Bro, I'm not an Undead!

What was this request that Skullius had?

How grand could it possibly be?

Sause waited for Skullius to speak, the Penetrator he faced not being so considerate as to not waste time.

Skullius debated over how exactly he would help Sause leave the Labyrinth.

There was the option of using the Voiding Key which he wasn’t exactly sure would work to allow him to leave. The Key was stated to only work to take the user to places within the Labyrinth after after. If it did work somehow, Skullius didn’t know if it would support an additional person.

The other sure fire option was to use the Keys. Skullius knew that the Keys were definitely the way out but the problem was how exactly to do it.

The last time he had checked the Key with his guidance field, it hadn’t given him any details.

Therefore, he decided to try it now.

~~~

[Universal Gate Key: First Piece]

A high level item with the ability to access magically restricted spaces and exit them at will. It must be used with the Second Piece in order to function.

Bringing the two pieces together will allow for the wielders’ desire to be enacted; exiting or entering said restricted places unless a more powerful force prohibits such.

~~~

‘Ah its finally showing me something useful. Great!’ Skullius thought.

His increase in power had definitely unlocked a lot of things.

Keys were rare items. The sheer difficulty of finding them was proof enough of their rarity.

Skullius turned to Benzard who was peacefully lying down with signs of life still detectable in him._.

He was still alive and well enough to use the Key. Probably.

With that out of the way Skullius turned to Sause who was waiting for him to deliver his request.

“I was once an undead under an Arch-Lich named Somanda. He owns part of my soul through Undeath. I need you to help me get it back. Bro,” Skullius said.

“BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!” Sause began to laugh raucously as he heard Skullius’ request.

At first, Skullius was confused, the boisterous laughter making him put his guard up but in the next moment, he found the giant to look at him after his jovial outburst, puzzled.

“Wait. You are serious?”

“Uh… yeah bro.”

“You want me to help you battle an Arch-Lich for your soul?! Do you even know what an Arch-Lich is?!” Sause wore a ferocious expression.

‘Kind of. I guess,’ Skullius replied inwardly. He truly didn’t know.

What was with this little thing?

Everytime…

Every time he was on the scene, Sause’s life somehow became harder while for Skullius, things seemed to turn to his favour.

Fighting against an Arch-Lich was one of the most dangerous things one could do.

Sause couldn’t believe he thought this skeleton would ask for something simple. Had the overwhelming excitement for his release clouded his mind?

Definitely.

Now, he couldn’t refuse.

He could only glare at the skeleton before him with a wrathful face. The worst thing about a Tie of Exchange was the fact that time periods were not exactly accounted for.

In Sause’s case, he knew that exiting the Labyrinth without him would for Skullius likely mean that he would be breaching the agreement as there was probably no way for him to return alone if he left the giant here.

Therefore, he had been confident that he wouldn’t get left behind.

Now however, what was he to do with this situation?

“I am not at my full strength. I have been out of contact with the outside world for millenia. I cannot even dream to assist with this before taking some time to recuperate,” Sause said with an ugly frown as he looked down at Skullius.

“That’s fine. I can always summon you with this, right large bro?” Skullius asked, waving around the nail he had been given.

Sause ground his teeth.

What a troublesome situation he had gotten himself into.

He couldn’t imagine being summoned in a human infested area and starting all kinds of trouble.

“Indeed. I shall take my time healing myself then,” Sause said.

Skullius once more waved the nail, hinting that he would bother the heck out of Sause if the giant became too relaxed.

“Now. Your end of the deal?”

Skullius nodded.

Before doing anything else, he walked over to the corpse of Reon. The bones were intact while the flesh and organs and were jumbled.

He began rummaging through the fleshy remains until he found what he was looking for.

A ring.

The same ring Reon had used to store the core of Onumbassssss as well as those of all the creatures he they had slain along the way.

He didn’t take the time to look at it, storing it within the storage of the Null Devil’s Aegis of Damnation immediately.

He then gazed at Sause.

“I just have to do one more thing. Would you mind accompanying me for it?” he asked. The distress on Sause’s face made him feel much more comfortable around the giant.

Sause raised a brow and gazed at the remnants of Fulgardt that had been stationary all this time, waiting for his next move.

It didn’t seem like he would be able to move freely and thus, he opted for the next best alternative.

He was still an unwelcome guest in this place as the pressure that had been trying to rid him from this room never ceased trying to do so.

“Very well. Do follow me along with that boy,” Sause said before he stopped struggling against the force in the room.

His large frame rose and was pulled away through where had come from, the giant finding himself quite distance from the room in a matter of moments.

As soon as his body vanished, the remains of Fulgardt turned their gazed towards Skullius who almost leapt in panic.

Was this guy going to attack him now?

To his surprise, Fulgardt didn’t spare him anymore glances and walked up the where the stairs had been.

He sat on the rubble, his large claymore in hand and remained still like a statue.

Skullius was dumbfounded.

‘Why is he still guarding those doors? I took the legacy right and even the two chests. Though I can’t open one of them. But still…’ Skullius pondered as he looked at the figure of the powerful skeleton whose presence still warped the space in his immediate surroundings.

The Penetrator washed his hands of the matter and went to grab Benzard.

“I wasted cool words on you bro. I can’t believe I’m helping you now,” Skullius said as he heaved Benzard and ran with him to Sause.

***

A woman with red hair leaned against the wall in the darkness. She was injured all over with wounds and scrapes oozing of blood.

She was breathing slowly while wearing an expression of despair as she gazed at the stationary figure of the creature with an odachi on its shoulder.

It was waiting for her to make even the most minute of offensive movements but she didn’t have it in her anymore.

Her mana had been depleted and the fatigue from having used her Full Body Aura was still lingering in her bones and flesh.

The constant beatings she had received afterwards had done a A+ job in getting her to this sorry state.

The darkness and silence was driving her insane and she couldn’t help but sob silently.

Why did it end up like this?

It had all been blissful when she had to follow in the footsteps of one man whom she loved.

Eobald.

She did everything he asked without question despite her prideful nature that was cultured by her pampered life as the daughter of a nobleman.

Even when she learned of his intent and who she was, the tragic events that he and his group wished to allow to befall on Aigas, she still loved him.

Yet… he had been hunted by the same reckless brute who had brought her to this dreadful place.

He had been killed without mercy by a lowlife who didn’t deserve to stand near such a great man.

This was the reality she was living in now.

‘Curse you! Both of you! If I die here… I’ll haunt you like a ghost! I swear you’ll never know peace!’ she thought while grinding her teeth.

She was at death’s door with her weapons destroyed and not a soul to comfort her.

How could things get any worse?

THRUUUM!

Space vibrated as a portal opened several meters behind the creature with the odachi.

From it, Denille saw a tall figure walk out, decked in a dark armour with thick, long chains wrapping around it.

The figure walked gracefully, the ever moving blue trails on its helmet which weren’t fully visible to Denille sending a chill down her spine.

She couldn’t sense anything from this figure. No evil. No mana.

This made her subconsciously view this figure as her last hope. Maybe this was her one chance to get help. To leave this place.

She just had to take it!

“Please…. please… help.. help… me… I will do anything…” she spoke, raising her voice as high as she could despite her injuries.

The creature with an odachi turned to Skullius and waited, Skullius knowing exactly what it would do if he moved against it.

At this moment, however, he focused on Denille’s plea.

He gazed at her who was looking at him with hopeful eyes and removed his helmet.

Four sockets burning with a bright blue flame illuminated the skull face that they belonged to.

…!

Denille was alarmed, subconsciously backing away further against the wall in shock and fright.

This brought Skullius an unbridled satisfaction sense of satisfaction.

“Hehehehehehehe…”