You know me too well LyraÆs smile was slightly bitter as though she had bit into a cherry and discovered that it was a crabapple Yet instead of answering at first she reached up and toyed with the shoulder strap of her spiraling navy blue dress The skin of her arms looked almost unhealthily pale as she fidgeted
RandidlyÆs confusion continued to grow Then Lyra sighed and shook her head Maybe itÆs fair to say I thought I could teach you something with this but I invited you here for two things One is a reminder and the other just a disclosure A reminder IÆll say that is just as much for me as it is for you
IÆve just always been fascinated by what humans can accomplish without the System Even before the System arrived I thought about it a lot Now fighting against Hank and cooking It has helped me feel the broad capability of humans Images you might think of it as the natural evolution of our power underneath the System but I think thatÆs not the case Lyra wrapped her arms around her shoulders The fabric of her dress flared just a little as it came up around her shoulders and she tugged at it ThatÆs just a clever sleight of hand from the Nexus Are they really the source of images Images like HankÆs it is positively sublime A Skill might mimic the effect but think about energy efficiency
Something that disguised itself as excitement but might be closer to mania came over LyraÆs features The corner of her eyes crinkled and she licked her lips As she talked the pace of her words quickened The System provides inefficient mechanisms in the form of Skills that can transform energy into effect Then they provide a low level flow of energy and teach the kidnapped worlds how to use that energy Or rather demand that we learn But images perhaps the System provides the shape that we mimic to grow but arenÆt images all our own
Randidly gave Lyra a long look His emerald eyes slowly dimmed as he considered her words
Lyra continued to speak Then the System provides trials Trials that are increasingly difficult to pass to the point that its shoddily made mechanisms no longer cut it You are required to contribute high efficiency images that take emotion and energy to manifest in order to produce greater and greater effects And the moment you cease being able to surpass yourself the flow of energy is cut off A worldÆs only option then is to send its people to be the grunts of the Nexus in order to cast an even wider net in the next Cohort That is the System
LyraÆs violet eyes met RandidlyÆs emerald ones She bit her lip Randidly blinked very deliberately He didnÆt disagree with what Lyra was saying although he hadnÆt considered it But to Randidly it was a largely semantic decision whether images were the natural evolution of Skills or not So your point
IÆm trying to remind you why I disagree with your method Lyra hands tightened on her opposite shoulders as she held herself Because of the forces arrayed against you the System was designed for people like you No matter what new image you manage to develop the Nexus will just throw another test at you There is only one way to accomplish your goal to become more powerful than the maker of the Nexus
Looking at Lyra Randidly couldnÆt help but recall that immense mountain range of crystalized Aether that he had briefly sensed as Elhume had moved Even now some part of his spirit stilled before the echo of that immense display of power Even considering his the Aether that was gradually condensing as part of his physical body Randidly doubted he could generate eight or nine drops of liquid Aether
How many drops would it take to make a crystalized mountain range
You arenÆt wrong to say that that the task is almost impossible Randidly admitted But as he spoke he could hear the rustling of leaves the scream of an all devouring void and the cracking of a monstrosityÆs spine adapting All three of his images stirred with unwillingness But you also give up too easily
But ultimately Randidly didnÆt verbalize that thought Instead he stood in front of the table of empty dishes and considered Lyra Inwardly he was becoming even more confused did she truly want to use the same arguments against him now Is this what you brought me here to say
No I just well let me ask you something I need a reminder Are you going to to do it Randidly Ghosthound Become even more powerful than the maker of the Nexus Lyra asked still embracing herself In her red violet eyes Randidly could see the answer that she begged him to give her
It was not the answer he had expected her to want
First Randidly blinked Then he laughed aloud Even more than the weight he obtained from watching the tournament his Nether Nebula rapidly grew in density as he felt his lips and tongue shaping his next words Truly a reminder Yea I am going to become that powerful IÆll keep climbing until I stand atop the Nexus IÆm going to reach the Pinnacle And then IÆll burn everything to the ground
Lyra smiled Her face was so objectively lovely as she looked at him that the same physiological weakness in his heart constricted In the face of that expression Randidly had a single gut response that she adored him She had cursed him out attacked him and sold out the Earth but she also adored him in a way that he couldnÆt quite understand
Divining her motivations from her expression reminded Randidly of the sea He could see how the tides would rise and fall but there was some part of his brain that just wasnÆt capable of understanding how and why water needed to flow to make that happen Her fluttering eyelashes were the crash of waves against the shore filling the air with the scent of salt
And Randidly found it immensely difficult to look at the vulnerability and gentleness in her features The lines around her nose and mouth were soft and expressive as she considered him All of her snark and emotional defense mechanisms had been stripped away It was an expression that Randidly could never remember seeing on LyraÆs face in the past I believe you Randidly So good luck
Then Lyra spun around and continued talking while facing the wall My mind still cannot fathom how you will manage it but youÆve gotten this far havenÆt you So I guess what IÆm saying is that my heart is convinced Thanks for the reminder Tonight yea tonight is about honesty Oh Randidly did I ever tell you about that first night that I saw you fighting
RandidlyÆs gaze was on LyraÆs bare shoulders Her fingers were still tight on the navy blue fabric of the shoulder straps Without speaking he shook his head
Whether she sensed the motion or just didnÆt care Lyra continued to speak It was back when the monster hordes came for Donnyton But ha Can you believe that was considered a horde There probably werenÆt even a hundred those first few nights But you it was night on the field of grass around the wooden palisade we built There was a half full moon And you shot out Mana Bolts and Arcane Orbs like your Mana Pool was endless The lighting of the Skills meant that half of your face was constantly in shadow as you fought It was magical
Lyra Randidly began but she interrupted him
I cannot be like you I cannot even be like Hank Howard Lyra said still talking to the wall She lowered her arms from her grip of her own torso and clasped them behind her back Her knuckles were white Her nails were unpainted But I also donÆt believe that my Path is wrong This isnÆt something that that I can accomplish alone Allies and connections are how I grow So IÆm going to go look for help
ThatÆs where the disclosure comes in Donnyton has been a source of many high quality images for the Nexus It isnÆt just this tournament that they dominate As the Village Spirit of this lucrative Village IÆve earned some privileges IÆll also soon be heading into the Nexus Rather than simply becoming the most powerful person in the Nexus with information and allies I will be able to accomplish the same thing as you IÆll save the Earth Then Lyra hesitated briefly And I just didnÆt want us to run into each other there and you to think
Think that you had sold Earth out again Randidly thought but he quickly erased the thought before it could show on his face He continued to look at Lyra back Without even relying on Grim Intuition or Revelation energy he could feel the immense loneliness that surrounded Lyra For a weird second Randidly would have believed that the sword and sheath connection that had originally been between them had reemerged