Chapter 2318

Chapter 2318

Randidly’s Engravings spread out from his skyisland to hang in space like luminous butterfly wings. The strummed time continued to warp the memory, but the sphere of stability around Randidly’s position spread outward.

Preparing for the finale was important, but he also couldn’t overlook the necessities of getting there.

As he pulled the threads of energy together to create that rarified foundation, a grin stretched across Randidly’s face. The more he worked, the clearer he could feel the approaching threats, beyond the potency of the Pinnacle event. The air practically hummed with it, the shadow of the imperative of ‘possible’.He gazed up, searching for additional interference from Elhume massing outside the Dungeon.

Even after several seconds of intense focus, he could only click his tongue and shift back to the work. For better or worse, the solidified Dungeon exterior prevented Randidly from sensing anything in particular outside of the memory. Then he gazed down at the confrontation between Aether and Nether: the Prophet had manifested his weird light and fought against Deganawidah. Yet even that didn’t seem particularly close to spilling up and affecting Randidly.

“Where will you come from...?” Randidly muttered. He flexed his hands, poised with gleaming threads of Mana waiting to be woven.

But the universe didn’t answer. He could only shake his head and continue to work. The movements he made created blinding rainbows as he continued to sew the foundation. He stood in the middle of a massive network of connections, keying their positing into Yggdrasil, and by extension, his own body.

I can start to see the shape, Randidly’s wicked grin spread out as he looked at the flow of significance. Once I’m locked into position... then you will start bringing the threats? Well, let’s see what you’ve got left after I’ve established myself...

At my age, I’m not afraid of a slugfest with just about anyone.

Congratulations! Your Skill Architecture of the Primordial Ways (M) has grown to Level 1031!

Congratulations! Your Skill Conviction of the Celestial Cataclysm (T) has grown to Level 1060!

Ideally, Randidly wouldn’t need to affix himself and his image in place in order to host the Pinnacle event. But already, bits of the memory began to tear at his rather rough temporal acceleration. When the implied power of the Pinnacle began crackling around, the damage would worsen. Even with Deganawidah’s significance working as a counterweight, the memory would be in danger. The only material that Randidly knew would be able to withstand the strain... was his body.

The Engravings tightened around his position. Overlapping halos of Mana settled into place, putting him in the middle of dozens of complex runic rings. Energy channels flickered outward from his limbs, sinking into the skyisland. Those butterfly-esque patterns that kept the skyisland protected grew more brilliant with each passing second.

Randidly took a deep breath and looked up at one particular spot.

A shiver ran through existence. Then, right on cue, a presence forcefully ripped its way through the edge of the Dungeon and crashed into the memory. A massive, swirling image ripped through the surrounding sky like a greedy tornado. Next to him, Devick hissed and manifested her malicious image around her body. However, even the crimson-haired woman’s antagonism rapidly faded as the powerful reverberations of that image expanded.

Randidly’s eyes widened in alarm as he looked at the forceful entry; they hadn’t reinforced the edges of the Dungeon, but even Neveah believed that hadn’t needed to. Dungeons possessed enough natural defenses, once established, due to the energy and temporal differential between the inside and outside. If Elhume planned on steamrolling the construction-

If she had simply stayed back, Randidly would have likely had to make some cutting sacrifices in order to restart the process. But with every moment, Mae drifted closer. She followed in the footsteps of her Monarch of Karma.

“Why have you come, Mae Myrna?” Randidly called out. He observed the Monarch of Karma closely, noticing the flickering distortions around his armored limbs, as space couldn’t quite suppress the being. He had his suspicions who was within the armor, but that was less important than figuring out how powerful this being was currently.

In the original timeline, it had taken Elhume, the Patron of the Borrowed, and the Patron of Feathers to defeat this monster, and that had only been accomplished with the Hierarchy of Karma.

However, revisiting that information made the hairs on the back of Randidly’s neck tingle. He pressed his lips together. I know that is what they claimed happened, but... did the Patron of the Borrowed... really die fighting against Mae Myrna...?Then—

“Did we deserve to be tossed aside and left in isolated space, Randidly Ghosthound? While hovering in the abyss between life and death, did we deserve to have time drawn out so it seemed like we floated there for an agonizing eternity? Which sickened god would consider this fate justice; if you name them, I will slay them before your eyes.” Mae Myrna’s voice retained the resonant quality she possessed that first time the two had met, when Randidly had stumbled across the Cult of the Savior for the first time.

Yet now, all of the liveliness and hope and been hammered out of her. She became a tool of her image, a host more than anything else.

Even still, Randidly had to wince. “I’m sorry. Outside forces invaded the area and I had very little choice.”

“I do not blame you for your resistance of the invaders. Obviously, to repel an unwanted intruder is necessary. No, Nether King Hungry Eye, what I resent is your methods.” The two new arrivals continued their slow stroll across the sky. As they neared, Randidly could see... that as the Monarch of Karma stepped, bits of stone and debris rushed up and formed into steps beneath his feet, which immediately began to degrade as he moved forward. “Just like these invaders... you transgress the natural order. You believe you are a better wielder of their fell tactics, but do you not pollute the world in the same way? No, the problem is not who grips the handle, the problem is the fickle existence that permits such horrifying outcomes. Such tools should not be raised so easily.”

Randidly’s gaze flickered. The world state image had spread throughout the sky and now it began to grind directly against Yggdrasil. Mae’s creed might be a world state image, but Randidly’s image could support a whole world. Quickly, the two’s energies began to spit and bubble. Proximity and the volume of energy behind it forced the two together, but they were like oil and water. To be forced together would only destabilize the area, with no common point on which to settle.

Once the boundaries between the two were set, significance began to flow along the battle lines. Randidly observed the clashing currents. His Nether Core drew power from the rapid accumulation of history. With gritted teeth, he forced his temporal accelerations back up to about half of its previous speed. “What you suggest requires too high a price.”

“Justice is a reward, not a price,” Mae Myrna said.

The two descended, moving from one step to the other out of the sky. Randidly’s gaze moved to the visored face of the Monarch of Karma. Even from her, he could feel how much this insidious image had been compacted and stuffed into his frame. “And what about you? What do you think?”

“I... think-” A man’s voice came out of the helmet, stuttering as though he had just woken from a long sleep. The Monarch of Karma’s shoulders shifted slightly. “You... transgress. Therefore... all you deserve... is death.”

He raised his hands and conjured a massive sword of energy. Pure Aether, all humming with the insidious world state image.

Randidly flashed his teeth. As always, he felt much more comfortable once the opposite drew their weapon. “Alright then, come see if you can claim my life. Because I have a few more transgressions left on my to-do list.”