An image seed like this can become anything I need It will refuse to collapse adding an incredible resiliency to any image to which it is added But will it be enough
Randidly passed the ember to the Dread Homunculus who began repeatedly squeezing it within its claws To maintain that concentrated form Randidly would need to apply pressure to it constantly The might of the Dread Homunculus stoked the fires of the stubbornness He didnÆt know for sure if that image seed would be the last ingredient he needed he had no plan associated with this piece wasnÆt sure how it would fit into either of his plans for Grand Fate or Penance
But he did know that what Shal had accomplished with a body emptied of significance and powerful image thrusting his way forward until he pierced even the barrier of Nexus citizenship should have been impossible And due to their relationship Randidly knew as soon as he found Shal fighting his way toward the battlefield on which Randidly had crushed Elhume and Fiero he would look and listen to one last demonstration of the man who had been his master
Meanwhile the Alchemist cackled and rubbed his hands together finally they would soon begin their final act A third miracle would soon delight the Nexus Especially now that the second miracle had become completely legitimate
RandidlyÆs MuseÆs Reverie reset back down to 0 The total amount required to trigger a Reverie ticked up to 8 points Several meaningless notifications popped up in front of him but he ignored them Breathing slowly Randidly calmed himself Then he stared up at the open maw of PineÆs corpse
The Nexus trembled around him It was infected by a viral world state image about time and shuddered under the pressure of Pine If he didnÆt act the universe would likely shatter
One last fight LetÆs put an end to Eternity Randidly announced His Heraldic Tongue of the Alchemist burned with intensity He kicked off the ground and shot up to follow Laplace into the dangerous core of the Nexus Dense waves of significance gnawed at him like hungry animals but RandidlyÆs translucent Nether was impervious to this type of erosion He shot up and up nearing the inky barrier
He pierced through the inky edge of PineÆs corpse and crossed the boundary He tensed unsure of what to expect
Passing through the edge of Pine felt like nothing at all just a strange twist of pressure But that easiness only made him more vigilant
Despite his preparations pressure on the other side made even Randidly Ghosthound pause The significance here was dense to the point of oozing across his skin Existence constricted periodically against him like the beating of the old Stillborn PhoenixÆs heart Time and space warped around him curling like gusts of wind Randidly stood in a vast space shrouded with mist He could vaguely detect the vast banks of fog drifting back and forth obscuring writhing shapes From the corner of his eyes he saw flickering movement so fast that even his Grim Intuition couldnÆt recognize the source
On the contrary Commandant Wick chuckled and offered Randidly an elaborate bow We are to be your honor guard Come Randidly Ghosthound letÆs climb atop all of the corpses in the history of the Nexus together
Randidly still confused turned to Ezekiel His father rolled his eyes Ignore his sarcasm his remarks are true We are truly here to assist in your Path You have two advantages going for you First youÆve already discarded your body Those who would be tempted by your lifeblood cannot be moved to ambush just a legend And second
Ezekiel looked up toward the maelstrom of winking light in the distance Even through the mist it was a clear goal More than anything else the dead resent those who refuse to die Comparing an invasion from you versus a being boasting about being an Eternity well rather than liking you we just hate Laplace more
An explosive impact up in the heights of PineÆs corpse echoed down with enough force to cause the banks of mist even at the bottom of this place to shiver and recede slightly RandidlyÆs eyes flicked down to track the movement and his pupils dilated In that brief moment where the surroundings werenÆt obscured he saw the layered ranks of the dead waiting with dull eyes to march to war Some were specters some were skeletons with flesh hanging off their bones some had archaic armor some were naked
But when he looked at them the dead ceased staring up toward the source of the disturbance and regarded him with the patience of those who lived in the grave
We must go Randidly Ezekiel whispered He followed RandidlyÆs gaze and offered a small smile You have ErebusÆ Baleful Waltz In this place we will give you the greatest weapon imaginable for that Skill You will be Erebus incarnate riding a wave of corpses to crest atop this existence
As his father spoke Randidly felt a faint trembling in the surrounding significance Although the inner environment of Pine was a desolate storm of currents this pronouncement had the force to alter all those energies Truly the dead were offering Randidly something very valuable
But the ease of receiving the offer left him somewhat bewildered And because his grief for his silently deceased father still felt hot and tight in his chest he couldnÆt help but speak I can understand wanting to help repel Laplace but why are you putting forth so much effort to assist me
Laplace would scramble the boundaries of time What are we simply supposed to sit back and accept him blurring the boundary of life and death Commandant Wick folded his arms across his chest
Ezekiel just looked at Randidly It is a favor which you will need to repay There are no tricks here You will naturally come to understand our request when you travel to the core area of Pine
Another powerful blast echoed out from above Randidly still didnÆt quite understand the actions of the dead here but he gritted his teeth and nodded Both Ezekiel and Commandant Wick flitted upward at a high speed so he kicked off the ground
Spontaneously Randidly felt the Dread Homunculus manifesting his Cloak of a Thousand Lightless Horizons The damned and broken specters swarming through PineÆs corpse hopped upon his coattails and road up with him waving broken weapons and screaming with glassy eyes
They gathered momentum as they rocketed up through the misty space intent on crushing the invader
Chapter 2419
Through the misty expanse of PineÆs corpse Randidly followed the two spectral guides up toward the maelstrom of light and the confrontation against an Eternity waiting for him there Yet the corners of RandidlyÆs mouth turned down by degrees Even if these two and the innumerable phantoms following behind Randidly were welcoming it quickly became clear that the corpse of Pine was not
The group rushed upward and Randidly felt his body pierce through some invisible boundary It barely had any resistance to himù he passed through without any effort But just experiencing the barrier made him understand the spectersÆ earlier comments about the importance of already setting aside his physical body
RandidlyÆs eyes narrowed as he looked upward a lot of space hung above This place is like the Visage of Obsession Ten severings to isolate and reach a completely focused state But in this case the severings are boundaries that limit the horrifying might of Pine
So his rotten flesh doesnÆt simply crush the Nexus CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin( )c0m
Waiting on the other side of the first barrier was significance almost double as dense as the initial area of Pine But the real horrifying addition was the sense of torn and shredded Nether waiting beyond the first barrier In sympathy for this wounded energy despite the twoÆs recent reconnection the broken bond between Randidly and Shal ached
The barbed significance ripped at RandidlyÆs skin but he gritted his teeth and shoved his way forward His momentum sent ripples of energy outward which rebounded off the wide seething sea and crashed back against him The mist stirred and swirled But relying on the powerful and evolved Stats he had accumulated Randidly broke his way through this wild energy Each impact washed over his body and a small portion of that energy was channeled through to his Nether Core