Bakura wondered, briefly, if Skulduggery or anyone had actually informed Gene just how many times the thief has actually died, let alone faced it. Possibly not; it doesn't change the actual advice he's about to give, anyway.

Why is he being asked for, and giving, advice.

"There's no amount of preparation or... practical experience... that makes facing your own death easy when it happens. If you assume that there is, but that you just haven't figured it out yet, you're setting yourself up to fail and feel miserable about it. But coming back from dying-- or, almost dying-- that part's not so hard. You just have to make it clear to yourself that you're not done with whatever it is you're living for. It's something bigger than merely 'not being dead', right?"

The last part is added with a smile, because he already knows that it must be. No one can wield power like the Mandarin armor unless they have a very strong will, and be happy or sane with merely survival.