Chapter 1224 (2/2)

Gritting his teeth, Randidly pushed himself back to a standing position. “Maybe, but I don’t think we can afford to take a break now. Depending on which one of them wins this fight-”

“Really?” Lady Iellaya gave Randidly a strange look. Then she gestured out to the echoing fight in front of them. “Is there really anything we can do to interfere in that…? It seems like your Skill worked. Ileot is definitely weakening. As long as the Nether King can survive the attacks… Well, let’s just hope the Nether King needs to take a nap afterward as well.”

Ileot shrieked like a banshee and flayed Nether away from the Nether King with his huge whips of white lightning. Randidly wasn’t sure if it was his imagination or not, but it appeared that the whips were becoming slightly thinner and dimmer. Yet each of those strikes sent out powerful reverberations that shook the ground underneath Randidly’s feet. In fact, Randidly was eventually forced to take several steps backward as the concussive blasts from the battle caused more and more stone at the edge of the Aether territory to crack and fall off into the Great Rift.

As the fight continued, Ileot seemed to devolve even more directly into a frantic devil. The whips of white lightning danced and cracked like they were Ileot’s own fingers. Nether was blasted away to create a larger and larger opening on the Nether King’s strange symbol. But when Ileot finally smashed against that strange symbol at the core of the Nether King, it failed to damage it seriously.

Although the symbol was warped, it rapidly healed and then began to create more powerful Nether that swirled around ominously.

OOOOOONNNNGGGG-

“Just…. Just die!” Ileot spat out his words. His sweat was rapidly washing away the blank tears he had cried earlier. He continued to burn his Aether with reckless abandon. It seemed like the duplicated Vualla had completely folded in on herself, vanishing completely after she had admitted that she hated herself.

Despite the current trajectory of the fight that seemed to support Lady Iellaya’s wait-and-see attitude, Randidly couldn’t simply watch. After huffing out a deep breath, he once more drew the Philosopher’s Key. Instantly Randidly was struck with a vicious headache, but Randidly ignored the pain and extended the key toward the encroaching edge of the Great Rift. The plain gold exterior gleamed dully as he sensed the karma in the surrounding area.

Mostly, Randidly was deeply suspicious of what was going on with the duplicated Vualla. But he did find her still attached to Ileot Swacc. Her figure was thin and waifish, as though she was only a young girl who was clinging to her older brother. She leaned against his shoulders and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her eyes were half-open, seemingly numb to the chaos occurring in front of her.

White lightning and Nether crashed against each other. Strange, warped byproducts of grey matter were produced and annihilated in almost the same moment. As though he didn’t notice that his attacks weren’t effective, Ileot continued to smash his huge whips against that symbol that formed the Nether King.

Bit by bit, Ileot burned through the Aether that the duplicated Vualla had provided to him. His eyes slowly came back into focus, but Ileot didn’t cease his bestial onslaught.

Randidly watched as the darkness Vualla’s eyelids flickered. “Don’t you think… it’s time to rest…? Haven’t we struggled for long enough? Let’s just… let it all go...”

Spittle and rage were expelled from Ileot’s chest in his heaving breaths. More and more, Randidly felt an irrational fear seizing control of Ileot. As his fury gave way to consciousness, his psyche had more and more cracks that allowed fear to seem through. Randidly solemnly watched the duplicated Vualla tighten her arms around Ileot’s neck.

With a sigh, Randidly carefully replaced his key at his belt with trembling hands. Then, slightly reassured, Randidly allowed himself to topple over sideways and be smothered by a well-needed rest. As though she had expected it, Vualla caught him and laid him gently down onto the ground. She smiled down at him and Randidly smiled back as darkness claimed him.

Of course, Randidly’s expression quickly turned sour as a familiar sense of falling whisked him away from the frontlines of the battlefield and took him to the edge of a vast forest. He looked up and saw the familiar form of Kharon hanging over him.

Randidly wanted to pull out his hair. Really? The Eidolon Crucible activated now? Usually, it has a more convenient timing-

Yet then Randidly paused because the sensation in the air was different than the usual Eidolon Crucible. Images didn't surge forward to assault him immediately. He could feel the people of Kharon around him, a surprisingly large number. A number that was probably double that of the last time the Skill activated. But Randidly felt how the new blood had diluted the image he had left.

There was a big recruitment. Randidly pursed his lips and looked up toward the mobile city that he had created. And… there is something else. Something happened. Is it the final Zone appearing on Earth? No, that wouldn’t cause this… it also doesn’t feel like someone else died...

One thing was clear; Kharon was now hesitating. The hesitation seemed to ask Randidly if the path that it was taking was necessary.

How long have I been away in Earth time…? It feels like eight months… I suppose that is plenty of time for my lessons to fade from memory. Necessity is as easily forgotten as convenience is adopted...

As if to punctuate the question, the sky was split as a huge blast of energy descended nearby and annihilated most of the tranquil forest. Based on what Randidly had learned from Earth previously, that was the weapon of Zone 1, Mjolnir. Waves of force ripped tree trunks out of the ground and ignited them with pure energy. These flaming tree crashed to the ground nearby, spreading the destruction even further.

Repressing the urge to sigh, Randidly chuckled. “Do you think the future that’s coming will be an easy one? This is the last gentle reminder that I’m going to give you… If you stay in Kharon, you can never step back in the face of duty. There is still so much more to do.”

Randidly felt the surrounding images considering that. But Randidly also knew that he could offer the most compelling proof of the need for Kharon by demonstrating his current power. Unfortunate that I’m already so exhausted… better make this quick. It will probably mean this won’t be a great rest, but still…

Reaching to his belt, Randidly calmly produced the Philosopher’s Key. Although in the real world it was just a dull gold color, it was a beacon of light in this mental world. “Now… let me teach you a bit about how scary an image can really be.”