Bro, I'm not an Undead!

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Chapter 1233: Explaining Everything (1)



Theurien and Silrat had looks on their faces that suggested that they had been told to expect something outrageous.

And indeed, Red Rage had told them to not freak out when they arrived at their destination.

"Festos?" Silrat was the first to speak, a strange look on his face that melded somewhere between befuddled and bewildered. "Is that really you?"

"In the flesh," Replicus said with a warm smile.

Theurien had no words. He looked between the Hybrid Luman body and the Progeny with a pale face.

Silrat felt a more familiar presence from Replicus' response and expression than from what Skullius had shown him several minutes ago and dragged them into his Territory.

"What in the world happened? What happened to you? I-I can't even wrap my head around

"I know, I know. Believe me, I know," Replicus said. "It's a long story and I'd rather tell it to you all in a safer place than this one. For now, I'm just glad you managed to survive."

Theurien finally managed to regain his wits.

"Right," he said and his hand trembled. He gazed at it with such intensity that one would have thought there was gold in his palm. "I've never felt more afraid than when you... that other... that thing... whatever it was, appeared. I can hardly recall what happened until just a few minutes ago."

Replicus was sympathetic.

"I can imagine."

The fact that he almost didn't manage to save these two weighed on Replicus. His heart had been in his foot the entire time Red Rage was absent.

But thankfully, despite what manner of damage Skullius did, he didn't end up killing their friends.

"For now, let's get out of here," Replicus said. He turned to Yuyui.

A large ivory key appeared in the Progeny's hand and the lime-haired girl softly pried it from Replicus' limp fingers.

With a wide smile of anticipation - as she knew how everyone was going to react to what was coming next - she took a few steps forward and pushed the key into the empty air.

At once, Ju'wtte streaked from her forehead, where the Stark Constellation was branded, and rushed towards the ivory key, activating it.

There was a loud groan, a spike in the sheer quantity of threads of Ju`wtte spilling from the key, and then a vast set of double doors appeared!

There didn't seem to be an end to them nomatter where one looked. Great eyes and tusks protruded from them, spelling the nature of the one who had created them.

Silrat and Theurien plopped to the ground, flabbergasted beyond reason. To them, who hadn't experienced even a fraction of the absurd things everyone else around them had experienced - be it encountering dragons, tens of odd realms far removed from Aigas, and even fighting Deities - this was quite a hefty way to start their induction into things beyond the grounded lifestyle they had lived up till now.

Elita was surprised, but not to the point of being shocked. There was a lot of interest in her eyes as she looked at the doors.

Soidon was floored but not for mundane reasons. Even though he had renounced Undeath a long time ago, he could feel the pressure of a power that contradicted his, and it was far beyond the level he had been at as an Arch-Lich.

So, this was the kind of power the four-armed being he had watched fight controlled!

The great doors growled as they opened, a brilliant radiance expelled outward.

Yuyui grinned smugly and then rushed to support Replicus.

"Let's go in," the Progeny urged, and he and Yuyui led the way. Elita followed.

Red Rage encouragingly helped Silrat and Theurien up before giving Soidon a light kick to persuade him to follow along everyone else.

As soon as the group entered, the doors vanished.

On the other side, they all appeared in a limitless space preceded by a long, winding paved pathway made of a glossy material that seemed to be a mix of gold, glass and emerald. Around it was dark grey dirt that rose and fell into hills and dips while following the branching pathway, leading to various spots within the Empyrean Bosom.

Yuyui tapped the pavement with her foot, and Ju`wtte streaked out of her forehead, ran along the paved path and attached itself to everyone's feet. At once, the group was whisked along the path at shocking speed and they appeared in front of a vast building in the next instant.

The transition, or rather, the movement, was so smooth that it hardly felt real. Silrat fondled himself as though expecting bits of him to be missing. Theurien would have done the same if he wasn't absolutely stricken in awe by the design of the great structure before him.

It was the Empyrean Hatcher, a massive, dark grey, egg-shaped building with strokes of yellowish-red across its face that seemed to depict a plethora of olden stories in writing and pictures. Above it, there was a limited, purple-blue sky with mammoth-shaped clouds floating around, an odd light from this sky illuminating its features.

Yuyui and Replicus led the way into it, but before they reach the entrance, several human- shaped, doodle-like entities made of Ju`wtte (Strawlers) rushed out, some standing at attention and others wrestling Replicus from Yuyui.

Elita and the others gazed at the Strawlers with interest as they followed Replicus' lead.

They couldn't utter any words. There was too much to process. There were so many places in this vast place that beckoned their attention, but of course, now wasn't the time to give in to

curiosity,

The interior of the Empyrean Hatcher - the First Layer, at least - consisted of massive black tiles with sprinkles of white, a very high ceiling with an assortment of dense murals, and many – hundreds upon hundreds - stairways rising upwards into what looked like dancing, suspended spherical rifts.

While everyone was gaping in awe, Replicus dismissed most of the hundreds of Strawlers on standby around them, and then said:

"We'll get a place to discuss everything we need to for now. Someplace relaxing. And uh, welcome to my home, I suppose - though there is someone up there who would skin me alive

for saying that."

Everyone except Yuyui and the Hybrid Luman body barely heard what he said.

Replicus sighed.

Feeling that strength had returned to one of his fingers, he lifted it and Ju`wtte sparked from

its end.

One of the rising stairways leaned backwards along with its great rift and delivered itself in front of him. Now Replicus was facing the pulsing gateway into one of the many resorts on the

First Layer of the Hatcher.

"Come along."

Replicus was the first to sink into the rift and he appeared in what looked like a large flower- field. There was a pleasant smell from the many types of flowers - some large, some small - and the ground underneath his feet felt soft and hairy.

Of course, this was because where he was now wasn't exactly a flower-field.

The great, gently flapping, thin and colourful wings on either end of his sight announced what exactly this place was: It was the back of a particularly large butterfly. Sprinkles of glittery star stuff fell on Replicus and the other riders from the wings - who had just arrived - and soon, Replicus felt himself relax.

The tension he was feeling was washed away.

The same was true for his guests.

Elita felt her tense muscles almost turn mellow. Theurien and Silrat whose minds were racing from being plagued by a variety of emotions, calmed down, somehow coming to disregard the fact that they were on a vast, airborne butterfly.

Even Soidon cooled off.

Nine Strawlers emerged from among the flowers and started setting up large cushions and tables. Some brought different, cool juices in large glass flasks, and others brought various

savoury and sweet foods.

Soon, everyone was seated, each on a very, very comfortable cushion with multiple small tables surrounding them where delectable edibles were placed in gross abundance.

It was only then when Replicus spoke:

"Now, let me explain everything."