Bro, I'm not an Undead!

Damilla’s eyes shot open upon hearing Terian’s voice. Its urgency prompted her to quickly tear herself from Guissepo and retreat to a safe distance as from her wealthy well of experience, she knew to heed cautious warning.

As she fully came to, returning to reality from the constant whirls of visions, she found that the old man was looking at her with a hard expression that showed both seriousness and concern.

He was looking at her face specifically and this made Damilla a lot more self-conscious.

She felt something slide down her nose and she immediately touched her face to discover blood flowing excessively from the facial organ!

Her eyes were bloodshot and it was only now that the Diviner discovered a feeling of irritation in her head that constantly dipped jabs of pain, as she then went on to clutch her dome while wincing.

“It’s funny how some extravagantly arrogant people fail to heed simple advice. That’s what I hate about you heathens with your overconfidence,” Guissepo said, even though he too didn’t look too well.

He was sweating while taking deep breaths to calm himself.

He wasn’t used to Divination and it wasn’t like Damilla bothered to be careful.

Terian increased the pressure he applied with the flame shark, which caused Guissepo to grunt in pain as he felt himself continuously lose all sensations to be point where he felt like would not ever be able to walk again.

He looked down languidly, to see fierce shark that radiated a firey glow that reflected over his face.

‘Hmph.’_.

Even in this predicament though, he started to cackle as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

“Hahahahaha! Even now, you all seem to think that we’re some small time group with meaningless resolve and goals! How extravagantly typical of those born under the graces of the three Deities…” Guissepo yelled with fervour. “Nothing you do to me will ever make me despair anymore! Mine and all my companions’ death are not in vain! Even if you take my life, I’ll happily continue it in extravagance by his side! By Master Boron’s side!”

Guissepo expressed his firm beliefs.

In this one outrageous burst alone, he expressed why he was not remorseful over the deaths of his fellow cultists.

For they had taken the lead in going to what they deemed paradise.

Yet, for him, he felt like he hadn’t achieved enough. He still hadn’t gained the recognition he desired.

He would have loved to gain it at least once but it was denied him!

Damilla walked out of the cell as she leaned against the wall, trying to recover.

She hadn’t even felt anything happening to her when she was tapping into Guissepo’s soul which was strange and terrifying.

She wiped her nose and tried to detect what was wrong with her.

Guissepo noticed her actions and scoffed.

Pitiful.

The cultist continued to spout his belief.

“Have you all any idea the extent of Master Boron’s extravagant rage! Being unrightfully imprisoned by his own! Left to breed creatures that can never see the luminance of the sun! He passes this rage unto us, his followers, it instantly manifesting as full fledged blessings for which we shall use to punish this world! What makes you think you can brush it off oh, so nonchalantly?!”

Damilla was alarmed at these words but the one to calm her racing heart was unexpectedly Tulnas.

“Relax. What can he do but try to exalt himself and his so called ‘Master.’ We cut down a lot of them and nothing came to us as retribution or anything. He’s bluffing,” Tulnas said confidently.

After another bout of examination on Damilla’s part, she didn’t see anything else that could be fatal or become a lingering threat which affirmed Tulnas’ words.

Guissepo looked Tulnas in the eye with a mysterious glint.

“Says the young and extravagantly talented one, blessed by your false gods,” the older cultist spoke before slumping his head and saying nothing else.

He had said his piece.

If he was to die, he would at least do so after making sure they all knew his resolve was firm.

Terian turned to Damilla.

“What did you find?”

The Diviner took a few moments to collect herself before answering.

“I saw… something like a magic formation and some battles that involved…him,” she said as she looked at Tulnas. “It’s true that… they had some form of conflict but from the scenes prior, I couldn’t make out what they were saying.”

Erkus nodded.

“I see. Hold off on divining him for more information. It would be more beneficial to inform the Purity about this. They could have safer methods of extracting information from him.”

“Agreed,” Tulnas said. “You could even share some of the credit, City Lord. I wouldn’t mind.”

Erkus sighed in resignation.

“I’ll consider it.”

“This doesn’t set Festos off the hook still,” Damilla said with a hard expression, egging the City Lord to not be persuaded otherwise. “I haven’t seen anything that remotely resembles his participation in my visions.”

Tulnas rolled his eyes.

“Of course you’d say that,” Tulnas said with a sigh noting that Erkus didn’t deny this as well.

It seemed the College of the Esteemed was still on his back about this and while he was giving the Mage a grace period, his patience was likely to run out soon.

One issue was on its way to be solved, while another remained up in the air.

Tulnas clicked his tongue as he wondered where that damned Mage was.

***

College of Battle Arts.

A certain old man hung over Oliviana like a cloud as she walked within the College of Battle Arts. She had long given up on leaving him behind as he always seemed to just saunter back, annoying the living ghost within her.

At the moment, she was trying to certify some paperwork that she needed in preparation of her future plans which had become shaky in light of recent events.

As she walked to and fro within the College where a significantly higher number of new students were being led by other instructors, she could only grit her teeth as she head the old man’s voice in her ear.

“Are you sure you don’t want to learn the Regret Technique, Oliviana? It would perfect for you, I guarantee it.”

“Oh, have you really decided to leave your current job as a gardener to teach martial arts now? I thought you’d remain with the weeds until you were needed. Wasn’t that your ‘vow’ to the Deities?” Oliviana said as she sifted through her documents.

“…”

“I will always be a gardener in my lifetime. I’m bound to do this much but the essence of Regret in me is just too much! I need to share it with someone. I could die without ever teaching anyone my technique!”

Oliviana laughed.

“You’re quite something old man. I have no regrets so I don’t want to learn your technique. My agreement with Silrat makes it so that I don’t have to worry about staying in this city anymore much like you have to,” Oliviana said with a smile as her short figure trotted by.

The old man behind her grumbled. His frail body looked to almost topple over and this brought a twinge of guilt to Oliviana who stood and gazed at him as he sulked.

“That… is another one of my regrets,” the old man said as his lips trembled.

“Don’t beat yourself up too much. At least you have tens of thousands who remember to depend on you in this city. I’m one of them,” the short lady said with a bright smile.