Chapter 918 (2/2)

BOOOM.

Randidly appeared in the right group, blades of ash popping into existence and slicing through all of the mage Classers that were nearby. Randidly took special care to rip through the two healers that he identified after briefly sampling the Aether of the group.

They fell screaming, even as their faces were covered in confusion.

By stretching that connection between himself and his ash to the limit and then transforming himself into motes of ash, Randidly was able to launch himself along the vector between himself and his ash cloud. And even quite a bit past it, if Randidly spent the Mana to remain as ash for that long. He could dissipate the ash that started the tension and untether himself. There was an extremely high burden on his knees to withstand the initial cut, but it made him almost unbelievably mobile.

After all, if Randidly didn’t want to be flung to the side, he could just have continued rushing forward. Once the elasticity reached its apex, the ashen aura would have just been yanked back to his body.

Because this challenge wasn’t just to show off. It was a chance to try out his Skills on real opponents.

Well, barely real opponents. Randidly thought almost sadly. Even as he stayed relatively inactive, the Ashen Phantom above him continued to slash widely with its dagger hands, creating blades of ash that cut down everyone from the right group who was struggling to turn around and put up a guard.

In terms of Stats, Skill Levels, and image, Randidly dominated everyone here. Such was the difference that they couldn’t even defend.

Still, it was a valuable experience, so-

“We concede,” A man said, stepping out of the remnants of the middle group.

Slowly, the Ashen Phantom regretfully lowered his hands. Blood dripped off of its fingers, leaving small drips on the arena ground below it. Although Randidly rationally knew that was impossible, he couldn’t help but blink at the sight. Then he felt a surge of pleasure.

As I thought, it grows fastest like this.

Randidly scanned the surrounding area. Although the sudden concession came as a surprise, he supposed he understood why it had happened. Randidly was playing in a different league then these people. There were one or two who were above Level 50, but no one was above Level 52. They couldn’t cope.

Of the first group that Randidly had broken through, twenty-three of thirty were laying on the ground slowly bleeding out. Of the second group that Randidly had hit, only a single woman was still standing, the ashen blade that was cutting toward her dissipating instantly after the group conceded.

Almost fifty percent of their fighting strength wiped out in an instant. The remaining group might have been able to put up more of a challenge now that they understood Randidly’s moves, but the leader was more concerned with saving those who were seriously injured than achieving any merit in the battle against the Ghosthound.

After he spoke, Randidly watched the man shiver and turn away from Randidly, rapidly moving to help other people toward the healers that were streaming onto the arena.

Randidly felt a flash of bitterness at the devastating familiarity of the awkward air of a battlefield. I… well, it doesn’t matter what they think, does it? This is a lesson they need to remember. They-

“ T-thank-k y-y-you for your g-guidance…”

Randidly looked down. A short woman who had been hit in the thigh sat up with a grimace. Her hands glowed with light green energy, and the wound mostly closed on its own. When she looked up toward Randidly, there was no fear in her eyes, just awe.

Randidly turned away. He felt his face twist, but he couldn’t be sure what his expression was, at that moment. He spoke while looking back toward Helen, who was tapping her foot impatiently. “On the battlefield, you only have one chance. Don’t forget it.”

“I won’t,” the woman whispered. After she finished recovering her ability to walk, she hobbled over to her squadmates to assist them.

Randidly walked slowly back toward Helen, not looking at the bodies laying on the ground along his path toward her.

Helen’s gaze was sympathetic. “The point of having a knight is having someone else’s hands to stain with blood, you know.”

Randidly just waved a hand. “To them, I’m the great benefactor of this town. No matter what they’ve heard… I need to show them what I’ve become in order to achieve that. They need to see the Path the Earth needs to walk.”

Shaking her head, Helen said. “That image. It’s strong as hell. But don’t you think… it resembles the Spearman’s image? His original one?”

“The violence? Yea. The thought occurred to me,” Randidly said quietly. Both looked toward the horizon, pointedly not looking toward the individuals being helped off the arena.

Helen eventually broke the silence. “The rules are a five-minute break between rungs. Will you have enough time to recover?”

“...the next rung is yours,” Randidly said. Blood, dripping from its fingers… that vicious hunger… “I think I’m going to take some time to refine the image.”

Helen smiled like a wolf. “I’ve been waiting to hear that.”