Chapter 2083

Chapter 2083

The crowd in the hall began to panic as recognition emerged from the stunned silence. Individuals hopped up from their seats and shoved others out of the way to make a mad dash for the few exits. Half of the people seemed transfixed in their seats, color draining out of their faces as they considered what this development meant. The fear radiating off them made Randidly realize what a threat the Nether forces still were to Tatem, despite the apparent peace treaty. But most of all-

Randidly glanced at Padraic, who just swayed and looked at Randidly. This man didn’t even acknowledge the news. He’s still stuck on the development of the pattern. Even if he is moderately foolish... I admire his dedication to the craft. I wonder if this man will become someone important in the future.

Very quickly, silver-robed guards flooded in from the side passages and restored order. The feathered woman came up to Randidly and bowed, her tone respectful but her eyes flinty. “This way, Mr. Nether King. We will take you to the transfer area. Per the treaty, you will be handled extraneously to our town.”

The Nether Herald hopped over the front row and clambered up onto the stage. “And me as well! Ahem, my liege, please, let me be your honor guard-”

Randidly’s eyes sharpened. Because more gazes from the crowd suddenly fixated on him. People began shouting directly at him, waving their arms to grab his attention. The fear remained present, but there was a new edge to their desperation.

“Please sir- we spoke briefly-!”

“I’ll give you anything! My entire family will serve you for five generations!”

“Have mercy!”

Transfer area... Randidly raised his head and looked at the ceiling. Now that he knew what he was looking for, he found a dangerous shell in the sky above. A massive Nether Ritual covered the whole of Tatum, remaining inert for now, but hanging over the Aether town like a vicious curse ready to poison the entire area. Spreading out his Acute Nether Nose sent dangerous ripples through the memory, but his Nether Core hummed and the effect dimmed, just slightly.

The adjustment earned a mental note from Randidly. There seemed to be some sort of momentum to his presence here, that more and more of his Nether abilities were unlocked. Yet still, Randidly could only mobilize a pinch. The whole town is held hostage by a Nether Ritual? And I’m being treated with respect?

They talked about a peace treaty... but it sounds like the Aether forces are suffering under the harassment of Nether. What a different environment to the current Nexus.

Randidly nodded toward the Nether Herald, who gratefully took a position next to him. As for the rest, he ignored them. He glanced once to the side, over to one of the distant balconies, but saw no one within; considering her presence in the future, it seemed clear that Devick would survive on her own. Likely due to her relationship with her adoptive father.

Randidly and the Nether Herald followed the feathered woman out down a side hallway, passing several nervous guards who threw belated salutes to the trio as they moved past and out of the concert hall. The sun had begun to sink down, so its red rays only passed sideways between the gaps in buildings.

“Is this common?” Randidly asked, not caring who answered. “These ransom situations?”

The obnoxious Nether Herald blew out a powerful breath from his nose. “Small border spats like this are not as common as they used to be, with the treaty. Needing to allow some of the leaders to buy their freedom makes the process slow and dangerous; a Nether tribe will receive some minor trinkets, but much fewer quality captives in this manner. And it’s very difficult to know what sort of haul you will get. Most consider the practice to be a waste of time.”

Her image flooded his body, clashing with the dense Nether and Aether physicalizations throughout his flesh. The invasion was agonizing. The memory rumbled ominously, his instinctual rejection of this image nearly ripping him out of the fake Nether Prince. So long as he controlled his movements, he could handle it.

Barely.

Randidly narrowed his eyes. One big push.

He rotated his shoulder and thrust out his arm with as much force as his single limb could muster. Another sonic boom blasted outward. The motion launched the feathered woman backward, out of the crater, crashing through a stone wall and into what seemed to be a living room.

For a few seconds, the memory began to deteriorate as the image painfully sloshed around in his flesh. But gradually, as he remained still, the surroundings began to heal themselves. He sucked in a slow breath. Well, I hope that settled things, because moving right now... will be extremely fraught.

Randidly straightened with exaggerated slowness, fighting his body’s response to the foreign image. It hurt like hell, but it wouldn’t stop him. And gradually, the image was expending itself inside his reinforced body. Around him, the remnants of the street collapsed and splintered, the debris gradually settling in new locations. One of the guards whimpered.

“What’s going on here?”

Randidly pivoted and looked at a man with an impressive silver mustache standing at the edge of the devastation. His immaculate silver robes and ornate stitching instantly gave him an air of aristocracy. But from the haggard look on his face and the bags under his eyes, he had not been having a good week.

“The guards ambushed me and tried to use me as a bargaining chip against the forces threatening your city,” Randidly said. He gestured at the surroundings. “As you can see, their efforts were in vain. And this time I tried to be gentle; I understand the desperation of your predicament. But I did not cause this.”

“Just your people,” The man’s jaw worked even when he finished speaking, as though waiting for some sort of sign from Randidly.

In that silence, the Nether Herald landed back on the ground and threw up another small cloud of dust. Several of the guards got up out of the collapsed ruins of the surrounding buildings but no longer pointed their weapons at Randidly. The feathered woman, still clutching her saber, limped out of the broken wall.

In the end, the man cleared his throat. “What will it take for you to speak on our behalf to your tribesmen? Right now, Tatem cannot afford to have more of its fighting population taken away for the next five years. However, we have much influence we can use to assist the ambition of a young Nether King like yourself.”

Randidly’s gaze wavered slightly. Further behind the man were a half dozen more silver-robed guards, each with an image as powerful or more so than the feathered woman. Considering the continued pain Randidly experienced, and the fact he didn’t know if he could move without triggering a surge of Nether that would kick him out of the memory, he could not fight.

His pupils dilated. For a brief moment, he saw an unmistakable head of red hair amongst the powerful guards.

Randidly nodded slowly as he faced the man who was probably Byuresk. “I wanted to speak to them anyway. Lead me to them. But if I can help you... I’d like information.”