Bro, I'm not an Undead!

That was indeed quite the question. Skullius didn't have an immediate response for it because he too had never really questioned it. Perhaps it was because deep down, there were several reasons he considered which erased the whole point of Ashema's question.

The degree of freedom given just by the ridding of costs to the activation of abilities would no doubt lead to the emergence of stronger combatants; the possible removal of limitations in magical treatments and perhaps the evolution of its entire system; greater ambition and achievements in travel and geographical as well as interdimensional discovery; broader definitions of the ceiling of most concepts, and all this was just a macro assessment.

However…

On the flip side, all this had negative connotations, of course, inspired by the fact that there was a yin to every yang. Where some men saw possibilities of collective betterment, others saw possibilities for personal gain especially at the cost of others. The broadening of ambition, especially when tied to stronger experts would cause chaos, emboldened thieves and psychopaths rising with the same ideology of grander scopes.

Worse yet, what kind of Cluster beasts would be born if such a thing were to happen?

Skullius could only imagine how strong Cluster beasts like the Bookworms, Jackpot – the lucky gremlin – or Hobby Gobbu would be if he didn't have limits for mana usage since birth. His course of training to be strong would have been ridiculous up until he reached the timeline where they fought.

Intelligent Cluster beasts would be just as strong as the peak of sentient life in Aigas and if they ever got out…

'Maybe if Aigas began like that, with there being no such thing as a cost for activating a technique, things would have been the same. But, wait no. Aigas; if this world remained the same, it wouldn't be able to contain what was born, especially if those bastards Quintess and Listafelle still leave…' Skullius sighed.

"Does the Under have Clusters?" the Hybrid Luman asked Ashema.

"What?"

"They are these pocket worlds created when the energies of the Deities clash and form living things that live under accelerated time until their world breaches into reality. Do you have those down there?"

Ashema tilted his head with his eye on Skullius, and then he nodded.

"I see. I might have seen such things in that place. What did you call it? Fine heart? No. We don't have such things," Ashema said.

"I thought so. Creating such a concept – costless casting – is easier when the world within which it is being introduced isn't complex. I imagine that the Under is more like a small, united society rather than multiple sects, dialects, and races wrapped up in multiple sects, dialects, and races. You said something about Boron having banished violence down there, right? You guys have full faith in him, and he seems to actively participate in your lives. Well, both of these things don't apply to Aigas."

Ashema laughed. He laughed so hard it shook the ground.

There was a look of vindication in his eye.

"I expected someone here to challenge what I and my kind believe, but it seems you have doubts about your own Deities," he said. "They made an imperfect world despite them having three times the might Lord Boron has."

Skullius wore a scowl.

"I have allegiance to none of them, and this body doesn't have a single print made by any of them," he said sharply. "I despise just as much as your kind."

"I see…" Ashema cackled.

He was glad to see a greater reaction from Skullius. Funny enough, he had achieved this all with words.

Skullius relaxed his face.

After a few seconds of thought, he turned his head to the Preeminent Attegoth glowing majestically in the distance.

Despite everything he thought, he did wonder…

'This costless activation… Could there be a way for me to use my abilities without the need for mana or Null Life Essence? Hmmm. It seems something like that can only be achieved through a Deity. Boron can do it.'

An odd thought trickled into Skullius' considerations.

From what he had learned from Erlton, it seemed Boron was coming to the surface soon, and that couldn't be avoided.

'Could I make a deal with Boron? Offer fealty?' he thought.

Hell, no.

Besides, Boron likely didn't like any of the surface dwellers any better than his creations.

Skullius would have thought to broker a deal with Luserus instead, but he doubted Boron and Luserus were in the same league. Worse yet, he had already discovered that Luserus was incapable of breaking the Rules of this world.

'Perhaps there's another way.'

"In any case…" Ashema interrupted his rapid thoughts through the Omniscient Thought Cracker. "...I would like to know. What is it with the creatures here? What are these long-eared fellows? What were your…the Deities thinking with such atrocious designs?"

Skullius raised a brow.

"You know, I had thought were capable of reading minds with the way you declared you didn't need me alive to know what you needed to know," he said.

"I wasn't lying. All blood contains more than a tangy, metallic taste and bits of potential. It carries memories. Unfortunately, I've long become desensitized to the taste of weaker blood. Even the blood of some of your most powerful warriors is so bland to me that I can barely feel it speak to my tongue. But you, that young human on the boat and that old fossil. Yes, your blood could thrill and enlighten me…"

"That's disgusting," Skullius said. Deep within, he mulled on the fact that Ashema's opinion on the Ode and the had was similar to his.

"It's perfectly natural," the creature said. "Will you tell me about that or not?"

Skullius sighed and gave the bastard a summary of Aigas and the continents.

"They call that creativity? A race with long ears and one that's… big?" Ashema kicked his feet laughing.

Skullius merely watched him blankly before he felt the quirky laugh grow old way too fast.

"Enough," he said. "I get how your blood powers work, but what about the darkness? This isn't some ordinary power since it somehow intertwines with mine."

And there it was. Both Ashema and Skullius had been curious about this, but it had been obvious that Skullius had more reason to ask first.

"About that…" the dark, horned creature began.