Chapter 1328 (1/2)

During the rest of the ‘party’, Randidly had to do very little talking or interacting with the surrounding people. Which was exactly how he liked it. And precisely what he needed at the moment.

Yet even if that should be true… why is this so hard…?

Although he kept some part of himself observing the surroundings, Naffur and Tatiana handled the rest of the arrangements. Which allowed Randidly to enter a meditative state to recover his mental energy. Obviously displaying his images earlier hadn’t been much of a strain, but the Dreamcatcher of the Long Night had left Randidy, well… wishing for a good night’s sleep.

At least, that was the plan. But Randidly couldn’t get over the way some of the other individuals from Earth looked at him. And they looked without any desires for a response, Randidly could sense. Their intentions echoed across the glowstone tile floor, even as Randidly continued to suppress the conductivity with Nether.

To these people, Randidly had become something akin to an unknowable abyss. They looked into him and his power and saw their own fears. It made his skin itch.

Yet all he could do is wait. The details of the joint expeditions were finalized and Randidly felt gaze after gaze trace his silhouette, filled with fear. Perhaps, through the strength that he had shown today, he had truly changed how the people of Earth will view him forever.

As the planning phase finished and most of the guests wandered out of the ballroom onto the surrounding grassy hills, Randidly stood like a statue in his original position with half-closed eyes. Some part of him finally began to relax. Acri squirmed uncomfortably but largely behaved. Sulfur was just content to be wrapped around Randidly’s torso. In a small attempt to distract himself, Randidly used his will to push through his Nether and experience its new consistency.

Yet even as people began to leave and revel outside, the interior stayed rather morose. Among those that remained, occasionally someone in the party would glance over at the still forms of Randidly Ghosthound and Octavius Shrike who had released such pressure with their images earlier. Everyone eventually looked away and then proceeded to join their fellows outdoors.

Thankfully I convinced Tatiana that they shouldn’t get the whole group to sing happy birthday to me…

There was, however, one area that had genuinely surprised Randidly: Theodora Greyman had stayed entirely silent during the whole of the planning phase. When necessarily, Richter had been the one to speak. Or Mark Rowel. The leader of Zone 1 had entirely held her council since being reprimanded by Randidly earlier. And most of the reason Randidly noticed was that her gaze had conspicuously avoided him during the entire meeting.

Perhaps the challenges hit the point home? Randidly thought to himself, disbelieving it as soon as he thought it. Yet as more and more people wandered out to continue the party beneath the stars rather than staying indoors, no situation developed. And therefore he was almost finished. Tatiana had given Randidly a very clear explanation of what the expectations would be for him, as the host of the party.

Some individuals, like Alana and Obyrn Myyr, nodded toward Randidly, but they also departed without saying anything to him. Most would stay in Kharon for a day or two, which meant that he could expect some private visits soon. But most seemed only too happy to flee from Randidly’s presence now that he returned with the heavy-imaged Octavius Shrike. They feared the duo.

Every second was a reminder of how much they now feared him. Randidly’s Nether spiraled slowly inward.

And in Randidly’s heart, that was part of the reason that he had been so careful with when and how he appeared before these people tonight. To avoid prolonged exposure. To delay this reaction. It was something akin to torture to simply stand there and watch the full gamut of emotions cross the party-goers’ faces.

These were the most powerful people of Earth. And most of them deeply feared him. Randidly kept his expression neutral. The Nether in his chest continued to swirl with dreadful intensity. The situation at the core of the Nether Nebula had stabilized, but each rotation of energy was progress in some small way. Randidly was sure that if the process would continue at this rate, his Nether would soon become his most powerful weapon.

More and more people walked out, forcing laughter and carrying flutes of champagne as they did so. Randidly glanced at Octavius. Octavius shrugged lightly, seeming to indicate that he had to deal with similar situations quite often.

I suppose Octavius is actually quite influential in the grand scheme of things… perhaps not one of the most powerful people in the Nexus, but he has a great deal of freedom with how he oversees this Seventh Cohort… Perhaps functions like this are quite common for him.

But before Randidly could let his meditative attention wander along the lines of the political situation of the Nexus, his gaze sharpened. With a light shake, he roused himself from his recovery state. He hadn’t returned to his full mental facilities, but unless he engaged in another sort of extreme training, his current mentality was more than enough.

“Winged Serpent. A word, before you leave.” Randidly said lightly. Originally, Randidly had intended on talking to Thea, but he sensed that there was something… dangerous about her current emotional state. So Randidly chose the Nemesai that seemed the most reasonable… and also the most influential of the other options.

The Winged Serpent, who had just been about to leave the ballroom with its companions, paused. Then it turned around and floated forward. Some of the other remaining individuals felt the mood and rapidly moved to vacate the area. Very quickly, all that remained were a few linger-ers in the upper level of the ballroom; the tiled floor had been completely deserted.

“What is it, Mr. Ghosthound?” The Winged Serpent’s tongue flicked outward and tasted the air.

Randidly chuckled. “I just wanted to say two things. First… I understand that your role as Nemesai is not your choice. By the same token… any violence that we use to stop you… it’s not personal. The Nexus makes monsters out of us all.”

Again, the Winged Serpent’s tongue flicked out. Randidly wasn’t quite sure how to read its expressions, but he believed that its eyes softened. “...indeed. And the second thing?”