Randidly moved quickly as he made his preparations. Even during his ‘break’ night, he didn’t want to waste time. Not when so much loomed on the horizon.

Although honestly, even his leisurely speed would be faster than most.

For now, he tried not to think about the future. He tried to just exist in the moment and address the problems this new attempt would include. He had become a Legend, but he also had a human body and human emotions. For now, he wanted to concern himself with just those two facts. The tension would be discarded for later.

Randidly stepped and the sandy expanse of the badlands gave way to rolling foothills. A wind screamed around his body with the speed of his movement. Another step carried him deep within the mountains. As he lowered his speed, his landing cracked the ground and knocked over two unfortunate pine trees. Still, calling this body ‘human’ might be a bit of a stretch. Would simply referring to myself as a mortal be more accurate…?

He set those thoughts aside for now and released a soft pulse of Nether that sank into the ground.

Congratulations! Your Skill Randidly Ghosthound, Executive of Nether Reborn (GD)(U) has grown to Level 1501!

With his new powerful unique Skill, Randidly could practically taste all the history of the mountain. This area had been outside of the small bubble of stable time as he tried to crank through a Pinnacle event, so about thirty years had passed without much disturbance from Aether or Nether life. As such, the mountain had grown wild with monsters and rather unique plant life.

Randidly skipped through the trees, producing enough wind with his passage that several nearby sturdy pines swayed nervously. He then crouched in the dirt, releasing a pulse of his Songstress of Absence into the ground. With a grin, he crooked a beckoning finger at the dirt. Several fat mushrooms were cleanly removed, ugly butterflies emerging from a world-sized cocoon. A wave of the hand annihilated all the dirt across their length. He added a secondary pulse of the Songstress’s song in order to be sure no image lingered in the food ingredients.

Congratulations! Your Skill Hungry Eyes, Hollow Heart, Cadence of Tragedy (GD) has grown to Level 1063!

One down, a dozen to go.

He moved sideways across the mountain, having spotted some wild carrots, onions, and strawberries at various positions across the mountain with his Nether pulse. He foraged with the speed of a sprinting ghost, whipping across the ridges and elevation gain to his target, removing and purifying any strange images that had sunk into the food, then moving on to the next area. Already, the basic menu began to condense in his mind.

However, the process was interrupted while Randidly crouched down and picked strawberries. A roar blasted across the mountain, powerful enough to shake the ground. Randidly quirked an eyebrow up and straightened at the sudden outburst. His gaze focused on the shadowy entrance to a nearby cave. With a secondary roar, a massive body loped out of the cave and spat its fury.

In the open, the monster stood at almost four meters tall. It spread its muscular arms wide and gnashed its teeth. Its bushy tail whipped back and forth, a testament to how it could brook no invasions onto its chosen ground.

Mutated Were-squirrel Overlord Lvl 100

Ah, remember when Levels mattered? A Level 100 foe used to be slightly scary, Randidly felt nostalgic as he considered the monster. He had noticed this being with his Nether pulse, but had just assumed that it wouldn’t be dumb enough to antagonize him. However, in the end, despite the heights it had reached, it was still a squirrel.

Randidly reached for its ‘nuts’ and it came bounding out with a vengeance.

Do squirrels even eat strawberries? Well, I suppose these aren’t just normal strawberries… all the energy in the mountain flows upward into them… Randidly glanced down at the glistening ruby fruit between his forefinger and thumb. He tossed it into his mouth. The tart and sweet flavors made his face brighten. Hum, I don’t know much about baking… but a turnover with these would be excellent… oh, didn’t I notice some bees at the base of the mountain? A honey glaze too… a nice flaky crust…

Randidly felt extremely leisurely as the Were-Squirrel Overlord freaked out over his consumption of the strawberry and attacked. It had reached Level 100, but the System hadn’t yet changed enough to offer all beings access to a Grand Fate at this point. It possessed an image, but mostly it was a vague one of owning the mountain. When the significance of this fifty-year-old creature attacked the depth of Randidly’s Nether Core…

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

It swiped with a paw, intending to tear his body in half. The attack landed, but the force of the attack broke the monster’s own arm. The wrist snapped back, blood spraying out. Randidly plucked up the small kinetic impact as the Were-squirrel staggered backward in shock, sharpening it into a blade of wind that bisected the monster from waist to the crown of the head.

Congratulations! Your Skill Lethal Tide of Izanami (GD) has grown to Level 1073!

Congratulations! Your Skill Footsteps of a Living Myth (M) has grown to Level 1002!

The legs remained together, but the two halves of the upper body fell backward. Randidly watched the glitter of awareness dim as the Were-squirrel went through the process of dying. A smile quirked across his face. “Do you… want to try again? Otherwise…”

He flicked his wrist and produced the Keystone of the First Ghasthund in his hand. The misty sphere swirled with energies as a connection was established to the were-squirrel’s dissipating consciousness. His Fatepiece activated. For a moment there was no change, but then the hook sank into flesh.

The Fatepiece glittered and the swirling mist quickened.

Congratulations! Your Fatepiece the Keystone of the First Ghasthund has grown to Level 2!

…

Congratulations! Your Fatepiece the Keystone of the First Ghasthund has grown to Level 5!

Congratulations! For freeing a being filled with genuine regret from their Ghasthund, +1 Muse’s Reverie! Muse’s Reverie now at 6/6! Activation of a Reverie is possible.

A smile stretched across Randidly’s face at the notifications, but he also paused to watch the process of the Fatepiece’s activation. The dying were-squirrel paused, its body stilling mid-death. Then time began to reverse; Randidly felt the energies he wielded retreating. The blade of force slid downward, knitting the flesh of the monster back together.

Unfortunately, the Fatepiece’s Level was still low. So time could only rewind to directly after the point where the Were-squirrel had struck and broken its wrist against Randidly’s shoulder. Time restarted and it staggered backward. But this time, Randidly didn’t bother creating a blade of kinetic force to finish the job. He smiled.

For a split second, the two just looked at each other. The were-squirrel’s expression, animalistic though it was, collapsed in fear.

Congratulations! Your Skill Wake of Miracles (T) has grown to Level 658!

Congratulations! Your Skill Arch-Heretic’s Thaumaturgy (P) has grown to Level 401!

…

Congratulations! Your Skill Arch-Heretic’s Thaumaturgy (P) has grown to Level 553!

Congratulations! Your Skill Wake of Miracles (T) has grown to Level 708!

While Skill Levels continued to accumulate, the were-squirrel turned and hopped away. Its vague image had been broken and its muscular shoulders trembled with fear. Despite its massive size, its tail looked very cute as it flowed along the path its main body had taken. Randidly didn’t pursue. Honestly, the Skill Levels and points of Muse’s Reverie were a nice bonus. Seeing the Keystone of the First Ghasthund was the only reason he had attacked such a weak being.

Humming to himself, Randidly returned to his mountain plucking. When he was satisfied with the vegetables he had obtained, he released a deeper pulse of Nether, one that traveled through almost the entirety of the Aether lands. Now that he had an idea for the dishes, he just needed the main ingredients.

He launched himself off the mountain and headed South, where a giant inland lake waited. Its unsuspecting fish and shellfish population had no protection against him. With just a movement of Randidly’s finger, the currents of the lake would shift and carry his targets helplessly away, bringing them to the surface without any struggle.

He crouched on the edge of the lake and fish kept shooting out to flop on the sand next to him. He raised his head and saw a fishing boat filled with wet-skinned frogkin watching the process with wide eyes. Their own fishing rods lay forgotten next to them on the boat. Randidly raised his hand and waved.

After a bit of hesitation, the two waved back.

After about twenty fish and double that amount of oysters, Randidly turned again. He skipped across the land in search of rice, the final main ingredient he required. Saffron he had within his interspatial ring, although he wouldn’t mind making an alternate version of his intended dish. As he traveled the breadth of the Aetherlands, he could feel the shift coming over the population. Tension began to sink out of the people. With Enmya at the helm, the Nether armies were pulling back. Homewell had vanished from the broader Aetherlands for thirty years, but now word had spread that the trouble had ceased. Life could return to normal.

Randidly could only sigh. Yet… the entire world you live in will soon collapse. If you don’t believe me… haaah… Maybe it won’t be a good thing that the situation seems to be improving. People won’t be willing to let this go.

He tried not to think about the disbelief that waited for him. Using power to force an answer wouldn’t be possible, in this situation. He also tried not to think about the problem looming before if too many people wanted to follow him out to the memory: how to use his limited amount of Muse’s Reverie to bring as much of the ‘fake’ memory population with him to the Alpha Cosmos.

The Keystone of the First Ghasthund was a powerful relic, but it had limits.

He had limits, even after becoming a legend. The same aspects he now indulged, his humanity, held him back.

Randidly clenched his fist, then forced himself to relax. “All of that is for tomorrow. For tonight… let’s try and help these two find a bit of happiness.”