As the ground vibrated and buzzed around them, the combination of Randidly, Lady Iellaya, and Abiodun quickly ended the Nether offensive. Yet by the end of it, Randidly was grimacing.

Even if Randidly was glad to be back in his body with all of his faculties, the separated and now reunited perceptions made the whole experience of the reunion rather uncomfortable. Mostly, the fragments of consciousness that were previously just images now were chafing under the constant physical sensation of exhaustion that came along with a physical body.

Although the images experienced a rough go of it on the frontlines, they had shed the rather troublesomeness of a physical body and had been too preoccupied with the other problems to notice. But now all those tiny experiences and sensations that were a constant companion to a physical body came right back and weighed down on Randidly.

Which was to say nothing of the extremely significant mental exhaustion. Making it back here had not been a simple or easy process.

Just as Randidly was getting so frazzled that he barred his teeth toward the sky, Vualla swayed next to him. Turning quickly, Randidly was there just in time to catch Vualla’s shoulders as she collapsed sideways.

The first thing that Randidly noticed was how light she was; it barely took any effort on his part to support her slowly to a laying position.

They were still standing on the broken wreckage of the land directly in front of the headquarters while Lady Iellaya mopped up the remnants of the Nether army. Several collapsed tents and overturned supply wagons were scattered around them. Nearby, Abiodun stood by the warped remnants of the emergency battlements and barked out orders to the soldiers that were still doing well enough to follow them. Under his direction, they began to search the battlefield for the wounded.

They saved the Aether soldiers… and took great relish in killing the Nether Beasts.

Seeing that there was no threat to them in the immediate vicinity, Randidly allowed his attention to focus directly on Vualla. But he did trust that his Grim Intuition would warn him if the situation changed.

Vualla’s eyelids fluttered and Randidly couldn’t help but notice that even her eyelashes were that vivid shade of azure. Almost unconsciously, his hands tightened on her shoulders as he allowed her to lean all the way back against the ground. There she remained for several seconds, clearly struggling to get her bearings.

After taking several rapid breaths, some of the fogginess from Vualla’s gaze lifted and she was able to focus on Randidly. Her eyes crinkled at the edges, and Randidly wasn’t sure if she was smiling or about to cry.

“Sorry,” She whispered. Her hand reached up and curled around Randidly’s forearm. Or maybe she tried to reach his face and her hand ran out of steam and collapsed, limp, against the highest limb she could reach. “My Fate was damaged against the Nether Gatekeeper. So I might be a bit… it will take a while for me.”

Then she smiled, but it was forced and awkward, an obvious invitation for Randidly to join in Vualla’s self-mockery. “Fighting a Nether Gatekeeper… It was too much, even for me. And I… It was bad. So… so dark. I could feel the way death… while I was fighting it, before you came, I could feel-”

Vualla bit her lip. Despite Randidly’s resolution to carefully control his emotional response toward Vualla, he felt his gaze softening. Even though the separate consciousnesses of the images that had been forcibly pulled apart were only starting to be blended back together, it was hard to fight against the genuine purity of the emotion Grim Chimera felt for Vualla.

To the Grim Chimera, Vualla was singular.

And it was precisely against that premise that Randidly felt so helpless. Because it was simply not the case that no one like Vualla had ever existed. Yet to say that to the Grim Chimera...

But now’s not the time to have that internal fight. Pressing his eyes together, Randidly allowed some of his throbbing headache to pass. Then he dropped his hand from her shoulder to her palm. It was still sticky with dried blood as he squeezed it. “Rest. It looks like everything is solved here.”

“Randidly, I have to-” Vualla struggled to sit up to bring her face toward his, but she truly seemed feeble at the moment. Her shoulders flexed, but her neck seemed as limb as spaghetti. Randidly wasn’t sure about the details but based on what he knew about Fates, the fact that it reduced Vualla to this was worth noting. “I need… I swore that if I saw you again, I would tell you… I’m so glad I met you. Truly. You… you’re beautiful. You changed my life.”

“...ah…?” Blinking, Randidly considered Vualla for several seconds. But it seemed that phrase had released the tension from Vualla’s body and she slumped back onto the ground. Her eyes fluttered and her mouth opened, but then she was asleep.

You’re beautiful. The Grim Chimera that swirled around Randidly’s chest was buzzing like an entire powerplant’s worth of electricity had been run through his body. There was happiness, confusion, glee, suspicion, and mostly a dangerous anger, directed at Randidly for continuing to keep his realization about Vualla from the Grim Chimera.

But it’s not that simple. There are so many problems to solve… let’s worry about this one later. Randidly could only sigh and massage his temples. But damn, it was good to have real, human-shaped hands against. Even if one of them was metal.

So Randidly was just sitting blankly over Vualla when Lady Iellaya and Abiodun returned from their work.

Lady Iellaya cracked her neck with a huge smile on her face. “Heh, it’s been a while since I’ve been able to let loose like that. You being able to sweep aside all the small fries… Truly, I’ve underestimated you, Mr. Ghosthound.”

Perhaps because he had been forced to completely deplete his Mana pool, which was extremely impressive considering the small Mana expenditure of the Skill, Randidly smiled thinly but said nothing to Lady Iellaya’s comment. Truthfully, his harassment had relied on momentum and image by the end of it. Plus, his joints ached. Having a body was decidedly troublesome.

Even if it only took a scant few points of Mana to launch a deadly attack with a thorny root, when there were ten thousand Nether Beasts to deal with Randidly quickly ran out of gas to slaughter open a path to the Nether Gatekeepers. And that didn’t even take into account the mental strain that Randidly incurred while trying to manipulation the innumerable roots.

But if nothing else, this experience of existing as several images in addition to my body has prepared me adequately to deal with all manner of mental strain, Randidly thought with a sigh. But even so, the Nether cores in his chest spun. Aether radiated outward, slowly restoring life to his body that had been so long suppressed.

Abiodun bowed deeply while Randidly was catching his breath. “Thank you for assistance… both with this victory, and with the issue of the Class. We will not forget these favors.”

“...It’s no problem, but I feel like we haven’t even bought ourselves very much time,” Randidly said lightly while looking up at the swirling mass of darkness above. Nether Beasts had briefly ceased their assault with the deal of three Nether Gatekeepers, but that was likely akin to bandaging a man who had been run through. As long as the stomach wound remained, that man would slowly die no matter how many bandages he possessed.

Then he turned and looked up at the headquarters, where Lord Miln and that fuck Cail Tweocs waited. Enemies on all sides...

“Which is why we should use immediately,” Lady Iellaya said with a smirk. Nodding toward Vualla, she continued by saying. “After you drop her off somewhere, come to my Command Tent. I’m willing to begin the ritual immediately. The sooner I have the strength worry of my status, the better.”

Scratching his ears, Randidly ran through Yggdrasil’s memories to try and get a grip on what had been promised. The more time passed, the more the images began to integrate back into him. As he familiarized himself with Lady Iellaya’s situation, he chewed his lip. From what he could remember, the prospect was daunting, to say the least. And Yggdrasil hadn’t been able to get much prep work done.

For his part, Randidly’s consciousness had largely been consumed with an elaborate, and losing, game of chess with the suppression array inscribed on the pod inside of which he had been trapped. Although early on he was relatively free to act, it slowly created complicated Aether constructions to bind him.

When Randidly had broken those, it would create more sophisticated ones that would eliminate the weakness he had exploited. Certainly, it had pushed Randidly’s Aether Manipulation Skills to the limit and earned him the Runic Rarity Skill Aether Surgeon, but it had also left him increasingly unable to follow what was happening with his images. So most of the details that he was now learning from Yggdrasil came as a surprise.

It wasn’t just that she was stealing Aether from her subordinates. Rather, she was stitching all these individual’s Aether directly into the substance of ‘her’. Dangerous… but I suppose I somehow managed something similar with the Alpha Cosmos. To make a Class large enough to encompass all of that isn’t impossible, but without time to experiment…

...or more importantly, rest...

Outloud, Randidly said. “...I think it’s best that I take a little more time with my physical body to acclimate myself before we can commence with your new Class’ creation. Especially due to the matter of adjusting your Fate. I’m… admittedly unfamiliar with the inner workings of Fates, but I have a few ways to address that-”

Before Randidly could continue, Abiodun stepped forward with glowing eyes and heaving shoulders. His rocky fists were still splattered with the dark matter of the Nether Beasts.“After everything that we have done for you…! If you think the return of your body means-”

“Abiodun, peace.” Lady Iellaya laid a hand on his arm and considered Randidly. “I don’t believe our friend wants to back out of his promise… he simply wants a chance to rest. Truly, having the images separated from the body is not an easy thing. To have them return is a boon… but there are costs with that too, I’m sure.”

“That is correct,” Randidly said simply to Lady Iellaya. His gaze at Abiodun was heavy. For all that he is a stone man… he has quite the short temper…

“However, perhaps we don’t have much time.” Randidly continued. Turning around, Randidly looked up toward the rocky outcropping on which the headquarters sat and gestured sharply. “If Lord Miln attempts to come after me, even with the threat of the Nether forces here-”

“Ah, at the very least, I can assure you that Lord Miln will no longer be an issue.” Lady Iellaya said with a smile. She flexed her feathers along her arms and flung some of that same Nether gore that covered Abiodun off her body. “As a heretic, your punishment was to be completely separated from your rights upon arrival. But reclaiming your body has seen you once more elevated to your rightful status under the System… and not even Lord Miln is so bold as to antagonize the Nexus Tribunal. Even with an old monster backing him… he will take some time to stabilize his position before he comes for you.”

Randidly nodded slowly to that. It was reassuring to hear, but Randidly had difficulty believing that it would really be that easy. Lord Miln didn’t seem like the type to give up.

Perhaps noticing that Randidly didn’t seem entirely convinced, Lady Iellaya chuckled and shook her head. But rather than pushing the issue, she instead asked. “So how do you plan on addressing the issue of Fates? If there’s anything I can do to help, please ask.”

Randidly waved his hand. “No need, it’s just that I’m only Level 49. I believe I should have at least condensed my own Fate before I attempt to change yours.”

“You-” Lady Iellaya gaped at Randidly and leapt a full meter into the air like she had been thrown by the stone ground beneath her. All of her feathers were sticking up as she regarded him. Randidly could only chuckle wryly in response.

After a few seconds, Lady iellaya managed to gather herself. Again, she shook her head, now almost helplessly. “Indeed? You aren’t even Level 50. How… how are you able to- no, I suppose that’s not a fair question to ask. Yes, please take your time in preparing. We will be waiting back at the camp.”

Without waiting for an answer, Lady Iellaya gestured sharply toward Abiodun and began walking away from the smoking battlefield. Randidly chuckled and watched them go.

Yes… I still have a few handicaps keeping me from rivaling some of the powerful people here… and it’s time I get rid of them. But for now…

Randidly picked Vualla up and began to whistle. While he slowly walked back toward Lady iellaya’s camp, he examined his Status Screen.

Randidly Ghosthound

Class: Lord of the Baleful Wood (+x5)

Level: 49 (51%)

Health(/R per hour): 5046/7628 (3679)

Mana(/R per hour): 3986/7384 (2177)

Stam(/R per min): 4713/6244 (1325)

Vit: 725

End: 645

Str: 602

Agi: 1020

Grim Intuition (L): 790

Reaction: 662

Resistance: 672

Willpower: 1072

Intelligence: 688

Wisdom: 530

Control: 1111

Focus: 619

Skills (Soul Skill): Figure of the Alpha Cosmos Lvl 10100

Combat: Spear Mastery Lvl 209, Heavy Blow Lvl 124, Iron Skin Lvl 47, Dodge Lvl 121, Fighting Experience (Un) Lvl 165, Block Lvl 77, Calculated Blow Lvl 117, Roundhouse Kick Lvl 87, Idiosyncratic Cut (Un) Lvl 126, Stalemate Breaker Lvl 86, Talon Strike Lvl 90, Counter Lvl 94, Flowing Momentum Lvl 15

LoBW Class Skills: Spray Holy Sap (Un) Lvl 27, Sharpness Lvl 132, Earthquake (Un) Lvl 48, Invigorating Call (Humanity)(Un) Lvl 14, Reach of the Jade Slag (Ru) Lvl 119, Erode Image (L) Lvl 71, Spriggit’s Tinkering ® Lvl 139, Aether Understanding (A) Lvl 128, Aether Infusion Lvl 47, Volatile Ash (A) Lvl 44, Visualization ® Lvl 224, Fruit of the Planting of Enmity (L) Lvl 45, Absolute Timing (Ru) Lvl 100, Cycle of the Gloomy Wood ® Lvl 43, Riders of the Baleful Court (A) Lvl 110, Lantern of Harsh Truths ® Lvl 34, Sigil of an Approaching Fate (A) Lvl 29

Descent of the Grim Chimera (M): Chimeric Avoidance (L) Lvl 216, Cursed Appetite of a Wraith (L) Lvl 260, Monstrosity’s Appalling Physicality (A) Lvl 233, Reaper’s Mantle of Catastrophe (L) Lvl 101, Molten Fang of the Pariah (L) Lvl 195, Man is Proud, but the Chimera Takes (L) Lvl 180, The Chimera Weeps as Man Mourns (L) Lvl 157, All Else Succumbs, Yet Time Whirls the Earth (M) Lvl 150

Aether Skills: Aether Detection Lvl 170, Aether Manipulation Lvl 199, Living Aether ® Lvl 151, System Interference Lvl 88, Aether Surgeon (Ru) Lvl 65

Spells: Yggdrasil Soul Seed ®, Inspiration ®, Ignition Bolt ® Lvl 126, Verdant Nova (Un) Lvl 85, Burning Footsteps Lvl 23, Nether’s Caress (M) Lvl 111, Influence of the Molten Core ® Lvl 103, Eruption of the Blazing Leyline (Ru) Lvl 111, Ignition of the Emerald Essence (L) Lvl 139, Mana Physique (Un) Lvl 19

Crafting: Potion Making Lvl 73, Farming Lvl 34, Analyze Lvl 29, Refine Lvl 106, Extract Lvl 92, Mana Engraving Lvl 245, Experienced Creator’s Ingenuity (A) Lvl 68, Touch of the Ghosthound (U)

Yggdrasil, the Tree of Upheaval: Glittering Leaves of Yggdrasil (L) Lvl 173, The Golden Roots of Yggdrasil (L) Lvl 210, the Emerald Sap of Yggdrasil (L) Lvl 190, the Yyrwood Flesh of Yggdrasil (L) Lvl 238, the Deific Mien of Yggdrasil (L) Lvl 249, the Cruel Indignation of Yggdrasil (L) Lvl 202, Reign of the Eidolon Crucible (L) Lvl 189, Absolute Grasp of Yggdrasil (T) Lvl 258

Auxiliary: Sneak Lvl 56, Acid Resistance Lvl 22, Poison Resistance Lvl 21, Pain Resistance Lvl 139, Fire Resistance Lvl 179, Sewing Lvl 11, Digging Lvl 9, Cooking Lvl 101, Clockwork Mastery Lvl 30, Aether Connection (A) Lvl 21, Soul Bond Lvl 135, Chef’s Palette Lvl 36, Nether Acclimation ® Lvl 190, Child of the Rain (Un) Lvl 59, Chosen of Ash (A) Lvl 141, Engineering Savvy ® Lvl 154, From Darkness, Genesis ® Lvl 17, (Domain) Crossroads of the Alpha Cosmos Lvl 148, Connection to the Alpha Cosmos (U), Catalyst of Agony (A) Lvl 10, Nether Sensation (L) Lvl 35, Nether Rituals (A) Lvl 55