Bro, I'm not an Undead!

The man in the bulky armour raised a brow as he felt Skullius gather up his mana to strengthen his body.

A thin layer of it surrounded him with quite the excellent level of distribution as he crookedly stood up with his grin still showing, his eyes gazing intensely at his opponent.

"That's quite the fine mana coat. I'm impressed. But that's not enough," the man said as he increased his output of mana which forced Skullius back on his knee.

The Discount Human before him was really finding it difficult to even stand.

'What's the point of trying so hard when I have already told him that I won't be giving him his license?' he thought. 'I'm even doing him a favour.'

After a short few moments, the man saw Skullius rise up again, this time with a look of intense focus as he...

Pointed at him?

Skullius' index finger jutted out from his hand as he pointed at the bulky man, his grin no longer visible.

The look in his eyes had changed.

A faint white glow whirled as something the burly man didn't understand manifested on Skullius' index finger!

A small, round sphere of darkness.

The sphere quivered on the tip of Skullius' finger, its deep black colour causing the burly man to narrow his eyes with just a hint of caution.

'What is that? Some kind of skill?' he thought. Ultimately, he wasn't too worried as at most, it was just a powerful normal skill which he was probably invulnerable against.

The small sphere, which was the size of an eyeball started to spin as Skullius funnelled his full focus into it!

Naturally, because it was so dark that it didn't reflect light, it was impossible to tell but light bursts of hot air that revolved around showed that it was spinning at a ridiculous speed!

Skullius wore a satisfied smile as his mana raged within, already preparing for future moves.

'That should be enough,' he thought.

Then, he released it.

The burly man was wondering what was going on when...

WHAM!

A staggering force pummeled his armour, lifting him off his feet with a powerful shockwave rushing through his body!

'THE HELL?!'

The man's eyes almost popped out of his sockets as he saw the eyeball sized dark sphere spinning against his armour while releasing a series of sparks with its collision against his chest plate!

His armour wasn't damaged but what shocked him was that he didn't even see the sphere move from Skullius' finger to his chest!

On the other side, Skullius disappointedly clicked his tongue as he thought that this was enough to at least it knock the burly man over.

He had condensed [Evil Darkness] into a ball and launched it at the man, a trick he had been practising for a few hours a night since he had taken an in interest in it after the fight with Jackpot.

He had learnt it in his last ditch attempt at surviving, while the Fruit of World Myths projected him with [Crude World Projection] in the strange world of black, white and grey.

Condensing darkness, forming it into a ball and launching at his enemy.

He had liked the simple concept as it became an attack he wanted to master.

Now, he had mastered it to a considerable degree, but it was nowhere near as fast as it was when he used it with [Crude World Projection].

This wasn't his only plan though.

'Alright then. Let's get on with the next.'

At this time, the burly man had settled on the ground with his feet, looking curiously at the ball of darkness that was finally losing its spin. He reached his finger to touch it but then...

WHOOSH!

It suddenly lost its solid shape and became a cloud that covered his body!

...!

A rigid force restricted his movements instantaneously, with the man being trapped in the darkness from which he couldn't see anything!

A hint of panic caught him as he wasn't familiar with something like this!

His mana surged as he strengthened his body and forced himself to move!

His legs stomped forward as he exerted his strength over the hold of this darkness, though strenuously.

'What in the world is this?! Is it some kind of forbidden art? Illusion?! No! Or is it...'

The man was just about to exit the layer of darkness when a brilliant light with a shocking speed and power pierced through the air with a goose bump inducing whistle!

The burly man was momentarily blinded as while his movements were still downgraded by the cloud of darkness he was close to escaping, a force several times stronger than the one from the ball of darkness smashed into his upper chest!

This time, the man was launched back, his body flying as it returned to the cloud of darkness! His armour produced a sizzling sound as it was heated and slightly dented!

Before he could pierce through the darkness in his flight from the impact, he felt something wrap around his arm and pull him back!

The darkness which had only covered his body before exploded in quantity, but he couldn't see it or feel it!

He was dazed and lost in thought.

The moment he touched the ground, his natural instincts warned him of possible danger as he then immediately whipped his hand forward, swiping to the side a sword that had been slicing through the darkness, aiming towards his neck!

His body brimmed with mana as he grinned, finally taking this seriously!

With his mana racing through his body furiously, the restricting effect of the darkness couldn't bind him anymore and he flashed forward, even without the ability to see, pushing his palm ahead with a controlled force of power!

PAA!

The open palm met leather as the individual donning it was pushed back at bullet speed from the darkness!

The burly man followed as with a single step, he zoomed and appeared out of the thick cloud of darkness just in time to watch Skullius knock against the wall on the other side of the room!

After a crisp echo of collision with the wall, the Discount Human slid down to the floor.

"Hah~" he sighed as he looked ahead of him, a sword in hand. He was pretty disappointed.

"Hahaha!" the burly man laughed while shaking his head. He looked back at the darkness behind him that began to dissipate.

Fascinating!

Intriguing!

As he saw the disappointed look on Skullius' face, he couldn't help but feel even more jovial!

"Why didn't you say it from the start boy?!" he roared with a zealous intensity while walking up to Skullius, pride oozing from him.

Skullius stood up. What he had intended to happen from the beginning had fortunately ended up happening anyway.

Though now, he had probably blown what he intended to do before hearing the demeaning words of this man at the start out of proportions with his improvised display.

Either way, he knew what this man was going to say.

"Why didn't you tell me you were an Energy Former?!"