Chapter 1632 (1/2)
The formerly chaotic battlefield rapidly settled down. The dust gradually settled, revealing an absolutely ravaged sandstone slope sporting about eighty individuals standing around with their hands on their hips.
A few Pinnacle Seekers launched powerful attacks toward the spatial wall, but the aura of disintegration created by those dark patterns weakened the attacking images so much that they barely impacted the defenses around the wall. And so long as those defenses stood, the Pinnacle Seekers wouldn’t be able to reach the spatial wall.
Seeing those defenses, Randidly was absolutely certain that Commandant Wick had made more preparations for this eventuality than he would have originally assumed. Those patterns are extremely powerful and incorporate the principles of both Aether and Nether. But even I can tell its a one-sided, fixed barrier. If this was any other location than an isolated spatial cube, it would be suitable in only very niche instances.
But erected here, with that disintegration field being layered on top of it, even with me being able to utilize Nether, without a flaw in the defenses-
Randidly’s thoughts were cut short by Claudette walking up to him and smiling hesitantly in his direction. He tilted his head to the side in askance as her glance lingered. There seemed to be a query in her eyes as she examined him and it was clear the question she asked was definitely not the one that was on her mind. “Did you accomplish what you wished with this meeting? Were you seeking those objects?”
Randidly spared a glance for the Hierarchy of Burden in his hand and shrugged. Even now, he was drained from his interaction with Shal. “...no, I don’t think I got what I wanted. And looking at this barrier…”
Claudette nodded in sympathy. “The various Pinnacle Seekers have been in contact with their fellows; although this entrance into the final layers is blocked off, there are other avenues of advancement. We will need to spend some time shifting to the other route, but on that side is also the Frost Matriarch, so in the end, it will work out.”
“You are departing then?” Randidly nodded to himself as he stared at the pulsing disintegration runes. A short distance away from where they were standing, the Pinnacle Seekers were starting to congregate in a large group as they stared at the defensive array. “Then we will part ways here.”
“What? You don’t plan to head deeper?” Claudette seemed genuinely floored. She reached up and tucked a lock of hair behind her ears. “I had thought… I had thought your Path would require you to test yourself in these unique encounters. You can definitely be tempered by the foes waiting in the inner layers. And… I saw your expression as that man fled. The issues between you two have not been laid to rest. You should advance now, while you have this opportunity. Do not give up.”
Randidly could only chuckle at her urging. “You misunderstand me; I will continue forward, but I don’t need to circle around to find another path. I’ll just go directly from here. Might involve some work, but I should be able to swing it.”
“That… is impossible.” Putting her hands behind her back, Claudette looked at Randidly with a serious expression. “It isn’t a matter of power, you know; even Seeker Thunder Wing wouldn’t be able to break through that barrier. The defenses are two-fold: first, all are prevented from approaching by an infectious, destructive energy. Second, all images are inverted when approaching directly, resulting in them being useless. This is not something you can overcome.”
“What happened to the Claudette that said ‘If I would let a small impediment like this shake my determination to move forward, how could I ever hope to reach the Pinnacle’?” Randidly asked with a wry smile. Claudette looked at him speechlessly; she had said that before he had arrived at the isolated spatial island where they had encountered each other. But Randidly’s Grim Intuition had enabled him to observe for a bit before becoming involved. He had listened to her brave and overbearing conversation with the Engraving Guild representative.
At the same time, Claudette wasn’t necessarily wrong about the difficulty; the defenses certainly were powerful. But Randidly could sense a method forward.
After opening and closing her mouth several times, Claudette lowered her voice. “You truly will not come with us?”
But before Randidly could answer, a new and familiar voice cut across them.
“Heh, Miss Claudette, you should not doubt a man this confident. And you, sir, I will assist you with any one thing if you can break down this barrier for us,” Seeker Thunder Wing announced, causing Randidly to turn around. The man’s eyes wandered down to Randidly’s hand and they instantly widened in shock. Then he looked at Randidly with a more probing look. “...and I do not know how you managed to obtain that item, but I guess you don’t understand its history. A certain type of individual would pay a high price to add that to their collection. I’ll throw in information regarding that item, for free, assuming you aren’t just bluffing.”
Randidly squeezed the multicolored pyramid that he held in his hand, surprised to find that it was warm to the touch, as though it had sat for several hours in the sun. Meanwhile, the small black stylus in his other hand was ice cold; the hand holding that item tingled just from the few seconds of exposure. He stored both within his interspatial ring and examined Seeker Thunder Wing closely.
The man stood with his hands in the pockets of his leather pants, looking at Randidly with a small smile on his face. Considering his vest and spiked hair, Randidly could easily picture the man perched atop a motorcycle. But compared to the dismissive and testing encounter they had earlier, this treatment was leagues apart. Seeker Thunder Wing now looked at Randidly directly without sparing Claudette a glance.
Honestly, Randidly would have appreciated it if the Pinnacle Seekers went on their way. There were several powerful individuals amongst them that made him wary. In addition, dropping back down to just his subordinates would mean that he could act without fear of someone noticing his capabilities, especially now that he had rid himself of that Aether tracking device.