Chapter 313 (2/2)
Apparently the person that Randidly had used to exchange out of his Soul Skill had been on top of his funeral pyre when he was taken, so it was not noticed initially when he disappeared. However, it was very clear when a spear descended from the sky, destroying the scepter and the hammer, crashing into the funeral pyre.
This was seen as a punishment done by Randidly, the Progenitor. There was, of course, the minor matter that when the dust cleared, they found that instead of the Golem’s body, there was a woman there, bound by the spear to the altar.
There seemed to be a great deal of disagreement on what to make of this information. On the one hand, some people suspected that the woman was the Progenitor, sacrificing their own life to save the life of their champion. This view was favored by the Earth Golems.
However, the general consensus was that this was not the case. Others preferred to think that the woman was another person who was punished by the will of the Progenitor, bound to the stone for all eternity by the holy spear. Others seemed to revere the woman, saying that the Progenitor wished to destroy the entire world with the spear, and the woman used her body to protect the world, or even to protect just the emperor, whose body disappeared.
This was further complicated by the fact that the woman was holding two daggers, which both appeared to have a portion of the holy runes that were present on the spear. In the face of all these confusing and conflicting series of evidence, most people just threw up their hands and moved on with their lives. The emperor was dead, that was enough for them.
The site of his passing was turned into a great temple, where the Weavers continued to furiously research and experiment with the runes on the spear and knives, although they dared not touch the spear, which continued to hold the woman’s body in place.
Randidly sighed and withdrew his awareness. Lucretia truly looked peaceful there, his spear in her chest. Randidly’s lip curled. Which just made him more suspicious. There was definitely a danger here, but it was an insidious one, rather than a direct one. If Lucretia had the strength, she wouldn’t have just let herself sit in plain sight…
...or perhaps it was an elaborate mind game, and she stayed there in order to confuse him, and accomplish something that he wouldn’t expect…
Again, Randidly sighed. Either way, his examination did confirm that the spear’s seal on her power was still intact, at least mostly. And it was a good sign that the people haven’t touched it, although their research into the runes on the daggers could be dangerous….
After shaking his head, Randidly refocused. With no new information, it would be for the best to let it go for now, but remain aware as he used his PP. With his newfound resolve, Randidly put 34 PP into his Ash of Aemont, the Spear Phantom Path, which leveled up his Soul Skill.
Congratulations! You have received the Blessing of Devouring Ash. Strength +5, Willpower +9. Focus +5. Your body temperature increases. Your immune system grows more robust, resistance to all status ailments and debuffs increases by 1%. Free stats +5.
The world of your Soul Skill turns! The denizens of your inner world evolve. Rumors of your judgement against the mysterious woman spreads; while belief in you deepens, in some hearts it is now tinged with fear. In that small space, some whisper of the mystery woman as a great martyr.
The Matriarch has fallen, and her daughters have splintered off into areas. These have become increasingly attached to other societies, patrolling their areas, protecting them from the rising threat of monsters.
The Swamplings have expanded, taking over a larger and larger area as the power of the other races shift. Their cities are populous and varied, and they have grown to achieve great commercial success.
It is an era of peace, and the Spriggits and Golems have achieved some healing between their races. Once more, the Golems have become numerous, and the Spriggits’ technology has advanced by leaps and bonds. Their improvements have raised the bar of civilization.
A great darkness rises in the East, a monster king of great power. Most of the world does not yet know of its presence, but in the darkness, it is growing more wicked.
It has been four cycles since this world’s creation. Would you like to add anything to the world? (Warning, the added qualities will be taken from a skill. A single skill level will be consumed in the taking. Other side-effects are unknown).