Chapter 1824 A Job

The group was almost unrecognizable. In the span of a few hours, they had all grown taller and more defined than they were before. Mature, in some way. To an untrained expert, it would have been difficult to think of any of them as mere mortals at a glance.

Timmit, now the tallest out of the bunch, flaunted his wings, completely disregarding the others when his feathers blocked their path or pushed them away. He was the one to transform the most, now looking more like some handsome cross between a stork and a falcon. His beak remained long, but with a subtle curve, and his torso was beefier, his feathers thick and glistening. His wingspan was almost double its previous breadth.

"From the moment I learned that the talent and potential of magical beasts on Aigas were stunted intentionally, I knew… I knew we were better!" he said proudly. His Nitros flared, sharpening around and within every single feather on him.

After his body (and everyone else's bodies) had finally finished adjusting to the parameters on the Tipser Field, he'd felt… free. Unlike the Stars, most of the Troops found it hard to properly express their powers even here within Breaking Chasm #59. Now, it was significantly easier. Mana flourished from them easily, as did the full limits of their physical attributes. It felt glorious.

Gerriey pushed against Timmit's wings with a scowl.

"Knock it off," she hissed.

Skullius thought she was the least recognizable from the bunch. She looked much like Pherdanta now, with the way her face was more defined. Her posture exuded confidence and firmness.

"Boss, what do you think?" said Grim, grinning and dashing left and right in front of Skullius. "Not only do I feel strong, but it's like I can maintain any aspect of my strength for a lot longer now"

Skullius sighed. "I would have given you a good compliment if you were moving about so childishly. It doesn't match your face."

And indeed, it didn't. Grim looked like a wizened, middle-aged man with all the spunk and skin of a bodybuilding twenty-year-old. His white hair was longer, whiter, and smoother. He even spotted a stubble.

"Hey, you're the one who keeps insisting that we be casual with you. Why are you surprised when we do just that? You didn't expect me to become stuck-up just because I have thicker muscle definition, did you?" Grim flexed his swollen biceps.

"He's been annoying since we left the Tipser Field," said Baddan, giving Grim a nasty look.

He was… bigger, bulkier, but not alarmingly so. His fur was long and more luscious, his eyes darker. A lot darker.

"What's wrong with flexing?" said Yuyui, grinning much like Grim and performing unnecessary but excellent somersaults with a Genuine Incarnation she conjured swiftly. "Master, I awakened another eye."

"Did you now?" said Skullius, frowning. It wasn't that he found the news worrying, however.

Yuyui nodded vigorously. She looked much prettier than before. Her lime-green hair flourished, almost glowing, her body taking on a more… womanly shape. Indeed, she looked more mature, but the dim light in her eyes, hinting at a persistent, characteristic knot of idiocy, conflicted with her appearance.

Skullius laughed to himself but then…

"Where's Savast and Kintar?" he asked.

Yuyui grimaced. "Kintar's… having a difficult time right now. She got worse halfway through the uh… Ahem. Savast decided to stay with her."

Skullius sighed. 'That's a problem for later.'

He didn't have the luxury for that, not with everything bearing down on his shoulders.

"I see," he said.

Elita stalked forward. "How did it go? Was this Momem Thyrgga… reasonable?"

Skullius turned to the side, sucked his teeth, and shook his head.

"The auction is only one part of what Thyrgga invited the Stellars here for. It's not an event organized on a whim either. I am preternaturally bound to participate now." He realised he was moving a bit too fast for anyone to understand. "There was a contract to sign in order for me to get the pass to join the whole thing. I'm a registered party. No turning back now."

Uyuniya frowned. "Sounds dangerous. Are you sure about this?"

"That's what that Thyrgga said when I insisted on joining this shady mess." Skullius laughed. "Yes, I am."

"When you say 'registered party', do you mean—"

"Just me. Not any of you," said Skullius to clear Elita's confusion. "I was sure to get that clarified before I signed, luckily. There are conditions to being a part of this. One of them is that I can't leave Breaking Chasm #59 until it's all over. I was sure to ask for your leave."

Elita's face fell. "That's not what I… meant."

Skullius laughed. "I know. I was just trying to steer the conversation towards this subject."

Only Elita would have felt guilty about asking a question that even subtly implied that she cared more about leaving Breaking Chasm #59 and heading towards Zelozeld expeditiously than anything regarding Skullius' own problems.

"So, you did ask Thyrgga for us to leave?"

"That's right," said Skullius, and he almost cringed. He'd made this small request after getting the clarification about who was considered a registered party and signing the contract. Everything that came after that represented the bulk of his stress. "We just need to tell Subossais about it."

Yuyui tilted her head, puzzled. "But doesn't he escort you everywhere? You came back with him, right? You didn't already tell him?"

"Nope. Anyway," said Skullius, smirking, and he crouched to grab and lift Yuyui in both hands. "I have a job for you."

"A j-j-job? What job?" said Yuyui.

Skullius looked up before answering. Prior to meeting Thyrgga, he was wary of the Living Parlor being a spy, but he'd grown to trust that that probably wasn't the case. The Sovereign General didn't need to employ petty tactics like that to know things, it seemed. Still, he was careful with the way he said things.

"Our neighbors are Prime Worlders, like our… old friend," Skullius said, glancing at the door. "The child Deity you saw… that's a natural thing for Prime Worlders. If they are Deities, they can produce children who are Deities as well."

"…What?" said Yuyui, her face melting into a horror-struck expression.

"That's absurd," said Uyuniya, and Elita donned a thoughtful look.

"Yes, but I'm more worried about why they are here, and why they are being treated like guests," said Skullius. "Yuyui, I want you to go talk to them."

"Why me?!"

"Well, you made contact first. The child will recognize you. That's not much to go off of, but it's something to break the ice."

"It's nothing to go off of!"

"I'll go with her." Grim stepped in.

"Absolutely not." Skullius shook his head.

"Why?"

"You look uncanny, suspicious, and assuming."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Grim scowled.

"Means Yuyui looks and acts dumb enough that the neighbors may actually lower their guard and share some information. Canny, unsuspicious and unassuming."

"That's mean!" cried Yuyui, looking down at Baddan and giving him a stink eye.

"We're putting your characteristics to good use," said Skullius, beaming at the lime-haired woman. "And don't worry. I'm not letting you do this alone. Ferex is going with you."

"Ferex?" everyone said in unison. Even the Apostle pointed at himself, surprised.

"That's right," confirmed Skullius. "This is probably the best chance we get to test the limits of your Trait before I put it to actual good use."