Chapter 1503 (2/2)

It isn’t just an insane independent image, its a part of a whole. Its an important part of me.

Randidly flexed his fingers and the Stillborn Phoenix spread its wings and released a wave of darkness that swept outward. The flames in the rain forest were gradually snuffed out. The darkness slapped against the surface of Kharon with a physical force, stalling it further. And then Randidly unleashed the full power of Hallucination of the Bloodless Heart. A ripple exploded through the surrounding space.

The power of gravity was banished. Stones, broken trees, and even the massive form of Kharon began to float upward as all of the surrounding area came under the Stillborn Phoenix’s sway. The waves of the sea rolled helplessly through the air, tumbling upward in a spiral.

Congratulations! Your Skill Hallucination of the Bloodless Heart (T) has grown to Level 296!

Randidly’s eyes were piercing emeralds in the darkness released by his image. With the added benefit of emotion aiding his usage, Randidly quickly overpowered Kharon’s resistance and overwhelmed their ability to cope with images. He physically breathed deeply at the end, pilfering a small amount of their image potency for himself as they crumbled and failed.

Congratulations! Your Skill Reign of the Eidolon Crucible (L) has grown to Level 251!

…

Congratulations! Your Skill Reign of the Eidolon Crucible (L) has grown to Level 275!

As he absorbed some of their images, Randidly began to frown. He had the vaguest inkling about the new Zone, so he paused as the Skill deteriorated and took a deeper look at some of the thoughts from people of his city. Only after he confirmed his suspicion did he allow the Skill to collapse and release his consciousness to return to the Nexus. Heh, seems like the new Zone has been able to domesticate a few species of giant lizards… a lot of Kharon’s children are excited about the prospect of riding a dinosaur…

The expression on Tatiana’s face as she tried to decide whether to acquire ‘riding dinosaurs’ was something that Randidly was very sorry to miss. And in fact, even though it had only been about a week since he left, Randidly felt rather sad that he wouldn’t he on Expira to experience these things with his planet.

But then the lines around his eyes hardened. I came to the Nexus for a reason. I cannot lose sight of that. Kharon can definitely manage without me. Meanwhile, the preparations I make here cannot wait.

With his emotions still slightly disturbed from the memories churned up by the Eidolon Crucible, Randidly instead spent the next several hours focusing on his Nether weaving. Not that he needed to maintain as thin a Nether presence down here as he did on Expira, but Randidly also didn’t want to set off any of the military’s alarms. Keeping his Nether presence low was a good habit to be in.

Somehow, he doubted that they would accept him as readily as he had been on the frontlines.

Congratulations! Your Skill Nether Sensation (L) has grown to Level 317!

But more quickly than Randidly would have believed, he received the message from Octavius that indicated that he should begin his return. He stood up from his position in the gushing energy and allowed the Stillborn Phoenix one last, massive, exhale. A wave of powerful emotions blasted upward toward the unsuspecting Nexus.

Randidly waved his arm and called his forces to him, to proceed back into the Alpha Cosmos until they reached the training ground. While he did so, he couldn’t help but notice that most of his soldiers had incorporated a tiny amount of the regurgitated emotions from the Stillborn Phoenix into their bodies. That distinct pink-red coloration in their images was easily recognizable when it was in front of Randidly, even if he couldn’t sense it from afar.

From what he could tell, it generally benefited his subordinates, which was why he hadn’t made attempts to prevent it. Perhaps because they already had some connection to Randidly and his Aether, the typically wild emotion adapted more easily within them and also seemed more willing to soften its gleeful maliciousness. Before they realized the depths of their own emotion for the images, this emotion could serve as a stand-in.

But Randidly knew he was going to keep a close eye on its development in the future. And that thought made Randidly press his eyes closed. There was simply so much that he was trying to juggle. It almost seemed like he had more work after he left Kharon behind in the capable hands of Tatiana.

Just as quickly, Randidly opened his eyes. Helen was the last one to be shifted, whisked away to the Alpha Cosmos. But he had one more order of business; before he proceeded upward, he opened up his Path screen.