Chapter 1111

Randidly closed the Nether Ritual with a twist of his mouth.

The Vualla he had witnessed through the Nether Ritual was a slightly different one than he was used to seeing. Some part of him was almost numb with shock to see her so positively… murderous, but another part of him tried to justify it by saying that he truly hadn’t known her for very long.

Gone were the bright laughter and sudden smiles. Even if she had always been someone inclined to violence, the large swathe of kindness he had seen in her previously was conspicuously absent. What was left was a grim-faced Vualla that had brooded and stared out over a chaotic battlefield before stoically walking back toward her camp.

There had been a brief moment that Randidly had seen the same Vualla that had seized his attention. For a split second, it was like the mask she wore split open and she smiled out toward the world, despite the deep wounds that she bore by being vulnerable in this fucked up world. But then the mask was back. The Vualla he knew seemed suddenly so distant.

Still, Randidly could understand why she was reacting like this. The vast assault of Nether Beasts that Randidly had witnessed was staggering to say the least. Perhaps a hundred thousand of the horrible creatures had crawled out of the Great Rift and assaulted the camp of Vualla’s father. And even if each of Vualla’s punch could destroy one or two Nether Beasts, the numbers meant that casualties continued to pile up around her as she helplessly swung her arms.

But still, seeing her like this, after she said those things about cultivating the part of ourselves that has the drive to use the power we are accumulating…

Randidly clenched his teeth.

...did my support not reach her? This version of her seems like she’s completely forgotten the why of fighting...

Such thoughts led the Grim Chimera on a tormenting emotional rollercoaster that he was not well equipped to handle. Randidly was no great hand at unpacking recent emotional baggage either, so he reverted to the tried and true method he had gotten by with his entire life: setting it aside and planning to revisit it later.

At the very least, observing Vualla for a time had given Randidly quite a bit of understanding regarding the current state of affairs on the frontlines. The grip of… something was tightening on that area, although it was difficult for Randidly to understand the shape of it. From the beginning, Lord Miln’s movements didn’t make much sense to Randidly, but Randidly didn’t for a second believe that meant that Lord Miln didn’t have a plan in the works.

Randidly could only refine his power and hope that he was a small piece in the man’s plans, not the main goal. But if Randidly had been the main goal, Lord Miln likely would have taken a more direct route to killing him rather than hanging him out here with this Aether Key.

Anyway, knowing there was little he could do to help the frontlines freed Randidly’s attention somewhat up to refocus on the Earth’s issues. It was strange to have been so swayed by Vualla’s bold statement that the passion to use power was just as important to cultivate as power itself and then have her to abruptly become so grim and serious, but he still agreed with those sentiments.

And I hope her current hard edges are a result of circumstances, not from a change of heart,

Randidly thought bitterly.

It is… hard to have faith without any evidence of your belief.

This time when he began conjuring the Nether Ritual, his target was Tatiana. As the day to day decision-maker behind Kharon and Erickson Steel, Tatiana would be much more connected to the broader sentiment in the new Zone than Vye had been. In addition, a non-insignificant portion of Randidly was curious about how the functioning of Kharon itself was going. He had spent quite a bit of time creating the Levelable Engraving that fueled the city, so Randidly had a somewhat personal stake in checking up on it.

Releasing a breath, Randidly forced his heart rate to slow as Tatiana’s familiar form sitting in her office formed in the RItual. Very soon, Randidly settled in to watch.

*****

Tatiana limbs tingled as she considered the woman opposite her across her desk. Felicia Melbourne had been, prior to a few months before the System’s arrival, Tatiana’s best friend and a pretty ambitious player at the Department of Education. Immediately prior to the System’s arrival, Felicia had become Tatiana’s most recent and most confusing ex after a relationship of being undermined and dismissed.

“We have Levels now,” Felicia cooed. “That’s fascinating. What Level are you, Tati?”

“Fifty-Six,” Tatiana replied stiffly.

Like many individuals who Tatiana hadn’t been able to find in Zone 1 after the System arrived, a part of Tatiana believed Felicia had died or was a part of one of the many Zones that never would pass the Raid Dungeon. Perhaps because her feelings toward Felicia were largely unsettled, it was quite easy to set those emotions to the side and write her off as gone forever.

“Monsters too,” Felicia mused as she dragged her fingers across the wooden armrests. “I think I saw someone kill a dinosaur on the way over.”

Of course, this woman being gone was more of a fantasy than the System. Because in one of the most recent missions the Order Ducis took on to save individuals newly freed up from the rapidly expanding borderlands, Felicia had been part of the group that was considered to have high potential and was brought back to Kharon to be interviewed in more detail.

And Tatiana objectively agreed that Felicia possessed a lot of the traits that they were looking for in recently freed refugees. But...

Titiana licked her lips and tried to decide what to say. After experiencing a physical jolt after seeing Felicia in the crowd of refugees, she had given the order to have Felicia brought up to her office. They had hugged like old friends when Felicia realized who she was meeting, greeting Tatiana with that same magical gaze that had seemed electric early on in their relationship.

Yet now, no words would come to Tatiana. Instead, she simply watched Felicia play with the rather large amount of moss spirits that gathered curiously around her. Tatiana couldn’t help but smile. Felicia always had a way with animals.

“So…” Felicia cupped her hands and the moss spirits filled her palms it like they were liquid. Then Felicia twisted her hands and threw the spirits upward. For their part, the floating green lights were happy to erupt into sudden dance. “The world… is like a video game now?”

Grateful for finally finding an appropriate topic, Tatiana nodded. “It’s a bit of an oversimplification to say so… but yes. There are now similar systems in place to what you would see in role-playing games. Stats… Classes… Skills, that sort of thing.”

“And the monsters?” Felicia chuckled. “It feels like I’m in Lord of the Rings. Are their magic rings and elves?

Tatiana sighed. “Yes, there is magic everything now.”

After a few moments of silence, Felicia began to fidget. Then she blurted out. “Are you… strong? Like you have a lot of Stats or a high Level or whatever?”

After blinking, Tatiana began to laugh. Oh yes, this was the Felicia that she knew. Always quick on the uptake and even quicker to identify the person in the room who was in charge. The walk to the penthouse suite and the rich decor of Tatiana’s office wouldn’t have escaped her notice. “Well, I’m not the strongest. Most of my Skills are geared toward management. But strong enough, yea. Why?”

“Well, I’m just wondering like, how strong you are. How strong everyone is now, you know? It’s just such an abstract thing.” Felicia shrugged.

Struck by a sudden impulse, Tatiana stood from her chair and walked around to stand in front of Felicia. Felicia straightened as he approached, but otherwise just watched Tatiana curiously like a cat that was ready to take offense. And Tatiana reached out, grabbed the wooden armrests of Felicia’s chair, and lifted the woman up into the air.

Honestly, it wasn’t even that hard to do.

“Wow.” Felicia watched Tatiana in fascination as she continued to hold Felicia up without apparent effort. Then Felicia slowly turned around ran her fingers over the flexing muscles of Tatiana’s forearms. Only after examining Tatiana’s arms for several more seconds did Felicia flash a smoldering smile. “That’s kinda hot.”

Feeling exhausted for a very different reason than the physical exertion, Tatiana set Felicia back down and walked around her desk once more. Suddenly Tatiana wondered if it was such a good idea to bring Felicia here for a personal chat. She really was so busy. And soon she would need to make a decision over whether to send someone from the Order Ducis to help catch whoever was committing the gruesome bloodless murders…

Then Felicia spoke, and her question took Tatiana by surprise.

“Who is Randidly Ghosthound?”

“... I’m surprised you already have heard his name.” Tatiana said slowly. Then she shrugged. Perhaps it wasn’t so strange. But to hear Felicia say Randidly’s name now… it was like her two lives were colliding with each other. Seeing Felicia wreathed by moss spirits, it was extremely surreal. “He’s our leader.”

“Like the mayor of this town? This place really looks like it’s something out of a fantasy novel…” Felicia replied as she gestured and the moss spirits spun to follow her gestured commands. Felicia’s eyes crinkled at the corners as she clearly enjoyed the control.

Like she always did.

Tatiana snorted, looking away from the almost sadistic gleam in Felicia’s eyes. “No, not the mayor. We aren’t… very governmental. And wait until you see the city when it moves. It has these giant legs-”

Interrupting Tatiana with a look in her eye that was oh so familiar, Felicia continued. “All I’m saying is that its weird how everyone speaks so highly of him… but he left you all to just go somewhere else? That’s not really a very enjoyable leader to follow, right? Besides, it seems like

you

are the one doing all the work. But I guess I don’t really understand the situation...”

That bone-deep weariness that Tatiana felt came surging back.

It’s really been so long for me, but it hasn’t been for you, has it, Felicia?

Tatiana leaned back in her chair and steepled her fingers. “You are right, you don’t understand. Hopefully, you someday have the pleasure of meeting him, but he’s a very busy man. Speaking of which, I need-”

“Oh, don’t get grumpy,” Felicia waved her fingers at Tatiana. Then she curled up in the wooden chair with all of the arrogance of a spoiled cat and stretched her arms above her head. “I’m not criticizing your decisions, I’m just asking questions I think need to be asked. Don’t pretend you haven’t thought the same thing.”

“Felicia.” Tatiana gritted her teeth.

“Oh, now I’ve made Tati grumpy.” Felicia made a face. “Well, I can see why you are stressed by this job, but that’s no reason to-”

“

Felicia

.”

Felicia froze. Because when Tatiana spoke, she wasn’t just speaking as an individual. She was suddenly the individual who had risen to become the de facto leader of Erickson Steel and the one that Randidly Ghosthound trusted implicitly. Despite the fact that Felicia had spent several months talking to Tatiana just like this, telling her she shouldn’t need to sell herself so cheaply to the Washington politicians in a way that should have been a compliment but really just made Tatiana feel like shit, Felicia didn’t know her any longer.

When the world changed and the System arrived, everyone had a choice. Change or die.

Tatiana had changed. The System gave weight to things that had been insubstantial before, so now when Tatiana glared at this woman who had been such a negative influence on her life, Felicia couldn’t even move. That was what it meant that Tatiana had lived in the System for the past two years.

“You…” Felicia tried to begin, but her voice was a small and weak thing. She was trembling, still shocked by the sudden steel that Tatiana had shown so it was quite easy to speak over her.

“We should catch up later,” Tatiana said with a fake smile. “But for now, I’ll have to ask you to join the other new arrivals. We have some experienced staff that will help explain some of the rules of this new world that you should listen to.”

Just like Randidly Ghosthound had things that only he could do, there were things that only Tatiana could do as well. The very reason that the Ghosthound was freed up to leave Kharon was that he had absolute faith in Tatiana to manage things while he was gone. Such was the breadth of capability that the most powerful man in the world held no qualms with leaving her to manage things while he was gone.

Tatiana gave Felicia one last razor-sharp smile. “I wouldn’t want you to make a mistake you would regret. Our new world… is not as forgiving as the old one.