Chapter 1539 (1/2)

Despite the fact that the wound weakened the image, it was still strong. Competing just on image, Randidly was not sure his new Grim Chimera image would be able to overpower it directly. Which was slightly disappointing, but he had to give credit where credit was due. The sharp movements and powerful kicks the image displayed were certainly impressive; if his body had been present, Randidly would really have enjoyed the fight between them.

But perhaps because his body wasn’t present, the image suddenly displayed another extremely dangerous trait in a foe: decisiveness. His bandaged eyes scrutinized Randidly briefly, but then he spun on his heel and leapt away. All intent to fight had vanished. His leg flashed upward and Randidly’s tightly woven dome was sheered open as though it was a piece of rotten fruit. Even Helen’s Tides of Blood that circled outside of the root dome was instantly penetrated.

Randidly just smiled indulgently. The lacquer continued its path down his legs, forming a pair of armored shorts that stopped just above his knees. “Trying to run?”

Obviously, the image didn’t bother to answer the taunt, kicking again to destroy the air in front of it and accelerating forward. But just as the image was about to shoot forward, Randidly sucked in a deep breath. His eyes glowed with wicked glee.

Congratulations! Your Skill Cursed Appetite of a Wraith (L) has grown to Level 354!

Congratulations! Your Skill Cursed Appetite of a Wraith (L) has grown to Level 355!

Randidly’s Skill hadn’t changed in the most recent evolution, but his understanding of its usage slowly did. As the Grim Chimera shifted toward Supremacy, it could steal more than just Mana, Stamina, and trace amounts of Aether. Its covetous fingertips could gently tear away larger concepts from its victims. So Randidly seized some of the image’s acceleration. That, combined with his own dominant physical gifts, meant that he caught up to the image right as it was about to shoot out through the hole in the root dome.

The image’s gaze cut sideways. Randidly grinned and slashed right his right hand. The image couldn’t dodge, so it spun up a leg to block. Which only made Randidly’s smile widen. His hand passed through the block and seize tightly onto the limb. His fingers squeezed so tightly he cut slightly into the tough flesh of the image’s leg.

Then Randidly spun around and his half-meter thick lower tail, heavily armored and covered in lacquer spikes, smashed into the image. The image twisted and released a second quick kick that met the tail directly.

BOOOM!

Randidly’s eyebrows rose when the kick was enough to stall his lower tail. The force of the impact had loosened his hand’s grip. But even then, Randidly could tell it wouldn’t be enough. Damnit, why couldn’t the main body have come too…? This honestly feels like bullying.

Lowering his torso, the image prepared to kick off of Randidly’s arm and escape when its body spasmed strangely. Blood began to bloom out of a sudden hole in the image’s back. That oozing blood splattered to reveal Randidly’s previously invisible upper tail, that had whipped out and pierced into the image.

That attack also carried with it another payload of Nether, which fuzzed the edges of the image for a brief moment. The light it released dimmed further.

The upper tail was only two meters long, but its tip was just as sharp as the nails on Randidly’s right hand. It easily ripped itself back out of the image and flicked lightly from its position on the base of Randidly’s neck. The motion was fearfully casual, as the image's blood steadily evaporated from along its length.

Being briefly paused was enough for the image to miss its chance to run without being chased down and slaughtered from behind. Again displaying its decisive personality, it spun around and unleashed a kick.

The attack was fast, but Randidly only needed to lean backward. Meanwhile, Randidly’s lower tail snaked outward and spun around the image’s waist. With one leg lashing out to strike Randidly and the other stabilizing the move, the image was defenseless. The tail’s spikes pierced into the image’s torso as its grip tightened. Then Randidly simply tossed the wrapped up image back down into the center of the isolated space.

The sounds of bones breaking as the image smashed into the round was a testament to the quality of the image. Even though it was probably slightly stunned from the impact, the image quickly righted itself… and was met with another surging flood of Nether. He staggered sideways, portions of his body flaring and becoming fuzzy as the image struggled. Randidly floated lightly downward as its light dimmed further. He tilted his head to the side.“Rethinking this resistance?”

“You are making a mistake, doing this,” The image finally growled. But it seemed that was the extent of its desire to communicate because the dimming light around it flared to life. All the fading detail snapped back. This mental projection was cashing in on its remaining Aether to return to its prime state. The image spread its legs and leaned forward.

Randidly simply waited for this final bit of resistance to run its course. The image’s mouth twitched and then it kicked several times in quick succession. A rampaging horde of force waves galloped toward Randidly. Randidly observed with interest as the image released some of its tight grip over its form and seemed to simply become an amorphous presence amongst the force waves, hiding itself.

Grinning, Randidly flexed his massive left hand and his slender and sharp right. Then he stuck his left forearm up as a bastion in front of his body while lowering his right fist to his waist. The lacquer continued to shift across his body and creep upward. On his chest, the lacquer appeared to eat entirely through his torso and reveal an empty passage that would allow an outsider to see directly through his body. On his face, the lacquer covered his left eye and hollowed out the eyeball to leave a void.