her right between the eyes She overcorrected bits of her image and vicious emotions seeping out with every attempt earning ever larger retribution from the training array All at once the pain grew too intense Charlotte wriggled and collapsed Her image shattered into pieces

Detecting her failure the training sphere hummed to a stop Outside of it Vant shook his head in mock disappointment I would tell you how admirable it was that you persisted so long but I donÆt support dishonesty Especially when you have the GhosthoundÆs honor to uphold What you just did was pathetic Well maybe you just prefer the physical training certainly it doesnÆt require any sort of thinking from your pea sized brain Go get your weight vest and get started And donÆt fuck your buckles up you stink so bad IÆm not going to help you

Charlotte glowered at Vant considering whether she should finally break and just attack him for the shit he had been doing Recently he had started tossing small pebbles at her while she was in the meditation orb The pain was small but the distraction inevitably made her annoyed and lose her emotional stability Her few small successes soon collapsed

However Charlotte huffed and turned away in the face of his expectant smile Vant was practically begging her to attack him At the very least she could refuse to give him that satisfaction

Besides he was right about one thing the Ghosthound had accepted her as his knight She would persist through this torture just to prove Vant wrong

Also relevant to the fact she didnÆt attack him was the fact that she had been training nonstop for the past week alternating between emotional honing and physical fitness In her exhausted state she didnÆt want to know how much of a threat she posed to him

Especially since she had only now begun to rebuild her image after her Primal Force and HelenÆs touch of death had imploded Charlotte had overcome Vant in the tournament but she didnÆt think she could repeat that demonstration right now

If she tried to fight him and lost he would be insufferable for weeks

Charlotte huffed her breath out through her nose several times as she strapped the weighted equipment around her body Vant was right about one thing the item of clothing reached of well aged sweat The heavy cloth jacket was loaded with metal bars covered in additional Engravings Half of these resonated at an unpleasant frequency making the toil even more uncomfortable The other half somehow detected your remaining Stamina and adjusted their weight so you stabilized somewhere in the single digits

For those with higher Stats this became an agonizing exercise The higher percentage the Stamina you were missing the more exhausted you felt Of course you could persevere with the power of your image but usually thatÆs when the discomfort metal bars activated They would do everything possible to distract and detract from the training

Your body would be tortured your image would be interfered with All to put you in the right mindset according to Helen If a special forces recruit couldnÆt survive and persevere under these conditions she would tell you that you deserved to fucking die

Charlotte began to jog Mentally and physically the activity would drain everything from you And when your sadistic trainer decided that you had worked long enough you would go back in the image refraction sphere

Over and over again Polished until you gleamed with perfection

Randidly Edraine and Raymund stood in the small room in the building The atmosphere was heavy Randidly released a long breath We should handle the issue with the Patron of Feathers first

Raymund nodded but his expression was tense

Randidly felt a lot of sympathy for him just as much as he wanted to find out what happened to Techetadore Randidly wanted to try and assist Shal But he also knew that it was too much to believe this wasnÆt a trap

Considering the fact that Elhume himself set off in pursuit of the Swaccs the most ominous possibility was that it was a trap by the hulking monstrosity himself Perhaps due to RandidlyÆs interference with the Patrons Elhume now sought to draw him out

Which was the worst outcome but a mysterious entity from the Nexus doing the same didnÆt make him feel much better Or god forbid Devick tracking down Techetadore and Shal and using them as bargaining chips

So Randidly interrupted his own thoughts spiraling now would help no one He looked at Edraine How does the citizenship process work

Touch the three coins together to make the Tier 2 citizenship coins Edraine pointed Careful to make sure one of the genuine articles is included in each Then take those three coins and combine them The Engravings on them should take care of the rest

Randidly did as directed The Tier I coins all released a pale blue light as they neared each other and the specialty Engravings engaged Even though he despised the Nexus he couldnÆt help but feel admiration when he looked at the elegant arrangement of its magic He could feel the shape of what citizenship provided splicing another world on top of the base one

The coins flashed in a blinding light and then three coins remained These bore an even more complex Engraving and released a soft green light

Looking at the coins feeling the Tier II citizenship Aether constructs Randidly wondered how Elhume had subdivided the fabric of space in the first place to stack it on top of each other like this Humming to himself he pulled the three coins together

After another burst of light one final coin remained This one was larger almost the size of a small play The light it released was a deep purple Elegant gold patterns covered both faces and the thin edges

And now Randidly asked

Squeeze the coin and claim your citizenship Edraine whispered Prepare to see the whole of the Nexus finally

Randidly squeezed The coin crumbled and shattered

For a long moment nothing happened Randidly became increasingly pale “Uh did I just break “

Then the Aether construct snapped into place and the notification popped up in front of him

Chapter 1993

Congratulations You have earned Tier III Nexus citizenship Adjusting parameters

The dense workmanship of the Aether Engraving expanded into a three dimensional shape around RandidlyÆs body Small gears clicked against one another shifting the shape to fit his body and the previous Aether infrastructure around him Then it seemed to surge in new directions like it was being inflated or unfolded

Each time it unfolded and stretched it somehow seemed to become more complex the fact that it had been condensed to such a tight form was bewildering Randidly finally understood why the Nether King would be so interested in acquiring a citizenship coin fabricator

If that mysterious device could churn out this sort of result the machine itself must be a work of art

The expansion settled The shapes began to glow with purpose and intensity With a whoosh they sank into his body RandidlyÆs skin tingled as the new extra layers to the Aether around him hummed to life

He could feel them the slivers of other worlds that suddenly lay around him A sense of movement filled his body as though he was riding an elevator while most of what he had experienced before remained static around him He couldnÆt see any visual differences immediately but he sensed the expanded avenues around him

Congratulations You have become a Tier III Nexus citizen Certain benefits have been applied It will be slightly easier to earn Skill Level experience Your Fatespieces have been enhanced by your new premium influence in the Nexus You have been granted access to all special worlds associated with the Nexus You may now utilize the Advanced Nexus Ways for transportation By looking at an individual you will be granted certain limited insights into their Class and Level

In addition the efficacy of your Attributes has greatly increased A Stat point grants double as much raw attribute and regeneration You have truly risen to become one of the elites

Finally you have been allotted a single idea with which to affect the growth of the Nexus Ideas are vague things related to your image and emotional force Your journey to this point heavily influences the idea of you your story becomes a rudder to guide existence Seeds of you will be planted in all future Nexus Cohorts shaping their development You will receive a slight boost to utilizing your own abilities related to this idea This boost will increase as more individuals follow the tenants of your story Please insert your image into the provided Aether apparatus so the distribution of the idea through the Nexus can begin

In addition to this idea a specific word has been generated for you This world will be analyzed by the translation software and worked into discussion organically in the future Usage of the world will support the spread of your ideaÆ amongst the people of the Nexus Calculating Word selected Your word Ghasthund Definition will be determined when idea has become fixed with your image ViiSiit for latest novels

You now may peruse all previous words generated from other Tier III Nexus CItizens However to ensure anonymity the identities of the original inspirations will be kept hidden

Randidly read the notification several times He rubbed his chin At least this explains why so many of the monsters of the Nexus try and have massive family dynasties ItÆs all to provide a broader base to boost themselves from However heh Compared to having a series of worlds trapped inside of your body having as many children as possible seems inefficient

Still how secret will my relationship to the word be when itÆs fucking Ghasthund

But also Randidly quickly wiped the small smirk from his mouth He could feel a flower shaped piece of Aether unfolding in front of him It floated calmly in his Soulspace with no enforcement apparatus to speak of It was simply confident that he would provide his image in exchange for the boost in power he would receive for it Or perhaps it was a show of respect for reaching Tier III citizenship

Because of his own rapid accomplishments and then the additional coins gathered by Edraine earning Tier III citizenship had come to him rather quickly But Randidly supposed that others might spend a much lengthier amount of time trying to do the same

In the next moment the group of a dozen individuals arrived at a very familiar space The orange stone asteroid that functioned as the Fifth Cohort Staging area Most of the ground was riddled with cracks from when Velio Dunn had attacked Randidly in the past But at the very least it was a place that Randidly knew would probably be desolate enough not to notice their presence for a bit of time

Still the shift in location hadnÆt accomplished exactly what Randidly had wanted

Please Mr Ghosthound we can handle this civilly An officious caterpillar with bulging doe eyes drew itself up to its full stocky height and announced It had taken a few minutes to arrive but Randidly had used that time to follow those threads of Nether and realize most of the space he could sense was blanketed with these things With a resigned expression on his face he had waited for it to arrive

At the same time Edraine looked around them without the ability to see these strange bugs What is it Randidly Was there something wrong with the base

You may call us Biamat The caterpillar gave Edraine a scathing look before continuing Obviously as a freshly minted Tier III Citizenship and one who appears to have risen on your own merits you were unaware of some unwritten rules associated with this high honor That is fine we do not resent the loss of a single host

Just it looks like Tier III Citizenship is a bit more complicated than I expected Randidly said to no one in particular The rushing of emotions began to calm However that had the added negative effect of revealing the tremor in RandidlyÆs Nether Core now rocking between two Authorities Still clarity was better than hasty responses right now As though he had been speaking directly to them both the caterpillar and Edraine nodded

But RandidlyÆs eyes were locked on the sky Originally the Fifth Cohort Rally Station had been part of a ring of asteroids that was arranged around the Nexus proper The stars above the Rally Station were filled with blooming orange and yellow nebulas that glittered with radiation and cosmic dust In the distance you could just barely make out the shape of the Nexus through the clustered teleportation arrays in formation around it

Tier III Citizenship added a new backdrop to the already sprawling cosmic arrangement The Nexus had become clearly visible thick metal ropes stretched down and wrapped themselves around it seeming to affix it aloft above the hungry maw of the Shaft And floating above the top of what Randidly had originally been able to see of the Nexus were a series of progressively widening rings Each layer spun in alternate directions and had slanted wings jutting off from them

Up and up it stretched widening and widening

The combined display was one of a massive drill aimed directly toward the central Nexus waiting below Exhaust portions on those rings threw out glitter hissing plumes of silver gas There was a glowing orb of light that Randidly could just make out within the upper rings but with how closely they were to each other and how distant this massive construction was from him it was difficult to make out exactly what produced that light

Having an ally in us would be extremely useful for you Mr Ghosthound Biamat said Then it settled itself down and rolled over onto its back exposing its bulging stomach And I must say I am quite interested to see what you will add to the Nexus Ghasthund is certainly an ominous sounding expression We await its meaning with excitement

RandidlyÆs gaze turned sharp You can see my word But I havenÆt defined it yet

The caterpillar shrugged Well for those of us who have made it to this height we check the Tier III citizenship logs rather frequently I think most of us will have discovered you by now Your word is close enough to your name and your name has been passed between a lot of mouths after you defended the DonÆs daughter so most will know it to be you And there might not be a definition yet but we still see the word

Edraine and Raymund looked around in alarm as he spoke to air but Randidly gestured for them to calm down Instead he addressed the caterpillar again You claim you can help Provide information What will you want in exchange

The caterpillar smiled its glassy eyes seeming about to drip tears We have many wishes you could possibly fulfill But perhaps the easiest for you we would like you to help us form our own Nether Core Give our collective permanence

Chapter 1994

Randidly sat and meditated in a small hut made of roots Possibilities were small whispers that hung next to his neck right below his ears vying for attention The mass of them became a confusion of gurgled noise He breathed in and breathed out Nether and warm energy flowing through his body He needed to calm his mind a bit before he made any decisions

First about whether to trust this strange bug collective that approached him chittering about a Nether Core then about what to do next with Elhume the Patron of Feathers and the appearance of Shal and Techetadore and finally which image he should add to the word Ghasthund

Briefly he opened his eyes Emerald flashed in the shadowy interior of the hut Also what the hell did it mean to add a word to the Nexus anyway

Pressing his hands into the dirt made dull by lack of light he pulled in with the Stillborn Phoenix Then he released a massive gush of emotional force expelling some volatile feelings that he didnÆt even know the image had been refining Probably some of his own anxieties and uncertainties were contained in that exhale ehow releasing those emotions calmed him down In a way it was an announcement Randidly Ghosthound was back in the Nexus Finally with enough power to feel like he could protect himself and escape if the situation called for it Finally with the freedom to start making serious steps toward accomplishing his goals

He just needed a plan And for that he needed concrete information about some of the secrets contained in Tier III citizenship

One of his first steps had been messaging Claudette Beigon She was still stabilizing her own image in a private area but she responded quickly when he questioned her knowledge of Tier III Citizenship

No she didnÆt possess it Yes apparently she had occasionally seen Don Beigon staring fixedly upward as though he was staring at something in particular in an empty sky above the Beigon Estate Yes she had heard of Biamat the Don had rarely spat to the side in distaste and referred to it as a perfidious pest No she had never heard about the reward of ideas and words relating to Tier III citizenship

All in all most of his questions remained unanswered

One thing at a time Randidly told himself sternly He flexed his fingers against the cool ground Yet with all the thoughts pulling at him he felt a tide of anxiety rising within him The stillness in the eye of the Nether Storm began to twitch enflamed by some of the raw emotions that lingered around his body He needed to ground himself and did that by looking through the other words that had been added to the Nexus through Tier III citizenship In total there were a few over ten thousand that had been added Just scrolling through the list Randidly at least had some of his confusions about this benefit cleared up

One thing he noticed immediately was that the words were listed chronologically Two some appeared inert it seemed that this also served as a way to determine if the idea creator was still alive If they had died the spread of their word wouldnÆt generate any benefits for them

Finally he felt a part of him still as he looked at the first word on the list Randidly understood how ideas and words could really shape the growth of a world or culture

Hell A location or state of unrelenting misery Earned through mistakes and sins can be conscious or unconscious Often considered to be an inescapable prison Sits in contrast with another superior location where dreams may easily come true and contentment lies within reach

The first Tier III citizen generated the word hell Randidly looked at the short definition He shivered as he considered the sort of world and religion that develops once the idea of hell is crystallized Now I wonder was this Elhume Pine Or even someone else

Randidly didnÆt think that this being the first word somehow influenced Expira before it was a part of the Nexus But it did make him consider how more ominous an idea became once it had been named

Hell huh and soon Ghasthund

He skimmed through a few other definitions He found one for Mana and another word IdestorbousÆ that described the moment that an Engraving reached the point where it could generate its own new meaning It was oddly comforting that the second word was darkened the creator no longer among the living

Congratulations Your Skill Left Hand of the Nether Oracle has grown to Level 861

Congratulations Your Skill Nether Sensation has grown to Level 999

Randidly pursed his lips and withdrew his awareness Because of the lack of conflict or intense emotions during the training process his Nether Core began to stutter uncertainly in his rotations He shook himself lightly and pulled out the Hierarchy of Burden No one from the Vulpis Squad or from Training Island was helping with the strain but Randidly still cruised up through the electromagnetic and light radiation layers Electricity crackled across his arms and his internal organs stung from over exposure His body was strong his skin tingled but he endured without issue

His heartbeat grew even in the face of that pressure His Nether Core lost the stutter and moved with more velvety smoothness Randidly boldly pushed forward into the Entropy layer feeling focus and vitality begin to leak out from his edges But his emerald eyes burned he could force his way through the pressure

He would not concede RandidlyÆs First Authority bloomed in that restabilized Nether Core resonant and pure He would take what he wanted He would push himself forward at any cost

He would gather the power he needed to protect those precious to him

Randidly eased off his furious display at the end of the Entropy layer He could feel the complex interplay of Fatepiece energy Nether and his images wafting off his body like heat fumes and penetrating the barrier of his root hut Considering how volatile Randidly felt on all aspects of his energy he allowed that simmering force to quiet somewhat

He reached up and rubbed his forehead Whatever problems it called I definitely feel that disturbing my emotions around the Grey Creature opened up my potency If I can master it my image will definitely improve With that as a weapon and my ability to utilize Nether

Randidly showed his teeth He sucked in another massive emotional breath with the Stillborn Phoenix He took care not to drain the Vulpis Squad of motivation but even though he wasnÆt in the shaft there was plenty of emotional force

The Nexus was in flux People in nearby planets suffered from weeks of fear and paranoia after the clashing of the orthodox factions If he could ease a bit of the pain in the surrounding space and improve himself at the same time he would gladly do it

The Stillborn Phoenix took its time crunching again and again over these emotions For the first time Randidly squeezed with his image He asked his Egg of Depression to release even the spark of impossibility with these emotions The fire in his chest burned With the almost immediate approach of Biamat and the warning of Solomon Rex one thing was clear he was being observed in the Nexus

Well time to send a more pointed message

The Stillborn Phoenix opened its maw and breathed out emotions that had been spun to threads of incandescent fire They streaked outward a weird mixture of tapeworms and furious dragons RandidlyÆs emotion threads resonated with his chest even as they dispersed to different places They promised retribution on all that threatened him and his world

He laughed aloud it had honestly felt better than he expected to do that Then his senses slipped back amongst Nether until

Congratulations Your Skill Nether Sensation has grown to Level 1000

Congratulations You have achieved your first Mille Calculating gains

Congratulations You have achieved a Mille with a Skill at the Legendary Rarity Benefits increased You have are the second fastest to achieve a Mille in Nexus history Benefits increased Congratulations You have achieved a Mille in a Skill that no others have accomplished Benefits increased

Chapter 1995

The notifications continued to quickly pop up in front of Randidly

Calculating gains detecting influences Searching for resonances plunging significance

Congratulations Your Skill Nether Sensation is evolving to the Mythic Rarity Congratulations Your Skill Nether Sensation has evolved to GhosthoundÆs Acute Nether Nose Skill Level will be maintained

GhosthoundÆs Acute Nether Nose A viscerally sensitive physical connection to the strange energy of Nether Only possible due to very unique circumstances and an almost perfect physical form The GhosthoundÆs body has evolved to be able to detect faint traces of Nether in the air and understand their patterns and sources even from vast distances Sensory organs are centered above the sinuses right below the brain Skill slightly increases the ability to understand different varieties of Nether Gives a small amount of insight into individuals based on their Nether The efficacy of these effects increases exponentially as the Ghosthound approaches All effects increase with Skill Level

RandidlyÆs nose began to burn and twitch He coughed and sneezed at the same time the burning spreading up through his nostrils

Due to reaching a Mille with a new and Legendary Skill seeds of this Skill will be spread throughout your home

Error recalculating detecting System failure please see

The Alpha Cosmos Pantheon has intervened Reconstituting benefits to more relevant forms

Seeds of this Skill have been spread throughout the Alpha Cosmos Citizens of the Alpha Cosmos will have a much easier time learning this and related Nether Sensitivity Skills Their ability to interact with Nether has naturally increased The base environment in the Alpha Cosmos has been slightly adjusted Sensitivity and natural talent will rise as the environment in the Alpha Cosmos shifts

In addition one massive amount of significance has been added to the Alpha Cosmos Generating a special Class Lighthouse based upon the GhosthoundÆs Acute Nether Nose

Main Class of the Lighthouse set as Nether Avenger

Finally you have received the specialty Path Achieving a Mille I 0/5000 As you reach this milestone in other Skills further Paths will unlock Continue to advance for the Path in front of you remains long

Almost unable to help himself Randidly sucked a deep breath through his still twitching nose He instinctively closed his eyes as humming lines of information flowed into him from every direction

Very quickly a new and unfamiliar awareness of the surroundings filled his mind It took him a few second to pick apart the pieces and recognize how his nose would interpret familiar sensations The densest Nether he could detect was his own But he quickly shouldered past that information and felt the small notes of BiamatÆs bodies squirming in the surroundings He sniffed again Beyond that was the broader curdled significance of the Nexus likely receiving a heavy influence by the strange behavior of Elhume

What he hadnÆt expected to find were tiny orbs of self contained patterns that seemed to reflect connections from the surrounding space as they bobbed in place The strangeness of the mirroring sensation is what ultimately drew his attention that and its proximity Randidly readily admitted to himself that he likely would have missed it if not for it hanging in the space above the Fifth Cohort Rally Station

Randidly hummed to himself neither impressed nor disappointed in the result He felt a little crestfallen that the Stat wasnÆt related to one of his images but he supposed it likely drew its inspiration from a combination of the Grey Creature Revelations of the Atramentous Threshold and the Nether perspective shifts that had given him glimpses into the future

Plus Randidly muttered to himself I could pull off a couple of cool pranks with the ability to amputate a limb and still activate the nerves

Just as he was proceeding to evolve his final Stat he received a message from Don Beigon You are cordially invited to tea with me in the next ten minutes Please donÆt be late my schedule is extremely busy If you have any difficulty entering into the estate please donÆt hesitate to contact me Despite how valuable my time is I will provide immediate assistance

Randidly couldnÆt help but roll his eyes the Don had clearly blocked off entrances into his estate in an effort to further deplete the actual debt he owed to Randidly Obviously he couldnÆt have done it too directly but the old man was canny in his arrangements

Setting the issue of his last stat evolution aside Randidly stood and brushed himself off Right now he needed valuable information most of all And in the past he might have needed to contact Claudette again and asked some questions about the Beigon Estate defenses but Randidly suspected that would no longer be necessary

He flicked his wrist and produced his AlchemistÆs Passport In the small root dwelling the jangling of the geometric bits of metal dangling off the end were especially loud His eyes went unfocused as he waved the key in the air Space rippled around him In the next moment he stood above the Beigon Estate floating just beyond the sizzling defense Engravings that circled the entire area

Randidly glanced briefly upward and grimaced because it was located very high and along the periphery of the central Nexus the Beigon Estate had a grand view of the massive drilling having above them Because it was directly below the construction it looked less like a drill and more like a massive churning disc All the rotations and the glittering exhaust proved vaguely hypnotic

Shaking his head Randidly pulled his gaze back down He waved the key again feeling the firm defenses before him Space around the Estate was entirely sealed Two separate images were contained in the grand Engraving pressed against one another and without a single flaw Even now as Randidly tentatively stretched his senses into the additional layers of existence he had access to with citizenship the defenses were firm

He hummed to himself as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose He examined the area with GhosthoundÆs Acute Nether Nose Nether took up only a minuscule portion of the space forced outward by the images

Still that didnÆt deter him His Nether Core accelerated in excitement as he began to fold his perspective Everything the defenses covered he folded away on top of each other again and again For a while the fabric of existence that was revealed by the folding provided to be also covered in defenses He simply continued to fold the whirr of his Nether Core accelerating

He enlarged the area that was governed by Nether until it was the dominant framework in his perspective To RandidlyÆs begrudging surprise the defenses were still present here Deeply flawed but still there as though the Don had made some allowances that he might be attacked by a being of Nether

Randidly waved the AlchemistÆs Passport He slithered into the alternate perspective and through into the estate Flawed defenses couldnÆt slow him down

It wasnÆt until he was right outside the door to the DonÆs quarters that RandidlyÆs skin prickled in threat He glanced over his shoulder and glimpsed a shadowy figure down the hall glowering at him However the bloodlust seeped out for just a moment As soon as the figure revealed itself the feeling receded back into the shadows

Little too late Randidly smirked and knocked on the door After hearing a grunt of acknowledgment he pushed his way into the room

Don Beigon was sitting at a desk several brightly colored pieces of paper strewn before him He leaned back in his bamboo wheelchair raising a hand and rubbing his immaculate mustache and beard Mr Ghosthound you know what I respect about you You arrive on time even when it pisses me off

Chapter 1996

Randidly moved forward across the quaint little room to the seat opposite the DonÆs desk Light filtered around the edges of the blocked windows revealing a very austere room As he did so he got a better look at the brightly colored paper in front of the man What he saw there made his lips twitch

Don Beigon was clearly scrapbooking Scissors paper and some sort of adhesive were arrayed around him

The base of the current page was bright orange construction paper with a smaller golden yellow page jauntily set at an angle to frame the content He had cut out giant blue bubble letters that spelled out My Darling Daughter They arched across the top like a rainbow If nothing else Randidly looked at the elegant and stylized shapes of the words and had to admire the DonÆs crafting ability His scissoring seemed positively divine

In addition he had gotten photographs somehow perhaps using his own memory as a base for an artist One showed Claudette speaking seriously at the beach with a hand on her hip another featured her sipping on a coconut cup drink and finally Claudette with her eyes closed in the warm rush of victory after she had been the one to receive the prize Little motes of ice swirled in the air around her However

Looks like youÆve doctored the photos somewhat Randidly observed as he sat down in the chair in front of the desk Next to Claudette in most of those pictures was a block y absence cut away and removed from the frame The Don didnÆt even bother to trim the whole photo down just removed one particular element Very clearly Randidly had been deleted from the DonÆs scrapbook

For that at least Randidly couldnÆt really blame the man

Oh well I had a separate project for those particular elements Don Beigon sniffed officiously and pulled open a drawer He produced a small envelope and offered it to Randidly IÆm not quite finished but IÆm quite proud of my work

He handed the Randidlys to Randidly Seeing them he couldnÆt suppress a snort On all of the photographs that showed RandidlyÆs feet the great and influential Don Beigon had taken the time to draw on shoes Some were looping wrapped sandals others were stylish tennis shoes while in one photo Randidly seemed to be wearing hot pink high heels as he was intensely discussing something The artist perhaps even the Don himself was extremely skilled in the way he used perspective It genuinely looked like Randidly was wearing footwear in all of these pictures

He gave the Don a pointed look He was honestly unsure how to feel Some would see this sort of behavior and think you are petty

Petty is just a word the sulking use to describe someone with a dedication to details and debts The Don responded with a wide smile Whatever he saw in RandidlyÆs face was exactly the sort of response he had been hoping for And I am happy to claim that I am both of those things So you wished to talk Ah please let me have those back I really do have an extra special project in mind for them

Torn between amusement and a distant worry about how these photos of him could be used by the Don while also feeling city for even being slightly irked by the presence of shoes on his feet Randidly returned the cutouts In the end they were just photos he couldnÆt prevent the Don from producing other likenesses of him Randidly nodded slowly refocusing and thinking carefully about what he wanted to ask

The Don spoke before his thoughts were in order The manÆs hands swept up his crafting and stored it neatly in a folder which he slid into a desk drawer Actually it is a good thing that you reached out I believe I have some relevant information about some upcoming events in the Nexus

Ah no The Don shook his head and wheeled back around to look at Randidly I should be clear Elhume only maintains actual defenses around a few floors he guards jealousy None are allowed in those locations A few attempts were made to sneak in and examine his projects but well you have seen how abrupt and final ElhumeÆs reactions can be He is not a man that appreciates anything but obedience As for the rest of the floors other Tier III citizens have set up private little spaces taking advantage of the excellent environment to train their images Quite a few are at the Speculum tier so wander carefully

While nodding slowly Randidly breathed deeply through his nose A flood of information about the multitude of connections and debts the Don maintained came into his mind but he pushed those to the side for now The tenuous connection keeping the Patron of Feathers alive stretched up to the massive space above His awareness drifted after it Once it reached the drill it became harder to follow it but RandidlyÆs Mille Skill managed to trace the origin up and up

The higher it went the more his mood soured From what he could tell the source of that connection was from the second highest rotating ring of the drill

And Elhume sits at the top Randidly said slowly feeling his thoughts curdle as he considered assaulting a location monitored and guarded by Elhume Even with his improvements to his Nether Skills getting in would likely be brutal And although he prided himself on his escaping with ElhumeÆs dangerous fists

No he sits in the middle The Don made a whimsical circular gesture with his hands Like I said its about acoustics The amplification is strongest around the middle So the ideal few floors belong entirely to him

For a second Randidly felt a flash of relief But then the implications of that set in and his mood once again soured So the upper portions of the drill are empty because of ElhumeÆs presence in the middle gatekeeping

Well originally A sly smile spread across the DonÆs face But you are not alone in finding those isolated upper levels quite interesting Several daring individuals have snuck through ElhumeÆs dominion without drawing his ire First Pinnacle Seekers then orthodox faction individuals when it became clear the others had succeeded Once up there the early arrivers had a much freer time establishing themselves Some have managed to secure several floors to their own design although a few weaker ones were eventually crushed by later arrivals When people talk about the hidden monsters of the Nexus it is exactly the populations in these upper floors Most exit only rarely once they arrive Apparently the passage through Elhume three middle floors can be harrowing

Randidly studied Don Beigon for several seconds trying to figure out if he had any more pointed questions to ask The debt sat between them leaning against the Don and urging him to answer honestly So far the talk only took up a small portion of it perhaps a tenth of the whole Randidly wanted to fish for more dangers but knew that if he asked a general question the Don would probably use that opening to unload more debt

The DonÆs bright eyes seemed to be challenging Randidly to try and outsmart him Once more Randidly suppressed that impulse and approached his problem practically He wasnÆt here to win He wanted to survive whatever was waiting up in that ominous drill

LetÆs talk about something else In only a few words how should I treat Biamat Randidly asked

Chuckling the Don shrugged However you want But I will add that staying away from that pest is for the best

Randidly nodded slowly The debt barely dipped He only had one more question that he believed he needed an answer to Aside from Elhume how do the other old monsters that have settled there react to people passing through

Poorly The Don showed his teeth Although less so if you stay to the exterior stairwell From what I hear that territorial reaction intensifies once you go into the upper levels Because the understanding is most who head up there are searching for a location to settle And the old monsters definitely donÆt want to allow any possible competitors to set up shop on their floors

Chapter 1997

Randidly nodded as he steadily considered the information provided by Don Beigon The massive drill loomed in the sky above them both a heavy reminder of how extensive a journey this could become He wavered about asking more but wanted to keep some indebtedness for any other developments in the future

For the record The Don cleared his throat All this information is secondhand I have not traveled very deeply into the drill Some of the individuals holed up there are quite peculiar They donÆt take kindly to deals

Randidly snorted But then he gave the Don a flat look This extra tidbit hadnÆt cost him any indebtedness at all but it wasnÆt a good idea to allow him to just volunteer things I thought we had an understanding about how this discussion would play out

The older man looked aggrieved but kept his mouth shut Randidly chewed on his lip the Don definitely wanted something particular but his senses informed him that ClaudetteÆs father wasnÆt trying to harm him Something deeper was at play

Randidly pressed his lips together He didnÆt have all the pieces he needed to move but he was unwilling to linger if the Don was playing some long game with his carefully chosen responses He still hadnÆt forgotten when the Don attempted to sell him off to the Nether King When Randidly moved to stand the Don tilted his head to the side Ahem I admit that IÆm speaking out of turn once more but I well consider this a freebie Can I offer you some advice

Randidly considered that He almost said no but then wondered if the Don wanted him to say no so he would walk into some trap Plus he had said it would be free Inwardly he shook his head at his own paranoia God I just prefer fighting Outloud he said Yes

Don Beigon smiled If you truly intend to climb up through the drill do not define your word until after you finish your journey ItÆs almost surprising that none have thought to wait before you but perhaps other citizens had been just told about the power they could obtain once their ideas disseminate freely through the Nexus None waited more than a few minutes

Why wait to define the word Randidly frowned

Don Beigon licked his lips It would be shortsighted but what if you created a half baked image about killing one particular person and used that for your word In the end if you were seriously threatened you might as well And suddenly these cautious skittish conservative old beings would have a glaring weakness their peers would be eying Think about it

Per the DonÆs words his debt didnÆt decrease at all even though there was a lot of merits contained in that suggestion Randidly pursed his lips but he couldnÆt deny how interesting an idea this was It made him realize that he wasnÆt the only one who had made his hay by subverting the rules of the System After nodding to the Don he left the room and shut the door behind him

Almost immediately a shadowy figure condensed in front of Randidly His features were obscured by the shadows but his limbs were long and capable His eyes were demurely aimed at the ground Mr Ghosthound allow me to show you out of the compound

That wonÆt be necessary Randidly regarded the figure coolly as he withdrew his AlchemistÆs Passport and drew the key through the air Obviously the otherÆs image and power were tightly suppressed but this was the same individual that had previously revealed naked bloodlust His gaze remained intently on the top of this manÆs head With the added benefit of Tier III citizenship he could glimpse a portion of his power

More powerful than the current Charlotte Wick Randidly realized Certainly more self contained in emotional affect despite the earlier display Perhaps it was even purposeful to test me And I donÆt believe for a second that this is Don BeigonÆs most powerful subordinate

The head of the key nosed apart the carefully restricted space revealing an escape route Randidly stepped and whooshed through the flaws in the Beigon Estate defenses In a moment he had crossed the folded space and returned to his root dwelling on the Fifth Cohort Rally Station

He looked at the ground for a short amount of time considering the things that he had learned about the drill from Don Beigon At the very least he had a destination in mind and understood some of the major dangers It was unfortunate that he couldnÆt corroborate any of the manÆs claims but he suspected that the debt would reveal if the Don lied The only other individual Randidly could think of to fact check was Devick but

Randidly grimaced The fact she now calls her Actus Suprem and our most recent interactions mean that its probably not worth the risk For now it is good news that at least its possible to move to the location indicated by the Patron of Feathers With two notable difficulties getting past ElhumeÆs observation on the middle levels And then of course some old Nexus monster has probably laid claim to the floor in question

But that makes me wonder where exactly will this tenuous connection lead How is it related to that horrifying bone charm What exactly afflicts the Patron of Feathers

Randidly groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose as his mind sputtered for several minutes and came up with not a single answer to those questions As usual learning more information about the Nexus just meant he could ask better questions and STILL not have satisfying answers He would need to start moving soon considering the Patron of FeatherÆs deteriorating health without quite knowing what he was getting into

He possessed more capability than at any point in the past Yet the long shadows of the threats in the Nexus continued to haunt him

Still there were a few things that Randidly could do to prepare He could continue to advance he could train he could learn

The Path Completion reward for the Achieving a Mille Path still blinked in front of him He focused his mind and called up his Status screen He looked down through his list of Stats Uncommon Metabolism (Un) EggÆs Illusory Plume Primordial Nether Juju Dreadful Alacrity Grim Intuition Predictive Synapses Chimeric Indifference Grey MonarchÆs Authority Intelligence Unnatural Capacity Fidelity of the Ascendant Moirae and Exquisite PIety

One of these things is not like the others Randidly hummed to himself as he claimed the reward A strange tremor went through his body as his finger clicked the button

Congratulations You have selected your Stat Intelligence to evolve Detecting synchronicity with other parameters searching for resonance calculating final Rarity

Congratulations Others have made it to this threshold but have been unable to survive the transition By eschewing your previous anchors you have opened yourself to new possibilities Your new anchors are generating a new unique Attribute that you and only you will possess

There are infinite possible failures and a finite number of successful arrangements of anchors Such a balance is deceptively delicate Proceed with caution

Images flashed in front of RandidlyÆs eyes His Stats became anchors smell impressions that kept him at least conscious Distantly he mused that the heat was becoming unbearable even for his strange energy form

He saw his blood the red blood cells flooding through thick veins bringing life to his limbs He saw an egg of darkness surrounded by spectral feathers that wreathed and protected it He saw an ancient tribal totem a being covered in tattoos its body sleek and powerful and so so intent He saw a murderer twitching from stillness to bloody fulfillment faster than an eye could follow He saw a hungry chimera curled in a dark place opening an eye at the exact moment prey wandered past He saw small sparks racing up and down the spine a body moving in anticipation of reality He saw a different chimera one that endured violent elements and trudged forward without slowing

All the moisture had been driven from his form by heat Which meant there was nothing remaining to prevent the flames from exploding outward and filling the entire space

The anchoring images spun around him his mind rushing through them He saw a massive pearly throne on which a grey being with long arms and longer fingers sat He saw an alchemist staying up late into the night above his worktable eyes gleaming with the possibilities hidden in his next idea He saw a figure flicking through a grimoire memorizing the contents with just a glance He saw a slender creature plucking at the threads of fate weighing and measuring their worth He saw a man in a white robe bowing his head before an incandescent light

RandidlyÆs chest or some remnant of his physical form sputtered and collapsed underneath the pressure of his heartbeat Blood sprayed forward into the mixture of ash and bone and flame but gravity seemed to forget about the crimson and emerald blood before it hit the ground The liquid split into two perfect serpents one red and one green They began to swim through the murky stew that Randidly Ghosthound had become one strengthening and one weakening The heat pulsed and swayed held in check by these arrivals

Randidly tried to breathe but nothing happened So he stopped that He simply burned fully and without hesitation

Error dissonance detected recalculating

BADUMPBADUMPBADUMPBADUMP

Attempting to correct

A woman groaned in his ears He saw her hands ending in metal gauntlets desperately trying to keep the essence of him from leaking out between her fingers while the anchors were being prepared Yet even while burning he sensed something was wrong His existence with all of its new Stats was a key that slipped into a lock Yet when they tried to turn something caught The door in front of him remained shut

Randidly A voice NeveahÆs reached him as he burned It was full of pleading The rest of her words were lost in the crackling flames Randidly felt the two serpents weakening Their refinement process continued but they were running out of power The moment had dragged on for too long

What was strange was that he didnÆt feel fear If anything the roar of the flames began to sound like laughter

Yet NeveahÆs call made one of his anchors began to hum A Stat image flickered again in his mind In a second its struggle had ballooned outward until it dominated his awareness Randidly saw that Moirae drawing his fingers across the strings The figure looked up and smiled at Randidly I no longer have the patience to follow FateÆs meandering Path If we are burning letÆs burn it all down with us

Warning Altering anchor is highly dangerous Please see

The Moirae snapped his fingers and generated a shivering tongue of flame Randidly watched transfixed A wicked smile sewed itself across the beingÆs face as he lowered his hand and all the threads began to burn

Congratulations Your Stat Fidelity of the Ascendant Moirae has shifted Your Stat has changed to Discretion of the Apostate Moirae

Randidly burned and his Stat image burned He smiled at the feeling Energy rushed through him funneled into and through his body His anchors transformed

The key squirmed The lock began to turn

Congratulations You have condensed a Fourth Attribute Attribute set as MuseÆs Reverie ( ) Set at 1/5 Regeneration set at 1 per ( )

Chapter 1998

Alana crouched and panted as the training group took their merciful break from the constant hell of building up their foundation And it wasnÆt even scheduled but because they had to shift their location Fat drops of sweat rolled down her neck and face to dangle off the tip of her nose Everything ached the Order Vulpis did not pull any punches when they tried to break down their recruits

Even while the Ghosthound seemed intent on going supernova only a short distance away on the rally station

Nothing to see here Raymund Ballast waved a hand at the unofficial gathering of Squad members who frowned at the powerful display Already he had gathered Wivanya and some other individuals with temperature based images to address some immediate problems They were now surrounding the pillar of emerald and crimson fire that threatened to melt its way to the core of the asteroid keeping the damage from spreading We should take inspiration from this even the Ghosthound never pauses in his self improvements Back to work

Alana straightened and stretched Her back cracked pleasantly but the heat still rolled off the top portion of pyre and pounded against her face Silhouetted against the bright flames she could see Wivanya belching waves of frigid energy over and over again only to watch it barely make a dent in the roiling waves of power that the Ghosthound produced

It was Alana had to admit an effective way to both train WivanyaÆs image motivate her to higher achievement and mentally exhaust the dragon At the end of the day her companion would likely collapse into a senseless pile of sapphire scales

Alana picked up her training vest and slipped her arms through the sweat stained straps She felt the tingle of the Engravings already beginning to activate Next to her Zack Krum fumbled his way through his own equipment With a few groans the rest of the trainees shifted into motion

Only the Salem who had tried for a week and failed to impress the Overseers by asking them to call him the Rat King remained transfixed by the pyre stretching upward from the GhosthoundÆs position All that power What if what something is really wrong What if the Ghosthound needs our help Are we just going to ignore it

Patience friend Wolfram sat still while Zack heaved his encumbered body over to help the massive ogre into his own special equipment Even Alana couldnÆt help but be impressed by the way the teen helped Wolfram without asking anything in return The garment was so vast that he couldnÆt get it on by himself This is all part of the GhosthoundÆs process He is certainly bombastic Yet he is not the type to disappoint us now

This How can you claim this to be natural SalemÆs voice had a shrill edge His eyes were wild Alana made a mental note not to rely too much on the man considering how quickly he crumbled in the face of anxiety That amount of fire could destroy a world What is happening in

Sure but if you master that fire you can protect a world just as well Zack said as he tightened the leather straps Wolfram showed his teeth adjusting to the sudden extra pressure from the equipment Zack slapped his back and then looked over at Salem ThatÆs why we came out here right Because thatÆs the sort of power we all want to find

As though to emphasize ZackÆs point a rippling explosion split open the pillar of flame and sent huge chunks of unstable energy careening through the air A few appeared to be going into the space around their floating asteroid but most were definitely curving back around to destabilize their already damaged foundation

A shout rose amongst the Vulpis Squad members who were suppressing the GhosthoundÆs power Alana watched as the winded Wivanya sucked in a deep breath and then unleashed a few more strained plumes of frigid power The rest surged forward and slammed their images against the projectiles to exploded them before the Rally Station was destroyed

Their current overseer snapped his fingers bringing AlanaÆs attention back to the immediate surroundings Hey donÆt get distracted They need to keep you bags of shit alive until you can make yourself useful DonÆt worry the rest of us arenÆt so fragile to be afraid of something like that

The mood of the Vulpis Squad changed Jieu Ronault and DiOrtho Vant flew up and stood side by side with Raymund Ballast All three floated there watching the place the image turtle had arrived with bristling aggression The air was still aside from the heatwaves but the entire mood on the Rally Station had shifted

On the ground the traineeÆs overseer gestured sharply for AlanaÆs group Make yourself scarce You are not yet prepared to be present if things turn violent And the situation at Military High Command is delicate

Sharing a glance the group slapped their chests to deactivate the Engravings and hurried to their dwelling And no sooner had they arrived than a group of five soldiers stepped out of the ripple in space where the turn had originated Each wore ornate and heavy armor that glittered in the reflected light from the GhosthoundÆs flames

The leader was a sharp eyed woman who eyed Raymund Ballast briefly before focusing down in the fire below Was it you You have interfered with the official business of Military High Command An anomaly was detected in this area and you destroyed the image of our information gatherer I demand an explanation

Unfortunately an explanation of the situation below remains out of your reach Ballast responded coolly Even Alana couldnÆt help but be impressed by the way the foxman exuded some of the oppressive Nether pressure that the Ghosthound possessed Part of it she supposed was that graceful turtle shell tail that undulated behind him We are the Vulpis Squad under Commander Randidly Ghosthound Our special training turned out to be even more effective than anticipated It should be a day of celebration for the Nexus We apologize for wasting your time but there is nothing to see here

The woman smirked and looked again at the fire As before the flames shrank but the heat was still growing And what sort of training creates a fire that produces enough Aether to fuel an entire world

Fuel an entire Alpha Cosmos Alana corrected internally Then a sharp frown creased her face as she wondered how Expira was faring during this display by Randidly She sent a quick message to Hank who replied quickly

Yea its a sight in here DunÆ think anyone is injured but a second sun appeared in the sky This one a lot closer Making people sweat like hell SeemÆs like the moonÆs turninÆ a bit drippy though Why you worried bout me

I respectfully request that you donÆt continue to ask questions about confidential matters BallastÆs words brought AlanaÆs attention back to the confrontation in the sky She wished she understood more about the Nexus so she knew why there was so much tension between these two groups

She could barely feel the power of them both There was however one of the soldiers in the new arrivals that she estimated she could beat in a fight

Finally the other leader lost her patience We serve the will of the Actus Suprem Considering the recent instability and seditious activity in the Nexus all unnatural events need to be thoroughly investigated So once again please stand aside

Do we not also serve the Actus Suprem DiOrtho Vant finally spoke out with a scowl on his face the force of his annoyance warping the space around him Scram lieutenant You donÆt have the clout to nose in here

The delegation leader seemed to consider that But her smile was without fear as she looked around at the members of the Vulpis Squad Indeed I suppose IÆll just submit an emergency report and invite the Actus Suprem here herself to find out the truth This certainly wouldnÆt be above her paygrade

Chapter 1999

The shadow of Actus Suprem DevickÆs wicked smile seemed to stretch out and hang across the Fifth Cohort Rally Station with just the suggestion of her presence

Raymund Ballast knew he didnÆt have much time to respond to the lieutenantÆs question But he knew also that he needed to be extremely careful to all matters relating to Devick From the way Randidly spoke about her it wasnÆt good to give her access to him while he was in this vulnerable state Considering how much energy went into RandidlyÆs actions it must be delicate

Yet in the end it felt like Raymund had no choice Showing weakness now would just draw out the bloodthirstiness of their enemies Neutrally he said If you believe that you will not earn DevickÆs ire to draw her attention to a minor training matter you are free to do so I will not strong arm you from digging your own grave

The LieutenantÆs eyes bristled with indignation yet for several seconds she didnÆt say anything She seemed confounded by his response more than anything else At the very least he felt confident he had made the right choice she had been waiting for him to balk at the mention of Devick

But what would have happened if I had flinched Was a trap prepared The borrowed image fluttered behind RaymundÆs back With it he possessed a little bit of extra sensory awareness He could feel how torn she was

SheÆs a pawn of a higher individual but one who is clearly not Devick Raymund watched with detached intensity Perhaps a jealous peer within Military High Command It is difficult to know who might be targeting the Ghosthound

Fine I will contact her The Lieutenant finally said The words seemed torn from her mouth He barely avoided snorting one more flail to try and draw a reaction She watched Raymund with bright eyes He folded his arms

Vant cracked his knuckles clearly intending to put an end to this farce with the business end of his fist but Raymund gave him a sharp look Vant snorted and also folded his arms Jieu Ronault hummed at a deep frequency the sort you felt rather than heard The noise signaled the rest of the Vulpis Squad to make preparations for an imminent threat To their credit the Squad moved across the surface of the Rally Station without any appearance of tension They walked at a leisurely pace in seemingly random directions but very quickly the various combined images were in position

Minutes ticked past as the face off in the sky All awaited the response of the Actus Suprem Devick The flames coming off of RandidlyÆs body had almost entirely dissipated now From the report from Charlotte Wick who investigated his person their leader was currently sleeping Yet even just doing that energy continued to rise in thick waves throughout the area

Honestly it felt like a good bet that the leader of Military High Command would be too busy to bother with whatever RandidlyÆs display had been Yet she was also notoriously unpredictable That was part of DevickÆs overwhelming power

The ripples came but they were not as small as when the patrol itself had arrived Raymund had almost lost his grip on his borrowed turtle shell tail but steeled his Willpower as the entire sky above the asteroid began to quake and seethe He hoped it wouldnÆt come to fighting but if it did he wanted every weapon he possessed to be at his disposal If nothing else he would lay his life on the line to buy time for Randidly

Techetadore Even if I canÆt survive to come and help you I know he will RaymundÆs eyes blazed That is why I follow the Ghosthound He can

A figure appeared dipping through the fabric of space and emerging in a glittering sunburst of energy But the body that came through out of the disturbance was squat and fat

The Leader of the Vulpis Squad felt a wave of relief rush through him

Raymund saluted the figure but his tone was firm Retired Commandant Kyl MacDuul How kind of you to visit However we are in the middle of training drills I can only ask you to leave and return another time

How boold of you MacDuulÆs drooping jowls flapped slightly as he drew out the word He eyed Raymund squinting at the tail behind his back which signaled a stolen image The squat man pursed his lips To so quickly shoo away a retired military veteran like myself You do realize that IÆve protected the Nexus from the Nether threat for longer than youÆve been alive yes And more than that I doubt your Commander is quite yet ready to stand toe to toe with me in a fight It would behoove you to have some patience son IÆm not merely wandering past I bear a message from the Actus Suprem

Then by all means deliver your missive Raymund felt an itch develop on his cheek Remembering the pulsing waves of madness of that womanÆs image he gritted his teeth Beside him he could feel all of the fury in DiOrthoÆs body gathering up into his tense shoulders We await the orders of our leader

The words were heavy with salt as Raymund said them

Ahem Dearest Randidly I sense you will soon go up to investigate the Sonara Visit me before you do Æ Kyl MacDuul rolled his shoulders imperiously His whole body shook That is the entire message As for you Ballast Your antics are excused for now but you still need to file reports in the future when you plan on making a mess Do not forget that

And also as for you leader MacDuul harrumphed and looked down to where heatwaves and wisps of energy continued to radiate outward He was placed in charge of the squad because of that damn fool Wick whose image is now shattered Do not think others in Military High Command have let his dangerous ambition go unnoticed He should stop flashing his belly

Randidly continued to tumble with air rushing past him gradually acclimating to the changes The muscles of his body hummed with power He twisted midair marveling at some small physical adjustments he noticed Both his arms were now covered in pulsing tattoos The lines looked black sometimes but at others glittering with royal purple notes His arms were long he stretched out his limbs feeling how sharp and streamlined his body felt His fingers too were longer than he remembered

He frowned at his digits Not only were the fingers extra long but his palms seemed unnaturally extended to accommodate them In terms of size each finger is as long as a banana And although they are still slender the power also ending in a chitinous point

Randidly was so intently studying his fingers that he barely even noticed as he crashed back down to the ground In terms of structural integrity the asteroid couldnÆt hold a candle to him He had apparently struck an area above one of the interior caverns because a huge stretch of dirt and orange stone collapsed into a massive hole just from the lightest descent of his hop

The ground cracked and for a bit he twisted midair avoiding falling rubble Everything felt strange and distant like the air he could walk through previously now required swimming His movements seemed exaggerated as the harmonious Stats made new things possible He swam amongst the collapsing stone avoiding debris until he found him crouching on a series of shattered boulders

He used his tail to push himself back up and set him on his feet His tail had grown too almost doubled in length while otherwise remaining the same He folded his legs beneath himself the tail snaking out in a spiral to provide a stronger base He supported himself with just the tail tilting himself back and forth to test its limits

Using one of his unnaturally large hands Randidly swiped at the air Grey MonarchÆs Authority humming with improved efficiency in this form pressurized the air into a pane of glass He then added a back and looked at his own reflection in the conjured mirror

Randidly recognized his own face But otherwise

I look like a monster Randidly blinked The thought was curiously numb and without judgment His Stats had made him this way but Randidly was the one who had planted the seeds of his Stats

Again his arms were the most eye catching shift even if the internal rearrangement was more literally unnerving They hung down from his shoulders long and unnatural his fingers stretching down to his knees The shoulders had added bulk especially on SulfurÆs side but the limbs were sleek otherwise His neck looked athletic but some of the muscles he developed when he remade his body had vanished He looked almost gaunt with such a slender and pale neck

His hands went to his midsection His waist seemed encased in some sort of tight armor but it was just a hard shell that was part of his body Beneath it he could feel his potent musculature shifting underneath his probing fingers His thighs and calves were the most overly muscular portions of him bearing some hints of the shell armor while in other places covered in the swirling tattoos that Randidly sensed were based on Primordial Nether Juju

RandidlyÆs eyes were still emerald his gaze intense His cheekbones remained sharp yet as with his neck looked increasingly gaunt His hair was somewhat different Most of it remained black but somehow he had developed some random strands that were either pure gold or silver Those strange hairs glittered as they mixed with his dark hair making him seem quite like a mad scientist

His headache gradually began to ease His thoughts began to run more smoothly piecing the things back together If anything the problem had been the speed at which they came With a bit of experience he could cope For now he set aside the issue of the weird dream he had about his mother Instead he considered the ramifications of evolving his last Stat

Randidly had once remade his body to suit his powerful capabilities It had been an effective transformation that allowed him to stand toe to toe with foes in the Nexus that had much more well developed images But if he understood the recent reward correctly that transformation had been a human warped until he possessed impossible capability With all new stats he now saw the version of himself without being based on the template of humanity at all

A monster from genesis to execution

He wondered if that would help in his fight against Elhume To no longer be human

Neveah hopped down the edge of the crater and made her way to stand next to Randidly She smiled at him and reached up to toy with his hair Honestly I like it You look like a silver and gold fox Very fetching

A silver fox really Neveah IÆm only Randidly snorted in spite of himself but then paused when he realized he really didnÆt know how old he was anymore Probably in his mid thirties but with all the time training it was easy to lose track

Randidly gave himself another long look in the mirror ItÆs just well IÆve had a lot of changes since the System arrived ItÆs not like I could just pause things before but now IÆm building up momentum toward something I canÆt avoid you know

Neveah stood on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his cheek Then she wrapped her arms around him despite the fact he was a foot taller and with his added thickness she could barely reach all the way around Still youÆre still you So long as you believe that there is hope

Randidly nodded staring at himself But he couldnÆt help but wonder what it meant to be him these days After all his insides housed an entire solar system

Chapter 2000

Soon Randidly grew more used to his body At the very least the physical components felt extremely comfortable His Stats becoming the building blocks for a new form meant that the form felt natural Once he spent some time easing himself into the experience the lapses vanished

Action had become completely intuitive Randidly had an urge to seek out Charlotte Wick to fine tune the new body with a few spares

RandidlyÆs smile was filled with bitterness Well we will spare you that chore at least right now You arenÆt quite ready to really bear the mantle of my knight But you would have been foaming at the mouth for a chance to spare with me right now wouldnÆt you Helen

Neveah hung around for a bit to confirm that he was alright but satisfied herself and returned to the Alpha Cosmos to help damage control there Which allowed Randidly to look at the few follow up notifications that he had received from the System in the wake of the transformation

Congratulations The constellation of your Stats has successfully aligned In a near miracle your form has condensed into a tangible new lifeform You have earned yourself a new Attribute You have made history in the Nexus You are the first individual to create new life Free Stats +1000

Error disconnected from Overlay System Please see your nearest Village Spirit for rewards In addition you have received a special message from the creator of the Nexus

Dear Cherished Ally

It is through your actions and those of many like you that the Homunculus Project can advance Only by pushing the boundaries of what is possible can we finally achieve the dream we in the Nexus have long worked for We need more visionaries like you Please I invite you to seek me out directly so that we can discuss your findings and use them to try and save my son Pine

Elhume Yule

For a second Randidly froze as he read the letter That name at the end made his skin crawl His long fingers had no difficulty tightening into heavy brutal fists But as he reread the message from Elhume it became clear that it was likely a premade announcement from before things changed at the end of the Second Cohort This was still when Elhume wanted to save Pine This was probably even before Elhume had created humans

Still why does it say IÆm the first to create new life in the notification Randidly frowned Is it a mistake Was ElhumeÆs act before the current version of the System but then why would this message be prepared for this eventuality That was clearly the goal

In the end this strange relic of an ancient mission posed more questions than it answered A picture of a positively cooperative emerged looking at this it made it possible to understand why the Patrons felt so betrayed by his current attitude So Randidly moved to a much more pressing issue his new Attribute MuseÆs Reverie

When he closed his eyes he could feel it Stamina had always been an endless sea of warmth that floated in his heart Mana became a cool whirlpool that calmed his emotions Meanwhile Randidly found a small wisp of prismatic white energy that glittered and moved freely through his person

He tried to prod it and activate it but the will o wisp fragment just squirmed and flitted away Periodically the wisp released pulses In those pulses an almost Nether Ritual esque circle flared to life around the wisp Infinitely complex patterns curled outward in dim lines But then it vanished until the next pulse generated the phenomenon

Frowning Randidly opened his eyes and looked at the question marks that denoted its regeneration It seemed like he wouldnÆt be able to figure out its effects until he had gathered five of these MuseÆs Reveries However he somehow sensed that this wasnÆt a matter of time Something specific was required to earn a point in this Attribute

More work Randidly cracked his jaw and looked at his positively sprawling Status Screen So many things to work on

Level 63 (96%)

Health(/R per hour) 26815/26815 (20209)

Mana(/R per hour) 19352/19352 (7016)

Stam(/R per min) 19696/19696 (4917)

MuseÆs Reverie 1/5 ( )

Uncommon Metabolism (Un) 1747

Kismet of the Evolving Creature Chimeric Impunity Lvl 725 The Wandering Deity Demands Lvl 410 Grit of the Ascendent Bane Lvl 553 Maelstrom Entity Approaches Lvl 470 The Ashen Doors to Pandemonium Unlock Lvl 501 The Vindictive Chimera Smites Lvl 420 The Wrathful Calamity Rends Lvl 656 The Grey Creature Glimpses Providence Lvl 674

The Stillborn Phoenix A Star that Prayed it would be Reborn Piercing Gaze of the Egg Lvl 569 The Tug of Tragic Silence Lvl 378 Wicked Waltz of Tartarus Lvl 672 Hallucination of the Bloodless Heart Lvl 528 Volatile Breath from Beyond Lvl 740 Stigma of the Stillborn Phoenix Lvl 425 Revelation of the Atramentous Threshold Lvl 720 The Twin Lingering Shadows of Misfortune Lvl 930

Crafting Architecture of the Primordial Ways Lvl 700 Touch of the Ghosthound Scrawl of the Ghosthound Lvl 275

Yggdrasil the Universe that was First a Tree The World Tree Sips from Every Realm Lvl 719 Aureate Arteries of Yggdrasil Lvl 599 YggdrasilÆs Plasm Animus Lvl 416 Marred Yet Reliable Foundation of Yggdrasil Lvl 702 Dawn Opens the Sky and Reality Stirs Lvl 450 Darkness Withers the Horizon and the Waiting Carrion Grins Lvl 525 Spirit Realm of Marshaled Endeavors Lvl 756 The First Tree Suffers Only Fealty Lvl 890

Auxiliary Yggdrasil Soul Seed Inspiration Burning Footsteps Lvl 223 Cooking Lvl 101 Aether Connection Lvl 21 Soul Bond Lvl 503 Nether Modification (Domain) Crossroads of the Alpha Cosmos Lvl 561 Connection to the Alpha Cosmos GhosthoundÆs Acute Nether Nose Lvl 1000 Precise Nether Ritual Lvl 663 Left Hand of the Nether Oracle Level 861 Right Hand of the Nether Polymath Lvl 821 Soulful Vigor Lvl 440

Randidly rubbed his chin As he did so Raymund Ballast walked over the edge of the crater and looked around Spotting Randidly he lithely descended through the smoking and sundered ground to stand next to him Apparently being set up in the middle of the crater was actually quite good for RandidlyÆs social life

The foxman offered Randidly a salute Your transformation seems to have adjusted your physique quite a bit You look very dashing sir The picture of military leadership

Randidly couldnÆt help a wan smile Well thank you for that although entirely unnecessary More than anything else right now I just need a

He caught himself right before he said break The VulpineÆs expression stayed entirely neutral Despite the lingering headache and his sense of dissociation after the shift Randidly felt a pulse of empathy His features softened Hey Raymund I just want you to know we are heading after the Patron of Feathers right now but investigating the situation with Techetadore and Shal is the first thing we will do when we return

The fox man managed a tight nod From the stiffness Randidly guessed that Raymund knew just as well as he did that problems seemed to follow them around everywhere by the time they returned from the drill some new threat would have reared its head Life would make fools of any planner

Just as Randidly was resigning himself to acquiescing to the demanding mistress of necessity in the future he felt something stir in his chest A pure and genuine desire to help Shal stirred up his heart More than that Randidly felt his spine stiffening as he thought about all the times that powerful forces in the Nexus forced him to dance to their tune He had been dragged from one crisis to another too many times

In his mind he saw again that Moirae his face stretched in a Chesire grin In one hand he held a tongue of hungry flame and in the other he white knuckled the handles of rusty silver scissors It was time for Randidly Ghosthound to start nudging this fucked up train wreck in the direction he wanted

Seriously Raymund When we get back first thing RandidlyÆs chest filled with heat His long fingers curled And if something gets in the way IÆll tear every impediment to pieces

Raymund nodded more easily this time I appreciate it sir but you know The VulpineÆs face crumpled and his breath hitched I the shame I feel when I envision speaking to Techet is a heavy burden As his older brother I have failed him time and time again What if IÆm still incapable of protecting him At the very least so long as we are busy I can distract myself

Randidly thought of Shal He thought about what his journey must have been like to the Nexus without an Aether Crossroads to fuel him How the years of training and refinement that went into his images were almost instantly overmatched by the ancient monsters of the Swacc Family and their resources How his achievements were masked and belittled How he must have struggled alone in a place where he knew no one Where he had no support system

Randidly wondered how bleak the world must have seemed for Shal to accept the Armaments

In a way Shal had been chasing something his whole life First truth about his family then Lucretia then to protect his fatherÆs legacy then to prove himself and finally to protect Tellus Steadily and through constant grit he had managed to achieve those things Yet those successes had propelled him past those goalposts and into a featureless future

You know if I ever manage to subdue Elhume RandidlyÆs gaze briefly flickered It might have been his imagination but he thought the prismatic wisp of energy began to pulse more frequently in his body Will I run into the same problem Will I know how to live when the Alpha Cosmos doesnÆt need me

Blinking Randidly pulled himself back to the present to the subordinate that showed vulnerability to him He cleared his throat thinking both of Techetadore and Shal The truth is I donÆt think what Techetadore needs is someone to protect him More than that he just needs someone who is there for support None of us can do this alone

Perhaps Raymund bowed his head

A ghost of a smile flickered across RandidlyÆs face Heh and if Shal heard me say something like that

Ah there is one other thing Raymund shook his head His steely self control had returned While you were in the midst of your transformation the energy discharge attracted the attention of Military High Command Kyl MacDuul stopped by with a message from our glorious Actus Suprem She requests that you visit her before you head up to the drill

For a second Randidly felt dizzy But that same heat and clarity he felt earlier rose in his chest Some foes you canÆt avoid But you can keep their presence from casting a shadow on your decisions

Randidly chuckled Well alright then After a quick nap I guess itÆs time to go see Devick

Chapter 2001

Sir do you truly mean to help the Ghosthound with your advice Fellador asked shadows swirling around his body This was one of those situations where he couldnÆt truly read his masterÆs intentions

Don Beigon wasnÆt looking at his servant instead considering his own reflection in the mirror He held a burnt orange bowtie up to his neck and considered before lifting a seafoam green bowtie to the same position After sucking on his teeth for a second the Don selected the seafoam green and affixed it to his neck Hmm Well obviously he is a close personal friend of my daughter So long as it costs me nothing helping him is obviously a good way to keep our relationship cordial And to make sure he helps her when she needs it Which considering her stubbornness will undoubtedly be soon

Fellador nodded slowly That was the thing about serving the Don Even after seven hundred years of service it was difficult to tell when the man was being honest about his motivations Even when he claimed to be altruistic the Don had an unexpected angle Then and please excuse this servantÆs idle curiosity why didnÆt you tell the Ghosthound about the investigation against him

The Don snapped his fingers Suddenly his entire wardrobe shifted to the eye catching seafoam green He twisted in his bamboo chair admiring himself for a few seconds Then he chuckled and turned to look at Fellador Well firstly because it is a purely internal investigation to the Orthodox factions Strictly extra legal Plus such information would be extremely valuable and Randidly made it clear he was dictating his major purchases And in addition well so long as he hasnÆt violated any laws he has nothing to worry about yes He is an adult

Fellador lowered his eyes To their left an Engraving circle on the floor buzzed softly evidence of the DonÆs twisted sense of logic

A knock at the door interrupted them Straightening his bright green tuxedo the Don rolled himself back around to his desk Fellador ghosted across the floor and allowed their guest into the DonÆs office Skull Shadow looked around slowly a veil of Nether drawn across his features Fellador privately suspected that this fellow did it to try and look intimidating which spectacularly failed

A pretender grasped at the throne vacated by Lathic NÆGick But although he wasnÆt nearly as capable that didnÆt mean he wasnÆt useful

Ah Skull Shadow so glad that you could join us The Don offered him a wide smile and gestured to the Engraving circle As promised IÆve put an area affected by the Ghosthound in stasis You can deactivate the area at your leisure and analyze the composition and patterns of his lingering Nether

Thank you Don The veil of Nether had the added effect of warping Skull ShadowÆs voice Yet despite that his excitement was clear as he gazed at the frozen chair and circle of air He stretched out a hand against the edge as though he could feel the shifting Nether within

And now The DonÆs smile widened A small favor between friends What can you tell me about the election

Elhume as usual has remained silent on the issue Skull Shadow crackled In that power vacuum Actus Suprem Devick has volunteered to host the prestigious gathering But she isnÆt doing it alone She has apparently founded what she calls The League of Impressive WomenÆ Mostly a few minor characters but the other founding partner is the Silk Reaper

All of Don BeigonÆs cheer vanished He scowled at Skull Shadow Does that woman have no limit to her insanity She would willingly invite that walking genocide into an Orthodox Nexus gathering

In all likelihood she is hoping for the worst outcome Even through the vocal augmentation Skull Shadow seemed bitter His shoulders hunched As you know DevickÆs outlook makes her practically immune to the danger of associating with the Silk Reaper And the chaos that would result would undoubtedly bring her a lot of joy

Fellador remained hidden in the shadows in the corner of the room waiting to be needed He was familiar with the Silk Reaper a woman whose specialized image made her exceedingly dangerous She wasnÆt an intimidating figure herself but she was someone who would kill you if you were ever afraid that she would That was the entirety of her simple image that carried her to the Speculum Tier

Now most powerful figures in the Nexus obviously wouldnÆt hold much fear toward her But all it took at a gathering with the Silk Reaper was one weak willed individual to have a wandering thought Once you watched her monstrous image reap a life it was much easier to fear the same happening to you And like a contagion that fear would fester mutate and spread

Entire crowds had been culled at once

Come in come in IÆll finish up soon Devick said without looking up After doing several more long brushes she used her long fingers to set down the doll in the middle of the table She scuttled around the edge looking extra ridiculous because she was wearing her full Actus Suprem regalia aside from the headdress The armor clinked noisily as she leaned forward and toyed with the dollÆs dress

Randidly cleared his throat I didnÆt mean to interrupt

If you actually interrupted I would have slaughtered you as soon as pushed your way in through the door Devick said cheerily She eyed the doll for a few seconds before picking up a thin paintbrush rubbing in some paints and adjusting the dollÆs eye shape Then she nodded in satisfaction Okay Time for a test my dear Randidly What do you think her name should be

Randidly looked from Devick to the doll and then back to this powerful and slightly insane woman He felt her presence physicality the alignment of his Stats with his physical form made him all too aware of the threat she posed to him Her smile widened as she waited her eyes glittering

She genuinely expected an answer To his surprise his instincts came up with something

Anemone Randidly offered

Devick stood bolt upright Her arm shot up and she pointed to the door Iellaya What was I just saying to you

Lady Iellaya pushed her head through the door She gave Randidly a slightly strange look that the dollÆs name should be Anemone

Ah great minds think alike Devick showed a smile of genuine pleasure She practically beamed at Randidly The experience was almost as unnerving as the intensity of her gaze during the challenge over Claudette

He wasnÆt at all sure what he had been expecting when MacDuul had brought her imperious request for him to visit before he left but it certainly hadnÆt been this The interaction was positively cordial

She moved to a comfy looking chair along the wall and draped herself across its arms Well anyway The doll is just a hobby after all it would be positively irresponsible to make children without first trying it out with clay you know

The mention of children sent a chill down RandidlyÆs spine as he recalled how he had left Wick You want to make another child

What Oh god know Think of all the trouble my current son has caused Devick gave Randidly a wink which made him feel profoundly uncomfortable about who exactly she considered her son can you imagine another No my children are entirely too rowdy Besides I couldnÆt imagine having a girl Strange isnÆt it I much prefer my women fully formed and ready for instruction

Randidly said a silent prayer for Lady Iellaya

Devick clapped her hands together Well anyway we have a lot to talk about donÆt we And this conversation might get a little awkward

Randidly raised his chin You know I hope my fight against Wick

Pah you think that bothers me No boys will be boys If anything you did me a favor Which is why this is so difficult Devick still lounging scratched her ear for several seconds before she continued to speak I want another favor IÆve actually been watching you a bit donÆt be mad just normal superior/subordinate stuff checking in making sure you are safe And I noticed one particular subordinate of yours Alana Donal I believe her name was IÆd like for her to come train under me for a while IÆm founding my own special group and I believe sheÆd be an excellent fit

Chapter 2002

That isnÆt possible Randidly blurted out instantly In response to DevickÆs metaphorical reach for Alana his body responded before he could even moderate the rejection

The room fell entirely silent The two looked at each other his abrupt denial sitting between them Devick straightened in her chair Her long red hair seemed muted in the enclosed space all shadows and depths There was a horrible stillness in her features after the rejection Her eyes were bright as she examined him Randidly felt his Nether Core naturally beginning to accelerate in preparation for a confrontation

He hadnÆt meant to force a confrontation between himself and Devick but he wasnÆt going to flinch from it He clenched his fists Sulfur hummed in concentration

Oh Randidly donÆt make such a serious expression Devick rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair once more The business with Alana is a favor not an order IÆm not going to punish you if you refuse But we do need to make one thing clear If it was an order youÆd have no choice but to obey correct

The temperature in the room fell Devick cracked her knuckles LetÆs not even consider the fact IÆm the Actus Suprem IÆm stronger than you and thatÆs that So if I had really wanted this to happen

Her eyes were almost dripping the sludge of old blood and wine His skin crawled to look at her crooked smile even as her madness continued to remain firmly entrenched within her body without leaking out RandidlyÆs hackles rose When he released a breath steam came out of his mouth

Oh IÆm getting you all riled up I really just meant it all as a joke This is a pleasurable visit is it not Devick raised her hands almost defensively All her implied threats and tension vanished Then she hopped to her feet and picked up the doll Anemone with both hands You donÆt need to answer that question And really this is just a favor I know your instinct is to reject me likely because of the err aberrations in my image manifestation but really I can be quite reasonable Just convey my offer to her alright

Devick moved to a tall cabinet along the wall of her office She used her toe to press it open revealing five shelves about three quarters filled with dolls Their painted faces and unwavering gazes made RandidlyÆs skin prickle Devick placed the auburn haired girl on the lower shelf and quickly closed the door but not before Randidly saw a black haired green eyed barefoot doll on a small golden plinth in the middle of the cupboard

At the very least seeing that weirdness reassures me this is really Devick Randidly calmed his heartbeat and eased off the rotation of his Nether Core But his eyes narrowed Well I can certainly deliver the offer to Alana but IÆll make it clear how bad an idea it is to associate with this woman at all

That image of hers is poison

After closing the cupboard Devick turned around She seemed to be blushing My my I was so distracted by my little pastime that IÆve forgotten my manners Can I interest you in some tea Perhaps a cocktail

IÆll just have water thanks Randidly said stiffly From DevickÆs tone it was clear that this voluntary pleasure meetingÆ wasnÆt over after she admitted to spying on him and coveting Alana He took a seat settling himself as best as he could He felt the heat of his Stats sizzling through his long limbs No matter her intentions he would endure and survive

He would seize the initiative He would protect those important to him

With a snap of her fingers Devick produced a cup of water and set it in front of Randidly Then she poured herself a cup of tea She took a sip and then scowled down at the liquid A few rust colored flames sprang to life around her hand quickly boiling the contents and melting the cup slightly The gorgeous floral pattern began to droop in the face of those wild flames The distortions did little to alleviate her frustration Rage very visibly built on her face the corners of her mouth drooping downward as she considered what vicious torture to unleash on this tepid tea and the fragile cup

She abruptly looked up at Randidly A look of guilt flashed across her face and she moved her hand to cover up the dripping porcelain of the cup Small rust colored chains condensed around the edges of the cup holding the pattern in place So how have you been

Releasing a breath RandidlyÆs gaze flickered to the cupboard On his second inspection he saw the careful defenses she had erected around the piece of furniture apparently she took the safety of her dolls seriously

The heat in his chest briefly spun giving him a reckless idea But considering DevickÆs current attitude toward him it might be a gamble worth taking He released a very visible pulse of Nether and smiled at Devick Well I certainly feel better about now If thereÆs nothing else IÆll head up did you say the drill is called the Sonara When I finish my business there IÆll come back to report about any Impressive Women I encounter

Congratulations Your Skill Right Hand of the Nether Polymath has grown to Level 824

Congratulations Your Skill Cutting Tide of Amenonuhoko has grown to Level 907

Devick nodded still gigging to have seen RandidlyÆs vindictive side Alright alright Go on I know youÆll start a whole heap of trouble no matter how much I try to warn you You better be prepared to clean up your messes on your own

Randidly stood and walked to the door When he had released that Nether pulse it had spread outward in a series of cascading patterns They smashed into each other and broke off in swirling clumps These clumps ricocheted off of each other and spread to fill the room By the time Randidly passed through the doorway and nodded to Lady Iellaya the pulse had almost completely settled

With one small snag

Due to a few random interactions with the dense defenses around the dolls the wave of Nether curled as it reached the cupboard The brief delay meant a wave collapsed on the central doll in the cupboard all at once The thin layer allowed to Nether in the Nexus exerted a tiny bit of pressure on the Randidly doll A split second later the cupboardÆs natural defenses activated and skimmed away the extra Nether

But a thread of RandidlyÆs denser Nether had displaced some that had been present previously in the doll It blended easily with the significance already present in the object Devick had clearly taken quite a bit of time effort and material to make it That gave it meaning In addition the doll was based on him so it was an easy fit

Randidly left Military High Command with his head held high His AlchemistÆs Passport carried him directly upward appearing at the highest point of the inhabited Nexus The Sonora loomed above as large as several stars clumped together in a disastrous supernova As he floated directly below the object it filled up almost the entire sky

It was the sky

Randidly breathed deeply in through his nose GhosthoundÆs Acute Nether Nose gave him a very detailed picture of the heavy flows of significance circling the Sonara But also Randidly felt that small bit of Nether he had left in DevickÆs office

For now he simply left it there Even though he believed he was skilled enough to avoid DevickÆs detection by weaving a miniature Nether Ritual he didnÆt think it was wrong to tread carefully around her rust colored madness Besides Synechdochence would allow him to finish the job whenever Devick was otherwise occupied

He blew out through his nose So now to the Sonara The hulking remnant of ElhumeÆs unfinished weapon The truth about the Patron of Feathers

Hopefully IÆll finally get some answers up there

Chapter 2003

For the last bit of his approach Randidly warped gravity around himself and simply accelerated upward Perhaps he could have gotten right up against the Sonara with the AlchemistÆs Passport but he wanted to get a feel for this ominous object before he entered into it

He wasnÆt going to miss a chance to take advantage of his sharpened senses Especially when the stakes were this high

And certainly shooting upward and watching the Sonara seem to continually expand the churning discs rotating above him with a timeless quality gave him a certain sort of expectation for his journey into the looming drill Spending so much time looking up into the mesmerizing rotations left no doubt that this object was developed with a grim purpose

Elhume Randidly bit his lip How changed must you have been from a father desperate to save his newborn son to have looked down upon the entire Nexus and slowly built up the implement to crush it all

At some point he began to hear the motions of the Sonara Part of it was the mechanical reality of the spinning layers but a baleful dirge resonated outward from the massive construction as it continued its ceaseless motion It hummed with unfilled purpose and brief fragments of alarming images It reminded Randidly vaguely of whale songs sped up and edged with violence

From his original point it took almost an hour of his acceleration and the Sonara seeping outward to become an all consuming presence before he neared it But after that slightly tense hour with the song of the Sonara growing louder each minute he saw a small blip attached to the bottom most plate of the Sonara Likely that was the entrance Randidly lowered his head and allowed the Stillborn Phoenix to howl a firm denial of the song around it He sped upward across the last stretch and saw his entrance

The staging area wasnÆt very complicated it hung from the bottom of the Sonara a cage that supported a small town Randidly slowly floated closer bleeding away his speed There were a few dozen buildings and wide streets set up in a grid pattern All of this was situated around a central staircase that led up to the first rotating ring of Elhume’s actual creation Examining the area Randidly suspected that this was originally a home for the workers who had constructed the Sonara

Of course it was now a ghost town His bare feet settled onto an extremely chilling concrete surface

The streets were empty Signs that had hung above shops had collapsed and had the letters worn away by time The atmosphere in the area was thin but some of the vast mass of the construction above kept enough that space dust now clustered thickly between the buildings giving the impression of a thick fog slithering between the structures Stones and chunks of metal had formed drifts pressing up against the buildings Not a soul lived here any longer With the addition of the SonaraÆs low and unhappy song it was not a hospitable place

Randidly glanced around He inhaled deeply through his nose then grimaced and sneezed as too much debris lodged in his nasal cavities But he couldnÆt sense even a single lifeform in the area

Waving a hand he created a wave of gravitation force that opened up the haze of cosmic dust and created a tunnel to the staircase Randidly floated forward unable to resist taking the journey slowly and examining the collapsed surroundings and destroyed town His heart continued to sink

At least that horrible image noise stopped Randidly shook himself setting his stomach after the trauma to enter He released a probing image pulse and couldnÆt feel anything special about the environment He also seemed to be entirely alone on this level The frown on his face deepened Well maybe the image amplification isnÆt working because this is the bottom level The only way to know it to continue on ThatÆs the central staircase then but

Randidly planted his foot and threw himself up into the air Even from a height of ten meters the surroundings remained strangely mundane He took several long leaps quickly closing the distance to the central staircase It spiraled upward heading toward the sky almost infinitely An Engraving ran along its length after studying Randidly was able to discern it bent space Which likely meant you couldnÆt physically travel upward outside of the staircase and reach the next ring

Randidly turned away from the staircase and sprinted across the desert With his improved body and his Dreadful Alacrity he was a blur of momentum and power His stride lengthened and devoured the distance But after about a minute of hard sprinting Randidly began to detect something strange He slowed his pace narrowing his eyes at the edge

In front of him stretched more desert except without any outcroppings From the horizon to a few meters in front of Randidly it was entirely uniform Just sand However

Like a balloon inflating the edges of realityÆ puffed outward and unfolded briefly revealing a few more stone outcroppings poking out of the ground and what might be the edge of a staircase similar to the one in the middle It sat half made impossibly bisected in RandidlyÆs vision But then space slowly began to collapse erasing first the half revealed outer staircase and then claiming also an expanse of sand and those few outcroppings

The conjured world inside the ring had limits

After a few seconds passed the space expanded Humming to himself Randidly took a few cautious steps forward Immediately he began to grit his teeth The painful image interference he believed to have left behind ascending into the Sonara was now back just as bad as ever Randidly eyed the few meters between himself and the partially revealed staircase Then he retreated backward as space folded

Maybe this is one of the reasons why people donÆt use the outer staircase You need to have a pretty strong image related to space in order to stabilize the area and ascend And then you need to handle all the static

The Stillborn Phoenix rose in RandidlyÆs chest its event horizon turning light and space milky around it But he quieted it with a shake of his head I have no doubt you could manage it but we are both on a time limit and donÆt know what else is around here Since it doesnÆt appear like anyone is guarding the central staircase better to use that and conserve my energy

The Stillborn Phoenix gurgled unpleasantly The two Unborn flitted in and out of it gleefully mocking the image for being so upset Randidly ignored all three of these characters and turned his attention back toward the central staircase It took another minute to return and then he cautiously stepped onto the construction expecting an ambush at any moment

He stayed on that bottom step for almost five minutes simply measuring the resonance in the strange material of the stairwell Then gathering his images to himself and whirling his Nether Core he ascended toward the next ring

Chapter 2004

As Randidly climbed the staircase all of his formidable powers poised at the ready he was intrigued by the tactile sensation of the material beneath his feet The tingling of an activated Engraving traveled across his bare sole Each step caused the surroundings to blur His first step took him about ten meters up in the air the second a hundred By the third the ground was so distance that it had all been pressed and merged into the interminable flat desert

All in all ten steps accelerated him through space and carried him to the top of the ring Waiting there was another golden portal which caused him to press his lips together But he didnÆt slow just trundling forward with the Engraving lent momentum

Passing through the portal caused another painful round of exposure to the image static but this was a much reduced version than the first one Now that he was inside the Sonara the worst of it was over At least the worst along the middle stairway

Randidly stumbled through to the other side and was abruptly aware he wasnÆt alone Once more he was in a desert but there were others clustered around the entrance His toes curled instinctively down pinching dirt

He settled into a crouch and produce Acri The spear flashed outward green leaves flaring around the base of the spearhead His long tail unspooled behind him and flicked back and forth His images surged to the fore The space around his left eye began to collapse inward The color of his hair lightened from black to emerald with the exception of the gold and silver streaks His tattoos began to shine with an inner light the flaring determination of the Grey Creature to live

After a beat of humming with potency Randidly felt quite embarrassed Six other individuals were sprawled out in various stages of leisure in the surrounding area not at all prepared to ambush him Two laying individuals octopi with interesting segmented armor across their tentacles very obviously tittered at his stiff display

Randidly took a step back gradually relaxing and lowering Acri His image physicalizations dissipated

A humanoid woman in a long white cape pushed herself to her feet Heh well met stranger WeÆve been waiting quite a while for one such as you What creed do you follow

Randidly looked at her intently for a second All these individuals felt powerful but none seemed particularly intent on attacking him He cleared his throat lightly trying to politely answer My own

Pfft A figure Randidly could only describe as a humanoid mecha liger slapped the metal armor of his knee The apertures of his red eyes adjusted as he examined Randidly

The womanÆs expression instantly cooled Jokes will not carry you very far inside the Sonara Just for that I declare that I will never accept you as a part of our Ascension Pact Flippancy becomes inconsistency on the battlefield

She turned away her cloak fluttering in a very dramatic manner Randidly felt entirely bewildered and vaguely insulted A massive figure who appeared to be made of stacked boulders shook itself and spoke Gwennet you misinterpret The boy does not recognize the term creeds In addition his sense of humor seems poorly developed

Randidly blinked at that unexpected shot at his humor Meanwhile the woman in the white cloak whirled around in another beautiful flare of cloth How could he not know what Creeds are He has come to the Sonara

The final figure in the group a meditating woman with long hair opened her eyes and smiled Her image shimmered around her He is the undefined Ghasthund A bold explorer come to this place to save the life of a friend of a friend He is definitely an ally worth having despite his expertise at making enemies

The two octopi people spoke as one A seventh is inauspicious And even number would be better

The boulder individual turned to Randidly Boy welcome to the Sonara It seems no one has told you about its secrets so I shall do so to the best of my ability The two lowest rings are barren wastelands But as you climb through the different layers the benefits to your image begin to accrue

Creeds are used so individuals can form Ascension Pacts and climb together Currently most of the layers are settled and heavily defended The only way for us to get a toe in the door is to fight our way up But doing so alone is almost impossible The Boulder spoke slowly Meanwhile Gwennet continued to stare suspiciously at Randidly and the meditating woman grinned at him Obviously none want to share our exact purpose for coming to the Sonara So Creeds cover a few broad categories to give companions a general idea of when the Pact will no longer function

So the Creeds First is a Settler Very simply you wish to find a place within the Sonara to build a life The Boulder said

After a few minutes of sprinting RandidlyÆs expression changed he still hadnÆt encountered the edge of the space He planted his feet and pressed himself forward with more vigor His speed rose until the sand and the rock outcroppings blurred past He even smashed directly through one in front of him not even bothering to avoid

It took ten minutes for Randidly to feel the limits of the space He decelerated until he stood and watched the familiar inhale and exhale Luckily the stairwell never completely vanished As it folded inward the inside banister was still visible at the deepest point When space inflated outward perhaps three fourths of the stairwell was fully revealed He pulled a breath through his nose as he mobilized the Stillborn Phoenix to try and stabilize the space and froze A thread of unfamiliar Nether significance entered his nose

He pivoted looking behind him Interesting ItÆs pretty rare that someone manages to sneak up on me especially while moving at such fast speeds Why did you follow me

Just as rare to find someone who would notice me The air rippled and the metal liger humanoid stepped sinuously out of nothing RandidlyÆs eyes narrowed a fraction if not for Nether he really would have missed him His stalker grinned What are you giving me that look for If you want to fight I will IÆm curious about the man with an undefined word And your physical speed is something else

IÆll only ask one more time Why did you follow me Randidly kept his voice low Flames of Nether Weight began to seep past the edge of his skin His heart began to pound In a way he hoped this being would refuse to answer A fight now would let him go wild

Pah Ohwahu was right you have no sense of humor The metallic being sniffed His gossamer thin silver cat ears twitched Relax alright I am Xershi I was waiting with them for an ungodly amount of time because they promised me they would eventually climb Yet they continue to dither here You come here and immediately seem intent on climbing that is the sort of Ascendant Pact companion I desire

IÆm not interested in making a Pact with you Randidly issued an immediate denial

Xershi grinned his metal tongue lolling Yes exactly This is why you are the perfect companion

Because I donÆt want you around Randidly thought sourly but he didnÆt vocalize the thought Instead he unleashed a fraction of his First Authority and YggdrasilÆs Dawn Opens the Sky and Reality Stirs He was at his most regal My business is my own and I donÆt intend to linger IÆm not here to make friends just to save a friend

By all means IÆll be right behind you so long as you climb Xershi remained cheery even in the face of the pressure

Which Randidly supposed made some sense If this figure were average he wouldnÆt have earned Tier III Nexus citizenship and come to the Sonara Hell this being might have trained for years in preparation Randidly didnÆt want someone following him But he also understood that there might be benefits from Xershi

even if this guy is definitely the least reliable of the six

I will not be your umbrella for the spatial pressures If you try to leech off me I will lash out then and there RandidlyÆs eyes narrowed He didnÆt trust this enthusiastic stranger too often in his past Nexus experiences the friendliest beings were the most dangerous A presence with more understanding of the Sonara was useful but not necessary Yet his instincts were convincing Xershi didnÆt mean him harm

When he looked in the metal manÆs red eyes all he saw was a genuine desire to climb And that unbridled enthusiasm triggered a response in the Grey Creature Those swirling emotions that Randidly had been corralling for the last week didnÆt slow down but their flows did begin to twist into more understandable channels

No sweat I can handle myself Xershi nodded several times

Sighing Randidly mobilized the Stillborn Phoenix Light turned runny and dripped into his eye Are you really sure you want a companion like this

The Grey Creature didnÆt answer simply joining the image physicalizations and activating its Chimeric Impunity to help resist the pull of space But Randidly knew that while all his images were singular and lonely the Grey Creature sat in the darkest hole of isolation That was why it was born

Fine then Just keep your distance Randidly grunted And I plan on moving fast If you fall behind IÆm not going to slow down

IÆd be insulted if you did Xershi beamed

Chapter 2005

Xershi Ttakc did his best to maintain his composure as he followed Randidly Ghosthound up the swirling staircase toward the next ring Already his body trembled from the pressure of resisting the encroachment of antagonistic space he kept his word and stayed well back so as not to glean even the slightest bit of help from the Ghosthound

His pride was a double edged sword at the moment Yet he refused to back down from this chance

As far as Xershi could tell he was coming to a point where he would run out of pride and just collapse His legs shook as he took the next step The Engraving that should have accelerated their movements only activated sporadically Sometimes they jumped long chunks toward the next ring but more often they were involved in long slogs forward up stairs crackling with electromagnetic tension

The Ghosthound walked serenely forward almost unaffected by these spatial interferences The darkness that swirled around his left eye now spread to cover his own head masking his features More than that Xershi didnÆt dare look directly at him Some vital energy was leached from his cells by the GhosthoundÆs swirling darkness His strained body was left chilled weak and shivering So he kept his eyes on the ground and focused on his own struggles

The GhosthoundÆs image doesnÆt seem particularly impressive The shape is well defined but the emotional affect lacks something Yet how can he be so resilient against the spatial pressures XershiÆs servo motors hummed increasingly fast resisting the pull of oblivion With his teeth grinding together he continued to put one foot in front of another clinging to the hopes of how this journey could change him

Part of it was he was finally ascending after four long years of waiting with GwennetÆs stalled group he had finally taken his first steps forward The pain was a sign of change Xershi could finally test his limits Next to him the space hugged especially close as it collapsed causing a wave of pain to go through his body After an agonizing moment the spatial tide receded and he hurried to catch up

But the real reason was personal pride Xershi had spent the last several months hearing detailed stories about Randidly Ghosthound And now he wanted to prove to himself that the rapidly growing young man wasnÆt as impressive as the stories he had heard from his father Yet currently Xershi admitted to himself he had no reason to look down on the Ghosthound

XershiÆs father Zemnal had risen to prominence in the Sixth Cohort and come to the Nexus with big dreams Despite the harshness of reality he managed to secure a partnership with Don Beigon building and designing others of his metallic race for particular and often unsavory purposes The Nexus elite were fickle and imaginative in their requests leading to a booming business Once the issue of faction had been settled Zemnal rapidly accumulated insights and technical savvy By the time he had created Xershi and his brothers for personal fulfillment he was lauded as a genius across the Nexus

Most non blood related servants to major powers were beings designed and created by Zemnal

Xershi eyed the Ghosthound ahead of him If he had skin he likely would have been flushed The worst part is I cannot help but benefit from him stabilizing the space around him Yet even with his presence easing the pressure why the hell am I at my limit Is this really all I can handle

XershiÆs tongue lolled out of his mouth His servos revved and whined all that mechanical force surging along through his body He had the sudden and violent urge to lash out at the GhosthoundÆs back just to see him unbalanced

This impulse he suppressed even violence could wait until they were out of the hellish stairwell That aggression should be channeled not unleashed Xershi heaved up his legs driving his heels into each step

Xershi began a rapid series of calculations Drum of the Third Ring and his specially bred Orc servants were the main reason that Ascension Pacts had become a thing Without teamwork it was almost impossible to overcome the orcs living here Despite the fact they were originally monsters Drum had brought them here in the earliest days of the Sonara to work as a security force They had been bred for physical invulnerability and reliable images that simply suppressed other images

At a distance anyone capable of rising to the Sonara could overpower them Even a group this size if you could keep your image in the dominant position they were beatable But up close their image had already dominated the surrounding area Fighting to destabilize their control was an uphill and exhausting battle Plus with their Endurance and Resistance

Let go of my throat The Ghosthound said calmly His clear voice cut through all the cruelty and laughter I plan on just heading up to the next ring If you donÆt

If you threaten me again boy The leader cackled He flexed his hand to emphasize his point Thick veins bulged on his forearm grabbing the Ghosthound IÆll squeeze your throat until your head pops and blood squirts out your ears

The question is Xershi thought to himself as he witnessed his extremely short term companion be completely unimpressed by the orcÆs words Whether I use the GhosthoundÆs struggles to try and escape or if I help him

In the end it was an easy question Xershi had left home because he was tired of obeying someone else all the time Tired of feeling forced into decisions tired of being the last one asked for his opinion tired of everyone thinking they knew better than him So now with these orcs threatening him he dug in his heels

He settled down into a crouch preparing to unleash his image to assist the Ghosthound However the Ghosthound moved first His hand came up and eclipsed the orcÆs head The gesture seemed to resemble a pat but then he palmed the orcÆs entire face Even though he had noticed those hands at the GhosthoundÆs sides and noticed their size it was another thing entirely to see those long fingers wrap around a head He moved quickly and the fingers tightened the movement was sinuous and sharp

There was a noise that was half a sharp crack and half a fist being driven through the side of a rotten pumpkin

When he pulled his hand away a crunched and bloody skull remained The orc corpse collapsed sideways Instantly all the others stiffened It was the strangest thing They all pulled out their weapons in the face of the show of violence but Xershi could smell the difference The orcs were filled with fear

Xershi had heard the Ghosthound had high Stats but this was fucking ridiculous

Okay anyone else want to do anything stupid The Ghosthound glanced around at them all The orcs leaned back as his eyes landed on them wanting to run away but their pride refusing to allow them to The Ghosthound snorted Good Alright which direction to the exterior stairwell I just want to keep moving

Ah that way After a moment of silence an orc worked up the courage to speak When the GhosthoundÆs gaze flicked to him the interrogated orc ducked his head As he replied he very visibly trembled But I do not wish for you to be disappointed His Lordship Drum does not trust us with the defenses He has demolished the exterior staircase around the third ring We are here just to to detect intruders Even if you overcome us the climb is impossible

The Path leads directly through the big boss huh The Ghosthound scowled Yet what made XershiÆs heart flutter was how while seemingly inconvenienced he didnÆt hesitate at all The dark haired man cracked his neck Well then lead the way Seems like itÆs time I had a chat with your employer

Chapter 2006

Randidly sat in the middle of a Nether Storm bulldozing his way toward this Drum that the orcs spoke about He manipulated gravity so he floated in the sky with the stormy clouds his legs folded beneath him Huge chunks of stone were plucked up by the force of the kinetic energy and Nether that churned around him Energy swirled and spiraled the momentum of the storm growing as it moved and consumed more area These chunks of ground obliterated any rock outcroppings unlucky stretches of ground or orc defensive fortifications that got in RandidlyÆs way

An image pulsed out from the central area and passed harmlessly through the Nether Storm If anything the image began to rot and collapse when exposed to so much raw Nether Randidly just shook his head at DrumÆs efforts

The fact that his image is so detailed even so far out from his body is impressive He has a strong emotional affect But this wonÆt slow me down at all

Underneath the cover of the storm a growing number of orcs staggered after Xershi Randidly wasnÆt sure what the metal liger said to them but an increasing horde defected and turned to his side Which was for the best because they gleefully executed any orcs unwilling to follow their new leader

On a nearby hill a small fort bristled with activity It was designed more as a housing compound for the orcs than an actually strategic building but they did seem to have a way to amplify images in the fortification When the next central pulse came it concentrated inside the fort and then came out even more vicious

Randidly observed the movement stoically Then his eyes went to the orcs He didnÆt want to kill anymore crushing that first orcÆs skull put him at the cusp of leveling up Acri was now on the ready to absorb any experience that went his way but heÆd prefer not to gamble

The storm slid over the hill roaring like a hungry grizzling bear

Ahead a score of orcs abandoned their stone fort as a massive stone pillar piledrove through their main entrance and a slew of smaller stone projectiles cracked open their two meter high walls Their eyes were wide and white with fear as they left their small building and found themselves in a howling gale Dark currents of Nether lined with dust smashed most to the ground so the allied orcs could lope forward and demand they switch allegiances or die

Meanwhile the storm churned around and drew huge trenches in the ground picking up additional debris in preparation for what waited in the middle of the layer A few of the likelier looking stones Randidly began shaving very purposefully both to resemble spearheads and to be covered with aerodynamic lines The failed pieces he used to crush and level the fortification to the ground

Congratulations Your Skill Cutting Tide of Amenonuhoko has grown to Level 911

Another image pulse swept past sharp and poignant but harmless Randidly paused and waved a finger through the air Gold roots curled out from where his finger touched lingering in the air for a moment before vanishing At least I can feel the image amplification on this floor Still not too impactful but IÆm starting to understand why so many people flock to the Sonara

Glancing around Randidly saw that only corpses or converted orcs remained He hummed the storm into motion everything churn around him Best not to give Drum too much time to figure out a way to leverage his powerful image in a way that would affect him While he floated there he did his best not to think too much about the stillness that remained around his body The emotional flaw still lingered

What Randidly did think about was how unfortunate their matchup was for Drum Randidly had encountered these image interference types quite a bit in the Nexus Against foes of a similar tier it generally gave them a favorable matchup After all most of the fighters in the Nexus devoted themselves entirely to their image Aside from that image they had nothing If you took that away you could easily win

Randidly Ghosthound was not the typical fighter type His entire storm had only the slightest hint of images

Which was why Randidly could feel an increasing amount of desperation amplified out of the central area followed by the tightening of the restrictive image Another image crackled across the entire area pounding harmlessly against the Nether Storm Randidly found it difficult not to smirk If this is all you can manage this will be smooth sailing

But somehow I doubt youÆd be such a force in the Sonara if this was all you could do Even if you are in charge of a low ring

They arrived at DrumÆs base with an army at their back under the cover of howling winds Thick clouds of Nether and dust cast a shadow over the entire area The orcs grew increasingly excited stumbling near blind through the storm to become the vanguard and then stream forward in a chaotic mass toward the base of their former master They raised their weapons and banged them against their armor to be heard over the storm Randidly couldnÆt help but wonder if they planned on re switching sides if the odds turned against them

Out of the cover of the clouds loomed those sharpened and streamlined shapes empowered with a healthy dose of Nether and ready for a confrontation They rotated slowly energy rushing in tight circles around them to add a bit of last minute polish

The metal liger nodded Randidly planted his feet and accelerated up toward the collapsed base of Drum He leapt over the continued melee between the orcs and took several long hops to arrive at the previously locked down staircase The stone walls that had screened it from his vision had collapsed

WAIT

DrumÆs voice boomed out over the area A shiver ran through the orcs The undefeatable quality sharpened to a metallic tang in the air Randidly paused in his movements and grimaced as Drum used some displacement Skill to appear between him and the staircase This is what I get for letting him dominate the area with his image

You if I let you simply climb as you wish those above will punish me IÆve failed too often in recent decades Even through the tight slit in DrumÆs helmet Randidly could make out his bloodshot eyes He hefted his poleaxe in a naked threat You will not simply waltz past me

To spite him Randidly did almost exactly that accelerating from stillness with the overwhelming power of Dreadful Alacrity His body wove through the air and moved around the frantic man trying to stop him The undefeatable image shrieked but obviously Randidly was only obliquely trying to defeat him Once more DrumÆs likely superior image couldnÆt quite impact him directly

Yet then something changed

His senses tingled Randidly jerked sideways He landed even before the poleaxe swung toward him which meant he was way ahead of danger But he blinked in confusion For a split second he had felt a horrifying sense of danger Right now all he felt was a weird surge in the Nether

A few fractions of time later than he already adjusted to it DrumÆs activated ability finally triggered A Nether Ritual popped and flared The battlefield fell silent Randidly felt all of the orcs die all at once Then in a rushing stream all the significance from the abrupt deaths rushed into DrumÆs body All their history roared into his body and bloated the nonexistent Nether within his person The poleaxe belatedly swung down and struck the ground

RandidlyÆs pupils dilated The force of the impact threw even him backward The orc warren collapsed sinking into the ground and burying all the still bodies of the silent orcs Randidly stabilized and floated in the air Drum hung above him between himself and the staircase which possessed Engravings that kept it fixed in place

Randidly took in a deep breath Drum had activated some strange ability to devour the entire history of his raised orcs Dark flames flickered across his armored body All those lives those emotional interactions those connections and all the individual humanity all of it was thrown into the fire of DrumÆs body Physically he wasnÆt strong enough to threaten Randidly But he became a dense and unstable mass of Nether Each strike meant more than his strikes ever could because of the significance behind them

RandidlyÆs skin tingled he flicked out Acri and settled into a fighting stance Even if his opponent used some crude Nether tools he wouldnÆt back down from a fight He would need to be careful but

However RandidlyÆs face soon crumbled in a weird mixture of confusion and vague loss The System engaged in response to DrumÆs action humming to life to drive away the excess Nether that crowded around DrumÆs body There was some gravity to that much significance coming together but it was nowhere near the black hole absorption of Pine Drum raised his poleaxe and slung it across his shoulders and already half of his plundered power was gone DonÆt fuck with me boy You have no idea the sort of enemies you will make for me if you ascend now The Sonara is filled to bursting You will not pass

How cheap are lives to you He thought watching the flesh of DrumÆs body begin to react poorly to the Nether It was such a meaningless display

I donÆt want to have to kill you Randidly exhaled as he spoke With the storm gone the silence around them was deafening The humming of XershiÆs body was the only break Weirdly Randidly suddenly wished he would have asked the orcs why they had switched sides

Heh Do you understand what IÆve just done More and more significance was shaved away from Drum leaving him with about a 20% increase over his originally dominant power The boost vanished because he didnÆt know how to protect it And he didnÆt even seem to notice IÆve used an ancient method to pull back the investment I made in the orcs long ago All of their accomplishments have become mine That first strike It was just a drop in the

For a brief moment the emotions of the Grey Creature stirred along with RandidlyÆs will The lonely being cried that this didnÆt need to happen The emotional affect began to resonate His image cut through the last of the hanging image suppression which admittedly had already begun to fade without the orcs to prop it up

The Wrathful Calamity Rends

Drum swayed His and RandidlyÆs face were suddenly close Randidly looked with pity at the confusion he could see through the thin helmet opening while he exploded with Nether and Yggdrasil into the hole Acri had drilled into DrumÆs body

DrumÆs image surged to resist but it continued to sizzle against the Nether that he had stuffed into his body The unearned benefit had vanished leaving him only with a massive weakness Randidly twisted the spear I really would have preferred it any other way But if you think lives should be toyed and reaped like this IÆll do the Nexus a favor as IÆm passing through

Chapter 2007

Xershi stood and watched the two figures float in the sky The brutal struggle left him transfixed and with a dry mouth His face smiled while his hands tightened to fists He wished to be a part of the final clash even though he knew he shouldnÆt interfere

Right now the Ghosthound burned both with wafting surges of combusting air due to the temperature but also with ghastly spectral flames The combination made it almost impossible to make out the details of his form aside from his shape He twisted and writhed energies blurring the limits of his body

He jerked his spear deeper into his target Blood gurgled out around the shaft The ineffective armor screeched as it scraped against the weapon Drum roared and flailed to push the Ghosthound away His voice showed the beginnings of panic You are a mad man If you kill me the entire Sonara will turn against you

Above their two figures their images fought in the sky That insurmountable raised its poleaxe wielding the weapon with short brutal strokes Its shouts resounded in the sky pressing back other images But one by one a murky darkness a massive golden tree and a vicious creature with sharpened fingers lashed out at the image Their combination kept it on the defensive unable to pry apart the two physical bodies below In terms of individual power the GhosthoundÆs manifestations were less potent than DrumÆs image They just barely kept the other image at bay

But at the heart of DrumÆs image a beating heart of black poison quivered From the inside his Aether was being eaten away by the Nether that the Ghosthound seemed to inject into his foe Xershi concluded that all the rumors about him were true the young man had a monstrous amount of resources at his disposal Any one of his individual abilities was impressive but it was flabbergasting when gathered in a single individual

No wonder even the Don found this man vexing Xershi thought drove his fist against the GhosthoundÆs stomach earning not a single reaction for his troubles Perhaps the extended silence from the Ghosthound revealed how genuine his intent to kill him because DrumÆs eyes bulged even further IÆll make you regret the day you challenged me Damn you and your word to hell I will slaughter you Shred your images and leave the waste to fertilize my next brood of orcs

His hand snapped out and seized upon the GhosthoundÆs neck Between them the spear had become a pulsing conduit forcing more Nether and image fragments into DrumÆs body The Ghosthound reached up and peeled DrumÆs grip from his body tearing the armor and leaving his opponentÆs fingers a broken mess His right arm reached out and steadied himself on DrumÆs shoulder His left lifted and then snapped forward in a brutal straight

Fist and helmet generated a dull thwap

DrumÆs helmet crumpled The crunched concavity that resulted made it clear that his nose and cheekbones must have been shattered in the brutal strike His image flickered briefly giving the GhosthoundÆs three images more time to scrape and damage their target All pounced forward to take advantage of the wavering attention The area infested by Nether began to swell Black veins swam outward and spread the damage

Pah Y y you DrumÆs voice was muffled and oddly whistling You are just like me You will die for something like this Fuck

But despite his bold words his image had begun to fray underneath so much strain XershiÆs skin tingled to see Drum falter Obviously violence occurred regularly within the Sonara But it ended up being one of the safest places in the Nexus because everyone knew everyone had a powerful faction behind them that had nurtured them and gathered the materials to get them to Tier III Citizenship Too many citizenship coins were required for anyone to fluke into them even after three thousand years

For the rich and affluent factions this was a method for their youth to expend their energy And a failed trip into the Sonara only meant that the endeavorer would return ten years later exhausted and disappointed with their mediocre results

DrumÆs image began to shimmer with one last burst of resistance The warrior raised his poleaxe that simple object so bright and perfect it seared itself into XershiÆs gaze But around it circled dark shadows

You arenÆt wrong The Ghosthound remarked He raised his left hand and delivered another brutal punch further flattening DrumÆs face It didnÆt do much actual damage but it was clear that it distracted the man and weakened his image The light from the Poleaxe wavered I shit I know IÆm similar to you IÆve killed an entire race before too caught up in my own selfish business to stop and reflect on my actions IÆm not an innocent But the way you just squandered an entire culture

The Ghosthound nodded slowly Good LetÆs climb to the next level and then take some time to rest

Duulys Duulys I have a fun surprise for you

Duulys Ambar rolled over in his bed and yawned His limbs got tangled in the expensive golden sheets and he struggled ineffectually for a bit before he collapsed into a defeated burrito He pressed his face into his pillow and began to drift back off to sleep But a follow up shout put an end to that possibility DuulysÆs yawn turned into a groan as he recognized the voice

Mimic you arenÆt allowed in my layer IÆve told you this IÆm going to kill you if you barge in right now Duulys grumbled He idly wondered how he managed to make it past the defenses of his castle Did he forget to imagine guards

Despite DuulysÆs threat the door swung open Mimic dressed in his usual immaculate charcoal suit walked across the plush red carpet with a silver tray with a teapot Now donÆt be like that ArenÆt we neighbors Besides I have this freshly baked banana bread At least try it and tell me what you think even if you donÆt want my delightful surprise

Duulys leveraged his muscular torso up into a sitting position He took a deep sniff and sure enough the air was filled with the rich and heavy aroma of banana bread His desire for violence eased somewhat Despite his obvious nosiness and fixation on Duulys Mimic genuinely devoted a lot of time and Skill Levels to his baking And if he came in here with a smile after their last interaction when Duulys had ripped off MimicÆs legs his claims about news were probably true

With another yawn Duulys pushed himself off the bed and ambled over to the polished mahogany table on the far side of his room Mimic had set down his tray and threw open the windows allowing warm rays of sunlight to illuminate the cave like interior of the room DuulysÆs dark skin shined with golden motes as though he had been dipped in glitter He slouched sideways into his chair and began stuffing the still warm banana bread into his mouth He spoke around his full mouth So the news

Do you remember Drum That posturing pustule Mimic said excitedly He sat down on the other chair Instantly DuulysÆs turned a flinty stare in his direction Mimic bowed in apology and stood no longer touching DuulysÆs furniture

Hoh Ah the armor guy Likes to watch orcs fuck Yea IÆve been trying to find an excuse to kick him out for two hundred years Duulys swallowed his first bite and took a gulp of the tea The flavor was lavender and vanilla light and delicate He begrudgingly admitted it was a good pairing with the banana bread MimicÆs execution was officially categorized as delayed

Well worry no longer Not only did he activate that little toy you gave him to steal his orcsÆ lives but it didnÆt matter A new arrival actually killed him In single combat from what I felt in the resonance from the conflict Mimic licked his lips

That gave Duulys pause He rolled his shoulders Even if he disliked his subordinates he didnÆt appreciate free radicals wandering through his kingdom and setting fire to things that belonged to him Genuinely killed Drum is dead

Well so far as I can tell this individual crushed DrumÆs Class In the minutes that followed Drum took his own life Mimic shrugged But

Duulys raised his hand and snapped his fingers The entire castle around them popped and disappeared in motes of light In a swirling reconfiguration a massive platform appeared beneath them A swirling maelstrom of golden energy formed around the platform In the middle Duulys Ambar the owner of the Fortieth Floor of the Sonara the highest settled ring before the area filled with ElhumeÆs experiments sat on his stormy throne and looked at Mimic with an interested gaze Who

Randidly Ghosthound Mimic enunciated clearly

Chapter 2008

Randidly was in his childish body again sitting in the middle of his bed with his arms wrapped around his legs The limbs were almost offensively gangly But compared to the previous time this had happened his vision was relatively stable The walls fluttered like they were cloth rather than wood and drywall but the ground wasnÆt heaving beneath him

A frown creased his face as he tried to track how he had ended up here I was just meditating on the third layer Was I really resting enough to dream Well I suppose my body should be strong enough to weather any surprise attacks either from Xershi or from a stranger

Besides I think these dreams are the key to my new Attribute Getting MuseÆs Reverie to five should have a very powerful effect

Randidly hopped off the bed His feet hit the floor and he stumbled and fell His face twisted in annoyance as he used his slender limbs to push himself up to his feet Why the hell couldnÆt he dream of himself in a body with his normal capability Adjusting back to the reactions of a child was irritating His musculature left a lot to be desired

Finally back on his feet he walked to the door As he placed his hands on the doorknob he heard the resounding laugh of his mother Again the shadow of her flashed in front of him He couldnÆt remember anything but the curl of her mouth as she tried to smile while her entire world collapsed When Randidly had unknowingly handed over those divorce papers

Randidly shivered but pushed past the fear Even the greatest journey began by making an attempt He twisted the knob and walked out into the hallway with his head raised in the face of his own fear But instead of the cramped area he had expected from his childhood home Randidly found himself in a relatively large stone chamber The huge expanse was hung with thick shadows making it almost impossible to make out anything in the gloom

These walls seemed quite solid The darkness weighed everything down and erased the dreamlike qualities leaving only the confusion and fear

Still he turned and began to move There was a single rotating bright spot in an otherwise completely featureless space Randidly stumbled forward seeking that one source of light It was the size of a dinner plate

Randidly stopped in front of the rotating light source His gaze turned increasingly sour Are you fucking kidding me What the hell is this supposed to be

It was a massive trading card On the back was sometimes a tree sometimes a spear sometimes a Chimera and sometimes an empty eye And on the front was a massive question mark With a sigh he reached out and touched the floating card

Applause You have obtained the Item the Torch of Harsh Truths

With a pop Randidly found himself holding a burning torch Already his young shoulders ached with the effort of holding the item aloft The light bounced off the walls and gave him an understanding of the area Mostly the cavern housed doors And above each one was a name

Ezekiel

Tessa

Sydney ViiSiit for latest novels

Xershi watched the Ghosthound carefully as they moved directly from climbing up to the fifth floor to heading to the sixth Whether it was bloodlust or some inner fire the Ghosthound hadnÆt stopped moving since recovering from his execution of Drum And Xershi could tell how exhausted he still was the area stabilized by his spatial image had shrunk by a fold Yet the firm will to drive himself forward was exactly the sort of attitude that made him glad he had followed this stranger on a whim

This would be a journey that saw them push their limits That was extremely valuable

just Xershi wished some of that value would be located in the present

Sweat poured down his brow as Xershi forced himself to climb up the next staircase His own limit fluttered in front of him teasing him with its possibly imminent arrival It made his breath quicken Would a particularly bad spatial flare smash into his side and cause him to collapse Would he go to lift his foot and find himself unable to move Would he die here

Although it was painful arriving at the golden portal to the next ring was almost a disappointment Another ascension without any climactic moments Just the long toil of movement

Shivering Xershi forced himself through the area of high image static and stumbled through to the other side His head butted up against the GhosthoundÆs back who looked around warily at their surroundings A group of about twenty individuals was standing around clearly waiting for their arrival

They stood in another forested area with each tree seeming to have a hawk eyed and powerful Tier III Citizen

Well met travelers of the Sonara A short humanoid woman with bright blue hair stepped forward and spread out her hands She offered them a sweet smile Welcome to Idylla The only city of the Sonara It can be the jumping board for you to find your destiny Please follow us and we will help you with your applications for visiting passes

IÆm not interested in visiting but thank you for the offer In the face of the group the Ghosthound shook his head His spine was straight and strong We will just be heading to the exterior stairwell and continuing on our journey Oh unless you want to linger Xershi

Xershi shrugged unwilling how sweaty and drained he truly was Nah why wait here LetÆs see how far we can climb

A stick thin man stepped out of the crowd His gaunt face curled into a cruel look Pullas might have phrased it as a request but it was not one Do you think so many turn out for peaceful arrivals to Idylla We know of your brutal actions in regards to Drum He was a close friend and staunch defender of this city We cannot in good conscience simply allow you to pass You will be held accountable for your actions even if we need to do it ourselves

Even as the GhosthoundÆs shoulders rolled back and steam began to waft off his body the woman raised a finger and showed a disapproving frown Easy Rod The city of Idylla has no judicial authority even over those who call it home It is a loose association

Damn your fucking regulations and arrangements to hell Rod took another step forward He was a full foot shorter than Randidly and so thin it looked like an intense emerald gaze could blow him away But the crystalline image he released glittered in the air around him Rules are dead and people are alive And on my life I swear IÆll deliver justice to this prick

Some of the other gathered individuals offered some inside smiles About half spread out and became a circle around the group Their individual and varied images flashed up to become a barrier

Pullas sighed and shook her head This is not in the spirit of Idylla We founded this town exactly to escape the barbarism of using violence as a source of determination

Her voice was drowned out in the boos and hoots from the circled up individuals XershiÆs metal tongue flicked out and danced across his lips He reached out and put a hand on the GhosthoundÆs shoulder Adrenaline was coursing through his body I donÆt suppose I could have a go

Chapter 2009

Uh Randidly blinked He was just pushing aside the lingering exhaustion from the clash with Drum and mobilizing his Nether Core when Xershi stepped forward and volunteered to take the fight The sudden offer left him somewhat lurching his body still distracted by the minutia of preparing for battle while his mind wrestled with this unexpected solution

He finally coughed in his hand and nodded Each second he could use the World Tree Sips from Every Realm and Volatile Breath from Beyond was a little bit of ease in his mental strain Ahem Well go ahead

I have no quarrel with you but I will not save a fool who walks toward a sharpened blade of his own accord Stand aside or be put in your place This Rod gave Xershi an imperious glance Above him a massive crystal swirled but Randidly noticed thin lines beginning to form on the crystal

The Stillborn Phoenix stirred excitedly in his chest Randidly inwardly rolled his eyes Yea buddy I get it He has an image thatÆs an egg too And it seems like he will hatch it to fight against us

Heh Do your fucking worst you wispy dolt Xershi snapped Behind him a shadowy and sinuous figure slunk forward Its eyes glowed bright red casting refracting rays down across its open maw and long fangs

Now I guess itÆs time to find out how capable this random follower actually is Randidly mused

Glancing around he took several steps backward until he stood at the edge of the ring The area was only about twenty meters across so it was still close enough that the waves of energy bouncing off the two participants pressed against his face Randidly didnÆt even mobilize an image to defend himself he was only too happy to let his body handle all of the pressure requiring no mental effort on his part Gradually the tightness that seemed almost endemic to his brainstem began to loosen

Rod cast one last longing glance in RandidlyÆs direction as though displaying his grudge against Randidly gave him physical pleasure Then he refocused on Xershi in front of him the crystal egg sharpening in detail around his body Already both released powerful waves from their image both were capable warriors

Randidly ended up standing next to the blue haired woman Pullas Her hands moved fretfully for a few seconds while the two fighters tested each other with light pulses She turned to Randidly opened her mouth and then closed it three times before she finally managed to get out a sentence Uhm you know itÆs quite dangerous to utilize the outward staircase yes The central stair is a much preferable method for a plethora of reasons

Randidly gave Pullas a sharp glance But his accusatory look just met a weirdly genuine almost puppy dog like stare from her Awkwardly he reached up and scratched his neck Yea well I need to rise through the Sonara as soon as possible Considering most of the defenses around the central staircase its just easier to stick to the periphery

Yea but the images of the two duelists crackled against each other making it more difficult to hear PullasÆs words But the image static damages your image All that pressure can inject flaws into its structure

Randidly shrugged So

PullasÆs eyes widened She seemed genuinely bewildered by his stoic response But thatÆs your image ItÆs the currency and trade by which you live Why do you knowingly allow your greatest asset to be weakened Are not all our actions to hone and polish our image

Before Randidly could respond the two finally launched themselves into frantic motion RodÆs crystal egg exploded in hundreds of glittering shards revealing a massive sapphire and onyx pterodactyl It spread its wings and swept forward releasing a deafening shriek that hummed against RandidlyÆs skin The grassy around them transformed becoming the home to an ancient race of crystalline carnivorous reptiles A red sun hung low in the sky

Opposite it XershiÆs image moved too A massive head of a mecha feline stretched forward metal pistons pumping on neck to extend forward It opened its mouth and revealed a maw of grinding gears and drills RandidlyÆs skin tingled The detail in this image was overwhelming it was an image designed for war And the emotion that rose with it

Rapidly PullasÆs cheeks flushed Bathrobes are a harmless creature comfort I might be lingering in Idylla for now but always the plan was to climb further once my image was strong enough I need not fear marauders or highwaymen

Highwaymen in the Sonara Is that a thing Randidly felt an entirely different sort of headache brewing as his gaze flicked from one to the other All that valuable relaxation time was quickly used up by unexpected events He spoke trying to add some direction back Either way we are climbing Efforts to dissuade us will not work

No ThatÆs fine You what you said about not needing to be afraid of flaws in your image just rang so true Pullas made a tiny fist It was like a fog had been lifted from my mind I well it feels slightly like a humble brag to say but IÆve been at the cusp of the Image Fulfillment Stage for quite a while Your words broke something loose I can feel my image starting to spin together to create a cohesive whole Since you caused it I think the proper method for the best result is to follow along with you

Both Randidly and Xershi froze XershiÆs expression was blank Image Fulfillment You That means you are quite strong yea Really strong

Randidly wondered if he should be worried that XershiÆs mind jumped to the same place he did Pullas flushed again and offered a half shrug Well my image isnÆt exactly geared toward conflict but yes I am quite strong Did you think it was easy to become well first of all IÆm not a bureaucrat IÆm the Coordinator for

We need to climb Randidly grunted and turned away He spread the Stillborn Phoenix out around his body The image raised its head and unleashed a noiseless shriek filled with enthusiasm after watching the crystal egg hatched The inky darkness of its maw gleamed with its imaginings of what it would become when that day finally arrived

Of course you conveniently forget the violent end the hatched pterodactyl encountered Randidly thought tiredly but he just soldiered forward The Unborn Duo flickered out and sat on his shoulders spying on the duo following

The pressure on Xershi was obviously lessened immensely by the presence of Pullas Actually the metal liger now seemed to be just taking a stroll True to her claim of being at the Image Fulfillment Stage the ivory radiance that she released easily stabilized the surrounding space Which left the two of them with the extra attention to speak

Ahem as I was saying Pullas cleared her throat and prepared to launch back into an explanation of her role in Idylla but Xershi beat her to the topic

So will Idylla be able to function without you coordinating things Xershi asked

Pullas shook her head and clenched another small fist Well honestly no I took a gathering of fractious fighters and created a society with the power of rules and regulations But sometimes in life you need to be selfish to chase your dreams ThatÆs what it means to be an Ascender

You changed your tune really quick Xershi observed DidnÆt you just want to take us through and make us fill out some paperwork for a visitorÆs pass

Randidly soldiered forward resisting the pulsing waves of image static He was sorely tempted to hang back and allow Pullas to also shunt away the pressure against him but his pride refused to allow him to do so

Behind him Pullas sighed Yes well I felt the process of my image attempting to become an entire world That shift means that if I mess it up now I will have forever limited my growth This feels embarrassing to disclose but IÆve lived in Idylla for seven hundred years In that time my image has barely become any stronger So despite what a gamble this is I need to take it you know

That sentiment was one that Randidly knew well You needed to advance Sometimes that desperate acceleration seemed like the most stable presence in his life

Chapter 2010

When they reached the eleventh ring of the Sonara Randidly begrudgingly admitted that he was beginning to fray at the seams from the constant spatial and image pressures Even Pullas who definitely possessed a powerful image had begun to look exhausted as they collapsed on the other side of the golden portal

I canÆt just run myself into the ground Randidly thought as he turned around to look at the two individuals They chattered a lot early on in their trek but had fallen in silence as they blitzed through the last two rings I need to get there quickly but I also need to be in a state to accomplish something when I get there And I have a bad habit of ignoring the warning signs of over exhaustion

LetÆs take a break Randidly said He couldnÆt help but feel sour at the admission of weakness even if he knew his attitude was silly

Pullas collapsed into a heap and released a relieved sob Xershi composed himself a bit better nodding several times as he slow sank down to a crouching position The whine of his engines revealed how close to his limits he had come Both didnÆt manage verbal responses

Randidly sat down and focused his attention inward almost amused by their reactions The eleventh ring seemed to be a more comprehensive continent than the previous rings given the area to do so by the expanding space contained within the layer They sat on bare stony cliffs above chopping red seas that stretched toward the horizon A quick scan revealed no threats in the immediate vicinity He took a long sniff for good measure just to be safe No strange masses of significance were around them

Out across the water that the exterior stairwell should be located but that could wait until later

For a while Randidly settled into a meditative stance and just allowed all the strained and abused parts of his brain to float in oblivion Weirdly he almost had developed a knack for sinking into oblivion from his time borrowing SolomonÆs Penance So now he could gently allow himself to drift down below those waves of selflessness at will Without the consequence of being completely unaware to boot

It felt like dipping an overheated body into a cool pond A massive amount of stress and tension seeped out of him

Randidly couldnÆt help but keep a bit of his attention at the ready for some sign to precipitate the weird dream where he discovered the Torch of Harsh Truths but this time there was no sign of slipping into a state to sleep Randidly wondered whether it was because he was prepared for it or because enough time hadnÆt passed since the last dream Or perhaps it was just a montage that would only be triggered when he took certain actions in the real world

About twenty minutes of partial musings later Randidly pulled his consciousness back together His emotional strain hadnÆt vanished but he wanted to double up on his time usage So he pulled out his Hierarchy of Burden while letting his mind lay idle

The Vulpis SquadÆs new trainees werenÆt quite ready for the Hierarchy of Burden to be included in their training and the main portion of the squad was occupied with other things So Randidly now proceeded alone through the layers However he quickly realized that he hadnÆt attempted this style of training since all his Stats had evolved and he had become a new lifeform

In a word the Hierarchy of Burden felt almost easy all the way up through the halfway point of the Entropy layer After that he had to flare some inner resistance against the Entropy but he didnÆt hit any roadblocks

Easy for Randidly which meant possible without strenuous effort It was a refreshingly solid exercise testing some of the physical limits to this new form that still remained hidden His progress was so simple that he even considered pushing forward into the ivory layer which symbolized physical collapse

A bit of a distance out from the shore Randidly found some fat many toothed eels The First Tree Suffers Only Fealty transformed some of the water into root manifestations squeezing the bewildered eels and rapidly carrying them up to the surface of the ocean Meanwhile both Xershi and Pullas looked at Randidly with skepticism

YouÆve had formal chef training Pullas whispered You do not seem the culinary type

Randidly shook his head and behead the eels that shot out of the water toward him He produced a table from his interspatial ring and considered their bodies Not formal training no But IÆm pretty decent at cooking for small groups

Ahem Well itÆs just Pullas chose her words carefully Idylla is filled with individuals who have encountered walls in their image improvement and devoted himself to other pursuits IÆm just slightly unsure whether your attempts will suit my taste

Now Randidly was genuinely annoyed turning and giving the blue haired woman a long glance She raised her hands and took several steps back Xershi stepped into the middle of the two rubbing his belly Well IÆd love to try your food Nothing like a good meal above the sea before we start on an adventure

Randidly growled softly and turned back to work realized he had gotten that habit from Nrorce and couldnÆt help a smile from breaking out across his face But he turned away so these two didnÆt see this private moment of bittersweet joy He produced wood from his interspatial ring and stared a fire His hands moved smoothly through the motions using the knack he had learned from watching Randy to suck away any stain from other images in the ingredients Then he slit open the bellies and pulled out the innards His knife moved back and forth slicing off the filets

Oh IÆve wanted to ask for a while Xershi sat down and looked over at Pullas WhatÆs that weird light you make What exactly is your image about If you donÆt mind me asking

Of course I quite enjoy explaining the particular details of my image Pullas smiled tentatively even if she kept shooting Randidly worried glances I find it both helpful for my own pursuits and fulfilling Ahem the seed of its genesis was planted when I was very young

Xershi held up a hand Please short explanations only

Context is the most important quality in life Pullas frowned Without context all the minutia and shades of subtlety will be lost on you what DonÆt make that face at me Hmph hmph I donÆt wish to be an archetypal person but I would point out that I am the only one of us who has reached the image fulfillment stage As such perhaps you should take a note from

Short Explanations Only Xershi said again this time raising his fist and waving it around like it was a rallying cry ringing across a battlefield Randidly glanced over at the two of them briefly but focused on the food While the fire rose to the right temperature he dug around in his interspatial ring and found some carrots and lemons The meal would be simple without any grains Nothing he had on him had rich enough natural energy to match these vivacious eels He pulled out two pans and began to heat the first for the eel fillets

PullasÆs shoulders sagged like a deflating rubber kickball You are almost insufferable Okay I do admit there is some value in being able to succinctly deliver an idea to your listener So my image is itÆs more of a holistic philosophy than the concrete shapes others possess IÆm focused on having a good death

Xershi took several beats to absorb that He tilted his head to the side do you mean having a good life

Pullas puffed out her cheeks This is exactly why context is so valuable

Chapter 2011

Randidly cooked the fish adding a sprinkle of salt pepper and paprika on top When the side was well seared he flipped the filet and looked over at the carrots They sizzled pleasantly against the heated pan so he brought over the lemon and squeezed out some juice on the vegetables for a bit of zest

Next to him Pullas told an abbreviated version which Xershi had begged her to condense of her lifeÆs story ViiSiit for latest novels

In a way Randidly admired her If he had been asked where his images had come from he wouldnÆt really know where to begin

Both of my parents were powerful individuals from the Third Cohort They knew each other from before the System arrived so their love wasnÆt shaken by the arrival of monsters and magic If anything it only made their connection stronger as threats began to surround them on every side By relying on each other they were able to survive and thrive through the Calamities and claw their way into the Nexus They began to build a private empire relying on talent from my homeworld

There was a weird sort of momentum to PullasÆs word one that tugged at RandidlyÆs attention even while he was cooking The more she spoke the brighter her eyes became The ivory radiance she released seemed to curl at the edges gradually becoming the shapes she described Xershi groaned at the long winded preface to the story but it was more perfunctory than bored Even he seemed to find her words compelling

Well IÆll skip a bit about their business and political exploits considering your short attention span Pullas shook her head sorrowful at the quality and informative family history lesson that Randidly and Xershi were missing Suffice it to say they were involved in many of the Orthodox Faction struggles during the Fifth Cohort during the construction of the Sonara When Elhume suddenly abandoned the project outside of the middle rings they were taken completely by surprise And if you know anything about the Nexus it is that your enemies do not miss a moment of weakness

Ah so they are dead Xershi nodded Then he seemed to freeze realizing what he said Uhm I meant that in a nice way Like IÆm sure they died gallantly in a tragic final stand while defeating all their greatest foes

DonÆt err donÆt worry about it As an orphan you get used to strange reactions Although there was much less drama than that in their passing Pullas waved a hand Anyway they didnÆt die immediately in that attack They survived although grievously wounded My fatherÆs image was broken the rest of him crumbling to follow He could only onerously persist by meditating daily with my mother Somehow the memory of the way their images used to interact it healed him Or at least slowed his decay

Huh ThatÆs some powerful significance Randidly mused He produced some plates and wiped them clean with burning energy because the food was essentially finished If the remembrance of their bond was enough to convince his torn Aether it was whole again They must have had a truly overwhelming love for one another

Randidly rubbed his nose thinking of the cooling connections he had possessed with romantic interests since the System arrived His busy schedule and ongoing battle to overthrow Elhume meant he didnÆt have much time to socialize either

They followed a whisper down into the Shaft below the Nexus hinting at a way to cure my father Pullas delivered her words matter of factly but it was enough to cause Randidly to stiffen mid plating He twisted and looked at her with a solemn gaze Due to his deteriorating health my mother insisted that they try every option With time running out Father could only acquiesce leaving me in the care of their greatest subordinate Obviously they never returned

A whisper drew them down the shaft Hinting at the power of a Penance to improve their significance even Well it likely would definitely strengthen the significance holding on to his last scraps of liveliness But the issue is who would try and lure them down into the shaft Perhaps it was an enemy of the family playing a cruel joke but itÆs also possible it was Solomon himself Because if he did try to lure people down to hold his significance Did he want them to make it Would people without my Nether Core get sucked down but land on the peaceful area on the horizon above that shadowy darkness

Once they were down there would Solomon just keep them there as long as they wanted to struggle And time in the Nexus just kept going Well if it was Solomon it is likely that he receives some benefit from its activation

From the eleventh ring they ascended all the way to the fifteenth before they encountered any trouble This world was filled with strange semi translucent series of glass pillars They varied in size and shape with the ground sloping gently down toward the central stairwell

When Randidly turned to head up the slow in the direction of the outside stairwell his skin tingled Very slowly he pivoted back around and solemnly watched the owner of this ring rush toward their position Already an antagonistic image curled around their location Rather than force his way through he decided to wait and see

An obsidian octopi an enlarged version of the ones that Xershi had been loitering with in the first ring swung its body from pillar to pillar in an incredible display of multi arm dexterity Its legs snapped out from its swinging pattern so that it buzzed into stillness like a guitar string stretched between several pillars

Pass It opened a dark opening in its body and released a hissing word

PullasÆs expression brightened Oh I actually know this being although weÆve never met in person Idylla has made an agreement with a lot of the owners of rings giving them resources and news from the outside in exchange for safe passage All we need to do is show our credentials and we can move safely through

No pass I eat The Octopi added in what Randidly assumed was agreement

You contracted out this guy to eat people who didnÆt stop in your stupid city I though you were a coordinator not a dictator XershiÆs eyes brightened Maybe your job is cooler than I gave it credit earlier

I did not ahem all we agreed was safe passage when they had the proper credentials Pullas replied

No pass Eat The Octopi tilted its undulating head to the side

Randidly and Xershi looked at Pullas She blushed Embarrassing as this is to say I believe honesty is the best way to ensure I have the proper sort of death Due to how spontaneous the decision to join this group was I well I didnÆt bring anything with me

Eating time The Octopi whistled and tossed itself up into the air It rotated its body rapidly all its leg blurring into a windmill spin

Xershi rolled his shoulders Guess its time for me to shine again

No not this time Randidly interrupted He stepped forward and looked up at the descending black disc Its image of constriction and endless waves of legs lay heavy across the whole area But darkness began to coalesce around his left eye and his hair turned emerald My images have a bone to pick with this guy They want to challenge it to a legs contest and an eating contest You two stay back let me blow off some steam

Chapter 2012

Xershi felt disappointed he didnÆt get to show off again but also admitted to himself he had been wondering about the GhosthoundÆs power after so long watching him march up through the image static filled exterior stairwells without a change of pace Then consistency was aggravating and weirdly comforting as you followed after the man moving between floors Pullas seemed of a similar mind taking a step to the side and squinting up at the whirling appendages of the obsidian octopi drooling at the prospect of devouring them

As though he heard the casual passing off of the honor of fighting it the octopi roared to seize their attention A massive version of itself flared above its body opening its sharp beak and releasing a shriek at such a size that it became a dull rumble that bounced off the numerous glass pillars Xershi winced in terms of volume it definitely was an obnoxious foe

It swooped down legs whirling The fifty meter height at which the octopi stared became twenty and then ten meters in less than a heartbeat

YÆall should take a step back Standing amongst the glass pillars the Ghosthound cracked his neck He didnÆt even seem to react as the opponent rushed downward at him Xershi and Pullas complied quickly hopping backward Then the Ghosthound clapped his hands in front of himself as though he was finally ready Wisps of steam began to curl off of his neck A wave of heat spread outward

That heat was the only announcement of the counterattack

The Ghosthound moved but Xershi didnÆt see it Just the aftermath Just a huge stretch of ground and all the surrounding pillars exploded into a gleaming mist of pointed shards And an overwhelming wind blasting those tiny particles up into a tornado

The octopi howled in pain and its image faltered a fist sized chunk of flesh had been ripped from his side Suddenly floating above their foe the Ghosthound turned The glittering glass mist caught in the speed of his movements spiraled after him His hair fluttered and lightened to emerald matching his glowing eyes A towering tree stood behind him forcing the stunned image of the octopi to the side Its branches spread out and cast a long shadow across them all Huge green leaves grew out and rustled ominously

Xershi could instantly tell that while the image was solid it wasnÆt overwhelming He reckoned his image could overpower it given enough time Yet his instincts warned him not to underestimate this man

His power and attitude made him worth following And from the rumors that Xershi had heard he was only getting started

The octopi recovered its spongy body wriggling and knitting itself back together as it wheeled around to face the threat It shrieked in challenge its whirling arms stretching and merging with a wave of image arms that pounced toward Randidly

He smirked in response pointing with a long finger Suddenly the glittering shards of the shattered area paused in the face of gravity and began to hum The image behind the Ghosthound shifted and rose through those shards whirling them together and creating innumerable glass manifestations of tree roots that shot down and smashed against the extended limbs of the Octopi

In terms of power the OctopiÆs arms crushed and destroyed the glass roots every time they got the chance However even as they fell to pieces the GhosthoundÆs image plucked the destroyed shards out of the air and remade them again into weapons They curled around the OctopiÆs real appendages and slithered toward his body

XershiÆs eyes flicked downward At the same time his image’s roots dig down into the space You fight above heÆs growing below What a frightful man

Stalled out the Octopi returned to his superior image as he began to make his push through the maw of the GhosthoundÆs image and manifestations At this point the space was positively stuffed with aggressive glass roots breaking and being remade The beak enlarged again and then again so that it was a mountain that towered above the battlefield It turned above the GhosthoundÆs black hole and pecked down like a bird eating a seed