Chapter 2367
Actus Suprem Devick couldnt help but feel a thrill of pleasure; yes, even driving your hand into a version of your own body provided a visceral thrill.
Then she narrowed her eyes and got to work.
Upon contact with the others soul, the Actus Suprem immediately realized one bewildering truth; this version of herself genuinely existed and possessed the same deep well of love for Randidly Ghosthound. Her love was comically naive and without any of the necessary hooks to ensure a safe and healthy relationship, but the emotions were at least present.
That, combined with the fact that the lions share of Devicks power was tied up keeping ahold of the Grand Fates she had gathered, meant that her touch was relatively gentle as she ruthlessly ransacked the Aether connections around this other Devicks Soul. The Actus Suprem might enjoy this process, but she wasnt going to torture the girl.
Consider it lucky you come as a harbinger of my cute little sons approach, Devick mused as she ripped through several pesky defensive barriers, half built, as though to purposefully stop her from reaching the core Aether arrays. Otherwise hehehe. Ah, think of how I could have raised myself! To strip away all these weaknesses and blindspots I developed struggling on my own-
Wait a moment. Should I also have a cute little daughter? Although, even for me, a carnal relationship between children is a bitAh why is my heart fluttering?!?! Such a forbidden relationship- ah, wait, there it is.
Devick punched all the way through to the core of this other Devick. More than anything else, she wanted to understand why she couldnt grasp this Grand Fate that popped up in front of her. Devick hated the thought that she had missed something. She reached out and brushed against the dense web of connections
From within those connections, she felt a rising force of rejection that had enough power that even she hesitated to push forward. Her madness hissed, but it was also struggling just to keep the other Grand Fates in line. But as she teetered on the edge of a decision, notifications began to pop up in front of her. Reading them, Devick began to laugh with delight. She easily pulled back, removing her hand from baby Devicks chest.
For now, this would be enough. She kissed her clone on the cheek and vanished.
She snapped back to the present, sweat pouring down her face, crouched in the middle of the grand working. The chains in her offhand rattled and strained, almost managing to fight back and recover some of their stolen power.
You are distracted. Elhume boomed out his words. His blurry form tilted his head to the side. Why?
Devick barely suppressed a giggle. Im sure you can feel it. We are approaching the end of an era. Isnt it exciting? Ah, even for me, I like to savor moments like this.
Elhumes energy projection released a noncommittal rumble and the Actus Suprem bent back over her work. Hand by hand, she tugged on the chains leading to the disparate Grand Fates, pulling them closer. Her grin widened. She glanced sideways once more, looking at the notifications she had been given, for even briefly connecting to that alternate Aether structure inside of her clone.
Congratulations! Due to your incredible honing of your image, your Skill The Bloody Claws of Insanity (L) has earned the Skill Designation Deviant (D)!
Deviant Skills signify exemplary development in individual Skills, altered to the cusp of varying from the typical Rarity structures. Effects of (D) Skills are slightly boosted!
Congratulations! Due to your incredible honing of your image, your Skill Bleak Breath of Pandemonium (M) has earned the Skill Designation Deviant (D)!
After teleporting her back to within the Alpha Cosmos, Randidly straightened and faced forward. His body burned with barely controlled fury; he had teetered on the edge of this confrontation for long enough. They had the direction and now they just needed to open a path.
He took two sharp steps, moving from his starting position to the head of the column. He unleashed the Dread Homunculus, the being focused on advancement spreading its arms wide in the face of the crystallized Aethers pressure. Watching Devick endanger herself had lit a whole new fire in Randidlys emotional sea.
His energy came easily. His fury cackled and swirled together, tighter and tighter, creating a drill. He carved open the energy pressure of the glittering mountains, leading the Vulpis squad between the high walls of the crystallized Aether.
Almost immediately, the pressure ticked upward. Randidly grinned as he sensed several small side passages sliding open as they approached. Porcelain automatons filed out of the openings, spinning and activating. Hundreds of the defenses swarmed toward their position. While Yggdrasil might currently be tied up stabilizing the experiment in his chest-
Alana Donal poked him with the butt of her spear. Nope, not for you. This sort of stuff is why we are here.
Vulpis Squad! Raymund Ballast bellowed. Shred them!
As Randidly restrained himself, the forces he had trained roared and charged against the tide of porcelain dolls rushing toward their position. Charlotte Wick bounded forward past the front of the line, her aura forcing back the mist of the crystal citadel without Randidlys assistance. Her image became a massive club of natural energies; she hammered down and shattered the first wave of opponents.
DiOrtho Vant spun forward a moment later, his machine god image screaming and grinding. A half dozen porcelain dolls split perfectly in two from his strokes, and those around the targets cracked and sputtered, messily hacked past the point of sustainability.
Behind them, Raymund Ballast grasped with his hands and borrowed the energy from five hundred of the dolls. As they stalled out, the Vulpis Squad released another roar and conjured a grand image that covered all of them. A massive spectral Vulpine punched and the debilitated dolls exploded.
Randidly released a breath and stilled his anxious body; his turn would come.
He allowed the Vulpis Squad to lead the charge, with some small support from the representatives of the Upper Sonara Society. They rampaged forward, destroying and breaking the automated defenses in their path. The pressure from Elhumes crystallized Aether increased as they proceeded deeper, the long shadows of the ravine growing, but the group didnt slow down. Randidly plucked up all the destructive kinetic energy, tugging away energy that would impede his warriors, leaving blasts that caused porcelain dolls to stumble.
Ahead of them, the echo of the Actus Suprem skipped her way forward.
More and more continued to rush out of the openings along their passage; Randidly wondered if they proceeded down the most dangerous path, or if this whole place had been thoroughly built up. Considering the amount of time Elhume had ruled from here, it could have been either.
Behind him, the kinetic storm grew violent enough to churn and shred through any porcelain dolls missed in the rapid charge. The significance above grew darker, signaling how much more dangerous this conflict would become.
Worst of all, the density of Aether in the air continued to increase. The passage through the ravines was clogged with the Aether mist. Randidly grimaced; they were approaching the point that it wouldnt be strange if drops of liquid Aether naturally condensed here.
Charlotte Wick barreled her way forward, huge swipes of her paws empowered by the emotional ghost Randidly had given to her. She could physically bludgeon open their passage. And all at once, she blasted through the last line of defense. The tight passage of the ravine opened up into a wide chamber. The Vulpis Squad glided after her, finishing off any stragglers and filling the open space not clogged with porcelain doll bodies.
In the silent open space, Techetadore Ballast floated above the Swacc Family army, his eyes half closed uncomfortably bright due to the covetous spirit possessing him.