“Superman” Bennio glumly propped himself up against the heavy marble of the central statue of Kharon Academy’s main plaza, watching with disinterest as various students hurried past either to class or to loaf around on one of the green stretches of land in the quad. Bennio scratched his cheek and huffed out a breath. As this particular spot was highly coveted, due to its proximity to the statue of Kharon Academy’s spiritual founder, several of the older teenagers gave Bennio a familiar side-eyed examination.

These idiots were measuring him up, considering whether it was worth it to fight for the spot. Bennio leaned back and let them look.

Of course, most looked away quickly and continued walking; Bennio had quite the reputation around Kharon Academy, both due to his own muscular strength and association with Eileen Krouse. There were a couple of hundred students that could match him in a fight and maybe a little less than eighty that would beat him outright, but none of those elites were idle enough to fight him for his spot below the statue.

Everyone was too busy with their individual preparations for the under-Auction to bother.

Yet despite the warm light of the morning sun, Bennio was sullen. His cheek still ached from receiving that attack from the shoeless man the Toddler had found for a bodyguard. When Eileen had shaken Bennio awake, he was stunned to learn that the man had completely knocked him unconscious with only a single blow.

From the way Eileen explained it, the man seemed to be flailing when he punched too, like he couldn’t where to hit his target. The thought made Bennio flush.

He had grown arrogant these last few years, rapidly proving his strength in Kharon Academy. And one part of him had always known that there were powerful figures out there in the world, but to be shown that truth so violently…

Bennio clenched his fists.

A voice spoke from Bennio’s side. “Oy, move over.”

His eyes bright with challenge, Bennio hopped right to his feet. He spread his arms aggressively, only to freeze when he saw who had spoken to him. The devil-child Delilah stood with arms akimbo, cocking an eyebrow at Bennio’s display.

“What, you have something to say?” Delilah said arrogantly, fully a head shorter than Bennio. Her expression told him she was just as itching for a fight as he was.

Bennio was torn to his desire to fight and prove himself and his knowledge that Delilah was not someone to mess with when she made the decision for him. Her fist flicked out, faster than he could dodge, slamming into his gut three times in quick succession. Gurgling, Bennio took a step backward.

Delilah stepped forward and shoved him the rest of the way out of the spot. Then she plopped down to lean against the statue with a dramatic sigh. Bennio rubbed his aching stomach and swallowed his reluctance. He scowled at her and said, “Why the hell are you in such a shitty mood?”

After glancing at him briefly, Delilah knocked her head back against the marble behind her. “I discovered a conspiracy, within the boundaries of Kharon, and my childhood hero has become my babysitter, refusing to let me out of her sight. The only reason I could come here was because I claimed that I had class; imagine, going to class this close to the under-Auction? Ugh. What am I, fresh meat?”

Bennio opened his mouth to say something, but Delilah was picking up steam. “And you know what the worst part of it is? I probably won’t be able to go to the under-Auction. Because I’m going to be busy fighting to protect Kharon, despite the fact that both the biggest event of the year is happening AND my dream vehicle is being auctioned at the adult’s stupid auction. Which reminds me; does Eileen want my lots?”

“Are you serious?” Bennio asked. He shook his head, then nodded rapidly. “Of course she wants the lots! Do you have your usual stuff?!”

Delilah’s lip curled upward as she favored Bennio with a look. “It’s better. Do you think I haven’t been improving?”

For the first time since being punched last night, Bennio grinned with genuine cheer. The bidding for the under-Auction was quite special; the students didn’t use money. Instead, they relied on the robust power of the Scrawl to lift a certain amount of coin weight to certify their purchasing power. Basically, it was a night of betting that your Scrawl was more powerful than your competitors.

And depending on how valuable the items were, lots that kids donated to the under-Auction acted as a weight ‘credit’ against their purchases. So everyone was desperate to submit the most sought-after lots, which would allow them to bid more exaggeratedly with higher weights.

Bennio looked upward, maintaining his smile. His eyes drifted through the cheery seeming clouds above the statue. He sent a message to Eileen to tell her the good news and ask her to hurry over. With this-

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“Ah.” Bennio made a noise. Then he raised his finger and pointed above Delilah.

Delilah frowned up at him, twisted around to look at the statue, and then straightened back to look at Bennio. “Why the hell are you being such a dumbass? You’ve seen this statue literally a million times.”

*****

Influence +11!

Influence +15

Influence +9

Randidly released a steaming breath and rolled his shoulders. When he had walked into the main area of his Nether Core, a thick wave of energy and significance had immediately blasted outward and spiraled around his body. Apparently, a small portion of the energy pooled here, waiting for Randidly to return and harvest it.

He did so gladly.

The process took several hours, as he incorporated the power and resulting Influence that flowed into his body. His Nether Core practically hummed with pleasure. Then he straightened and looked around the area. Without the potent energy in the air, the space seemed somewhat hollow. The wide room was barren, aside for a few steps bringing one to stand before a massive pillar in the center of the room.

At first blush, the pillar seemed to be covered in a curving Engraving. But even those unfamiliar with Engraving would soon notice the ambient sense of life and pressure released by these markings. It was not Mana nor Aether that flowed through these curving lines, but significance. The deep, desperate, determined significance of Randidly Ghosthound.

Beyond that, an ominous halo of Nether swirling constantly around the room. Standing here was being part of an eternal flow, wading into the energy that animated the body of Randidly Ghosthound.

Even Randidly stood solemnly for several seconds, just staring are the shapes, allowing a part of himself just to be buoyed away by the currents of meaning that radiated from the pillar. His breathing continually slowed and he felt himself aligning with the flavor of inspired brilliance that his Visage of Obsession had allowed him to achieve in the creation of his Nether Core.

Looking at it now… it’s a wonder I managed this, even with five years...

The process of alignment only took a few minutes, likely due to the fact that Randidly was already intimately connected with his Nether Core. But Randidly believed that the process would be much slower and more gradual, perhaps even slightly uncomfortable, for any student who managed to reach this depth.

But like a religious zealot who reached the destination of the pilgrimage, Randidly knew that what they found here would arm the students to succeed in the future. The pulse of Kharon’s spirit was strongest in the Academy. The core tenants of Randidly Ghosthound that had birthed that spirit would only benefit them, even if it was uncomfortable at first.

After acclimating himself, Randidly examined the central pillar more closely. He didn’t know how he felt about the development, but the curving lines of significance had definitely begun to grow downward off the pillar and onto the raised dais.

Abruptly, Randidly had an image of what this place would be in the future, as his significance continued to grow organically down the floor and then up to cover the walls until the whole room was filled with enigmatically curving lines that pulsed with flickering light. Randidly’s emerald eyes began to glow as he could feel the room changing in his imagination, three monstrous images curving the script of their Engraving until they hung on the walls as elaborate frescos. Their subtle lines would hint at the horrifying Weight that lurked behind each of them.

Standing in this place would be like standing in the heart of a Calamity.

Randidly narrowed his eyes and raised a hand to cover his chest. And if I have to become the Calamity for the Nexus as a whole, that’s fine. This exploitation, abandonment, and then callous disregard for lives that have gotten so dependant on Nexus Aether needs to stop.

Randidly breathed out through his nose and pressed his eyes shut. Gradually, that oppressive image of what this location will one day become slowly faded away, leaving him simply standing in front of an influential pillar. His Nether Core happily slurped up the significance of that imagined scene in the background.

When he was ready, Randidly produced his Philosopher’s Key and left Kharon Academy’s Labyrinth. He had earlier breezed past the vast spaces between the trials, but he wasn’t quite in the mood to go back through and look at the transition areas.

Instead, Randidly went into the city, still without wearing a disguise, and wandered around until he found a restaurant with a potent enough image that he could smell it outside the building. Again, contrary to Tatiana’s warning, no one seemed to notice Randidly. Occasionally he earned some long looks for his tail, but he was somewhat exasperated that no one noticed the founder of the city in which the people were living.

But I suppose some might be tourists. And also… Randidly eventually selected a bourgeois eatery called Selene’s and walked inside. The restaurant was busy, mostly laborers in grease-stained overalls hunching over their plate to eat quickly. A hostess greeted him with a smile and guided him to an open table. For the average person, I’m just a legend. Heh. Even if my efforts had a very concrete effect on their life, our lives don’t intersect enough for my face to be memorable. That’s… somewhat depressing…

The hostess turned around and left Randidly at the table. And he was just about to sit when something occurred to him. His lips twitched. This… am I really going to need to ask Tatiana to give me some spending money while I’m here…?

“Sir Ghosthound!”

The words instantly quieted the entire restaurant. It was like the speaker cast a spell, reeling in all of the attention of the patrons and workers. Looking immaculate in his Commissioner of Police uniform, aside from a bit of egg at the corner of his goatee, Klein Arrietti stood at his nearby table and awkwardly bowed toward Randidly. “I had no idea you were in town, sir. Please allow me to treat you to breakfast.”

Randidly rolled his eyes. His tail had at some point unwound itself, now flicked casually back and forth behind him. Goodbye, sweet anonymity… I should never have mistreated you~