Chapter 1641 (1/2)

“With the mission accomplished… I suppose it is our turn to assist such a bright young talent,” The Frost Matriarch announced. She glanced sideways but pondered a few seconds before speaking. “...Winged Serpent?”

The reliable Pinnacle Seeker bowed. Due to the admiration in the serpent’s voice earlier, he was the best choice for assisting. “Me and mine will ensure that the Nether Heralds remain frustrated and wounded.”

“I claim the other fight,” The Dusk Jackal said, taking a step forward and looking down toward the battlefield. He was currently engaged in his rather off-putting habit of drooling prior to a fight. The Frost Matriarch had a headache as she looked at him. The unfortunate side effect of her power was having the final say. Which was an almost empty political power that just guaranteed that someone would be upset with her decision.

And the Dusk Jackal was certainly powerful, but once his bloodlust was ignited...

Ultimately Frost Matriarch shook her head. She could afford his annoyance. “Not unless they pull one of their serious combatants from the assault on the Nether Spire. That group decided to follow the Ghosthound, apparently with good reason. So now let them prove their contributions against the Engraving Guild.”

And if he grew too insistent, she could simply freeze his heart until he had learned some patience. That was the sort of rough justice of the Pinnacle Seekers.

“Cheh,” The Dusk Jackal spat to the side. Meanwhile, the Winged Serpent flicked its wings and it led its people to glide down toward the battlefield. Magical runes filled the air above the serpents, but they weren’t inherently meaningful; they were simply the sophisticated images of the Pinnacle Seeker’s subordinates.

Yet as though symbols smashed against the blasts of Nether that the Nether Heralds began to shoot toward the Ghosthound, the symbols won. The Nether fractured and dissipated as the Winged Serpents flooded downward. While their images weren’t particularly overwhelming, they were extremely steady.

And quite compatible with the images of their fellows.

Meanwhile, the Frost Matriarch's eyes went to the Ghosthound, who continued to stabilize his Nether Ritual with his image. Due to his continued efforts, the space in the surroundings gradually cleared out of visual distortions. Which allowed her gaze to aim toward the actual prize.

In the center of the crater sat a dark mass of shifting hexahedrons, stabilized and locked down due to the two remaining Nether Spires.

*****

Helen put her hand on Randidly’s heaving shoulders as the flow of Nether through his body began to ease. He hadn’t begun swaying yet, but she had followed Randidly Ghosthound for a long time; she was intimately familiar with his habit of pushing himself beyond his limits.

His skin was burning hot to the touch, like a portion of that very same heat that had melted the Nether Spire had been present in his core. She was honestly surprised he could survive this heat; her fingers were almost scaled by touching him.

After breathing out a steaming breath, he nodded to Helen. “Thanks. That… was a lot more than I expected. Woo.”

Seeker Thunder Wing cracked his knuckles. “Don’t worry, we can take it from here. Hahaha! It’s finally time to run wild!”

Seeker Ozaer nodded. She wiggled a finger and a cloud began to condense above her hand The enigmatic Claudette smiled while her constant companion Narthalla scowled and raised her weapons.

Seeing that Randidly had managed to recover a bit from his mental strain, Helen released his shoulder before he set her hand on fire. Somehow, the heat lingered on her fingers as she produced and held her spear. She turned away to join the group heading to stop the Engraving Guild from coming over, but Randidly’s exhausted voice stopped her. “Wait.”

She twisted back around and looked at him. Truly, his state was not ideal. At the moment, the Ghosthound emerald eyes were dark. His lips were pressed together into a thin line. He beckoned Helen closer with a determined intensity. “I need you to do something for me…”

*****

Shal lowered his gaze and nodded. He had no choice in the matter. Per this man’s orders… there would be no detainment for Randidly. Such an insult to the Engraving Guild had to be killed. “I’ll handle this, sir.”

At the very least, Shal would give his student a quick death.

Gabriel Swacc smirked at Shal as though he understood the spearman’s thought process. “You had better. Oh, and one more thing. I understand that there is… a personal connection between you and that renegade Nether Core owner. But this isn’t a game, Shal. If they resist strongly… activate your Armament. Don’t waste time. The presence of the Nether King takes precedence.”

Shal nodded again and kept his eyes on the ground. Technically, Gabriel Swacc shouldn’t be able to order him around casually. But Lathis N’Gick, the shadowy figure at the head of the Nether Lattice, had told the manager in charge of Shal’s group to assist Gabriel Swacc now that they had accomplished their mission. And perhaps more importantly, Shal’s group was an independent company under the umbrella of the Swacc Family.

Even if he couldn’t order them now, Gabriel Swacc was a legitimate talent of the family. His words in the right ears could bring a lot of trouble down on Shal. So Shal schooled his feelings and planned to obey. Without another one of the Engraving Guild executives speaking up, there was nothing Shal could do.

As he began to march forward across the slope toward his student, Shal looked down at his hands that held his spear. The metal implement felt so heavy in his grasp. A year ago, I would have struggled to protect him until I was killed for my disobedience. I cannot deny that I’ve changed. But I’ve changed to survive, Randidly. I really hope I don’t need to show you the horror that has affected me…

You’ll need to flee from this place and do so convincingly. Or else...

About thirty individuals moved forward from the Engraving Guild, with orders to ‘secure’ the rogue Nether Core in front of them. Their leader was the manager in charge of Shal’s company, who wielded a massive iron club with brutal efficiency. The manager grunted and waved the club in the air, and as one they all accelerated.

Opposite them, the group gathered around Randidly split apart to meet the representatives of the Engraving Guild. But seeing that Randidly remained at the back and managed whatever working had stabilized the space in the crater, Shal slowed down and allowed his companions to surge past him. All the while, his gaze remained fixed on Randidly.