After experiencing the rapid rise in Skill Level and the evolution of the image, Randidly meditated for several hours in order to evaluate the process. The sun slowly set and a wide sky of stars stretched above him. His first excited thought was to try and spread this method more widely as a way for people to develop rapidly. And as this was just a method, it wouldn’t have even a whiff of his own image when it helped the Earth grow more powerful. But after checking himself, Randidly realized that would be impossible.

Because, honestly, he was exhausted; if Randidly Ghosthound was exhausted by something, it was not an easy thing. It turned out that forcefully adjusting the image while Leveling it had three problems that would likely make it impossible to be done by the general population: first, you had to already be able to utilize powerful images. It was only with a strong mental hand that the growth could be induced and controlled.

Second, changing the baseline image of the Skill seemed that it rapidly became more difficult the higher the Skill Level was. Perhaps around a Level as low as ten, it would become aggravating to start the process.In his already drained state, Randidly didn’t make the attempt, but he could see that there would be a small window of activity even at the best of times.

Perhaps most importantly… Randidly discovered that shifting the image so drastically consumed something vital in the process. It was to a significantly lesser degree, but Randidly found that it required the same emotional energy that could be used to condense a drop of liquid Aether. Perhaps the entire reason it could occur was that the preset image, while nacient in a low-Level Skill, was pressured into a semi-liquid and malleable state.

Randidly would need to observe someone else attempting it to know for sure, but his excitement quickly disappeared. For normal people the process was almost impossible; this was not an unasked for solution that fell into his lap. And even for Randidly, he would likely need to take a nap to recover his mental energy after improving himself.

All for around 100 PP and an improved Skill that he didn’t really need. He was on the fence about whether it was worth it.

...rather than improving the version of the Skill I have, might be better to first start thinking about Ignition Essence and what I’m going to do with that image… Randidly rubbed his forehead. With a flick of the wrist, he produced his Philosopher’s Key and teleported back to his ominous floating island. He felt somewhat bad for leaving the valley looking like it had been sacked by a hurricane, but with so many people killed by the System, the world was almost too vast to explore once more. It was very likely that by the time this destruction was discovered, the land would have begun to normalize.

Giving in to his exhaustion, Randidly found a spot beneath a tree and laid down for a nap. Although the moon above was bright, the mist around his island served excellently as curtains. A few hours later, Randidly’s eyes snapped open. Dawn was peaking over the horizon, also largely screened off by the omnipresent mist.

Then Randidly shifted into a meditative posture and began to think about the image of Ignition Essence and how it would incorporate all the images that were slowly convalescing around it.

Of his three images, Ignition Essence’s source was the most nebulous. It had come into existence based on necessity and because of his powerful fire Skills that he had utilized while fighting against the System. Convenience appeared to have been the dominant influence over its current shape.

Meanwhile, the Grim Chimera was the combination of the Spear Phantom and ash. It had been heavily influenced by his time on Tellus. Yggdrasil came from Randidly’s first self-created Skill and the heavy influence that his early plant-based Skills had on his development. They reflected his two sources of power from his earliest days in the System. Ignition Essence was a little bit like the odd man out.

In addition, Ignition Essence now housed the mostly dormant power of Illym, the above-average child. Her vicious image had largely been incorporated successfully, yet remained inert. And Randidly knew that part of the problem was that he wasn’t fully capturing the essence of Illym. When she had become a part of him truly, all his Skills had evolved to form new, phoenix themed Skills.

Everything except Ignition Essence itself. Without that core idea that would define the image, it remained in its prior form.

So Randidly sat with the dim glow of the rising sun through mist and carefully examined the sensations of his Ignition Essence Skills. He also examined some of his other ancillary Skills that he didn’t use much, considering the ways those Skill could combine to form a coherent whole. What he needed was a strong, immediate image that could bring it all together…

Congratulations! Your Skill Absolute Timing (Ru) has grown to Level 117!

But very quickly, Randidly was distracted from his meditation. With a sigh, he stood. Although Ignition Essence was important, some other things couldn’t wait. He had another visit to make before he could really focus on his training.

*****

“Oh please, the fact that I’ve stayed well behaved in bed for two days should already be enough,” Kiersty complained as she swung her legs down from the high standing bed and stood. She scratched her legs, glad to be done with the rather stiff green sheets. “With the System, most wounds heal within a few hours. And my Health is back to full, so tell me, doctor, why would you try to keep me here?”

“I-” The doctor looked at Kiersty helplessly, then gave Tykes a long look as though he was asking an expert for assistance.

Tykes chuckled and folded his arms “Most people don’t heal as quickly as you, so the staff is a bit surprised. You were very close to your Health bottoming out, Kiersty. There’s nothing wrong with taking some time to get back on your feet after that.”

...9… Kiersty shook her head. “That’s why I gave these fools two days of me acting docile and let them test me! But now they want to keep me the rest of the week for observation? They’ve already confirmed that my Health is full. Are they afraid they have made some sort of mistake? Because if they are, I definitely don’t want to be here.”

Nathan leaned across the shitty bed with a serious expression on his face. “Sis, some wounds aren’t-”

“And you!” Kiersty rounded on her brother and jabbed him forcefully in the chest. Due to her slightly superior physical stats, Nathan took a step backward and sat down in the cliche wicker bedside chair with a blank expression. “Mariah Jane says once how much she admires how much you care for your sister and now you hover like a nanny. It’s disgusting!”

“I…” Nathan flushed and gripped the arms of the chair. “I’m just-”

“Ugh! I can’t stay here for another minute.” Kiersty ripped off the diodes that were monitoring her vital signs and tossed them onto the ground. She really couldn’t understand why the doctors bothered with this old Earth medical technology when Skills could do everything much more efficiently. “Do you think this is the first time that I’ve almost died? I’ve fought monsters! Hell, I’ve had to avoid assassination attempts several times! People don’t like Arbor. They don’t like the worship of ‘false idols’. And when these strangers shouted at me that I should die or would go to hell, did I complain? Did I run to the hospital? No, I just woke up the next day and went back to work. We can’t just… we can’t just break down at the slightest sign of violence. Monsters are everywhere. That’s the world we now live in… and I’m ready to go back out there!”

By the end, Kiersty was breathing heavily as she glared around at the four men around her, as though daring them to disagree. Ultimately, no one said anything for several seconds. Then Dinesh sighed and straightened.

“It is not the fact that you were attacked that has us worried. Or that you were close to death, although we all know how feeling mortal can change you. And we all know what the Earth has become… but it is who attacked you, Kiersty. Physically, you are obviously fine. But…”

Perhaps intelligently, Dinesh left the rest unsaid. Kiersty’s mouth twisted into a scowl, but she didn’t know what to say Dinesh’s quiet concern. “I’m… I’m fine. Is this about Decklan? So what? We weren’t very close at all.”

Kiersty could clearly still see how blank and bloody Decklan’s eyes had been as he thrust out his hand and a jagged blade of blood dug into her side that day in the stadium. In that moment, she had remembered seeing him laughing at one of the early celebrations of Donnyton. She had remembered how cool she had thought he looked.

She remembered seeing him with Tera, and at first being slightly jealous. But no matter how long she watched, the two always got along so well together. So eventually, Kiersty had secretly set those two as the pinnacle of couples in her heart. They had seemed so much more normal than a pair like Dozer and Annie.

The blade of blood had twisted in her side, ripping off large chunks of her Health. The overpowering scent of blood had wafted upward and made it difficult for her to think. Her trembling hands went up to the arm that had been slowly killing her. She had remembered standing on her tiptoes to hug Decklan after Tera’s funeral and offering her condolences to the broken man.

The man that day in the stadium seemed almost completely devoid of life after absorbing the lifeblood accumulation.

Her Health had dropped to 9. She had gripped that arm that so wounded her as it attempted to withdraw. Then Alana had killed Decklan and his blood had splashed onto Kiersty’s face.

“I’m fine,” Kiersty said again. With a shake of the head, she forced the memories away. She knew no one believed her, but what else could she say? She was fine. She had to be.

The floral curtains next to the open window of her private room fluttered lightly. The doctor finally worked up the nerve to speak once more. “I cannot require you to stay, but-”

“Then why are we acting like this a discussion?” Kiersty said stonily.

The heavy silence continued for several more seconds. But before the pale-faced doctor could break it, Kiersty twisted and looked at the window. There was a brush against her consciousness that could only come from a single source. Her expression immediately brightened. Rushing to the window, she looked out and saw that in the courtyard below, two figures were standing.

The first was the familiar form of Arbor’s main avatar. The treant had learned to control the flames that had originally covered its body, so it was possible for it to simply look like an ashy individual in a rather too detailed tree costume. But as Kiersty looked down from the window, Arbor looked up and offered her its trademark smile. Such was its excitement that the branches that were wrapped around the other figure flared to life with tongues of orange flame.

Of course, the other figure was Randidly Ghosthound, grinning up at her. The flames wouldn’t hurt him at all. “Heya, Kiersty. Are you alright?”

“I’m…” Kiersty hopped up onto the window and jumped out of her horrible hospital room. On the way down, she began to cry. “I’m really fine…!”