Bro, I'm not an Undead!

Chapter 1014  Arrogant Voyage Ahead

"You can stay here if you want, you know. I can practically feel your fear oozing through the air," Skullius said to Maxim who quivered and punched him in the shoulder.

"It's impolite to say a woman is scared. Especially me. I feel like you don't even know me anymore," Maxim retorted with a frown and massaged her hand. The Hybrid Luman's shoulder had been tougher than she expected. "But well… are you sure it's safe to waltz into Maqi with their prince as a hostage? What if Diviners from Maqi have already foreseen this and are waiting for us?" Skullius chuckled… as did Vali who stood next to him. She gave Maxim a sly smile.

"If that happens, then I guess we are going to have to die along with him," she said to the pink-haired lady whose frown deepened.

"I have a family to get back to in Pelian. I don't think I'm ripe for death yet. Do you? Don't you have like… an empire you created by signing off your cousins during the Premium Age Royale?" she said.

"That 'empire' needs a leader who's known to have stepped into a den full of murderous monsters hundreds of times stronger than she is, and came out alive. I need that sort of legend under my belt to garner long-lasting fear and respect, don't you think? Besides, half of those I signed with may already be dead by now."

Maxim wore a look of disgust.

Vali's response had started off inspiring only to turn morbid real fast.

Skullius' senses crept aboard the great ship a few dozens of meters away from the shore.

It was one of the few the Maqians had arrived on; more specifically, the one the Ode and Umbett had been on.

The two Maqians were had already settled on deck.

Using the Spirit of Drowning that remained above him, Skullius had adjusted the stitches that held the two in place. Other than restraining, their ends could also traverse the space they were attached to, pulling on their victims to a destination that Skullius desired without compromising the aforementioned function.

With such a convenient option, Skullius had been able to move the Ode without having him leave the delightful wonderland he was lost in.

As for Umbett, the old hag continued to give Skullius a nasty glare that pierced through the hardwood which made the ship to settle on him.

'Sheesh. I better make sure I have other options to beat her down in case she has some means of breaking free. I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that fury,' Skullius thought.

"Will you still not tell us why you are going to Maqi at least? It better not be to lay some arrogant challenge that gets us all killed. If it is, you can leave me right here. I'll find my own way back home," Maxim said. She seemed to believe that Skullius really was going to pull something like that.

The Hybrid Luman couldn't help but feel offended.

"I'm not an idiot. I wouldn't get cocky just because I beat that kid. He's yet to fully mature and earn the title of 'strongest' alongside his father. At the moment, there's probably hundreds in Maqi on the same level as him or stronger. I can't handle that kind of force with brute strength. For now. My agenda is a little more… savory," Skullius said vaguely.

"Savory?" Maxim said with her brow raised. "Precisely. Now get on the ship," Skullius said with a bit of a commanding tone. Before he knew it, Maxim shook lightly, the look in her eyes turning indifferent. She then stiffly, but briskly walked forth to board the ship with a hefty leap.

Skullius sighed and nearly facepalmed.

He… had just compelled Maxim by mistake. 'I should get used to not doing that every time I put a little oomph in my voice,' he said to himself.

Vali wore a seductive smile and reserved whatever her thoughts were on the ordeal. She walked as stylishly as ever, following after Maxim onto the ship.

Skullius looked back.

His connection to the nature here allowed him to take one last look at Opungale's expansive mass.

'I won't have this supernatural sense when we arrive in Maqi. A pity.'

What was also a pity was the fact that the King and Queen didn't come to see him off, which Skullius understood. Despite his straightforwardness, he understood that how normal people would react to him. And that was the point; making sure that he was heard and understood without the need for reading into the subtext of his speech.

Thankfully, Kudobtu and Shannazah did give modest farewells from close to the shore. They seemed hellbent on making a swift return to Pelian.

The Hybrid Luman chuckled faintly and boarded the ship which soon set sail, the towering mass of the Spirit of Drowning following along.

The sea was serene under the night sky, despite being more than a few notches dark.

Strange. All that chaos which ended half an hour ago had only persisted for less than a full night. Strange indeed how much could happen in such a short span.

The ship pushed against the non-retaliatory current. There was a light jerk and then it was moving towards its destination rapidly.

At the same time, however, something seemed to drop from the sky and hang right by Skullius' ear.

It was a drop of blood the size of an earlobe.

From it, a rough voice came, audible only to the Hybrid Luman.

"You didn't even bother to give as much as a nod for the favor I did for you, yet I undoubtedly contributed the most to your survival. You are not only a heretic against Boron, but also stingy, I see."

Skullius laughed, which drew Vali's and Maxim's attention.

"You're still here? I thought you fled," the Hybrid Luman said to Ashema who was nowhere to be seen.

"Of course, I'm still here. I'm considering you the perfect guide through this world. Your strength and annoying confidence is attractive to a foreigner such as I. I barely have to exact effort, do I? Especially when going to a place I'm sure the Herald told me not to."

Skullius was silent for a while. Then he spoke with a somewhat dark tone as he walked over towards the Ode, in his mind several plans designed specifically to draw as much about his rare trait as possible.

"Do as you please."

…

Ashema, who soared above clouds smirked.

His body was all healed. Or rather he had incarnated into another body to void the damage he suffered when defending the Attegoth.

All he said was true. He was an explorer for now, until Lord Boron rose and rallied all the Carven. As such, for the time being, he would play that role while riding in Skullius' shadow.

Unbeknownst to him, he wasn't the only one watching from above.

Someone…something else was sneaking a peek from a far distance that couldn't be traversed through natural means.

Nothing but the Divine could have seen a curious eye looking not at Skullius or Ashema, but the young Ode.