Chapter 41 (2/2)

For several seconds he futility struggled, attempting to pull his hand away. But whatever it was, this skill was somehow preventing it. And Randidly was beginning to feel that the mental attacks were growing stronger, originating from that hand contact.

His Mental Strength improved once more, but still the attacks came. Narrowing his eyes, Randidly focused and poured all his mana, funneling it all into Summon Pestilence, creating a huge, humming cloud of flesh hungry insects.

He directed them towards their stuck hands and told them devour.

Constance began screaming as the bugs attacked both of their hands, but still the bugs were deaf to his cries, a powerful Willpower pressing them onwards. Even as he maintained his will, Randidly swayed unsteadily. But then he gritted his teeth and marshalled himself, enduring the next wave of mental attacks.

The insects ripped and tore, digging their pincers into the flesh to rip it away, bit by bit. Bite by bite, they feasted.

And then their hands finally parted, Constance’s hand having been picked clean of any scraps of flesh, leaving only bone. The insects hadn’t let them alone either, and they all sported visible tiny teeth marks and scratches.

Randidly directed the insects to continue attacking Constance, and looked at his hand, steadying himself.

There were some small marks, but the difference in their Endurance made Randidly’s hand a much more difficult meal for the insects, and thus they opted for the soft flesh of Constance’s body.

“Wait! You must stop!”

The policeman shouted, running forward. Randidly regarded him coolly, his head still pounding from whatever skill Constance had tried to use on him. Constance continued to scream, clawing at his mouth and nose as bugs burrowed their way into them, directed by Randidly’s will. All in all, it was quite satisfying. He pressed them onward, aiming to devour his tongue completely.

He even got a skill level in Summon Pestilence.

“Please! You must let him live. He is the only thing holding this town together. If it falls… really want the burden of all these refugees on your shoulders?”

The bugs continued to buzz, ripping small pieces of Constance’s flesh away.

“You want the glassware right? That is only possible with him. If he dies, things will be too fractured for you to get your glassware.”

Randidly thought about it for a bit, but did not call off the insects. The screams from within the buzzing cloud grew louder and louder.

The police officer stared on helplessly, but a new voice cut across.”Let the man live and I will give you this.”

A strange man appeared with a serious expression, offering Randidly a large black coin. There was something familiar….

But then Randidly stilled. This was the same emblem that was on the golden coins used to found Newbie Villages. Except the design on this coin was larger and more complex.

A black Nexus coin…?

And as Randidly studied the figure, he realized why he looked familiar. Even though this figure had different, mild features, their was the same vacuous smile on his face, the same empty eyes. This was the village.

“How will that help me?”

The screams now grew hoarse, the volume dropping precipitously to rasping moans.

The Village Spirit paled, but shook his head. “I… I cannot… Please. You must understand, we can only walk on the paths in front of us. To tell you is not my path. I am but one half of a whole. But if this man dies…”

Something cracked on the Spirit’s face, and his whole form shimmered, then refocused. There were no tears in his eyes, but his eyes were empty. “Please.”

The only noise that Randidly could hear now was the buzzing of insects.

But then, to his own surprise, Randidly sighed, and then snapped his fingers. He didn’t know why, really. Part of it was the lack of threat, and part of it was the glassware, and part of it was some sliver of him that hesitated in taking another’s life.

But a bigger part of it… there was something about this Spirit, a sadness over its own fate, that swayed him.

“Even still,” Randidly rumbled, taking the coin. “You owe me.”

*****

“This…!” Nul’s eyes widened, looking at the black coin. Randidly regretted taking it, because Constance would undoubtedly become a problem in the future. If his skill was already at a point that it could threaten him…

Randidly’s eyes narrowed. But he would not make the same mistakes twice. Next time, the King would die before he could activate his strange abilities.

“I hope its worth the trouble that asshole is going to be…” Decklan mumbled, his arms folded across his chest.”

“Of course it is!” Nul insisted, his eyes glittering. “This will let us found the Town’s Dungeon an entire tier early. With this… our future is assured! You must give it to me!”