Yes More than anything yes
But Vye did her best to play it cool while a mental version of herself was frantically resisting the urge to grin like a village idiot and prance about Ah of course IÆm interested in the Order Ducis I really respect all of the many deeds youÆve accomplished Definitely done a lot of good stuff but what do you mean by finalists
Heh you are much sharper than most people we make the offer to Naffur chuckled Currently there are only five official members of the Order Ducis But Randidly has finally decided to expand our number We will be hosting a six month long training camp to determine who to actually induct into the order At the moment five seems the top limit should we receive enough applicants who successfully complete the camp
so there is a fifty percent chance to get in VyeÆs internal excitement dimmed somewhat Being a finalist seemed like it would just get her entry into the training camp From there she would be forced to prove herself But based on the Order DucisÆ track record six months of training with them would definitely see her Skill and Level improve six months was a little less than the amount of time Vye had taken to get to this point
After six months of the most intensive training on Earth
Ah actually finalist is a bit misleading NaffurÆs smile seemed abruptly guilty But you will immediately be taken to the training camp with the distinction of someone we actively recruited In addition to the finalists we have about twenty individuals who have assisted with our other tasks TheyÆve earned places in the camp Finally we are going to have twenty open slots in the training camp first come first served But we will kick anyone out that doesnÆt align with our beliefs or canÆt keep up with the training regimen It was designed for high turnover
Naffur scratched his head RandidlyÆs training methods are not gentle And the Order Ducis definitely hopes to embody his spirit
Of course results demand trials to manifest Without strife humanity would collapse
Vye paused She had been about to open her mouth and reply to Naffur but someone else had beat her to it As one she and Naffur looked upward toward the source of the voice
AldoÆs head was popping out of the luggage compartment above where Vye had been resting VyeÆs eyes slowly widened as she looked up at him as he nonchalantly looked down at the two of them Clearly he had been listening into their conversation
Ah Aldo I had been looking for you Naffur looked blankly up at the other man What are you doing up there
There isnÆt any evidence that indicates that Randidly Ghosthound has ever used Manatech trains as a form of transportation Aldo lifted his chin and peered around As such IÆve done a lot of thinking about that Perhaps that is a more important detail than most people think As someone who investigates the source of Randidly GhosthoundÆs power IÆm currently in the middle of an experiment So if youÆll excuse me
Aldo pulled his head back into the luggage compartment like a turtle withdrawing into its shell The compartment shut itself with a snap
weÆve also asked Aldo to participate Naffur said quietly Then he rubbed his neck clearly feeling quite awkward I hope you two get along well We should be arriving at our destination in two hours
Ah where is the training camp taking place Vye asked idly still staring up toward AldoÆs small hideaway
Naffur smiled Erickson Steel Headquarters
VyeÆs mouth eye twitched IÆm sorry
Chapter 991
Randidly sat with his legs crossed in the half light of this strange place In front of him the Grim Chimera raised its head and howled until Randidly felt the vibrating hate of the noise in his diaphragm Its hunger was a physical thing tugging at RandidlyÆs clothes Around the two individuals spiraled thousands of motes of ash sucked upward into the endless maw of need that was birthed by fear and fury
It seems that my senses were right Randidly reflected Something is off here
Then the Grim raised its wickedly sharp claws of its left hand and the ground beneath them was covered in a sea of ants They marched in formation toward the horizon commanded by a higher purpose to seek the edge of the world All of this information flowed into Randidly naturally connected as he was to the substance of the Grim Chimera
Then the terrible monster at RandidlyÆs core raised the bone spear covered in dried blood that was its right arm and the horizon shifted One thousand towering pyres appeared like open mouths
With a predictable fatalism those innumerable ants marched into the fire without any complaint Their population swiftly dwindled The only proof of their existence was the small pops their body made as the air inside their thorax was heated to the point that their exoskeleton was torn open by the super heated air The howling of the ash grew louder as more and more drifted upward into the vortex
Randidly smiled sadly at the Grim Chimera They were not mindless ants They were people Monsters that grasped intelligence after being exposed to Aether and opportunity And although their nature drove them to refuse to concede I hold the responsibility for their deaths There is no need to try and comfort me with this pointless spectacle
Gnashing its invisible teeth the Grim Chimera spun Its body twisted and morphed sucking the images of the ants and the funeral pyres into itself In its place the severed head of Ki Kunot sat on top of a spear Unlike the head that Randidly had actually received the image projection that the Grim Chimera made was rotted until the lower half of its head was nothing but a bone and beak
You look similar to a very old image I had Randidly said quietly Seemingly not caring that Randidly could see it moving the Grim Chimera raised its left arm Thin wires of ash wove themselves downward from its deadly fingers to connect to the skull Then the dead thing that was meant to be Ki Kunot began to speak
With a clacking rotten beak Ki Kunot asked Why did YOU murder my people
Despite how contrived the situation was Randidly softened somewhat Until he understood why this was necessary he would play along All blades belong to the King even if he does not wield them I will not shift blame to my Riders
Waggling the jaw of the dead puppet side to side the Grim Chimera seemed to think about that Then Ki KunotÆs severed head opened its disintegrating beak Is humanity truly the most important thing What is sacred in your crusade to save Earth
All things have a price Randidly said tiredly He had asked the number of monsters they had eliminated in that strange cave system It was nine thousand one hundred and six IÆm doing my best
Ah the conscious of a King is a broad thing to shrug off the guilt of strangling an entire people in its cradle The skull said with a skeletal smirk
It fucking sucks Randidly said bitterly The ash floating around them paused in its constant upward rotating It began to drift without destination filling the air with smoky butterflies It wasnÆt a perfect solution because IÆm not a perfect person It hurts to know I could have saved those lives but didnÆt But I would do the same thing again
DoesnÆt your justification give you succor You have continued for a week without stopping your Riders from slaughtering the other small rebellions You must be confident in the price you would pay for their lives
IÆm not Randidly shrugged helplessly His eyes studied Ki Kunot then the Grim Chimera Finally he began to carefully examine those lines of ash that connected the two But I donÆt have time and I am not a person who can afford to wait for certainty to take action I offered them three choices That was the best I was willing to do
You donÆt have time HA What do you have but time The puppet roared
Shrugging Randidly said I might be the first to possess an Aether Crossroads but the System has dealt with enough Heretics that it has an automated response The Judgement is coming
Ki Kunot sneered at Randidly You have an eternity here if you want it You can minimize the danger