Bro, I'm not an Undead!

Chapter 1374: Nine Contracts (2)



[LIMITED CONTRACT OFFER]

+++Seal of Primeval Deity, DRADPAS OL' HERT+++

>ENTREATY:

I have an impression to make, and I feel - for good measure - I should include some Void- ranked choices to better my chances, and for a good bit of... irony. I love anomalies. I am so willing to invite one into one of my territories across the wider reality, but you lot are exceptionally cautious. You should learn to loosen your guard a bit. Not everything is out to get you. Perhaps the common Deities have put too much fear in you, dreading your appearances on their worlds, and with good reason. But one such as I... Well, I wouldn't mind it if you fed your benefactors with one of my Rich worlds.

If you are interested in meeting with me, I will leave a map for you. Perhaps, given that you are the single most accomplished anomaly in the wider reality, you might actually pay me a visit. I will be waiting.

++Terms of Trade++

In exchange for perpetual usages of your Pseudo-Void rank, Exotic Parlous Nature, Maximum Jaqquezjaqqz, I am delightedly offering the following:

+Immortal Realm Physique of the Third Stratum, The Monster;Nôv(el)B\\jnn

+Immortal Pseudo-Void Physique of the First Stratum, Unyielding Liquian;

+Immortal Pseudo-Void Physique of the Second Stratum, Nyananyana War Frame;

+Realm rank Prime Treasure, Finite Vision Bow;

+Realm rank Prime Treasure, Sword of Long Worlds;

+Realm rank Prime Charged Mantle, Stardust Crusader;

+Cloud Monger Deity, Havenlost;

+(111) skins of Exora Mead;

+(4) DRADPAS OL'HERT's Tears

[UNLIMITED CONTRACT OFFER]

+++Seal of Primeval Deity, TITEMIUS+++

>ENTREATY:

I am truly pleased, young blood. Reality hasn't had us Primeval Deities twitching like this in a long time. I see it as an absolute joy that you have not once, but twice now drawn my attention. Only the OTHER knows how boring it is here in my... Hmm. Ahahaha. In any case, I will chance again at the opportunity to get you to pick me.

As you can see, I have chosen a different sort of contract to offer you. An Unlimited Contract. Unlike the others - the limited - this one is not a one and done. As long as you choose to sign one with me, I will give you gifts each time I use your new, precious Exotic Parlous Nature. It is regrettable that the consumption of Amras will be borne by you, its progenitor, but I will surely make up for that.

There are also other perks, which you will see in what I'm offering. I hope they entice you. And if %$#4&*$%3@ don't #$ listen %$% her.

++Terms of Trade++

In exchange for perpetual usages of your Pseudo-Void rank, Exotic Parlous Nature, Maximum Jaqquezjaqqz, I am offering the following:

+Immortal Void Physique of the Third Stratum, Embodiment of Accelerant Starlight (I daresay, this suits very well with your Andori, [Sagacious Antiphon of Dawnlight]. The reaction between the two will be brilliant!);

+Realm rank Prime Treasure, Plasmodian Strider Greaves (I was not cheap with this one. I assume the use of speed is one of the many facets you wish to delve into, given the descriptions of some of your earlier skills.);

+(145) skins of Exora Mead;

+(0) TITEMIUS Tears.

(I offer none of my Tears because once you sign my contract, every location where I have ever set up a Fated Reef in the wider reality, you will be allowed to visit at your discretion and with whomever you may like.)

[...]

[...]

[...]

[You have received a map from DRADPAS OL' HERT]

...

Skullius thought himself a fool for thinking the previous batch of contracts he had received before was stacked. By comparison, that former collection was terribly mediocre compared to the kinds of gifts being offered here. Indeed, there were a lot of nasty threats and demeaning words, but Skullius had ignored most of them in favour of hurrying to the meat of what the

Deities were selling.

'Damn...' he thought.

Some of them really did not hold back.

When it came to both Treasures and Physiques, Skullius had yet to see Void-ranked options, well, at least here in the wider reality. He had a few of them in his Treasury, but most of them had extremely powerful wills, and were difficult to control. The best he could hope for in order to handle them was to assume his War Body, which was likely to be able to suppress these Treasures.

'I wonder if the Void and Pseudo-Void Treasures I have been offered are fitted with aggressive wills too. Well, come to think of it, I should be really be careful about some of them being used to trigger something in me once I get possession of them. I don't really know where these are coming from,' Skullius thought, frowning.

Speaking of Void-ranked Treasures, Skullius immediately considered TITEMIUS' contract

offer.

An Unlimited Contract where each use of his Maximum Jaqquezjaqqz by the Primeval Deity prompted a different set of gifts offered to him.

That was outrageously good!

TITEMIUS' contract was the only one offering genuine Void-ranked items and the Deity seemed mysteriously tapped into Skullius' powerset - previous and current - which made the Hybrid Warmoth quite suspicious.

'I suppose all these Deities can tell where I am and what I'm doing, which is why some of them - through these Revised Entreaties - were berating me for taking so long to beat the Doom Knight,' Skullius thought and cursed. He scrolled over some of the harsher Entreaties. 'Do they have any idea how hard it is to fight a Deity when you've just become Divine? Either most of them don't know or remember what weakness feels like or they are just mocking me for not realising my potential. The latter is a little fair, I didn't see the potential of the [Entropy's Harmonising Nimbus] until it created Second Divine Sinew.'

But be that as it may, Skullius did not appreciate how entitled some of these Primeval Deities were, even if they were offering some interesting sounding Physiques and Treasures.

The Deity to instil the greatest chill in him, was definitely COLMUUN though. The bastard sounded old, shrewd and wicked. A part of Skullius had almost considered just picking his contract in order to not get on his bad side when he read the Entreaty. But then again, D'JORRO was back, promising chaos if Skullius didn't pick him.

JOISEN ANTERRAS, acting quite like a disciplining father, was also back, but Skullius was determined to ignore his contract no matter what he was offering.

To be sure, whatever D'JORRO and JOISEN declared weren't empty threats, but most of these Deities were trying to coerce him into signing their contracts anyway, so the effect became

null after a point.

Still, Skullius considered COLMUUN. He wondered what this 'other' one he mentioned was. Claiming to be second only to AKHASHA was one thing, but adding another person in- between... Skullius wondered just how many bits of subliminal messaging there were in COLMUUN and the other Deities' Entreaties.

'Well, some of these Deities seem to consider my powers outside of Maximum Jaqquezjaqqz.

They all have the resources to do it - the guidance field. Apparently, it keeps records of the skills I cultivated as a mortal too. That or TITEMIUS has been watching me all this time somehow,' Skullius thought.

He wondered if it was possible for the Primeval Deities to keep a constant watch over every

anomaly out there using the guidance field. After all, other than strange types of bearers like the masked man, all other anomalies qualified to have the guidance field - courtesy of the

Voice of Worlds.

It seemed unlikely, but DRADPAS OL'HERT's Entreaty suggested otherwise. The Deity seemed to have devoted a large chunk of their existence to finding thrill through anomalies, but was constantly eluded or rejected by them. He sounded friendly enough, quite like ABBON-RIGGIE and RHEVNA PLUME DOH'WE who seemed rather laidback and... young(?), but Skullius was done using the Entreaties as a measure for a Primeval Deity's friendliness. Each of these Deities could very well be trying to curry his favour with false impressions.

Skullius re-read the contracts again and again.

'There are so many good options, but I suppose I shouldn't take too long on this now that I have opened them all.' He eyed TITEMIUS' contract. He was tempted. Tempted terribly. But... 'VOW told me to avoid making any treaty with TITEMIUS. Damn. This is what happened last time. TITEMIUS' contract was easily the most tempting then, same as now. Damn it! Is he just like JOISEN then? Someone who hides their true selves behind the Entreaty?'

Skullius didn't know what was true or not.

If not TITEMIUS' contract, he was leaning more towards RHEVNA and DRADPAS' contracts

because of their offers for Corrupted Deities. Skullius still wasn't sure how a Corrupted Deity differed from a normal one, but he did understand that there were vessels to be used in

combat.

'Flesh this!' Skullius didn't need to twist himself over this. He operated the guidance field.

[Are you sure you want to use (1) piece of counsel?]

"Yes."

[What would you like to make an enquiry on?]

Skullius took a short breath.

"VOW. Why did you warn me against TITEMIUS? What's so bad about him?" he asked.

[...]