Chapter 317 (1/2)

Randidly smiled as Simon made his selection. He had sensed that there was something unusual about the ox, but he wouldn’t have intervened if Simon had chosen another animal. He didn’t think it was his place.

But it seemed that the Wild Rider cared more than she let on, about her charges. Amused, Randidly turned back and regarded his own choices. He took a step forward.

“Hello little one,” Randidly whispered, looking at the newly born white sheep. “...I understand why your ancestor gave you here, so you could grow with me, and eclipse him in power. But…”

Sighing, Randidly shook his head. “Your kindness and purity… I am sad to say it is not my path. And my companion will be merged into you, affecting your personality. You are too pure for me to use as a body. I’m sorry, but no.”

The animal looked up at him with its wide eyes, uncomprehending. But out of the watching mass of animals, the regal fluffy white sheep walked forward, nodded to Randidly, then picked up its young counterpart with its mouth and carried it away.

“...and you are the opposite,” Randidly said, turning to the young crimson eagle. “You are here because your father fears me… but wants my strength. However… just like the sheep had innocence, you have pride. You do not need me to become strong, do you?”

With a righteous cry, the young crimson eagle screeched its agreement, and hopped off, its tennis ball sized body making poor time as it haphazardly hopped towards its father. The father gave Randidly an unfathomable look, then the too turned away and left.

Chuckling, Randidly looked at his final choice, the metallic dog, examining it closely. It appeared that the golden fruit that Randidly had gifted him had done wonders for it. Its eyes were clear and bright, the iris flashing that same gold color. And based on its age, it understood exactly what it was offering Randidly, that Randidly’s companion would wipe most of him away, taking away his will.

But Randidly still shook his head. “For you… you do this out of gratitude, and of loyalty. Beautiful sentiments. But…. unnecessary. I’m not truly the one you want to be bonded to, am I? And as long as you feel that way, you aren’t suitable.”

The metallic dog nodded, then trotted out of Randidly’s group, heading towards the young girl’s. Her eyes widened further, her already strained senses pushed beyond her limits as the dog came over to her, and she began to cry. With tears running down her face, she rushed up to the metallic dog, who stood about as tall as she, and threw her arms around it.

Randidly smiled, and put his hands on his hips. “So, what more do you need? A herald to announce you?”

“A display of power.” The words were a soft rumble. Randidly couldn’t sense the details of the other being, but he had noticed it was there from the beginning. The Aether that coiled around it was much, much thicker than any of the others, and there was only one logical explanation as to why, although it left Randidly shocked.

But that power was something Randidly needed. And if it wanted to see a display…

Randidly closed his eyes.

****

Simon rubbed the nose of his ox, pleased at his companion. His companion was pleased too, but Simon was very swiftly discovering that no matter what emotion the ox felt, his face didn’t change. Instead, it seemed looked into that strange dopey expression that had made Simon originally write him off.

Simon smiled, and opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t. Simon tried to again.

Truthfully, Simon wasn’t trying to speak, but he was trying to breath in before he could speak. And even though his higher than base human stats would let him survive for a long time without breathing, his heart began to pound, burning through his precious oxygen.

‘Why… can’t I breathe….?!?’ Simon thought, his eyes wide. But very quickly, the feedback from his new companion made him realize that the ox couldn’t breath either, and the difference in lung power between them was not small.

Spinning around, Simon looked at the surrounding area. Around them, all of the monsters, all of them, all of the pledgees, even the Wild Rider, seemed frozen, unable to breathe. Standing at the center of them all was David, glowing faintly, smiling at the ground with all teeth.

In that moment, Simon understood a little of what the girl had felt, thinking about David. He was… another level higher than them all, in power.