Chapter 1683 (2/2)

Once again, all it took was for a single individual to break and suddenly there was a wave of Skills shooting up through the air toward them. Some went wide left, some run, all of them spraying in apparent randomness around their position. Randidly’s hand wove back and forth, guiding the ripples to where he would need them to neutralize the strikes. Then he leaned forward and accelerated, earning a yelp from Todd.

They skidded on an air current and whipped around one of the largest of the emerald moss spirit highways, Eileen and her minions in hot pursuit.

The slipstream began to emerge again to drag their pursuers within twenty meters of them, but Randidly was more concerned manipulating the ripples. As more Fireballs and Arcane Orbs zipped past, he twisted the wind currents and smashed the projectiles to nothing before they could go wide and hurt a bystander.

The duo and their ambushers wound their way up through the air around the emerald highways, spitting colorful and bright projectiles in every direction. At first the antagonism from the clueless Order Ducis agents observing him spiked upward, but it gradually began to sink downward as Randidly guided the ripples around them.

Congratulations! Your Skill Ripple of Amenonuhoko (M) has grown to Level 369!

“It looks like fireworks…” Todd muttered behind Randidly. The bright and eye-catching display that ended in a smothering pop… did indeed look quite a lot like fireworks. A dragon of wind and multicolored projectiles continued to slither upward through the airspace above Kharon, dragging more and more eyes upward.

Reminding his city about the wild and magic spirit that had founded it.

Randidly, who had intended for just such a display, tried to display the sort of wild, joyful grin he had on his face earlier when they had escaped the original ambush. But as his senses spread outward to manipulate the ripples, he couldn’t help but sense more of Kharon. He felt some of the leeches that had come to his city, saw how they had wedged themselves into small spaces to try and hide the effects of their images from authorities.

Randidly’s lip curled upward. But for now, he did nothing to those people. Instead, he tapped into Reign of the Eidolon Crucible and released the radiating waves of the joy of these kids throughout all of Kharon. Hopefully, that would begin to push these people to understand what sort of city this was.

His purpose accomplished, Randidly leaned forward and let loose his tight control of the S.S. Yggdrasil. As they continued to gain altitude, their speed kept climbing upward. Without much fanfare, they smashed through the sound barrier. Their pursuers dropped like flies behind them, the bright Skills ceasing as the duo moved out of range. The wind howled around them as Randidly leg go of the ripples and simply road the S.S. Yggdrasil; he had seen enough.

It was now time to simply feel.

Behind him on the vehicle, Todd was laughing maniacally. “This is frickin’ amazing!”

They kept climbing, moving past agricultural and residential skyislands until they even passed the highest skyisland, Randidly’s own floating home. And from there, they didn’t stop. The two of them pierced straight upward through the cloud layer and intruded upon a different world. Soft, rounded hills ambled below them in an endless sea. Inflated, cotton edges pearls rolled endlessly all the way toward the horizon.

The light reflecting off the clouds was almost blinding.

“Wow…” Todd blinked several times.

Randidly nodded slowly. “Yea. If you make the effort to search this world… there are some pretty amazing things you can see.”

*****

Sam crossed his arms.

Sunan stood very, very still between Regina and Sam while the three of them stood on the roof of one of the main commercial buildings and looked upward at the strange display going on in the sky. A crowd had gathered on every roof in the surrounding area, watching the rogue band of vehicles ignore the emerald thoroughfares and simply fly in a random and spectacular pattern.

The Fireballs, Ice Blasts, and Arcane Orbs seemed to be shooting sideways to impact other flying vehicles or one of the surrounding skyislands, but at the last moment, they would always explode in a starburst of color. But even more than the visual display, the image that radiated off of everything...

Looking at it, Sam could only let out a chortle. This really takes me back, Randidly. Even at the beginning, you were a bit odd. But your heart… you always saw so clearly what we should be fighting against.

When the leading vehicle began to accelerate and the rest fell away, some of the people surrounding Sam and his family began to clap politely; perhaps they thought of it as some show, a preface for the Kharon Academy Auction that would be happening later tonight.

And it might very well be, Sam reflected as he glanced around. But I doubt y’all understand the sort of show that this city’s founder will make…

Sunan nodded seriously after everything was over. “Kharon is the coolest city in the world. Where did they get that cool tree surfboard?”

Regina could only sigh and shake her head. She looked at Sam. “These are your genes at work.”

Sam shrugged; he couldn't deny it.