Chapter 674 (1/2)

On the other hand, Influence of the Molten Core was a delight to experiment with. Setting aside the ability to use the Gravity Manipulation, which was a much improved Gravity Affinity, the core itself was incredibly useful.

It reminded Randidly somewhat of the weapon Tykes used. Except he didn’t need to touch it, and it was hot enough to sear skin just by being within a meter of someone. In addition, Randidly could control it rather easily. It would take some getting used to before he was comfortable using it in battle, but it seemed simple enough to use bluntly.

Tactics would come later, but…

Then Randidly stilled. With a wave, a small amount of Mana summoned a blade of grass that became a platform underneath his feet and lifted him high into the sky. When he was perhaps 30 meters off the ground, Randidly pulled his Molten Core up to him. Randidly inspected the ball of metal carefully. It didn’t drip, as he would expect considering how almost liquid it seemed. But instead, it seemed to be self-contained, almost like a lava lamp.

The strange minerals in the core swirled mysteriously before Randidly’s eyes. Smiling slightly, Randidly reached out and touched it. Although it was painful, Randidly didn’t truly mind. There were worse things in the world then pain.

“As the Sun Stills,” Randidly said softly.

The Molten Core began to slowly fall. Randidly’s eyes narrowed because it truly looked like the ball was falling in slow motion. The air seemed to congeal. There was something almost… stately about the core as it fell. Its movements were simple. His Stamina was rapidly fleeing him as he continued to channel the Skill, and the ball grew heavier and heavier. It seemed to move slower and slower.

Abruptly, Randidly wondered if there was something about using Stamina that seemed to slow the passage of time.

Then the core alighted on the ground, seeming to kiss it.

BOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM

Everything shook, and Randidly’s control with his new plant Skill wasn’t enough to keep on top of the platform. As the grass platform swayed, Randidly let himself fall off. Flipping midair, he rushed feet first towards the dust-filled crater the core had descended into.

With a soft tap, Randidly landed. The ground was split, the core pounding its way almost 10 meters into the ground through solid rock. Powder and dust from the rocks that had been smashed to annihilation still filled the air.

A good combination, despite how much Stamina it required. If he could somehow work out a way to use Spells while striking with the core… But no, that likely wouldn’t work. It was never a good idea to use two images at once. Both were weakened by the experience. Randidly frowned at the ground.

Which meant that the As the Sun Stills was already weakened by Influence of the Molten Core, and it still accomplished this? Perhaps he should spend some more time making those images harmonious. If he could use it freely in fights…

Muttering to himself, Randidly set off towards the town. It was not easy to find the most cost-efficient way to use his new Skills, and it would take some time to figure it out. But at the last second, Randidly paused and spun around. He reached out with his Mana, intending to clean up the area, but then he faltered.

Slowly, Randidly lowered his hand. His expression turned bitter as he considered his hand. He supposed… in the grand scheme of things, this was a small price to pay for power. To never use plants without destroying them again… that was just the way of things. It reminded Randidly a lot of his roots. The Cycle of Ash and Rot. He would burn so things would grow.

So Randidly seized a single blade of grass again and swelled and split it into a dozen vines that moved throughout the broken ground and moved the shattered rock back into the hole he had created. It wasn’t perfect, and the dust in the air meant that there were numerous spaces that need to be filled, but at least it was no longer such an eyesore.

Satisfied, Randidly leaped and began heading towards the town. He wanted to be far away from the canyon when fire consumed that blade of grass from the inside out.

*****

The inn was small, and as soon as Azriel walked in she was very conscious of the fact that she could defeat everyone within the building. With a force of will, Azriel eased up her vicious killing intent as everyone froze at their entrance. Azriel had been to the front lines before, but that was a different world than the invasion they had fought against in the last month. It pushed towards a certain very specific worldview. One that wasn’t helpful with social interaction.

There was a group of seven laborers eating at a long table on the left wall, and they seemed to have missed most of her pointed bloodlust, but there was a man sitting with a young woman at the bar who jumped to his feet when she and Skarch entered.