Chapter 716 (2/2)

Grinning, Randidly’s eyes went to the dozens of bits of ash that had landed on Darke’s body. His flesh was already starting to sizzle as the strange toxins in the ash affected him. At the same time, Randidly switched images. Behind Darke, a dozen thigh-thick roots whipped outwards, smashing into his body.

Darke just looked to the side and mouthed a word.

‘Strike’.

It was silent, but Randidly heard it as clear as day. There was a moment of frozen time. Then it seemed the heavens opened with a crash.

BOOOOOM.

The force of the lightning strike tossed Randidly backward like he was a child. The air buzzed. As quickly as he could, Randidly blinked his eyes to get rid of the streak of bright color that was burned into his retinas. Unfortunately, as he struggled to his feet, Darke was above him.

Like a crackling executioner’s blade of thunder, the spear stabbed downward toward Randidly.

All is Ash.I’ll show you how to teleport.

Lightning was strong, that was true. However, Randidly suspected that if he could land a hit against Darke… then he would gain an edge he could use to win.

The world flattened. All was oily and hollow. The world was filled with strange caricatures, empty things that were designed to imitate a great ‘before’ that was so distant from being a memory that it might very well have never existed. In that world, Randidly felt his body part and return to the great all as the thunderstrike blasted the surrounding area. Flecks of his ash were knocked away, but Randidly ignored it. That didn’t matter.

Instead, Randidly formed behind him, remaining in the All is Ash form. His Mana fled from him, but he could sense the weakness in Darke before him. It was a hollow being of ash that he raised his hand against. The Patron of Ash had spoken about the power of attacking in this form, but Randidly had never attempted it. Now, immersed in the power of images as he was after Helen’s fight, it just felt right.

Randidly clenched his hand, and he felt a huge spear of ash condense above Darke. The annoying man instantly turned and looked up, but Randidly didn't give him a chance. Even as he wondered what Darke saw, the huge spear of ash crashed into Darke-

Darke took a step backward and grimaced. Randidly blinked.

...what? That was all?

Randidly returned from All is Ash. Back with his regular vision, Randidly could see that the flesh of Darke had been pushed to the side. It lay sliced open and bloodless. And within that flesh was…

A strange exoskeleton of blue steel. Just like a Wight would have.

“What the fuck…?” Randidly whispered. Then he cursed himself for releasing the Breath Skill. But then again, if Darke was just a puppet…

“You certainly surprised me,” Darke said. “And this body will need replacing. But your struggle is pointless-”

At the other end of the desert street, a building exploded as hundreds of spears of roots surged upward. There was a worried chirp as the deep azure bug flew up out of the fiery explosion of plant life. Instantly, Darke’s face blanched. “Don’t you dare-”

Randidly was already moving. Once he realized that Darke was a puppet, Randidly knew what to look for. The tell tale energy frequencies were extremely subtle, but they couldn’t escape from Randidly’s examination of the surrounding area. He was somewhat surprised that this Propagator had chosen to keep his true body away from the puppet, but he wasn’t going to complain.

Acri cut upwards in a deadly arch toward the bug.

“Deadly Bolt!”