Chapter 1688 (1/2)

Congratulations! Your Fatepiece the Hierarchy of Burden has grown to Level 11!

Influence +42!

Influence +39!

While he waited for his next meeting, Randidly sat at the edge of his floating skyisland and trained. His limbs constantly twitched, ravaged by the powerful electromagnetic energy of his Fatepiece. Although the energy didn’t leave his body, just the reflexive movements of his body was enough to deeply damage the ground beneath him. His arms and legs flexed unpredictably, drawing deep gouges through the dirt.

Gradually, he grew accustomed to housing these powerful forces. As he continued to acclimate, he sensed that he would soon have the ability to deepen the sympathy between himself and the Hierarchy of Burden.

Still, he released the Fatepiece and released a breath. Randidly rubbed the colorful pyramid with his thumb. I wonder why I started accumulating Influence so quickly…I’ve almost reached 15,000 Influence… but at the accelerating rate that I’m earning it, I probably want to hold off pushing for an upgrade of my Nether Core… but do I want to wait all the way for a hundred thousand…?

He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his metal fingers. Randidly was content with the current growth of his Nether Core, but he was also somewhat concerned about how little he understood how his growth would proceed in the future, as he unlocked new attributes. He might have gained some small amount of insight into utilizing Nether by watching the Nether King play the Nexus forces for fools and make his way to the Path to the Pinnacle, but Randidly didn’t know the concrete motions that growth would take.

He was tempted to contact either the Engraving Guild or Neshamah Rex, but both factions believed he had learned about Nether Cores from the other. His lack of knowledge would prompt some questions. Randidly was a bit reluctant to reveal that he had gotten this far through self-discovery, despite the knowledge he might receive in exchange. This was especially true considering the fact that he was in no rush to advance his Nether Core; he would much rather wait and receive additional Weight during the advancement.

Randidly was just shaking his head at the thought of waiting for a hundred thousand Influence when he felt the group he was waiting for finally approach. The roar of a skybike engine fought against a dragon’s roar for dominance in the still night sky. Randidly could only roll his eyes as Alana and Wivanya landed nearby with huge gusts of wind from the Frost Dragon Broodmother’s wings. Then, a dozen meters away, Lucifer steered a gaudy golden skybike down onto the ground.

The engine revved loudly, even as it shifted to idling. What was particularly cringe-inducing was the fact that Lucifer held the bike’s handlebars with only one hand, using his other to balance the massive sword he had propped up against his shoulders. Rather than practicality, it was clear that Lucifer was currently cultivating his ‘image’.

Randidly chuckled and shook his head as the noise died down. “What the hell is that?”

“The DreamChaser 2000,” Lucifer tried and failed to keep the grin from his face. He rubbed the golden bike fondly and then coughed to arrange his features in a more serious expression. “Bought it at the auction. I just figured it would be… a convenient way to get around. Might want to change the paint though. Red… is more my color. Don’t you think?”

Randidly raised his eyebrows, shocked at Lucifer’s shameless behavior. But at the very least, he appreciated that he didn’t treat Randidly differently. But as for Lucifer’s questions... With how much noise its engine makes, how can you claim it’s convenient with a straight face…?

But Randidly decided not to press the issue and turned to Alana as she hopped down off Wivanya’s back. “What about you? Buy anything… convenient from the auction?”

“Knowing that a portion of the money would be flowing back into your pockets kinda soured the whole experience for me,” Alana revealed a mock grimace. Then she shrugged and adjusted her leather armor. “But if you are wondering how it was received, I could see money signs in Tatiana’s eyes as we were leaving. I think she will finally be able to update Kharon’s infrastructure to truly support the flying vehicles like she’s wanted to do for years.”

Then Alana turned and helped an antlered figure down of Wivanya’s back. The Nether Gatekeeper that Randidly had saved from the shaft took two short steps forward and bowed low to Randidly. An aura of life radiated outward from his body that Randidly found very comfortable. “Hello, savior. This one has chosen the name Demio. I am eternally grateful for you liberating me from purgatory to experience the world.”

Randidly waved his hand. “Observing your Nether Core was a great help to me in my growth. If anything, I should be thanking you; after I brought you into my Alpha Cosmos, I was distracted by other things and couldn’t help you adjust. I’m glad to see you have handled the transition well. Please, all of you come sit.”

Alana was the calmest of the four. She quickly settled into a cross-legged sitting position and produced a small container of enchiladas covered in a green sauce. She began to eat as the others settled into position. Lucifer had apparently just offered to tag along, but most of his attention kept being drawn over to the bike. Randidly wondered if he really would have agreed to go anywhere in an attempt to show off his new bike. Hearts were floating in the middle of his irises instead of typical pupils.

Wivanya’s bulk stayed mostly back, but her neck slithered forward until her massive head sat near Randidly. Her scales gleamed in the starlight. Her massive sapphire eyes looked at everything but Randidly, but his mouth twitched to see the way she was constantly sniffing. Her nostrils flared outward almost constantly.

The Nether Gatekeeper sat last, awkwardly imitating Alana and Randidly.

Influence +30!