Chapter 1118 (1/2)

Time passed rapidly for Yggdrasil as he was now the only active image of Randidly Ghosthound remaining on the frontlines. At least on the Aether side.

During the day, he hurried back and forth across the battlelines to repair the images of individuals wounded in the constant attacks against Lady Iellaya’s camp. Then, when night finally fell and usually Lady Iellaya or Abiodun took over most of the defensive efforts for the camp, Yggdrasil returned to his tent and meditated on the Class he was making for Lady Iellaya.

Without the presence of the Grim Chimera or his subordinates, the tent was abruptly quite lonely. It had been almost three months since they had been sent on that mission by now, and the situation at the frontline was continuing to escalate toward a final confrontation. Although Yggdrasil was growing stronger, he inwardly worried that it wouldn’t be enough.

The fall of the Easternmost camp had taught Lady Iellaya a valuable lesson about showing herself and the danger of a Nether Gatekeeper ambush, but she had refused to back down. Honestly, she seemed to be baiting out Nether Gatekeeper attacks, which had resulted in several strikes against her. Luckily for her, Yggdrasil was willing to head over to Lady Iellaya’s tent several nights to nurture her image and while also continuing the work of creating a Class.

Lady Iellaya appreciated the help recovering, but her questions always pointed back to the task she had set to him; to create a scaffolding of Aether large enough to support all of the potential she had absorbed into her self.

Unfortunately, it was difficult to work on it without the main body. So what Yggdrasil had no choice but to focus on was capturing the feeling of Lady Iellaya. As long as he possessed that, the rest of the detail work would go much more quickly once they were able to recover the main body.

Lady Iellaya was currently a Level 100 Raven-Winged Vanguard, which left Yggdrasil somewhat shocked. Lady Iellaya had also given Yggdrasil the tidbit of information that Level 100 was the hard cap of Leveling in the System, but you continued to grow after that by Leveling up the Great Fate you obtained at Level 100.

Which was why upgrading her Class was such a hard ask. It would require sufficient energy not only to break apart her Class and remake it, but Lady Iellaya speculated that it would be necessary to also adjust her Great Fate as well.

Yggdrasil was the first of Randidly’s images to be born, and likely the one most closely associated with growth. But the growth that Yggdrasil possessed was a steady and natural grown. Grim Chimera governed the area of forced evolution in order to adapt. Ignition Essence was the bright flash of inspiration that could set off a chain reaction of growth. All three were heavily involved with growth and combined to create the kind of capability necessary for the creation of a Class.

On his own…

Yggrasil rustled his leaves in irritation and shook his canopy. There was no point in getting worked up over this. He knew in his heart that these Commanders were vastly underestimating the Grim Chimera’s ability to survive. It was only a matter of time before the image that bore Randidly’s personality most closely returned to assist him. In the meantime, what really worried Yggdrasil was…

He turned to look at the cracked egg in the far corner of the room. Yggdrasil avoided looking at it as much as possible because it was clear that the egg… where there was once light flickering within, there was now none.

In addition, the egg was so cracked that it appeared ready to collapse from the slightest breeze. During the worst of the Nether attacks, Yggdrasil was agonized by the possibility that the shaking of the fighting would shift something and the egg would collapse to dust and reveal the situation within.

Because, so long as he didn’t truly see that Ignition Essence was gone, Yggdrasil would not give up hope.

We’ve been apart from the main body for far too long, Yggdrasil thought tiredly. We have grown for it… but if we don’t reunite soon…

Shaking his canopy, Yggdrasil dug his Perception into the ground and began to pull energy out from the world beneath him with Golden Roots of Yggdrasil. It was only by heavily relying on this Skill that he had been able to survive to this point through all the accumulated Nether damage.

Yet even as the Skill Level rapidly increased… Yggdrasil felt tired.

Closing his eyes, Yggdrasil sighed. This is my role, however. To endure, even as the world slowly dies around me. I am the tree that holds up the sky and the roots that support the Earth. If I cannot manage to survive in these long moments… how can I expect the other images to?

I am Yggdrasil. And I shall never fall. By my hand the great saga of our existence is writ and it will be my will that this all will end.

Congratulations! Your Skill Golden Roots of Yggdrasil (L) has grown to Level 209.

Yggdrasil sat silently, allowing the vivifying strength to return to his branches.

Congratulations! Your Skill Golden Roots of Yggdrasil (L) has grown to Level 210.