At the moment only the Patron of Blades remained in the cabin with her He sat in the corner drawing a finger across a hunk of wood and removing long and curling strips of shavings The rest had left for the memory version to make her decision
The Patron of Feathers felt bitter as she sat in the pooled quiet of the room First my father now a version of myself does our family truly possess so little respect for the individuals wishes That we would use them up to fuel our research
And yet the memory Patron of Feathers couldnt abandon this unconscious version of herself and embark on her own journey She couldnt just dismiss the request out of hand If it had been her father who approached her with such a sacrificial role who expected more from her after her soul had been so wounded by the temporal twisting she would have just gone numb She would have glazed over incapable of moving or feeling or helping allowing the situation to just slip past A part of her would have died immediately squeezed dry past the point of existence But the individual asking was Randidly Ghosthound who almost seemed apologetic about it
Even worse was the other Patrons they had been so delighted to meet her to see her so young Their feelings were edged with their own inner bitterness but they didnt blame that on her They explained the situation About how the other version of herself had been the only Patron kept liberated in order to assist Elhume While they understood their version of events it was also worth knowing how this Nexus had developed
Not necessary But it would be helpful
Across from her the Patron of Blades continued to carve His even strokes very deliberately liberated a carving of the Patron of Feathers from the wooden prison She didnt dare look over lest she catch the carvings expression and her heart break
Would it have the hollow eyes she currently carried Would she be smiling
She didnt have the luxury of delaying the decision for too long The Patron of Feathers could feel the impending war buzzing against her skin With or without the context she would provide the peace would soon be broken
The memory Patron of Feathers right now wished dearly her name hadnt been stolen She wanted someone to sweep her up in a warm hug to whisk her away from this decision from a life that seemed characterized by her pouring herself into a series of other individuals before they finished drinking from her vigor and left her staggering and hollow
You dont need to consider so deeply We understand that this would essentially hasten your descent toward the same end as her The Patron of Blades said interrupting her spiraling thoughts He flicked the carving knocking away a few stray bits You do not need to do this
For a long second the Patron of Feathers just bowed her head She drank in the silence the lack of pressure and expectation When she raised her hollow eyes she found herself asking a question What what do you think she would say if she knew the situation
The Patron of Blades sighed The lines of his face were sharp and aggressive even in grief I suspect you know what she would say so I do not wish to reiterate it Because your heart is too wide This I know about you Listen to me you do not need to do this
As they moved away Randidly felt Neveahs consciousness brush up against his own Her message felt tinged with sadness In the end the memory Patron of Feathers agreed to part with the Penance left for her by Yystrix It will take some time but after the transfer was initiated already the energy of the true Patron of Feathers appears to be improving
If the memory version impacts our plans shes true enough Randidly cracked his neck one more bit of information coming his way He wondered whether it would be worth the sacrifice When he had Alana and Raymund alone he started by explaining a bit about his understanding of the current Nexus specifically about the current Elhume being truly Fiero Raymunds ancestor About the feud between Solomon and Elhume about how Elhumes body had been trapped in a mountain range of crystallized Aether And also about how the current Elhume about how Fiero probably had been seeking to possess Techetadores body in order to have achieved his liberty once again
First came the fury blooming across Raymunds body like a wildfire sweeping through a dry grassland His image crackled Randidly took the chance to marvel at the difference between the images Raymund more than his ancestor Fiero deserved to be called the Patron of the Borrowed His image was a gentler but also more insistent force Because it was truly only a borrowing it was much harder to resist In addition it would inflict no true damage to the victim aside from the temporary deprivation of the image
Probably not a coincidence Randidly realized as he watched the significance spiraling around his subordinate Youve born so many names Fiero the Patron of the Borrowed Elhume it is only a matter of time before someone comes along to take one of those names away from you
Wait a moment Is that how curious Raymund Ballast abruptly frowned his fury ebbing as his mind caught up with the implications We had believed well we knew that the process affecting Techetadore was a method of the Swacc Family But they betrayed Elhume Did not the Actus Suprem say that
That Elhume personally hunted them yea Randidly nodded his own thoughts proceeding along similar lines Which likely means the betrayal was staged Or part of a larger plan It is bitter but I think if the Vulpis Squad fights it will be against the Swacc Family
Shal if I see you how can I best thank you for all that youve given me
What now Alana asked to pull Randidly back from his mentors situation
Now Randidlys head buzzed with possibilities Or rather than possibilities avenues He stood at the precipice of going to war with Elhume his next concrete step would be to travel to the crystallized Aether mountain range the one that trapped Elhumes body and also had been shaped into his fortress and discover how difficult it was going to be to kick down the door But before that
He had his experiments with liquid Aether and Nether bubbles
He had his Fatepiece which he wished to push up those last few Levels So that when the final battle began he could truly unleash himself and start harvesting all the gains he had earned
He had the small book passed to him by Solomon Rex which described a bit of history beyond the context of the Nexus
Randidlys gaze meandered over the sprawling Engraving maintained by the Upper Sonara Society centered on those pillars His eyes found Lyra across all that distance as she assisted the Eloises Her expression was pained but not too bad
Shes probably the weakest here When she begins to be affected in earnest we need to move Randidly thought For now
His mind found an answer He nodded sharply calling Charlotte Wick Alana Donal Raymund Ballast and DiOrtho Vant to him It was time to fulfill a promise
It was time to test the efficacy of one of his evolved Skills A Worlds Regrets Begets Serrated Insurrection
Chapter 2363
Don Beigon watched the horizon as the climax of this private universe seeped closer In the next few ways the inevitable future would clog their throats and strangle those who werent ready to seize the opportunity
Every second made the hairs along the Dons spine twitch His senses for Nether were frustratingly blunt but he had honed his instincts as a businessman for most of his life Ever since his wife had been killed he had been polishing his edge
Now he sniffed and smiled he smelled a chance
However despite all the preparations that he had made for the future for this moment where he would reach the Pinnacle and finally seize the capability to rein furious judgment down upon those who had betrayed him he narrowed his eyes A murkiness had crept up on him stemming from a new celestial phenomenon that warped its surroundings A star seemed to be forming in the area above the Nexus where the Sonara had once hung Every minute its light grew more clear and startlingly