After working out the details of Kharon’s path with Tatiana, Randidly returned to his island and once more began using his Control to manipulate the unruly Nether. It was literally like trying to smooth out a liquid with his bare hands. This time was marginally easier than the prior attempt, but it still took him almost a half-hour of careful exertion in order to get the Nether into the correct position. And once he reached that point, Randidly had to be exceedingly careful to maintain the precarious balance.

Congratulations! Your Skill Nether Sensation (L) has grown to Level 175!

Congratulations! Your Skill Nether Sensation (L) has grown to Level 176!

Once his Nether aura was suitably flat, Randidly started painstakingly guiding the field of Nether through the flow that he and Neveah had quickly worked out to make it rigid. Of course, the process ended up being almost twice as difficult as simply holding the Nether flat. There were several moments where Randidly’s temper flared as the Nether simply wouldn’t cooperate. Because not only did this require keeping the energy flat, but it also needed him to create a complete, flowing runic sigil that encompassed the whole of his Nether.

Because if one area of the sigil moved faster than the others, Nether would bunch up in a certain portion and flatten in another area and suddenly the entire thing that Randidly had created would destabilize in a warping whirlpool of energy. Randidly had to make several attempts, each time twisting his mouth in irritation as explosions of visual distortions occurred around him after each failure.

Because of course, each failure made the Nether of his aura a little bit more robust and unruly. The process of smoothing it was even more effective than his prior attempts to purify the Nether. So it wasn’t a complete failure when things broke down, but Randidly would grit his teeth for several seconds in aggravation.

Then he began again.

Congratulations! Your Skill Nether Sensation (L) has grown to Level 177!

Nether Sensation is primarily a Perception focused Skill, but the more I use it the more I realize how it can give me a bit of a finer touch with Nether… especially because I have no direct Nether Manipulation Skill… Randidly hummed softly to himself, only allowing the thought to distract him for a short time before focusing on the task at hand.

Every stroke had to be smooth and precise. His movements had very little instinct to them; Randidly was using his prodigious Control to an exacting degree; this was his Path to power.

When once more his Nether had been largely flattened, Randidly started slowly swirling the Nether in the correct pattern. The movements started slow so he could manage to keep them all in order, but Randidly had no choice but to slowly up the speed to reach the self-sustaining point. The portions with more complex flows stayed gradual in their movements while the areas with Nether flowing freely accelerated at a more rapid pace. The sigil was one whole construct and had to be assembled as such.

Honestly, I’m a bit sorry that I’ve been focusing my free Stat points in areas other than Control now, Randidly thought as his hands gradually curled into white-knuckled fists. Getting every Stat over 1000 is important in the long run, but I shouldn’t have slackened so much in improving my Control… it really was my greatest asset getting to my current power… especially if my physical Skills now obey a new sort of natural order, I need to do that purposefully, not just wildly break through the laws of physics…

Congratulations! Your Skill Nether Sensation (L) has grown to Level 178!

Randidly’s breath hissed through his teeth. The flat disc of Nether around him began to tremble as the flows within it began to accelerate further. Small lapses in Randidly’s Focus resulted in the flows skidding painfully against each other, but his quick responses corrected them and stabilized the situation in a manner that was frightfully similar to juggling.

More things kept going wrong and Randidly kept tightening his fists and running himself ragged in order to keep the whole thing afloat. There were bulges and distortions that he hurriedly flattened and corrected, which left another area the opening to slowly veer away from the correct arrangement.

Just as Randidly thought everything was about to collapse, the flows of Nether reached the speed of being self-sustaining; the burden on his mind was immediately cut to one-fourth of its prior state. For several seconds, Randidly simply watched the Nether flow around him. The entire thing didn’t collapse into a pile of shadowy flames without his assistance.

Releasing a long-held sigh, Randidly quickly went through the array in his newly created Nether Disc and examined for any flaws.

Once it was established, it was quite easy to make some corrections and improvements. Soon the mental requirement to maintain the disc dropped even further. The constant exertion would slow the recovery of his mental energies, but Randidly and Neveah could work together in the future to refine the construct to an even more efficient form. For now, this was enough.

The final result was a constant flow of relatively weak nether 10 meters in any direction from Randidly’s person. It would take some experimentation before he was completely comfortable with the feeling, but it was certainly more covert than the tears in space that were previously forming around his body. The moonlight spirits swirled around curiously, seeming to sense the boundary created by his disc of Nether.

Should still also apply that sense of pressure that Rose reacted to… hopefully in a more controlled manner… Nodding to himself, Randidly stood and stretched. He produced a training spear and moved calmly through his exercises of imbuing his images into his spearmanship without actually relying on the image. In this case, it was all about flavor and spirit. If Randidly could replicate that well enough to give him an edge, it would make his image that much more potent when he actually utilized it.

Congratulations! Your Skill Innate Violence (Ru) has grown to Level 191!

First, he practiced with the Grim Chimera, then Yggdrasil, and then finally Ignition Essence. And truly, Randidly had to expend a different amount of effort for the final of his trio of images. There just wasn’t enough to Ignition Essence right now. The soul of the image was half-formed, as he had discovered previously.

Something needed to be done about Ignition Essence.

“So much to do…” Randidly shook his head. Then he produced the Dreamcatcher of the Long Night and focused on Illym.

*****

Inwardly, Mareen sighed. She had known that he would react like this and had tried to placate him by getting him the most decadent cinnamon roll that she could find, but sometimes even the best-laid plans were torn to shreds by this man’s pride and single-mindedness. The cinnamon roll sat forgotten on the plate in front of him. It was why most of her regrets about this move involved the other people who would be affected by her decision, not the man himself.

This is just something that I need to do, Mareen thought to herself, looking straight ahead. It’s time to move on to a new chapter in my life.

Ed Dugg gripped the edge of the table in the inn and favored Mareen with the most intimidating glare in his repertoire. Considering how much Mareen respected this man, despite his… strangeness, it made it difficult to continue meeting his eyes. “...Is this about money? I knew this would happen. The glitz and glam of the Kharon lifestyle has gotten to you…”

“It’s not about money-” Mareen tried to interject, but Ed had worked up a head of steam. His face was increasingly red.

“True, you might be the most talented assistant that I have ever encountered… and I basically no longer have any idea of my schedule because you handle everything in such an efficient manner… and you have received nothing but glowing praises from everyone who interactions with you… All of my business partners joke all the time that they would snatch you from me in a heartbeat… but do you think that means you can just toss me aside like this?!? Damnit, I deserve to know who you will be working for! No matter how talented you are, you can’t just quit on me without saying anything!”

It’s sweet that his angry tirade is so complimentary… Mareen thought with a mild smile. When it seemed that this time Ed finally wanted her to speak, she tried to say her piece. “I’m not going to go work for anyone else. I’m simply moving to Kharon because-”

“WHAT!” Ed slapped the table thunderously like he had just realized something. “You… you are planning on starting your own business…? I suppose that on my knee you learned every trick of the trade… damnit… to think my own generosity would come back to bite me… My protege has eclipsed me...”

Mareen shook her head. “I’m not starting a business… well…” Even now, she blushed as she was thinking about the kiss behind the Glowstone Ballroom. “Naffur Suite and I…”

“Ohhh, so the Order Ducis is one of the main stakeholders of this company,” Ed Dugg said, this time slapping his own forehead thunderously. So much so that his mustache shook for a full second after the blow landed. “Heh, well this is certainly not what I expected, to in the same day have my right hand quit and then have her turn around to offer me a job in a new venture…”

Suddenly, a bad feeling sprung up in Mareen’s chest. “Wait, Mister Dugg, no-”

“Heh, Mister Dugg… how nostalgic…” Ed stood up and walked to the window. With a grand flourish, he flung open the curtains. The midday sun flowed around his body, adding a distinguished air to his person. He gazed out the window like a pirate admiral looking at his golden horde and reminiscing over the good ole’ days at sea. “To think it was only yesterday that you worked for me… and no, I get it, truly I do… I cannot expect special treatment. Well, that’s fine… I suppose I’ll just take an entry-level position and work my way up through the company… I suppose I’ll send a message to Bekany to tell her that we are moving… Heh, industry is truly unpredictable...”

Mareen wanted to cry. She looked down at the congealing sugar across the top of the cinnamon bun. Really… all I wanted to tell you that I was moving to Kharon to be with Naffur. You really don’t-

Both individuals swayed as the city underneath them shuddered. Then, slowly, they felt Kharon humming to life: the Wandering City had unmoored itself once more.

“Ha! I feel twenty years younger!” Now, Ed Dugg threw open the window and stuck his head out to beam down at the street below. “Ah… that wind… it smells like adventure…!”

Feeling rather aggrieved, Mareen left Ed to his wild imagination and did one last task as his assistant. She contacted Tatiana and tried to work out a series of transportation modes that would actually allow Bekany Dugg to make it to Kharon in a reasonable amount of time. Because it did seem like Ed was rather serious about also moving here…

At the very least, it seems like he got the point that I was quitting… Mareen looked at Ed’s back and crossed her fingers. When he truly seemed completely enthralled with his wild shouts at the street below, Mareen ripped off a piece of the luke-warm cinnamon bun and popped it into her mouth.