In this Skill Randidly steadily invested more and more of his thoughts and insights as the frantic battle raged The drive at the core of the Grim Chimera became almost an obsession because Randidly sensed that shifting this image would give him the insight to transform the Grim Chimera What was the source of this monstrous vigor As his arms were smashed and broken by KaanÆs attacks RandidlyÆs attention was stretched to its limits The length between moments because positively yawning
Possibilities flitted and front of him and were banished just as quickly
Randidly released a steaming breath The muscles of his legs tensed as he prepared to roll to the side In the genesis of the Grim Chimera were hidden many old images but as Randidly dug deeper within himself looking for an answer the image that emerged most cleanly was ash The Chimera was a being of ash surviving and persisting through a great cataclysm The old world had been reduced to embers and scattered leaving nothing remaining of the grand civilization of the past
But not all of those embers had gone out The wafting steam radiating outward from RandidlyÆs skin began to intensify Randidly blinked It was pretty simple really He had considered similar options in the past Animating the core of the Grim Chimera was one of those few remaining embers of a destroyed world
And just like that the engine of the Grim Chimera became suffused with overwhelming heat Which was not enough to prevent Randidly from being smashed into the ground and knocked out of the memory by Kaan Swacc only a few moments later
While he recovered from the damage the Grim Chimera had sustained Randidly lay on his back and looked up at the sky Somehow while Randidly had been training even the clouds had fled from him All that lay above him was a vast expanse of blue The sky was so clear that it didnÆt even seem to exist It gathered his gaze and rewarded him with nothing but that eternal blue
In his chest there was a minor shift at the core of the Grim Chimera Where there had previously only been emotions now the molten ember of a destroyed world bound itself with those emotions The ashy capricious form of the Grim Chimera began to swirl and churn
Considering how exhausted RandidlyÆs mental energy was even outside of the weakened image of the Grim Chimera the change did not come with much fanfare But like the slow trickle of water forcing its way out of a broken pipe it portended larger shifts to come
Randidly began to laugh as he observed the slow shift in his image See ItÆs working
Yggdrasil shook its leaves in disbelief
Chapter 1479
Derek Moss scratched his cheek and did his best to phrase his objection delicately ArenÆt we technically also applicants to the Order Ducis
Naffur just shrugged summarily vanquishing DerekÆs concern Although the leader of the Order DucisÆs reassuringly solid aura helped mask his age sometimes it was impossible to hide how youthful his features were Standing now away from the rest of the Order Ducis applicants that milled around the training area Naffur dropped most of the official stern expression that he generally carried and spoke candidly Technically you are right But two of the slots in the next batch are reserved for you and Hydie So we figured you would have extra insight to help choose the other five people who would join Congratulations
Lucky us Hydie grumbled Then she stifled a yawn and capped the gesture by chugging the rest of her coffee They were standing in one of the staging bays of Kharon as the city walked steadily South The sun hadnÆt yet risen so the air still had the grainy texture of twilight as it filtered through the open passage out into the world
Rather than taking offense at HydieÆs comment Naffur just grinned His whole face lit up with the useful charm that meant he would likely lead the Order Ducis for a long time Yea well blame yourselves for being too efficient at your tasks If you keep doing the things we ask we are going to keep coming up with jobs for you There are thirty people who persevered to this point among the applicants although youÆll notice that there is a pretty clear hierarchy amongst them Just take the group and clear out some of the denser monster populations in the area The Levels are in the high 60s around here so you should be able to get a good picture of their actual strength
If I may Hydie raised her hand She had a little bit of coffee sticking to her upper lip Naffur blinked but nodded Hydie pointed over at Derek I assure you that he is the one who is responsible for our efficiency If anything IÆve routinely encumbered our activities So I think itÆs for the best that I sit this one out lest the process be negatively affected
No Naffur responded Then with a sly grin he walked away
I guess thatÆs that Derek thought wryly
Derek walked over and patted HydieÆs shoulder Keep trying Someday youÆll be as good at avoiding work as you want to be Why do you want to skip out on this one anyway After patrolling through Kharon for so long it will be good to get out and just hunt some monsters Plus you can try out your new image on some targets you wonÆt feel much pity for
Yea yea Hydie waved her hand then quickly pulled it back to her chest Immediately after she sighed ItÆs just well I havenÆt this is embarrassing to admit But itÆs been a while since IÆve painted my nails I set out all my bottles for ease of selection so I donÆt have any in my interspatial ring And my fingers look ragged right now I was in too much of a hurry this morning
Derek turned away and shook his head Well seems like we are ready to depart then
Hydie huffed out a breath
Once Randidly discovered and refined the image of a burning ember of a planet as the core of the Grim ChimeraÆs image his attention moved on to another Skill Molten Fang of the Pariah
Congratulations Your Skill Molten Fang of the Pariah has grown to Level 241
That heat source was exactly what Randidly needed to boost the raw destructive might of the Skill With the average temperature across his body rising about thirty degrees with the shift in his image his right arm was practically glowing with heat as the new notes were added to the Skill But it wasnÆt just the heat that made the attack powerful since the source of the flame was a dying world there was a horrible caustic quality to the fire in the Grim ChimeraÆs chest It struck both the wielder and target but the Grim Chimera had spent its entire existence accepting that horrible energy source
It was a flame that released the acrid tang of ashes and sweat The radiating illumination gradually tainted the Grim Chimera darkening and warping it to its current form
Gradually RandidlyÆs thoughts on how the Grim Chimera grew so twisted were solidified The details of the images while still remaining weak grew clearer In his mind that ambiguous cloudiness was banished But with that clarity came some rigidity So Randidly threw himself with even more dedication into the spars against Kaan Swacc He pushed his limits without restraint
Congratulations Your Skill Molten Fang of the Pariah has grown to Level 242
The added offensive power of the revamped Molten Fang meant that Kaan Swacc couldnÆt be as aggressive in his attacks on Randidly so the brawls stretched out into extended slugfests If Randidly were genuinely trying to improve his ability to defeat Kaan Swacc he might have experienced a small amount of despair at the repeated slow losses He was making progress but none of it seemed to affect the outcome
But Randidly didnÆt need to win here he already had In fact he relished the extended fights Even as his body and image began to fray at the edges from the strain his Skill Levels and his conclusions about the image of the Grim Chimera began to accumulate toward a complete transformation The brutal impacts and desperation of the confrontation against Kaan Swacc were pushing him to greater heights
However soon Randidly had utilized the Dreamcatcher of the Long Night so often for so long that he had a constant low headache The fights were lasting for longer and longer as his Skill Levels improved which increased the strain of deviation from the memory Yet Randidly didnÆt relent in his dedication One day of mind grinding training became two and then three The headache became a constant pounding resident in his cerebral cortex that sapped RandidlyÆs high brain function and left him with only instinct The improvements to the various details of his Skill usage gradually slowed as he ran out of mental juice