Bro, I'm not an Undead!

The familiar allure of mana appealed to Skullius.

The book in Aurolio’s hand felt like it was made by expertly condensing mana and weaving it into a solid, permanent object. The beautiful cover with a different insignia from the one he had seen on the two books that had helped him begin his twisted journey – the book that granted him [Lifeless Evolution] and the one that granted [Flesh It Like You Mean It] – was on this variant.

Different from those he knew also, this one had a barely noticeable red glow around it, as if announcing that it had in fact been used.

A Book of Alignment.

So that’s what it was called.

Aurolio was considerate enough to let Skullius’ thoughts stew in a pot of nostalgia for a bit before continuing to speak.

“This book, a Book of Alignment, changes the entire physiology of the user when they accept its offer. The only way to answer its call, is through a guidance field, a mechanism created by the Voice of Worlds,” the pale man explained. “Makes sense so far?”

Skullius was too surprised to give a proper nod but what he gave was enough for Aurolio.

“The process to earn the favour of the Voice of Worlds… I don’t know what it is, but I do know that the Book of Alignment comes along with the guidance field you’re given after being favoured, qualified… however you want to say it.”

Skullius scratched his chin.

Was that right?

Wait… no.

That wasn’t quite right. It was different for him.

He had attained the qualification of the Voice of Worlds after he had acquired the Book of Alignment or… Books of Alignment? Technically, given what Aurolio had said, only the one book that gave him the [Lifeless Evolution] package should count as a Book of Alignment, right?

Also, Skullius had to struggle to get those books.

Well, working hard for a minute or two still counted as a struggle, given how tense the situation had been back then.

Of course, Skullius knew that Somanda and Serenity had been embroiled in some kind of conflict concerning the books, which is why they were in Somanda’s possession in the first place.

But then, his odd circumstances aside… did this mean everyone else just received the guidance field along with the Book of Alignment as a free add-on?

“Do you have your Book of Alignment?” Aurolio asked Skullius.

The Hybrid Luman shook once again and clutched the bridge of his nose.

The pale man could already tell that the answer wasn’t at all positive.

“How in the world can you lose something like that?” he asked with a deadpan expression that somehow conveyed heaps of strangely… paternal disappointment.

“It wasn’t my fault, alright?! Some of us weren’t handed these powers on a silver platter? Silver plate? However you say it!” Skullius defended himself.

Unfortunately for the Hybrid Luman, he had left the books back in Somanda’s tower after using them!

“Besides, isn’t the book useless after you accept whatever it offers?” he said.

Aurolio gave a mocking laugh.

“Nevermind ignorant. You’re actually several degrees denser than I thought!”

Skullius scowled.

The amount of emotion Aurolio was causing him to spill in such a short span almost made him forget how ridiculous this entire scenario was.

He had found someone else other Elita who had the guidance field!

But wait, more than that just that…

If he were to take Aurolio’s information as the truth, then this meant that…

‘Elita… She didn’t seem to know about any of this Book of Alignment stuff. If she did, she hid it pretty well. So… does this mean she hadn’t figured out or used her Book of Alignment when we met?’ Skullius wondered.

He cooled off and decided to milk the seemingly willing Aurolio for more information.

“What kind of powers do you have then?” he boldly went for the most important question.

“Ohoho, look who’s hopping in a bit too close to my personal details now,” Aurolio chuckled while lazily resting on the backrest of his chair.

“You started it,” Skullius called him out.

“I guess I did. Oh well, I didn’t intend to hide it anyway,” the pale man said playfully as a purple glow radiated around his body in a spiky, course outline.

“Like you, I’m not a human. Not anymore. I became a Voided Deathform after accepting this Book of Alignment. That’s to say the nature of my powers is called Voided Death. What you can see…. feel, around me is Voided Death Essence. It’s the primary energy that I can use since assuming this deathly power…”

Voided Death.

Aurolio… was a Voided Deathform.

Was this some kind of parallel?

Such a subject had never entered Skullius’ mind. At least in the capacity of something like another power similar to his since the guidance field had said he was the first user of Null Life, however that was supposed to be interpreted.

He looked on with rapt attention at Aurolio, abusing his senses to feel along this power which he was sure no one else but him and the pale man could see.

‘I see. This is definitely one piece to the puzzle Serenity keeps refusing to put together for me…’ he thought.

‘Voided Death Essence, huh? It’s very different from Null Life Essence.’

Skullius was intrigued. Heavily so.

However…

“Hmmm?”

Aurolio didn’t keep expositing.

Skullius guessed that this was going to be an exchange of information and it was his turn to spill some beans now.

It felt weird.

He had no choice but to reveal secrets he had kept to himself all this time. No one other than Sila knew this part about him. Not even his bestie, Silrat!

But, he had to admit that so far, what Aurolio said made sense, and was likely true, especially when coupling it with the conversation Somanda and Serenity had on that fateful day when he broke the UNCoddled curse… among other things.

Skullius remembered a specific portion of the conversation that vouched for what he had heard right now.

Somanda had taunted Serenity with the words:

‘Shall I tell the Eminence of Undeath that the youngest of his kin has finally shown herself?’

And Serenity had replied:

‘Do as you like. Unlike Void, I play smart,’

‘I think I’m starting to get a rough idea,’ Skullius narrowed his eyes.

“I’m not an information merchant but my lips don’t open for free on matters like this…” Aurolio said after the brief silence that crawled between him and the Hybrid Luman.

“I get it, I get it. Well…” Skullius hesitated.

Then he relented with a sigh.

“Like you, I’m not human either. Uh… I’m actually what’s called a Null Lifeform, with my powers obviously being Null Life… Does that suffice… as a introduction?”

Aurolio crossed his arms.

Before them, the battles had already begun and subdued bursts of cheer had been ringing all around them. Yet, the two had been too absorbed in their conversation to care for it. Skullius most of all.

The pale man ignored the fact that on his guidance field, Skullius was actually represented as a ‘Hybrid Luman’ instead of a ‘Null Lifeform’.

He chose to dig for that later.

“I see. So that’s what it’s called? Interesting. I knew there were supposed to be three but I didn’t know what the third was or what it was called. Until now that is,” the pale man said.

Skullius frowned.

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“What do you mean three?” he asked.

Aurolio raised a brow, and then sighed with a bit of fury tinting his skin.

“Most of what I’ve just said is either stated or implied in your Book of Alignment. That’s why it’s important. The stronger you get, the better you become at comprehending what’s written inside it. But you… <Sigh>. We’re taking it slow. We’re taking it slow.”

Skullius listened while dodging the thin insults he was thrown which reminded him of Bek a great deal. He bore with Aurolio’s frustration, anticipating the answers he needed.

“To your stupid question, by three I mean the three Existential Parallels. Undeath, Voided Death and, I guess Null Life.”