Bro, I'm not an Undead!

Chapter 1265: Directive (1)



Kintar laughed so hard that her ribs ached.

She slapped her knees many a time before calming down, wiping the tears from her eyes and taking a deep breath.

"So, let me get this straight. These Cavern... The only ones that actually use any kind of energy - Primus, as you said - to power their attacks, are the weaker ones; the rest don't need any kind of fuel to activate abilities. Swell! On top of that, these creatures can have any kind of ability, and none of them are limited by a specific category of Class or Stage. Beautiful! They can control darkness too. Sweet! And to add insult to injury, their numbers are so great that they might actually rival Feinheath's population? Hahaha! Is that all?" she said with one final cackle.

"Pretty much," Skullius said, two of his arms folded before him. "But there's also a horde of super powerful experts from a distant past of Aigas that cultivated the purest crop of vicious combatants. But you already know that."

There was a pause.

A few Strawlers had been called over by Kintar to project a map of Aigas in the air, and illustrate roughly how the drapes of time - both of Aigas' pasts - were interacting with the present. With the information gathered by the scouts Kintar had sent to Aigas, exaggerated estimates were given of how many experts had invaded so far and how their distribution looked over the world.

The following numbers were presented on the map:

Roughly 2,000 humanoid experts - Sif and human.

200 atrocious Cluster beasts.

70 million Carven.

"The fact that a Deity is also on the loose adds to the misery," Savast said. His three pupil- less eyes narrowed.

Grim ruffled his hair.

"That's a lot of numbers, boss," he said nervously.

"Master, if I may ask, what exactly is it that you want to be done with all these enemies?" Kenno asked with a raised brow. "Seventy-million Carven? If they are really feeling their bloody rushing if they even have any - they can have Feinheath in ruins by the end of the week. I don't think even Maqi, with their renown can weather through a wave like that. Perhaps if experts from a previous time dived in to assist them..."

Chatter broke out.

Now that the Stark Troops were made aware of the situation, they understood how much graver it was than they had thought it before, from Kintar's tone.

It was easy to see how Aigas was facing its greatest threat yet, and how stopping its collapse seemed impossible.

One of the only saving graces, as Kenno said, was if olden experts of Aigas returned to fight the wave of Cavern, but this was likely to be a needless attempt at hope.

Most of the experts from back in the day, especially during the Second Grand War, were self- serving and cruel. Besides, even if they decided to become heroes, their numbers were probably not enough to thwart the swarm of Cavern, especially if it did indeed, as Skullius expressed just, hold Divine level beings like him.

That had been a jarring detail Skullius had decided to add.

Before everyone knew it, they looked to the Hybrid Warmoth, wondering why exactly he was having everyone study this information and giving special emphasis to the perils involved with the nature of enemies swarming Aigas at this moment.

Skullius clapped his hands lightly, but the sound that exploded out was terrifying. It grabbed everyone's attention at once.

"I think you all can guess what I want done. Perhaps some of you are already thinking large, hoping to leave Aigas for a different world. That is indeed in the cards, but first, WE have to respond to the threat that Aigas is under right now. Every bit of it," he said sternly.

No open protest erupted, but it was more than clear that most did not find a lick of excitement or hope in the undertaking Skullius suggested.

Deal with all the threats assailing Aigas right now?

2,000 experts of the Transcendent Stage and higher, 200 Cluster beasts of a similar level and an entire race of creatures whose benefactor was a literal god?

Some of the Stark Troops found hope in the fact that their master would obviously be fighting by their side, but still...

Seeing the expected, sombre reaction from his subordinates, Skullius chuckled. It was only natural for them to be dismayed.

"I know you have misgivings. Great misgivings. The number of enemies is vast and their power is equally great. Perhaps you can't even see beyond it," he said.

"Trust me, I know how you feel. I once stood in the same position you are standing now - facing insurmountable odds. For me though, it was the added burden of bad luck that made everything worse, along with the fact that I had no choice in the matter. I was barely given a chance to rest. Enemies stronger than I was sprang forth from every corner and on each path I chose to take. I couldn't control it."

"To add more to the gloom, I was alone or detached from intimate friends most of the time. I was constantly tested, measured against the worth of those higher in standing than me."

Skullius smiled.

"But here I am. I prevailed. Every power in this world has a limit. Beyond the horizon that seems to never end, there is a light, there is victory. I've seen it so many times, and I'll tell you, it was never always by my own merit that I managed to see that light. I had help in the end. I had friends in the end. The conviction to push forward worked wonders in the dark."

"Was it the only reason I prevailed? Flesh no. But even when I hardly believed it wholeheartedly... Direction gave me victory. There is a reward for enduring. For refusing to give in when pragmatic thought would have you lie down and surrender. You have been working hard for strength for two months and you have grown by leaps and bounds. You have it in you to do the impossible. But of course, if you don't believe in your strength as an individual, then believe in this..."

Amras leaked from Skullius, and it turned the First Layer of the Empyrean Hatcher cool and intense, as though a current was running through it.

"Believe that past this mountainous task I am asking of you, there will be rich gains. You will rise out of the ashes of it with a name worthy of what you - as part of a collective - would have achieved. Don't you want to know how it feels to slay a Divine when you are still a mortal? Don't you want a legend to be written in Aigas that you were part of an Order that brought down a Deity? Don't you want part of the rights to Aigas, unseen recognition that gives you the pride to say 'I was there, and I saved a whole damn world from an apocalypse?"" Suddenly, the atmosphere among the Stark Troops and the Unlimited Stars burned with

passion.

Skullius' zeal diffused towards them.

He was pleased to see them start to emit copious volumes of stern resolve.