Chapter 1237 (2/2)

Azriel’s silence was all the answer he needed. Shaking his head, Randidly lifted the Philosopher’s Key and thrust it into the air. As with the outside world, the key could bridge a path created by karma and open a path even in the Alpha Cosmos. As a Philosopher, I might seek the truth for myself, but I can allow those around me to benefit from the lessons I’ve learned. There is no substitute for communication.

Congratulations! Your Fate the Philosopher’s Key has grown to Level 94!

The key turned and the portal opened. From the vantage of a nearby cliff, the headquarters of the Armgrast Empire could be seen as a buzzing hive of activity. Randidly looked sideways to Azriel. “If you don’t want to go, you don’t need to. But until you face this, things won’t change for the better.”

Azriel’s expression was complex. It was one of the only times that Randidly could ever remember Azriel not having an almost insufferable surety about her. She simply looked toward the portal for several seconds, not moving. The volume of the armies below grew larger as they finished their initial preparations and moved toward each other.

The beginning of the battle was only a few minutes away.

“I don’t know what to say to him.” Azriel finally said.

Randidly gestured to the portal. “That doesn’t mean you don’t still need to talk to him.”

With a quick nod, Azriel proceeded through the portal. Slipping into the strange existence as part of the overlay System, she disappeared and sped forward to meet with the Prince of the Armgrast Empire.

Feeling rather satisfied with how he handled the situation, Randidly turned to the rest of the pantheon. “Moderation is the key; that’s a lesson I’ve learned the hard way. Too much interaction and people become spoiled and expectant. Too little and they become resentful and bitter. Sometimes, your actions as the representative of the System will draw criticism. And if you decide to change your methods, you will often be criticized just as badly for your new method.”

“Then what do we do?” For the first time since Randidly had arrived, Tziech looked up and spoke. The King of Monsters looked at Randidly with a serious expression.

Rather helplessly, Randidly shrugged. “It’s not a perfect solution… but you care. Both about the work you do making the System work and about the feelings of the people. You are the fulcrum on which everything turns; that puts you under the most stress. But you are strong. So at the end of the day, never forget that you all want to accomplish the same thing as the people do: to make a better world. It’s just the people experiencing the System obviously have a different way of expressing it than you will running it.”

Some of the other individuals in the pantheon stepped forward with questions and Randidly did his best to answer them all. But he was rather relieved when Azriel returned only a few minutes after she had left; although he had some experience with this, he was very much learning the hard way from his experience.

“So, everything solved?” Randidly asked.

For a second, Azriel was thoughtful, but then she shook her head. “No. Well, one issue was resolved. The Prince was very glad to hear from me. But he said that things had already gone out of control; even he can’t stop the war between the two countries now.”

“Err-” Randidly paused. Alta’s hatred-filled gaze toward Randidly intensified. “Out of control?”

“Yes, aside from resolving the personal issues, my visit to the Prince was meaningless.” Azriel nodded. “But thank you, I do feel relieved after the experience.”

After feeling like he had adequately solved a problem, to be told that there was no effect was rather unpleasant. Yet rather than being mad, the same surreal humor that made him smile when looking down at the familiar sight of his Soulskill in a world war had him chuckling now. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand how serious war was; he truly did.

But rather… Randidly could only throw his hands up in the air; life never seemed to go the way he expected.

Even if I think I know what’s right, if the people I lead don’t cooperate… Randidly scratched his cheek. No that's wrong. It's not that they didn't cooperate, but that I misunderstood. I can open up the paths with this key, but that doesn’t mean it will always lead to the right answer… No matter what utility the key gives me, it’s only a tool. That’s why it’s more important that it belongs to the Philosopher than that the Fate is a key...

And as Randidly thought that and looked down at the battlefield, several notifications rang out.

Congratulations! Your Fate the Philosopher’s Key has grown to Level 95!

Congratulations! Your Fate the Philosopher’s Key has grown to Level 96!

…

Congratulations! Your Fate the Philosopher’s Key has grown to Level 99!

So only one step away, Randidly thought with a fair bit of shock. He raised his hand to scratch his cheek again but stopped himself immediately with an awkward smile. All of the surrounding individuals were giving him heavy looks.

Sighing, Randidly could only give in to their demands; he stepped toward the edge of the summit and the vivid image of the Grim Chimera manifested around his body. The skin of his chest grew pale and translucent with his appendages became covered with leathered and thick skin. His left hand was a claw and his right hand was a bone spear. Two tails flicked idly back and forth, one at the base of his neck and one at his waist.

More than that though, Randidly’s Nether Gatekeeper tier power gathered a thick current of miasma around his body. The figure of the Grim Chimera slowly began to swell, fueled by the ambient Nether that was drifting up from the mountain range beneath him.

Still, it’s not like this means all of my efforts are for nothing, Randidly reassured himself as the Grim Chimera grew larger and larger. More and more energy swirled through Randidly’s body. After all, they say that the threat of violence is the last argument of kings.

Now the size of a skyscraper, that towering Grim Chimera roared its madness and descended between the two bloodthirsty armies.