Chapter 927 (1/2)

Copper Lifeblood was a unique Skill for several reasons. When she had heard about it, Mrs. Hamilton spent several hours pouring over the details of the Skill. It could not be used on the user, but only those who served the user. In addition to the buffs it provided, it also served as a very functional set of armor.

It was a buff to Strength and Agility that increased based on the amount of Health that the user was missing. Perhaps most strange was that the boost, when Eli’s Health was very low, was such that often the affected individuals couldn’t control their own power. They didn’t have enough Perception and Reaction to manage their new capabilities.

As such, Eli Iron had worked hard to form a Squad that purposefully kept their stats in line to take advantage of the Skill. As such, they weren’t able to stay at the top of Donnyton’s Squads very long. If Eli was ignored at the start of the fight, the rest of his Squad could be eliminated.

It was only when Eli was wounded early that they could demonstrate their peculiar power.

“Was this worth it?” Mrs. Hamilton asked with a heavy voice.

Stan just shrugged. “You asked for a chance. This is the beginning. With this, we might be able to learn something about his capabilities. Without more information-”

“You can’t be ignorant to what this means,” Mrs. Hamilton said quietly. The grinding agony of that strange crown that hovered above the World Tree continued to dig a screw into Mrs. Hamilton’s temple.

And if she felt this much, even with Alana who was blazing with fighting spirit, the audience…

“I guess we will found out,” Stan said. The numbness kept his face completely blank. He seemed almost disinterested in the storm that he had caused. The sky was dark. Agony was spreading like a plague across the arena. And Stan simply looked bored.

Her gaze even, Mrs. Hamilton turned back to the arena and saw the vicious hunger in Randidly’s emerald eyes. One problem at a time.

****

This is a man I need to kill for Donnyton.

As Randidly slowly picked apart Stan's motivations and the benefits he could have expected to receive through this series of events, that violent thought cut through everything. It was fueled by fury and Randidly’s protective inclinations toward Donnyton. So compelling was the thought that Randidly briefly lost control of himself.

Yggdrasil rose tall over the arena, judging the condemned.

Unbidden, the Crown of Upheaval and Gloom had manifested in a cloud of cold energy. As its bearer, the World Tree seemed to grow more luminous and holy. Allowing the emotions to flow free, Randidly didn't bother to control the explosion of Cruel Indignation of Yggdrasil. The air hummed with his fury. With waves of power, Randidly’s displeasure was made known to all

And yet his pale Crown still trilled, demanding more.

He was a monarch. It was time to punish the children for playing at being adults.

Randidly felt himself raising his hand to point at Stan. The crowds were seething; the distance dispersing the power somewhat but they still tortured by the singing Skill of righteous fury that Randidly radiated outward. Narrowing his eyes, Randidly brought his will to bear. All of that power concentrated to a point, and the air around the VIP section began to warp as Randidly's will pressed down against it.

But he stopped himself. The singing ceased. All that vicious energy that was torturing the surrounding people was sucked back within Yggdrasil, as if it had never existed. Only the sounds of the panting audience members remained. Above, the emerald leaves rustled softly.

Attempting to steady their breath, the crowd struggled to rationalize what was happening. Their eyes traveled upward, tracing the immense form of the World Tree. And inwardly, Randidly struggled. The blow was prepared and ready, but he did not loose it.

Around him on the arena, the Squad members struggled to their feet, attempting to put up some sort of resistance. Honestly, Randidly was slightly impressed they had recovered so quickly. They were well trained and had high enough defensive stats to be a problem.

Well, perhaps they could be a problem once they understand how to use images, Randidly thought darkly. For now...

Yet Randidly was frozen, holding that tightly condensed judgment in his chest. An image he had carefully cultivated now tore him in a dangerous direction. He knew there were drawbacks to images, but this impasse was rather unexpected. And the only reason it occurred was due to the flamboyant gall of Stan to attempt an attack on Randidly that would destroy Donnyton's credibility.