Chapter 976 (2/2)

In addition, the ambient Aether in the air would benefit the metals that he created. And as creating the vast quantity of metal that would propel Erickson Steel to a mobile fortress was one of the reasons for Randidly’s extended time here, it was a valuable bonus.

Randidly did worry that the overly abundant Aether would lead to a mutation amongst some of the nearby monsters, but that might also be a positive outcome for him. If the monsters grew significantly stronger, Randidly could test more dangerous Skills against them and receive more meaningful training experience.

Shaking his head, Randidly refocused. His mind was wandering; right now he needed to carefully consider the state of his Class.

After about an hour of examination, Randidly’s worst fears had been slowly confirmed. The strain that being’s attention had on Randidly’s Class was just as dangerous as he had believed. On a very surface focused examination, the damage to Randidly’s Class had been completely repaired. The ambient energy of his Soulskill had nurtured the damaged areas, allowing new substance to grow over the wounds. The threads of his Class that he had so painstakingly chosen and woven together were once more glimmering and bright.

A deeper analysis revealed this miraculous recovery to be a pretty lie.

Ultimately, Randidly was deeply glad that he had allowed himself to gain a few Levels after having his Class wounded. He suspected that without the new growth of those Levels, he wouldn’t have been able to definitively say that he was still injured. In fact, he might have decided that the injuries were light enough to continue toward condensing his Fate.

Because those new Levels were the only clear evidence of the persistent problem. Because those two Levels were flawed.

They mimicked earlier Levels very well, seeming to be the woven of the same basic ideas and Stats as the previous Levels were. But it was like comparing a flower to a painting of a flower. No matter how talented the painter was artistical, it wasn’t a flower. It would never be a flower.

It was a subtle thing. However, Randidly had made this Class by hand. He hadn’t been as skilled with images then as he was now, but the feeling was one he knew intimately. Although he didn’t fully understand what form his Class would shift into as it grew, he did understand the different elements that propelled his Class forward.

So after Randidly really scrutinized the two newest Levels he had received, it quickly became clear that they were stitched together copies of earlier Levels. There wasn’t the faintest hint of an extension or growth of his Class within the Levels. Those elements of his Class were regurgitated, but all of the forward momentum had been lost.

Randidly grimaced. Although the energy could heal the surface, it seemed the driving image and focus of his Class had been eradicated by the brief moment of attention. It was an extremely bitter truth to handle, that he was so comparatively fragile to that strange being.

Although it had been a while since he went through the process of upgrading his Class, Randidly was still pretty confident that his Class had been extremely strong. So strong that no one on Earth possessed its equal.

It had been crushed by a glance.

No use being upset about it. If that’s the case… I’ll just need to strengthen it even more this next time. Randidly thought as he examined the five supporting pillars of his Class. Now, when he focused his attention on them, he could sense that they had become hollow. A slight breeze could blow them over. But now I have images. After my year-long process of mental refinement here… I refuse to believe that the Lord of the Baleful Wood won’t have an image so concrete it cannot even withstand a glance, no matter how powerful the viewer.

Honestly, Randidly was surprised he had gained even a single Skill at Level 45 due to the extensive internal damage to his Class. Some part of Randidly felt a deep bitterness about it. If not for sustaining that damage… would not his Skill be even more powerful?

But that sort of mindset wasn’t helpful at all. Randidly had learned something valuable from this loss. It was no use trying to have the best of both worlds.

Randidly looked up and bared his teeth to the dirt roof of his training ground. But that didn’t mean he would let the other party off easily for dealing him such a significant blow without even the hint of an apology.

“Next…” Randidly muttered as he stood. Carefully, he individually cracked each of his knuckles. “After inspecting my Class, I’m feeling pretty pissed. I suppose it’s time I work off some of this tension?”

Without Randidly even consciously thinking about it, that vicious ferocity that he unleashed toward the surrounding monsters was transmitted by the sea of Aether with which he had flooded the Dungeon. That amplified killing intent spread like the plague. Across the entirety of the Dungeon, the monsters shivered with an inexplicable fear.

A predator was coming.