The strengths of Devick are there But the flaws become magnified Randidly observed
The figures blurred slightly as time accelerated through the replayed memory Future DevickÆs belly eventually grew to the point that it pushed out through her veil of hair And then
Failure Future Devick looked dispassionately down at the misshapen flesh she had produced Her eyes were flat and glassy as she tossed the body to the side Randidly shivered to feel the desolation that emanated from her if he could have given that sort of feeling to Claudette he didnÆt doubt she could overcome her fatherÆs machinations Her emotional force seemed endless The body is ill formed LetÆs try again
Try again There was a panicky note to Present DevickÆs voice But Future Devick simply glanced at her That bleak determination smothered any response She lowered her gaze and they once more engaged in the imprinting process
Failure These organs cannot support life
Failure Our image has seeped too deeply into the muscles It will collapse on its own before it can grow
Failure This creature will not have consciousness It is blank flesh
Each time the Future Devick endured the gestation and birth dispassionately Each time she studied the wizened and bloody result and listed why it would not work Then she tossed the baby to the side uninterested in it Steadily Randidly watched as the hundreds of small mounds were created before the doors to the summit The movements of the Grand Pattern became jerky and erratic as though the horrifying ritual wounded the surroundings
However that was nothing compared to when Future Devick began laughing
Heh another failure
Failure hehhahaha
Failure kekeke
This time the Future Devick paused as though she strangled the giggle with her powerful hands By this point the Present Devick had all the light and life leached out of her Although she had been a clone the process of imprinting so many times had sucked the detail out of her body and features until she was nothing but a shade She didnÆt react to the shift in the pattern even while the Future Devick considered
After a strained examination the Future Devick cleared her throat This being physically and mentally fine However its soul
His Present Devick whispered
Future Devick shrugged Ha Irrelevant The soul is quite weak However considering the other results this can be considered the best With the unique properties of our race our son can merge his soul with others and devour them to gain strength
But if the soul is so weak Each word cost Present Devick dearly Although a single imprint cost almost nothing a hundred in a row had blurred her features beyond recognition Yet despite that weakness she persisted desperate to speak What if our son loses the struggle and is absorbed by another Then
Future Devick snorted Then we treat the winner as our son What does it matter who devours who The one who wins is the one who possesses our potential
Chapter 1837
Number Four couldnÆt believe how simple it had been to arrange this chance He was positively giddy with how well things were developing They had arrived at the Path of the Spirit and forced their way upward while Number One grew increasingly desperate and paranoid When they arrived they found Number Two and the Master talking
Needless to say Number One blew his top
You DARE conspire against me Instantly the thick power of the Grand Pattern burst out of Number OneÆs body with enough force to crack the ground beneath him His beard fluttered and he cast his cane to the side His furious eyes were fixed on the somewhat surprised Number Two
The Master shook his head almost sorrowfully His empathy for his students was manufactured and predictable Number One if you refused to let go of your pride
Meanwhile Number TwoÆs usually stoic expression twisted into something as hard as granite He cared about only a few things but this was one of them Aside from Number One he was the longest living Disciple I will not allow you to show such disrespect in front of the Master
What Number Four didnÆt expect was for an equally thick and imposing blast of energy to come from Number Two In terms of potency neither lost out Their patterns grappled with each other spitting out unexpected bursts of force and ripping up stones from the ground Number Four stumbled backward balanced between fear and elation Seeing their true power made Number Four sweat and retreat he was nowhere near their match But so long as they weakened each other sufficiently
The Grand Pattern rumbled and grew unstable as both drew so heavily from its patterns In the sky above the domicile they fought for absolute dominance The already damaged base of the Master shuddered and crumbled as the pressure intensified The remnants of the buildings that had somehow managed to weather the power of ElhumeÆs strike were now ground down by the application of unadulterated force One by one the few remnant walls and pillars disintegrated
Still the pressure built between the two disciples Number One created a series of a dozen small whirlwinds that bent the air with the speed of their rotation while Number Two created a barrier of force around him that seemed to concentrate his entire power across its surface Both refused to back down
The Master sighed If you truly insist on this foolishness
Die Number One roared earning a lip twitch from the Master when he was interrupted His whirlwinds shot forward like humming ballista bolts Number Two clapped his hands and the barrier became a blade that cut sideways
Number FourÆs eyes glittered Heh now that youÆve antagonized Master it wonÆt even matter if you win easily Number One You might be strong but you are still a hundred years too early to challenge eh
Number OneÆs whirlwinds accelerated faster than Number FourÆs eyes could follow Which meant that he couldnÆt figure out what was going on for a few murky seconds Because it seemed that the whirlwinds were slamming into the area not around Number Two but against a hastily erected defensive barrier in front of the Master And meanwhile
Eh Number Four blinked several times as his reactions caught up a second too late His lower have was severed by Number TwoÆs powerful strike Number Four was falling slowly backward through the air and the other two Disciples twisted to face the Master now suddenly acting in concert
To Number FourÆs relief the Master seemed just as shocked as he had been His barrier began to crack beneath the continued bombardment of whirlwinds You What What
I officially contest the Path of Spirit Number One announced The MasterÆs face became cloudy with rage but both of their bodies faded away Soon they reappeared about twenty meters above their original position They floated within the depths of this portion of the Grand Pattern now in an official duel for control of the Path
Heh Hahahahaha The Master threw his head back and laughed Well I didnÆt see this coming When did you and Number Two well no matter Did you think this would be enough to dethrone me of control All of this is mine YouÆve grown fat on my milk and now you think you know it better than I do Insolence
I can defeat you Number One responded confidently Below Number FourÆs body finally hit the ground The pain shocked him awake and injected desperation into his movements He raised his right arm and realized his forearm had been cut off Then he raised his left and grasped at the air His own understanding trickled out of his gummy brain and into his hand But just as soon as his own Grand Pattern began to manifest Number Two unleashed another blast and destroyed his attempt
While his struggles continued below the face off above rumbled forward
You fool The Master hissed The Grand Pattern stirred around him and the whole mountain seemed to come alive The air and stone shook with his rising emotions You control the Path of Bone you contest the Path of Spirit and I control the Path of Blood You believe it will be an even confrontation but there is one thing you didnÆt know
After Future DevickÆs ominous words the Present Devick seemed to wilt All the details of her sharp eyes and determined mouth seeped from her face and her gaze lowered to the ground She began to fade away and merge into the Mountain