Randidly wavered for several seconds as he looked at the branching path before him. He didn’t want to keep going down this Pathset at the moment, but also he didn’t wait to take such an obvious bait from the System. From all the times that it had tried to screw him over in the past, he wanted to dig in his heels and keep going.

Then he shrugged to himself. I suppose I’m allowed a little bit of stubbornness. I’ve earned that much.

Congratulations! When you eventually give up on your determination, +10 of each Attribute per Level! When you eventually give up on your determination, +1 free Stat per Level.

Influence +109!

That sort of ‘reward’ certainly got Randidly’s attention. The System was practically holding the bonuses hostage until he gave up on the Path. Which, of course, just made him narrow his eyes and bare his teeth at the notification. Jokes on you. With Acri devouring all my experience, I can wait as long as I need to to get those bonuses.

Still, Randidly wanted to look at some other Paths with the remaining chunk of PP. Mostly because he earned next to nothing even after blazing through three Paths in a row. He looked at his available Paths and his remaining PP of 4200 and narrowed his options down to five.

Exodus, the Terror 0/1000, Genesis, the Considered 0/1000, The Shadow Beyond the Threshold 0/???, Architecture of Yggdrasil I 0/????, Violent Currents of Amenoumi 0/2500

Three of the choices were focused on Yggdrasil, which Randidly still wished to elevate into a higher Rarity in the near future. During his Skill grinding of the last few months, he had been particularly taken with the capabilities of the Genesis and Exodus Skills. They seemed to provide almost percentage-based enhancement to his other attacks, even before he improved them. That is, the Mien of Genesis and Price of Exodus naturally rose with Randidly himself.

And as he started getting those Skills to higher Levels, the boost they provided became more ridiculous, albeit only applicable in very specific circumstances.

The other Yggdrasil Skill was Architecture of Yggdrasil. One method he considered to boost Ygggdrasil’s power was to revamp the complex runic symbols that covered the whole of the World Tree. This Path would hopefully push him in that direction.

Meanwhile, Shadow Beyond the Threshold would focus more on the Stillborn Phoenix. Specifically, Randidly hoped it would improve some of his ability to predict and anticipate, which was the only reason that he hadn’t been blasted to oblivion by whatever strange being possessed Techetadore’s body. Although the Swacc Family seemed now to be on the run for hiding the Skull of Truth, Randidly couldn’t help but suspect that this wouldn’t be the last time he fought against Raymund’s brother. Both his future prediction Skills tingled in anticipation at the thought.

Shal too, Randidly’s expression shifted into something guilty and pale as he saw Shal’s slumped shoulders. He clenched his hands into fists. Although fighting was the way he taught me to communicate, perhaps a dialogue is what I need to reach him.

The final Path he considered was the one related to Cutting Tides of Amenonuhoko, which would hopefully consolidate his combat-related abilities. Honestly, this was the Path that tempted him the most, but the possibility of it spawning its own image made him hesitate. This amalgamation toward a Skillset needed to be handled carefully.

For several seconds, he shifted between the three options: Yggdrasil, Stillborn Phoenix, combat Skills. With great hesitation, he eliminated the Stillborn Phoenix option from contention. That was a reactionary choice; his current Grim Intuition and Skills had already proven effective. He didn’t need to improve them further. The other two aimed at improving his own strength.

Finally, Randidly selected the Yggdrasil option. And in turn, he decided not to finish the general Architecture of Yggdrasil and instead just complete the specific Skill Paths. Mostly, he appreciated that he would be able to finish both of those Paths at once, whereas the Violent Currents would take over half of his remaining PP. He started with Genesis, the Considered which earned him 1 Wisdom and 1 Resistance for every 20 PP he spent.

Congratulations! You have completed the Genesis, the Considered Path! Before the Great Seed sprouted, there was nothing. The infinite grey stretched in all directions. How long did that seed lay dormant? It is impossible to estimate. But it is beyond doubt that all that has occurred since the World Tree bloomed is a split-second flash compared to the primordial emptiness. As you proceed down this Path, you manage to capture the slightest hint of that timeless weight and momentous alteration. The substance of your gaze grows strong.

Congratulations! Wisdom and Resistance +30. Additional power has been added to the Inscrutable Mien of Genesis. The improvement of the Skill based on higher Stats is slightly increased.

Randidly didn’t end up earning anything but Stats, but he wouldn’t judge the reward before he experimented a bit. Immediately, he activated the Inscrutable Mien of Genesis as he stared down into the depths of the shaft. A supernatural shine began to accumulate behind him. He could feel the presence of his Skill turning both the river of significance downward and the flow of emotions upward sluggish. The extremely different substances squirmed and faded beneath his heavy gaze.

Randidly released a sigh and blinked. The benefit he earned might have simply been a line of text, but Randidly could literally see the effect it had. In addition, he felt that evolving that Skill would be a little bit easier than before.

Honestly, it was a bit of a disappointing reward for a Path: Randidly obtained a relatively small amount of Stats and didn’t receive a new Skill. But after the consecutive disappointments of the Determined Paths, this was enough to keep him satisfied.

Besides, Randidly reflected as he focused on Exodus, the Terror Path. In the end, Stats and Skill Rarities, even Skill Levels, are pretty cheap at the power-tier where I am. With just a bit of concentration, I could probably make a Fireball much more powerful than even the greatest Fire Mage in Expira…

Ahem, even if we normalized our Stats, of course...

Randidly hummed and added enough PP to finish the other Path, earning 1 Reaction and Focus for each 20 PP spent.

Congratulations! You have finished the Exodus, the Terror Path! All things that begin shall end. The arc of existence can be altered by never circumvented. And the harbinger of that cessation has always been Exodus. You have followed this wilting and fading Path to its completion, standing before the same abyss of absence that existed before the world began. Just by following the trail, small motes of oblivion have seeped into your body.

Without a doubt, the power you carry has grown. However, your burden grows just as quickly. The dead and decaying things grow fangs in the shadows of your images and Skill. Be careful on your journey, because the Path stretches ever onward.

Congratulations! Reaction and Focus +30! Synchronicity detected!

Congratulations! Your Skill Implacable Price of Exodus (M) has evolved into the Inexorable Toll of Exodus (T)! Skill Level will be maintained.

Randidly’s eyes flashed as he instantly activated his newly evolved Skill. The World Tree flickered to life behind him in the shaft. The warm wood was covered in a glowing, golden script that described all things. Emerald leaves rustled overhead. In the long shadow cast by the trunk, something slight and sharp stirred. A woman smiled from the shadows, dangling from long strands of hair that stretched back to the darkest places of the world tree.

Randidly studied his image critically as it examined him in turn.

Ruin, the image whispered. Run from me while you can.

Congratulations! Your Skill the Inexorable Toll of Exodus (T) has grown to Level 392!

Randidly chuckled. The Exodus monster reached out with thin fingers and tore both emotion and significance from the surroundings and then vanished, leaving the space sundered. Winds blasted out in every direction from the impact, shocking Randidly with their power and knocking Claudette awake from her blizzard training.

She frowned over at Randidly after she had steadied herself. “Trying to start a fight?”

Satisfied with the evolution of his Skill, Randidly hid a smile and shook his head. “No. I think we are done here. It’s time to return to the Nexus and make sure we aren’t missing too much.”

Instantly, Claudette’s expression became serious. He could see her wrestling with what their return meant; they had improved about as much as they could expect to before Don Beigon’s party, assuming it would still happen. Now that the Nexus was coming to pieces, it would be much more difficult for her to slip away and put so much effort toward improving her abilities. At the same time, Randidly was worried about interacting overmuch with Don Beigon before he knew what he wanted with his favor.

But all that’s for later, Randidly told himself as he pulled out his Philosopher’s Key. Claudette floated over toward him and waited for him to open up a portal. They proceeded through and found themselves in a stretch of empty space filled with cosmic dust. To their left was a floating camp of the Elite Squad, but the vast stretch below them-

“What happened here?” Claudette whispered, looking down.

Randidly’s frown steadily grew. He hadn’t forgotten all about the issue of Don Beigon binding the Frost Matriarch, but he figured that offending all the Pinnacle Seekers was not worth whatever contributions he could earn by turning her into Military High Command. The best option was that she would quietly leave and he could honestly say that she was more powerful than he was and escaped.

She vanished alright, taking all traces of her planet with her. Not even pebbles or tiny bits of ice were left in her wake.

“Likely, she fled,” Randidly said. “I’ll explain-”

But before he could continue to speak, they were both struck with an inexorable urge to raise their heads and peer in a very specific direction. For a brief moment, time and space didn’t seem to matter. Both responded instinctually to a sudden presence; the feeling was like a window being opened and sunlight shining on their skin. Randidly licked his lips and his heartbeat quickened.

His eyes narrowed.

The Nether King had opened a door to the Path to the Pinnacle, but he had only stayed within for a short amount of time and come out without causing much of a stir; Randidly suspected that the Path to the Pinnacle was only a means to an end for him. Meanwhile this-

“Someone is attempting to reach the Pinnacle,” Claudette said with awe in her voice, the issue of her teacher forgotten. “This image-”

Why does it feel so vaguely familiar? Randidly wondered.

But the next instant, his senses were overwhelmed by similar impressions, each tied to a different sensation. Four new images echoed outward as others made their bid to seize the Pinnacle on the heels of that leader.

The second after that, eleven images radiated outward, muddying the waters even further.

And in the third second, a horrifying, monstrous pressure that Randidly definitely recognized revealed itself; Elhume was on the move, making a beeline toward one of the attempts to reach the Pinnacle.