Chapter 1124 (2/2)

Randidly wasn’t sure it would work like that. But from his experience with Nether and Nether Rituals, he suspected it would be possible, assuming he was willing to put a sufficient amount of effort into the attempt.

And faith. It would take quite a bit of faith.

The only problem with this strategy was the indeterminate Status of the glove Fate that Randidly had found in the trunk. It had clearly saved his life, and it felt extremely familiar to him… but that didn’t make him want to use it at all.

Right now, sitting in the lonely tent with Vualla’s wounded form next to him, Randidly could practically taste that sense of familiarity in the Aether of the glove. It was uncannily familiar. But no matter how much he cast his mind around, he couldn’t figure out of whom it could remind him.

The complicated part of it was that considering the three Fates to the three images plan, the glove would go to the Grim Chimera. Yggdrasil and Chulroon’s Chisel seemed matched together, and Ignition Essence could use the heat and power of the phoenix fire in the hiltless blade.

To have the Grim Chimera, who seemed to have become the most dominant of Randidly’s image, be possibly influenced by whatever familiar sensation was in the glove… it was difficult for Randidly to wrap his mind around it. It seemed much riskier than necessary.

Randidly sighed. Too many questions. One thing at a time.

Gingerly, Randidly reached forward and picked up the hitless blade. As his fingers touched the slate-grey metal, his skin began to hiss and spit as the heat rapidly overwhelmed his body’s defenses. But Randidly didn’t waver. Still keeping a careful grip on the blade, he turned and cautiously walked to the far end of the tent.

There, waiting, was the thoroughly cracked almost-paper mache ball that housed the wounded Ignition Essence. With a sense of solemnity, Randidly approached the cracked egg with the blade raised above his head.

Although you meant well Yggdrasil, you aren’t the best at things you don’t understand. Randidly’s eyes glowed emerald as he looked down at the cracked egg. You are a creature that grows from sunlight and water. Your growth is even and considered. Inputs follow outputs. It possesses none of the erraticism of Ignition Essence.

Because Ignition Essence… is perhaps the true wildness of my personality. It is the part of me that believes I can stand against the System… Yggdrasil and Grim Chimera provide me the backbone and bravery, but Ignition Essence gives me the spark I need. And that spark can’t survive in a vacuum.

It was hatched in darkness, but it was birthed from the memories and desires I held from my time on Earth and Tellus.

As he raised the blade above his head, Randidly’s bare foot moved forward and he tapped the egg lightly with his big toe. From a single touch, it sighed and scattered to ash and flaking paint. In a split second, there was nothing but a pile of expended and dried gunk on the ground in front of him. If Ignition Essence had been hiding within, there was no outward sign.

Yet Randidly’s grin was vicious. Your second mistake, Yggdrasil… is that you were afraid of the wrong thing. It is not such a terrible thing for the light of inspiration to flicker on and off. Inspiration is not a constant companion... no… the most terrible fear should be the death of progress. That the will that drives toward that epiphany should disappear. That the soul will no longer crave that the world be better than this.

Which, unfortunately, was exactly what had happened. Cut off from memories, Ignition Essence had forgotten itself. Yet Randidly didn’t feel any sadness. Ignition Essence had vanished. But it was still an image that he had made. Although it would expend quite a bit of energy, it could be recreated. And in this case, he didn’t even need to use his own energy during the process.

When Randidly’s personality had been removed from the Ignition Essence, that drive had disappeared. The fire had slowly faded. All that was left was emptiness and darkness… those same elements that had given birth to Ignition Essence in the first place.

Yet that wasn’t all that went to this solemn moment of holding the blade high above the ashes of his image. Randidly now had his understanding of Nether to guide his hand. The gunk egg had been the bubble, and those sensations of emptiness and darkness had been the core. With the egg shattered, now emptiness and darkness expanded to fill that same space. Those qualities became the bubble.

And there was always another core laying within.

The hiltless blade began to glow cherry red and release heat, as though sensing Randidly’s emotions. His grip tightened on the weapon, so much so that it cut his palm open and blood began to drip down onto the dust in front of him.

Slice through the darkness, cut apart the emptiness. Randidly’s face twisted and he laughed. Rise for me, Ignition Essence!

The blade left a red trail through the air as it cut. The wind of the blade’s passage blew away the remnants of the egg and cut a deep gash into the ground. Those ashes that were blown away quickly ignited into a shower of sparks that exploded outward and singed small holes in the canvas of the tent.

For a second, there was silence. Randidly’s hand tightened on the blade as the fire in it continued to build. His skin, even with the benefit of his Endurance, was quickly being overcome. His brain warned Randidly that soon his muscles would be damaged. And he was oh so tired.

Congratulations! Your Skill Fire Resistance has grown to Level 180!

Yet sometimes all you could do is wait. Inspiration might only visit those who worked for it, but that didn’t mean it was predictable.

Then, as Randidly watched, a small emerald spark began to glow in the scar on the ground. The visual variances in the air slowly stilled as that emerald tongue of flame began to flicker unevenly upward.

Randidly smirked and tossed the burning blade to the side. He flexed the hand to the side, waiting for Yyrwood Body of Yggdrasil to heal the wound. “Welcome back. Now let’s get to work.”