Chapter 645 (2/2)

“...well, you have proven me wrong. That certainly was a surprise. It was not your… karmic abilities of course, but to think you had managed to refine such a dangerous weapon…” The Autarch muttered to himself as he stepped around the coat rack in the middle of the floor. The attack of the dagger had pushed him easily back over the ground until the Autarch had been able to dodge behind the coat rack and allow the attack to land.

A small amount of material was chipped out of the coat rack, but Lucretia’s attack was stopped dead. Without the momentum, the Autarch’s mental strength was such a higher level than hers that she couldn’t forcefully draw in that thread. Even as the Autarch picked up the dagger which had dropped to the floor, the black thread of karma began to flow inexorably back towards him.

Without any other option, Lucretia marshaled that sea of Aether she had been stockpiling and turned her glare on the Autarch. Did he truly wish to feel the wrath of her karma? Fine then. She pulled lightly on her connection to Randidly, strengthening their similarity. Then she used the move that had made her deathly afraid of the Ghosthound’s future accomplishments.

“Erode Image.”

Randidly’s Skill Level wasn’t high, and using it through their connection didn’t have the same sharp effect that it usually would have, but Lucretia didn’t need sharp in this case. Sharp had already failed. What she wanted now was enough pure force to stun the Autarch and allow her to seize more of the karma in their relationship.

Fueled by the sea of Aether, the Skill smashed forward with enough momentum to stun even the most stalwart of images.

...and it passed right through the Autarch without even stopping. It was like he wasn’t even there. It was as if-

The blood drained out of Lucretia’s face as she stared at the Autarch’s ancient face. Those wrinkles scrunched up into thousands of tiny mazes and the man began to laugh. It was like he wasn’t using images at all.

“How…” Lucretia began, but she had no idea how to complete her sentence.

“More self-control than a bug like you would ever understand,” the Autarch said, and now that the brief amusement passed, he looked ancient once more. His eyes were flinty and dark as he considered Lucretia. “...still, the dagger is interesting. I will take it as proof you have exceeded my expectations. That hasn’t happened for a long time. But it matters little. The stars are aligning. A small advantage now won’t be enough…”

Fear. That cut into Lucretia’s heart like a grizzly bear crashing into a shop front. “But… butt..” She attempted to speak, but her mouth couldn’t keep up with her. Her inner workings were slowly turning feral, and she couldn’t maintain her civil veneer. “But the fucking war-!”

“Tellus? The Wights? Naught but words to placate the foolish. I have waited too long for this, and now we finally have a chance. No, what we need is not this strange power you have brought from another Cohort, but your body. To finally free me from this prison. Break for me.”

Lucretia shattered in body and mind, into a thousand pieces. Parts of her felt nothing, as they become naught but contextless pictures, like polaroids spiraling away from a house that was burning down. But other parts of her screaming furiously, vehemently. After everything? After it all? She had ended just like this? Her last strength seized upon hatred and fear and those tools came easily into her grip. She raised them, even as she was just the remaining spirit as her existence collapsed.

Was death truly this simple? There was great power and karma in transitions.

Upon the black thread that linked the two of them, Lucretia used her remaining flakes of Aether to weave a curse that would haunt and weaken this man to his dying day. As if sensing this, the Autarch smiled and shook his head. The curse that Lucretia had made unraveled like nightmares in daylight. Her hatred and fear were spent, and her hands began to unravel as well.