Randidly made one more attempt Destruction
Was always my choice Vualla interrupted She spread her arms wide Her new image flickered and swam around her hands A choice I will keep making until I succeed or fail
He looked at her remembering his own fury at the System Yet now he cradled a world in his body He had a responsibility to all those souls he supported Her eyes flashed her lip curled He had dealt with the heavy negative subconscious of the Alpha Cosmos yet looking at Vualla twisted and poisoned form he felt a headache brewing
In the end it might have been possible to convince her To show her how short sighted her path was But already Randidly knew that it would require time and effort to sway her pride especially after he had very clearly forgotten her
In the grand scheme of the conflict with Elhume she wasnÆt worth the time
He took a fighting stance Opposite him with fresh currents of energy swirling back to empower her dragon she did the same
At the same time they launched themselves forward Her image had shifted as the bonds between them had been eliminated demonstrating the support that he had provided for her Now her destruction ate at the space around her a self destructive thing Yet in its short sightedness the image could wield immense powerù RandidlyÆs emerald eyes blazed as he moved to meet it
In the ninth collision between them Randidly shattered VuallaÆs wrist and drove Acri threw her stomach
Chapter 2356
For the second time in ten seconds Randidly and Vualla were pressed close together their faces inches apart Only now blood dribbled down AcriÆs shaft and fell between them
The new harsh lines on VuallaÆs face didnÆt vanish but some of them eased as energy seeped out of her due to the deep wound he had inflicted on her image Her eyes struggled to focus on him Is your brand of violence really that much superior to mine
At the very least itÆs not in service to a hollow ideal Randidly grunted ignoring the satisfied cackle from the Dread Homunculus
At the words VuallaÆs eyes flashed Those poisonous barbs running along the edge of her new image twisted around and shot toward Randidly and his images Clearly she had given up a victory here and instead aimed to annihilate a portion of his power in petty revenge The Homunculi released a trill of pleasure Randidly just shook his head and closed his eyes
GhosthoundÆs Cloak of a Thousand Lightless Horizons Hungry Eyes Hollow Heart Cadence of Tragedy Dawn Opens the Sky and Reality Stirs
Congratulations Your Skill GhosthoundÆs Cloak of a Thousand Lightless Horizons has grown to Level 1125
Congratulations Your Skill Dawn Opens the Sky and Reality Stirs has grown to Level 1030
Consequences and small details clattered against one another as Randidly held his image back VuallaÆs desperate stabs crossed all the intervening distance and were about to pierce into his body but then Randidly moved as the circumstances finally came into alignment
His images manifested so quickly that the dangerous stingers of VuallaÆs image seemed frozen in comparison
First came the darkness that cloak of utter night rewoven to be entirely RandidlyÆs That tide of darkness swept out and smothered the poisonous barbs of this alternate Vualla It was the void of oblivion the regrets and emptiness of the lives Randidly had taken all the weight of exhaustion he carried curdling slowly in deep space VuallaÆs barbs didnÆt stand a chance New and flashy this image might be but it couldnÆt handle the implacable oblivion of the original darkness
Yet the first image was just the beginning From that darkness the Hungry Eye opened A shiver went through the rest of the universe as it prepared for a monsterÆs descent The eye gulped down all the small details that would weaken or fray that perfect pattern it aimed for
For a moment there was peace as the eye closed and allowed the darkness to settle But RandidlyÆs powerful move didnÆt end there His sea of darkness bubbled and bulged struggling in a way it had not for the suppression of Vualla Increasingly powerful reverberations rippled outward until the darkness began to rip
Yet instead of a beast what came out of Randidly was the searing light of dawn A vast golden orb exploded from the darkness reminiscent of the big bang Rays cut open the suppressive wall of darkness and shot out in every direction Randidly focused peering through the halos and interactions around him All his seething emotional sea drained into these blasts of image light They stabbed with all the proficiency that he could wield his spears Not only was VuallaÆs image suppressed devoured and then pincushioned but hsi attacks extended beyond that
Across the battlefield the images of the Xyrt Brigade members suffered and died underneath the bombardment of light Dawn might not possess the sinister edge of Dusk but no other force in the world could replicate the transformative power of a new day arriving
All the force he gathered seared through his body and exploded out The pure light of dawn burned out leaving Randidly almost completely exhausted He could only grimace Even for me well fighting the whole Xyrt Brigade is a little much
Still that last blast of image had been enough
Fighting ceased as the Upper Sonara Society took steps backward and the Xyrt Brigade members swayed and succumbed to their wounds As one they looked up toward Randidly as he floated The last lingering notes of golden light and heavy darkness faded around him He looked at Vualla for several more seconds examining the withered and twisted creature she had become in a life without their shared dream He tried to think of a way to save her but stopped himself
This was your choice Randidly turned away
A flash from the USS blessedly distracted from this small reunionÆ The individuals had set up the pillars and were beginning to flood them with energy which both caused the Engravings to glow and also carved connecting Engravings into the space around them NeveahÆs consciousness brushed up against RandidlyÆs as she stared intently at the working
Tch you might be the splashiest but you arenÆt the only one with the idea to subvert the System Neveah observed Just based on the shape itÆs trying to hack into the central System and flood people with notifications Genuine notifications Not only that
Randidly blinked slowly as he pieced apart the Nexus infrastructure triggered by the notifications ItÆs the offer for individuals to become Patrons To almost everyone in the Nexus But considering how restrictive and exploitive the conditions are
From your perspective Neveah pointed out Bright lights arced out from the base of the pillars rapidly filling a space the size of a city block with complex interactions Energy began to pulse and flow along these veins as the Engraving sought to complete itself Yes powerful individuals have their images very obviously copied and put to work feeding into the next generation of individuals It is a hassle to be bothered by weaklings wanting to borrow your power The isolation the System requires But if every citizen became a Patron
Both Randidly and Neveah looked closer at the shaped Aether RandidlyÆs eyes glowed
Congratulations Your Skill Emerald Eyes and Dove Whispers Certify the Objective has grown to Level 1510
Congratulations Your Skill Truth Within the Primordial Flux has grown to Level 1075
As a Patron they wonÆt be subject to the same Aether as the rest A special allotment is set aside for the Patrons who cultivate the next generation Randidly finally said Anger began to build in his chest as he saw the shape of these developments They draw on a different lake of Aether but if even a fraction of the average citizens jump ship the entire System will collapse That allotment will run out But not before most of these new Patrons die of Aether Deprivation
It will be close but perhaps not Not if you support them Neveah observed Then she sighed Besides compared to the Nexus without the capabilities you possess you have to admit is at least a creative plan No one ever expected the dismantling of the Nexus to be without consequences With a few adjustments to the Engraving I believe it is possible to minimize the risks