Chapter 1554 (2/2)
In the strangest way, it reminded Randidly of having two Nether flows happening at the same time. It required the same unfocused effort, the same mixture of concentration and relaxation, the same inner acceptance. If he gradually allowed the edges of himself to spread outward…
Congratulations! Your Skill All Else Succumbs, Yet Time Whirls the Earth (M) has grown to Level 235!
As he did his best to simply savor the sensation, Randidly could see a Path forward for his image. The Grim Chimera… was more than a single entity. It spread across all universes, seeking to help itself survive at all times. Or, to expand it even further… the Grim Chimera was all life, seeking in different scenarios to always surpass the danger of the environment.
A smile quirked across Randidly’s mouth, ruining his concentration. It might be a bit much to say that I’m all life… But to draw more of a connection between the various versions of myself...
Shaking his head, he once more released a breath and cleared his mind. The Stillborn Phoenix continued to slurp down emotions and Vualla appeared to be meditating in the air next to him. His skin tingled from the cool air flowing up through the spine of the Nexus, as though he was being brushed by the breath of a sleeping beast. The image of his ultimate Grim Chimera Skill began to shine as it resonated with his intentions. Across space and time, Randidly felt the other versions of himself, also floating in the Web.
That resonance acted as a beacon, drawing more and more significance in toward the center. Randidly’s Nether Nebula shuddered and began to accelerate. Distributed across all the versions of himself, the pressure of his significance eased.
As he stretched, he began to move beyond this place. His mind was practically buzzing from trying to contain all the possibilities available to him, but he pushed himself further and further. The very familiar feeling of a mental strain headache began to pound behind his closed eyes. He raised his hand and pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose, but he didn’t break his concentration.
Randidly grasped at the divided versions of himself, seeing the limits of his reach. In the core of his Nether Nebula, an additional grey bubble began to form.
Very soon, his headache worsened. He achieved a precarious balance in his Soulspace, buoyed by thousands of phantom Randidly. The process was… fascinating. He could feel these different versions of himself and feel the slight ways they differed from him. And the longer he managed to balance himself here, in some massive communion with the various Grim Chimeras, more and more were drawn into arriving. Those Randidly’s that were further in likelihood from the main body could gather, adding their thoughts and feelings to the grand collective.
Congratulations! Your Skill All Else Succumbs, Yet Time Whirls the Earth (M) has grown to Level 236!
…
Congratulations! Your Skill All Else Succumbs, Yet Time Whirls the Earth (M) has grown to Level 243!
Suddenly, a ripple came through the Randidlys. One by one, they began to be ripped away from the collective. And the strangest wave of information came to Randidly. Although they vanished, he didn’t lose the details of those that had been so suddenly cut away. Those that hadn’t proceeded as deeply into the Web-
Congratulations! Your Skill All Else Succumbs, Yet Time Whirls the Earth (M) has grown to Level 244!
Randidly’s eyes shot open. The muscles along his jaw flexed. Despite the fact that the image was not yet sated, Randidly ruthlessly cut off the Stillborn Phoenix. Then he looked over at Vualla with what he hoped was a relaxed smile. “Hey, Vualla? Do you mind if I ask you for a favor?”
“What’s up?” Vualla opened her eyes and tilted her head to the side.
Randidly shrugged. The hairs on the back of his neck were beginning to stand on end. “Helen needs some help beating some sense into those two troublemaking recruits that I was telling you about. I hope you don’t mind… but when it comes to beatings, you are the best woman I know. Can you lend a hand?”
Vualla’s azure eyes regarded Randidly for a few seconds, as though she sensed something that he had tried to keep from his tone. Just as he was about to say something else, to try and force the issue, she nodded and smiled. With a sharp gesture, she sent herself drifting over toward Randidly. But as he put his hand on her arm, she reached over and squeezed his shoulder.
Her fingers felt as cold and dangerous as daggers pressed against him. Her smile sharpened. “You are a bad liar, Randidly Ghosthound. But I trust you. Whatever’s going on… don’t die.”
Then Vualla allowed herself to be teleported to within the Alpha Cosmos. After she disappeared, a voice drifted down to Randidly from above. “Heh. An audience is the best companion for a duel… but I suppose I admire your bravery in facing me alone. Who was that, anyway? She smelled strong. I guess I’ve had good luck since running into that Lamel. I keep finding people I want to meet.”
Randidly released a breath and faced upward. The reason that the alternate Randidly’s had been ripped away was now grinning down at him, with his tattooed arms folded across his chest. It was certainly a strange application, and one that would be almost impossible to maintain constantly, but All Things Succumb, Yet Time Whirls the Earth had given him just enough of a warning.
Not enough to escape, of course, but enough that the combative voice didn’t cause Randidly to flinch. Somehow, Velio Dunn had tracked him down.
His Philosopher's Key was steadily recovering, but it still took between thirty seconds and a minute to build a bridge between two positions. Randidly brought up his messaging function and then clicked his tongue in annoyance; his ability to utilize the System was being suppressed.
They came prepared. Damnit. Who knows that I regularly come here…?
Randidly was alone with Velio Dunn. And the man’s smile was slowly widening.