Chapter 1540 (2/2)

Gradually, that light faded. Orbs of white fire blazed and slowly dyed the surroundings white a lighter tint of gold. Ripples began to run through the powerful life energy.

With gritted teeth, he endured the feedback from his own image. Then he continued to tune the details. The color gradually shifted around him. Randidly wanted to completely transform the manifestation fo the Inscrutable Mien of Genesis, and he believed that would start with the energy at its base. The golden sea of life energy was his focus, for now.

The force and weight of the image came from the concept of genesis. For Yggdrasil, that genesis came from the sheer amount of natural growth was spurred on by the ambient energy it released. This nurturing energy was the seed of that genesis. Refining the energy further would lead to a cascading series of changes through the Skill.

Randidly raised his hands above the golden sea and gently lowered them. The ‘water’ flowed up to his fingers, so the tips just lightly brushed against the surface. With the added layer of purification present in this energy, the sensation was almost painful. Energy that was very similar to electricity jolted up from the pure spring of energy and made the muscles of his fingers reflexively tighten.

But of course, energy was a very amorphous concept. Simply by refining the substance of the energy, Randidly would probably struggle to make any transformative change. Which was why he intended to cheat.

With great care, Randidly reached out into his Soulskill and seized a portion of the image fragments he had taken from the image with the bandaged eyes. They gleamed with a pale green light, tumbling end over end in Randidly’s palm. He tightened his hand slowly, gradually destroying the ancillary details until only the portion that Randidly desired remained. In this case, what Randidly isolated was the sense of ‘intent’.

The image had moved with such purposeful force that its attacks could cut through space with an admirable efficiency. Randidly didn’t want that damage, but he did wish to cause a small shift in his vital energy. In the past, Yggdrasil’s energy was simply an ambient encourager. It was just as much fuel as it was the impetus for the growth. But if he could shift so the energy was more purposeful…

As a subconscious, natural force, the Inscrutable Mien was near divine. It was the sleeping perfection of natural beauty, like a thundering waterfall. WIth consciousness and purposefulness, Randidly had no doubt he could reach an oppressive level of power with the Skill.

Inside of his downward-facing palms, those pale-green motes appeared above the sea of life energy. His fingers continued to spasm as Randidly seized it so directly, but it was within acceptable levels. With a soft gesture, he diffused those sparkling, pale green lights into the core of his life energy. Boldly releasing their light, they sank within the endless waves of golden energy.

From there, he began using his insights into Nether to subtly weave some structure into the way the golden energy was diffused outward from the core. Prodded by his will, those motes of pale green intention spread their radiance through the sea of golden energy as it steadily shifted its basic structure to a more considered flow.

As small flaws and inconsistencies emerged between the golden energy and the pale-green motes of light, the bolts of feedback coming along Randidly’s fingers grew stronger. The magnitude increased to the point that the muscles of his forearms began to cramp.

There were obviously dangers with incorporating foreign images into oneself. One was that you might inject something dangerous into yourself that you didn’t immediately notice. Randidly wasn’t so worried about this for two reasons: he could directly annihilate any offending image with Nether and because his three images mutually restrained each other, preventing a problem from getting out of control before he could restrain it.

In reality, the one reason that Randidly had hesitated wasn’t related to the specific images themselves, but the fact that he was pretty much marking himself by accepting these image remnants. Even if he reduced the image to its component parts, Randidly was willing to bet the original owner would be able to recognize the pieces that were now incorporated into Randidly directly. He would lose all access to plausible deniability this way.

But Randidly was willing to take the risk. His interaction with Wick had lit a fire in his chest. He needed to increase as strength as quickly as possible. This role as Head Drill Sergeant was an opportunity to gather resources for Randidly’s mission with Edraine, but it was also making him plenty of enemies in the process, simply by his association with Military High Command. He couldn’t waste this time.

When the three months of training ended, Randidly would need to be ready to defend himself. Counting on Commandant Wick’s favor to protect him seemed like an easy way to end up dead in a shallow grave.

Or a way to be somehow ‘improved’ by the Commandant’s madness, so that the individual Randidly Ghosthound was irrevocably warped beyond recognition.

After shivering, Randidly banished those thoughts and continued thoroughly reworking the flow of his vital energy through Yggdrasil. His fingers continued to twitch. The motes of pale-green light were steadily being diffused into the spring of golden energy, but some hint of that color remained. Occasionally Randidly would pause and open his eyes, peering at the way Nether flowed between the recruits and overseers. Then he would return to his Soulspace and imitate that organic shape with the vital energy.

As part of the newfound purpose, every bit of growth caused by Yggdrasil would be intentional. In addition, there would be something… almost unmistakable about those beings touched by Yggdrasil’s energy. Randidly didn’t want the effect to be too egregious, lest his ability to heal unaffiliated parties was negatively impacted, but he did want the energy to possess a signature frequency.

Those who were raised beneath the shadow of the World Tree would always recognize their own.

And speaking of shadow… Seeing that the process of refining his vital energy would take more time, Randidly’s attention shifted. He pulled his hands out of the sea of energy and shook his numb extremities lightly; he would need a few more sessions before he had achieved the desired effect.

So he raised his gaze and let himself fade back out to stand before the World Tree. He twisted around and looked a the deep shadows cast by the thick layer of emerald leaves. But before he was able to locate the Implacable Price of Exodus, he received a message from Helen.

We received a message from Superintendent Xeruth. It’s clear that he is… quite conflicted, but risked offending you to deliver the message. Apparently, there is a man who wishes to come to visit you on the Rally Station. His name is Velio Dunn. And he says he wants to fight you.