Congratulations! Your Fatepiece the Hierarchy of Burden has grown to Level 11!

Influence +42!

Influence +39!

While he waited for his next meeting, Randidly sat at the edge of his floating skyisland and trained. His limbs constantly twitched, ravaged by the powerful electromagnetic energy of his Fatepiece. Although the energy didn’t leave his body, just the reflexive movements of his body was enough to deeply damage the ground beneath him. His arms and legs flexed unpredictably, drawing deep gouges through the dirt.

Gradually, he grew accustomed to housing these powerful forces. As he continued to acclimate, he sensed that he would soon have the ability to deepen the sympathy between himself and the Hierarchy of Burden.

Still, he released the Fatepiece and released a breath. Randidly rubbed the colorful pyramid with his thumb. I wonder why I started accumulating Influence so quickly… I’ve almost reached 15,000 Influence… but at the accelerating rate that I’m earning it, I probably want to hold off pushing for an upgrade of my Nether Core… but do I want to wait all the way for a hundred thousand…?

He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his metal fingers. Randidly was content with the current growth of his Nether Core, but he was also somewhat concerned about how little he understood how his growth would proceed in the future, as he unlocked new attributes. He might have gained some small amount of insight into utilizing Nether by watching the Nether King play the Nexus forces for fools and make his way to the Path to the Pinnacle, but Randidly didn’t know the concrete motions that growth would take.

He was tempted to contact either the Engraving Guild or Neshamah Rex, but both factions believed he had learned about Nether Cores from the other. His lack of knowledge would prompt some questions. Randidly was a bit reluctant to reveal that he had gotten this far through self-discovery, despite the knowledge he might receive in exchange. This was especially true considering the fact that he was in no rush to advance his Nether Core; he would much rather wait and receive additional Weight during the advancement.

Randidly was just shaking his head at the thought of waiting for a hundred thousand Influence when he felt the group he was waiting for finally approach. The roar of a skybike engine fought against a dragon’s roar for dominance in the still night sky. Randidly could only roll his eyes as Alana and Wivanya landed nearby with huge gusts of wind from the Frost Dragon Broodmother’s wings. Then, a dozen meters away, Lucifer steered a gaudy golden skybike down onto the ground.

The engine revved loudly, even as it shifted to idling. What was particularly cringe-inducing was the fact that Lucifer held the bike’s handlebars with only one hand, using his other to balance the massive sword he had propped up against his shoulders. Rather than practicality, it was clear that Lucifer was currently cultivating his ‘image’.

Randidly chuckled and shook his head as the noise died down. “What the hell is that?”

“The DreamChaser 2000,” Lucifer tried and failed to keep the grin from his face. He rubbed the golden bike fondly and then coughed to arrange his features in a more serious expression. “Bought it at the auction. I just figured it would be… a convenient way to get around. Might want to change the paint though. Red… is more my color. Don’t you think?”

Randidly raised his eyebrows, shocked at Lucifer’s shameless behavior. But at the very least, he appreciated that he didn’t treat Randidly differently. But as for Lucifer’s questions... With how much noise its engine makes, how can you claim it’s convenient with a straight face…?

But Randidly decided not to press the issue and turned to Alana as she hopped down off Wivanya’s back. “What about you? Buy anything… convenient from the auction?”

“Knowing that a portion of the money would be flowing back into your pockets kinda soured the whole experience for me,” Alana revealed a mock grimace. Then she shrugged and adjusted her leather armor. “But if you are wondering how it was received, I could see money signs in Tatiana’s eyes as we were leaving. I think she will finally be able to update Kharon’s infrastructure to truly support the flying vehicles like she’s wanted to do for years.”

Then Alana turned and helped an antlered figure down of Wivanya’s back. The Nether Gatekeeper that Randidly had saved from the shaft took two short steps forward and bowed low to Randidly. An aura of life radiated outward from his body that Randidly found very comfortable. “Hello, savior. This one has chosen the name Demio. I am eternally grateful for you liberating me from purgatory to experience the world.”

Randidly waved his hand. “Observing your Nether Core was a great help to me in my growth. If anything, I should be thanking you; after I brought you into my Alpha Cosmos, I was distracted by other things and couldn’t help you adjust. I’m glad to see you have handled the transition well. Please, all of you come sit.”

Alana was the calmest of the four. She quickly settled into a cross-legged sitting position and produced a small container of enchiladas covered in a green sauce. She began to eat as the others settled into position. Lucifer had apparently just offered to tag along, but most of his attention kept being drawn over to the bike. Randidly wondered if he really would have agreed to go anywhere in an attempt to show off his new bike. Hearts were floating in the middle of his irises instead of typical pupils.

Wivanya’s bulk stayed mostly back, but her neck slithered forward until her massive head sat near Randidly. Her scales gleamed in the starlight. Her massive sapphire eyes looked at everything but Randidly, but his mouth twitched to see the way she was constantly sniffing. Her nostrils flared outward almost constantly.

The Nether Gatekeeper sat last, awkwardly imitating Alana and Randidly.

Influence +30!

Randidly reached up and rubbed his chin. “... I had some questions for you about the place that you came from before. Can you tell me what you know about it? How you came to be there?”

The Nether Gatekeeper pondered for a few seconds before answer. “...I don’t remember much. I was born much closer to the bottom of the shaft than where you found me; down in the belly of the beast, there exist many ancient Nether Beings that serve as a last defense. Even with their power, they cannot escape the pull, but they remain at the boundary and can send lighter individuals further upward.

“Before they created a grand array to launch me upward into safer areas, they told me that I was one of many proud guardians of a great secret. That at the base of the shaft exists a method to finally return us to the promised land.”

That grabbed Randidly’s attention. “A method to return to the promised land? Do you know anything about what that meant…?”

The Nether Gatekeeper shrugged. “I know it is based on the fact that the Nexus rests upon the skeleton of a Universe Devouring Beast. These were the ancient beings that birthed worlds rich in life; they would devour dead moons and drifting asteroids and compress them within their vast stomachs. Apparently, their natural biological functions released powerful radiation upon the accumulating planets. I am not sure whether this is true or not… but those individuals at the bottom of the shaft believed the Universe Devouring Beasts to be the original source of all life… please, forgive them for their sacrilege.”

From the anxious way the Nether Gatekeeper began to speak and bow his head, Randidly couldn’t resist giving a long look at the head of the still sniffing Wivanya. Some part of him wanted to speak, but he didn’t want to derail the conversation any further with religious concerns. But I definitely WILL investigate what sort of information you are spreading about me…

Randidly coughed lightly. “So the skeleton at the base of the Nexus one of the Universe Devouring Beasts… and they were trying to… reverse engineer its bodily functions? To recreate that radiation that created life somehow…? To reach the promised land?”

The Nether Gatekeeper nodded emphatically. “That was how it was explained, although my memory of the details is fuzzy. Apparently, that particular energy the Universe Devouring Beasts was quite special. However, the Nether Beings also taught that there was a Great Change that happened in the distant past. The original array that could open a door to the promised land ceased to be created; instead, a great flow of energy arrived that sealed the array away. The current accumulated significance at the bottom of the shaft is a side-effect of that energy flow that imprisons the work of those Nether Beings.”

That started to make more sense to Randidly. It was in line with what he had learned from Edraine’s investigations. At some point, whatever was at the base of the shaft, whether it was Pine, Pine’s corpse, or some other being, was sealed away and put under tight guard. Unrefined Aether was used to smother it.

The only problem is that something is calling me from the depths. So what is the source of that summons… and what changed in the Nexus that it is now being suppressed….? Randidly wondered. Could it be one of these Nether Beings that’s reaching out to me…? But… if a Nether Being with that much power is stuck down there…

My Nether Core isn’t quite that strong...

Randidly focused his gaze on the Nether Gatekeeper again. “Thank you. This information is exactly what I was looking for. Now, I have something else I wish to talk about. Do you believe that your fellow Nether Gatekeepers in the shaft would be willing to come into my worlds…? Or will they prefer to remain there?”

“Some take their role in preparing for the promised revival of the Great Array very seriously.” The Nether Gatekeeper shook his head, almost sadly. “It is difficult to say; even now, it is strange to remember my time in purgatory. I spent all of my time meditating on my own existence… it seems like a dream. I was isolated and alone. In every endless day I would refine my own truth. In the end, my truth coincidentally did not relate to reviving the Great Array. But I know many others that centered their whole being around this destiny. They… would need much convincing to leave.

“Those individual… will likely refuse to see your light, Sir Ghosthound.”

Influence +28!

My… light…? Randidly suppressed a sigh and chatted a bit more with the Nether Gatekeeper about more casual things. Then he exchanged some gossip with Alana and Lucifer, about the tense state of Expira in preparation for the Calamity. Randidly even tried to talk with Wivanya, but the Frost Dragon Broodmother seemed too shy to respond to his questions, even when Alana slapped her mount’s scaled neck.

After about an hour, Randidly said goodbye to the group of four. When they had gone, he contacted both Helen and Heiffal and brought them out of the Alpha Cosmos; he wanted to speak to them regarding some of the hard decisions he needed to make surrounding the Calamity for Expira.

But before he could speak, Randidly felt an unfamiliar image rapidly approaching his skyisland. In addition, the roar of a skybike filled the sky. Helen produced a spear and stood with a stormy expression, but Randidly waved a hand. The approaching individual’s image was pure and strong. For that, he would give this individual a chance.

Besides, he was curious who would have enough gall to barge into the home of the Ghosthound.

The monstrous arrangement of pipes, steam, and brass that the figure rode made Lucifer’s bike look like a child’s toy. The machine hummed softly, even after the man had guided it down to land. He hopped off, removing a black biker helmet that made Randidly’s heart seize as he remembered Ace. But beneath the helmet was nothing like Ace’s rakish athleticism.

The man was balding and had a bulbous nose. But there was an infectious joy to his features as he smiled. “Greetings, Ghosthound! My name is Elijah Frank; I think I’d be a real asset to the Order Ducis; but your recruitment procedures are a real hassle. Can you make an exception and just let me in?”