Bro, I'm not an Undead!

In the vast meadowland, tall humanoid creatures turned their heads towards Skullius and the Grinning Jester Fox while prowling within the long grasses.

Dozens of these creatures could be seen within the immediate surrounding portion of the place, their bodies being made up of roots, vines and grasses of different colours that were joined so firmly that if one saw them without giving much attention they would think that these creatures were humans.

The limbs and other body parts were very human-like which further sold the idea; legs, arms, eyes, nose, mouth, but the two who were looking on were not fooled.

“What are these things?” Skullius asked the fox.

“Vine Prowlers. This is their spawning habitat. It’s here that they are formed, woven from the finest greens that have been nurtured by the high concentration of mana. The ones you can use are still young,” the fox explained.

Skullius took out the Baleful Gale Reaper, preparing to engage just in case any of the creatures managed to reach him despite his hired protection.

They hadn’t come across any creatures since their departure from the valley and Skullius didn’t know how strong this ethereal version of the Grinning Jester Fox was.

“They are… pretty creepy…” Skullius remarked.

“Indeed. They are usually born strong unlike the beasts in other spawn areas on the outer parts of the forest and they chose to stay in these meadowlands. Hmm. Taking humanoid forms prevents them from reaching their true potential. What a waste.”

SCHREEEEEEEE!

One of the Vine Prowlers screeched and bolted towards Skullius and the fox!

Its speed was incredible as it raced through the grasses and flowers while its face contorted to become a maw with wriggling grasses and roots that dripped with a potent looking poison!

With the Prowler’s charge came the arousal of the others that also rushed forward and screeched as they attacked the intruders to their habitat without a shred of hesitation.

With the use of [Basic Mana Manipulation], Skullius could tell that these guys were way stronger than the Darewolves and the fox had said that there were still young ones?

These things were near the level of Onumbassssss, except without blue cores!

As the Prowlers approached, Skullius’ body producing streaks of Silentburn Levin, the fox suddenly stepped forward languidly.

“You don’t need to interfere. I was quite happy with your request to me as it is actually quite beneficial to me too,” the fox said before opening its mouth wide._.

DUUM!

Skullius along with all the Prowlers felt an powerful grip that pulled on the atmosphere!

‘Wh…’

Before Skullius could express his thought, he saw the surroundings within a 300 meter radius before him and the fox warp and be drawn towards the ethereal creature that opened its mouth wide!

The Prowlers, the grasses and all vegetation within the area was violently pulled into the mouth of the fox, Skullius seeing the human-like creatures wear distorted expressions of shock as they were devoured!

As this vacuuming took place, the body of the fox didn’t change at all and even if what it devoured was larger than its maw, that didn’t stop it from being taken in without a hitch.

After a full minute, the process finally ended with the fox having a content look on its face.

“…”

Skullius had no words.

He looked at the aftermath, seeing the clear ground devoid of any living thing, ditches and holes marring its surface after deep roots had been dug out within a large area.

“Don’t mind me. I’ve been guarding a Labyrinth for thousands of years without having the opportunity to feed on anything other than my own mana. I think I deserve a snack,” the fox said as it turned to Skullius.

“I…. see,” Skullius said, his flames dancing timidly. He tore himself out of his stupor when the fox started to move on.

Such a show of strength was terrifying!

Even now, his [Basic Mana Manipulation] was picking up a very faint signature of mana, most of it having been devoured too!

What an appetite!

Skullius followed the fox.

He became apprehensive but also curious.

“How did you sustain yourself for all these years br- I mean Great Fox? You’re not an undead who doesn’t need to feed,” Skullius asked with a heavy sense of respect detectable in his voice.

The fox was amused.

“A beast at my level doesn’t need to run around the forest looking for food voraciously like a common wolf. I can sustain myself by staying within my Majestic Territory in its passive state,” the fox said while linking its teeth.

“A Majestic Territory…” Skullius mumbled as he thought to himself.

He had been one of the few to enter two  Majestic Territories and come out unscathed despite his weaker level.

Heck, he even had the privilege of being able to experience the wonderful feeling of projecting one through Eldris and that was a power he longed to get in the future.

The more it was mentioned, the more Skullius really wanted to have one of his own.

Unfortunately, he didn’t know much about Territories but this was probably a good opportunity to ask.

Politely that is.

“What exactly is a Majestic Territory? How do I obtain it, great and powerful fox who promised to help me reach my destination safely?” he asked with his four sockets flames dancing excitedly.

“Hmm,” the fox shook its head. “I presume you have experience with a Territory for you to have such a bland reaction. It is hard to explain such a concept as it is far above you. Furthermore, it is much easier for beasts to obtain it as it is a concept that humans mastered from us.”

“Oh…” Skullius jerked a little.

“Indeed. To us, a Territory is sacred. It is not only for offense. It is a haven that we can use to sustain ourselves. Beasts such as guardians, like Azila, use it as a method to preserve the environment from their overwhelming power. Hiding their existence while only watching from a hidden space,” said the beast.

Skullius looked at the land the two had left behind which was broken and dilapidated.

“You don’t seem to care for the environment,” Skullius commented.

“Of course not. I’m only interested in appealing to my instinct instead of conforming to human-like nature. I’m a beast after all. However, those conformists outnumber beasts like me. Therefore, I’ll have to limit how much I eat before they show up with their preservation nonsense.”

The fox picked up its speed, prompting Skullius to do the same.

The two resumed running at full speed while Skullius mulled over what the fox had said. He already knew but the fact that he had barely seen anything yet was hammered home.

He witnessed more instances of the Prowlers being devoured by the ethereal fox multiple times before they eventually left the spawning ground, returning to the thick forestry.

The two met beast after beast, the fox devouring them all which denied Skullius the chance to take in their Null Life Essence.

The Penetrator could only scowl.

There were instances where the fox killed its prey first and Skullius took the chance to absorb the Null Life Essence, but they were rare and the Penetrator only netted a few hundred points.

It was also hard to reach far places without the staff to increase his range but it was what it was.

Skullius felt like asking the fox to save some for him would be problematic and raise the curiosity of the fox.

What he didn’t know was that the fox was already deeply curious about him too.

An un-undead that looked like an undead?

A nonhuman that had inherited a legacy for humans?

This was a formula for something new to be birthed in the world.

The fox hadn’t ignored the streams of Silentburn Levin that Skullius had released before.

Its advanced vision had caused it to see that it wasn’t the usual lightning it was used to seeing.

Why hadn’t the fox inquired about all of this?

Well, it was simple.

The Penetrator had to pass through grand ordeals to prove his existence.

What good was gaining interest in this stack of bones if it couldn’t withstand the test of time?

Aigas was large and there were many powerhouses and mysteries that exceeded even Skullius in the eyes of the fox.

If this un-undead could rise to be a part of them, then the fox would be intrigued enough to follow up.

The two journeyed for some hours before leaving the thick and entering the sparsely vegetated and less extravagant areas near the edge of the Tremur Forest.

This journey had taken Skullius and the humans plenty of hours because they had to avoid dangerous places but it had taken less now.

Skullius realised through this journey that the long expedition to the Labyrinth of the Yoke had only led them closer to the middle of the Tremur Forest!

That valley they had entered was a few miles from the middle of the forest and hundreds away from the deepest parts!

‘How big is this place?’ Skullius questioned.

Soon, he and the fox stood on a cliff while overlooking the scenery below.

“This should be fine. I’m sure you can handle the beasts in this area on your own.”

“Gotcha, br- great fox bro. I guess I should say… thanks?” Skullius said while titling his head.

“Hmm. That is not necessary. This is where we part,” the fox said as it turned. “Be sure to remember that the next time we meet, it might not be as peace ridden as this. However, I do expect much from you, successor of Fulgardt.”

The fox vanished from Skullius’ view leaving him with a lot to think about. He had obtained a lot of information on the way here but he put it all to the back of his skull and jumped down from the cliff without hesitation.

The view from up had given him a better appreciation of the land and through this he had noticed certain hints to where he needed to go.

One of them was a river that divided a portion of the forest and Skullius reckoned that it was the same one he had seen along the goblins’ settlement.

While this didn’t exactly narrow down his search significantly, it was definitely a good start, especially when Skullius considered that he and the fox hadn’t deviated that much from the course he and Benzard’s group had taken.

The Penetrator rushed through the forest while following the river.

He made sure to keep his flames peeled in order to notice even the finest details.

As he rushed along, he came across a few creatures that where a cross between men and dogs.

They looked to be hunting as they donned rags and wielded crude weapons.

Upon noticing Skullius, they pounced on him.

“This whole presence less thing is really problematic,” Skullius said before willing the Chains of Damnation to take care of these fodder.

The ravenous beasts that attacked him with greed and hunger in their reddened eyes barely saw a dark flash that swiped across, turning their group of fifteen into mince while splitting apart a few trees!

Skullius didn’t feel anything from such an exchange, the aftermath leaving him without much of a stimulation.

Even as notifications popped in his vision of how he had gained experience, Skullius wasn’t excited.

It was… boring.

He sighed and moved on, picking up his speed as he turned into a blur that none of the creatures he came across could react to.

The measly amount of points they would give were nothing compared to his current objective anyway.

Skullius was eager to get his bro back.

That eagerness was soon fulfilled as Skullius, after an hour of searching, finally saw a familiar spot.