Octavius Shrike and Randidly stood in one of the cramped rooms on the ground floor of their ‘base’, looking at the activated video terminal on the far wall. A live emergency broadcast played across the screen, buzzing with occasional distortions from the continuing aftershocks from the shaft. Randidly recognized the officious-looking, flushed skin woman at the podium as the Commandant that was allied with Wick.

“We know very little about this ‘Edraine’, aside from the fact that she is responsible for the recent dip in Aether distribution of the Nexus,” The Commandant announced to the watching reporters. She was standing in front of the Military High Command headquarters, meaning that the building squatted above the gathering and added an air of seriousness. Randidly watched in amusement as all of the minor characters at the press conference raised up small square pieces of metal, Engraved to function as both mic and camera. Which certainly made their equipment more streamlined. “Our investigations have revealed that she has affiliations with known malcontents and is determined to undermine the security of the Nexus. All relevant information any Nexus citizen can provide is appreciated.”

“Well,” Randidly said as he casually continued to mentally poke and prod at the Aether constructs around his Class. All the previous defenses he sensed were now inert after Velio’s attack, but he still wanted to investigate a bit before he ripped portions out. “They aren’t wrong. We really do want to undermine the Nexus.”

Congratulations! Your Skill Aether Manipulation has grown to Level 262!

Congratulations! Your Skill Lesser Aether Inoculation (M) has grown to Level 243!

Octavius just grunted and chewed on the thumbnail of his left hand. He watched the display terminal with wide eyes. Randidly shook his head slightly; the rhino man was going to worry himself to death someday. He wondered whether Vitality kept cholesterol at acceptable amounts. But Randidly admitted that part of the reason that he was taking this news so well was that he was still slightly floating from his meeting with Vualla.

For once, they had met without any great threat looming above them. They had simply been able to coexist.

That, and Velio’s attack on the overlay System had given him the opportunity to adjust the observational constructs that had plagued him and earned him some disturbing Paths in the past. Neveah hummed along with him, her entire focus on his Class. Her mental feelers stretched and teased, gradually feeling out the various constructs the Nexus had included.

Congratulations! Your Skill Aether Manipulation has grown to Level 263!

The Commandant on the screen continued to speak. Despite her small stature and sharp features, she effectively conveyed a message of stern dedication to duty. “Edraine and Velio Dunn are both dangerous and deranged. Right now, we are pursuing leads that the duo is meeting with contacts amongst the Pinnacle Seekers in an attempt-”

“Can you please explain what sort of leads those are?”

A loud voice cut across the press conference, but even Randidly and Neveah were briefly distracted from their work by the intrusion on screen. Randidly tilted his head to the side. He… recognized that voice. The recording devices swiveled around away from the podium and stone steps behind the Commandant and focused on the figure of Neshamah Rex.

She wore an orange sundress embroidered with blue flowers, looking like she had just come from a casual luncheon. Her face bloomed into a smile as everyone stared at her. “You are suggesting these two individuals have ties with the Pinnacle Seekers… So I just want to make sure that Military High Command isn’t making baseless accusations. You don’t blame me, right? We all know your… history of blaming others. So I’d like to hear about your sources.”

“Unfortunately, we are not taking questions at this event,” The flushed Commandant regained her momentum with each word. The heavy building behind her lent its support to her legitimacy. She favored Neshamah with a pointed glare. “Also, we will not compromise the investigators by revealing sensitive information. Or are you trying to imply that we are not responding seriously to a crippling blow to the System?”

“I’m saying you are implicating others without proof.” Neshamah shrugged. “But by all means, continue your press conference. I’ve definitely found it to be… illuminating.”

Even through the relatively grainy display terminal, Randidly saw the lines around the Commandant’s eyes tighten. The reporters swiveled back and forth between the two women, unwilling to miss a single moment. Next to him, Octavius shivered. “This… if Neshamah is challenging a Commandant so directly, then Solomon Rex is behind her. And if he feels confident about openly opposing Military High Command…”

Then Octavius shook himself and looked at Randidly. “But we should start preparing for the worst-case scenarios. Edraine is a wanted woman. Is there anyone who can link us with Edraine…? We made preparations for the old messages, but I believe, now that the Nexus has her in its sights, sending her messages will tip them off.”

Congratulations! Your Skill Aether Manipulation has grown to Level 264!

Randidly let Neveah to her utilization of his Skills and considered Octavius’s question. “...assuming the acquisition of this house is fine, then… the three who know are Ileot Swacc, who has already been dealt with, Velio Dunn, who probably wouldn’t betray us at this point, and Lady Iellaya. And she should still be on our side. There are individuals in my Alpha Cosmos who are aware, but I’m working on making sure that the Nexus has no access to them at all.”

Influence +17!

You mean that I am working on it, Neveah grumbled in his Soulspace. Randidly’s lips twitched. However, she continued to tirelessly toy at the edges of the Aether constructs. With her actions still having drawn no aggressive response from the ‘security' portions, she was growing bolder. And once they proved it could be done with Randidly’s Class, they would be able to rip out all of the feelers the Nexus had remaining in the Alpha Cosmos.

Don’t act like all of THAT will be on me, Neveah followed his train of thoughts and interjected. To accomplish something that big… we will need both Aether and Nether working together. How many individuals have Classes in the Alpha Cosmos? And honestly, the Aether will be the grip, but the Nether will be the engine that fuels it all. Which is what you will need to figure out. So good luck.

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Congratulations! Your Skill Soul Bond has grown to Level 358!

Congratulations! Your Skill Aether Manipulation has grown to Level 265!

Ignorant of Randidly’s internal discussion, Octavius continued to mutter to himself. “The purchase… Edraine handled it, but she would have been discrete. Her aura… might be on me, but there should be no reason… except they brought up the variable Aether supply. I need to be prepared for them to do a cursory review of the data I provided.”

On the terminal, the Commandant continued to assure the viewers that they were doing their utmost to catch the dangerous criminals, but Neshamah Rex’s interruption had derailed some of the energy. Or perhaps the reporters shared Ocatvius’s fear of what Neshamah’s appearance meant. There was a simmering emotional tension that Randidly could feel even through the screen. Randidly reached up and rubbed his chin with his left hand, before wincing at the rough edges of his damaged arm. Then he pondered the mysterious Solomon Rex, who partnered with Don Beigon to manage Alymian.

Even now, there is so much about the Nexus I don’t quite understand… Randidly pressed his lips together. Which is why I need to continue growing stronger… it’s the only way to survive.

Congratulations! Your Skill Aether Manipulation has grown to Level 266!

However, Randidly’s thoughts were interrupted by two unexpected messages. The first brought a smile to his face; Claudette wrote to him that she took advantage of her father being busy with the attack on the Engraving Guild and the weird seismic activity below the Nexus to obtain the information he wanted regarding Nether.

She was able to obtain detailed information on both acknowledged methods to form Nether Cores. In a few days, she would bring the methods along with her when she met him to go into the Shaft and begin her image refinement.

The second message confused Randidly and distracted him from Octavius’s fretful muttering. It was from Raymund Ballast.

Come to the Fifth Cohort Rally Station.

Randidly pursed his lips and replied immediately. He set aside the examination of the Aether constructs. Is something wrong?

He only received one word in response.

Please.

He looked at the message for a long time, trying to imagine the serious Raymund sending a message like that. Randidly’s skin tingled and he pushed himself out of his slouched lean against the wall.

Randidly glanced over at Octavius. “I need to go help a subordinate with a matter. Try not to tie yourself in knots without me, alright? Also, get in contact with Lady Iellaya. If anything, she’s in the most danger of us all.”

Octavius nodded, but it was obvious to Randidly that the Overseer was not going to stop worrying so easily. Randidly sighed internally; he couldn’t blame him for the tension. Edraine was the backbone of their resistance, the one who possessed enough raw power to make them a legitimate threat. Even after his improvements, Randidly could only barely grasp the difference between their images. Now that she vanished to meet with Velio Dunn, it left the rest of the cabal in limbo.

Randidly used the Philosopher’s Key and opened a portal directly to the Fifth Cohort Rally Station. Randidly stood on top of the Overseer housing building and sucked a deep breath of this familiar wind. Standing over the area, he was immediately struck by two things: the silence and the crackling remnants of a restrictive, rigid image.

That set Randidly’s teeth on edge and he looked around with a sharper gaze. Commandant Wick had been here. Recently, too.

Randidly blurred into motion. He leapt directly upward and spun around. He quickly spotted a gathering of two hundred bodies nearby the physical training area and Randidly kicked off of the air. Behind him, the wind shuddered and cracked beneath his force. He was a missile, piercing through the air in a shallow arc. His expression rapidly shifted into a grimace; the more he moved toward the distant crowd, the stronger the lingering scents of restriction became.

Randidly’s heart began to pound. In his chest, his Skill The Grey Creature Glimpses Providence began to activate naturally. Ripples spread outward through the Nether that flowed in his veins. Without any explanation, the Grey Creature raised its head to release a keening howl.

He landed and cratered the ground. Randidly hopped out of the three-meter deep hole and his elite recruits turned to look at him. Those that were humanoid had pale faces. Their expressions were filled with bewilderment, fear, and pain. Randidly walked forward, accelerating. His toes flexed and contracted, digging tiny troughs in the ground as he moved forward. The bodies parted or he shoved past them, Randidly didn’t really notice.

Raymund stood alone at the front of the group with his shoulders hunched. His silhouette heaved with emotion. His eyes were wet with tears as he bowed his head to his superior officer. “Head Drill Sergeant… I’m sorry. We… I tried but…”

Randidly pushed past the Vulpine and stepped around DiOrtho, who he hadn’t even noticed in his haste to approach. Randidly chided himself for being so careless, ignoring the rising sense of alarm in his stomach. The ram demon was slumped on his knees, his eyes focused. In front of him, letters had been painted onto the sandy ground with blood.

If you want to play with my subordinates, I’ll play with one of yours.

A strangled noise emerged from Randidly’s throat as he read that message. The tang of Commandant Wick’s image was sharp and pervasive in Randidly’s nose, like chemical ammonia. The keening cry of the Grey Creature was joined by the rustling of millions of leaves and the horrifying vacuum of endless need. His three images began to resonate with each other. The turbulence of the flow of his Nether was turning the energy chaotic in his body.

Randidly’s eyes wandered forward to her body.

She was folded like an aluminum chair. Her braid was shredded, leaving portions of her scalp bald or scratched, and her eyeballs had been popped. Her hands were drowned, hairless tarantulas, fingers curling up in all the wrong directions. Every joint in her body had been forced back against itself. Her mouth was open, her just barely pink lips stained with blood and bile. Next to her on the ground were several shattered weapons.

She was so very, very still.

Randidly took several steps forward. His ears were ringing. The noises of his images grew louder. His eyes ached. He could barely hear Raymund’s voice behind him. “He demanded she become his personal servant. She told him… to go fuck himself.”

Randidly’s body was twitching. He became aware that he had wrapped his arms around himself and was squeezing so tightly with his right hand that the warped metal of his damaged left arm was slowly being crunched downward by his fingers. But Randidly couldn’t get his grip to loosen.

His body wasn’t behaving normally. Everything felt wrong.

Randidly’s breaths were heavy as his heartbeat continued to accelerate, great steaming breaths that belched out as much steam as the exhaust of a train engine. But after he sprayed out that condensation, it rapidly dissipated and left him facing a corpse.

His limbs felt bloated, flooded with eddying currents of Nether.

“Helen,” Randidly whispered. Suddenly he became aware of the gulf inside of himself that used to house the Aether connection between the two of them. That emptiness ached like few things Randidly had ever had to deal with in the past.

His grip on his metal arm continued to tighten.