After hearing the details from Charlotte, Randidly looked at the ground for almost five minutes. The air seethed with the thrashing root projections of Yggdrasil, with the howling rage of the Songstress, with the deep contemplation of the Dread Homunculus. He hadn’t bother to hide the information about what he planned on doing, because he hadn’t assumed anyone would believe him.

I should have realized the problem when Cerulean showed up. Randidly clenched his jaw. Because of all I accomplished two days ago, the words I say are heavy. Maybe its even a hidden effect from my Class…

But not all legends needed to be right and just. If he would have sounded extremely suspicious before, now he would seem like a sleazy tyrant, showing up with a lie that had been exposed before hand. Those on the fence would believe the narrative they had been fed first and completely disdain his claims.

Randidly released a long hiss as his blood heated up. Most would likely still believe the powerful figures he would have speak for him. Yet Randidly felt furious. And in that moment, he recognized the name Diane.

“Diane Beigon. Don’s dead wife,” Randidly blinked slowly in recognition. Gradually, he could begin to see the shape of what they probably planned. It was obvious from their actions they didn’t believe him, but wanted to hold him hostage to whatever demands they had. It made him snort bitterly.

Even now, the two were overly entitled. They simply didn’t know the scope of the threats they caused.

He closed his eyes for several seconds, frustrated. But gradually, those emotions disappeared. The Grim Chimera settled across his body, bringing with it the obvious method to advance through this impediments. When Randidly Ghosthound opened his eyes, his gaze had cleared. But also, his eyes were emerald chips of ice.

He didn’t have time for this. And he also didn’t have the patience to try and nudge them into behaving.

“They can choose their own fate,” Randidly said to the air, speaking both about the people of the memory and about the Beigons. Resolve slithered through his chest, cooling his blood. He reached into the pan and plucked up a piece of bacon. He ate it quickly, his gaze darkening further. “In the end, my ability to take more people away is limited away. Perhaps this… is for the best.”

When he finished his bacon, Randidly straightened. Before anything else, he had to eliminate this threat before any other problems occurred.

*****

Don Beigon sighed. “You didn’t need to expose yourself. We should have sent a proxy to make the announcement. People are talking-”

His wife Diane let out a soft laugh. She stood by the window, wind fluttering the airy curtains around her. She, as always, looked too good for this world. “I understand you prefer to move cautiously, but you saw those powerful forces that filled the sky. If we give them time, they will be able to prevent us from extracting any benefits simply through raw suppression. The struggle between us was already unfair. Now, while they are desperate, I have given us leverage. Whatever they are planning… we will get a piece of the pie.”

“Yet if they react badly, you will be their target.” Don countered. He raised his hands and rubbed at his temples. “Cerulean is a part of this cabal; that raptor is a being with no compunctions about eliminating threats-”

“They wouldn’t be so foolish as to move against me directly,” Diane snorted. “Because of me revealing their strange actions before hand, they’ve lost a lot of credibility. If the individual who warned of their violent tendencies was to suddenly disappear… wouldn’t it completely destroy the possibility of success? No, soon, I have no doubt-”

There was a knock at the door. Diane beamed out a look of triumph. “Don, would you answer that? I’ll make some tea.”

Don Beigon gave Diane a look somewhere between awe and fear. His Skills and Class were part of the reason for the couple’s success, but the other half of it were the half-insane ideas and instincts possessed by Diane. She always seemed able to stroll across the bloodthirsty battlefield of existence, toeing the line of getting them killed perfectly. With it, he was always given the perfect opportunity to utilize his talents. She had never steered him wrong in the past, and this time was no exception.

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He opened the door. Despite himself, the Don gritted his teeth at the figure he saw. Even now, memories of two days ago flashed in his mind. “Nether King Hungry Eye, I didn’t expect a personal visit so soon.”

The Nether King glanced around, his features curiously inert during the examination. He possessed none of the self-righteousness he had possessed on their previous interactions, which made Don quite pleased. When he gestured, the Nether King walked into the front room of their small apartment.

“No need to prepare tea, this will be quick.” The Nether King grunted.

“In a rush to do business? Well, I appreciate your hustle,” Diane chortled when she returned to the room. She sat and carefully folded one leg across the other, steepling her fingers on top. “Now, let’s talk terms; whatever you plan to do, we wish to be involved in the transition. You intend to moving the people to some isolated space, yes? Allow us to see the fabric of this space; worry not, we have connections a specialize who can help with such things. He is called the Master. With this small favor-”

Hungry Eye barely seemed to register her words. He simply looked at her. “You have a minute. Say your goodbyes.”

Don felt a chill at the curiously dead tone. Definitely, something was wrong. He couldn’t sense even a shred of joy from the Nether King, and he wasn’t using Nether to mask his emotions at all. All Don could feel was resignation.

Congratulations! Your Skill Intuit Hidden Intent (A) has grown to Level 335!

Diane tilted her head to the side in confusion in response to this strange non sequiter. Then she began to laugh. “Oh, Hungry Eye. What a tragedy we haven’t yet had the pleasure of doing business! I had no idea you would swagger in here and play hardball. But I think you’ll find that we won’t fold to bluffs. Now, as I was saying-”

Congratulations! Your Skill Intuit Hidden Intent (A) has grown to Level 336!

…

Congratulations! Your Skill Intuit Hidden Intent (A) has grown to Level 400!

“Honey,” Don Beigon licked his lips. The resignation he felt within the Nether King was vast, so vast he felt almost swallowed by it. It was difficult to speak. He received Skill Level up notifications over and over and his Class screamed out warning bells. He began to tremble. “He’s… not bluffing.”

Diane gave him a dismissive look. He had panicked in the past and she had always been unruffled. Previously, she had never been wrong. “Ah, Hungry Eye, please excuse me while I talk some sense into my husband. Don, truly, are you going to lose your nerve now? We have always talked about being power players in the world and this is our chance. Once we examine this new space and manage to figure out-”

Congratulations! Your Skill Intuit Hidden Intent (A) has grown to Level 500!

“Diane!” Don practically screamed.

For the first time, Diane seemed to realize he wasn’t simply losing his nerve. She pivoted slowly and faced Nether King Hungry Eye, her expression grave. She examined him closely and from the way her face paled, she could finally see it. “...Nether King, you are considering a very foolish course of action. Without my word on your behalf, people will not try to move to your new world. Now that peace has been achieved, they would be content here for the rest of their lives. You are letting your anger cloud your mind. Especially once I vanish-”

“You never understood what this was about,” The Nether King sighed. “You stuck greedy fingers into the pot hoping to scoop out value and your fingers were burned. Let me be frank; your world will end in a week. My intention was to save as many people who lived here as possible. However, my ability is limited. It is not a problem of space… but of bridging the gap between memory and reality with a little extra energy. I was hesitant on what to do, to make sure I could gather as many of the quality individuals as possible.”

“What do you-” Diane took a half step back.

“In a way, I suppose I should thank you. But the words would leave a bitter taste in my mouth… so I will not,” The Nether King said. “Now, those individuals who likely would have eyed my offer as a chance like you… will not be tempted at all. Which was why I offered you the minute. A small allowance to one who disgusts me. Goodbye, Diane Beigon.”

She streaked backward, activating her Skills. A golden cobra stretched up behind her body, its hood spreading wide and flaring. But she soon stiffened, the Nether King’s hand driven through her chest. From the ground sprung a dozen thick and thorny roots that slitherd more quickly than her cobra could rival, constricting the serpent and then flexing.

In a puff of gold powder, her image collapsed.

Don Beigon watched in horror as the life faded from her eyes. However, his vision soon became blurry. Almost from afar, new figures stood inside the room of their apartment. No longer Hungry Eye, but Elhume. Yet to Don’s great pain, a punch even in this strange apparition scene ended his wife’s life.

Then the dream vanished. The Nether King frowned. “So Diane attempted a similar thing when Alymian was created using their combined abilities. Honestly, it feels horrible to have taken the same actions as Elhume. But,” His eyes flicked over to Don Beigon. “You weren’t there. Hum. So perhaps even you didn’t know exactly the cause… considering you were left alive, Elhume considered you valuable enough to live. But based on your plans in the present… you found out didn’t you?

“Well, I won’t let you suffer for his week. I don’t know what trouble you could get up to anyway.”

Don didn’t even attempt move as he died. He simply stared toward his wife’s corpse, hollow and bitter.