Rather than trying to explain Randidly simply raised his right hand and looked at it It was a Skill he hadnÆt used in quite a long time likely since he had given this terrible Skill to a denizen of his Soulskill to resist the CreatureÆs mental invasion The damage it had inflicted on the wielder was more than enough proof that Randidly wouldnÆt risk using it casually And then slowly RandidlyÆs Skills became strong enough that it didnÆt even cross his mind
This time he maintained a careful focus on his Soulspace and the Skill as he activated Touch from Beyond During the several year interim since he had used the Skill last his understanding of Aether constructs and Skills had improved to the point that the old Randidly was as helpless as a child
So this time when he activated the Skill Randidly could see the Aether carefully unfolding within the Skill to create something akin to a portal And from that portal a small spec of darkness drifted outward and manifested in his palm
Despite the increases in his physical prowess the pain was just as achingly debilitating as Randidly remembered Gritting his teeth he forced himself to keep his hand aloft as it began to glow with that luminous blue black darkness Chulroon just stared for several seconds aghast
And at that time a string of notifications popped up in front of Randidly
Warning The Skill
Danger Please proceed directly to the nearest Village Spirit Your soul will soon be corrupted
Recal
Congratulations Your insight has revealed the hidden function of a Skill Touch from Beyond « has unfolded to reveal its natural form NetherÆs Caress Skill Level will be maintained
He hehehe HAHAHAHHA Chulroon burst out laughing Even as vomit and blood mixed with his laughter he didnÆt stop
The blue light on RandidlyÆs hand grew as the Skill evolved From a spec that seemed to devour all surrounding light it stretched to form a small triangle that whispered of death in the night and eternal rest
Truly perhaps destiny did have a plan for me after all For you to come to my Dungeon out of so many well I suppose there might be otherÆs like me but Chulroon wiped his excrement from his mouth I will die gleeful after leaving my gifts with you For some reason heh itÆs like you were designed in a laboratory to be used as a dagger against the System isnÆt it What a cruel fate you bear youngster Before I go tell me your name
Randidly looked at that blue black triangle The pain was piercing but even more intimidating was the slowly spreading numbness down his forearm Randidly tightened his hand to a fist and extinguished the Skill already sweating
My name is Randidly Ghosthound
Chapter 1001
For Wendy the month after Randidly Ghosthound had requested a mechanical city built was the most hectic one of her life During that time she slept mostly underneath her work table or huddled beneath her desk in her office Half finished coffee cups and sheaves of paper were left behind her in some haphazard parade of an overworked engineer
An overworked GENIUS I might add Wendy often comforted herself with similarly phrased affirmations so that she remained grounded in front of RandidlyÆs almost careless treatment of her assistance
It wasnÆt enough that the man could produce a kingÆs ransom in metals at the drop of a hat in an attempt to bribe her It wasnÆt even that he even also brought a bunch of chattering and scuttling miniature mollusks that asked an embarrassing number of questions that left Wendy stumped and tearing out chunks of her hair Questions that required her to use some of her nonexistent free time to develop acceptable responses
It also wasnÆt the uncomfortable truth that Randidly brought Lucretia and her apprentices to assist with the construction and Lucretia made Wendy extremely nervous That woman slept with one eye open and one hand always brushing her hair so it eternally possessed salon quality glossiness
Too many mornings this past month had seen a frumpy Wendy rolling out of a sleeping bag carefully constructed of research papers and scribbled notes only to find that Lucretia was hard at work as though exhaustion was only a concern for lesser creatures
No what truly drove Wendy insane was Randidly Ghosthound himself and his oblivious attitude he had claimed a large portion of her magnificent office to make a personal workspace despite the fact that Wendy had made several comments about how she worked better without oversight
To which Randidly responded flippantly that honestly I wonÆt be watching you at all I have my own work to do Æ
That Wendy thought while grinding her teeth is beside the point
Which was why Wendy was currently standing outside of her own office fiddling with the lock mechanism offering a silent prayer that Randidly wasnÆt currently here And because Randidly could somehow manifest himself inside her office without using the corridor the only way for Wendy to find out if he was actually present was to open the door
But if he was there
Wendy rubbed her eyes furiously HeÆs been locked in my office for the past week I just want some space to do a crossword puzzle in peace and hell no matter what heÆs doing if heÆs there IÆm just going to demand he go work somewhere else This is my office after all IÆm a genius with my own office and I need some alone time
After a few pump up jabs into the air Wendy opened the door She raised her chin and glared around in her best imitation of a hawk prepared to chase away the pest like Ghosthound But of course what she found rendered her speechless for several seconds
Are those scars
The slender form of Randidly Ghosthound was shirtless standing in the middle of her office Without any covering the vicious wound that left him without a left arm was readily apparent But even worse than that were the terrible markings that stretched upward from the severed limb like inflamed earthworms
Randidly glanced up at Wendy offered her a short smile then turned back to the mirror he had set up in the middle of the office With his hands and the reflective surface Randidly was carefully examining a series of deep runic markings on his shoulder Tapping his lips thoughtfully he finished and turned back to Wendy yes in a way Your design for the arm was good but it quickly became clear that the counter would be to target the harness that kept it in place Therefore I needed a more permanent solution
Wendy silently regarded the stump of RandidlyÆs arm and the surrounding shoulder Deep grooves that sparkled with the distinct hint of Mana radiated outward from the shoulder in complex lines When Randidly dragged his fingers across the markings they flashed with brighter with reinforced might It was clear from the tight set of his jaw that he was making adjustments and it was not a painless process
The wounds themselves werenÆt bleeding or anything but they were certain inflamed and swollen Just from looking Wendy could tell that the process of using Mana to carve them into his skin would have been a bit
Did it hurt Wendy blurted out unable to control her curiosity
Randidly nodded Quite a bit And thatÆs from someone who hasnÆt shied away from pain for a few years But pain is a lot milder than the more internal forms of torture so it worked out in the end
Will you need to ah how can you adjust the Engravings now that they are a part of you like that They seem a bit WendyÆs fingers flexed Compared to RandidlyÆs tan skin the inflamed lines of the Engraving on his shoulder seemed like the result of some terrible illness It marred his body in a way that the System didnÆt usually allow
Perhaps that was why Wendy found herself so fascinated by it
mm ItÆs actually not that much trouble for the current me I can do a lot with simply adjusting the relative Mana density in all of the lines Even if the design I made at the time is a bit crude it reeks of necessity That sort of image in the Engraving would be difficult to reproduce on a second attempt in less dangerous circumstances Which reminds me I m almost finished with my preparations Did you make the final schematics