Chapter 1152 (2/2)
Then Randidly saw it and his eyes widened. “...you don’t want to give birth to a weapon with your body and try to keep the Creature from using it. You want to absorb her memory and take her position in my Soulskill, becoming the embodiment of Nether here. And she’s given you the karma tied to her so you can easily replace her-”
Still, Randidly’s good mood didn’t last very long. His frown deepened. “...yet it still leaves me bearing the cost of all these karmic ties to the System, and you having to contend with the memories of the Creature in order to force her out. Even with my Soulskill’s history helping your side, we can’t know what will happen to you.”
This time, Azriel just sighed. “...I know that. This was never supposed to be a perfect solution; we already missed the chance for a perfect solution when we didn’t prepare for the need for Nether in the Alpha Cosmos. No, we were surprised. I just wanted to make sure you wouldn’t cut off your own arm in order to spite the Creature in this moment. As long as you keep looking, there is a Path forward.”
There was an uncomfortable feeling in Randidly’s chest as he listened to Azriel’s words. “You have a lot of faith in me.”
“I wouldn’t be friends with you if I didn’t think you could handle this responsibility.” Azriel responded easily. “Let me ask you one last question; what did you wish for as you made this Nether Ritual?”
Congratulations! Your Skill Nether Ritual (A) has grown to Level 93!
For several seconds, Randidly became conscious of only two things: the sound of his own breathing and the terrible weight of the Nether bead that was slowly sinking toward Azriel’s body as the Nether Ritual continued to hum along. Even though the Nether had been given a small shape, it was still pressing down on the surrounding space. Perhaps because no Nether was escaping up into the surface of the Alpha Cosmos, the density of Nether around them climbed sharply upward with every passing moment.
They were becoming the core of something on this platform. The core of Randidly’s wish. One last time, Randidly exhaled slowly. Then he said, “...I wished for Peace. For the Alpha Cosmos. For balance so that all the people who depend on me won’t need to struggle to survive at least once in their lifetime.”
“Then trust that wish.” And, as though she understood that Randidly needed time to think, Azriel severed the mental connection between them. She simply became the pale body in a crimson gown as a strange bead drifted ever closer to her chest.
Looking up at the tight spirals of Nether coming down around the shivering platform, Randidly faced the awareness that he could still shatter what he had wrought here. Scatter the energy flows and reclaim the memories that he had offered up as fuel for the Nether Ritual. It would not be without cost, but he still possessed the capability to manage it.
But he likely would not be able to do the same in twenty seconds.
It’s momentum had risen too sharply. The weaving that Randidly had orchestrated was accelerating toward a climax. If he wanted to stop, now was his last chance. It was Azriel’s last chance.
Randidly pressed his eyes closed. Azriel’s plan was to use the same leverage that the Creature aimed against him to dislodge her. In the process, shore up the flaw that the Creature had pointed out to create a more well-grounded Soulskill. His Alpha Cosmos would be a world and a body in the outside universe, with Azriel becoming a a focal point of the Nether within the Soulskill to reflect the truth that Nether was a part of Randidly.
Yet as Randidly considered it… such an option was better than the current state, but it was still also flawed. Because even if Azriel bore the weight of Randidly’s prior Soulskills and the Creature’s memories, she was… a light counterweight compared to a whole world. Randidly and the Alpha Cosmos were one and the same. It would be one thing to change the Alpha Cosmos to incorporate Nether. It was quite another to make a single individual the weight of Nether in his Soulskill.
Especially because she wasn’t bound to anything like how Randidly and the Alpha Cosmos were connected.
And the other reason that Randidly hesitated was because he was distantly aware of the System watching his actions here. The System was a constant presence in his Soulskill, giving them access to Stats, Skills, and Classes. Even if the means were through his own lighthouses, the System would no doubt be gathering information on the Alpha Cosmos, the first of its kind. So he didn’t want-
As seconds ticked by, Randidly forced his eyes open. They were as bright and emerald as a painting of spring. What is within, without. What is without, within. Even if it's not a perfect answer, Azriel is right that it is probably worth the gamble. Plus, removing the Creature from this role is probably more important-
Ignition Essence slowly grew taller around Randidly’s body. He had a flash of inspiration.
Congratulations! Your Skill Nether RItual (A) has grown to Level 94!
Even as the twenty-second mark Randidly had set himself passed, Randidly didn’t move. His mind was racing.
When he laughed, the Creature looked at Randidly suspiciously. But Randidly just shook his head in amusement; he had seen the Path forward. “If you want to give me a heavy karma against the System, the solution is easy. I don’t need to retreat; I’ll just use that karma as a blade to cut it out of my Alpha Cosmos.”