Bro, I'm not an Undead!

Life energy.

A concept that many had grown too used to, to think deeply about.

Life energy was essentially the sustenance for one to continue being alive.

In Aigas, it was a result of the harmony of the powers of Suzamete, the skies, Quintess the lands and Listafelle the seas, contrary to the chaotic aspect of the combination of their energies that formed Clusters.

Simply put, every living organism was born with a vast amount of life energy, with some rare exceptions that would die early existing all over the world. As one grew, its quantity would diminish as it leaked from the body constantly in small amounts, however, its quality grew with age, experience and stimuli like mana core progression, class advancements and Enriching gems.

The result of this qualitative change was natural returns to the body in the form of more strength, a boost in potential, as well as prolonged life.

Still... life energy didn't fully correlate to strength, meaning it couldn't be used as a substitute for true power for long periods.

Yet Actuass knew its ins and outs.

This was thanks to his vast well of experience, as well as his Advanced class which afforded him a very unique <Undeath Concept>.

The skeleton that Actuass summoned stood still for a while with its sockets flaring madly as red flames rose within while emitting a scalding heat.

It opened its mouth to release a burst of unknown energy before its neck creaked, its head turning to Actuass.

A crooked voice came from it, addressing the man.

"Are you truly in that dire of a situation for you to summon me a second time already?"

Actuass' body which was partly engulfed in his green and black smog moved ahead as he then replied.

"At this moment, I don't have the means to go against two legendary treasures. And two Divine Blessings as well, might I add."

"Hmmm. Intriguing," the skeleton said as it turned to Valis and Revia.

Valis sensed the atrocious waves of power emitted by this thing and almost suffocated in fear.

It was monstrous!

He could have sworn that this was the most dangerous presence he had been in his entire life!

The green skeleton's flames began to recede into the skeleton's sockets, becoming only wisps of red as it uttered its final words before changing its disposition and presence entirely.

"Ah.... so you were here all along? Perhaps it won't be so long after all..."

No one in the temple understood what the skeleton meant or even heard it properly as it was just a passing whisper.

The horrifying waves of power it emitted vanished after that, the skeleton that remained having a unique air still but nothing compared to what it had before.

Valis realised this as his heart finally settled, sensing that the obscenely evil thing had departed.

"What kind of foul creature did you summon?!" he barked at Actuass.

The hooded man did not render a response as he merely pointed at the hazy sphere around him which was actually a bright star revolving around him at top speed.

Actuass had already seen through the properties if the [Impenetrable Star Prison]. None of his own attacks would be able to make it out of the prison and he would only get shredded if he tried to move through it. At least right now, that was true. Therefore...

"Break it," he commanded the now mute skeleton which mechanically moved forward and touched the hazy sphere, red sparks and rough scratching noises being emitted at the point of contact to the point where they looked like a sparky fire!

In that moment, the atmosphere changed vastly, as while the skeleton attempted to rupture that prison around it and Actuass, a figure seamlessly entered the [Impenetrable Star Prison] while everything around looked to be completely still!

It was Revia!

She had analysed enough.

Now was the time to discard all unnecessary thoughts and simply attack without remorse!

Within her scabbard, a silver katana with golden markings on its surface silently shot out as she then immediately swiped it at Actuass' neck from behind!

The figures of Actuass, the green skeleton and even Valis stood completely still with obscure reflections of themselves rising from their bodies like distorted souls in this image where only the Paladin Champion moved!

Her blade spoke no ill against the air as it cut apart anything in its way, reaching Actuass' neck without a hitch!

However...

MBING!

A loud crash sounded as the windows in the entire temple shattered, the entire building emitting a low rumble of vibration from the impact that ensured between a legendary steel sword and... bone?

The katana had struck the green bone from the skeleton which had shocking switched places with Actuass!

Revia's eyes remained firm even as she wondered what was going on.

Actuass had escaped the entrapment of the star as when he appeared before the sparky clash that had been happening between the star from Valis' staff and his skeleton milliseconds ago, he had squeezed through at the weak point that had been created!

He immediately dashed back after his escape, his hazel eye glowing through the eye hole of the mask, showing nothing but calm!

The skeleton also didn't wait as it dashed forward, knocking against the [Impenetrable Star Prison] with a burst of sparks before exiting it and bulleting forward at an exceedingly quicker speed than Actuass!

Soon, it was out of the temple, while Actuass stood in the space that divided the benches.

He knew that one of the top five Paladin Champions would definitely have been given a legendary weapon to defend herself and a High Order Priest would naturally carry the symbol of their Order, which was the staff that Valis wielded in this case.

This information had been fed to him by his new allies who knew their archenemies best, which, as a strategy, had worked like a charm.

In response, he brought a counter. A semi-organic item with hints of sentience which was of a vastly superior rarity.

The green skeleton.

Truthfully, it wasn't his and he could only use it thrice with this being his second use.

Actuass stretched out his hand to the side, an arching green ring of strange runes that quivered incessantly appearing on the floor.

"Let's start with some basic necromancy," he said as green energy gushed from the middle of these circular runes that looked like a deep and dark pit.

All of a sudden, as if intent on cutting off the proceedings to his flow, the continuous thrums of a heartbeat were heard through the temple, echoing in a rather unsettling fashion.

BA-DUM! BA-DUM! BA-DUM!

The sound emanated from Revia whose eyes had never left Actuass up to this point.

She hadn't lost sight of him at all. She didn't let the green skeleton distract her from her real enemy. Since he was close, she matched his flow, not being too fast in her approaches so as to critically dissect what his intent was.

It was only now that she decided to use an ample portion of her strength, unleashing her Divine Blessing!

The thrums of heartbeats became stronger and stronger until

flakes and dust fell to the floor from the temple.

'She's getting serious...' he thought, a hint of amusement hidden deep in his mental voice.