Chapter 1498 (2/2)

And due to the seal that Yggdrasil had constructed within his body, the emotions were suspended within a relatively isolated environment. They continued to compound and clash, increasing their simmering intensity with each passing second. Soon, the emotions had shed all pretense of shape and just mixed together in a chaotic mass within Randidly’s stomach. Honestly, it was difficult to even sense what was occurring within himself; the emotions were chaotic and messy to the point that they barely resembled Aether at all. They were raw, pink, and slightly uncomfortable, like the revealed penis of a dog.

Sensing that Randidly’s mood continued to sour on this experiment, Yggdrasil stretched a golden root downward toward the emotions in an attempt to assuage his doubts. The root began to shine brightly, carrying with it the nascent sense that Randidly’s Skills could purify the emotions.

Just as soon as the emotions encountered the image, the tip of that imaginary root ballooned outward like it was displaying the time-lapse of a tumor’s genesis. The light it released became tainted, rapidly shifting to a red-pink hue. Decisively, Yggdrasil sliced off the root before the taint could spread. That hunk of image dropped down into the stewing emotions, twisting and morphing until it became so swollen that it had lost all articulable shape.

Then it popped like an overinflated balloon, spreading glittering notes of pink light like a handful of thrown confetti. Randidly coughed lightly. Unless one possessed the adaptability of the Grim Chimera, it definitely seemed like these emotions were a deadly poison.

Yggdrasil hurriedly upped the energy it used to suppress the emotions, no longer daring to stretch out its image to touch them directly. They continued to churn, rushing and gurgling like the interior of a washing machine, will all of the same disturbing lack of awareness of what happened within the contraption.

Luckily, that was around the time that the Stillborn Phoenix stopped producing the emotions. It rapidly began to slurp the strangely mutating emotions within itself. It didn’t seem to mind the changes at all.

Feeling some unconscious relief as the emotions were taken from within his body, Randidly accelerated further the next time his foot hit one of the walls. Man is Proud, But the Chimera Takes.

Crack!

Congratulations! Your Skill Man is Proud, But the Chimera Takes (L) has grown to Level 296!

While the wall beneath his foot fractured from the force, Randidly blasted rapidly upward. He purposefully activated Revelation of the Atramentous Threshold right before his jump, so he could peer upward and arrange for a path through all of the hanging cables. He streaked past with all of the subtleness of thunder, once more shocking those proceeding through the area at a more normal pace.

At almost exactly six minutes after Lady Iellaya had sent the message, Randidly rushed through the hallways of the military base and reached those familiar double doors. Octavius was there, waiting for him. He stopped Randidly before he could proceed directly into the room, reaching up to fuss at the collar of his uniform.

As though this was the first time that he had noticed it, Octavius examined Randidly from head to toe and blinked when he looked at his bare feet. “You… what happened to your shoes? Did you lose them while you were exploring?”

Randidly shook his head. “Never had them. I always liked actually being able to feel what was beneath my feet. And now that my body can grow to be as hard as steel… there’s no reason to restrain myself.”

“Huh. Even if you are fighting on dangerous terrain, you never put on a foot covering…?” Octavius seemed puzzled.

Randidly wanted to point out they had passed plenty of individuals who were literally naked while they had been on Bray Street, but decided just to shrug. He couldn’t deny that his few opportunities to fight on lava had been particularly painful. “Nope. Never have.”

“I wonder if it violates military code…” Octavius whispered to himself.

Frowning at the delay, Randidly purposefully asked. “...shouldn’t I be heading in there?”

Octavius’s eyes widened. “Oh! Yes of course! Don’t keep them waiting for even a second longer!”

Shaking his head, Randidly walked back into the interview room.