Bro, I'm not an Undead!

18 hours ago.

Blue flames surged with strength as they blazed, ignited within the sockets of the Fulgurant Bone Penetrator.

Traces of an element akin to lightning ran over the dark blue skeletal body of the Null Life spawned entity as clarity returned to his vision.

Notification prompts vanished from his sight as they signified that he had only now just had the [Flesh It Like You Mean It] skill time out, which was a very fortunate thing it seemed, as he had 'unconscious' before this.

The first thing Skullius saw was Red Rage, seated nude beside him.

The Pelvis Boar-Man's armour was laid by the side, looking to be nothing more than molten and cooled chunks.

Even over Red Rage's body, Skullius could see dark patches over his silvery bones, a testament to the damage he had received.

The Apostle leaned in and patted Skullius' shoulder.

This gesture made Skullius' socket flames flare with emotion as he recalled that his fate had been about to devolve into atrocity.

Somanda.

"That sockethole..." Skullius said in the deep voice of his Penetrator form that contrasted the one from his Discount Human form.

Red Rage sent comforting thoughts to his master as he saw his lingering distress but Skullius immediately stopped the Apostle.

He grabbed the Pelvis Boar-Man's shoulder just like he had done.

"It's alright, Red bro. I'm fine. I don't know how that bastard came here but... believe me, I'm doing better than you think. Besides it was only thanks to you that I managed to come out on top," Skullius said.

'That and... a strange twist of Direction.'

It was true.

Skullius had been frozen stiff when the Arch-Lich spread his hand to grab onto him but Red Rage coming between him and such a terrible foe had rejuvenated his courage.

Perhaps the term Apostle wasn't a stand-in but one having a meaning yet to be revealed.

Red Rage's own socket flames flared wildly as the Apostle gave Skullius a thumbs up.

Skullius... raised his hand and gave one back to the Pelvis Boar-Man.

The fearless bastard had earned it.

"How did you survive that attack anyway?" Skullius asked.

That dark flame had one shot the masked man who looked to be stronger than all of them combined at that time but Red Rage had survived it with minimal damage.

Skullius received his mental response.

"Oh. You used all of yours and my reserves of Null Life Essence to wrap around you? Hmm. I really need to learn how to use this stuff," Skullius said.

It was no surprise that Red Rage could use his reserves of Null Life Essence too as back then in the Tremur when he transferred his Exp, it became abundantly clear that he and the Apostle were closely linked.

Skullius was glad that such a thing, was a thing.

He had a bro to count every time.

As for why Skullius said he truly was fine.

He really was.

Naturally he had been terrified then and was apprehensive of the consequences of that encounter with Somanda but he felt good.

Because he had gotten a win over the Arch-Lich!

After learning that his thoughts of Somanda being a simple Lich when he was in Deadmanland were wrong through Serenity, Skullius hadn't been sure on how to proceed with saving himself.

How to deal with Doom Factor 2 specifically.

Was beating Somanda something he could do?

Could he even grow to such an extent?

Was he even smart enough to concoct an adequate plan for it?

These thoughts had plagued the Penetrator but after attaining one small victory... he felt confidence.

At least a semblance of it.

He didn't get an inflated skull because of this, but the esteem and morale did wonders for him.

Furthermore...

"My soul," he said to himself. "At least I now know what it looks like. That talk about me being patched up and having different colours... I thought Somanda was just trying to insult me but... it turned out to be true."

The Penetrator had seen his soul in that moment when Somanda pulled it out.

Seen was a bad word actually.

He experienced it.

Because he had been in the [Perfect Night Domain] purely constructed through his Projected Form and not a skill, he had been aware of everything happening within it. Most things at least, barring Somanda.

Its state left Skullius flabbergasted.

It was patched up with gold and purple, the purple being more evident.

The cracks over its glowing stature were extensive and as Skullius thought of this, he pulled up his status, and saw what he dreaded the most.

"40%... Doom Factor 2.." he mumbled with a solemn voice.

He didn't know what this entailed yet as he felt fine for now but... he knew it was going to be an unforgiving son of a...

Hmmm, he couldn't finish the thought.

"Let's focus on something else," Skullius thought. "Can I view the status for my Discount Human form?"

As he stated this, his status shifted to the Discount Human's, showing all the stats, oddities and even things like the core colour.

"Oh. This doesn't show when I use my guidance field in my human form. Hmm, is it because my Penetrator form has evolved and my Discount Human form is still at the Foundation Stage?"

It was an interesting thought.

Without getting an answer, Skullius checked what he had intended after scrolling through everything on the status.

~~~

[ Name : Festos Dawn ]

[ Level : 10 ]

[ Experience : 0/800,000; <Trial Pending> ]

[ Class : Insurgent Magnus ]

[ Race : Discount Human ]

[ Inv. Status : Still doomed ×2, Cursed ]

-------

[ Stats ]

[ Strength : 345 ]

[Agility : 225 ]

[ Intelligence : 70 ]

[ Endurance : 265 ]

[ Luck : Atrocious? ]

-----

[ Health : 625/625 ]

-----

[ Mana : 540/540+(250) ]

-----

[ Null Life Essence : 0/6000 ]

------

[ Skills ]

[ Elevated Mana Manipulation | Lv.21 ]

[ Greater Communication (I) | Lv.7 ]

[ Flesh It Like You Mean It | Lv.9 ]

[ Revenant Flames of Ecstasy | Lv.4 ]

[ Artless Dodger | Lv.2 ]

[ Manassault | Lv.1 ]

[ Null Extraction ]

[ Guard Light | Lv.3 ]

[ Mana Force | Lv.2 ]

[ Flash Flicker | Lv.3 ]

[ Raw Impact | Lv.4 ]

[ Great Rush (I) | Lv.5 ]

[ Untouched | Lv.2 ]

[ Basic Combat Arts | Lv.5 ]

[ Swindling Death Dance (Incomplete) ]

[<Class>]

[ Advanced Evil Weaving | Lv.11 ]

[ Advanced Evil Production | Lv.13 ]

[ Basic Evil Invasion | Lv.2 ]

[ Basic Evil Sanction (Special) | Lv.1 ]

[ Basic Light Production | Lv.4 ]

[ Crude World Projection ]

[ Bead of Malevolence | Lv. 3 ]

[ Perfect Night Domain | Lv. 4 ]

[<Arts>]

[ Pseudo Evil Veneration (1%) ]

[<Oddities>]

[ Luminant Seed (Dormant) ]

[ Binds of Fukal ]

[ Fruit of World Myths ]

----

[<Affinities>]

[ Evil Darkness - B ]

[ Just Light ]

~~~

Quite the bit of growth but it was still weak compared to his current strength as the Penetrator.

Skullius wanted to revel in the fact that he was now level 10 and a step closer towards the Advancement Stage though.

After the Tasks came a Trial or in some instances known as a Challenge that decided whether or not he would be entering the next stage according to Frock.

The name itself depicted a level of difficulty above Tasks, but Skullius wasn't focused on that.

All he thought about was how he would be able to use his own Full Body Aura soon!

Tktktktkt!

Skullius dispelled the tension before with a laugh as he focused on the aspect of the status.

Then...

"This is... a joke...right?" Skullius said with his sockets dimming to become mere dots of blue light.

No way.

How was this even fair?!!

~~~

Exp: 0/800,000

First Trial:

Find a LIVING subordinate from any of three dominant races in Aigas, who will be bound to your service, to help you without question, without proposed benefits to them asides from that you will. One who will commit to your demands for their lifetime until you release them from service.

...