Chapter 992 (2/2)

So for the past few days, Randidly was using All Things Succumb, Yet Time Whirls the Earth to shift to a world where he had completed the Living Engraving I Path. As his attempts became easier and easier, Randidly also developed and slowly refined an image to use for a Levelable Engraving. However, today would be the first day that he finally created something.

Randidly frowned down at his hands. Although I’m slowly starting to understand how it can be used, that doesn’t bring me any closer to knowing why it happens. I might have gotten 70 more Endurance, but what if part of the moving sideways to finish those other Paths takes that away? Perhaps it would have been more reliable just to finish the LIving Engraving Path directly…

...but that wouldn’t help me use this Skill for other things…

Shaking his head, Randidly quieted his thoughts. After his surreal interaction with the Grim Chimera about a month ago, both his images had really quieted and been more easy for him to manipulate. Randidly had no real proof, being isolated in the Dungeon, but he sensed that he was coming up to a limit in terms of the detail he could add to his images in a short amount of time.

Soon, there wouldn’t be much more point in him constantly refining them; they had reached a hard to break through level of saturation. That accumulation would only come with practice. And the practice of a lifetime, not of an intensive year.

So, I suppose let’s not dance around the issue any longer. Time to go.

All Else Succumbs, Yet Time Whirls the Earth

As he activated the Skill, Randidly’s mind focused through the familiar route of finishing the Path, then added the craving that he then create a successful Engraving that could Level. He felt his skin burn and tingle as the Skill activated. The Grim Chimera condensed behind him, as silent and intense as it had been since he had forced it to bear the weight of his Crown.

It released a long breath.

Its claws danced across his shoulders. Its spear gleamed dully in the illumination from the Ignition Essence that hung in the air around Randidly in the workroom. Then the Grim Chimera split into two, then four, then sixty four, and then-

*****

When Randidly woke up, his Absolute Timing Skill told him helpfully that almost five days had passed. Groaning, Randidly sat up. Or at least tried to. Randidly collapsed to his left when he tried to leverage himself into a sitting position.

Blinking away a pounding headache, Randidly looked down at his left arm. The metal had been warped and destroyed. Rather than an arm, it was more accurate to describe the arm as a series of rust based jigsaw puzzle pieces that hadn’t been put together very well. Everything lower than Randidly’s wrist had snapped off as he had tried to straighten into a sitting position.

It’s not like I wasn’t going to make another. This just… accelerates the timeline.

Randidly coughed and spat out dirt and dust from his parched mouth. Leaning back, Randidly accepted his fate as a person who lays and produced a water bottle from his interspatial ring. After sucking the bottle dry and giving a few minutes for the liquid to spread through his body, Randidly was prepared for another attempt.

When Randidly was finally back on his feet, there was another surprise waiting for him. Rather than the usual ceiling, there were only glittering stars above. It seemed that he had destroyed his rather fragile dome while using the Skill.

Well, it’s not like it was disguise enough to fool anyone who was looking, anyway, Randidly rubbed his neck and limped out to the surface. He wasn’t injured, really. His physical body had healed with the assistance of the System while he was sleeping. His muscles were simply sore and stiff from so long without moving.

Luckily Randidly’s Vitality now brought tingling capability back to his extremities at record speed.

But when Randidly left his base, he was forced to pause. With a furrowed brow, Randidly regarded the huge tube of copper that was standing next to the timeless stone monolith. It was almost three meters long and was one meter in diameter.

At first, Randidly was confused. But after a few seconds of considering it, a grin crept out across his face.

“Heh, I can see why this hurt like a bitch.” Randidly shook his head. “If I still can’t control the uniformity of the images in the tiny Engravings… why not just size them up to make the control less delicate...?”

A Crown of pale metal condensed above his head. Randidly’s grin turned sharp as his eyes light up like fresh grass in summer. “Just make… a really big Engraving… huh…?”