Chapter 1674 (1/2)

The moment was one of tenuous balance… or at least, Randidly figured it would seem that way to most of the other participants.

While Bennio continued to struggle to force his way forward under the barrage of Randidly’s branches, Todd sketched out his Scrawl on the carpet beneath his feet. Randidly had more than plentiful spare attention beyond the act of restraining the shirtless young man, so he observed the kid’s process carefully. Randidly had already earned quite a few Skill Levels, but he knew he still had more he could learn from Todd’s several years' experience.

So Randidly was keenly aware of the boy’s desperate movements. He saw the slight tremors in his hand and the unsteady flow of Mana. Inwardly, he sighed. It’s probably just the stress, but those lines… the depth of energy he pushed into them…

“I’m gonna fuck you so hard!” Bennio bellowed as a branch smashed into his nose and sent him stumbling a half step backward. His stare toward Randidly was becoming increasingly bloodthirsty.

Heh, a thousand years too early before you even have as much singe in your glare as Helen, Randidly thought lazily.

Todd continued to work, seemingly unaware of the inherent flaws in his shaped Mana. At the other side of the treeline, Randidly noticed that the teenage girl was gathering Mana around her and looking with sharp eyes toward Todd. There was even the slightest hint of an image in whatever ambush she had planned. But Randidly had plenty of attention to monitor that situation too.

And then something truly unexpected happened.

Todd paused in his work, energy flowing through his finger and into the Scrawl with a particular twist, like a pin anchoring a butterfly in a display case. The boy’s eyes quickly scanned through what he had created. His face narrowed into a frown but very quickly he began to work. And to Randidly’s utter shock, Todd incorporated the pattern of variant energy depth into the rest of the Scrawl.

The flaw became an asset, and at the core of the Scrawl a small flame of Kharon’s image manifested. In a way, Todd ‘borrowed’ the ambient natural image of Kharon by refusing to back down, even in the face of his own mistakes. He accepted those mistakes and continued to doggedly pursue his goal.

Then he pressed his hand downward and a living Scrawl was born. Randidly’s eyes glittered.

Lines of glowing blue energy rushed out from the central Scrawl and covered the carpet. Bennio bellowed again and covered his head with his arms. After lowering his stance and leaning forward, he charged blindly forward, electing to brute force his way through Randidly’s stick swarm.

Randidly tsk’d to himself and inserted several branches precisely between the kid’s two ankles, sending him sprawling across the ground in a tangle of limbs and snapped twigs.

Todd looked up from his energetic working with a shy smile of triumph. “Hop on! Time to bounce!”

Randidly laughed and lightly stepped, crossing the seven or so meters to the carpet and then kneeled down on the surprisingly soft material. Quick as a sizzle from an oiled pan, Todd flipped over the edge and joined him as the carpet began to rapidly gain altitude. Perhaps due to the method of the Scrawl, their ascent was erratic, but Randidly couldn’t help but grin. With the wind whipping through their hair, they were well on their way to a smashing getaway.

“Cannon of Destiny!” The teenage girl yelled, finally thrusting her hand toward the sky and activating the Skill that she had been nurturing for the last few seconds. Yet Randidly was somewhat confused when no change manifested in her area.

Todd’s face twisted into a worried look. “Careful!”

Randidly leaned forward and peered over the edge of the carpet, only to see the form of Bennio being flung upward by an explosion from the ground. The red-eyed, muscly teenager glared up at them with both fists raised.

Shal would have beaten me so brutally for trying to attack someone with such an open stance… Randidly thought idly. But as soon as he thought that, his expression turned sour due to the current complexities of their relationship… with Shal working with the Swacc Family, even with the olive branch extended by the Engraving Guild…

And then there were Randidly’s plans to try and incorporate Tellus into his Alpha Cosmos… but doing so without Shal’s blessing seemed a bit...

Todd must have seen Randidly’s dark expression and assumed it was a reaction to their current situation. He patted Randidly rapidly on the back, likely bouncing from their current ‘tense’ situation. “Don’t worry too much! All you need to do is keep him from boarding our ship. No matter how strong he is, we can just fly away from him. Just… push him away or something.”

Randidly nodded seriously and leaned over the side of the carpet. He raised his right hand then thought better of it, instead raising his metal left hand. The carpet beneath him continued to erratically rise and fall, making it marginally more difficult to judge when the approaching Bennio would arrive. However, Randidly’s emerald eyes were cool as he measured the space. He activated Ripple of Amenonuhoko and guided the currents of wind around and through his fingers.

Probably for the best not to touch him directly… Randidly decided.

“Intrepid Hammer!” Bennio roared as he whipped his body back and then flung himself forward, leading with his fist. His entire being followed, tumbling toward a somersault.

For a split second, Randidly tilted his head to the side as he heard this familiar name. Then he placed it as one of Naffur’s few offensive Skill and wondered what connection this arrogant and bull-headed teenager shared with the head of the Order Ducis.

And thinking THAT caused Randidly to pause again. Honestly… how old was Naffur…? Even with the five years that passed, he can’t be much older than twenty, right? And from the few members of the Order Ducis I’ve sensed in Kharon, he’s been doing very well, managing everything. I should pay him a visit.