Bro, I'm not an Undead!

Sword Techniques were an integral part of a Swordsman's arsenal. Having a sword technique dictated the level of a sword man in skill, which was what made this very common class, more diverse.

Mana wasn't just a substance used to strengthen one's body but to also strengthen and consolidate the power of weapons.

While Energy Formers were more adept at wielding energies and manipulating them intricately even from a distance, Arma and Form Users were the opposite.

They had the capacity to maximise the use of energies within their bodies while then using powerful effects that could be measured and in range and scope.

For Arma Users like Swordsmen, this pertained to their weapons of choice.

Moulding mana in a different ways that spawned specific techniques that were then refined and passed down through generations was the essence of being a wielder of the sword.

Stylla never forgot her heritage. She never forgot her purpose.

Yet... she always seemed to be behind.

It wasn't by coincidence that she was in Inhone City. Gathering a party in order to clear Clusters was a massively lacking and disingenuous understatement.

When it came to tradition, she took her family seriously and the upcoming event needed her to form a suitable team to participate with.

Unfortunately, because of certain unpredictable elements, she wasn't able to find the time to properly peruse through her options.

Nevertheless, all this didn't matter if she didn't get out of here alive.

For that, her saber blazed with a ferocious stream of heat that instantaneously permeated into the atmosphere and started to make the white leaved trees shrivel and the ground to heat up considerably!

The area 20 meters around her became a scorching, humid hellscape that caused the weaker of the monkeys before her to screech loudly as the skill [Unbroken Saint's Will] failed to save them!

The Tier 3 monkeys continued to clasp their hands together with grimaces as they lunged atop the hot lands, ready to deliver the [Sage's Rebuke]!

Stylla's saber emitted visible, pulsing streams of steam as its colour became red with a loud sound of burning water that roared incessantly!

Stylla looked ahead and mumbled under her breath.

"Elemental Contrast, Steam Glow."

She swiped her sword before her enemies could arrive and with her swing, the power unleashed right then proved that the lady didn't need her opponents to be within close proximity for her to harm them as the steam that rose from her saber turned erect and acted like a solid stream of energy with a faint white glow, powering through like a laser over everything in sight!

One swipe of Steam Glow, pressurised scalding hot steam released from a saber, dissected most her enemies, directly slashing them without mercy despite even the protection afforded by [Indomitable Sage's Will]!

Blood rained over the white grasses as Stylla then bolted forward white the trees that had been included in the attack fell all around her with resounding crashes to the ground!

Her eyes darted towards the lower end of the Mountain. She had lost sight of Skullius for few moments after deciding to using the only sword technique at her disposal and that had shockingly been enough time for the Discount Human to vanish from her sight.

Now all she could see was a bunch of monkeys chasing each other in the distance.

On the other side, Fore had no choice but to resort to something a bit more high end.

As his training in Mind Casting wasn't quite solid, he had no techniques that he had grasped. This was also true for his physical training which hadn't progressed to the part where he would beginning training in techniques as he wanted to start with a strong foundation.

However, this didn't stop the tall man from using something that bolstered his individual properties to a higher level!

Full Body Aura!

An almost blinding light adorned Fore as his curly black hair rose up slightly, his muscles tensing while everything around him leaned back from the sudden surge of power.

A Full Body Aura could be refined to be specific and carry special traits instead of loosely boosting the user's power, but this wasn't something for someone who was barely into the Advancement Stage to know.

Stages unlocked a variety of different traits to users and these could be used regardless of class and mana core, which made Stages a very reliable path to follow!

Fore's figure hunkered down as he dug into the ground with his continued surge in strength!

He then raised a hand and swiped down, an enormous force acting upon the fearful Tier 2 monkeys and the anxious Tier 3 veterans!

Unfortunately for them, their minds were hammered on by the man before them who first cause immense confusion in their minds by exerting the force of his mental faculties onto theirs and then crushing them physically into bloody pools!

Craters formed as each monkey could be seen flattened into bloody pancakes within!

Fore's bet was on the fact that even in the event that the boss popped up, at least he could support Stylla who hadn't resorted to using her Full Body Aura yet as she had a technique to rely on.

A distance from the two, Skullius was bashing monkeys left and right, forcefully removing them from their state of invincibility and then ruthlessly killing them!

Unfortunately, this didn't earn him any experience points, but he wasn't complaining. He had learned a lot already.

If he had opened up his mind to letting even a sliver of Eldris' memories back then, he probably would have become a martial king, but the tension in that moment days ago, was too much for such a lax attitude and mindset.

The Mountain Sage Monkeys continued to poor but when Skullius killed those that were going for his body, he immediately dashed upwards, leading the rest that chased him away!

Going up posed a really big risk because of what Skullius now knew but he couldn't let up. He could just avoid a particular section anyway as he led away the monkeys while passing the time.

VWOOOSH!

A scorching sensation rippled through his body as in an instant, Skullius found his white fur burning intensely!

The pain!

He had forgotten the pain!

He would experience it when he was using [Basic Evil Invasion]!

Bountiful bursts of steam emerged around and Skullius heard screams behind him!

'Oh no!' Skullius exclaimed mentally.

He turned back only to see a lady with curly red hair a distance behind the wailing monkeys that screeched in pain under the engulfing of hot steam!

The lady whipped her saber and then slashed laterally in an elegant yet cruel arc that shot a glowing ray of steam that cut apart everything ahead in instantaneously!

Skullius wasn't fast enough!

He had been caught off guard!

He felt the sizzling sensation of the steam that was sharper than a blade split him cleanly down the middle while rupturing the organs within!

It was only when he felt his lower half detaching that he managed to deactivate [Basic Evil Invasion], a storm of pain already assaulting him!

Skullius felt himself get pulled back a distance away before he finally settled with a different view before him.

He was floating above pristine and clear waters, the sound of colliding liquid bearing a serene and soothing effect.

He was in a large pond surrounded by what looked like lanky, thick white leaved trees that leaned in the direction of the pond.

The vegetation seemed whiter here and for a moment, Skullius relaxed while also taking in the scene of what the trees around him bore.

Purple gems with hints of red swirling within them!

They were Enriching gems!

They hung from small stems in the trees  in abundance, making Skullius' eyes sparkle.

The time he had spent, which was almost two minutes in the body of the Sage Monkey, was made worth it with this.

However, a gripping force of pain barrelled against his head making him gnash his teeth and grunt.

[Your host has died. You have accrued soul damage]

Soul damage!

One of the risks of using [Basic Evil Invasion] as stipulated by the skill description.

This time, Skullius didn't have any deus ex machina like a piece of the soul of the Tower General Sila that had relieved the damage. Even this had its side effects that would come into play, but at least they weren't inherently bad.

As if this wasn't bad enough, Skullius saw a notification that made him grimace.

[Doom Factor 2 has been triggered by damage to the soul. Your mind begins to fracture. 10%]

...!

"Damn it!" Skullius growled. This terrified him.

This could potentially be fatal if he didn't solve it soon!

And yet, the bad news only continued to pile on.

A suffocating aura radiated from afar, bearing with it a unique signature that made every creature on the mountain shudder!

At the very top of the mountain, this presence made itself known as a deep voice crossed the distance while carrying with it a shocking level of power!

"SHA, SUUN!" the voice called, sounding like an ancient language from the depths of legendary society to the humans who heard.

But...

To Skullius who had learned the language of the Mountain Sage Monkeys, he understood what it meant quite well.

"Kneel, ye heathens!"