The consequences of failure were intimidating, but to Derek, he was suddenly very clear that the consequences of inaction were equally horrible. Because crystalizing his desire gave him direction where burying the fear had just filled him with hesitation. It was all to protect Tim. And to accomplish that, Derek would do anything and everything in his power. He would not flinch.

“I want to evolve my Class,” Derek said quietly. He felt somewhat embarrassed to be so easily led around by a teenager, but he suppressed that feeling.

Nathan grinned at him. “Great. I’ll take care of the details, just focus on that determination that you’ve found. Think about your son and your relationship. Don’t worry about avoiding painful memories; as long as you resolve is there, it will all be incorporated into the final form.”

So Derek began to think of his time with Tim since the System had arrived. He remembered how he had sobbed on a torn brown couch in the dark when Tim’s mother died. He remembered the hurt in Tim’s eyes when he had come to see the principle due to the incident with Lucy Rowel-

“Uh…” Derek was pulled from his thoughts as he noticed that there abruptly several thick tendrils of emerald moss sprits streaming into the room and drifting slowly around him like he had been teleported into a verdant snow globe. “Are these… usual…?”

Obviously Derek had seen the moss spirits in the few days he had spent in and around the Order Ducis training facilities but rarely had he seen them appear so suddenly. They generally assisted with commerce or drifted lazily around. So to see them in such numbers so suddenly seemed extremely strange. Yet Derek did suppose he had spent most of the day distracted by the tests of the Order Ducis.

There was a definite gleam in Nathan’s eyes that Derek noticed, but the teenager waved his hand rather carelessly. “I wouldn’t worry about it, think of their presence as good luck. Just keep concentrating.”

So Derek could only close his eyes and continue to think about his son.

He remembered how pruned and red Tim’s face had been the day he had been born. In terms of babies, he was one of the ugliest Derek had ever seen. Crying and wailing in his mother’s arms, he was the most beautiful thing in the world.

Derek thought about Tim’s shy lies when he had brought back plump and ripe vegetables from his foraging on their journey to Kharon. He thought about the light in Tim’s eyes as he had played with the moss spirits and eaten fried chicken on a stick last night on the streets of Kharon. He thought about Tim a few years ago trying to make pancakes and doing it perfectly, because he had ‘watched mom do it so much.’

Derek thought about how lucky he was.

Warning, an unexpected error regarding your Class-

Recalculating-

Warning, without sufficient energy, this process might result in death. Please see your nearest Village Spirit-

Recalculating-

This is to protect Tim, Derek thought steadily. And he felt something inside of him shift in response.

Congratulations! Your Class Sylvan Archer has evolved into Bombardier of the Sacred Grove! Your Level up gains have changed to reflect your new Class!

Congratulations! You have received the class of Bombardier of the Sacred Grove. You have gained the Skill Unstable Sphere (A) Lvl 1. You have received the skill Aura of Photosynthesis (R) Lvl 1. You have received the skill Blessing of Nature (Un) Lvl 1. +16 Health per Level, +11 Mana Per Level, +5 Stamina per level. +5 End, Perception, or Int per level (these points may be distributed between 2), +2 Focus per level. +10 free stats per Level.

Your Skill Survival Instincts (Un) has evolved into Wisdom of the Leylines (Ru)! Skill Level will be maintained.

Your Skill Eagle Eye has evolved to Discerning Gaze (Un)! Skill Level will be maintained.

Your Skill Adrenaline Rush has evolved to Bestial Surge (R)! Skill Level will be maintained.

Seeing so many changes occur and feeling how… natural it all felt, Derek couldn’t resist opening his eyes. And what he found was that he was now standing in a veritable storm of emerald moss spirits. They whipped wildly around him, rustling the lighter objects in the room with the speed of their rotation.

And there, standing deep in the current of emerald energy, Nathan continued to grin at Derek. There was genuine pleasure in his expression.

“Feels natural, right? Now, it’s time to get you a Fate.”

*****

All three of Randidly’s images worked in concert as he ripped through the sky. Like a cannonball headed for a mizzenmast, he simply streaked forward out of the portal he had conjured. Yggdrasil provided the weight and reach. Grim Chimera cut through the Creature’s image and blazed a path. And Ignition Essence ignited everything that Randidly left in his wake, rapidly weakening the Creature’s influence in the area.

He impacted the beach of the island like a ballistic missile; a wave of sand smashed outward from the shattered ground. Almost immediately, Monstrosity’s Appalling Physicality had Randidly surging forward from the sandy ground to the edge of the tropical forest that took up the central portion of the island.

Immediately, Randidly knew that he had selected the right location. Strange barriers of Aether seemed to spring up with every few meters as Randidly dashed forward, rapidly impeding his advance. A burst of Nether infused strength allowed Randidly to rip forward despite the encumbrance, but also Neveah’s full consciousness was there with him; she used his metallic limb to masterfully hamstring the arrays of Aether that constituted the Creature’s defenses.

Today, Randidly had made his preparations; it was time to flush the Creature out of hiding. And he was very aware of the five precious drops of liquid Aether that he had managed to condense over the past several months, ready to smash through any sort of heavier resistance to his movements that he encountered. And Randidly didn’t miss how incredibly thick the Creature’s Aether was on this island now that he began to press deeper into the interior.

Past the edge of the treeline were brambles and vines, but none of that was enough to earn Randidly’s hesitation. His speed continued to rise. But as he burst through that barrier of foliage, Neveah clicked her tongue in admiration.

Your disturbance is concentrating the resistance in front of you. The construction is...spectacular. This might be quite difficult.

Even as Neveah sent him the mental message, Randidly could feel the air thickening in front of him. Although the image used wasn’t powerful, the way that it was quickly amassing in front of him with the sheer quantity of opposition did make it extremely difficult to continue forward. The Grim Chimera’s fury climbed quickly upward as it gnashed its teeth.

How long will it take to undo? Randidly forced his legs to take three large strides forward. The images functioned like elastic bands that made each bit of distance forward he covered that much more difficult.

Maybe an hour to completely take it apart. It’s really an interesting way to utilize Aether.

Randidly took another step. His eyes narrowed. From the edge of the dense zone of the Creature’s Aether to the island that Randidly had painstakingly located as being the most likely location for her base, he had only allowed a few seconds to elapse. He wanted to arrive before the Creature had the chance to adjust to his presence, if possible. He wanted to finally take that ancient being by surprise.

Which, Randidly admitted to himself, wasn’t likely. But if there was a chance…

In for a penny… Gritting his teeth, Randidly seized on of his drops of liquid Aether and let it diffuse through his body. His whole being suddenly seemed to hum with life as the qualitatively more powerful energy fueled him for a few seconds. The Grim Chimera fully condensed in front of Randidly’s body with a wild grin on his face. Letting out a snort of laughter, the liquid Aether based vision raised his bone spear and accelerated quickly forward.

Congratulations! Your Skill Man is Proud, but the Chimera Takes (L) has grown to Level 196!

…

Congratulations! Your Skill Man is Proud, but the Chimera Takes (L) has grown to Level 200!

The accumulated weight of mundane images that the Creature’s Aether threw in front of Randidly with her formation was deftly pierced. Randidly took several large steps forward, forcing his way through the gap before it could adjust to his abrupt increase in power. His body trembled with the split-second exertion, but on the last vestiges of liquid Aether, Randidly ripped through almost one hundred meters of jungle in no time at all and arrived before a strangely carved building.

Congratulations! Your Skill Monstrosity’s Appalling Physicality (A) has grown to Level 257!

The method of carving was one that Randidly recognized; it was the same thing he had found the Creature used inside the Raid Dungeon to avoid the gaze of the overlay System. Stale Aether tainted by the Creature gushed outward like the breath of a sleeping monster. Taking a single second of time to slow his rapid charge, Randidly readjusted his course and then dashed forward into the large tunnel that led into the building.

He braced himself for more defenses, but as Randidly pelted along the dimly lit tunnel, he didn’t encounter anything at all. The taint of the Creature grew thicker; her influence in the area was nearing what the Coin of Territory had granted Straud. Even Neveah slowly began to grow more solemn as they proceeded into the building that seemed outwardly relatively small, yet they could dash down the tunnel at a high speed for almost thirty seconds.

Something is strange in the Aether here, Neveah remarked.

Randidly nodded and prepared a second drop of liquid Aether for sudden use. After ten more seconds, Randidly exploded out into a more well-lit area. A quick glance around revealed that it was a vast underground cavern, so large that Randidly was only able to dimly see the distant walls even with his Grim Intuition. And each and every shadow was soaked in the Creature’s scent, making the place smell of age and decay.

Still, there was a central platform directly in the middle of the cavern that Randidly hurried toward. With several bounds, he ascended the stairs and arrived at the pinnacle. And there, the Creature’s familiar face-

Randidly slowed and then stopped. His images swirled around him uncertainly.

The Creature, still wearing a version of Lyra’s face, lay a wizened and grey-skinned version that seemed to reflect the Creature’s actual age. Her arms were folded across her chest. Her wrists looked extremely thin.

Randidly… doesn’t this… Neveah hesitated before vocalizing exactly at Randidly was thinking. Look like a tomb?