Bro, I'm not an Undead!

"Phew. That sure took more time I thought. I even exhausted the reserves of mana I had stored completely," a distant voice said. "That thing takes too much mana."

'Hmm?'

"Tsk. Where am I going to find more sources of mana again? Ah, I do have that one mission remaining. What was it again? The Belvion Union. It's pretty far from here though. I'd probably be dragged back to the Premium Age Royale's venue while on my way there."

What was this?

Someone was mumbling to themselves.

'This voice. It's familiar. What's... what's going on?'

"Whatever. I won't be using the Precept for the Royale anyway."

'Is this...?'

He tried to stand.

All he was seeing was darkness.

His eyes were closed.

Right. He just had to open them.

And he did.

The sting of sunlight to his eyeballs made him grunt as he quickly blocked it with his hand.

"Ah, you're finally awake. Hmmm. That line sounds familiar."

Kenno opened his eyes to find a shirtless Skullius gazing down at him.

"Took you long enough," the Hybrid Luman said.

At first Kenno's mind had yet to have him recall what had happened before this moment, but the instant it did, his eyes bulged as the first thing he did was flash away from Skullius and feel his own face!

Nothing.

His face was fine. His head was fine.

Wasn't it cleaved in half?

He could have sworn...

A look of intense confusion appeared on Kenno's face.

What was this?

'Didn't I die? How am I alive?' Kenno thought.

"Hey, you sockethole. Look at me. I'm the one who killed you. Sort of. And I'm the one who brought you back. That should answer your question right?" Skullius responded to the questions Kenno was probably struggling with right now, Demion's Dance hung over his shoulder.

When Kenno saw the green blade, his body literally shivered, making his nerves more keen and receptive to everything he was experiencing.

Indeed.

Skullius had healed him up.

"How... Why did you do it?" Kenno asked with unveiled suspicion.

"You should be asking how much it cost me to bring you back. The answer is 100 Plasma coins. This!" Skullius said while wiggling a small bottle that still had residue of a purple liquid within it.

A Super potion!

Skullius had used his one Super potion to save Kenno before he fully kicked the big one!

Kenno's eyes widened.

What the hell?!

He alternated his gaze between Skullius and the bottle while wondering if Skullius even knew the value of this potion!

This potion could heal the soul and an eviscerated that should, by all accounts be considered a corpse!

Furthermore, the effect lasted for 24 hours, making it hard to kill the individual in that time frame as they would continuously heal!

Kenno shook his head and scoffed.

"So I'm guessing you spared me because you want me to join your cause just like you asked me before?"

"Look who is quick on the uptake. I like that. You're right. I want you for a little project of mine. The benefits I said before are real and will still stand. All you have to do is accept a few conditions," Skullius said with a smile.

"And what, pray tell are these conditions? I have all I want already. I'm satisfied with the path I'm taking."

"I see. Well it's nothing much. I'm not looking for treasures as much as you are, I'm sure. Not to the extent that I'd try to intercept relief provided to victims of terrorism at least. All I want is to create a large network that is efficient at gathering information and recruits powerful individuals to my side. There's a grand goal at the end of it, but you'll know what it is when you accept," Skullius said. "Someone not involved with the law in the traditional sense like you should serve me well. I know there's an entire system hidden out there for... criminals and I was going to try to infiltrate on my own with a couple of your fools that I spared but you would do a better job than me. To that end, I expect you be my subordinate."

"Riiigght. And this goes with your proposal about making me stronger somehow?"

"That's right."

Kenno paused.

Another one with ambition.

Was this the real reason why Skullius had separated them from the rest? So that he wouldn't be seen negotiating with a bandit?

Hmph. Funny.

"I'll have to decline," Kenno said without giving it much thought.

Skullius grinned.

"I'm afraid you don't really have a choice here. I'm asking just to appeal to your lack of loyalty to none but yourself. You can either agree now and save yourself from a terribly unpleasant time or buy yourself the reverse of that," the Hybrid Luman gave a cheerful threat.

Kenno gazed blankly at Skullius.

He looked at his chest plates to find a lengthy diagonal scar half an inch deep into it.

While Skullius' attack earlier had split his head, it had been unable to split his armour.

Whatever the sword he used could do, he could defend against its attacks with the SinSky Shatterer now that he knew about it.

Mana surged from Kenno dangerously as his eyes oozed of bloodlust.

"You just healed me and brought me back to my peak. My body is brimming with power. All my reserves are full and I feel new and young right now. This will go on for a full day. That said, what makes you think I don't have a choice in this matter?" Kenno said with chilling voice.

Naturally he expected Skullius to have some kind of fail safe but so far, he felt nothing wrong.

That giant tree of skulls and bone was gone and if he recalled correctly, Skullius had been mumbling about how he didn't have any mana left. To an Advancement Stage expert that was definitely a detriment!

However, Skullius had a Super potion on hand, maybe he had other crazy tools on his person but they would all be made meaningless if he attacked Skullius right now and blasted his head apart.

There was a three meter distance between the two and he could close it in a heartbeat.

'He just might be some pampered swine from a rich Family after all!' Kenno thought as he set to lunge at Skullius.

Snap!

BOOOOOOOOM!

...!

"ARGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!" Kenno screamed at the top of his lungs as suddenly, his body had gotten extraordinarily heavy, on top of this a vicious pull drawing him to the hard ground underneath!

His back was flat against toes!

He hadn't been able to adjust his position before he slammed down to the ground!

But... but this weight!

Even though Kenno's body was at the Second Phase of the Master Stage, he had felt several bones fracture and bend as he collapsed under a ridiculous weight, torn muscles leaking blood everywhere!

What was going on?!

How many times would he have to ask himself this question today?!

His bloodshot eyes looked to Skullius who was pointing at him with a chilling look in his white eyes, mana softly sifting around his index finger.

"URGH... W..Wha...!"

"You're a bigger idiot than I thought," Skullius said as he walked over to Kenno's body that was shockingly still sinking into the ground from the immense weight, as if pulled on by quicksand.

The Hybrid Luman then pointed the edge of his sword at Kenno's head, the man's face showing different shades of horror, and thrusted.

The edge of the blade slowly inched its way into the man's skull.

Slowly.

Meticulously.

Kenno screamed!

"For someone who doesn't favour honour, your ego is pretty huge. Then again, I wouldn't just submit to someone that easily either."

.....

Kenno woke up.

He started panting, his heart racing wildly but for a few moments he didn't know why.

"What... happened..." he thought out loud.

Something terrible was happening but he couldn't tell what.

That was until he saw a bored face above him, a green blade peeking from the side within Kenno's vignette view.

...!

"You..!"

"Wrong answer."

PTCH!

.....

Once again...

Kenno opened his eyes but this time, his brain instantly flooded him with what he needed to know.

The effects of the Super potion declined with time but his healed brain was getting used to the routine that had happened for way too long now!

"No! No more!" Kenno screamed as he looked at the figure of Skullius whose face was currently being blasted by the orange light of sunset.

"Hmmm?" Skullius hummed.

Kenno took in deep breaths.

His mind couldn't afford to think over what was making him so heavy anymore.

After feeling the green blade sink into his skull too many times, he was done trying to think of an immediate escape.

He had thought perhaps it was a treasure. Or maybe a technique. But no. Wouldn't Skullius would have used those in their heated fight?

Then again, now that he was in this position, it became clear that the Hybrid Luman could have killed him instantly earlier if he had aimed one of those orbs at his head when he first manifested them.

He probably wanted him alive all along and just didn't use his heavy hitters to bait him into a hopeless fight!

That had to be it!

He had been too blind to see the truth!

Sadly, it wasn't true at all.

The two's fight had been rough on Skullius. The Hybrid Luman would have lost if he hadn't mastered his Precept. That much he acknowledged.

Even now, it was Skullius who was standing on thin ice.

He kept poking at Kenno's brains for a reason. He had to make sure the man didn't use his quick wit to find out the simple trick he was using.

Skullius had slipped ten thousand miniature [Beads of Malevolence] into Kenno's body when he was unconscious. He couldn't control them all well without the Precept of Light like before, but he could just make them all incredibly heavy, piling on tonnes of weight from within Kenno!

That said, if his victim activated his Genuine Incarnation, his Perfect Aura, this effect would instantly disappear and with his mana rapidly getting depleted, he would be in trouble.

That was why he had to mess up Kenno's thoughts and make him think he was using something else.

"Wait! Wait... let's talk about this..." Kenno said.

He wasn't willing to continue this.

There was a proposal for benefits right?

At the very least, he could find some way to escape after gathering information from Skullius.

For now, he could bend the knee.

He had to or soon, he would become a brain dead idiot!

"I'll do it! I'll serve as whatever the hell you want," Kenno said desperately, putting on a defeated face.

Skullius smiled.

"It's about time. You were putting me in a rough spot here, hahaha. A few more hours and you would see the uglier side of me. Literally," he joked (not joking) as he crouched down to Kenno's level with a bit of urgency, his hand touching the man's forehead.

'Huh?' Kenno thought.

"Let's do this then."

It didn't seem like Kenno knew what was about to him. It was apparent that he hadn't truly accepted defeat yet.

He would soon enough.

Skullius reached within himself.

'Sila, help me form a Tie of Exchange with this guy. I'm kind of in a hurry so get it done quick,' he said to the piece of soul within him who grumbled a little as he was brought to do his captor's bidding without benefit once again.

The same process he had done with Yuyui bloomed right now as while being fed Skullius' terms which he was going to have the anxious Kenno agree to, he forged the contract.

When Skullius had confirmed that a link had been established between him and his latest victim, he did something else to Kenno and the guidance field acknowledged it.

[You have chosen 'Kenno Cattlas' as an <Attachment>. Are you sure you want to proceed with this action?]

"Absolutely," Skullius confirmed.

[Processing...]

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