Chapter 1604 (1/2)
Before Randidly thought very deeply about the other Paths that he should take, Randidly finished the current Path by inserting 3 more PP.
Congratulations! You have finished the Enigma of Serendipitous Chaos Path! As you proceed through the vast expanse of the Wilderness on a dark night, your eyes travel to the complex matrix of stars that lay snugly across the sky. For a brief moment, as the movement of wind and air stills around you, those dots of light seem to gleam with an unnatural and unexpected brightness. The rays of distant light weave together as they radiate down to the surface of the planet.
And in that split second, you are struck by a flash of insight given to you by the singularness of this perspective. Briefly, from this spot on this world under these stars, everything aligns. You peer through a small crack in creation and briefly witness the majesty of the grand wheel on which existence turns.
Your heartbeat accelerates. You glimpse the bones of truth.
Yet the wheel continues to turn. In the next instant, that small crack in the curtains of existence once more closes. The insight is gone, and you are left shaken and wondering.
Please note, to experience such chances is immensely unlikely. Before the next related Path becomes available, you will need to encounter such a chance within the Nexus purely by relying on your luck.
Congratulations! Grim Intuition, Willpower, Focus, and Control +50! Your Skill Nether Ritual (A) has evolved into Precise Nether Ritual (L)! Skill Levels will be maintained.
Congratulations! You have gained the Skill Environmental Insight (Ru) Lvl 1!
Synchronicity detected! Recalculating…
The Skills Analyze, Refine, Extract, Experienced Creator’s Ingenuity (A), and Engineering Savvy (R) have been combined with Environmental Insight (Ru) to form the Left Hand of the Nether Oracle (M). Skill Level set at 200!
Left Hand of the Nether Oracle (M): While the Right Hand may cast the Stones of Discernment, the Left Hand sets the holy table. When utilizing Nether for various external reasons, it is important to consider context. The Feng Shui of the chosen location is just as important as the individual utilizing Nether. Skill increases the user’s understanding of the surrounding space. Allows the individual to passively sense larger Nether flows. Small chance to increase the effectiveness of a Nether Ritual when this information is taken into account. Effects increase with Skill Level.
Randidly released a light breath after looking through the explanation of the Skill that he had earned by completing this first Path. After the shift occurred in his Soulspace and the new Skill coalesced, he felt the strangest hint of a sense he hadn’t possessed before. In all likelihood, Randidly wouldn’t have noticed that sense at all if not for his time within the shaft, stripped down to only his emotional and Nether senses.
As it was, Randidly looked up at the sky with luminous emerald eyes. The space rippled and shook as the Nether King and Commandant Wick continued to struggle. But after only a few seconds, Randidly lowered his gaze; he might have a bit more insight with this Skill, but it was still far from enough to witness and understand this conflict.
Congratulations! Your Skill Left Hand of the Nether Oracle (M) has grown to Level 201!
No rush to figure out this Skill, Randidly thought. Then he grinned. But it is a bit time-sensitive to make use of this pile of PP. So let’s get down to it.
Randidly glanced at the number that still induced giddy waves in his stomach, 89,099 PP, and then turned to look at the full list of Paths available to him. With this amount of PP, it wasn’t like he had to be discerning. But he did need to start somewhere...
Friend to Humanity 0/100, Mantle of the Patron 0/500, Aether Convergence II ???, the Bell of Doom Tolls 0/600, The Ashes of Ulaat, Patron of Ash 0/1000, Order Ducis: Font of Guidance ???, Humanity’s Torch 0/500, Puppet Master 0/100, Pain Immunity I 0/250, Cleaver of the World Tree ???, Weakness of the World Tree 0/500, Guilty Conscience I 0/100, Peerage of the Baleful Court I 0/600, Hands of the Artisan 0/???, Ashes of Illym, the Above-Average Child 0/5000, The Flame the Burns Memories 0/????, Exodus, the Terror 0/1000, Genesis, the Considered 0/1000, Image Cooperation I 0/100, Body Refinement I 0/???, Chimera’s Struggle II 0/????, Spear Mastery III 0/200, Mysteries of the Fiery Emerald Waltz 0/???, Violent Heat I 0/???, Sovereign of Violence I 0/1000, Deathwish III 0/3, The Pursuit of Alchemy 0/750, Weakness of the Grim Chimera 0/500, Weakness of the Stillborn Phoenix 0/500, The Shadow Beyond the Threshold 0/???, The Chimera’s Metamorphosis 0/2000, Greater Nether Core 0/???, Primordial Might 0/????, The Passion sans Shape I 0/???, Conviction of the Celestial Cataclysm 0/1000, Architecture of Yggdrasil I 0/????, The Trace of the Ideal 0/???, Physique to Break the System 0/1500, Glimpse of the Shallah I 0/?????, Emotional Evolution I 0/500, Breath of the Imaginary Firebird 0/1000, The Throne of Nether Homage I 0/500
Randidly’s mouth twitched. He could practically sweep all the small Paths up and devour all the Stat bonuses in the process. And since this pile of PP was burning a hole in Randidly’s pocket, he decided that a little of that sort of outlook couldn’t hurt.
Since his Riders were currently active and assisting with the neutralization of a Nether Pinion, his first choice was Peerage of the Baleful Court I. Every 50 PP Randidly put into the Path earned him 2 Reaction and 2 Wisdom. Without any fanfare, he quickly finished the path.
Congratulations! You have completed the Peerage of the Baleful Court I Path! It is a natural consequence of your prestige that your journey through this vast Wilderness has seen followers accumulating at your back. For one reason or another, they learn to trail behind you, mimicking your movements, following your orders, and establishing a natural hierarchy amongst themselves. They clump together and soon ring you in a solemn vigil.
Even upon the broken dirt of the Wilderness, such a circle can become the seat of a Court, provided you cultivate a suitable Spirit.
But natural hierarchies flow like water. As your organization has grown larger, a more rigid structure might be necessary. You have gained the ability to have four Rider “Barons” in service to you.