He didnÆt allow himself to second guess further Perhaps a little bit of DianeÆs defiant fire still blazed in him after using her Reversal of Fate Don Beigon reached out into those floating Grand Fates and beckoned down a powerful aura of thunder and lightning The Grand Fate came easily sliding into his body showing him how to create a powerful image of a world ending storm He breathed deeply ignoring the prickling feeling in his lungs as one of those snakes of madness slithered through him almost playfully
At least when it comes to WIllpower I donÆt believe any are my match Especially not just a wisp of her image Don BeigonÆs eyes blazed as he gathered electricity to his hands After the life I have lived after how long I have hidden my plans in terms of resolve I am without peer
Don Beigon aimed and unleashed a powerful blast of lightning Without the shield the alabaster statue needed to pivot away from a wounded Nether Lattice member and brandish its glaive in order to defend Which gave one of the DonÆs elites time to dash forward and hack into the ax arm
The alabaster statue shrieked again and unleashed the open palm in retaliation Wounded though that arm had been by the wave of significance it still popped the chest cavity of DonÆs subordinate like a bloody water balloon But the hawk humanoid swung in driven by her debt and scored a deep wound on another arm
The Don drew again on the lightning hammering down with an overhead blast to keep the statue distracted He tried to ignore the prickling sensation growing stronger spreading from his lungs to his skin As the Grand Fate settled into him the strangeness spread
DonÆs last two elites cut back and forth across each otherÆs path confusing the alabaster statue A member of the Nether Lattice hacked down and took off the saber arm The needle flashed outward but the Don unleashed a rumbling boom of thunder to deflect its stab The hawk humanoid screeched and swooped taking a chunk out of the statueÆs shoulder
The Actus Suprem watched with glittering eyes Her shoulders rose and fell slowly Somehow she seemed to be feeding on the environment The Don didnÆt like her presence but also didnÆt dare antagonize her not now
Although what do I do if she attempts to ambush me after this fight is over
Despite the risks Don Beigon pulled crackling electricity into his blood The whisper of madness across his skin was almost soothing
In the end the decisive blow was struck by the hawk humanoid Her image was much more powerful than the Don had given her credit for Driven by the debt between them she cut off the statueÆs head At which point she wheeled around and glared her debt cleared DON BEIGON I demand an explanation
Falling away the statue slipped the needle into the back of her head The hawk humanoid blinked several times She took another two steps forward fury becoming confusion Then she faceplanted her image extinguished
The statue collapsed backward its alabaster body breaking into pieces The Don tensed thunder roaring in his blood the Actus Suprem remained still just observing the process In terms of survivors there were only three side characters one of the DonÆs elites bearing a deep wound to his arm If she were to attempt to seize control of the expedition now
With this meager strength As the alabaster head rolled to a stop on the ground its mouth moved You will not be able to overcome the final guardian
The final guardian The DonÆs skin prickled but he couldnÆt tell whether it was anxiety or the crackling static of the Grand Fate within his body The practical part of his brain instantly activated he would not be able to overcome another guardian His brow furrowed Had Elhume truly made additional preparations He possessed extra significance but
Ah Suddenly the Don felt a confident grin spread across his face He looked down at the cracked head on the ground disinterested I have been warned about you did you think your last deceit would not be noticed You wield fear like it is a weapon however Don Beigon turned and looked at the twisting black wicker gate at the far end of the platform I will not stop More than I fear those petty ghosts at which you hint I fear living for even a moment more with the burden of this failure
Don Beigon spared one last look for the Actus Suprem who had just observed the process His subordinates gathered closer seeing to their wounds His lip twitched The moment for an ambush had passed on both sides For now it seemed they would proceed together
Chapter 2405
Devick felt torn on how she should proceed Right now she simply put one foot in front of the other Her skin tingled with the powerful images of this pathway Insanity in the form of snakes were whispering in her ears offering her truths about Grand Fates if only she would accept them into her body The man in the wheelchair was doing a very poor job of hiding both his malice and fear with his sharp glances over his shoulder
This is the Path to the Pinnacle And IÆm walking it Randidly would be so pissed if he knew I had somehow made it here Devick thought And she sorta hated herself for the thrill of pleasure that ran down her spine at the thought of RandidlyÆs displeasure
The small group passed through the gateway and into a tunnel of darkness and crackling mauve lightning In the distance there was the faintest pulse of light but sometimes it seemed more like a mirage than a destination The Don took the lead his two remaining subordinates walking just behind his wheelchair and Devick bringing up the rear with snakes slithering around her head and dragging the mass of Grand Fates behind her like a balloon with the potency of an atomic bomb
As always Devick moved with flair and an entourage
Malice Merry Consort of Perdition crouched down in DevickÆs body as the strange image refinement continued Whatever misunderstanding made the Don fear her now would be revealed if her image seeped out of the edge of her body At the moment the presence of the serpents of madness covered for her but even Devick wasnÆt so unreasonable that she believed she would be able to rely on them
She suspected at the worst moment they would pull back their protection and reveal her It was what she would do in their position
But hiding her image became more difficult as they advanced spitting electrical discharge the only light on the narrow path Every step forward sent a ringing echo up through DevickÆs heel the pulse concentrating on the core of Malice Each wave refined the image slightly Even without listening to the serpents she improved Sometimes it was enough just to be present to walk the path
The palm of her hand that had helped slay a god ached That deadliness deepened without even any conscious effort on her part
What a place Devick whispered
Ahead the Don paused in his rolling and glanced over his shoulder again Of course you can sense the profound implications of this space as well Ahem I had heard the Sonora contained similar image extrapolation chambers but the quality of this space is positively ridiculous And I believe the true prize waits ahead
The Don turned forward and continued but his tone revealed his anxiety As a damp powderkeg even at her most reasonable Devick understood he would likely soon try something desperate However her instincts warned her of a different threatù while she walked at the rear of the procession one of the eyes of the dinosaur skull remained fixed on her Of them all this broken being felt the most dangerous
Not because of its shattered image but because DevickÆs Nether had been transformed participating in the process of RandidlyÆs Nether Core evolution Even now she couldnÆt quite understand her own new depths Yet the waves of Nether she released vanished when they touched that skull
Her heart quivered with emotion And then those quivering emotions began to change too becoming invigorated and expansive If Devick didnÆt remain focused she could easily drown in them
She kept taking steps her image being refined Malice shifted her weight slightly one ear sticking straight up the other flopping down The imageÆs crimson fur became even more lustrous and smooth The warped and twisted left hand seemed even more monstrous the veins turning black and poisoned down into the wrist