Bro, I'm not an Undead!

The Elimparidis Stone Staff had a special ability.

The ability to store [Dimensions], as the guidance field termed them.

This did not refer to complex spaces exclusively, like Clusters and the like.

No, this also referred to literally any structure magical or otherwise.

And guess what else could be stored in the Elimparidis Stone Staff right now?

Indeed!

The Temple of Unlusted Tears!

Skullius hadn’t been sure at first because he knew of the protective arrays protecting this place.

However, after feeling the din in the power of the arrays that covered the walls the moment Yuyui was broken free, Skullius had assumed this was the case for most of the temple’s defences. If he had to guess, then that area along with the Ground of Communion was were all the reserves of energy were going to.

Now that he could confirm after racing through much of the Temple, Skullius decided to give it a go.

He pointed the Elimparidis Stone Staff at the Temple.

“KIKIKI! What are you doing there, friend? Oh!”

The massive figure of a dolphin suddenly appeared above Skullius with its eyes honing in on him, what could be said to be freakish focus visible as its mana shrouded him.

Fuwin had appeared.

He had created a link to the Hybrid Luman, asking him what he was doing when he noticed…

“Ohhh! KIKIKIKI! That’s the one isn’t it?! Human male, are you the one who helped her?!” Fuwin questioned with immense enthusiasm.

The situation within the Temple was supposed to be secret so he wouldn’t tell outsiders but he knew of the goings on in the Temple by inquiring from the guardians Bassbion and Yagrina over time, especially with individuals he was particularly interested in.

For Skullius who had only entered for a couple of hours and returned with the host who had gotten the legacy of the Diverse Oculus, but was stalling everyone’s freedom, it was… shocking!

“Yes. Yes I did,” Skullius said with a light smile while Yuyui gaped at the massive creature which she recognised, the same being true for the dolphin!

Neither directly showed any gesture of acknowledgement however.

“KIKIKI! This is interesting! I really liked this one and her music! Good, good~!” Fuwin said. “And now, I’m freeeeee~.”

The conditions for the dolphin to remain were completed, though Bassbion and Yagrina would say otherwise as they hadn’t achieved their purpose.

Fuwin wouldn’t care though.

The host was found and secured safely as far as he could see.

The entire Territory burst like a mute bubble, revealing the cold waters that wrestled against everyone’s balance with raging portions of mana, contrary to the lovable atmosphere within Fuwin’s demesne.

Yuyui hugged Ferex tightly while doing her best to keep her eyes open.

“I hope you don’t mind now if I do what I want with the Temple?” Skullius asked the giant dolphin which remained staring at them with excitement that ran through the waves.

“KIKIKI! Not at all! I’ll be waiting here~,” Fuwin replied.

Skullius nodded with a smile as he activated the Staff in his hand, a powerful beam of milky white energy going to wrap around the Temple and the pedestal it was set on which had begun to sink when the Territory disappeared.

The light rushed over the entire temple in a matter of seconds, tingling it white and zipping back to the white stone at the end of the Elimparidis Stone Staff.

Just like that.

The entire thing was stored!

Skullius almost laughed at how easy it was.

He had been right.

At least he could take his time discovering this place’s secrets.

He could deal with Yuyui’s issues on the road to Genhuis, which was why he was in a hurry, even going as far as to antagonise the two guardian Spirits by cutting their conversation with Yuyui short.

“Uuuuuu~! That’s interesting! The whole thing disappeared!” Fuwin said as he clapped his fins, the force released from it creating cataclysmic shock waves that avoided Skullius, Yuyui and Ferex.

Skullius stored the Staff and turned to the beast as he curiosity asked.

“Why are you still here?”

“KIKIKI! Have you already forgotten? You said you’d talk to me after you were done! You’re still alive, which is good for me and you changed quite a lot! I want to hear everything! You aren’t going to back out of that deal we had, are you~?” Fuwin asked as he swam ridiculously fast and appeared behind Skullius who had to wiggle his feet and turn to once again face the eye of the massive creature.

“Of course not. I remember now. Let’s have our talk,” Skullius said with a not-what-I-signed-up-for look in his eyes.

What the heck was he supposed to talk about with a large dolphin that couldn’t even tell the difference between human males and females without technicality being involved?

This was going to a terrible conversation that didn’t turn out as Fuwin expected it to.

It would probably only last a few minutes.

….

Several hours later…

“Woow, that was more enjoyable than I thought,” Skullius said as he trekked through the safer regions of the Urja forest.

The night was thick, signalling that more than a day had passed since Skullius had dove into the waters.

He had finished his talks with Fuwin just a minute ago and a smile could be seen on his face.

Turns out, the two had a lot in common and Fuwin was a great conversationalist!

Fuwin knew how to draw out information and to compel who he was talking to spill more details voluntarily.

Skullius found himself relating to the giant dolphin’s tales of its activities alone in the past millenia when compared to what it did before its deal with the Order of the Trodden Rose.

Talking to himself.

Creating objects that he could interact with.

The loneliness.

Skullius clung onto the topics with a ‘That’s right!’, ‘I know right! and ‘That’s so true!’ as he truly felt the dolphin’s pain. Of course he couldn’t share intricate details of his life in Deadmanland for obvious reasons but he did mask the undead parts with… alive human friends.

The Hybrid Luman felt a bond with this lonesome dolphin only to feel it tested by a sentiment of his that refused to detach from what Sila had said.

His yearning for companions was just an effect of his soul missing its other half.

It was depressing but Skullius didn’t let it keep him down.

He had parted with Fuwin reluctantly, happy that he had lead the conversation in a safe direction (making sure Fuwin didn’t melt) while also enjoying talking to someone who understood and was willing to listen.

It was a strange feeling, yet it brought Skullius joy.

At this moment, he was soaking wet and so was Yuyui had started to walk on her own, slowly.

She looked around curiously like a child while grabbing another snack which was wet under her armpit, but she didn’t care.

She had a lot to say to Skullius but since she couldn’t understand him now for some reason, something she had discovered when they were still in that depth, she could only keep to herself.

Until… Skullius started taking his clothes off!

“Master, what are you doing?!” Yuyui cried as she covered her eyes.

This was a ridiculous action as she had already seen Skullius naked before but back then, so many things had been happening and she hadn’t truly thought about it.

Now, she was self-conscious!

Skullius ignored her screaming as he focused on the blinking guidance field notification before him.

[High Cosmetic Body] had timed out.

Indeed, the time had moved quite a bit, Skullius having to remove his shifting armour out of habit even though it could trace both his bodies with ease.

The Penetrator emerged while the Hybrid Luman took a backseat, Skullius emitting another sharp breath of mana.

“Ah… yeah. I really am weaker as the Penetrator now. Hmm. Well, I guess I should put raising my Tier as a priority. Still though, I really got plenty of new abilities with this new boost. I can probably learn them on the way,’ Skullius thought, immediately beginning to devise his next moves.

‘That’s right! I should also–‘

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! MONSTEEEEEEER!!!”

Skullius turned to see Yuyui stumbling and running away as she had a horrified look in her eyes and on her face that spelled the incredible fear she was suddenly hit with!

“Oh, I almost forgot about that,” Skullius said, realising that he hadn’t accounted for Yuyui just now. He was going to have to get used to it.

Her too.

“Ferex! After her!”

***

Somewhere far and vast…

With a ring of red light and a heavy thud, as if something had distorted space, directly appearing in the encirclement of this magical construct, a figure appeared.

A large figure that towered several meters in height.

A scorching breeze brushed against his face and body, making the cloak he wore with its stylish tassels blow back.

“Nmmm, that is hot indeed, aha ha,” the voice of this figure leaked as he commented on the harsh weather conditions in this place.

Of course it was just any place, it was home.

Sause’s home.

A comically large mountain with bursts of steam covering it with a coil from the midway point up, a growing red tinge depicting the heat building up at its tip showed a distance away beyond the red soiled ground, lay ahead.

It covered Sause’s entire view, giving off an intimidating pressure that threatened to overwhelm anyone who laid eyes on it.

“Where did you suddenly disappear to?” a voice called to Sause from the side, a man seated on the ground addressing the giant.

He had long Havana brown hair and sugar grey eyes, red tattoos plastering half of his face while emitting a light red glow.

His build was bulky, but not overwhelming so, covered by a dark cloak with visible runes that displayed their presence with faint lights of activation.

“Oh, I was answering the call of a friend. Nothing much, aha ha,” Sause said with a dismissive chuckle and a sharp gaze that spoke many hidden truths.

The man with brown hair merely met Sause’s gaze with his own while trying to decipher the truths hidden within the giant but it was useless.

“Come now, my dear Benzard. Today is a special day. You want to meet HIM, don’t you? We better not dally here if that’s the case, aha ha.”

The man, who was Benzard, morphed to a greater version of himself shifted his gaze and nodded.

“Fine. Let’s go. I’m curious to see if HE looks anything like I imagined in my fantasies,” Benzard said as he started moving forward.

“I am curious of that too, aha ha,” Sause spoke as he followed.

The two walked towards the looming mass ahead, a track of reality opening up as it spelled something in the new future.

—

[Author’s Note]

That concludes this arc.

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