Chapter 1025 (1/2)

It was, Randidly reflected with a frown, an ominous name. And an individual who was powerful within the Nexus was certainly not someone that could be taken lightly. Although Randidly didn’t know how that individual who had existed within an entire continent of solidified Aether, and crushed him with a glance, fit within the power structure of the Nexus, it had impressed upon him how dangerous the truly powerful were.

The first thing Randidly did upon receiving the news was attempt to contact Shal. Immediately, he received a System notification that all messages to the recipient world have been screened. In addition, the notification recommended that Randidly contact a Village Spirit for more information.

Bah, useless… and what help would a Village Spirit be…?

For several seconds, Randidly regarded Lyra’s slender back. As she had aged, Lyra had retained her almost unhealthily slender limbs. She seemed like such a tiny and fragile thing. Then Randidly walked forward, roughly grabbed Lyra’s shoulder, and spun her around. “What does that name-”

Randidly blinked as he looked at Lyra’s lovely face that was shining with the remnant paths of two tears. “You… why are you crying?”

Lyra’s face split into a thin smile as she almost helplessly shook her head.

Narrowing his eyes, Randidly gritted his teeth as he looked at Lyra. Although Lyra was willing to lie to him, that didn’t mean she wasn’t still… slightly human. If whatever news she held in her chest was so upsetting that she would cry… “What do you know? You said Shal failed the challenge; what were the consequences of that?”

“Nothing other than failing to seize all the advantages he could,” Lyra whispered. Her voice was as soft as the crisp sound of dead leaves falling apart. “Shal… should be fine.”

“Then let me ask again. Why are you crying?” Randidly cooled his anger and frowned at Lyra. Perhaps it would be a little strange for Lyra to care enough about Shal or Tellus to cry. Perhaps it was simply the pain of investigating such distant matters in the Nexus? But Randidly couldn’t be sure what exactly a Village Spirit could and couldn’t do.

Even now, the Aether around Lyra was too dense. If she were to claim she was crying from resistance from the System, Randidly would only have her word to go on.

Lyra’s smile twisted upward, driven by bitterness. She flippantly gestured to the air between them. “This… this is hard for me, alright? You… you have no idea… Randidly, the truth is...”

For several seconds, Randidly studied Lyra as she licked her lips. For all that she had chosen to side with the Creature and endanger humanity, Randidly decided that it would be pointless to assume Lyra was lying about this. Perhaps she could somehow turn this around to manipulate him, but it felt extremely ungainly to Randidly’s mind.

There were much more directly lies that Lyra could tell. Besides, she had previously bared herself to him in order to prove that the Creature was no longer present on Earth. She didn’t need to conceal some terrible fate that Shal suffered. In fact, Lyra’s argument had always been that Randidly couldn't defeat the System on his own. That was why she had betrayed him and sided with the Creature.

Therefore, it could be said that Shal’s suffering at the System’s hands would be evidence toward her point.

And yet if it was only pain from her System tethers, why was she-

Ah. Randidly’s expression softened as he connected the dots. ‘This is hard for me,’ huh… I get it. You’ve felt it too.

Again, Randidly had no sort of context to understand the strength of the individual who had shattered his Class and robbed it of its meaning with but a glance. But if this Illeot Swacc was anything close to that level of strength… To investigate that tier of strength likely had left some scars.

Remembering that split second of agony still sent shivers down Randidly’s spine. And Randidly could understand now Lyra’s sudden reticence and distance. Although they had set the previous betrayal behind them, Lyra had just been exposed to the power of the System. The true power, those individuals standing near the peak of the Nexus.

In her mind, it likely reaffirmed all the reasons that the System couldn’t be fought.

The miserable looking Lyra lowered her chin rather than speak. The silence stretched between them, seemingly straining underneath its own weight. As Randidly looked down at her wracked by indecision, such was the difference in their heights that he could barely see the expression on her face. Randidly bit his lips. “I’m… sorry. I get it, I really do. I felt the same way, for a while.”

As Lyra flinched as if struck by a physical blow, Randidly continued talking. “But we will never accomplish something if we don’t put ourselves out there. Now isn’t the time to give up.”

“...do you truly know how I feel?” Lyra asked in a small voice. “I was told to… if you were ever-”

Lyra was cut off as Nathan walked into the room. “Sorry, I hurried over as fast as I could-”

Then Nathan saw Lyra, and the kid blushed crimson in that chemical-induced way that only young teenagers could. His voice came out unsteady as he spoke. “Ah-ah, Lyra. What are you… um… what are you d-doing away from Donnyton…?”

“...looking for a Class.” Before Randidly’s eyes, Lyra’s whole disposition changed. She stood straighter and raised her head. Her back straightened and her eyes brightened. And with one quick brush of her hand, all evidence of her tears was erased. She smiled charmingly at Nathan. “I assume you will help with that?”