Bro, I'm not an Undead!

The Belvion Union was a cluster of cities and towns joined together for common benefit, like the Isise.r

Sadly, the Family that ruled over the lands where these settlements nested was incompetent and preferred not to do anything but continue to demand coin as tribute without committing to the social responsibility.r

As alluded to before, in order to at least facilitate the delivery of the people's basic needs, a noble by name Dionas had risen to govern the Belvion Union, controlling the coin generated through all small to large transactional mediums. He managed to achieve the bare minimum of what was required to keep people alive and somewhat well, which earned him a lot of following.r

Ignorant following.r

Corrupt following.r

He owned a lot of riches for being the 'hero' of the people and his influence had grown to such a degree that he became the symbol of stability, protection and all forms of security. He was above the minor Governors here who didn't have much authority, not that Royal Family would care anyway.r

During this time where many calamities were looming over the horizon, the Purity and the Capital Service could hardly spare the time to take an introspective look at their systems and solve problems like this. Or perhaps these calamities were just excuses.r

Besides, for most people settled in the Belvion Union, this greedy tyrant Dionas, was far better than the uncaring Family silently eating away at their livelihoods.r

This same man was the one passing through the streets of this city at the moment.r

Some cheered for him while others scowled and called him names only to be dragged out by the powerful entourage Dionas had with him to be taught a fistful lesson.r

Dionas acted as if he didn't see it all happen but inwardly, he wore a satisfied grin.r

Ungrateful rats!r

Served them right!r

He was beyond benevolent. Even now, he did not have these rebels that protested openly against him killed but kept them under his wing to find shelter and food in his cities!r

Was that not mercy?!r

So what if he took some wealth for himself? Was it not well deserved for the role he took upon himself?!r

It was barely enough to satiate his desires anyway!r

'Soon, I will confront that accursed Guuld Family and when they finally fall, my pockets won't know a lack of gold again. I will make sure of it. What use is money if it is not in abundance? If one can't get so much of it they get sick, why have it?' Dionas thought.r

Despite his inner, ongoing justification, Dionas, waved at the people with a dazzling smile. His bald head which had a saintly sparkle complemented the satin grey lustre in his crescent-shaped eyes at this moment, his lean but broad shouldered frame sticking up a hand for a friendly wave.r

Yuyui looked at this man and scowled through the crowds.r

She and Ferex did not make a habit of visiting the towns and cities in the Belvion Union frequently, especially not the same ones, but she had witnessed enough to know that Dionas was fake.r

If he replaced the Guuld Family, the powerhouse in charge of these small lands, he would likely devolve into the same idle evil that sucked the life of the people without bringing them anything in return.r

No one who collected beautiful women to keep them in his mansion as a hobby, had anyone who preached the anti-Dionas gospel even privately brutally murdered, was reluctant to encourage better, advanced services for the people in the way of medicine, housing and even education, among many other crimes, could be a kind soul capable of redemption.r

This whole thing really just ticked Yuyui off.r

As she watched the baldy pass through with the ambience of cheer mixed in with complaint around him, Ferex noticed her hateful glare and asked.r

"Why do you hate him?"r

"Because... because what he's doing is not right!" Yuyui declared.r

She had done some investigation with her now heightened abilities, infiltrating places that kept Dionas' darkest secrets in order to get rid of them all but there were too many and too heavily guarded. While most of the combatants wouldn't be problem to tackle, the issue that deterred her from full action was her identity.r

Even now, she was taking a risk just by walking among the crowd.r

At some point though, Yuyui had thought about killing Dionas but...r

The lime haired girl deflated when she had this thought.r

Whenever she thought about killing, her hands would tremble. r

No.r

Not killing in general. It was killing humans that bothered her.r

Ever since the day she killed the Grand Priest...r

It was hard to imagine doing it again. She placed value on human life because she knew what it was like to lose someone. The feeling was vague but she knew it was real.r

She was tormented by the fact that what had happened to her – losing her parents – she... she would be doing that to someone else.r

When Skullius had that pep talk with her, she had sincerely hoped that he had told her that killing was fine flat out. Instead, it was up to her to decide how to move forward. Skullius didn't want to take away her will. Even though she had a Tie of Exchange that said she was his forever loyal servant, he respected her own thought process.r

Sadly, Yuyui didn't understand her own thoughts on this.r

Yuyui felt her rage simmer down slightly.r

"Don't spend a lot of time thinking about useless things. What happens here is none of our concern. Let us go do what matters," Ferex said.r

Yuyui nodded melancholically and the two left the scene. As the lime haired girl had advised, they took a break until Ferex recovered all his mana from the previous Cluster raid they had just gone through and in that same time, Yuyui managed to finish her meat.r

Soon, they were off, leaving the city to go back the way the had come before.r

Ferex hunched over when they were out of sight and his form changed into a tall, lean beast that had long legs and a layer of dark silver scales all over its body. Its shape was like that of a panther, one with a mane of shaggy brown fur that draped down from its neck to its back.r

This form was a different variant from before as Ferex had evolved into the second Tier, becoming much stronger, though his core was still stuck as white.r

Yuyui leapt onto his back and the Hound burst forth with terrifying speed!r

The lime haired girl held on tight as she already knew what Ferex was capable of speed-wise. She enjoyed the ride though. Sort of.r

As they rode to their destination, she checked her status which had many changes and many stagnant aspects.r

~~~r

[ Name : Yuyui Yuyui Yuyui ]r

[ Level : 6 ]r

[ EXP : 0/200 ; <Task Pending> ]r

[ Class : Pinnacle Occuluthon ]r

[ Race : Human ]r

[ Inv. Status : Mildly Motivated ]r

-------r

[ Stats ]r

[ STRENGTH (I) : 4,560 ]r

[ AGILITY (I) : 3805 ]r

[ INTELLIGENCE (I) : 2,712 ]r

[ ENDURANCE (I) : 3,005 ]r

[ LUCK : 44 ]r

-----r

[ HEALTH : --- ]r

-----r

[ MANA (I) : 6,140/6,140 ]r

------r

[ Skills ]r

[ The Musical (Special) | Lv.90 ]r

[ Greatest Voice | Lv.120 ]r

[ Twisted Mind (Special) | Lv.112 ]r

[ Melodious (Special) | Lv.150 ]r

[ Greatest Music Tool Art | Lv.199 ] r

[ Advanced Dagger Arts | Lv.46 ]r

[ Advanced Dressing | Lv.59 ]r

[ Basic Mana Manipulation | Lv.9 ]r

[ Atlas Dash | Lv.78 ]r

[ Beatdown (Special) | Lv.80 ]r

[ Triple Strike | Lv. 41 ]r

[ Overpower | Lv.13 ]r

[ Nimble | Lv.22 ]r

[ Greater Teacher | Lv.20 ]r

[<Class>]r

[ Body Hazard (Special) | Lv.97 ]r

[ Inhumane Eye ]r

[ Eye of Dispersal ]r

[<Oddities>]r

[ Inhumane Eye ]r

[ Eye of Dispersal ]r

[<Affinities>]r

[ None ]r

~~~r

Because of how rough the discovery that she, Ferex and Replicus made about the mysterious Severed Union six weeks ago, Yuyui had barely had enough time to focus on her Tasks. She had only begun focusing on it around the same time Replicus left for his mission with the rest. r

Since the quandary about her Tasks still leaning towards her previous class as a Ballad, Yuyui had also decided to focus on grooming all her song-related abilities. If the Tasks remained the same, at least she could tackle them.r

That said, it wasn't like Yuyui was weak because of this. r

She had learned a lot of skills and evolved them with the help of the guidance field. A lot of them. That was one of the perks of having such a mystical cheat. Her growth was a sharp incline!r

This wasn't her limit though. Yuyui was yet to explore more about her Hidden Class from the Temple of Unlusted Tears. Bassbion and Yagrina, the spirits trapped within...r

If she managed to awaken a third eye of the twelve she was supposed to have, the spirit guardians would come under her as subordinates, which would be a terrifying boon!r

Additionally, awakening the third eye seemed to possess some kind of substantial increment to her overall strength, moreso than awakening the first two eyes. After all, it was the quarter-way point to the whole.r

Yuyui had a plan to reach that level but it all depended on Ferex and the Hound had guaranteed that he would help her after clearing the Cluster they were about to go into now.r

As for why she hadn't asked Ferex to do whatever this was sooner, it was because she felt like she wasn't ready. The incident at the Temple had weighed more on her than she had thought and with the madness she had been entangled with after journeying with Replicus, she hadn't had the time to settle her thoughts.r

'If I find some closure, I'm sure I'll get the third eye. It's really all about emotions. Just like how I awakened the Eye of Dispersal with master back then,' Yuyui thought.r

Soon, she too could comfortably stand by Skullius' side as a fully realised valuable asset.r

Before then though, she had a long way to go and was still in a kind of competition with Ferex for power, the Apostle in question rising steadily to match her pace.r

~~~r

[ Name : Ferex ]r

[ Tier : 2 ]r

[ Apostle Trait : None ]r

[ Rank : None ]r

[ Level : 21 ]r

[ Race : Adaptable Body Steel Hound ]r

[ Inv. Status : Extra determined ]r

-------r

[ Stats ]r

[ Strength : 5,709 ]r

[Agility : 10, 680 ]r

[ Intelligence : 9,664 ]r

[ Endurance : Infinite ]r

[ Luck : 5 ]r

-----r

[ Health : 8,509/8509 ]r

------r

[ Mana : 17,543/17,543 ]r

-------r

[ Null Life Essence : 6,000/6,000 ]r

---------r

[ Skills ]r

[ Null Life Aura | Lv.4 ]r

[ Null Extraction ]r

[ Stars of the Fallen | Lv. 56 ]r

[ Greatest Hurdle Charge | Lv.78 ]r

[ Greatest Lightning Speedster | Lv 44 ]r

[ Brute Might | Lv. 67 ]r

[ Great Chomping | Lv.11 ]r

[ Greater Lunge | Lv.22 ]r

[ Ramp-up | Lv.89 ]r

<Racial>r

[ Unlimited Self Refinement | Lv.19 ]r

[ OTHERWORLDY COPY! | Lv.65 ]r

[ Soul Lord | Lv.69 ]r

[ Greater Unlimited Thread Generator | Lv.11 ]r

[ Thread Weaving : Environmental Devastation | Lv. 30 ]r

<Mutation>r

[ Pseudo Spirit Walker's Hide ]r

> Spirit Touchr

[ Null Steel Core ]r

....r

~~~r

Yuyui grimaced once again.r

It was tradition at this point. Looking at Ferex's guidance field status was a way to motivate herself but it also brought her down the dumps.r

This bastard had grown strong, especially with his soul manipulation ability that had evolved from [Dark Soul Bending] to [Soul Lord]. It was a cheat really, and Yuyui called foul!r

Everything that followed after Ferex leapt to Tier 2, becoming the Adaptable Body Steel Hound was ridiculous. He had awakened another type of Unliving Thread, awakened another mutation, gotten high stats and...r

Urgh.r

The Hound could overwhelm strong opponents easily with his arsenal. This was how Ferex beat his Flaw – by making sure any fight he got into wasn't a fight at all!r

Soon, the two reached the Cluster, with Ferex instantly taking on his humanoid form.r

The Cluster was a vibrant blue crack carved into the sky amazingly like a permanently frozen blue bolt of lightning, inches away from touching the ground.r

Within it would be some powerful creatures and the two were ready.r

Ferex manifested from his storage ring the giant greatsword which had belonged to the Grand Flame Breeder, and wielded it in his hands.r

"Let's go," the Hound said in a determined voice, oblivious to what direction had in store.r