422 An Old Chum
The image of a familiar face appeared before Skullius with several changes when compared to what he remembered.
The voice that had just now spoken belonged to an individual whom he knew as a giant. One particularly terrifying one.
Sausifillis, otherwise known as Sause.
Skullius narrowed his eyes.
Luckily, his last-ditch attempt at saving himself from being crushed under pressure had worked, but it hadn’t been a certain, sure-fire method.
He had called on the nail that acted as the medium of Tie of Exchange between himself and Sause, calling for the giant to appear as stipulated by the mutual agreement!
“We’re not friends. Why would I call you any other time?”
“Fair enough, aha ha.”
The giant was no so giant at this time, his height being merely a full head taller than Skullius.
On top of his head which had been bald last time the two met, patches of blonde hair had begun to grow but just barely so.
Furthermore, unlike how Sause had been naked before, this time around, he was adorned in a thick dark blue cloak with hairy tassels at the ends that hid everything else he wore, revealing only his thick arm which had a steel brace that oozed of compounded mana.
His skin looked healthier but faint red veins still ran over it, giving him an unnatural look while sharp, close set eyes with a bright red hue showed his mood.
“You have quite the lovely inner soul space,” Sause said as he looked around at the field of violets and then beyond Skullius. “And quite the intriguing Reflection.”
‘What is this guy talking about?’ Skullius thought.
His bones rattled as he turned to where Sause was gazing with surprise that was reflected in his blazing sockets.
‘Reflection..?’ Skullius thought.
In the distance, over the flaming sea was as a tall, burly skeleton decked in darkness.
Its sockets flared as it looked over in this direction silently, a massive green scimitar in its hand that billowed with waves of dark red energy.
The amount of mana it spewed was ridiculous as Skullius could feel it even from here, but there was no threat or killing intent in it. At least for him.
‘Is this what Sila was talking about? The Reflection of my soul?’ Skullius questioned before turning to the violets around him that held orbs of light from which Skullius could vaguely hear and see scenes playing out. ‘What are these? Memories?’
The skeleton’s bony hand reached out to touch one of the violets when…
“I wouldn’t do that. Normally someone at your level can’t even visit this place. You’re not supposed to aha ha. I brought you here so we could have a clearer conversation that is not riddled with mighty roars or screams. Your current state is less than desirable after all,” Sause said with a smile.
Skullius withdrew his hand from the flower.
Was that right?
Given what Sause had just said, he assumed that this was where Ferex appeared that time he asked the Apostle to extract information about the girl he kept seeing.
He gave one last glance at the field and the Reflection a distance away before turning back his attention to Sause.
“So… what is happening to me?” Skullius asked the giant.
Sause sat down, laying his arm over his knee. He patted the ground next to him, motioning for Skullius to sit as well.
The bony un-undead hesitated only for a brief moment before sitting beside Sause who then spoke.
“First of all, I should advise that you be more careful with the Tie of Exchange,” Sause said with a cautionary smile. “If you perish before our exchange is complete, undesirable consequences will eagerly visit my house.”
“What do you mean? Wasn’t our deal that in exchange for your freedom, you’d help me with my Arch-Lich problem? I thought me dying would release you from the Tie of Exchange?”
“Aha ha. You’re still green, little one. A Tie of Exchange is more than a simple contract. It is an absolute transaction. At least that’s what it has become from old times. I already attained my freedom as you promised in accordance with the exchange but you have yet to gain what you desire from me.”
“I am bound to pay it even if you die, though in that case, things will grow a little more complicated, aha ha. On top of this, I am the one who initiated the Tie of Exchange so I bear a heavier burden.”
Skullius’ socket flames flared.
It was this serious?
He didn’t realise.
An exchange had to happen nomatter what!
This put the one who initiated the Tie of Exchange in a rather rough position!
“I see,” Skullius said while scratching his chin.
“Hmmm,” Sause hummed as he traced his finger on the ground to this field.
“As for what is happening to you… my guess from what I have observed is, you somehow awakening the power of a Luminant triggered a variety of changes in you… quite a lot of them. Of these, uh, changes…you gained access to another of Fulgardt’s power. One of the 9 seeds of Fulgardt’s masterpiece, the Fruit of World Myths. I believe he called this particular one, Seramoro, Oblivion’s Edge.”
Skullius’ sockets dimmed. The seeds of Fruit of World Myths…
He knew about these.
He had attained one of them before, [Crude World Projection]!
Now, he had unlocked a new one?
“Aha ha, I remember how that form caused the pitiful armies of his enemies to shudder and bow. It was the perfect embodiment of the damn tyrant, which is the problem for you. Such a thing isn’t meant to be wielded by you in its current form and, that mixed in with how Fulgardt’s WILL sinks its fangs into you the stronger you grow, this has put a tremendous burden on your soul.”
If Skullius could frown, he would do so at this moment.
So another seed, as well as the WILL of Fulgardt…
“Does this mean I will eventually lose myself and become… him?” Skullius thought while recalling the notification he had received after inheriting Fulgardt’s powers back then.
‘You have taken up the power of a legend who died before his story ended. You shall finish his story.
A remnant of Fulgardt is engraved into you permanently.’
(A/N: Refer to Ch.90).
Something along these lines.
Now that it seemed to be coming to fruition, he couldn’t help but take it seriously and thus the question he threw at Sause.
“I’ve found that to be the objective of many humans who left their powers behind for others to find. To somehow carry over bits of themselves while overtaking the one who inherits their abilities. It is quite distasteful, if you ask me,” Sause said as he spat on the ground.
‘Hey, you’re spitting on my soul!’ Skullius cried inwardly.
“You say that as if the giants are any different. Wouldn’t you do the same, large bro?”
It seemed natural to Skullius that some of these freaks of nature would do such a thing. Heck even he would do it!
“Of course not! My entire race believes in accepting times past and letting those favoured for the near and far future to live as they wish. Our anatomy makes sure we accept that fact. You would be surprised by how much my race desires to give, aha ha. We once gave to all other races EVERYTHING after all.”
Skullius scoffed.
“And then you turned on everyone and then got beaten back to wherever you came from.”
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Sause laughed raucously while slapping his knee a couple of times. “That tale gets me every time I hear it. I’ll let you believe whatever it is the Sif and the humans think to be true.”
“Huh?” Skullius was caught off guard.
What was Sause insinuating?
Was what he had read not the truth?
Before he inquired further, the giant changed back the subject which had derailed.
“My time is valuable so let us hurry this up,” Sause said, immediately after, a bright flare shimmering over this entire island of violets with a silvery hue that discoloured everything else!
This light seemed to scan everything on this island before it last landed on Skullius’ skeletal body, giving him a shimmering silver highlight.
The skeleton didn’t feel any different from before even as he was decked in this light, which prompted him to ask…
“What’s this?”
“I always had something prepared and on my person in case of this inevitable situation – you summoning me. Also, Fulgardt was incredibly overbearing and that was bound to be the case after his death. It was a given you would be squashed eventually so I prepared for that. I’m currently suppressing the WILLS manifesting within you from the outside as well as Seramoro but…. there’s something you need to take care of first before I proceed.”
“Huh?” Skullius was so confused.
What did Sause mean by suppressing?
And what was this something he had take care of?
The giant briskly stood as something like a colourless string sprang from his body and shot towards a certain direction.
What lay in the direction the string rushed to was rather eye-catching as it showed more of the pathetic state of this island than just the cracks over the crust.
It was a gorge. A very deep one.
From within, multiple lights kept flashing erratically, making Skullius anxious.
Sause began to walk in this direction and Skullius followed, the two reaching it and looking down to what it held in the deep.
A figure was bound within it by golden chains, its likeness being blurred out such that it was hard to recognised.
Skullius instantly recognised what this was however.
No.
Who it was.
“Sila?”