Chapter 810 (2/2)

It was still very tempting.

“Why are you here?” Randidly asked, the sharp fingers of his grips tightening on her for emphasis.

Lyra shook her head helplessly for several seconds before speaking. “I… miss you. I don’t know why, but everywhere you go, you alter the System. It’s so fascinating! So I wanted to see how your Soulskill-”

“Can you see how this is not helping me trust you?” Randidly said tiredly. He didn’t have time with this. For all Lyra’s mature looks and harsh upbringing, she was young. At her twisted core, Randidly knew that she was truly fascinated by him. Even if that fascination only extended as far as the next way to manipulate him, the curiosity was genuine.

But Randidly couldn’t stomach what parts of herself she was willing to sell in order to satisfy that burning curiosity.

“Hey! I actually have an answer for that.” Lyra said with a grin. She was lovely and cute as an impish kitten and knew it. “Randidly, you don’t need to worry about the Creature anymore, I promise. She believes she has already won. She’s moved on to other worlds. Because she shaped your fears enough that-”

“I get it. I’m sorry Lyra, but what follows is private.” Randidly flicked his wrist and shredded the soul a bit before banishing it from inside himself. Then he turned to the Monster Prince.

To his surprise, the Monster Prince spoke first. “...you…. You are the one running around claiming to be me!”

Shaking his head, Randidly just said. “I really don’t have time for this. Spend less time worrying about what others think about you, and more time improving the lives of your subjects.”

Randidly stepped and crossed the battlefield to a broken corner of the canyon. Here was an area covered in cracks and burns from a battle that had even Randidly raising his eyebrows. These fighters could hold their own, even if he brought them to Tellus. As he drew closer, he found a Weaver body cracked open like an egg in the middle of a crater. Beyond that, there was an ancient looking White Hunter with both of its arms ripped off lying slumped against a piece of stone.

As Randidly approached, the White Hunter stirred and looked up at him. “We have waited so long, Progenitor. This old one cannot keep to the ways any longer. Apologies.”

After hesitating, Randidly reached and touched the White Hunter’s head. For a split second, Randidly saw this old man’s entire life. One of Annie’s, this White Hunter was filled with an unyielding loyalty. Stubbornly, his entire life, he taught young White Hunters the gathered stories of the Progenitor. Struggling to help those who came under his wing, never compromising. When slighted, this White Hunter would bury the emotions and remember the grudge. But his was a fair and principled mind. Always, he would see justice done.

And as the world began to fail, he never once lost faith.

But what Randidly also saw was that this White Hunter barely had enough blood left in his body to be living, let alone truly see. All he could witness was a blur come into his vision, and the White Hunter hailed it as the Progenitor. Hell, it felt like almost anyone could have walked by and been called Progenitor.

But of course, it wasn’t anyone. It was him, the true Progenitor. And for that White Hunter’s soul, that strange twist of chance would make all the difference. Carefully gathering those powerful feelings and traits into himself, Randidly continued forward.

That was the trick of faith, Randidly suddenly thought, believing for long enough that the one time it matters, you won’t fuck it up.

Beyond that was a one-armed Earth Golem holding a broken saber. Even though his body was crisscrossed with grievous wounds, he looked up as Randidly approached.

Cailm grunted, his annoyance clear. “So you have come. I should have known. You are a pestilence upon my fate.”

Randidly’s smile was sad. “A moment, one who had been High King. You come second right now. There is another who I need to speak with much more pressingly.”

After blinking, recognition filled Cailm’s eyes. “Ah. Of course. It is so. Ah… you will need to excuse me, just step around. I am unable-”

“I know, it’s fine,” Randidly said softly. He really did mean to speak a bit with Cailm before he continued through the area. But there was another who demanded his attention.

Beyond Cailm, laying in a crater with her lavender hair spread around her, was Lucretia. A saber blow had cleaved her almost in half at the midsection. She slowly bled out, staring up at the sky.

As she struggled to speak, her lips were so very dry and her tongue was too clumsy to properly lick them. “I… I lost.”