Chapter 1326 (2/2)

For a brief second, Isabella was able to make out the figure of what appeared to be a rhinoceros wearing a tailored suit, but then light once more filled her vision. The light underneath the singular form of the new arrival was enough to rival the light produced by all three of the Ghosthound’s images.

“Thank you for the invitation, Mr. Ghosthound.” An unfamiliar and deep voice replied. But the real tragedy was that the low voice came with an image.

This image possessed vast size, a monster of unfathomable proportion moving slowly to crush everything in the surroundings. After only hearing a single line from the new arrival, Isabella’s jaw ached from clenching so hard. And every time this new figure spoke, a dull ache ran through her very bones. “I will admit that this is the first such invitation I have ever received… but that is due to the weakness of the individuals in the Seventh Cohort, of course.”

Perhaps she noticed Isabella’s struggle because Mrs. Hamilton reached out and touched her elbow again. Instantly, grey threads seemed to swirl upward protectively around their corner of the ballroom. Isabella cast Mrs. Hamilton a grateful look.

Randidly spoke again, a disembodied voice in the surging tide of images and light. “I’d like to ask you some things very publically, Octavius. First… how many worlds have already made it to the First Calamity? In the Seventh Cohort.”

As Isabella now had some breathing room, she realized that it wasn’t just Mrs. Hamilton that mobilized their images. She could see Paolo, Kayle, Obyrn, Naffur, and King Phirun tacitly working together to shield the weaker individuals from the worst of Octavius's image. An impressive show of unity in the face of the monstrously large image that had suddenly appeared.

“Thirty-six thousand five hundred and one,” Octavius said in that same booming voice. The huge monster of his image moved again. Isabella could hear Mrs. Hamilton’s breath hissing out through her teeth. Several strands of spider silk strained and snapped as she struggled to soften Octavius’s image. “Although the Earth had one of the first Zones connect in the Cohort, others have since caught up. Few other planets had the… variance of results that the Earth did.”

“Currently, what’s the passage rate for planets in the Seventh Cohort? For that First calamity that over Thirty thousand planets have reached.” Randidly asked.

“Thirteen percent.”

These words were the vast beast image swinging its spiked tail, ripping through the motley assemblage of images that had been protecting the others. The people of Earth swayed. The vast monster of Octavius stretched its limbs and physically trampled the people in the ballroom. Isabella coughed uncomfortably and shifted her stance. Others collapsed directly, knocked unconscious by the brutal presence of Octavius’s image.

A two-part message, the content and the mode. Both painting an overwhelmingly bleak picture.

Randidly released a humorless chuckle. “And I’m sure you are aware of the… special opportunity that the Earth has been presented with? The Corrupted Invaders. Tell me, in terms of difficulty… how does it compare to the First Calamity?”

Octavius hummed thoughtfully. “A difficult question. Because the Earth is the only planet in the Seventh Cohort to have drawn the attention of the Nexus in this manner.”

Mrs. Hamilton released a low groan. More people staggered and fell to the ground. The vast monster shifted again. A vast eye trembled and then began to open. Across the ballroom, Isabella managed to make out the forms of Alana Donal and Hank Howard stepping forward to act a bulwark against Octavius's image. But even they were fuzzy and indistinct before the power of this Overseer’s image.

Randidly replied curtly. “Let me rephrase. If all the worlds that attempted the First Calamity were to attempt this test, what do you think the passage rate would be?”

“To eventually eliminate the risks… perhaps as high as 30%.” As Mrs. Hamilton’s expression grew increasingly grave, Isabella stepped forward. She wove her image as best as she could to support her teacher. But even so, as Octavius continued to speak, both struggled so that the people behind them weren’t knocked unconscious. “But to obtain the benefit by clearing the Epic Danger Zone within the time limit… likely less than 1%.”

“Less than 1%.” Randidly sighed. Then he laughed again, harsh and loud as the blinding light released by Octavius’s image. “One last question for you Octavius. Is this image you are releasing now… your full power?”

“No, of course not.” Octavius’s deep voice seemed almost insulted. Every beat of Isabella’s heart sent another wave of aching pain through her jarred bones. Enduring the presence of that vast beast was taking everything she had. And she was horrified to imagine the pressure that Mrs. Hamilton was currently bearing. “Some might be able to stand my full image… but most here would die rather quickly.”

For several seconds, Isabella felt like she was being physically flattened into a pancake just by that vast eye that flicked open and considered the people of Earth. But then a new sort of power spread outward. It was dark and cool, blowing like restlessly through the ballroom like the breeze that announced the arrival of autumn.

Thankfully, the pressure from Octavius faded. The lights of the images slowly dimmed. The glowstone tiles flickered and turned inert. Collectively, the ballroom release a sigh as the oppressive image faded around them. Yet just as quickly, people frowned as a new sort of pressure crept outward.

It wasn’t as overt as the prior pressure, but it was like the very air around them was turning inhospitable; no matter how seriously Isabella focused, her images suddenly couldn’t find even the slightest purchase in the space around her.

Without the lights on the ballroom floor, the situation began to resolve itself. Isabella got a better view at the smartly dressed Overseer that so effortlessly squished the entire room. And the Ghosthound’s three images were gone, leaving only a grim-faced young man dressed for war and wreathed in shadowy flames.

“Apologies for the theatrics, I just wanted to make sure I had your attention,” Randidly said quietly. He gestured and a large map sprung into existence next to him. “These are the locations of the Danger Zones with the corrupted invaders. Tonight, enjoy yourself. We still have time. But after that… we need to get to work, people of Earth. And we need to work together.

“We need to accomplish something that less than one percent of all the worlds in our Cohort can accomplish.”