Chapter 339 (1/2)

“Your mother is a cunt.” The flame skull spat out at them, rolling on the ground.

“Cunt! Cunt!” Neveah said happily, rolling around Randidly, who stood over the skull, which very quickly caused the skull to stop its rolling. One accidental roll and it would be crushed beneath the huge bone wurm.

Sure, he was a skull right now, but he was animated by an unholy fire that could reform his body, should he have access to enough unclaimed bones. If that fire was extinguished, however…

Sighing, Randidly gestured for Neveah to back off. Although Neveah’s accidental jostling wouldn’t hurt him, he didn’t want the skull to be accidentally smashed. Well, perhaps it would be better to just purposefully smash the thing, because it refused to give him any useful information regarding the Skeleton Knight, Jemma’s location, or whose forces the other group belonged to.

Because aside from the flaming head, Randidly had also subdued a squad of 10 humans, and a captain, as well as the strange, transforming kid, and a weird skeleton that, based on his use of Aether manipulation, was not a monster, but a human with a Class. Of those, the squad seemed scared witless, watching Neveah roll around with wide eyes, the captain appeared surly, and the monster kid was still knocked out.

That had been Neveah’s doing, and it had not been gentle. Honestly, she had just been excited to play. Since finding herself in a new body, she hadn’t really been able to rough house with a creature her size. She simply bulldozed everything out of the way. So she had been very enthusiastic about the prospect of this strange monster that grew to her level of size, even if it had been dwarfed by her in terms of power.

And the callous dominance she had displayed had etched itself in the squad’s hearts for sure. They couldn’t stop trembling. Even Simon and Thea kept their distance, standing with their mounts and Ten’Malla.

So, driven by a need for information and curiosity, Randidly went to the Skeleton Man. Immediately, the man pushed up his glasses, which Randidly wasn’t even sure if they did anything. Plus, the gesture was extra awkward, as his wrists were tied. Of them all, Randidly was most wary of this skeleton, because he remembered being affected, even through his high Resistance and Vitality, by the other’s curses.

“My apologies for not recognizing you in our earlier meeting, Mr. Ghosthound. It’s a pleasure.”

Randidly was also quite surprised by how normal the skeleton’s voice sounded, although he supposed it was possible that the System translating software covered infernal bone speak, as well. “A pleasure?”

“Of course.” The skeleton said, sounding very much like a socially unaware nerd. It was almost like listening to himself speak from a few years ago. “Although in this current theatre of war we stand opposed, however… you have done more for humans in our Zone than any other individual, bar none. For that alone, it would be strange not to thank you.”

Randidly blinked, then laughed. It had been a long time since he had been taken by surprise by someone. And this was certainly a surprising reaction to him, one that made him loosen up his guard, almost in spite of himself.

But if this skeleton man was speaking the truth, Randidly supposed it made sense. He extended a hand towards the man and with a deft movement of his fingers, cut the cords binding the skeleton’s hands. True, he was the most dangerous of the captives, but that didn’t mean that danger was all that real or present.

“Call me Randidly,“ He said, extending his hand. The skeleton shook the hand.

“Coppernicus.” He said, with very precise inflection. “I appreciate you untying me, but really, this body feels no pain. It was not a bother. And if it makes your men feel more comfortable.”

Randidly waved a hand, but his smile slowly faded, and he examined Coppernicus more closely, his senses scanning along the Aether constructions through him. Something… was definitely off about this guy, but Randidly didn’t have a delicate enough touch to tell exactly what was occuring. People and their Classes were still a little bit outside of his pay grade.

To make conversation, and also to tease the other somewhat, Randidly asked. “...are we not opposed at this point? I plan on killing the Skeleton Knight, at this point. You pledged to him. Won’t that mean…?”

Randidly didn’t know how to finish the question, but Coppernicus shook his head.

“As I’ve been led to understand, there aren’t necessarily any downsides to pledging. While that Champion is alive, you can gain increased Skill proficiency and experience. Should they win, those gains increase, and become more permanent. If you lose, you lose access to the possibility of that bonus. Of course, you also might be hunted down and slaughtered as an insurrectionist, but that is left to the discretion of the Champion…”