Obyrn chuckled as he watched Dozer give a rather gobsmacked Randidly Ghosthound a sympathetic look. Dozer tried his best to make his rumble sound consoling. “Do not blame yourself that Delilah never wants to play hide and seek with you again… it can be considered a testament to your capability.”

Randidly shook his head rather helplessly and looked back over toward Delilah, who was currently pouting on Annie’s lap. There were still glistening tears in the corners of her eyes. “...I guess I just thought… well, she spoke as though she was capable. So I figured I would use my images to add some pressure. I figured the Grim Chimera would scare her, but I thought Yggdrasil would be safer.”

“The entire forest coming to life around you is the stuff of nightmares.” Dozer snorted. “She is still just a child. She is my world, but she doesn’t need to grow up yet. So let’s not force the issue for a few more years.”

Finally, Obyrn took a step forward and looked at Randidly with a grin. “It is rare to have a human child call someone else a monster while an ogre is present. Truly, you have given me an interesting experience, Randidly Ghosthound.”

Obyrn stepped forward to speak now for two reasons. The first was to make himself part of the strange circle of individuals who seemed perfectly content to speak casually with Randidly Ghosthound despite his obvious superiority of power. It was not the way that ogres would handle such a relationship, but as the loser of their duel a year past, it was not Obyrn’s place to criticize Randidly’s methods.

But at the same time… he spoke now to prod at the heart of Randidly Ghosthound.

To Obyrn’s surprise, all Randidly did was wave his hand as though he was already too tired of the experience to comment further. Then Randidly’s metal arm lit up with bright lines of light as he raised his fingers and pressed them against the bridge of his nose. After a few seconds, he lowered his hand and his emerald eyes had become sharp. “Well, I’ll remember to take it easier for next time. But now… are we prepared? I believe it is time to meet the ruler from Nordawn.”

The mood in the air changed. Dozer's face slowly stiffened. Annie, who had a small smile on her face, waved goodbye to the men and led a sniffling Delilah back toward the ogre settlement. Sam snorted lightly and flexed his fingers. He had already retrieved his heavy darksteel hammer, which hung at his belt.

Obyrn gritted his teeth and calmed his rising pulse. Nordawn...

The first rays of sunlight were only just now threading their way over the horizon, spilling insistently through the surrounding trees. The group of four representatives walked quickly back toward the resting place of Kharon and Randidly’s island. Long shadows lined their path, a silent vigil that only made the air around Randidly Ghosthound grow even heavier.

While they passed by the wandering city, Obyrn was intrigued to note that several of the more prominent merchants of the ogre settlement were positively salivating as crate after crate of valuable metals, teas, soaps, and dyes were offloaded from Kharon. Heading in the other direction were vast quantities of foodstuffs and valuable raw materials. Obyrn had been rather worried recently at the lack of economic advantage that the ogre settlement possessed in its dealings with traders from Zone 1, but it seemed that would soon change. Goods from Kharon were always in high demand due to the slow transport speed while Kharon was wandering around in the Wildlands.

Obyrn’s gaze settled on Randidly’s back. From what I’ve seen, there are at least a dozen people from Kharon who terrify me. And they all follow this man. Truly… his abilities cannot be overestimated. And to think, he believes that the Earth will devour the Systems present in the connected worlds to become even more powerful...

Shaking his head, Obyrn pushed those thoughts to the side and walked around the resting Kharon to arrive at the Ghosthound’s island. Unlike the city, the island continued to float about twenty meters off the ground, hovering above the forest canopy. Ominous mist drifted downward off of the island, occasionally interspersed with blue lightning.

Sam put his hands on his hips. “Where does that lightning come from?”

Rubbing his chin, Randidly said. “Honestly… I haven’t quite figured it out yet. But there is a stark divide I created with an energy barrier… so the lightning should be a side effect of two vastly different energy densities pressing up against each other. Yet the energy density within doesn’t diminish when the lightning is produced and I don’t believe it possible that the low energy density outside of the barrier to be fueling the lightning…”

Then Randidly shrugged. “Either way, that amount of energy shouldn’t be a problem for any of you… but I believe it will feel strange when you are within the energy field. Not dangerous, but definitely different from the environment here on Earth. Images will probably be… difficult. By extension, I believe Skills should be suppressed, but I haven’t been able to verify it yet.”

“Heh, we are your test subjects, then,” Dozer chuckled. Then he crouched and his thigh muscles propelled him to explode upward. Like a missile, he shot up and encountered the lightning-filled mist. Within a second, the mists had engulfed him and he disappeared from their view. Very quickly, the other three leapt upward to follow Dozer.

Obyrn wasn’t sure what he was expecting from the energy field that Randidly Ghosthound had so briefly described, but he wasn’t prepared at all for the sensation that awaited him within the mist. It was both… less and more than he had expected. He landed in a mist-shrouded field with the other three and took a minute to stop and study the feeling that engulfed them.

For one, it wasn’t uncomfortable. Which cleared away most of Obyrn’s initial misgivings. Standing here was the same as standing in the outside world. Although he could feel the increased energy density, it flowed cleanly around him without any corrosive reaction. It didn’t interfere with any of his normal functions.

However, whenever he tried to execute a Skill or utilize an image…Obyrn’s face very quickly went pale.

Dozer, who was standing a dozen meters farther down the slope, looked around in admirable. “A good place to train. Like having weights for your Skills and images…”

“Is that what it feels like to you all?” Randidly asked curiously. He gestured and the three slowly fell into step behind him as he proceeded toward the northern portion of the island. “It’s my energy in the air, so if anything, utilizing Skills and images is even easier for me here… but it’s good to know for sure that it has a suppression effect for other people.”

Sam’s mouth twisted. “When you speak with that tone, I’m glad that I didn’t join the Order Ducis.”

Dozer cracked his knuckles. “If you torture your Order as much as you tortured my daughter in a friendly game of hide and seek…”

Randidly growled in frustration. “Running from me in a forest is just a bad idea. Maybe the vine avatar I made was a bit… thorny for a child, but how was I supposed to know that she would start crying?”

The foursome arrived at a tall rocky outcropping at the North edge of the island that gave a good view of the surrounding area… or would have, had it not been for the omnipresent mist that shrouded the island. But as soon as the Ghosthound moved to stand on that spur of rock at the edge of his island, the genial mood between them dissipated and left only the heaviness. Strange, silvery energy began to gather at his fingers.

Perhaps the reason he interacts so casually most of the time is because of how heavy his will become when he acts as a liege. Obyrn’s eyes followed Randidly’s movements closely. Prolonged exposure to that power would eventually warp him beyond recognition, so he sets it down whenever possible.

However… is it truly so simple to avoid being changed by power?

As Randidly Ghosthound narrowed his eyes, the mist slowly parted around their corner of the island and revealed the land below. Then the whole landmass beneath them began to shiver. Obyrn could feel the ground beneath them shifting to respond to the Ghosthound’s will. The island floated forward, passing over Kharon and heading directly toward the entrance to Ogre Gorge.

However, when they arrived at the Ogre Gorge, Randidly’s face quickly twisted into a scowl. “Really…? Even this much is too big? Well, screw it then. Let’s just make a flashy entrance.”

Obyrn glanced at Dozer, who seemed completely unphased by the mutters of the Randidly. In fact, Obyrn quickly realized that Dozer was surreptitiously activating his Crushing Grip Skill at this very moment, utilizing the environment in order to train. For a second, Obyrn’s face split into a grin.

And this is why they have become strong. Because they have this spirit to always test themselves, pushing their potential to the limit. And meanwhile, I…

Obyrn noticed out of the corner of his eye that the Ghosthound had produced a key, but his attention was largely consumed by his own bitter self-mockery. If I hadn’t been long afraid of the weakness that would follow the growth of another head, perhaps I too could have reached their amount of power. But of course, because I waited, my potential is that much higher. All I need to do now is resolve myself.

There… will never be a perfect time. I simply need to be willing to seize-

Obyrn’s thoughts paused. Randidly had inserted the key into the air and it simply hung there. Which was unusual, but wouldn’t normally grab Obyrn’s attention. No, what yanked his focus over was the swirling hole in the fabric of the world that had been created in front of them, appearing a bit beyond the end of the island in the air.

And through that portal came the familiar, dead air of Obyrn’s homeworld.

Randidly Ghosthound reached forward and seized the key hanging in the air. Slowly, he began to twist the key with an expression of deep concentration. Strange energies swirled around the opening that the Ghosthound had created. But as the trio standing behind Randidly watched, the portal grew larger.

The key twisted and the opening was slowly stretched larger and larger. After about five minutes of intense effort from Randidly, the portal was large enough for their floating island. Strange winds howled around the vast rift as the rich Aether of Earth poured through the hole and into the ogre world.

Seemingly relieved, Randidly released a great sigh. Then he turned and grinned at the other three. “Since I was making the portal anyway, I just put the other end right above their base. So is everyone ready? It’s time to make an entrance.”