Holy fucking shit Devick muttered next to Randidly Even her vicious red hare image seemed solemn Randidly could only nod in agreement as he looked up at the blade turned against him
Do you see Mae called pride clear in her voice even as she seemed possessed by that fatal sort of exhaustion This this is what we could have With this blade need we fear the trespasses of singular entities We will smite them as they deserve Then once cowed they can be shown the illuminating truths
You mean to brainwash those you defeat Randidly said My my seems like most of your morals have withered during your meditation time
How can our ideal world persist if it doesnÆt strengthen itself enough to endure the constant tide of threats Mae countered Besides accepting a more orderly existence will only bring benefits in the end Our existence is enviable
ItÆs barely existence Randidly observed as he looked at the Monarch of Karma Rather than a person what he fought now was just a body acting as a conduit of a womanÆs desperate dream And while he could empathize with the desperation he couldnÆt forgive the unapologetic elimination of self determinism
No this is just another Narrow Path Randidly thought with genuine venom Fatia Cerulean would certainly be proud
The sword stretched to the point that the concept of a bladeÆ became irrelevant It was simply a towering pillar of violent energy reaching so far into the sky that it seemed to tickle the hanging sphere of Pine Aether crackled and spat so pressurized the sky seemed ready to slow The Monarch of KarmaÆs arms began to move The blow crashed down seeking to fell the World Tree
RandidlyÆs eyes widened and his pupils dilated He felt all the energy poured into a singular purpose He could sense how a pillar running the length of the sword had condensed to liquid Aether due to the immense concentration And there were some ominous places of superior cohesion where crystalline chips of Aether had solidified
His instincts warned him of the force wielded by this foe This much raw power wasnÆt about the sophistication of an image just the accumulation of energy by weaponizing the world state Yet that only perked him up He spoke to Devick as he settled into a battle stance Acri flowed out into his spear form Stand behind me
How forward Usually I wait until the third date before allowing a man to see my vulnerable side Devick fluttered her lashes but quickly shifted so Randidly stood between her and the approaching threat
After such a poor showing from Elhume RandidlyÆs eyes glittered in anticipation He spun the spear in his hands and then tightened his grip on the weapon until his knuckles popped Sulfur and Acri both hummed in pleasure Well all I can say is I hope you donÆt disappoint me too Mae
Marred Yet Reliable Foundation of Yggdrasil HumunculiÆs Monstrous Tenacity SirenÆs Dirge of Bottomless Taking
The Monarch of Karma slashed with his sword Acri began to vibrate in RandidlyÆs hands as he unleashed a vicious song from the Songstress of Absence The vast emptiness she wielded carved a Path out through his arms his hands into the spear YggdrasilÆs canopy rustled with the hints of that music resonating down through the trunk and into RandidlyÆs upright stance
This Monarch was just a conduit but Randidly possessed a great deal of forces to corral too And he would teach them that brute force would never be enough to overwhelm him
Congratulations Your Skill HumunculiÆs Monstrous Tenacity has grown to Level 1015
It always seems I fight against those who bring a unilateral mandate Randidly began to laugh as the second extended conflict ended still in a draw The Monarch of Karma lifted his weapon The color of the light it released changed from a gold white to a cooler almost silver color
Perhaps it is simply proof you offer the world nothing Your promises would build a ruin on top of civilization Mae said
The Monarch of Karma swung his sword that sought to cut perfectly through the transgressor executing its particular justice Randidly flexed his toes digging into the mistreated skyisland beneath his feet for better leverage Abruptly he recalled when he had been labeled a Heretic by the System He almost felt nostalgic
The Songstress raised her voice to a crescendo and he thrust in response Dust and pebbles poofed out away from his position due to the eruption of force Lanced with veins of Nether the near spear phantom crashed against the descending judgment
Congratulations Your Skill Conviction of the Celestial Cataclysm has grown to Level 1069
You know what I think Randidly panted his arms trembling from the strain of resisting the enemy’s massive pillar of energy He twisted his spear nudging the MonarchÆs attack to the side His spear retreated and in an instant the massive black spear of absence he produced vanished along with it slithering out of existence As the ungainly pillar of energy rumbled sideways off its target Randidly thrust again a new blast of absence spiraling together into a spear thrust aimed at Mae Myrna I think you are all afraid of a very simple truth In the end every Path could lead you to the Pinnacle if you followed it faithfully
As the MonarchÆs sword fell the unfortunate stretch of the Badlands beneath it first vaporized from high heat then cracked from the impact of liquid Aether But as a wave of annihilation swept out some of the swordÆs light dimmed at the same moment a powerful shield blinked into existence in front of Mae
The spear strike cracked open the shield and Mae ducked receiving only a small cut on her cheek Randidly clicked his tongue in disappointment The second strike like that would likely be a lot less effective than the first
As the Monarch lifted his sword Mae glared at Randidly Nether King Hungry Eye we are aware that theoretically all Paths end in the same place Why would that information cause me to feel any trepidation
Because of that one word theoretically Randidly shook his head Because what is implied there is that most circumstances arenÆt ideal What you are telling yourself is all the compromises you have made especially with aspects like needing to brainwash your enemies were necessary Were unavoidable due to circumstance You could never have neared the Pinnacle otherwise without those adjustments And that is just cowardly ego soothing
You you dare call me a coward Mae said You are so proud spouting your own reassurances By your own admission you have no plan A life without compromise Is that truly your agenda for the Nexus You grasp at impossibilities and ignore realities Nether King You are irresponsible and deluded
Turns out we just canÆt get along Randidly poured more and more emotional sea into his images until the image physicalizations glittered and settled around his shoulders But you know there is one other aspect of your philosophy that bothers me Paths donÆt just end at the Pinnacle
In his chest the Dread Homunculus smiled His other two images exploded out of his body rising to support Yggdrasil
Hungry Eyes Hollow Heart Cadence of Tragedy Motif of Unimagined Tolls NyxÆs Successor Births Fate
Congratulations Your Skill Hungry Eyes Hollow Heart Cadence of Tragedy has grown to Level 1039
Congratulations Your Skill Motif of Unimagined Tolls has grown to Level 1100
Congratulations Your Skill NyxÆs Successor Births Fate has grown to Level 1070
Chapter 2320
Devick crawled on the ground like a bug deciding that no matter how humiliating it was to move like this it was better than being knocked back for a third time even while being protected So she kept her head low wrapped her body tightly with Malice Merry Consort of Perdition and tried her best to witness Nether King Hungry Eye in all his searing glory
Hungry EyeÆs body exploded with layered force as his images flowed together in complex combinations The most obvious was the rapid expansion of his spear with each gesture the powerful spear he wielded swelled into a swirling inflated mixture of Aether and Nether that clashed against the pillar of light in the sky Next came Hungry EyeÆs Yggdrasil image standing tall in the face of the opponentÆs suppression Last but not least the area around Hungry Eye burned with spectral grey flames Even his Nether fought fiercely spreading out in flickering waves to cover the skyisland