Bro, I'm not an Undead!

'I feel like I'm going to have to say that a lot in the future,' Skullius thought.

He had never felt so good inside in his entire death and Null Life

The look on Benzard's face was priceless. He looked to be confused and wary, Skullius' declaractipn having made him even more unsettled.

Not an undead?

What did that even mean coming from a skeleton donning armour?!

Skullius took into the account the fact that this guy didn't lessen his vigilance one bit. He was a warrior for sure. He didn't drop his guard.

'Heh... I'm not the same as I was some minutes ago bro.'

The armour that Skullius donned was the result of him using 2000 Null Life Essence Points to upgrade the ArchLight Generation Keeper.

The more points he inputted, the better the random upgrade, which was why he had opted to use double the amount needed for a [Permanent Random Upgrade].

Unfortunately, it didn't seem like Skullius could obtain anything higher than a rare item with his previous limit of Null Life Essence. But now it was possible. He just needed the Null Life Essence for it.

During the process of upgrading, Skullius had tried to consciously manipulate what he wanted to keep from the armour but found it extremely difficult. High level features of all items were hard to keep, but not impossible. At the very least, he got to keep two features. One by his own actions and the other was more like a by-product of using [Unbound] on such a unique effect of the armour.

~~~

[Null Devil's Aegis of Damnation]

<Rare>

This a unique armour created on the mountains of "#%^@!" by the second Null Devil King to make his kin obey and fear him. It is complemented by the Chains of Damnation. It is made of five special ores that improve the armour's toughness and strength by great deal but reduces its flexibility.

-Defense-

1200

-Durability-

2000/2000

-Special Effects-

•Can store objects of various kinds.

Currently stored – Helmet, Chest, Voiding Key...

•Increases Mana by 1500.

•Increases Mana Regeneration by 100%

•+30% Strength

-

[Skill: Fear Me]

The armour constantly releases an aura that causes weaker beings to fear the user and become docile.

[Skill: The Forge]

Whenever an enemy approaches the user, they are subjected to a glimpse of the hellscape from which the armour was forged which can cause physical and mental harm depending on how strong their mental strength is.

---

[Sub: Chains of Damnation]

-Damage-

800-990

-Durability-

1500/1500

-Special Effects-

•Can induce terror and weakness when binding a target.

•Causes all living things excruciating pain when it makes contact.

•Can be used to block physical damage.

•Does anything the will of the user commands.

-

[Skill: Damnation]

Using the Chains of Damnation, drag a target down below to the Null Devil's Dungeon where millions of souls wail under the torture of the King's Inferno.

Mana Requirements: 1000 Mana Points

Duration: 1 minute

Cooldown: 1 day

~~~

Skullius had managed to save the storage effect of the armour while [Unbound] took the mana storage skill and made it into an additional effect to bolster his mana capacity and regeneration.

Skullius couldn't complain at all. This was really good.

He had stored one of the chests within the room where Fulgardt's legacy was, the Voiding Key, armour helmet and a few other things after rummaging.

Yes.

The space for storage within the armour wasn't too big, but it could store quite a lot!

The Fulgurant Bone Penetrator had put everything he had found within, including the Voiding Key which he was ready to use at any time!

'Right! What kind of a Bonem- I mean Penetrator would I be if I ran away from a challenge. I have to see what I can do in this new form anyway. If it gets problematic, I'll just escape with the Voiding Key.'

This is what Skullius had decided to do after he was done rummaging through the room for anything important. He had gained quite a lot from the first chest he opened, which gave him to confidence but caution wasn't thrown out the window.

'Heh... I can't wait to test it all out,' Skullius thought.

There was an immense risk, but seeing as the situation was the same as when he had left, Sause being held by Fulgardt, Skullius didn't think that he would be in too much danger, not that he underestimated Benzard though.

Sause couldn't tear his eyes off Skullius. He couldn't imagine what exactly was going on at all.

'Does Fulgardt's legacy turn someone into an undead? No that's impossible. Fulgardt wouldn't collude with those bastards... in this way at least. Is this another guardian then?' Sause hypothesised.

He gazed intently at Skullius, and as he focused his senses, he found that this navy blue skeleton in front of him... didn't emit any Undeath energy!

'What?' Sause frowned even more deeply.

This didn't make sense.

The armour that the skeleton donned did have a peculiar effect that sought to make him fear Skullius but that didn't work on him.

Just what was going on? Everything to do with that young challenger had not turned out as he thought it would!

Benzard also couldn't comprehend what he was about to face. There was barely any presence from this skeleton with blazing blue flames coming from its four sockets.

Skullius scoffed.

He would not make any sudden moves yet. Not until he verified something.

'Let's see if it works now.'

His guidance field popped up as he looked at Benzard, a status finally showing up of the brown haired man.

~~~

[ Name : Benzard Astin ]

[ Level :  15 ]

[ Class : Perpetual Colossus (Incomplete) ]

[ Core : Blue ]

[ Race  : Human ]

[ Inv. Status : Vigilant ]

-------

[ Stats ]

[ STRENGTH (I) : 34 ]

[AGILITY (I) : 21 ]

[ INTELLIGENCE (I) : 18 ]

[ ENDURANCE (I) : 20 ]

[ LUCK : 13 ]

-----

[ HEALTH : 2340/2340 ]

------

[ MANA (I) : 905/905 ]

~~~

'I see... it's like how Eldris' stats looked like. I wonder what it means exactly,' Skullius thought. 'I can see the core colour now too.'

Skullius held the chain around his armour, pulled on it and watched it rush out to his side as if it had a mind of its own!

The chain wrapped around the [Baleful Gale Reaper] which was lying on the ground and reeled it in on its own, bringing the wind elemental sword to Skillius!

As soon as the sword reached Skullius hand, he felt a shudder in the mana around the spacious room, Benzard already appearing before him with his sword crackling with lightning!

Skullius wasn't flustered this time as he could see it now, even though it was a rushing blur that he couldn't keep up with, he could still see the figure assaulting close in!

Benzard's sword cleaved its way down at Skullius' head, red lightning fiercely radiating the power of the Perpetual Colossus and aiming to split Skullius in half!

Yet...

Around the figure of Skullius where he stood with the chains around him, his four sockets gleaming as they focused on the enemy, the scenery suddenly changed!

A burst of ferocious heat surrounded Skullius, bright red lava oozing with carefree movement sliding under his armoured feet!

...!

A series of vast mountains under an unclear sky also appeared, spewing the heated rock everywhere as if an apocalypse was set upon this unidentified world!

The heat caught Benzard by surprise and as he ceased his attack, his thoughts switching to wondering where he was to stand when there was lava all around messing up his rhythm!

His bright red lightning was devoured under the image of the dancing, heated air and orange hue within the area!

He was distracted!

He was frightened!

He took his opponent too lightly in this moment while focusing on the changed landscape, leaving himself wide open for his opponent to attack freely!

'Check this one out...' Skullius thought, extending his hand towards the flustered Benzard while pumping mana into it!

"Ful Discharge!"

There was no sound.

No prelude.

Just a bright flash of light as a streak of silent lightning... of Silentburn Levin left Skullius' armoured fingers with a gradient of different shades of blue, hurtling towards Benzard!