Chapter 1522 (2/2)

He had come this far through gradual and consistent training. He wasn’t going to deviate now.

Randidly contacted Helen and Heiffal to give them the goal of splitting the various recruits up into squads and have them be able to survive against three Nether Gatekeeper. Then he contacted Edraine and talked a bit about what Commandant Wick had told Randidly. That conversation turned out to be rather illuminating because she gave Randidly some information on the broader situation in the Nexus.

Randidly had seen basically none of the proper Nexus, due to how quickly things had moved when he arrived and his commitment to training, but the situation in the Fifth Cohort was having some unintended consequences. Beyond the ring of teleporters that Randidly had initially arrived on, there were “Outer Realms” floating in space, which basically amounted to giant, middle-class residential complexes. And individuals with homeworlds in the Fifth Cohort formed a large percentage of the population in some of these mini-cities.

As the situation in the Fifth Cohort worsened, alarm quickly spread.

Under normal circumstances, the discontent might have been vocal but ultimately without teeth, but widespread Aether rationing since the creation of the Seventh Cohort, combined with the fact the Aether yield from this Cohort was unable to keep up with the Nexus expenditures, meant that there was already quite a few individuals who resented the Nexus. They were all too happy to arrange destabilizing demonstrations questioning the decisions of Nexus leadership.

The leaders of these demonstrations urged that the Nexus accelerate its timeline for armed intervention against the Nether threat. Otherwise, two and a half months from now, the entire Fifth Cohort might be obliterated.

After she relayed that news, Randidly was silent for almost a minute before he sent a message back. Reflecting on his meeting with Commandant Wick, he recalled worry and grim determination in the military man. Perhaps also a little bit of pride. But there had been little genuine fear or empathy in his expressions. Just so we are clear… do we know if the Fifth Cohort is a net positive for the Nexus in terms of Aether…?

Edraine replied almost immediately. Of course, it is currently a drain on the resources of the Nexus.

Randidly pressed his eyes shut. At that moment, he was back on Tellus as the hordes of the Second Calamity invaded. He stood on the Hallat and constructed a vast Engraving formation that allowed him to slaughter the soulless drones. And then afterward, he had taken a shovel and dug graves.

By the time he had attained the power to make a difference, so many had already died. Even now, that feeling of emptiness haunted him.

Very often in life, Randidly was so busy with tasks he needed to accomplish that he never stopped and reflected on how he felt. His heart silently bore the wear and tear of living without rest as he threw himself into one battle after another. He was unfeeling only because he simply forced himself to process everything at light speed, not worrying about how it was affecting him.

But this situation in the Nexus… this was not what he wanted. This was exactly what he didn’t want. To become a part of the Nexus leadership that might make the cruel calculation to delay action for a broader benefit while sacrificing lives in the process. Randidly raised his right hand and pressed it against his chest. His heart ached.

Yggdrasil hated the loss of life. The Grim Chimera solemnly bowed his head, acknowledging the struggles of other creatures to survive in this brutal world. The Stillborn Phoenix continued its heavy breathing. It may no longer howl in the same way, but its eternal obsession with accomplishing the impossible remained steadfast.

This cruel world must be changed.

Gradually, Randidly’s eyelids fluttered and then slowly opened. His eyes, at that moment, were luminous and green. His three images swirled together, driven by what he didn’t want… and Randidly could faintly feel the edge of what he did want. With that as the base, utilizing three images at once…

For now, Randidly didn’t grasp at that emotion to affirm his theory of image cooperation. He simply stood and allowed himself to experience those feelings. He needed power. Utilizing three images at once was a method to achieve great results, but the only way he would continue to improve was to work on his images. It wasn’t even about allowing the Grim Chimera to evolve; what he needed to do was refine the potency with which he believed in those images, altogether.

His Conviction of the Smiling Horror was overwhelmingly powerful, one of the highest of his Skill Levels. But it still wasn’t enough. He could push it higher.

Randidly drummed his fingers on his legs. For now, the plan would be to spend the next three weeks, until the next skirmish, refining his own images. During that time, he would simply allow what was occurring with the Nether flows in the training areas to continue unimpeded. When he came out of his seclusion, he could study the results.

Perhaps he could even use the principles he observed to create a larger version of the Nether system that he could spread across his Alpha Cosmos. And an array on that scale… would likely form a firm foundation for a Nether Class.

Randidly flexed his fingers and looked down at the Engraving in front of him. Time to see how effective these training pods really are…