When he left Kharon, Randidly had a few more visits to make before he could actually leave Expira in good conscious. It seemed that every time he turned around, he somehow had developed a whole new slew of responsibilities. The first this time was a visit to Ghost. Once his mobility was revealed and most of the world knew about the AI’s transforming, gundam-esque body, he was forced to relocate to the Wildlands South of Zone 1.

From what Randidly understood, all of the Zones pressured Ghost to come work for them, manufacturing drones. To avoid being locked down once more, Ghost had refused them all, preferring to experiment on his own. But because of that, he had been forced to keep his operations relatively low key.

Ghost was quite delighted with his visit.; it seemed he had saved up a lot of research to share since they last met. After briefly allowing the excited Ghost to take him through his newest drones and then complain about having to hide the continued production of his metal army, Randidly brought him back to intelligence. The two discussed the current state of Expira, and Randidly was rather relieved to find Ghost’s understanding basically matched Tatiana’s. Seems like she has enough sources to survive in this world.

Then, due to a spur of the moment thought, Randidly suggested that Ghost move his operation to the island formerly used by the Nemesai. It was slightly stained with Randidly’s images now, but it was also very secluded and included a spacious underground. It would be hard for the Zones to track the AI there.

Ghost agreed and packed up his operation within only fifteen minutes. It was an impressive feat. Three two-hundred meter assembly lines were folded and compacted into bus-sized vehicles. A shimmering sea of scuttling spider robots that assisted Ghost arranged themselves in tight formations and waited for Randidly to open up a portal. While the sea of metal trooped off to its new home, Randidly made sure Ghost new to contact Neveah if he had any problems.

In addition, Ghost agreed to help Kharon three times, should they need it, in exchange for one favor from Randidly or Neveah. Then they shook hands, Randidly using his flesh and blood right arm to grasp the porcelain and steel appendage that Ghost offered him.

“There’s one other thing,” Randidly said after they both took a step back. Most of Ghost’s stuff had already gone through the portal. “I want to stress… try your best to survive the Calamities. That is the time frame that I’m thinking. Kharon is strong now… but…”

Ghost seemed to whirr as his AI considered that. “...I see. True, the help I could give to them now is relatively limited… Heh. I understand what you want my role to be. You worry more than I thought you would, Mr. Ghosthound.”

“I’ve been given a crash course in worries these past few weeks, from an expert,” Randidly answered dryly. It hadn’t been enjoyable, but it was quite true. “Besides… this is me worrying now so I will be free from these feelings tomorrow.”

“Good luck,” Ghost told him, before heading through the portal and examining his new space.

Then Randidly went and visited both of his original two Soulseeds. Both were overjoyed to see him, but Randidly could sense that there was some distance in their relationships now that probably would never be bridged again; their pure adoration of him was gone. Compared to the duo of Acri and Sulfur that had been by his side the entire time, there were clear signs that the early separation from Randidly had adjusted how Thorn and Arbor would grow.

But although that made Randidly sad… it was probably for the best. Their independence meant they weren’t going to be limited by him.

Their general cheer at his arrival was basically the same, but what happened after was quite different between the two of them. Arbor immediately unloaded all of the details of the Cult of Arbor, starting with Kiersty’s most recent struggles to control her budding feelings for one of the guards that worked for King Phirun. So Randidly sat rather still, while the smoldering Arbor clambered all over him, covering him with soot and smoking leaves and inundating him with gossip.

Randidly sat and listened. The veins of Yggdrasil ran through his body as he was patient and kind with this being which he had created.

At the end, they embraced and Randidly said a few quiet words to Arbor about the importance of balancing the need to listen to its followers and the need to act as his own treant. Randidly went on to say that Arbor should try his best to life purposefully. There was no right way to live life, so each day should at least be an affirmative choice. That way, Arbor would be taking responsibility for the shape of his living.

Then they embraced again and Randidly had moved on to his next task. Thorn’s interaction was even briefer.

Thorn also embraced Randidly, impressing him with the plant’s ability to deal damage to his body that was improved by his physicalized images. The sharpness of his nominal thorns was no joke. Then Thorn passionately explained its current idea to grow stronger through emotion and images: dig to the center of the planet and take up permanent residence there, where his thorns would be able to reach anywhere in the world. From that position, he would be able to protect everyone. No one would need to die.

Randidly’s eyes softened as he listened to Thorn explain.

Of course, Thorn was currently having difficulties getting his vulnerable core through the molten stone of the mantle. And the deeper it dug, the hotter it got. But it emphasized that Randidly’s power to use Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil had inspired it. It wanted to possess that same absolute capability.

For now, it’s probably for the best that Thorn doesn’t get that capability. Having him able to reach across the whole world...

“Thorn…” Randidly paused, unsure of what he wanted to say. Because when he looked at Thorn, he saw quite a few worrying similarities to himself. But regarding those flaws… what right did Randidly have to criticize? So he could only slowly exhale. His images crowded around, each with their own idea on what to say to Thorn.

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In the end, Randidly stuck with the feeling that Yggdrasil released. He reached out and patted Thorn’s pink and black core. “Don’t forget to have fun, buddy. Life’s something worth enjoying sometimes. And if we are talking about living… you cannot ever completely eliminate risk.”

The last visit that Randidly made was to Neveah. They had been in near-constant contact over the past few weeks as the plans for the Keystones were finalized, but they hadn’t actually seen each other for quite some time. Through their connection, Randidly had known that it was because Neveah wanted to be alone right now. What had happened with Roy left a deep scar on her that Randidly couldn’t quite understand.

But now Randidly was leaving and Neveah refused to go with him. So he was no longer willing to let her have her space. He wasn’t going to go without saying goodbye.

When he arrived at her cabin, she was already waiting with the door open. He followed her inside, sniffing and catching the scent of a stew she was making. In the corner of the room, a large cauldron merrily bubbled, bits of carrot, onion, and potato periodically visible as the mixture continued its steady churn. What surprised Randidly was that Sydney was sitting in the corner of a room, folding laundry. She looked up at him with a slightly unfriendly stare, as though daring him to question while she was here.

Randidly wasn’t a fan of the antagonism in her expression but decided he had bigger fish to fry at the moment. He looked at Neveah and sent her a message. Is it fine to talk about things here?

Is there anything that we would talk about that we are trying to hide? Neveah responded. Outloud, she asked. “Tea?”

“Please,” Randidly said, moving over to sit in one of the wooden stools at the table. While Neveah went through the small motions of putting a kettle on to boil and Sydney returned to her folding, Randidly tasted the swirling emotions around their images. In addition, he could use his Nether Nebula to brush against the significance that pooled in this place. Despite the limits imposed by the System, there was quite an abundance of Nether present.

This cabin was a dense mess of Nether.

Neveah ground up some tea leaves. “I assume part of the reason you are here is to ask me again if I’m sure I don’t want to come; I will say that I am sure. If you want, that letter on the table is Roy’s suicide note. Read it. Then you might understand.”

Frowning, Randidly looked at the letter in question. He picked it up and unfolded. Someone, likely Neveah, had taken great care when refolding the letter. The creased paper was sharp and stark against the messy words written within. Randidly scanned the letter and his frowned deepened. Certainly, the handwriting was overly stylized, but more than that…

He read the letter twice before he set it down. His emerald eyes glittered“Do you think this… is accurate?”

“Yes, I believe so.” Neveah said. Steam began to whistle out of the kettle and she whisked it up and poured the boiling water over the leaves. “When he died, Roy’s consciousness was pulled somewhere. Likely all living things governed by the System are taken there. Part of the damage he sustained was due to witnessing the crazy meat grinder of images, but more than that… and the reason that nothing ever seems to try and escape from that place…”

“That’s where all the significance goes,” Randidly breathed. “Everything that has been stolen from the Cohorts. And they use it to try and make-”

The words on the page floated at the forefront of Randidly’s mind. All the parts of an infant are assembled there… all the limbs and organs. But they were drawn by someone who had never seen the real thing. The pieces float around each other, the heart orbiting the pelvis while passing through a belt of drifting fingers and toes, like a solar system.

Neveah barred her teeth. “Or perhaps its better to say that the reason the Nexus can gather all the dying images is that it already has so much significance gathered in one point. And when you witness that mass of significance… it means so much more than you ever could. That hits you viscerally. You feel, rightfully, insignificant. It’s probably why Roy became so obsessed with heroes and their tropes; only in stories could he feel meaningful. Being a part of something softened his certainty that he was individually meaningless.”

Then Neveah lowered her gaze. “...I have to admit it has me worried. Against Kaan…. I’m not mentally strong, Randidly. Not like you are. If I had to face that significance… Even if I could just sense it existing nearby… I would be crushed. So… it’s better for me here.”

Randidly’s mind whirred. Part of him was grappling with the issue of Neveah’s decision, while another part of himself began gradually to assemble a picture of the Nexus based on what he knew. That strange, warped baby at the core of that place of death….

Randidly released a breath. “I understand.”

He sat for a while after that, settling his thoughts and drinking his tea. He even found it within himself to talk quietly for Sydney for a time, making polite conversation. Neveah eventually asked if Randidly was staying for dinner, to which he had to reply in the negative; it was already time for him to go. They embraced.

He was hugging a lot today.

He opened up a portal and moved back to Kharon. There, the soldiers that followed him from the frontlines waited. They had just finished with their own goodbyes. These soldiers were put within his Alpha Cosmos. Then, although he was somewhat loathe to admit he needed her assistance, Randidly headed to Donnyton. He could do this on his own, but he now wanted to be careful to keep everything within official channels.

So he met Lyra to the South of Donnyton on a small hill next to an apple orchard. She looked extremely grumpy, as though she was running a fever and Randidly’s request had forced her out of bed. She was very clearly suppressing the urge to shiver in the chill wind. Randidly couldn’t prevent a grin from spreading across his face; it seemed that his punishment was having the desired effect.

Probably to refuse to acknowledge her weakness, Lyra didn’t even bother to complain about it. Instead, she waved her hand in front of Randidly’s eyes. He observed carefully as she attached a small bit of Aether architecture to his Class. He scrutinized it carefully as it latched onto him, watching for any more observation software. But it truly just allowed him to see parts of the System that were barred to him before.

And once it settled, Randidly could sense them running through the world around him: the Nexus Ways.

“The main hub is… the biggest one. It’s really self-explanatory.” Lyra stretched her arm up and gestured vaguely. Then she seemed to remember something and pause. “Ah, there is one more thing. You are the first person from Expira to be designated by a Village Spirit as worthy to head to the Nexus. As such…”

She gestured and a notification appeared in front of Randidly.

Congratulations! Due to your accomplishment, you have been given a Tier I Nexus Citizenship Coin. See your Village Spirit for more details.