Bro, I'm not an Undead!

“What do you mean? How would you have the legacy of Fulgardt when you were locked here the whole time?” Skullius asked.

“Please trust us. As long as you release us, we’ll give it to you. We won’t say anything else until you agree,” the burly man said determinedly.

Time had wiped away these beings’ ago as they were now left desperate to go to the outside world to experience life again. Within the large crowd, many were already insane or getting close it which made the scene a bit more chaotic.

Skullius took some moments to think.

“You said someone else came through here. He was just like me, right?” Skullius asked. “Why didn’t you have him help you?”

“That is true but you don’t seem to understand the uniqueness of being able to comprehend [Just Light] and [Evil Darkness]. In reality, most people aren’t pure or evil  which would immediately qualify them as being able to carry these elements but that’s not exactly the case.”

“[Just Light] and [Evil Darkness] search the immediate intent of the target. If their immediate goals are deemed righteous or pure, then [Evil Darkness] will settle in them and if they are meant to harm indiscriminately, then [Just Light] will be granted to them. The last person to reach this place was a carrier of both but unfortunately… Anyway, please make your choice.”

‘Unique huh?’_.

Skullius remembered how he had experienced it when he was granted the two powers. The notifications that came claimed that he had neither evil nor righteousness which seemed different from what these guys were saying.

Skullius could imagine the various scenarios that could emerge when one entered this place with the intent to find Fulgardt’s legacy.

Some came with goals of attaining wealth, riches, protecting their country and so on. It wouldn’t be rare to find someone who wanted to get both after they attained Fulgardt’s legacy, but there was always an agenda that took precedence in the minds of all humans.

What about him though? What were his goals? Well, to survive and that was basically it.

The Doom Factors were an objective that were imposed on him but they couldn’t overshadow Skullius’ desire to keep existing.

‘Do I really want the legacy?’ Skullius asked himself.

Thinking back, he had never considered acquiring the legacy of Fulgardt in the first place. His one goal had been to survive, which is why he had taken matters into his own hands.

Now, he began considering. Would he even be able to get it?

He had been hoping to find something else to allow himself to leave this place but he had been ignoring the obvious choice because he felt he never stood a chance of getting it.

It would be useful though. With it, he would probably have the ability to take down the group that had dragged him here.

“So? Do you agree?” the burly man asked with a light of determination in his eyes.

“Hmm… this is something that Fulgardt himself did to you. How am I supposed to help?” Skullius voiced his opinion of disbelief.

“We’ll help you get through it. We knew how Fulgardt used the ability so we can teach you. It may take years but afterwards, not only would you have gained a great proficiency in these elements, you’ll also have all of us as your allies!”

‘Hmm…’ Skullius thought. ‘HELL NO!’

Although he barked this in his mind, he couldn’t help but wonder if it was wise to say this.

Skullius was already beginning to piece together what happened to the last person who came here. He was probably faced with the same choice and declined.

The end result was probably that he was killed.

Would Skullius be willing to make that same choice openly and get himself murdered?

What could he possibly do when surrounded by these overpowered people?

He couldn’t use the biggest offensive asset he had on command, [Pseudo Evil Veneration], which made him feel infinitely less confident.

Unfortunately, the burly man noticed Skullius’ hesitation first. He already knew what the young Discount Human’s answer was, which made him change his amiable to smile to a discontent smile.

The same could be said for the hundreds of people that were within this place as they glared at Skullius with malicious intent.

‘Hmm? He’s just like the other one. Stubborn and short sighted! If they help us, they would gain a decent comprehension in their elements. We might not have been able to make a move on you back then, but now we can!’ the burly man sneered.

The reason they had butter up Skullius and tell him to eat at first was because the rules created by Fulgardt stipulated that a challenger who had reached this place had to ‘celebrate’. At least the wisps of darkness and halo above them commanded them so.

This agenda of theirs could only be carried out afterwards.

A suffocating wave of mana thundered down on Skullius as the full power of every individual that stood in the room poured out!

Skullius dropped to the ground as he began to vomit blood while being unable to stand.

“You fool! You should have accepted! If not for the fact that we can’t compel you, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation, yet you’re so hellbent on dying for no reason!”

Skullius’ face smashed into the ground!

The intense energy that assaulted him didn’t back away!

‘Damn! These socketholes are strong!’ Skullius thought while he tried to not panic. His encounters with strong beings had caused him to become a bit desensitised to tanking powerful energy signatures with his body.

Skullius’ lack of knowledge of the power system had become a detrimental as he struggled to know just what stage of power these guys were.

“How am I… going to get out of this one?” Skullius asked himself while grinding his teeth under the immense pressure exerted upon him.

***

The lone figure of Benzard held onto a chipped sword, heaving deep breaths heavily as blood oozed from his body.

His armour was on its last legs, torn, broken and shredded to a pathetic state. His body had numerous wounds that leaked blood, ripped flesh creating swells that stood out!

‘Is it… truly worth it?’ he asked himself while looking at the disembodied head of a humanoid creature, bound to a yoke.

On his sword, wisps of darkness danced lazily while he gripped it firmly.

The power he had discovered hours ago had grown but not in proportion to the severe gaps in power between his opponents.

Benzard was about to take a step forward when he suddenly turned.

CRACK!

The wall hidden under the darkness shifted as a large crack on the wall appeared, dust flying as the thing that sought to come through exerted more force!

CRACK!

Chips fell, a large, red eye appearing from the crack as it immediately locked onto Benzard!

…!