Chapter 1376 (1/2)

Randidly let the oppressive pressure he was releasing with Yggdrasil slowly fade as he stalked forward toward the Nether Gatekeeper. Although the effect of stabilizing the visual distortions released by the Nether was certainly impressive, Randidly was rather sour that his image took so much time to even annihilate a few weak Nether Beasts. The raw power of Yggdrasil wasn’t quite where Randidly wanted it yet.

Likely it was because he focused his attention in other places, but he was still not yet the equal of Lady Iellaya when it came to the power of his image.

Congratulations! Your Skill Ruinous Drive (Ru) has grown to Level 84!

Per Randidly’s orders, Heiffal and the veterans from the frontlines surged forward to meet the horde of Nether Beasts that were emerging from the impact point. Randidly could have annihilated all of the weaker beings of Nether on his own, but he still wanted to reign in his experience gain until he acquired more Fatepieces or needed additional power. Besides, Heiffal’s Squadron had essentially just babied the Order Ducis applicants for the past month.

They deserved a chance to expend some of their frustrations. And it seemed that they still remembered the feeling of Randidly’s Ruinous Drive adding an extra bit of damage to their attacks because they rapidly immersed themselves in the aura that Randidly released. They quickly scythed through the charging Nether Beasts, despite being outnumbered two to one.

Their attacks blasted outward, images and Skills making use of the power Randidly offered. Immediately the loose assemblage of Nether Beasts buckled and collapsed. They began to band together in order to resist Heiffal’s assault.

Of course, Randidly could see that the Nether Beasts were being replaced from the crater just as soon as they were being killed. But that was fine, it would hopefully impress on Earth the dangers of the Nether creatures. Meanwhile…

“Don’t you think I deserve the chance to work off some stress, too?” Randidly muttered to himself as he continued to walk steadily forward. The Nether Gatekeeper’s eyes were locked onto him, radiating hate. Yet it dared not approach, for fear of the power of Yggdrasil that Randidly had previously demonstrated. Randidly almost wanted to laugh.

“Well I have good news,” Randidly said aloud, perfectly aware that the Nether Gatekeeper couldn’t understand him. “That won’t be the image I kill you with. No need to thank me…”

BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP.

Rather than Randidly prodding his own body into action, this time it was excitement that began to quicken his heart rate. The Nether Gatekeeper was largely humanoid in shape, aside from the fact that its hands were double the size of normal appendages and ended in sharp claws. Its smoking eyes were locked onto Randidly’s form as purple-black energy speckled with emerald and orange spread out and coat his skin.

Congratulations! Your Skill Revelation of the Atramentous Threshold (T) has grown to Level 278!

Randidly’s body began to heat up. Then each object in his vision began to be starkly outlined against the backdrop of the world. Even the visual distortions caused by Nether were pierced through by Randidly’s Revelation energy. The Stillborn Phoenix settled into Randidly’s left eye, creating an entirely new series of distortions in the area around his face.

And although Randidly kept careful control of his own Nether Nebula, he couldn’t help but click his tongue in distaste as he felt the energy from the Nether Gatekeeper. Strong… but nowhere near the strongest Nether Gatekeeper I’ve seen… I can manage this amount of density on my own.

The revelation energy chimed lightly and Randidly saw the oncoming attack even before the Nether Gatekeeper had moved. It seemed it wasn’t willing to allow Randidly to control the momentum of this fight. The phantom of its left claw shot forward toward Randidly’s chest and Randidly moved even as the Nether Gatekeeper stepped forward with enough force to shatter the ground beneath it.

Its aura of Nether blasted outward in a wave, but Randidly’s denser Nether harmlessly guided it away, keeping it from eating away at his image overmuch. Which meant that Stillborn Phoenix that was housed in Randidly’s left eye was free to raise its imagined beak and shriek in fury that this peon would dare attack it. Its hungry influence over the surrounding area intensified.

Crouching down, Randidly’s right hand swept across his body to knock the Nether Gatekeeper’s strike to the side. A boom echoed outward as the two powerful bodies met and the Nether Gatekeeper came out on the losing end. Continuing his rotation, Randidly brought his metal arm around and slammed the back of his fist into the Nether Gatekeeper side.

It stumbled a half step backward, releasing another wave of Nether to eat at Randidly. But of course, this Nether was dealt with just as easily as the previous one had been. And in that split second of pause in its attack, Randidly hopped up, conjured a Cosmic orb behind him, then triggered it to thrust him forward as he brought his head down to forcefully headbutt the Nether Gatekeeper.

Congratulations! Your Skill Cosmic Necessity (M) has grown to Level 243!

DA-DUMP, BA-DUMP, BA-DUMP, BA-DUMP

Again, the Nether Gatekeeper stumbled backward from the blow. But this time, Randidly didn’t attack. Instead, he leaned lightly backward and avoided the sharp slash upward that the Nether Gatekeeper released after feigning weakness for a split second. The pre-emptive counter whipped by with enough force that Randidly raised his eyebrows.

Randidly grinned over at the Nether Gatekeeper as it looked at him with hateful eyes. It’s calculating scrutiny was quite obvious to Randidly. That’s more like it. You might not look it, but you possess a predator’s tactical calculus, don’t you? At the very least, you know quite well how to kill.