Chapter 1346 (2/2)

First, the last thing that Lyra had said about the Special Investigator’s activities. “He likely won’t kill anyone, but I believe his goal is to shatter the most powerful images of the people involved.”

And who was more integral to the current plan than Randidly himself? Even if he wasn’t planning on going with any of the teams for the Danger Zones, or even the Epic Danger Zone, it was the force of his presence that held the teams together. Without him and the assistance of the forces loyal to him, it would be a difficult road to clear the Epic Danger Zone before the seventh Zone connected to Earth. And that failure would leave the planet saddled with an enormous Aether debt.

And of course, the more Randidly reflected on it, the more ominous Lyra’s first statement seemed. “Apologies. I appear to have lost track of time, looking forward. Sometimes when you step through certain thresholds, what you find on the other side isn’t what you expected.”

At the time, Randidly had just thought that Lyra was speaking about the gulf that had formed between the two of them compared to their early relationship, despite the cooperation they had to create her Class but now…

A baited trap that Lyra never spoke about, likely because she couldn’t. Or because she was being watched during our discussion. As Randidly’s fury built, some of the tight reins that Yggdrasil and the Grim Chimera had kept on the Stillborn Phoenix were loosened. Both understood what was happening and allowed it to occur; this state of affairs raised their hackles as well. The muscles on Randidly’s arms bulged as his entire body flexed but he kept himself entirely still in his sitting position. The root structure around him began to shudder and warp as a fist-sized orb of blackness appeared in front of Randidly.

The Stillborn Phoenix released a long breath into the surrounding air.

Because the fact that the Swacc Family put the Earth in its sights proves this isn’t just about me- this is about teaching a lesson to all who are involved with the ignominies of the Swacc Family. Really, I’m leverage to get at Lady Iellaya, at whose feet most of the suspicions likely fall. I’m just the chosen sacrifice. They didn’t send someone to kill me; likely if that had been the plan, I would have already been struck. No, with the sort of family that Ileot belonged to… they likely want to break me.

They want me to feel powerless and frustrated. What better way than forcing me to take a certain Path in order to become powerful enough to matter… and find out later that the choice I made doomed me?

Randidly wasn’t precisely sure how Dungeons worked, but there was clearly a construct of Aether that tethered the real world to the world within the Dungeon. And a portion of that construct was involved in the disparate density of Aether and the strange relativity of time. Certainly, Randidly could use the Philosopher's Key to escape most physical traps… but what if they sent him to a world where a minute on that world was a day on Earth?

Before I even notice what’s happening, it’s too late. Randidly ground his teeth together. His short black hair was ruffled by the spreading influence of his image. I receive messages but by the time I can react in the slowed time, more people are dead.

The root construct underneath him groaned. With a loud snap, a paper-thin crack appeared in the base. Light began to bend around the black orb in front of Randidly as its influence reached toward the surrounding area. The greedy devouring of the surrounding air released a thin, keening cry.

It was difficult to know whether the attack that Lyra had spoken about would even be carried out; she might have been ordered to tell him just to force him to react. Because truly, what would attacking the elites of one of Earth’s four task forces really do? Even losing two of the groups would still leave Earth with several capable individuals. The System was all about one person developing a dominant image and Randidly was pleased with how many individuals with potential he had seen at his birthday party. They were nowhere near ready, but Randidly at least had hope for the future.

But the Swacc Family knew about Randidly's actions on the frontlines. They probably knew that one of the best ways to get him to move was to attack innocents. Just like Randidly had gone out to fight the first Nether Gatekeepers in that horrible, final attack of the Nether King.

Which meant that the timeline might be even shorter than Randidly had believed. This was a plot to target him, then he would be targeted when he went to a Dungeon.

The energy in his hand hummed with certainty that this was correct. This was the subconscious fear that had earlier pushed aside the decision to go to a Dungeon.

Randidly’s first instinct was to rush to a Dungeon now to confirm that it could be hijacked like that, but he rapidly controlled that impulse. Gritting his teeth, Randidly had to admit that was exactly what this person probably wanted.

The fist of pure blackness in front of Randidly had swollen to the size of a medium’s crystal ball. A breeze rustled the surrounding grass, pulling stray leaves and twigs across the ground to float up and be devoured by the singularity. Light bent around the circumference, spinning and melting inward as it was completely captured by the Stillborn Phoenix’s pull.

It was fortunate that the dark emotions of Illym now had a vehicle within Randidly to exist, but now he was dealing with the problem of his own emotions being drawn into the dark cycle of those impulses. His fury was a physical thing, shaking the surrounding air. The deceptively still black hole that Randidly conjured demanded that everything be broken as it sought its inevitable fulfillment.

The eye of the Stillborn Phoenix fluttered lightly, deep within Randidly’s image.

But Randidly relented. The egg of depression winked out of existence. Leaves and twigs that were about to be devoured fell around Randidly’s feet. And Randidly had to take a step up and outward as the groaning shell of the root structure he had built collapsed down from the strain of being so close to his image.

The rain still fell, but it was a milder touch. When the infinitesimally small drops landed on Randidly’s right arm and shoulder, the cooled him.

Well, at least I now have a better idea of what is about to happen. Randidly’s eyes were flinty as he started toward the horizon. More and more of the maybe-black-maybe-purple revelation covered his body. Now I just need to figure out how to punish this fuck for trying to trick me…