Bro, I'm not an Undead!

The two disks above Baddan's head were called Forechance Deemers.

The larger one had six indented slots over it that had bold outlines of six different creatures – one for each.

The smaller Forechance Deemer, which floated below the larger one, had three slots, but instead of outlines of creatures, it had symbols drawn on it which Baddan couldn't read, but could comprehend.

As soon as the two disks emerged, a small, shiny metallic ball emerged as well, and it settled on the topmost disk, which began to wobbly around, moving it through the six slots and over the borders that separated them.

Moments later, the disk became still, and the ball stopped moving as well, positioned in one of the six slots which attained a dull glow.

The ball then phased through the larger disk and fell onto the second one, which wobbled around as a metal rim dropped to the ground would, before turning still. Once more, where the metallic ball sat, a modest glow appeared in the selected slot.

Baddan felt a fierce amount of his mana drained as the two Forechance Deemers activated in accordance to the selection made by the metallic ball.

As it were, Baddan's granted technique was called Incarnation of the Six Wild Exigencies, a technique that allowed Baddan to summon six terribly powerful, mysterious beasts that Replicus had called and modified with a great deal of experimentation.

At the moment, the glowing slot of the larger Forechance Deemer turned bright then brighter, and a pool of thick, dark blue clouds gathered around the Sky Watcher's feet as he looked calmly at the wildly flying Curses that were moments away from reaching him.

The clouds bellowed forth and towered behind him while attaining modest traces of both luminance and darkness, the latter giving the suspicion that something massive was stowed within.

The slot on the second Forechance Deemer, also attained a bright glow, and the mound of clouds grew fiercely, tripling in size, the thing hidden within them also following suit!

But it wasn't just size.

From far and wide, everyone felt a sharp smack of dark, ominous power that caused a light rhythmic tremble in the surroundings, as though something was crying at a terribly low frequency.

In the next moment, Baddan was devoured also by the clouds, his figure obscured.

His assailants didn't care that they couldn't see him, however.

Wielding their golden wands, they sent jets of elements and emotion at the billowing clouds without pause, causing intense eruptions and reverberations to roll across the gold plastered ground!

The twenty and some Curses flew in circles and continued the bombardment of their crazily efficient attacks, their double grins depicting their utmost faith in the fact that none... absolutely none, could resist direct hits from their powers!

Dander, who still chased the Levin form of Replicus across the sea of cloud in the sky made a turn, however, and he donned a deep scowl.

His inexplicable sight turned to where the blue clouds were roiling and he suddenly got a terrible feeling that he couldn't imagine or comprehend what it could be for.

As though to answer his worries, something happened in the next moment, validating his warning instinct.

From the clouds, thick, pristine ivory arms shot out with the flexibility of whips, their lengths unbelievable unnerving; roughly twenty meters each, with a spindly quality, as though they did not have any bones within them!

...!

Their numbers were also unnerving. As they swished about in the air, it was almost impossible to discard the idea that they could very well be the tentacles of an albino squid without a closer look, for fifty in all, was a hard number to imagine any single creature to have for limbs!

The Ardent Curses were mildly alarmed by the emerging arms as they flew in wider arcs.

What were these?

What abomination had appeared?

The source of this flailing limbs was yet to reveal itself.

Despite the curiosity, and more than a bit of hubris added on, the thing the Ardent Curses discovered first was how royally they had underestimated these arms.

At once, twenty three of the limbs, with six large fingers at the end of each, suddenly pointed erectly at the twenty three Ardent Curses whizzing through the air.

...!!!

Similarly at once, all twenty three Curses with a different finger gesturing towards each, paused in place, their frames turned slightly illusory.

All their momentum and confidence was frozen without prelude!

...!

Dander was appalled.

"What?" he cried in shock before abandoning his fruitless chase against Replicus. His followers did too as they then looked down at their kin.

Mysterious didn't cut it.

Ominous didn't cut it.

The Curses had never dreamed that besides their own wands, anything else could harm them, especially after their exploits when their Cluster first opened genuinely.

What was this then?

The blue clouds faded first from Baddan who stood before whatever conjured the many arms.

He... had changed.

Instead of the baggy, long-sleeved, low-necked top he wore and similarly baggy pants, now, he was adorned in a dark purple, sleeveless coat with trimmings, vents, and glowing writing that suggested intricate, untold ritualistic tradition.

His fur was no longer entirely white, but had adopted a sacred shade of silvery blue.

His face was veiled by a cloth featuring simple rows of white markings, its soft fabric rustling lightly as he took easy breaths.

A clump of dark blue clouds clustered in his hands, and barely visible within them, was an oddly small dagger with two blades before and after its hilt, both gleaming like polished mirrors to their singular, sharp tips.

Baddan raised his hand, and the clouds obscuring the beast behind him vanished.

As soon as they were swept from sight, the thing that had been hidden all along screeched hoarsely, and this time, the sound that came out was as moving as a hurricane and as treacherous – in fact moreso – than thunder!

Everyone stopped at its call.

And everyone gritted their teeth as they covered their ears or at least showed mild irritation.

Replicus and his crew, devoid of flesh form at the moment, were immune – thankfully.

They watched as the summoned beast brought pause even to the chaotic battle that had been taking place between Musing and Thrill against Warding Pride, the Mad Bishop and the rest of Factions.

Silence pervaded for a moment.

Replicus while darting from cloud to cloud was amused.

'So they aren't immune to all attacks after all. Null Life Essence is one way, it seems...' he thought.

The Ardent Curses halted in space with a simple point from large fingers told the Penetrator much.

After several moments of everyone else skewing their faces from the horrendous noise, which seemed to penetrate the ear even after energies were supplied to bolster their protection, the sound finally came to an end.

Everyone summoned back the desire to glimpse around, and they finally got a good look at the beast.

It was hideous... yet also beautiful.

Standing behind its master, it boasted a height of eighteen meters, beginning with two curtains of very long, dark hair that might have well been two pools of black oil streaking down the sides of its face, which was covered wholly by what looked like tens of ancient, brick-coloured talismans.

It had two arms that draped from its shoulders, long and ivory like the ones that began at its waist to flail around... only, these two had no hands, as they were joined together, to create a loop from shoulder to shoulder.

Its torso was nothing but black, with a semblance of feminine features – curves and a bosom that swelled from the black skin – before its fifty arms began.

This creature... she, was gracefully named the Masked Facade, Lipptis.

Baddan raised the hand holding the small dagger, and it darted fiercely from his grip, taking aim for the twenty three Ardent Curses that stood still in place.

It then... disappeared from sight.

However, from how the Ardent Curses were simultaneously branded with a dark mark on their illusory foreheads which looked very much like the small dagger, it seemed the weapon had actually its mark as intended.

Against the odds that had made everyone nervous until now!

In the next moment, the twenty three hands of Lipptis withdrew from the Ardent Curses and they turned corporeal again and plummeted to the ground where they lay motionless.

The brands on their foreheads caused them to begin to bleed from their two mouths and ears incessantly, and vaguely, one could see their faces trembling, as though something was harming them from within.

Dander, Thrill and Musing turned aghast.

The former of the three growled in rage and bellowed:

"What did you do?!"

This didn't make any sense.

How were they harmed?

Baddan remained silent.

He raised his hand again and within it, the double bladed dagger appeared.

The brands from the Ardent Curses disappeared, along with the cumulative mana experience from their bodies and souls, all of which rushed to Baddan.

Except for the portion that was sucked into the Penetrator's body.

[You have killed (IX) LV70 Ardent Curse. 7,000 EXP awarded]

[You have killed (XI) LV121 Ardent Curse. 10,210 EXP awarded]

[You have killed...]

The Penetrator grinned.

Just as he had done with the Granted Armament, granted abilities with connections to Null Life also gave him a portion of experience.

Just as he had showed his subordinates the way, they were to reciprocate.

And now...

'You all aren't impossible to handle...' Replicus thought.

He watched with amusement as Dander trembled with rage and darted down towards the still Baddan, his wand raised.

The Sky Watcher remained calm behind the veil on his face, and he simply readied his small dagger.