Chapter 1676 (2/2)

Influence +15

Influence +9

Randidly released a steaming breath and rolled his shoulders. When he had walked into the main area of his Nether Core, a thick wave of energy and significance had immediately blasted outward and spiraled around his body. Apparently, a small portion of the energy pooled here, waiting for Randidly to return and harvest it.

He did so gladly.

The process took several hours, as he incorporated the power and resulting Influence that flowed into his body. His Nether Core practically hummed with pleasure. Then he straightened and looked around the area. Without the potent energy in the air, the space seemed somewhat hollow. The wide room was barren, aside for a few steps bringing one to stand before a massive pillar in the center of the room.

At first blush, the pillar seemed to be covered in a curving Engraving. But even those unfamiliar with Engraving would soon notice the ambient sense of life and pressure released by these markings. It was not Mana nor Aether that flowed through these curving lines, but significance. The deep, desperate, determined significance of Randidly Ghosthound.

Beyond that, an ominous halo of Nether swirling constantly around the room. Standing here was being part of an eternal flow, wading into the energy that animated the body of Randidly Ghosthound.

Even Randidly stood solemnly for several seconds, just staring are the shapes, allowing a part of himself just to be buoyed away by the currents of meaning that radiated from the pillar. His breathing continually slowed and he felt himself aligning with the flavor of inspired brilliance that his Visage of Obsession had allowed him to achieve in the creation of his Nether Core.

Looking at it now… it’s a wonder I managed this, even with five years...

The process of alignment only took a few minutes, likely due to the fact that Randidly was already intimately connected with his Nether Core. But Randidly believed that the process would be much slower and more gradual, perhaps even slightly uncomfortable, for any student who managed to reach this depth.

But like a religious zealot who reached the destination of the pilgrimage, Randidly knew that what they found here would arm the students to succeed in the future. The pulse of Kharon’s spirit was strongest in the Academy. The core tenants of Randidly Ghosthound that had birthed that spirit would only benefit them, even if it was uncomfortable at first.

After acclimating himself, Randidly examined the central pillar more closely. He didn’t know how he felt about the development, but the curving lines of significance had definitely begun to grow downward off the pillar and onto the raised dais.

Abruptly, Randidly had an image of what this place would be in the future, as his significance continued to grow organically down the floor and then up to cover the walls until the whole room was filled with enigmatically curving lines that pulsed with flickering light. Randidly’s emerald eyes began to glow as he could feel the room changing in his imagination, three monstrous images curving the script of their Engraving until they hung on the walls as elaborate frescos. Their subtle lines would hint at the horrifying Weight that lurked behind each of them.

Standing in this place would be like standing in the heart of a Calamity.

Randidly narrowed his eyes and raised a hand to cover his chest. And if I have to become the Calamity for the Nexus as a whole, that’s fine. This exploitation, abandonment, and then callous disregard for lives that have gotten so dependant on Nexus Aether needs to stop.

Randidly breathed out through his nose and pressed his eyes shut. Gradually, that oppressive image of what this location will one day become slowly faded away, leaving him simply standing in front of an influential pillar. His Nether Core happily slurped up the significance of that imagined scene in the background.

When he was ready, Randidly produced his Philosopher’s Key and left Kharon Academy’s Labyrinth. He had earlier breezed past the vast spaces between the trials, but he wasn’t quite in the mood to go back through and look at the transition areas.

Instead, Randidly went into the city, still without wearing a disguise, and wandered around until he found a restaurant with a potent enough image that he could smell it outside the building. Again, contrary to Tatiana’s warning, no one seemed to notice Randidly. Occasionally he earned some long looks for his tail, but he was somewhat exasperated that no one noticed the founder of the city in which the people were living.

But I suppose some might be tourists. And also… Randidly eventually selected a bourgeois eatery called Selene’s and walked inside. The restaurant was busy, mostly laborers in grease-stained overalls hunching over their plate to eat quickly. A hostess greeted him with a smile and guided him to an open table. For the average person, I’m just a legend. Heh. Even if my efforts had a very concrete effect on their life, our lives don’t intersect enough for my face to be memorable. That’s… somewhat depressing…

The hostess turned around and left Randidly at the table. And he was just about to sit when something occurred to him. His lips twitched. This… am I really going to need to ask Tatiana to give me some spending money while I’m here…?

“Sir Ghosthound!”

The words instantly quieted the entire restaurant. It was like the speaker cast a spell, reeling in all of the attention of the patrons and workers. Looking immaculate in his Commissioner of Police uniform, aside from a bit of egg at the corner of his goatee, Klein Arrietti stood at his nearby table and awkwardly bowed toward Randidly. “I had no idea you were in town, sir. Please allow me to treat you to breakfast.”

Randidly rolled his eyes. His tail had at some point unwound itself, now flicked casually back and forth behind him. Goodbye, sweet anonymity… I should never have mistreated you~