Bro, I'm not an Undead!

They had drawn closer, though the speed with which the ships moved was dreadfully too damn for Ashema's taste.

Opungale was a good two hundred kilometers away, and at this distance, a great, faint barrier encasing the enormous continent finally became visible to the eye and perceivable to extraneous magical senses.

With a single glance, Ashema appreciated how powerful it was.

The most unique thing about it, was the fact that it had an unbelievable amount of resources powering it. As far as Ashema knew, constructs meant to protect or guard, usually had a pulse which exposed the network of the supply – where the flow of energy was strongest and where it was weakest. No barrier was perfectly even, as far as he knew, because there was always a finite level of energy allocated to a barrier.

This one was different.

It felt bloated, like how an expert giving their all into a battle would use all their energy at once. But this barrier seemed to maintain a high output of power at all times, and with every section of it holding the same amount of energy.

Was this why the experts on the ships sailing to Opungale had yet to make a move now even when they were so close?

Ashema was sure it would take any of the experts aboard the ships below him a few seconds to cross the stretch of distance, but he doubted they could breach that barrier easily.

Beyond that, there was already a welcoming party which he could see from this far out, perched along the shore.

There were quite the number of obstacles.

What would these people do?

The frustration he imagined they felt was almost as much as his.

He was already itching for them to cause chaos so that he could seamlessly flit between them and their enemies, analysing and revelling in the carnage that would ensue without being turned on.

That could easily happen if he wasn't careful. Common races could band together against him if he showed himself.

The people aboard the ships seemed to be making hefty preparations, which he couldn't fault them for really.

He and his kin had been doing the same for millennia, while anticipating the day or days when they would be able to rise to the surface and battle against the chosen ones, those blessed enough to live above them.

"What is that?" Ashema asked himself with his eyes narrowing on what was below the clouds.

Something massive had appeared on the deck of one of the ships, summoned by a particularly old woman.

She chanted something with her hand on the thing, and it emitted a soft gong as her mana penetrated it.

A young man with a subdued, yet powerful presence about him laughed when the hollow sound rang and he patted the old woman's shoulder with a jovial expression.

Ashema immediately got the impression that he underestimated these people.

***

Darwel led the way out of a large Aurora where the people once again gave her gifts which she accepted, with Sevill, Cosycn and Benyn carrying the others.

Unlike in the other Auroras that Darwel and Skullius had passed, a cordon of two hundred soldiers created a wall that only opened up when Darwel reached in to receive gifts and greet small Sif children who desperately wanted to meet her.

It was quite ridiculous to think that six Incandescent Stagers were around her at this time, with the additional three being from this Aurora.

The trail of trained soldiers caused a commotion that led to millions crowding around the exit from the Aurora to get a glimpse of the El Sif.

While she entertained the masses, Skullius was just several paces behind her; behind Sevill and Cosycn who were behind her in turn.

He had a bit of an annoyed look on his face, but it wasn't so pronounced that the average Sif could see it.

Serenity's words kept ringing in his head.

'...He will set you straight.'

The Hybrid Luman clicked his tongue.

Previously, he hadn't thought that fake would be a problem at all. That fake fellow he created.

As far as he was concerned, his duty was to run extraneous tasks that Skullius didn't have enough time to allocate to. No doubt, he would probably be much stronger than the previous him, but for Serenity to consider him enough to 'set him straight'...

'She must be able to sense his progress somehow...' Skullius concluded. 'Well, we'll just have to see about that. He will indeed come.'

Shedding his tense visage, Skullius wore a relaxed smile again and beckoned Benyn to him.

"Yes, Lord Luminant?" the Incandescent Stager hurried towards Skullius and even bowed humbly.

After what he had seen past the Oath of Mourning, his reasons for doubt had shifted. He believed, much like Sevill and Viccil, and had been appalled that he had even though of crippling Skullius during the chase.

Such an unforgivable thing!

Yet Lord Luminant Festos, had forgiven him of this folly when he called himself out, expressing his sins.

The four, pretty golden white wings etched onto Skullius' dark robe attracting a bit of attention from both the crowd of Sif and the Sif combatants, were evidence that what Benyn had seen... what he felt, was real.

But Skullius didn't want anyone else to know yet.

"I thought you said Darwel's parents wanted to see her immediately. Why are you allowing her to take her time entertaining common crowds?" the Hybrid Luman asked Benyn.

The Sif stammered a little.

"Because you didn't speak against it, Lord Luminant..."

Skullius rolled his eyes.

This was exactly what he had been dreading when he refused to make these two royal guards submit to him immediately after they confronted him and Darwel. They were two entranced by him now. He didn't want this kind of behaviour when they went to see Darwel's parents.

"Right..." Skullius said. "Was there actually an urgent matter their Majesties called Darwel for, or was it something unimportant?"

"There was actually a matter of interest, Lord Luminant."

"What was it?"

"Well, my Lord, allies from Pelian came to assist against the approach of Maqi. They are from the famed Six Houses of Pelian."

Skullius raised a brow.

"Really?"

This surprised him.

To think that alliance which caused the commotion in Pelian all that time ago was actually coming into play.

But then...

"Why would the Six Houses rush to help Opungale? Isn't Pelian itself in danger? There are monsters running amok there, right?" he asked. "Did Opungale ask for help?"

Benyn shook his head.

"No, Lord Luminant."

Skullius clutched the bridge of his nose.

There was no way the threat that shook the world, literally, had already been solved, right? That didn't make any sense. Surely, the Premium Age Royale created problems that couldn't be dealt with in a few days by a few experts.

Skullius almost felt underwhelmed by the notion that it could be true.

Well, behind that subtle feeling of disappointment, he felt as though Aigas hadn't seen this much action since the Grand Wars, disjointed as this variation of conflict was.

The masked man was on the loose.

Maqi was attacking Opungale.

Pelian was dealing with its own threat.

Deep within, Skullius hoped that this chaos would persist.