Randidly returned to the edge of the Badlands after snuffing out the lives of the Beigons. During the movement, he didn’t need to reflect on his actions. But eventually, he settled into stillness and considered. He stood there, looking at his hands. It was in his nature to solve problems to the best of his ability… and in this case, it meant killing them.

It felt oddly satisfying, compared to many of the solutions that Randidly had employed in the Alpha Cosmos. With a single act of will, he had prevented the damage from spreading further. But at the same time…

There are deeper consequences to behaving like this, Randidly could only sigh at his own actions. At the lack of guilt that clouded his mind; if necessary, he would kill again. Part of my lack of reaction is that they were just reflections in memories… but that’s an insidious thought, one that will make the rest of want to do here even more difficult. And also, I don’t think it’s possible to build something lasting on a foundation of rampant violence. I’m here looking for a special blend that can stand the test of time.

He took several deep breaths, ignoring the constant press of sand against his ankles. He felt without reservation or avoidance, his doubts, his satisfaction, his uneasiness, his exhaustion all flowing through his heart.

And in the end, he opened his eyes and moved forward. Despite the complications it might cause for the denizens of this place believing his story, he would leave those problems to Lowanna and the like. He had sent a letter to the leadership of Homewell. Because the other spark of insight he had was that he couldn’t force them to accept. If the capability during his reverie was based vaguely on the Fatepiece, his Keystone of the First Ghasthund would be a request.

To that end, he now wished to strengthen the effect. More Levels in the Fatepiece would expand his power to save the lives of those who believed his warnings.

Randidly dashed across the shifting dunes, cutting through the wind and leaving tatters in his wake. Almost subconsciously, his newly evolved Lethal Tide of Izanami activated. The scraps of wind, the kinetic pops as he had shattered his way forward, and the displacement that occurred across the surrounding air— all were repurposed and became part of his storm.

He didn’t attempt to utilize patterns to strengthen the gathered kinetic force; if he came with the whole of his prowess, Randidly doubted he would encounter any foes willing to fight him. So he let the storm grow wild and unruly all on its own, until the winds howled and the skies darkened. The churning flows of air drilled around, writhing and whistling.

Congratulations! Your Skill Lethal Tide of Izanami (GD) has grown to Level 1075!

Obviously, the force it generated was still overwhelming.

He moved out past the area that had been covered in the time bubble around Homewell, into the places that had apparently experienced thirty years during Randidly’s attempts. The topography changed abruptly, the ground becoming brittle and drained of all energy. He could feel the built-up hunger of this place, gathered at the boundary in an attempt to pierce through. But at this level, hunger could not manage to overwhelm time.

However, the source of the hunger waited patiently, for the first fool to walk out of the protected zone now that the wall had fallen.

A massive serpent erupted out of the dull sands, its jaws detaching as it executed its ambush, its laughter powerful enough that the storm around Randidly faltered. If nothing else, this individual possessed a powerful body. Without even attempting to communicate with him at all, the snake swallowed him whole. In the serpent’s belly waited a rather commendable image relating to devouring. It began tugging at Randidly’s clothes, steadily disintegrating them right off of his arms and shoulders.

Randidly tsk’d, looking around at the fleshy, pulsing walls of his current predicament. Your eyes are bigger than your stomach, friend.

The Songstress of Absence smiled sweetly. Then she began to sing of true hunger and desperation.

Congratulations! Your Skill Siren’s Dirge of Bottomless Taking (P) has grown to Level 1012!

A scoop of flesh and wind vanished from existence. He appeared back in the Badlands as the digestive track around him vanished. Randidly fell a small distance back to the sands, while stomach acid and blood sprayed around him. The serpent howled in confusion and fear. Landing, Randidly produced the swirling sphere that was his final Fatepiece. Time slowed as he offered to forgive the last few seconds. Perhaps not even understanding the situation, the massive serpent assented to the process.

The light inside of the orb brightened. Time reversed.

Randidly hopped back into the reforming stomach, then strolled up the serpent’s esophagus and into the air. The serpent called and the storm concentrated itself and formed in the sky. The serpent carefully dragged sand back atop its hiding place, sand rushing to cover its body-

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Congratulations! Your Fatepiece the Keystone of the First Ghasthund has grown to Level 6!

…

Congratulations! Your Fatepiece the Keystone of the First Ghasthund has grown to Level 9!

Actually, the amount of time I can reverse with this Fatepiece extended rather quickly. Randidly observed, finding himself taking several more steps back toward the boundary before time restarted. With his storm once more swirling behind him, he walked forward again. His eyes instantly went to the stretch of ground where he knew the serpent resided.

This time, no ambush came.

Not a peep came from the ground as he walked over. Randidly stood atop the hiding spot and stomped his foot a few times, almost vexed by the lack of appearance. Then his emerald eyes flashed, and Randidly Ghosthound, Executive of Nether, holder of three images that had spread beyond the Pinnacle, stomped his foot once.

Congratulations! Your Skill Echoes of a Living Myth (M) has grown to Level 1003!

Congratulations! Your Skill Wake of Miracles (T) has grown to Level 760!

Congratulations! Your Skill Diffracted Corruption of an Avaricious Impossibility (P)(U) has grown to Level 1031!

…

Congratulations! Your Skill Wake of Miracles (T) has grown to Level 810!

Congratulations! Your Skill Arch Heretic’s Thaumaturgy (P) has grown to Level 786!

Congratulations! Your Skill From Ghosthound’s Baleful Storm, Howl (P) has grown to Level 955!

The whole of the Badlands shook when he mobilized his full force. He received a slew of rather unhelpful notifications for the action, reminding him how many hidden consequences might be tied to his simple actions now. The shockwaves he produced were a little bit more than shockwaves.

Beneath his feet, he felt a portion of the serpent’s body rupture from the force. Yet still the stubborn creature refused to act like it felt any pain, simply letting blood dribble out of its body into the sand. Survival instincts and fear made it completely inert.

Randidly clicked his tongue. Fine, for helping me with my Fatepiece, I’ll let things go here. Just let’s try to get a less murder-y hobby, alright?

He continued on his journey. Not that he had long to wait for the next target. The serpent had covered a long stretch along the barrier, but it was rather thin stretch of land, compared to the whole of the Badlands. In the end, the creatures arranged around the edges of the sandy ground were just monsters, not true Monsters. Soon he passed into another portion of the Badlands, owned by a different old monster. Where the wind had been dry and tearing, it soon became heavy and humid. Strange vines grew out of the ground, almost veins in this portion.

Now what’s this? Randidly’s expression brightened as he sensed the life flowing along these veins. He followed them into the underground caverns beneath this area and found that each ended by impaling a Ratling, a creature the size of human preteen, complete with floppy ears and tails. Watching the impaled-being wither as the life was sucked away, Randidly’s smile sharpened to something much more vicious.

Seems like this bastard doesn’t believe in karma.

He hadn’t been moving with any urgency, but now that changed. With the veins as his guide, he stepped and tore through this stretch of ground. He ripped up a thousand vines in his sudden movement, guiding the forceful explosion around the caverns to keep the underground area from collapsing. He landed and a massive venus flytrap roared at its domain being invaded. It lifted the top of its pot-like body, revealing an ugly mixture of pink and black color, very reminiscent of Thorn. But none of the intelligence and discretion of his Soulseeds was present in this monster.

A manifestation of the World Tree stretched up from Randidly’s body. Just once, it pulsed with a bright and imperious light. Randidly’s veins burned as he channeled the full force of his fury through his emotional sea to empower the image.

Congratulations! Your Skill A World’s Regrets Beget Serrated Insurrection (T) has grown to Level 1005!

Congratulations! Your Skill Certainty of the Dread Wyrm (P) has grown to Level 1089!

Congratulations! Your Skill the First Tree Suffers Only Fealty (P) has grown to Level 1035!

Randidly took control of the thing’s veins and drove them into the main body, over and over again. With a flick of the wrist, he produced Acri and wove another dozen holes through his opponent’s fleshy body. The venus fly trap screamed and twisted, attempting to rip itself out of the ground, but it found that none of its appendages could be moved. Randidly’s will settled over the area, brooking no disagreement.

After thoroughly skewering this sick monster, its life finally began to flicker and fade. Even its monstrous vitality, stolen from the ratlings beneath the ground, had its limits. Randidly’s lip curled in disgust, unwilling to forgive the monster he fought against. But knowing what would come next, he still manifested the Fatepiece orb in his hand.

As with the previous target, it accepted probably without understanding what sort of contract it had signed. The light in the orb flashed. Unknowingly, these beings picked up bricks and began to build their own Ghasthunds.

Your Fatepiece the Keystone of the First Ghasthund has grown to Level 10!

Your Fatepiece the Keystone of the First Ghasthund has grown to Level 11!

Randidly blurred backward to his original position. Because the power had grown further, he ended up traveling out of this being's domain by the time the ‘forgiveness’ ended. Pursing his lips, Randidly accelerated as soon as he had control of his body to try and catch up with his quarry. The veins withdrew before his eyes, but he speared them in place with spikes of wind. Rapidly, he caught up the venus fly trap.

Rather than wait for its fate, the creature actually had ripped off the veins that Randidly had immobilized. It rapidly fled, a third of its tentacles left behind, undulating across the sands. But its speed wasn’t enough.

When Randidly caught up, he created another manifestation of the World Tree. This time, Yggdrasil demanded. The creature’s body couldn’t help but answer.

Congratulations! Your Skill The First Tree Suffers Only Fealty has grown to Level

In its haste to execute a bow before a vastly superior being, the venus fly trap ripped its body in half and smashed all of its organs to pulp. As the twitching remnants bled out its lifeblood into the ground, Randidly offered it a devil’s smile.

“Want to try again?”