At Randidly’s echoing words, Acri trilled happily. With its elastic body, Acri quickly coiled into a spring and launched itself up through the chest of a surprised Nether Beast before the unfortunate thing could react. Within a second of speaking, Randidly looked up and saw Acri sailing rather gracefully through the air back toward its master. But the point that held Randidly’s attention was the fact that Acri began to change midair.

When Randidly had led his Riders out against some of the early Nether Beast attacks after he had recovered his body, he had already sensed that Acri was getting so much experience that a transformation would be forthcoming. Ever since his Soulseeds had taken responsibility for their own growth, Randidly hadn’t been too clear on how or why they would evolve. But he still retained an accurate sense for when such changes would occur.

Perhaps it’s karma, still tying us together… Randidly thought as he considered his spear.

A tremor ran through Acri’s rather slender and sparsely leafed shaft. As Randidly watched, the wooden core of Acri began to rapidly swell outward. The sapling rapidly expanded as the smooth bark of the shaft became thick and rugged. The increase in size was the greatest at the butt of the spear; the shaft thickened there to almost three times its previous size, clearly to a width that would be difficult to grip with only a single hand. As if that wasn’t enough, several small growths stretched and twisted a small distance outward, giving the impression of a rather stubby root system poking off of the edge.

The rest of the shaft also grew, lengthening to almost five meters and slowly thickening from the sharp point down do the middle portion of the shaft were wide and dark leaves stretched outward in a small halo. Then Randidly’s eyes caught on the area largely hidden by those wide leaves, where there was a half-meter long portion that did not thicken at all and maintained its previous width.

The changes occurred over the course of only a few seconds as Acri shot through the air. As Acri arrived in front of Randidly, the weapon twisted itself, destroying its deadly forward momentum and drifting midair for a second. Randidly reached out and snatched that familiar portion with his right hand, appreciating the familiar heat and smoothness of the grip. Then Randidly raised Acri and shook it slightly, familiarizing himself with the weight..

Rather than a spear, it was more accurate to describe the new Acri as a lance. There was a sharp point that widened out into a leafy guard before the portion that Randidly could grip. And beyond the spot where Randidly could grip was the heavy butt with the spreading roots.

Crack.

Just as Randidly believed the changes had stopped at the shift in size, Acri’s huge spearhead began slowly ripping itself apart. Then it cracked again as it split once more. Very quickly, three dancing spearheads about the same size as the old Acri were weaving amongst each other like playful serpents. Plus, the added length gave them a much larger amount of mobility in their independent movements. And when Randidly shook the long lance-Acri lightly, those three spearheads twined back together and formed the three sides of a pyramid-shaped drill.

Randidly hefted Acri and studied the tapering point. Not a spearhead any longer. This isn’t designed for sweeps or slashes. The only thing this weapon can do is pierce. Powerfully enough that nothing can stop it. Is this the choice you made after being by my side so long, Acri…?

As if sensing Randidly’s thoughts, Acri cooed softly. Randidly couldn’t help but laugh and lift Acri once more to admire the way light reflected off the glossy leaves or the rich brown of the expended shaft. The new lance’s weight was probably ten times what it had been previously, but even if Randidly’s Strength was one of his lower Stats, it wasn’t so low that weight like this would be a problem. Honestly, Randidly believed he must look strange, to now have such an oversized weapon.

Even describing it as a lance was somewhat generous. If anything, it most closely resembled a leafy nail that would be used in a house for giants. Which made it a much more difficult tool to utilize, but Randidly just had to feel the warm concern from the spear to intuit Acri’s logic.

Randidly already had so interchangeable Skills that made him a nightmare to predict even for foes who knew him well. Yet while flexibility had always been his strength, what he lacked was an overwhelming power that could destroy an opponent’s defense even when they were prepared. His Skills were all about whittling an opponent down, enduring, and then using timing and momentum to strike deeply at an opponent’s weakness.

Since Acri had been at Randidly’s side so long, how could it not understand that Randidly didn’t need it in order to take advantage of such opportunities? So it had chosen a different path. Rather than being one of many similar tools Randidly possessed, Acri had evolved into a unique, if blunt, instrument for him.

“Thanks buddy,” Randidly said lightly. The huge lance wiggled in pleasure at the praise.

In the ditch, Randidly’s few moments of inspection had given the three almost-Nether Gatekeepers enough time to gather themselves. The six-armed foe Randidly had been fighting the entire time was still panting in agony from the strikes Randidly had landed on its core, but it had at least managed to stand on its own after a few seconds of recuperation. The dog raised its head and released an ominous howl. The Nether Gatekeeper that ran on its arms began to lope rapidly toward Randidly.

Little did they know, I needed this break too… Randidly winced internally as his Vitality rapidly knitted together the half-dozen micro-fractures that enduring the Nether Gatekeeper’s blows during that frantic attempt to kill it had earned him. Even with a new and improved Acri, there was no getting around the fact that Randidly’s body was being pushed beyond its comfort zone.

Better finish this as quickly as possible… I cannot afford just to stall any longer.

Obviously that difficult was exactly why he earned so many Skill Levels so quickly. But it also meant that Randidly had been toeing a dangerous line as he didn’t attempt to finish the fighting quickly. Nothing he had endured was so destructive that Randidly hadn’t been able to recover from it yet, but all it would take was one shard from a broken rib going into one of his internal organs and he would have a serious problem. As he concentrated, energy flowed up from the ground into Randidly’s body, accelerating the healing process.

Congratulations! Your Skill Golden Roots of Yggdrasil (L) has grown to Level 225!

“Better heal now, because otherwise…” Randidly glanced around with pursed lips as he surveyed the surrounding areas. Aether soldiers were slowly reforming their ranks behind him, but they were rapidly falling under assault by the Nether Beasts across the whole of the front. The only reason why they had any breathing room at all was because the area where the claw had descended had pushed back both forces.

Yet now Randidly had to rapidly make a decision. He could rush forward and meet the three foes in the ditch, but the ‘cost’ of his earlier trap was still present. LIkely it would linger there forever, a bit of the world indelibly scarred with the jaws of that strange thing that wandered the boughs of Yggdrasil. Once Randidly moved into the ditch, all the assistance he could provide with Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil would need to cease or he would risk injuring his own image in the process.

On the other hand, if Randidly allowed his foes to come to him he could help the Aether soldiers. But he would also need to defend this larger bulge of a foothold again, once he allowed the Nether Beasts once more out of the ditch.

Congratulations! Your Skill Ruinous Drive (Ru) has grown to Level 62!

Slowly, the fighting once more resumed around them as the chaos of the falling claw died down. Lord Miln’s barrier above them slowly healed. The huge armed monster continued to lope toward the edge of the ditch and the large dog began to move to join it in a charge toward Randidly’s position.

Still, Randidly hesitated. He could feel the nervous eyes of the Aether soldiers at his back. Grim Intuition made Randidly extremely aware of every time they looked at him, their eyes following the slow rise and fall of his shoulders as Randidly struggled to control his breathing and allow himself to heal. Yet their images were fuzzy, raw things. It had previously been extremely hard to get a read on their behavior.

Yet somehow, it was becoming increasingly clear to Randidly. They waited, watching his back, unsure of whether they would live in the face of the sea of Nether Beasts. After watching his back for so long, enjoying the slight benefit of his Ruinous Drive, they needed him. Their willingness to fight was now inexorably tied to Randidly’s actions. By protecting them, he had become their spine that supported them through this trial.

Yet how could a body be willing to see a spine let itself be destroyed to protect the rest of the flesh? No, this body wanted to see the spine stand straight. Regardless of what cost it had for them. That was their pride as soldiers. Clearer and clearer, Randidly could feel that resolve radiating off of them.

That was the proof of their sincere respect for this stranger who had stood tall to lessen their own burdens.

Congratulations! Your Skill Lantern of Harsh Truths ® has grown to Level 49!

Congratulations! Your Skill Lantern of Harsh Truths ® has grown to Level 50!

Again, I don’t think I’m the one who was supposed to be affected by this Skill… Randidly could only shake his head. But his resolve rapidly formed as he felt the spirits of the soldiers behind him rapidly lifting. With vicious intent, Randidly raised Acri again. “Molten Fang of the Pariah.”

Randidly said the words lightly, but Acri seemed to shiver with pleasure as Randidly activated the Skill. But even Randidly wasn’t prepared for the whole of Acri to so readily absorb the image of his Skill. The leafy guard began to smoke and then smolder. The color of the wooden shafted darkened and greyed as Acri began to burn. As the temperature of Acri’s shaft continued to rise, ash drifted downward in a delicate wake of orange fireflies below the intimidating weapon.

Congratulations! Your Skill Molten Fang of the Pariah (L) has grown to Level 200!

Yet the core of Acri continued to brighten, until the stinger like tip of Acri was glowing cherry red. Certainly eye-catching, but it was the small markings on the root system on Acri’s butt that really left Randidly floored.

“You little shit,” Randidly laughed in disbelief. “When did you learn to Engraving?”

Acri’s coo of a response seemed to say ‘how else but watching you?’

Shaking his head again, Randidly looked forward and wasted no more time; with a burning Molten Fang of the Pariah that was almost five meters long, Randidly tightened his grip on Acri’s shaft. That was all the sign that the weapon that had grown up with Randidly’s touch needed to activate the mysterious runes that glimmered at the end of Acri’s shaft.

There was a spark and then a subsequent explosion of momentum so forceful that even Randidly was surprised. To his body that was still struggling to catch up with the damage that the first Nether Gatekeeper had inflicted upon him, the jarring unexpected acceleration was more than a little painful.

Congratulations! Your Skill Pain Resistance has grown to Level 154!

Even though Randidly was already stunned by Acri being able to figure out how to use Engraving, his senses traced the budding images that Acri used to create the explosive acceleration. The shape was Yggdrasil, the fuel was the Grim Chimera, and the power came from Ignition Essence.

Just how closely have you been watching me this whole time…? Randidly wondered. Obviously he was aware that Acri was intelligent, but most of their interactions made Randidly feel like he was a parent dealing with a precocious and playful child. But this… to combine all the images together with Engraving… to envision the shape of this evolution…

Burning emerald roots of fire snaked outward from the butt of Acri as the Engravings flared to life. The loping Nether Gatekeeper had just about reached the edge of the ditch, but then Randidly was there like a ballista bolt, all vicious point and terrible purpose. Although this Nether Gatekeeper had a powerful body, even it couldn’t react to the strange acceleration that Acri provided.

The Nether Gatekeeper hardly had time to jerk backward before Acri punctured directly through the heavy muscles of its shoulders. In fact, its flinch was probably all that saved it from Randidly ramming Acri into its heart. Before the pyramidal tip the skin of the Nether Beast was nothing but paper. Yet even as the first Nether Beast absorbed some of Randidly’s forward momentum, his emerald eyes narrowed.

As Randidly pierced through the foe’s shoulder and forced the Nether Beast back into the ditch, both figures shot forward away from the lines of Aether shoulders. Randidly could feel the sudden and abrupt suppression of his World Tree image as he crossed that line, but he didn’t let himself be distracted by that.

Because from Randidly’s left, the large dog arrived on an intercepting vector, its jaws aiming to rip into Randidly’s throat.