Bro, I'm not an Undead!

[Critical Jackpot]!

Vicious mana shot through the Gremlin's long arm, reaching Red Rage's chest quickly before he could use any skill that could help him mitigate the impeding damage!

However, there was a huge problem when considering this.

Both Red Rage and Skullius had never seen a Special skill in action. Or rather Skullius had but without knowing what it was because of the identity of the individual who cast it.

One wouldn't ask many questions when seeing an expert of transcendent skill that far eclipses their own do their thing, but seeing someone closer to the expertise and level they had doing something so shocking, one would demand full attention and ask questions.

Skullius and Red Rage thought it would be the same high show of power that peak normal skills could carry but...

This was different.

As Jackpot's fist touched Skullius' chest, Skullius witnessed the entire background behind his Apostle... turn to dust!

Then a turbulent hurricane followed, with a shockwave that smacked Skullius a few tens of meters away grabbing the baton!

The cave wall was decimated under the pressure from one punch that struck one Pelvis Boar-Man!

The two challengers of the Cluster wouldn't know but [Critical Jackpot] was a skill that forced luck to become an energy value that could be used and weaved with mana compatibly to create a powerful attack that strike the user's body, soul and foundation!

Truly a special skill as this wasn't something anyone in Aigas could do unless they had transcended humanity or gotten a blessing.

In the midst of this chaos, the shocking image of Red Rage's state was revealed.

His entire left side was gone, armour, bone and all.

The hit just so happened to shatter his mana core as well, as only a quarter of it remained, floating within his body while still attached to the Apostle.

The Pelvis Boar-Man's sockets flickered and he snapped in two from the barely hanging spine that was now revealed after the armour he had been given by the blacksmith in Namu Village had failed to last against the horrendous skill.

"RED BROOOOO!" Skullius roared as he saw his Apostle fall!

Even as he was tens of meters away, the raging storms that had not ceased after [Critical Jackpot] was cast, he didn't fail to see Red Rage's figure.

He tried to stand but his leg which had been poisoned, his cosmetic flesh reacting violently to the vile substance, didn't allow him to move all that well or fast.

He crawled as he called, "Hang on, Red bro! I'm coming!"

One hand pulled, dragging his body forward then the other hand.

Skullius' eyes didn't leave Red bro's figure, as when he looked, a deep sensation that transcended Life and Death crawled within him.

Not within his cosmetic flesh.

Not even within the guidance field that helped him, but within his soul.

An aching that caused him to gnash his teeth until they cracked and bled as he focused on Red Rage, ensued!

Even as a large pit where rainbow-like swirls of light that caused his mana core to shudder and sink further within him appeared on the other side of the destroyed wall, tearing apart the insides of the cave, he adjusted his sight to face Red Rage while dragging himself!

In the heat of this desperate moment, Skullius' vision warped as the hard and dusty cave with twisted trees at its periphery transformed into a snowy patch where a harsh, cold wind blasted against his face.

Cold?

A feeling that Skullius didn't remember brushed harshly against his cheek.

But his soul remembered.

It remembered that day.

His fractured mind greedily drew comparisons.

Where Red Rage was laid, the naked figure of a girl who was pale, almost blue, hugging herself while resting in the thick snow and tranquillity of the unknown beyond could be caught in his sight!

Skullius' eyes could barely open wide because of the harsh wind but when he saw this figure, his vision shattered like glass as what he saw next was a block of ice behind which he was imprisoned, a green coloured skeleton with red flames caressing the ice between him and it while cackling malevolently!

...!

A searing pain stormed against Skullius mind and he grunted in pain while clutching his head.

The vivid images of the snowy field with the pale girl in the cold roiled like static and unclear showers in his mind amid the excruciating pain that was akin to his mind close to bursting.

Yet...

A few words squeaked out of his mouth as his demeanour changed. An exaggerated smile appeared on his face, the sadness it held being visible to anyone who could categorise themselves as human.

"I don't regret it. I won't regret. You got what you deserved... you got what you deserved..."

His eyes still saw the girl, focusing on her face as he said these words with a hateful yet partly guilty gaze.

Then, as if it was all a lie, Skullius' vision blurred and he was back to the nightmare in the Cluster where Jackpot was now standing between him and his view of Red Rage.

"..."

No words escaped Skullius' mouth anymore.

Only a tear trickled down his cheek.

He didn't even know it, but as he clutched his head, he sniffled a little before his mind pushed his thoughts back to Red Rage.

"RED BRO! HANG ON!" Skullius yelled as he glared at the gremlin which guffawed, completely ignoring the terrifying light show outside the cave that dragged in and ate the gems, the trees and all.

Skullius saw this and his sense of urgency increased.

His new discovery which had been accompanied by a surprised 'Oh' earlier, had now been rendered useless for now as the Null Devil's Aegis of Damnation was a few meters to his right, too far to reach by crawling.

'What now? Will Red Rage last?' Skullius thought in panic. He could tell that Red Rage was fading fast through his mental link to the Apostle.

He had to get to him and try every conceivable way to save his Null Life.

Jackpot raised his large arm, relishing in Skullius' helpless.

Only the Deities knew how much time this gremlin had spent in this place. Creating order, wandering in utter boredom as there was nothing new to see in this limited space.

Yet... a crack that promised freedom had appeared, Jackpot and his gremlins instinctively feeling the urge to wait for its fullness as something grand would be offered then!

This was it.

On top of that, he got to experience what swatting something else that wasn't another gremlin felt like!

As he prepared to squash Skullius, he saw the Discount Human start to crawl away.

He used his arms as he dragged himself towards a dark armour that had long chains draping on the ground.

"KIKIKIKIKIKI!" Jackpot laughed as he 'chased' Skullius in slow steps, not wanting the moment to end.

Why was it so enjoyable to watch this little thing struggle?

Who cared?!

With a grin of glee, Jackpot followed behind Skullius, almost skipping in his steps when...

The Discount Human suddenly moved at a rather quick speed as with one leap-like movement that let him reach the long chain from the Null Devil's Aegis of Damnation, he gained a bit more confidence.

"Hmmm?" Jackpot looked at Skullius confused.

The Discount Human wore a vicious gaze as he glared at Jackpot, pulling the large armour by the chain to himself as at the moment the armour reached him, the long chains grew alive clanging in rage!