As with Todd the currently sensitive and raw Randidly felt directly impacted by the significance between them However the woman came with a confusing array of images and aggression Her primary bond seemed to be to the long shadow that Randidly cast across the Alpha Cosmos than any direct interaction
But thatÆs the thing isnÆt it That shadow is me RandidlyÆs eyed glittered as the force of that womanÆs image spread out a grey scythe preparing to sweep forward and lash out at him Wind began to stir and the rising image quickly caught the attention of the powerful individuals on the beach Some twisted around marshaling their own image Bodies swayed wanting to move but kept still by the sheer number of people crowded on the beach
One in particular a man who had apparently been enjoying the party so much that he had leapt into the sea without taking off his linen suit now shoved his way through the crowd to interpose himself between Randidly and the woman In the process he knocked several people to the side An attack A non human attack
Randidly scratched his cheek at such a dramatic response He the Moirae of Ripples deftly reached out at the power that woman aimed at him and just smoothed it away leaving the air placid as the surface of a swamp
The wind died The truly powerful individuals sent a meaningful glance at Randidly as they sensed the edges of what he accomplished but then continued on without addressing what had happened Meanwhile most people hadnÆt noticed the quick shift They were concerned with more mundane matters
Hey asshole One woman got up off the ground brushing sand off herself She jabbed a finger at the man with the soaked linen suit What the hell do you think you are doing
Randidly set down his serving tongs and took a step back As much as it would be painful he needed to speak with Todd
Chapter 1909
His feet felt heavy and his gait felt slow But even more than Randidly the surrounding people seemed to be drifting inflated versions of themselves Every motion was overdone and exaggerated all their significance and connections awkwardly tied into their expression in a partially self defeating machine
You know I wonder what the Nether King saw he shook his head slightly When he looked at me Did I seem this inept
Walking through the emotionally charged crowd felt to Randidly like he was leaning forward and grinding his way through a sandstorm Even after the framework of his Ritual shattered from the strain he still felt overexposed to the elementsÆ of Nether His eyes had been opened and it would be difficult to ever not notice its presence
Especially here on Expira where he didnÆt restrict it to a thin layer
Another part of the discomfort was the tightly pressed bodies who often didnÆt even notice Randidly and buffeted him in their desire to get some more food Part of it was the lingering confusion and fear from that strange monster womanÆs display even if Randidly had wiped away all of the kinetic and image ripples that she had produced for a brief moment she had rung with a clear and aggressive note of violence
Still his own Nether Core continued to churn creating an increasingly comprehensive film of Nether that he wove around his person so he didnÆt need to rub up against the constant cacophony of pattern interactions With that in place he moved a little easier slipping through the crowd with quick steps
However waiting on top of the sand dune were only three individuals not four
Mr Ghosthound sorry for the trouble A red haired young man offered Randidly a half bow considering him nervously as he straightened His eyes flicked to the monster woman This we well we are in a bit over our heads
Randidly nodded slowly as he looked them over The monster woman still regarded him with a crazed intensity but after her initial show of force had been so thoroughly quashed she seemed intelligent enough to know that further attacks werenÆt going to be effective Up close Randidly could sense the significance queer being dragged behind them all lingering like the scent of sulfurous mud being tracked through the barbecue
Tossing a match amongst these few could still blow up this whole event
Still he didnÆt address that Instead Randidly cleared his throat and asked Where did Todd go
The youngest member of the party had vanished while he had been walking through the crowd The automaton lifted its head Ah how embarrassing Sir Ghosthound It appears he has departed before you arrived IÆm sure he sends his warmest regards
He feared you Upon a black moor you stood watching as the grey maggots wormed their way up through the damp soil and ate the farmersÆ crops Suddenly the monster woman spoke Her voice was low and husky Such a blight the insects were Mindless and ravenous Yet even as the people found their vegetables ravaged and began to starve you did nothing but brood The subject of those thoughts hangs like a storm above him
This earned a long glance from Randidly Partly for the strange way she spoke and partly for the sudden politeness as she addressed him after her earlier attack but also because he had felt her reach down and pull that information out of Nether Looking at her curling horns and features he realized that she was one of the Chimeras that had sprung up on Expira A direct result of the creeping strangeness of his own existence evidenced in the isolated universe that was his body
A small frown grew across his face Do all the Chimera possess this ability to access history and connection A natural connection to Nether Which likely means as the presence of Nether in my own capabilities becomes looming Chimeras will remain a threat to the people of Expira as they further develop their own abilities
I wonder what the final count of Bubble Cities is Dmitri muttered to himself
there are just more talented fighters out there Every time there is a clear front runner the world eventually catches up Kouella finished
Raspin snorted Ha So you mean to say that any of these new talents can hold a candle to Alana Donal Or the Sovereign of Ghosts Or break through DonnyÆs Aegis TheyÆve been on top of their game for years Because the Ghosthound jump started their growth giving them a permanent edge So the more power they give to the Cortez siblings the less competitive advantage Donnyton can wield
The head start edge isnÆt permanent Vye interjected
Ah in denial of reality eh Raspin looked at her with gleaming eyes Much to her disgust he took a large bite of his pork ribs before continuing to talk The sauce gleamed on his lips Maybe there used to be different training methods or efficiencies but weÆve been experiencing the System here for almost seven years WeÆve figured out how it works Now there might be minor disputes over methods but training efficiency has reached an all time high And if you started now you might narrow the gap due to diminishing returns on Skill Levels of the people in front of you but is exhausting yourself to close that gap worth it Easy to empathize with the people that just want to leave security to the Orders and go back to normal life
ItÆs not about being the best fighter Kouella pursed her lips ItÆs about protecting yourself About being ready for another shift
ThereÆs also the matter of images Vye added finding this train of conversation quite off putting Even if people might not have the Skill Levels that the early people have earned a powerful image can easily make up that difference
Eh Maybe for a bit But you know people tend to figure things out We found the best training and IÆd bet you anything we will soon find the best images After that there wonÆt be much variety people will just choose the proven one that they like the most Raspin finished chewing and sucked the sauce off his fingers You can sorta see the way it would work with those Class lighthouses through the arches Those who wish to spend their lives chasing the back of someone with a headstart will just emulate a powerful individual with a similar Class IÆm not saying there isnÆt a lot of talent of the newer fighters Just donÆt try and say they can easily catch up
I think the reason we are arguing Dmitri raised his gaze and brought it back down just as quickly Yet when he spoke there was a quiet intensity that Vye felt mirrored in her own heart Is because if too many people start thinking like you and finding training to be pointless the next Calamity will gut us