Bro, I'm not an Undead!

Chapter 1376: The Truth of It (2)



"Because even if some of these secrets risk your life, you don't have any particularly strong feelings towards my part in your life, as a benefactor."

Skullius was taken aback by these words. They might have come across as bitter in some context. Well, to the Hybrid Warmoth they did sound bitter to a degree, and at once, he knew that Serenity was referencing what he had said when trying to win over Uyuniya and Elita for his plan against the Doom Knight back in the Undeath prison.

A pause ensued.

"I thought you were fine with that. That wasn't the first time I've said it," Skullius finally said, breaking the nigh tangible awkwardness around. "When you told me your goal back in Edagon, I told you I couldn't commit to it, not with everything I have to deal with first."

"I AM fine that resolution of yours," said Serenity. "I understand your struggles better than anyone else around you, but why you will not give me your loyalty is not the matter in question. It's the fact that there is no loyalty from you that makes me reluctant to share everything with you. If you become my enemy one day, I will be at an extreme disadvantage. So yes, even if there is a risk to your life, there are some secrets I am willing to keep from you."

Skullius could only sigh.

For a moment, he could not think of a retort. Indeed, the fact that he had no real loyalty to Serenity was a liability to her. If she were someone else, she might have discarded him and looked for another bearer.

But no.

No.

Recalling what Void had said back then, Skullius thought that may not have been possible. Void mentioned some favouritism from VOW, which, now that Skullius really thought about it, might have referred more to Serenity, than him. But what exactly was going on between the two? Void had also implied that Skullius was an anomaly among anomalies. She mentioned something about Serenity raising Skullius to achieve 'such a feat'. That sounded rather specific. Too specific.

Unfortunately for the Hybrid Warmoth, to learn more, he had to give Serenity some assurance. He had to become hers.

That was a hard thing to do.

Skullius didn't want to be owned. He didn't want to get attached to the objective of someone

else while he was still trying to accomplish his own. That wouldn't do.

"Just how damaging is this information you are withholding from me?" he asked.

"Very."

"And you won't accept anything less than complete loyalty as payment for the full details?"

"Even then, I might not be able to give you the full details, to be honest. It's quite complicated. But everything to do with you... I would not hesitate to show. I'm sure you'd also be interested in learning a bit more about Somanda."

...!!!

"What?" Skullius was dumbfounded and infuriated at the same time. Serenity was playing dirty. She was hanging a carrot right in front of him, goading him by spicing up her product - the information.

He would get to know a little more about Somanda as well? But why? What did that have to do with...

'Oh, I see.'

It hit the Hybrid Warmoth.

The reason why Void wanted to kill him was related to Serenity and VOW's relationship, and that in turn was related to how Skullius got the Null Life abilities!

This was important information. Very important, but how it would play a part in significantly increasing the risks to Serenity was beyond Skullius.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

He was eager to know. He was eager indeed. However...

"I can't make promises and absolute declarations of loyalty. But, I may be compelled to help you gather the energy you need to leave this reality after my own quests. That was your goal, right?" Skullius said.

"That's right. The inconclusiveness in your statement still bothers me, however. What if you decide not to help me in the end, or you offer insufficient help to what I need?" Serenity said. "That is significantly better than me betraying you, isn't it? If Emmae and Void are your enemies, you can rest assured, the latter hates me and Emmae probably does as well. Or maybe she might after I storm Deadmanland and kill several thousand High Liches to get to Somanda. Those two have to be your most threatening opponents, right?"

Serenity remained silent for a while. She mulled it over. Indeed, some of the information she had could only pose a challenge to her if it got into Existential Parallel hands rather than Deity hands. They wouldn't know how to even use it against her.

"Fine. I will take that as your assurance," Serenity said. "But I will have you strike a contract with me later over the bare minimum effort you will have to accomplish for this to be considered a fair trade."

"Only if I can haggle," Skullius said, scoffing.

Serenity agreed.

[Be watchful what you tell him]

"I know, dammit," Serenity responded to VOW's reminder. This short exchange went largely unnoticed.

Skullius was a little glad to be delivered from the endless torture of trying to decide which contract to pick even if it was just for a little while. He listened carefully to Serenity's explanation. She began rather strong.

"I have a huge amount of restrictions on how I interact with the wider reality - for instance, how I'm unable to posit Limited and Unlimited Contracts to lesser beings, like other Deities, Void and Emmae - because as a condition to improving my strength, I isolated the bulk of my powers in a certain Reality rank Prime Treasure; what you know as the Null Verse. In turn, because of the strength that came about as a result of this restriction I made to my Treasure in the name of balance, I wasn't allowed to bring forth a bearer of my Existential Parallel into the wider reality. So, while Emmae and Void freely influenced creatures that bore their powers, I wasn't. I was left behind while they grew. Funny. They envied me and my Treasure, and I envied them and their freedom. In the end, I refused to abide by the rules of this reality and with VOW's help, I managed - finally - to bring forth a bearer of my own, though through some queer circumstances."