Chapter 1163 (2/2)

That earned another wry chuckle from Randidly. When I have free time, huh… I suppose that depends how long they are going to try and keep me here… If I end up staying the full experience, I might not have anything better to do than work on Skill Levels...

Although Randidly was unwilling to too overtly draw the attention of the Nexus by abandoning his post, he also didn’t want four years to pass back on Earth. Because honestly, another Zone would probably connect to Earth during that period. And if another Zone didn’t connect during that time, it likely would never happen and Earth would be regulated to Nexus limbo or cut apart to be used as Dungeons for the next Cohort.

Either of those relegated ends for the Earth would be difficult for Randidly to fight back against currently. He needed the time they earned by proceeding through the Calamities in order to gather enough strength to protect Earth as it became a part of the Nexus.

At the same time, Randidly wasn’t sure if the Earth without him could pass all the Calamities. He had a large influence on several of the key individuals, but predicting what sort of effect that would have was difficult. Which left him hoping for more large battles against the Nether in which he could earn merits in so his sentence could be reduced.

Or to support Lady Iellaya in becoming the Supreme Commander of the frontline and rely on her to get him out relatively quickly. Which was at least a prospect that he had control over, if seemingly the more difficult of the two.

Randidly shook his head. Either method was for after he made it through the trial in front of him: the looming Nether attack and holding Ileot Swacc’s attention. Still, he currently possessed quite a bit more PP to spend to power himself up. Over 11,000, in fact. His current options weren’t as limited as it would seem.

Yet as much as Randidly wanted to spend the rest of his PP immediately, he still believed that the benefits he would receive would be much greater if he could make the improvements to Yggdrasil before he worked on that. The Yggdrasil Paths would be that much more complete if it became a full Skillset first.

“No rest for the wicked,” Randidly sighed. Just in case, he poked his head out of the tent to make sure that there were no orders waiting for him after he had activated his Nether-touched Grim Chimera Skills. Finding both Salazar and Zauna happily eating, Randidly joined them for a short amount of time.

Afterward, Randidly returned to his tent and sunk once more down to the images within his heart. The towering brown and gold bark rose above him like a towering wall. The gleaming trail of steadily carved shapes on the bark was behind him. Cracking his knuckles, Randidly proceeded back to work.

Ultimately, the more Randidly worked, the more he started to run up against an unavoidable truth: the creation of the Akashic Record here on Yggdrasil was a lifetime’s worth of work. Even though he had the benefit of almost ‘infinite’ time within his image world, Randidly would never finish carving shapes into the branches of the vast tree. Not even addressing the issue of whether he would likely run out of shapes patterns before the end, but just that there were simply too much space to fill on the surface of the vast tree.

His imagination had grown almost disturbingly powerful. Creating this much was child’s play for it.

Still, Randidly rather easily came up with an answer. And even if it wasn’t a perfect one, it was one that Randidly knew he had experience enough to work out. So, despite his earlier thoughts, Randidly did end up spending some more PP before he finished his Yggdrasil Path.

PP spent on the Living Engraving Path. Every 50 points spent earned Randidly 5 Focus and Wisdom.

Congratulations! You have finished the Living Engraving Path! Your touch hasn’t exactly become more powerful, but somehow you can see patterns in the shapes you create. Propensities and proclivities spin endlessly through your vision, as the future unfolds in unpredictable ways before you. The spark now at your fingertips is not a sure thing, but it exists where there was only nothing before.

Do not let that spark die. The Path before you grows ever brighter with its light.

Congratulations! Mana +1000! Mana Regeneration +200!

Congratulations! Your Skill Mana Engraving has evolved into Brushstroke Record (Ru)! All Skill Levels will be maintained. Increased potency of Engravings! Increased stability when creating Engravings! Levelable Engravings will now have an increased growth rate and Level cap. Effect applies to all previously created Engravings as they evolved along with the spark in your fingers!

Effect of the spark you have gained has been incorporated into the Unique Skill, “Touch of the Ghosthound”! Some of your growth in your strength will be shared with previously created items!

“Ahem,” Randidly coughed into his hand as he read the notifications. “Now this is more like it.”

Of course, Randidly couldn’t create a Levelable Engraving that would totally be the Akashic Record. But Randidly could plant seeds with his shapes that would allow the Engravings to grow naturally on their own.

With that, perhaps, his image would be even more perfect than it had been previously.

Even from the beginning of the System, Randidly had always been good at growing things.