Chapter 1509 (2/2)

Not the real Randidly Ghosthound, of course, but the Randidly Ghosthound who was the Head Drill Sergeant for this special recruitment drive. All of the subordinates had been informed that Randidly was playing a brutal and pitiless taskmaster and were all too willing to feed into this false impression of Randidly.

Honestly, the enthusiasm with which his subordinates embraced this performance was somewhat alarming to Randidly. He wondered for several if he should assign them some extra training to keep their minds from dwelling on such silly things, but then realized the irony of that thought and let it go.

Randidly stretched his arms above his head and cracked his back. Then he reached up and ruffled his dark hair while yawning. Alright, time to become an absolute nightmare.

Rolling his shoulders, he worked most of the tension out of his chest and back. Then he began to concentrate on his images. For this first reveal of this hard-nosed character, Randidly wanted to come with all three of his physicalizations at full strength. Not only did he want to impress the recruits, but he had a reputation to uphold.

Although he had hidden the Grim Chimera and the Stillborn Phoenix while applying for this position, now he had the job, there was no longer any reason to hold himself back. No longer did he need to appear easily controllable. Randidly closed his eyes and tried to find that common thread of emotion that had briefly allowed a near-perfect union of his three images.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t find that easy settling point; that special moment was extremely difficult to recapture. So instead of finessing the issue, Randidly’s Willpower tightened around the three images and forcefully pressed them together. Across his body, the muscle fibers swelled and twitched as the physicalizations intensified. Sparks of electricity crackled around his metal left arm as image and Engraving began to steadily mix.

A nonexistent wind ruffled his hair as the individual strands slowly were dyed emerald, seeping outward from root to tip. Randidly growled as his shoulders and spine shifted into a wider resting point. The light around his left eye swirled and melted, sucked into the abyss of the Stillborn Phoenix. His heart began to pound against the limits of his ribcage, pumping hot blood throughout his body. Randidly flexed his fingers as the temperature of his person steadily rose. Heatwaves rolled off of him, a physical manifestation of the warping influence of his images.

When he released a breath, it came out in a blast of steam. His veins began to steadily glow with a golden light. A single tail flicked side to side from the point where his neck met his back while a much thicker tail extended outward from his waist. Randidly flexed his bare toes and pressed them against the ground. His skin began to darkened and char. His metallic left arm began to bulge in size, soon becoming a massive, monstrous claw. His right arm remained slender, his fingers lengthening and sharpening into deadly points.

Randidly released another breath, containing the combined weight of his three images within the luminous discharge. Their emotions clashed and rose like a flag hastily pulled up a tall metal pole. The Grim Chimera was impatient, wanting to dedicate most of its effort to its imminent transformation. The Stillborn Phoenix had settled into a calm cycle of refining and releasing emotions, no longer acting as erratically as it had in the past. Yggdrasil was filled with a boundless warmth, excited by the prospect of guiding so many recruits to discover their own images.

Randidly felt those emotions churn within him. He felt the edges of his physicalization and the way his emotions charged his person. He was prepared.

With a flick of the wrist, Randidly produced his Philosopher’s Key and settled it into the air. As he did so, he reminded himself that he would need to open a portal to the heart of the Web to release and absorb some more emotions during the next few days. Before he came to the Fifth Cohort Rally Station, he had demonstrated his Fate’s ability in front of Edraine, and she had completely been unable to detect it. As such, he felt relatively comfortable using it freely.

Randidly twisted the key and opened up the portal. With a single step, he crossed from the heights of the tower to the muddy and pitted Southern area. Immediately, Randidly felt the attention of all of the recruits snap to him. He suppressed a smile, keeping his expression severe these first few seconds were the most important. More than his other images, Randidly allowed the Grim Chimera’s impatience to dominant his aura. He released another steaming breath, wreathing him in a partially luminous cloud as he studied the recruits.

This was the Head Drill Sergeant they would have. Impatient. Distant. Monstrous.

He had sensed their images as they fought, but now Randidly could look at them directly. The winner of the tournament regarded Randidly with an uneasy stare, a begrudging respect and an aggressive pride clearly warring in his expression. He was a dusky-skinned young man with white hair and rams horns curling away from his head. Sensing his gaze, Helen supplied the young man’s name through message: DiOrtho Vant.

Randidly’s gaze moved on to the second-place finisher, a gentle seeming young woman covered in brown fur. This, then, would be the reason that Commandant Wick was throwing his weight around behind the scenes. Her name was Charlotte Wick. And honestly, the attitude she displayed was impressively respectful and controlled. She made a much better first impression than the tournament’s winner.

Not that I can say anything about him just for being so off-putting. Troublemakers who have that much attitude generally have the skills to back themselves up… Randidly reflected.

Randidly’s gaze shifted down the line. In third place was a massive grey dog called Vizzeret Clamman. Fourth place was a positively regal looked foxman named Raymund Ballast. Fifth place, was a being of pure flame named Jieu Ronault, who amongst all of the recruits was the only one who radiated a powerful and emotional aura of inner peace. That one was definitely a recruit worth training.

Beyond that… Randidly increased the speed of his scan, stopping briefly only on two more individuals as he observed the whole of the recruits. First, at twelfth place was a surprising presence: Kallum Xeruth, the ‘hostage’ son that made the Superintendent so docile. His aura was radiating fear, but there was also a hint of stubbornness to him. He possessed genuine ability, befitting the son of a Superintendent.

Finally, Randidly’s eyes settled on a slender recruit that Octavius had already warned him about. Benjamin Rex. Although they weren’t sure of the intimacy of the connection, it was obvious that he had ties to Solomon Rex, one of the most powerful and mysterious figures in the Nexus. In addition… Benjamin was ranked 101 out of 200. Basically, as close to the middle as possible, despite having the best image control of all the recruits.

Congratulations! Your Skill Torch of Long and Slow Silences (A) has grown to Level 174!

Alright then, let’s get this started, Randidly thought. Then, he cleared his throat.