Chapter 899 (1/2)

After finishing off Nirfik and fruitlessly searching the remnants of the facility for any sign of Feed, Randidly exploded out of the lagoon and rushed to the Northern bank. Not that he had really held out much hope, but there wasn’t even a hint of that strange Aether that he had sensed Nirfik exert control over.

Which found him quickly fleeing the chaos of the Toad Lord’s personal bubble being popped. Literally. Randidly had done his best to limit the damage, but he wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. Much to his amusement, he found Shual there on the shore, standing awkwardly next to the pile of ashes that had been his basket.

And when Randidly appeared next to him, Shual’s expression brightened. “I… didn’t know what I was supposed to do… and then the basket turned to ash, so I thought… maybe… Well… were you… hurt?”

Is this Stockholm’s Syndrome? Randidly thought to himself. Then he shook his head. It wasn’t like he was going to harm Shual, so the kid would probably be fine after they parted. The strange attachment Shual would develop for Randidly after a prolonged period of time with power over Shual would be useful. Especially if Shual content to not run away.

With a quick gesture, Randidly conjured roots out of the ground and formed a slightly more spacious and comfortable basket. “We are moving.”

“Where now? And what was the Toad Lord like?” Shual asked with remarkable cheer as he climbed into the basket. He now had handles on the inside to hold, which he took much delight in prodding and pulling.

Randidly pressed his lips into a line. “South. And quickly, so hold on as best you can.”

Once Shual was situated and Randidly picked up the basket, he flooded his body with the vivifying energy of Yyrwood Body of Yggdrasil’s active. They bounded away from the lagoon, even as Frogpeople began to swarm up from the water’s depths, clearly panicked and worried about further terrorist acts.

Randidly kept an eye out for any who were looking around, as though searching for the culprit, but it seemed like all were too focused on their own private panic to regard the dashing Randidly with anything but a shocked glance. And indeed, everyone that Randidly saw was a civilian. They simply were worried about their lives. They weren’t part of Randidly’s private mission.

With a silent pulse of the Crown of Upheaval and Gloom, Randidly was gone from the area.

`As they continued South, Randidly used every small trick he had learned over the past three days to accelerate his movements to an even faster speed. There were times that he didn't even touch the ground because he was simply creating footholds of vines to avoid the marshy terrain below him. Without the soggy give of the marsh, his stride was that much more effective. The timing was tricky, but he had Control in spades.

The overall impression that Randidly had of this world was confirmed as he hurtled South; even if it was just to escape the rain, the Frogpeople would eventually invade Earth. There were times that the rain was so light you could barely notice, but it was constantly raining. It was not an environment conducive to mature and considered thinking.

Aside from the periodic ravines and strange, fast flowing and deep rivers that split the landscape, there didn't seem to be... much of value here. It was just a dim, dank world, ruled by these Toad Lords as though this were medieval Europe.

Which, perhaps, was the reason that Nirfik had proposed that Neveah and Randidly simply withdraw and return to their own World. Like how in that sort of archaic government, the Toad Lords enjoyed the power that they had over the populace with their Feed. Therefore, they didn't have much incentive to risk losing that influence and luxury just for some theoretical benefit. The Status Quo was more than enough for them, especially for those old Toad Lords that had lived like this for quite a while.

Especially when Neveah and now Randidly had made the risks of moving against them quite clear.

However, Randidly couldn't relax. He couldn't forget that indelible mark left on the Aether that Nirfik had summoned out of its two subordinates. After their battle, Randidly was completely sure that Nirfik himself couldn't have managed that alone. Nirfik had relied on poison and folded like a used piece of toilet paper when Randidly brought force.

Collapsing the entire bubble on him might have taken him by surprise, but he had no resilience at all. He was a lazy old toad, and that was that. If he could manage such impeccable control over Aether, there was no way that would have happened.

Among the Toad Lords, there was someone with an immaculate control of Aether. Someone with better control of it than Randidly. Perhaps not in sheer volume... but in detail. Randidly could flood this world with Aether, but this shadow Toad Lord could make a fist-sized bite of Aether that could be used by another, and then ripped out of that person's chest with a will by someone with higher authority.

A Toad Lord that rules by threat... Randidly thought grimly. An almost godlike deity that reigned over the world. Exactly because Randidly could flood the world with Aether he had something he could use as a threat against this Toad Lord, but that didn't mean Randidly would have confidence in a direct fight with him.

Especially once the Toad Lord knew that Randidly could possible undermine his whole scheme. After all, wouldn’t that individual then just want to eliminate Randidly to get rid of the possibility of the threat coming to fruition?

Or perhaps this theoretical Toad Lord was just skilled at fiddling around with Aether. Perhaps he had very little fighting strength…

Randidly continued to dash through the marsh, his expression thoughtful.

...Yea, it doesn't seem like this world would be a Danger Zone if that was the case, Randidly thought with a grimace.