Bro, I'm not an Undead!

It was when he was being tortured by the Majestic Territory, Deific Moonlight Paradise when Sila had expressed his intent.

"Someone sacrificed their soul for mine. Because of previous circumstances, our souls were already a mix of each other, made compatible with the time we spent bonded in one body. That is gist of it," Skullius explained with a light smile.

The four women around him were surprised.

A sacrifice?

"When you say your souls were already a mix of each other... Do you mean this metaphorically or..." Maxim said while squinting, flabbergasted. It almost seemed as though she hoped obscuring her vision would better her comprehension.

Skullius folded his arms.

"It\'s a long story. I was carrying an unwanted piece of soul within in my body. It was trapped within my own soul. It was stronger than my own and older. Feeding itself into my mine stabilised and recovered what you saw when you looked within me soul," he said, speaking more to Sevill than the others.

Vali, Maxim and Darwel remembered not understanding how the situation with Skullius\' soul was even possible when they had congregated around him days ago.

It seemed ridiculous just how much activity was present within it, and now, as they got their answer as to what exactly happened, they didn\'t find it any easier to understand.

So not only was Skullius an otherworldly being, he also had a mystery to his soul?

Skullius was amused by their reaction.

If they knew what else was amiss with his soul... what it was tied to...

"Well, I\'m stumped. I don\'t even know where to start to get more clarity," Maxim said with a hoarse sigh.

"I do," Vali said with a suspicious glint sparking in her eye. "When you spoke just now, I felt my soul tremble. Did this soul you said sacrificed itself for yours...happen to be at the Incandescent Stage?"

"Yes," Skullius replied casually, which shocked Maxim.

"Really?!" she exclaimed while balling her hands into fists and slamming them on the table.

"Really," Skullius replied.

"So it really was... just as I felt..." Darwel said meekly. "But you said—"

"I know," Skullius cut her off. "My soul is comparable to that of an Incandescent Stager, but my body is not. It\'s an interesting contradiction that I will have a little fun trying to understand."

"I don\'t believe I\'ve ever heard of something like this, Lord Luminant," Sevill said, her tone of apprehension and concern unmistakable even with her face hidden. "Is it not... dangerous? Usually Tasks and Trials not only temper the mind to best fit the Stage an expert proceeds into, they also temper the body, easing it into the newfound power earned when someone advances. The Incandescent Stage... is different from the Master Stage, Lord Festos. Your soul should have been modified along with your body\'s instinctive capacity to understand the changed soul and accommodate it. But..."

Skullius nodded.

"I know," he said.

Darwel shook lightly.

This was the third time. Once again, Skullius expressed an unsettling degree of acknowledgement that she found suspicious.

The Hybrid Luman continued.

"I\'m currently battling with my Second Trial. I\'m not sure what will happen if I complete it. My body might simply grow into that of a Master or... it will shoot right up to Incandescent."

A thrilled grin flashed on his face.

"If this process was solely judged by the Deities – for me that is – I would have believed I was probably going to experience the former. However, I\'m not from this world. I have no roots to it. I have no blessing or curse that comes from the Deities of Aigas. They don\'t decide what Tasks or Trials I accomplish. So... the latter might just happen if I play my cards right."

A thickly silence came after the explanation.

Skipping the Master Stage to reach the Incandescent...

That was unheard of.

Sevill didn\'t know how to feel about it.

She would have been happy for Skullius, if not for the unnerving feeling he gave off when he spoke of the Deities. There was a hint of loathing.

"It was already embarrassing that you were keeping up with me in the Royale while being a full Stage weaker than me, but now, you\'re about to eclipse me by a mile," Maxim said, though with a refreshed smile on her face that contrasted the bitterness her words implied.

"It just makes repaying my debt all that much harder," Vali shook her head. "You seem confident about your Trial though. Is it something you can accomplish easily?"

Skullius shrugged.

"With the right tools. I have a feeling I\'m going to need to complete it within the next few days," he said. "Ah, that reminds me. What became of the masked man. Seeing as several days passed, I expected some kind of chaotic event. What happened after our encounter with him?"

Maxim wore a heavy expression. As did Vali.

"Right. The calm here probably gives the illusion that everything is well. Well, shortly after we left, the world started trembling and from what I\'ve heard, Pelian has become a den of dark monsters that keep coming out of the ground."

Skullius\' remained stone-like.

"Is that so?"

"Yes," Maxim frustratedly rubbed her temple. "We have no idea if the situation has changed much in the last few hours. We hoped Erlton would give us an update, but he\'s been gone for a while. <Sigh>. I wish I could confirm if my family was alright of not."

Vali seemed to share the same sentiment, but didn\'t voice it.

As for Skullius...

"Well, I do need to confirm if some of my people are alright too. If worst really came to worst, I believe all of them will be safe in the Chieftain Screens. Hopefully, Silrat didn\'t..."

The Hybrid Luman stopped.

His eyes sharpened at once.

"I see. I did set it to around this time...."