Chapter 1646 (2/2)

Shal’s problem was that he was rigid in his beliefs. That was a strength against everything except an overwhelming force. To avoid a similar fate… Randidly took a step back from this battlefield where the best in the Nexus had gathered. There was no shame in admitting that he hadn’t yet reached this peak, not yet.

But Randidly remained confident in his own growth speed as he looked down at the smoky Nether King. A resolution slowly formed in his heart. Plus, he didn’t want this to become a habit in the future; he wouldn’t grow without being willing to push his limits. So in a quiet voice to himself, Randidly made a vow. Not this time… but next time I have a chance like this… To go toe to toe on an overwhelming battlefield… I won’t back away again.

There remained one last surprise in the volunteers. At an appropriate time, DiOrtho Vant quietly approached Randidly and asked if he could try and accompany the group. Randidly looked at his subordinate for several long moments as other subordinate Pinnacle Seekers made their pronouncements around him, measuring the ram demon with his emerald eyes. The same reasons that made this journey extremely deadly for him made the experience downright deadly for Vant.

Yet the DiOrtho stood in front of Randidly with eyes bright with determination. His time in Randidly’s Alpha Cosmos had done a lot to ground the demon. He could tell that this decision wasn’t a reckless one, it was a choice that had some thought behind it. The man even had a wife waiting for him back in the Alpha Cosmos.

Perhaps for the ghost of a timeline with a widow, Randidly was about to say deny him. But to his surprise, Seeker Ozaer approached the duo while they were talking. Other Pinnacle Seekers continued to, at the appropriate time, announce their intents around them. At this point, everyone said they would not be joining the expedition. The female Pinnacle Seekers heavy eyes followed Vant after Randidly gestured and the subordinate retreated a small distance.

Ozaer blinked slowly. “I assume your subordinate wishes to head with the delegation, yes? Obviously, his individual strength is meaningless here. But I wish to volunteer to protect him. Truthfully, I will not be much help in the climax of this scenario either. However, I can certainly manage to protect both my apprentice and yours.”

Randidly frowned at the strange Seeker Ozaer. The fact that she had taken the initiative to approach him was slightly bewildering. “Forgive me for saying this so bluntly… but why? You don’t… seem the type to involve yourself in the business of others.”

Seeker Ozaer’s face stayed extremely serious as she replied. “True. Unnecessary relationships, in my experience, just muddle one’s image. But your subordinate... is a special case. I don’t believe even he has realized it yet, but… the core of his image and my image are birthed from the same source. People like us… tend to be drawn to suicidal situations when we wish to improve. And if he manages to survive… his abilities are sure to explode.”

Randidly’s frown deepened. The way Seeker Ozaer spoke was genuine, but he couldn’t really follow what she was saying. “You believe Vant’s image… is related to clouds? Or a storm to end the world?”

“Destruction from a source most bizarre unites us,” Seeker Ozaer clarified, still with that completely no-nonsense expression. “The current form of his image is hollow because he hasn’t yet discovered this absence. He’s been working on improving his foundation these past few years, yes? Without his image achieving a breakthrough? Well, due to those efforts, his potential is now ripe. Should he walk the high precipice between life and death… the esoteric frivolity of ‘societal’ interaction will become obvious. From that, the logical conclusion is to eschew relationships and pursue the wide expanse of mysteries that plague our universe.”

Randidly looked rather blankly at the suddenly effusive Seeker Ozaer, which she took as an invitation to continue. “Heh, truly, I was similarly wondrous when I discovered this secret layer for myself. Do you know, hundreds of deaths occur each year that even the Nexus’s finest investigators are unable to solve. Images are conjured power, but their capability comes from very real horrors that still lurk in the depths of our universe. Yet because acknowledging the existence of such monstrosities requires one to reject all of one’s preconceived notions of security, the only time it can be done is after one has stared into the maw of death and escaped. Your subordinate hasn’t quite stumbled across this concrete truth, but his psyche already is aware that his current Path won’t carry him forward for much longer. Which is why he volunteered; he knows an extreme experience is necessary to bridge his uncertainty.”

Setting aside the issue of Seeker Ozaer’s strange philosophy, Randidly turned and looked at DiOrtho Vant. The ram demon was crouched next to the recuperating Helen and Raymund and staring at them with a serious expression on his face. He wasn’t sure if the ramblings of the Pinnacle Seeker were necessarily true, but there was definitely one fact that became abundantly clear after hearing the Seeker’s opinion: DiOrtho Vant was unsatisfied with his image’s progress.

Even as Raymund developed his ability to steal other fighters’ images, Vant remained stagnant. Despite his relatively calm exterior, the pressure under which he put himself must be massive.

Randidly released a breath. He believed this was a bad idea, but he wasn’t truly Vant’s commanding officer any longer. And he understood better than anyone the overwhelming mandate to accumulate strength.

Randidly beckoned and DiOrtho Vant came over. “Alright, you can go. But you’ll be under the command of Seeker Ozaer. Make sure you aren’t a nuisance.”

Vant clasped his fists and bowed to Randidly and then followed Seeker Ozaer, who had already begun wandering away, back toward the main force. Helen grimaced and raised her hands above her head. Her shoulders cracked in a chained series of pops. “Should I go with him?”

“Nah,” Randidly shook his head and offered her a bitter smile. “We cannot protect him. Besides, there is something else we need to do.”

Helen frowned at him and Randidly gestured around them. “The Nether King is currently the core of this conflict and isn’t going to go down easily. But afterward… the strange stratification of space will collapse; once more this will just be the Military Headquarters Planet of the Nexus. I need to do some research to prepare for the fallout, and I’ll need your help to construct some countermeasures.”

Helen sighed and nodded. Meanwhile, Randidly turned and looked at the shifting sparks of Nether above them. The air was filled with genesis and oblivion; significance spun through a very realistic cycle of life and death every moment. The brief flares of significance created shifts that affected the surroundings in unlikely and chaotic ways. Then they vanished, the disparate pieces breaking down until they were incorporated in surprising ways into new flares.

Not only Randidly’s understanding of Nether but also the aura of vitality of his Yggdrasil image and the Stillborn Phoenix’s all-consuming absence could be improved by studying the capabilities of the Nether King.

Time to get to work then. Randidly cracked his knuckles. So the next time I’m thrust onto this battlefield, I don’t need to retreat.

Congratulations! Your Skill Left Hand of the Nether Oracle (M) has grown to Level 276!

Congratulations! Your Skill Revelations of the Atramentous Threshold (T) has grown to Level 394!

Influence +4!

Congratulations! Your Skill the Inscrutable Mien of Genesis (M) Has grown to Level 329!