Bro, I'm not an Undead!

Technically two days ago...

"Ahh....it's finally time, Red bro," Skullius said with a delighted voice as his four burning sockets gazed at the corpse of the Devouring Lantern Alpha Wolf that he had killed.

He had just pulled it out from his spatial storage ring and now, he could attempt to smile as the prospect of having another useful Apostle to fill the gaping loneliness that threatened to swall- ahem, another Apostle to fight for him.

Seeing the split head of the creature and its unimpressive stance as it laid down in the pathetic stillness of death made him really wonder if something like this had truly happened to him before.

He wasn't the idiot he had been before. He now knew that at some point, he had lived and died.

"Let's get to it then. I really hope that time passed is not a problem..." Skullius said with a hint of anxiety in his voice.

"TOMATO FLINGER! WHAT HERETIC TREACHERY ARE YOU ABOUT TO CONDUCT NOW?! I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS! I WILL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT I AM NOT OFFICIALLY COLLUDING WITH YOU IN YOUR UNDEATH PROSPEC-"

"Be quiet, will you?!" Skullius roared. This bastard just had to ruin this touching moment.

"For the last time, I'm not an undead! I'm about to fulfill a goal I've had for weeks now and if you don't mind, I'd like my peace!"

"HMMM..." Sila hummed before resorting to watching the ordeal in silence lest he get pushed back into his silent corner of Skullius' soul.

Skullius sighed. Or at least tried to. His double life led to him trying things in his Penetrator form that were only possible in his Discount Human form.

The Penetrator extended his bony hand towards the corpse with hope, excitement and just a little bit of apprehension.

'Please let this go my way!' he thought. It wouldn't hurt to hope. After all, if wishes were milk carts, the skeletons would drink.

Skullius focused on the dead wolf and finally said the thing.

"Riiiiiiiiise, Second Bro...." a solemn voice flowed out of the Penetrator as he spoke with as much majesty as he could conjure. He had to at least live up to the Vehement Bone Nullmancer's potential hype.

While speaking this phrase that would later be used for each of the coming Apostles, he activated [Apostle Summon] at the same time and just like the very first time he used the skill, mana rushed out his hand and his vision trailed along with it!

The internal structure of the Devouring Lantern Alpha Wolf became clear in the Penetrator's vision and he felt Null Life Essence wash over the creature in a rather concentrated form that he didn't normally get to feel even with [Unbound].

He felt the bones of the creature quiver as a spark of flame raged within it, making it rise!

The bones shed from the flesh, much like with undeath, but they retained a sort of sanctity about them as they appeared spotless.

Skullius' vision returned to his body and he watched the skeletal structure of the large beast that had given him quite the bit of trouble stand, in its sockets a blue flame shimmering with intensity!

"TOMATO FLINGER! THIS..."

"Not now you bastard! Oh, that's right, I can shut you up!" Skullius said as he immediately blocked off Sila from further interrupting his mood and this moment.

It would take time until the piece of soul was used to his abilities, worse yet the guidance field.

[Congratulations! You have summoned your second Apostle!]

[A high quality carcass has been detected. Medium chance bonuses related to evolution options and original skill retention apply]

[Would you like to name your Apostle?]

Skullius looked at the bony body of the creature in relief before anything else.

No problems there.

He then paid attention to the second notification that held information he hadn't seen before.

"Bonuses huh? Red Rage gained the blessing for being my first... first Apostle...that sounds better. This guy... I guess being Tier 5 differs from how you were," Skullius said, saying that last sentence while looking at the Pelvis Boar-Man.

Looking at the wolf now though, it no longer had any fancy features; the horns that had been on its shoulders, the metallic tail and all which seemed a little... demotivating.

Was the high quality really because of the Tier or was it because it had been summoned from an unknown dimension?

Or maybe it was because it was a special breed of some kind?

This was left in the air for now.

As the Penetrator looked at the creature's status, he deflated. He came to a realisation that had been obvious from the start but difficult to actually pinpoint when the one case study he had, had been low levelled to begin with.

"All the creatures I use to create my Apostle are taken back to Tier 0, huh? It makes sense I guess..." Skullius said as he tried to lift his spirits up.

If these creatures had to be modified with Null type abilities, it made sense for there to be a reset but the second notification alluded to the possibility of regaining their previous abilities.

Red Rage had retained some of his abilities which he never used, probably a perk from being the first Apostle while this one...

"Oh. It seems you gained some of your past abilities. I think I recognise this [Lanterns of the Pure] skill. Good for you bro..." Skullius said to the now officially named, Null Lifeform Bone Wolf which simply stared at him.

"Now... for the good stuff..." Skullius said as he went on to pump this new sucker with the Experience he had saved to raised it to Tier 1 immediately!

The Bone Wolf trembled as its sockets flared with mad blue flames as notification prompts began to appear before Skullius!

[Apostle '...' has broken past many hurdles and reached LV10. Apostle '...' is now able to evolve into the First Tier of power. Do you accept?]

"Yep!"

[Bonuses apply! Higher quality evolutions are added]

[Loading possible evolution options for 'Null Lifeform (Bone Wolf)'...]

[Possible evolution options for Tier 1:...]

"Hit me!" Skullius excitedly yelled.

~~~

[Six-legged Flash Dipper]

A powerful Bone variant whose main strength lies in speed and spatial travel. The Flash Dipper has a powerful body equipped with two additional limbs that help in generating more speed with its acceleration. The single most interesting facet of its body however, is the Null core within it, connected to its magic core, an item which gives the Flash Dipper the ability to traverse the countless dimensions of the 'Null Verse'. The Flash Dipper has abysmal levels of raw strength as such things need to be supplemented with mutations. The bulk of its selling point lies in beating opponents with speed and potentially acquiring temporary unique abilities from the countless dimensions it can travel to.

(Due to its unique powers, the Six-legged Flash Dipper has inherited a flaw to balance its existence among the natives of different worlds.

The Six-Legged Flash Dipper MUST be claimed and detained indefinitely by a random dimension as a penalty for having the ability to freely traverse the Null Verse.

___

<Stats>

+2000 Mana

+150 Strength

+4550 Agility

+640 Health

+70 Intelligence

<Skills>

-Sonic Rush

-Dimensional Dip

-Unstoppable Charge

-Dimensional Haul Licence

-Dimensional Trailer: Forced Awakening

If you choose this race, you will have multiple evolution choices within this series all the way up to "&#%^!".

-The retained skill [Lanterns of the Pure] will be edited accordingly.

-Possibility of gaining a random mutation in the next evolutions.

---

[Blood-Risen Emperor's Keeper]

A very special bone variant that was created by the Blood-Risen Emperor to safeguard his most favoured Treasure Castle. The Blood-Risen Emperor's Keeper has a vicious temperament, only being loyal to its master and no one else, as it will attack anyone if not disallowed from doing so. This bone variant has a rather bulky size which offers it absurd strength and the extraordinary ability to split, forming functional doubles whenever it sustains heavy damage. The Blood-Risen Emperor's Keeper's doubles have a 10% chance of obtaining different racial evolution traits of other beasts in the Null Demon family upon and during their manifestation as their number cap at 3 at the current level. All the doubles will possess enormous strength as the original but just like the original, they are weaker in terms of all else.

(Due to its unique powers, the Blood-Risen Emperor's Keeper has inherited a flaw to balance its existence among the natives of different worlds.

The Blood-Risen Emperor's Keeper is UNABLE to manifest full loyalty to the Nullmancer as it is most loyal to the Blood-Risen Emperor. The effect of favourability is thereby inapplicable to this entity as well as the benefits that come with it.)

-

<Stats>

+1200 Mana

+4365 Strength

+100 Agility

+2000 Health

+40 Intelligence

<Skills>

-Unlimited Awakening: Double Assimilation

-Hulk Out

-Continental Howl

-Blood-Risen Rage: Unbound Might

-Null Fortress

If you choose this race, you will have multiple evolution choices within this series all the way up to "&#%^!".

-The retained skill [Lanterns of the Pure] will be edited accordingly.

-Possibility of obtaining the Blood-Risen Emperor's forbidden treasures in future evolutions.

---

[Limitless Body Null Demon Hound]

An exceptionally unique bone variant that has an astonishing level of creativity both in mind and body. The Limitless Body Null Demon Hound has the natural ability to produce malleable Null Life Essence materials known as Unliving Threads that are unbound by any restriction in terms of what they can create, the only limit being its current level of power. By extension, the Demon Hound can also manipulate its bone body as it pleases, the extent of this ability being limited to size regulation and preferred natural form shaping. In terms of physicality, the Demon Hound has balanced stats which lean more towards intelligence and mana as with the right motivation, this bone variant knows no bounds.

(Due to its unique powers, the Limitless Body Null Demon Hound has inherited a flaw to balance its existence among the natives of different worlds.

The Limitless Body Null Demon Hound MUST be RESET immediately after any confrontation or else it will forcefully evolve into the world-ending Null Terror, the Full Deck BoneTender. You have been WARNED.)

-

<Stats>

+3400 Mana

+220 Strength

+190 Agility

+590 Health

+400 Intelligence

<Skills>

-Limitless Self-Forging

-Amorphous Sampling

-GENIUS!

-Demon Thread Weaving

If you choose this race, you will have multiple evolution choices within this series all the way up to "&#%^!"

-The retained skill [Lanterns of the Pure] will be edited accordingly.

-Possibility of gaining a new type of thread with every evolution.

~~~

"..."

Wow.

Skullius was speechless for a moment.

These options.

"What's with these options?!" the Penetrator held his head as a choice, was really going to be atrociously difficult with these.