Randidly grimaced, as he fought against existence for the second time today. The pulse of time grew stronger with each wave he resisted and kept his Seize activated. His Nether Core churned and chugged, revving against the resistance. But this time, he had the weight of Lowanna and the memory behind him.

He endured. He grinned. He triumphed, for a single moment. All fell within his palm.

With all the power coursing through his body and his Nether Core… he set the stage for another to shine. And at that moment, Devick answered his expectations. She flew up and unleashed the horrid weapon made by Westrisser, slashing the Pine, the Dungeon Boss.

For a few moments after the strike, Randidly kept his grip on the moment absolute. Devick slowly began to fall away from the location of the impact, exhausted from the ordeal. Her weapon flaked right out of her hands, grey petals drifting away from a dying rose. And when she had fallen far enough, Randidly allowed the grand Nether Ritual around him to release.

Neveah instantly exploded into motion, flitting up, grabbing Devick, and escaping the area with the Alchemist’s Passport. Because when the moment passed and Pine’s body began to fail, dangerous forces that Randidly had never witnessed before ripped outward from the corpse. A neon orange energy that smelled sweet but shredded space, images, and significance like paper began ripping open the memory with jagged wires. Randidly had difficulty believing what his senses told him; fabricated existence was wet paper and these new forces were butcher’s knives.

Against this raw and unstable form of destruction, Randidly released a low breath. He gathered himself and considered. He had only used about a third of Lowanna’s significance to give Devick her platform, but surviving the fallout was just as important. Now was not a time to skimp on energy. He spoke again, a different pillar burning with meaning. “The Fourth Authority: Animation Nova.”

He had been planning to use Intangible Burial to clean up the apocalypse-level fallout, but just a single look at those bright orange waves made him understand it wouldn’t be such a pretty clean up. A burial… might even be impossible. Instead, he poured out wave after wave of pure green life, generating a dome of well-being that simply existed as fodder for this rampaging destruction.

The sky became a hurricane aurora as neon orange battled against the soft green of fresh-cut grass. Above them, the burning gold eye of Pine completely closed, eaten away by the lingering notes of grey.

Unfortunately, Pine’s complete collapse only released a nova of those frazzled orange energy waves. The added pressure made his Nether Core begin to struggle.

Sweat began to pour down his brow as Randidly channeled energy through his body to the limit. The orange energy burned through all of the significance that Lowanna gathered, leaving almost nothing behind. All of the Nether people here, little skimmed moments of their lives, were devoured to sate the hunger of this exodus event. The energy hacked downward, radiating out from Pine’s position overhead and heading toward the ground.

Remnant images and clouds were annihilated in searing series of expanding sweeps. Even with all the significance donated to him… the Animation Nova grew thin.

But, just barely, they made it. The orange energy turned sluggish and tapered away. The destructive forces faded.

For a moment, the colors in the sky began to settle. The Dungeon Barrier shivered, as though balking at the prospect of what came next. Aether constructs triggered and began to hum across the whole of the memory.

Randidly wiped his lips with his hands. And now, for my final trick-

The eye of Pine opened once more.

After all, in the Dungeons with a designated boss, it needed to be revived for the next set of challengers to escape.

And the birth of Pine, even if just an echo of a memory, flooded the air with such rich, vibrant, and chaotic energy that Randidly couldn’t believe it. He let out a shocked laugh— exactly this result had been what he had aimed for the whole time, but it was another thing entirely to experience it. Especially after being denied repeatedly in his attempts. He breathed in and all of the accumulated weariness, the small wounds, the strain on his images and Nether Core healed. He felt cleansed and purified.

He had failed three times today. But the results of those failures had changed the environment enough to make the final result a resounding success. They might not have been able to cause a Pinnacle event to occur in the present, but they managed to create an echo of the original Pinnacle event that created the Nexus.

Perhaps too, that was an important symbol. A new future could be opened, reframed from a repeated beginning.

“The Second Authority: Hollow Needle,” Randidly whispered, drawing on the fumes of his Nether Core. But he shouldn’t need much energy for this last part. He raised the implement, dipped it into the thick rivers of energy flowing around in the area, and began to sew his Class back together.

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Congratulations! Energizing successful! You have restored functionality to Muse’s Reverie!

For exceptional circumstances, Muse’s Reverie +1!

For exceptional circumstances, Muse’s Reverie +1!

Recalculating… Additional imagery has been to your Class.

Recalculating…

Detecting Synergies… Examining Skills… Incorporating Skillsets…

Analyzing the constitution of the Alpha Cosmos… Extrapolating user growth…

Congratulations! Due to exposure to immense quantities of Nether, the ability from Foreign Entity Sulfur “Nascent Nether Organ (U)” has evolved to become “Organic Nether Hub (U)”. Efficacy of all related effects increases!

Congratulations! Your Class Lord of the Baleful Wood is evolving!

Expanding parameters… incorporating images… incorporating Nether significance…

Congratulations! Your Class Loyal Benefactor of the Weak is evolving!

Congratulations! Your Class Lighthouse of the Boundless Worlds is evolving!

Congratulations! Your Class Lodestone of the Black Wanting is evolving!

Congratulations! Your Class Lesson for those of Brittle Will is evolving!

Congratulations! Your Class Longing of the Banished Wind is evolving!

Recalculating…

Recalculating…

Randidly felt Neveah’s consciousness join his own in looking at the notifications that appeared before him. Her thought message felt playful. Are you ready to see what you have earned after all this time? Who you have become?

Yes, Randidly replied, his hands never ceasing to add the energy into his Class. Around him, he felt the actions of the Pantheon begin in earnest. They wielded an impressive amount of shape and significance, feeding it into his Class one leg at a time

As she watched the beginnings of the process, Neveah’s mood sank. …you say that, but you also spoke truly to Devick. Growth becomes about the spaces you force yourself through. In the end, we cannot see who you are, except by witnessing your actions. So what we see and what you see are likely not in total alignment. Are you really fine with that? Becoming mostly what you seem to be?

Neveah, I picked this path. Randidly closed his eyes. I’m not scared of where it leads.

I wish you would be, She sighed. The notifications for his Class evolutions finally arrived.

Your Class Loyal Benefactor of the Weak is evolving!

As you have grown in power, the role you have taken in the lives of your followers has changed. While echoes of your exploits resound throughout the Alpha Cosmos, fewer and fewer have direct contact with you. Despite that distance, your toil ceaselessly in order to improve the situation of your people. Due to your efforts, the number of Paths available to the people of the Alpha Cosmos has grown.

They follow your lead gladly, hoping for a better future.

Your Class Loyal Benefactor of the Week has evolved into Mantle of the Tireless Pathfinder!

Your Skill Footsteps of a Legend (L) has evolved into Echoes of a Living Myth (M)! In addition to previous leadership bonuses, the evolved Skill will seed some of your capability amongst followers. Although extremely minute, there is a chance they will develop a portion of your capabilities. Mutated variants are possible. Skill Levels will be maintained.

Your Skill Spriggit’s Tinkering (R) has evolved into Wake of Miracles (T) Skill Level will be maintained. You have developed a likely chance of being able to overturn expectations and make the best of bad situations. While the short-term effects are slightly boosted, the long-term effects become almost guaranteed. In addition, Skill Level will boost the efficacy of all regenerations.

Randidly felt the shifts occurring within his body. His hands moved tirelessly as the needle swam in and out of the rich energies of the rebirth of false Pine, stitching them into his Class. He could feel the growing roots of the changes as well. He felt the vast potential held by individuals inside of the Alpha Cosmos, both from the people of Expira and from the numerous other species that began to thrive.

He pressed his lips together. This result… is exactly why I cannot slow down now. I need to be unreasonable, to hammer out a Path forward. So these people can walk forward without fear.

The Hollow Needle swam through the air. The next pillar of his Class began to shift.

Congratulations! Your Class Lighthouse of the Boundless Worlds is evolving!

Fonts of your insights have appeared within the Alpha Cosmos, providing glimpses to those who seek power. They function as warped mirrors, granting access to an altered reflection to the viewer. Not only has that feat deeply cemented your place within the hearts of those who dwell within your Alpha Cosmos, but you have also begun spreading hope out into the wider Nexus. The loudest echo will always now be Ghasthund, but the shapes you choose leak out to affect others. The ‘radiance’ of possibility you release grows in power and scope, stretching beyond the limits of your inner world.

The combination of the heritage of the Origin Beasts and your Fateset creates an ignition for all who soak in your light.

Congratulations! Your Class Lighthouse of the Boundless Worlds has evolved into Silver Protostar of the Alpha Cosmos! Your Skills March of Ruin and Valor (L) and Smothering Inevitability (L) have merged and evolved into Protostar’s Twilight Radiance (T). The Skill has become a passive one that is constantly active. Effects will vary depending on the hostility of the affected individual. But no matter what they are to you, the radiation you release can only be delayed, never shrugged off. Skill Level will be set at 900.

Your Skillset the Moirae of Minute Repercussions is reacting! Your Skill From the Chaotic Sea, Abrupt Reverberation (T) has evolved into From the Ghosthound’s Baleful Storm, Howl (P). Power, speed, and size of manifested attacks greatly increase. Damage inflicted with energy storms will contain an extra bit of Protostar’s Twilight Radiance. Skill Level will be maintained.

Congratulations! Your Class Lodestone of the Black Wanting is evolving!

You have long served as the focal point of the dark energy systems flowing through the Alpha Cosmos. It began with the fires of rebellion against the Nexus lit by Yystrix, but now you have grown to house the dark subconscious of an entire universe. You exist as an individual within the purview of both the Alpha Cosmos and the Nexus, yet you have grown to become so much more than that in both. The rules you have subverted, the powers you have channeled, have indelibly marked your body.

Some more than others, until your existence cannot be separated from the dangerous allies you have made.

Congratulations! Your Class Lodestone of the Black Wanting has evolved into Deviant Calamity, Soulbound to the Carrion Dragon!