BOOOM!


    A crisp explosion of force shook the entire room, a powerful breeze blowing over all thedies and tustling with their hair!


    Tulnas who sat with an intrigued look on his face was visibly pleasantly rattled, having noy expected this!


    The floor exploded, digging deeper into the ground where the collision had urred, dust rising high with an obscuring effect!


    From the dust, where the radiant light could still be spotted amid the chaos, a chuckle was heard, followed by the dying of this fast light.


    Skullius’ figure was revealed when the light vanished, the Discount Human appearing to have his fist extended to Renialid who was chuckling in both surprise and excitement.


    She sped his fist tight which had been going for her head and in the next moment, Skullius drew back hurriedly and stood a distance from her.


    Renialid swiped her hand, a powerful force inducing the dust to clear as she stepped out of the depression.


    “I’m honestly surprised. To not only be able to dodge my attack but to counter from behind me right after. I admit, you’re much stronger than I thought,” Renialid said as she patted away her dress of dust and nodded at Skullius.


    ‘Hmm. I didn’t expect to hear her say that. Especially after she clearly held back. Then again, I didn’t give it my all either. And I didn’t need to…’ Skullius thought._.


    He nodded back and walked to Red Rage who was excitedly showering his master with praise through their link.


    ‘Yeah, yeah. You already knew what I’m capable of because of your spying with Null Life Essence anyway.’


    This technique was still lost to the Discount Human as when he had asked Red Rage to teach him how to use Null Life Essence to do the stuff he could do, the Apostle proved to be the worst teacher her could possibly ask for.


    ‘It’s like Zhhhrr… then Fwooosh and Kaaaa’ was Red Rage’s exnation through their mental link.


    p! p! p!


    “Incredible! Now this is what I call priceless talent!” Tulnas said as he stood up pping after gently cing Bustifina who had been seated on hisp to the side.


    “It seems you’ve advanced quite well in ss Branching. For a Mage to demonstrate this kind of awareness and battle instinct with hand-to-handbat is rare. I feel safer already.”


    All thedies around couldn’t help but also look at Skullius a bit more favourably.


    “What was that? A spell?”


    “Such speed! And to even attack Renia after barely dodging her strike, he’s got some balls. Not bigger than master’s though.”


    “He’s decent, I guess…<yawn>.”


    Skullius raised his brow from theplements he overhead.


    It was an interesting experience contrary to his expectations.


    Renialid walked to Tulnas who slowly paced over to Skullius.


    “I must say, I wouldn’t be opposed to him being an asset under you,” she whispered in Tulnas’ eyes.


    “He already is. I’m just yet to decide on the duration,” the Guild leader replied, making Renialid’s eyes sh with excitement.


    She loved it when Tulnas showed dominance.


    She and the others were already made known the deal between Silrat and Tulnas and she could already read along the lines of what her Guild leader sought to do.


    “It’s all going ording to n so far and I’ll make sure it continues to go that way,” Tulnas said before he quickly drew Renialid closer to his armoured body and promptly nted a kiss on her lips.


    The woman was taken by surprise and before she could full savour the moment, Tulnas drew back and side nced at the other women who looked at Renialid with envy.


    He spoke in a voice just enough for all their advanced ears to hear, the contents of his message building up adrenaline and… something else.


    “If Ie back alive, I’ll spoil everyone of you to my, and your heart’s content.”


    The blue eyed man suddenly slung his arm around Skullius’ neck afterwards.


    The Discount Human had watched the kiss with wonder just moments before but he didn’t have the time to think more about it as Tulnas’ boisterous voice echoed in his ear.


    “This whole thing just got a bit more exciting than I thought it would be. Let’s go kick some ass.”


    ***


    Somewhere East of Inhone City.


    A dark space lit by an orange me could be seen with men donning gold and ck robes seated around aplex formation that was akin to a jagged edged circle with meaningful symbols within it that burned with an orange light.


    The me that lit the space raged at the very centre, illuminating the twelve figures that sat silently while bursts of dark purple energy spewed from their bodies, fueling this formation.


    The air shuddered as far from these men who sat in such an arrangement, a burst of wind blew outwards in fierce, visible waves that would have torn anyone close enough and unable to guard against them.


    From this phenomenon, two men appeared, walking with sturdy steps towards the formation.


    An Arcane Teleportation Scroll had been used.


    Of the two men, one was older with a more mature look, hisrge eyes exuding a honey coloured hue.


    His unkempt hair which was a chaotic mix of purple and ck draped over his forehead giving him a reserved and reckless vibe.


    The other looked young, his looks being nothing that would stick in one’s memory for long.


    “Pretty handy stuff. I didn’t think our partnering with those necromancers would give room to such… extravagant opportunities. Travel feels better now. Extravagantly better,” the older man said with a look that contradicted his verbal enthusiasm.


    “I think the boss made a mistake. While we need their ability to harnessrge numbers with undeath, I still think giving them our help is a bad idea. They have their own agenda after all. They will backstab us eventually,” the young man said.


    “Extravagantly so. However, the boss already knows. I’m sure even that Actuass guy knows that we know. It’s just a matter of using each other. The one with the faster y wins… extravagantly,” the dark and purple haired man said.


    “You say the word extravagant way too much, senior,” the younger of the two said with hidden indignation.


    “Extravagantly so.”


    The young man pped his forehead.


    “Well, regardless of what you said though, isn’t it a bit much for us to be keeping that thing of his despite how broken it is. Will he even use it? I mean, we’re busy with something else here and evencking the numbers of our mission as it is.”


    “Cooperation requires extravagant levels of patience. Besides, word is that Actuass has many of these extravagantly hidden all around the three nations.”


    “But why would he choose to keep this one he recently used in the retrieval here?”


    “Hmmm. Probably because he wants to use it soon and needed it to be guarded extravagantly. This region has many wanderers after all.”


    “Stop worrying about these things. We have the first piece to our n after so many years with the necromancers’ extravagant help. A show of extravagant goodwill isn’t a bad thing at all,” the older man said as his honey coloured eye peaked at a hidden space where somethingy in the dark, immobile…