Chapter 1701 (2/2)
The only times that he was able to honestly answer that burning fear in his soul that asked ‘is this enough?’ is when he allowed himself to be consumed. To do any less… almost felt like he was inviting disaster.
In the end, Randidly didn’t let himself think about those inner fears for too long. Instead, he pressed himself to his feet and got back to work. His tail began sweeping back and forth, drawing great, looping Nether Arrays in the air behind him. Even if every other part of his body wanted to simply bury his head, the tail flared up and slashed at the Nether problems with renewed alacrity.
Congratulations! Your Skill Right Hand of the Nether Polymath (M) has grown to Level 249!
Gradually, precariously, stressfully, days began to roll past. Soon, Randidly had returned to the farm for a week. The meals were a reassuring proof that time was passing, yet everything else just seemed to be drifting along with the fluffy white clouds that loafed across the sky. After the strange ‘terrorist’ attack on the Swacc base, the news Randidly got from Octavius was completely bland. The clearing of Nether remnants in the Fifth Cohort continued without any end in sight.
Randidly refined his Nether further. His understanding steadily increased. He began to consider very seriously his attempt to bring a whole world into the Alpha Cosmos.
On the eighth day since Randidly had returned to the farm, he received a message from Claudette Beigon that was outside the usual routine of the days: she had prepared some of what Randidly had requested as a show of good faith. She wanted to meet and discuss how he could help her.
*****
The group from the Engraving Guild stopped dead. They were twenty strong, all part of the Nether Lattice, and all rather influential individuals at that. But each felt a sense of dread in their hearts as they looked at the man standing proudly in front of the doorway to the target of their raid.
They stood in the middle of what was normally a busy street, yet somehow the other citizens of the Nexus seemed to have known this was coming and evacuated the area. The stone buildings seemed deserted around them. The windows were empty or locked shut. This wasn’t the headquarters of the Swacc Family, but it was where many of their outstanding talents were stationed. Considering the blunder the Swacc Family made, it was only a matter of time before this location was targeted. The tall doors and vaulted archways of the windows dripped arrogance.
The tension was thick.
Another ten seconds passed before the leader of this team from the Engraving Guild stepped forward. “Velio Dunn. What is the meaning of this? You… are not affiliated directly with the Swacc Family. Please stand aside and allow us to continue our investigation.”
Velio Dunn threw back his shaved head and laughed. His shoulders bobbed up and down, making the glowing bastard sword strapped to his back seem to shiver. Then Velio lowered his gaze and grinned around at the Nether Lattice members in front of him. “Well, when I get paid to accomplish a job, what else can I do but fulfill my duty? I have a reputation to uphold.”
The wind whistled once more. Electricity steadily built in the air, as the murky density of Nether started to ooze outward from the Engraving Guild group. But the leader’s nerve failed him when he observed the way that Velio Dunn simply grinned and waited, allowing the man to make his own preparations.
The Engraving Guild leader snorted. “Pah! What can one individual do? Don’t get involved in fights that are bigger than you, Velio-”
CLANG!
The Engraving Guild Leader didn’t even see the movement. One moment Velio Dunn was standing with his sword sheathed, the next he was a storm of motion. The leader’s eyes narrowed; a figure had interposed themselves between the leader and Velio Dunn, blocking the attack. A Military High Command Commandant floated between them, red-faced while resisting the attack.
And even more ominously, the two members of the Engraving Guild that were standing most near to the leader slumped sideways. They had been silently bisected by Velio Dunn as a warm-up to his attack on the leader. If he had chosen to attack him first...
“You-!” The leader bellowed. He glanced sideways at the Commandant. “Well, I suppose there is no sense hiding it any longer. Call out your forces, let us finally rid the Nexus of this infuriating flea.”
“No,” the Commandant responded coolly. “We retreat.”
“Booooo.” A new voice sounded out over the assembled forces. From on top of the Swacc building, a Vulpine humanoid stepped forward and leaned down against the ramparts. Six tails undulated behind the figure. “How did you sense me? You are pretty sharp, you know that? Hey, Velio, maybe we should kill them, just for that.”
There was something… worn about the foxman. The bags under his eyes, the prickly and stiff set of his fur… there was something about the figure that reminded the Engraving Guild leader of a shirt that had been laundered too many times. Some of the base substance of its existence was wearing away, leaving a hollow remnant.
But even somewhat drained, there was a horrifying pervasiveness of that Vulpine’s aura.
“Bah. Why chase someone who wishes to retreat?” Velio Dunn waved a hand. “Such foes aren’t even fun… tsk, why did I even bother accepting these assignments…? Tsk, tsk, I wonder where the hell that Ghosthound is hiding… doesn’t he work for Military High Command? Can you just send him my way? Just thinking about how he’s probably improving right now… ehhhehe..”
The Commandant didn’t answer, simply taking a step back and giving a sharp glance to the Engraving Guild Leader. Then they retreated, reporting that the Swacc Family would be a more difficult nut to crack than anticipated.