Randidly stared intensely upward at the approaching wave of comet Nether Gatekeepers for several seconds. With his Grim Intuition, he could hear the persistent rustle of the dense Nether burning away at the Aether in the atmosphere as they shot downward. The visual variations grew increasingly thick as the structure of the space was corroded by the Great Rift.

Faced with the weight of the forces heading down toward them, it was difficult to remain positive. The hammer of the Nether King hadn’t even made an appearance, but this wave of Nether Gatekeeper’s demonstrated the disparity between the two forces.

Randidly’s mind kept smashing itself up against the numerical disadvantage the Aether soldiers found themselves facing, yet he wasn’t able to unearth any useful countermeasures. Even Randidly’s tools had no great method for this. He could certainly use creative application of his Skills to delay their approach, yet in the face of this sort of offensive-

Ultimately, it’s a matter of power. His gaze flicked down to the surrounding three Nether Gatekeepers. Grim Intuition provided a rather constant stream of information regarding their mood, and their rising excitement was clear in their posture. Yet the growing sense of wariness remained in their posture, especially apparent from the Six-armed Nether Gatekeeper who had been so wounded by Randidly’s conjured tail.

I have more than enough power to handle these… but these are just the appetizers… And all the time I’ve spent cultivating a perspective that cares enough to justify the pursuit of power-

Randidly’s heart bled to realize that this foe was not one that he could prevent from massacring the surrounding soldiers. He was weak on this battlefield. For a short while, Randidly had managed to determine the course of the battlefield by stepping forward when the more powerful fighters on both sides wanted to play a waiting game. But it seemed that Randidly’s time had come to an end.

“...I won’t let my inability to imagine a world where I lose disguise any small thing I can do now,” Randidly said to the air. Acri hummed against his hand and wound itself back into the pyramidal point form. “Even if I’m still weak, I’m not insignificant.”

Randidly took a deep breath and pulled deeply at the surrounding world. The vibrancy and potency around Randidly shivered and struggled feebly against his grip. Randidly was careful to not pull too deeply from the Aether soldiers, but from the ground, sky, and Great Rift Randidly dragged power down into himself. Although he physically breathed while performing the Skill, Randidly kept pulling after his lungs were full.

Because behind him was a monster that was always hungry and struggling. When it took from the world, it took.

Congratulations! Your Skill Cursed Appetite of a Wraith (L) has grown to Level 270!

Bereft of his World Tree images but positively humming with energy, Randidly lowered his head and studied the three foes. His sharp, emerald eyes measured each one in turn. Above, the approaching reinforcements rushed closer ever second. Time was short but Randidly pushed that to the side. He focused instead on what he could still accomplish. Do I force the issue and try to one of them now…?

The image of the Grim Chimera almost immediately coalesced around Randidly. The dark, corroded skin of its long left claw and right bone spear stood starkly out against the pale skin of the Grim Chimera’s chest. Within that ribcage, the Nether Wells glowed with a cosmic light, illuminating the veins running through his body. When the Grim Chimera smiled, it was wide and toothy.

Of course, Randidly would force the issue. He would not quietly step away from the challenge, even as the approaching foe would clearly overmatch him.

Yet before he could move, a voice seized his attention. “You sick bastard, I think it’s time you allowed some of your superiors to participate in the fun. Don’t bite off more than you can chew or you will choke on it… and I won’t save you.”

Glancing sideways, some of Randidly’s almost manic tension eased as he saw Abiodun’s rather reassuring form striding up next to him. The roughshod, solid body seemed to emanate a sense of dependableness that was more than just an image. And that sense of solidity was an entirely new sensation coming from this typically bloodthirsty man.

But this kind of bastard is exactly the sort that you need on your side at times like these.

Rather than simply acquiescing, Randidly tilted his head to the side in mock confusion. “Anyone could have stepped forward to fight. Imagine my surprise when I was the only one brave enough to accept their challenge. I lost quite a bit of respect for you when I was out here alone. I suppose you were simply nervous, right?”

“Punk,” Abiodun’s voice rumbled with amusement as he shook his head. Then his presence blasted outward, making the hesitating three Nether Gatekeepers around them edge backward from this new arrival. “You and I both know that this is a bigger game than one petty fight against these assorted pieces of scum. We stand on the precipice of a war between two species! Show some restraint. It is supremely unlikely that we will get a chance like this again in our lifetimes.”

Congratulations! Your Skill Monstrositiy’s Appalling Physicality (A) has grown to Level 249!

“Show some initiative,” Randidly replied rather nonchalantly. Still, his mood was improving immensely. A lot of the sense of helplessness was evaporating away as Abiodun made his presence known. Although Randidly was not enough on his known, the two working in concert could probably slow down even Nether Gatekeepers. Plus, every second that Randidly had to recuperate was a second his fine control over his Vitality could build up some momentum to restore himself to fighting condition.

Can’t do anything about the mental strain though… Randidly thought, still somewhat frustrated that his moment of distraction in his Skill had been so mentally taxing. But part of that might be the fact that he had been abusing Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil so constantly to keep the battlefield in a manageable form.

“Fine then, let me teach you a lesson about seizing the initiative.” Abiodun raised his head and laughed. But with that laugh came an ominous rumbling that slowly filled the air. Even though he wasn’t the target, Randidly still felt his hairs begin to stand on end as an image that was vastly empowered from what he had seen previously from Abiodun rushed over their heads. In that steadily growing noise was a sense of terrible loss and destruction, the crumbling of the most beautiful gardens to ever exist. Yet now those gardens had grown cold and slowly evolved into a necropolis, a tomb for beauty and pride. Those foundational stones that held up this edifice cracked and disintegrated, turning into a grand landslide that rushed forward toward the three pseudo-Nether Gatekeepers in a barrage of noise.

All three roared in furious denial, but Abiodun’s image became too powerful too quickly; they were smashed backward as the noise rolled over them, their Nether bodies rupturing from running up against an image that possessed not even an ounce of give.

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Looks like Lady Iellaya wasn’t the only one to improve from her transformation, Randidly’s Grim Intuition lightly followed the edges of the enormous image that appeared from Abiodun. Very quickly, he found the same sort of strange notes of darkness that he had sensed within Lady Iellaya’s image present in here as well. In a much more muted way, but it was clear that the two had influenced each other. This obviously resulted in a stark increase in power for Abiodun, but Randidly still couldn’t relax due to such an inexplicable increase in power that distracted from the changes to the image.

Those changes were not constructive ones. They reminded him too much of Illym’s fatalistic outlook. Destruction rode gleefully in that darkness that both Lady Iellaya and Abiodun now carried, completely willing to pay any price to accomplish its goals. It seemed to revel in the struggle and depravity.

Yet it was hard for Randidly to be too critical of the philosophical changes to the images when he witnessed how easily that Abiodun was able to smash back these three foes, even while he challenged all three at once. It was a sharp reminder that even while these three had all been near the power of a Nether Gatekeeper, none had truly reached that tier of power.

And Abiodun had reached that tier and then some, with this new boost.

That thought drew Randidly’s eyes back upward to the fistfuls of blue-black flame that careened down toward the ground. Perhaps quite soon, Randidly would experience what it was truly like to fight a Nether Gatekeeper. That slight difference in Nether density that the true monsters of the opposition could manage to wield would never be as deadly to Randidly as it was to most beings of Aether, but that slight increase in Nether density was a hard barrier to overcome no matter what natural defenses Randidly had.

It was like comparing swords made of stone to those made of steel. The shape had always been there, but now the blade could cut much more deeply.

Still, I’ll be ready. Randidly glanced to the right, to Commander Terith’s camp. Although his eyes couldn’t find her, Randidly could easily feel Vualla moving through the frantic reorganization of bodies to move to the front. I can’t let you fight alone out there. Even if its not much, I’ll do what I can.

“Oh, also orders from Lady Iellaya,” Abiodun casually said as he twisted back around to look at Randidly. “Take a break. We will need you later, but for now, its better to save your strength. I’ll protect this rabble in the meantime.”

Blinking, Randidly felt like he must have misheard Abiodun. Two hundred Nether Gatekeepers smashed into the already broken ground near the edge of the Great Rift, sending large chunks of stone spinning weightlessly through the air as they crashed down. The noise was not loud from all the way back here, but Randidly could feel the impact reverberate through the distant ground to the toes of his bare feet. “You… want me to take a break? I’m still-”

“A subordinate to Lady Iellaya,” Abiodun’s eyes glowed ominously, even as his tone was even. “So no matter what merits you have rendered in your service, her word is law. Take a break, Ghosthound. At least four hours. We need you back at your sharpest for this… and from how you are staring at me, it is clear that you are more than a little dull right now.”

The truth in that statement made Randidly’s temper flare, but he quickly mastered that and gave Abiodun a hard look. “You believe you can handle this many foes alone?”

“I believe in carrying out the orders given to me,” Some of that destructive pressure that Abiodun released earlier to knock back the three Nether Gatekeepers pulsed outward. Randidly barely resisted the urge to bare his teeth.

...but if Abiodun refused to engage on any tack aside from the unimpeachable status of orders, Randidly knew that he would be unable to sway the man to give easily. In terms of his dedication to his superior, Abiodun was one of the most powerful men that Randidly had ever met. Some part of Randidly was still unwilling to simply walk away, however.

It wasn’t worry for Abiodun but worry for the soldiers. Yet even as Randidly wracked his brain for a solution, none materialized. The same helplessness Randidly had struggled with previously was back in a different form. Randidly feared what would be lost if he wasn’t struggling, likely because he feared that his struggling accomplished nothing.

To make matters worse, the physical and mental beating that Randidly had endured from a half-hour of confrontation with the Nether forces truly had blunted some of his focus; Abiodun was correct on that front. Even with the flickering assistance of Ignition Essence, Randidly was stumped by Abiodun’s message.

Gritting his teeth, Randidly turned away. This is why I struggle so hard to grow stronger. So I don’t need to simply turn away when people worth protecting are in danger…! Even if I know that cultivate the ‘why’ of strength is important, it doesn’t make me want additional strength now any less.

“Oh, also, you are not allowed to intervene with your plant Skills. No active Skills at all. We want you to be fully rested for the offensive later. Enjoy your break. Lucky bastard.”

Randidly pressed his jaw so tightly shut that it popped. He glanced once over his shoulder but Abiodun was already striding forward toward the common Nether Beasts that had already arrived. He raised his stony hand and brought it down, smashing wide areas into misshapen pancakes made from pulped Nether bodies.

Again, Randidly was tempted to disobey this order. The huge lance form of Acri shifted slightly, sensing its master’s unwillingness. Even Sulfur hummed against Randidly’s torso and left arm, trying to comfort him.

For several seconds, Randidly just looked at Abiodun’s back. Soldiers would die without the timely assistance of Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil. And the soldiers had grown so used to fighting against the Nether Beasts Randidly interfered with that they would likely be surprised by the abrupt increase in difficulty.

They dealt with it for the short time I had to be within the ditch… Randidly turned away and walked back toward the Aether fortifications. It was a difference to be without his assistance, but it was one they could still handle. He should not treat them as insignificant just because they were weak; these soldiers had made it to the front line, after all. It wasn’t so harsh a change that Randidly believed everything would fall to pieces without him.

Tightness coiled through his arms into Randidly’s shoulders. Then he forced it away and shook his head with a sigh. Randidly had already learned this lesson. He couldn’t solve every problem by himself. He needed to rely on others in order to progress.

Then Randidly looked up toward Lady Iellaya’s tower. She trusted me to remake her Class and Fate… so the least I can do is trust that Lady Iellaya issued this order for a good reason. They need me for whatever is happening in four hours… need me at my best. And honestly… that’s almost exactly how much time I think it will take to restore myself to my peak condition…

Trust is a difficult thing…

Yet Randidly did not use Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil as he walked away from the frontlines and returned to his tent. It took a deliberate effort on his part, and his heart wrenched for every scream that ended in sudden silence, yet Randidly restrained himself. His Grim Intuition was almost cruel in how efficiently it relayed to him the action of the front lines behind him as the new surge of Nether Gatekeepers surged forward toward the Aether soldiers.

Even with Abiodun there, he was only a single person. Lives were being lost. What was the cost of respect in terms of a single life? Was there a number of lives that would motivate Randidly to intervene, no matter how much a respected figure urged him to stop?

Congratulations! Your Skill Ruinous Drive (Ru) has grown to Level 63!

Of course, Randidly still staunchly provided a boost to the frontlines in a passive way. Which felt like a slight disobeying of orders in a way that satisfied a petty part of himself. Yet that same part of himself just left Randidly tired.

“Hopefully this is worth it.” Randidly’s gaze sliced along the frontlines. And when his gaze stopped being useful, he opened the rest of his senses and felt the whole of the frontlines, where thousands of beings on both sides were struggling to kill each other. The air above the thickest of the fighting began to warp and ripple as the emotions and images were pressed together in a tight, messy ball.

Maybe someday this battlefield with give birth to a Nether Prince… Randidly thought suddenly. Then he shook his head and returned to his tent.