Chapter 1847

Chapter 1847

The rest of the conversation with the Patrons was more of the same. Or, if anything, the Patrons quickly got on each others' nerves and began to snipe at each other more than they provided actual information; no wonder they split up so quickly when left to their own devices. Soon, Randidly dismissed them all and returned to his own Skyisland floating above Kharon. He put his chin in the palm of his hand and examined the star-filled sky.

Randidly didn’t trust the Patrons entirely, especially about their knowledge of Elhume’s abilities. Even after he helped defend against Elhume’s attack against them. His emotional senses might not be the sharpest, but he felt how conflicted each of them was in regards to this powerful individual who ruled the Nexus. In their own way, each Patron held a raw wound in their chest that continued to linger; they had fought by Elhume’s side for the sake of accomplishing a dream for too long to escape unscathed.

Even now, they didn’t understand what exactly had happened to make Elhume abandon them. With that question unanswered, he wouldn’t completely trust them.

Especially because Randidly didn’t quite believe Elhume could have so easily killed so many of the Patrons back then without assistance. Even if he had become increasingly dominant since then, everyone agreed that the Second Cohort Elhume was much more mortal. Randidly couldn’t catch a whiff during their talk, but he worried about a rat.

Still, at least he had a few answers about what happened at the end of the Second Cohort. Plus, he was at least reassured that they were behaving. He could use his deeper influence over Nether and significance in the Alpha Cosmos to find remnant traces of the different Patrons’ movements. Since he didn’t notice anything suspicious, he could at least relax about the presence of Patrons.

Randidly rubbed his eyes. One worry down. A half dozen to go. What a fun life I lead.

During his conversation with the Patrons, Claudette had sent Randidly an invitation to visit the Beigon Compound and have a last discussion in preparation to attend the party. However, that wasn’t until the following morning. Which left Randidly with enough time to focus on his Nether Core.

He produced his Philosopher’s Key and created a portal down to the depths of the Kharon. He found the humming stone room, the tiered stone rings, and that central pillar that bore the carvings of Randidly’s deepest core. Shadows congealed in the corners, but as soon as he took a breath, all that accumulated power flowed into him.

Influence +76,901!

Influence +14,226!

Influence +901!

Randidly chuckled as he looked at the notifications. A valuable boost in Influence. But compared to devouring the Master’s connection to his Paths, a bit of a letdown. Stealing significance from others is honestly much more efficient than allowing it to accumulate on its own.

Ha! Back in the early days, I needed to constantly deny that I was a Heretic Devour. And yet now, I’m toeing the line a bit.

His Nether Core hummed with pleasure as it spun and pulled all of the accumulated power out of this room. As the darkness receded and the core area returned to its original state, Randidly was surprised to see that two names marked along the walls; two individuals had managed to make it all the way through the Kharon Labyrinth and leave their mark since he had been here.

At first, Randidly smiled to think of the people of Kharon growing more powerful. Then he saw one of the names and scowled powerfully. Alonso Trey’s name featured very prominently along the one wall, with a complex-looking scrawl below the name.

He took a steadying breath and then climbed next to the central pillar to make himself comfortable. He refused to let that presence distract him. He sat cross-legged next to his Nether Core and allowed his mind to drift. His worries and distractions fell away, leaving the reassuring flow of energy in the surroundings. Ripples in a dozen different varieties bounced off the walls of the enclosed space. Although he sat down to begin the Nether Core transformation process, he paused to examine the energy flows a bit more closely.

So Randidly took a few minutes to trace the energy curling through his core area and out through the labyrinth. He was surprised to find that there was a whole network of energy and airflow through the ventilation system of the place that created a strange resonance with the entirety of Kharon Academy. He hadn’t intended it this way, but the significance that pooled here wasn’t idle.

Congratulations! Your Skill Nether Sensation (L) has grown to Level 439!

Congratulations! For Influence above 10, Weight +10!

For Influence above 50, Weight +10!

For Influence above 100, Weight +10!

For Influence above 250, Weight +10!

For Influence above 500, Weight +10!

For Influence above 1000, Weight +10!

For Influence above 2500, Weight +10!

For Influence above 5000, Weight +10!

For Influence above 10,000, Weight +10!

For Influence above 50,000, Weight +10!

For Influence above 100,000, Weight +10!

For Influence above 250,000, Weight +10!

For Influence above 500,000, Weight +10!

For Influence above 1,000,000, Weight +10!

For reaching the requisite Influence, the Rarity of your Nether Sphere has increased to Legendary! For reaching the Runic Rarity, you have unlocked the Attribute Synechdochence.

Congratulations! Your Nether Core has gained the Attribute Synechdochence! Initial Synechdochence set at 5%!

Due to your accomplishments, Synechdochence recognized at 13%! Increase the fineness of your Nether Understanding in order to increase this number!

Randidly’s lips twitched as the seething storm of Nether around him began to settle down. I might have guessed this, but all the work I’ve done to increase my Weight means that my Synechdochence is low. Haaah, 13%...

Then his eyes flashed. Steadily, a new awareness of the way his Nether could be leveraged was tingling at the edges of his consciousness. But when it comes to learning to control energy, I’m quite confident in myself. Before long, that number will be shooting upward.