Bro, I'm not an Undead!

[Lucent Apparition] was a skill Skullius acquired after using [Immoral Authority] on Hobbu Gobbu. He had managed to catch the large goblin 'lacking', and used the latter skill to extract his abilities and memories. 

The skill was enhanced by the favor from [Just Light] to become what it was; an ability that allowed one to project their consciousness onto something else.

Skullius hadn't used this skill himself. Instead, he allowed Sila to project his conscious into a suit of armor, and into the jade orb, the Hexer's Inheritance, which had been vital to some of his feats during the Premium Age Royale.

[Order-Soul Projection], the freshly evolved version of [Lucent Apparition], was a quite different though.

Sevill and Viccil who were far from done marveling about this unique out-of-original-body experience, could attest to this.

Their souls had seamlessly been pulled out of their Sif bodies and placed into these ones without consequence. The new bodies even snuggly welcomed them as though there was no distinction between the old and new souls whatsoever. 

This was bizarrely unreal.

"How in the world…" Maxim gaped. "How is this even possible? Manipulating souls to this degree… that's not something just anyone can do. Even Incandescent Stagers can't inherently do that!"

Vali concurred. She had felt something shift when the bodies of the two Maqians convulsed.

"That's true," she said. "Incarnation. This might as well be it. I thought you said it was only reserved for the divine."

Skullius grinned as he once again slotted his hands back into his pockets.

"Well, I did tell you before that the Monolith over there… is something divine."

Both Vali and Maxim were unsettled. Vali could have sworn that the Preeminent Attegoth hadn't been anything too special back when Skullius used it during the Royale.

Now… what it was capable of according to Skullius…

The Hybrid Luman crouched and imbedded his senses within Sevill and Viccil's original bodies.

They were still in good condition.

[Order-Soul Projection] was a Super skill that allowed Skullius to safely move ethereal bodies while guaranteeing that both extraction and insertion was done in a way that completely rid the chances of rejection and corruption between the original source of the ethereal body he was moving, and the body receiving it.

In the case of the latter, Skullius had [Gradius Order Halo] to ensure that the vessel receiving the soul was in pristine condition. Even for combat purposes, the skill was perfect, as it was even capable of revitalizing the mana core of a dead recipient.

Unlike beasts, humans' mana cores didn't crystalize upon death. The mana stored in the mana core would remain until it expired from slowly fading with time. After all, the soul which it was connected to would be gone, meaning the continuously supply of mana would be lost too.

"I need you to move around Opungale. Kill the enemy if they are few in number, assimilate if they are many and stronger. It's not possible for you to extract the memories of your vessels in such a short amount of time, so instead, gather as much intelligence as you can. However, don't stop moving. Cover as much ground as possible. If you make an interesting discovery, speak while touching the golden mark, I will hear."

Sevill and Viccil barely managed to stifle their still shaken selves as they acknowledged what Skullius said. Viccil in particular was not yet accustomed to being… male.

Beyond that, the thin film of light around them told of the fact that even in these enhanced, stronger bodies, they were also bolstered by the might of [Gradius Order Halo] and were capable of using the plethora of skills Skullius had, which had been informed to them!

Dear Deities…

"Also…" Skullius said, his tone quite grave. "If you encounter an old hag who looks like she could leave this world at any moment… run, or better yet, will yourselves to return to your bodies. While my ability makes it so that upon death, you will simply return, I can't guarantee that that woman will allow it."

All of sudden, the air turned tense.

The two Sif remembered that Skullius had said that he had seen who had been sent to truly stir things up in Opungale.

"We will keep that in mind, Lord Luminant…" Sevill said.

Skullius nodded.

"Go West. It should be better to start."

Sevill and Viccil heeded and hurried out of sight.

"What about us?" Maxim asked with narrowed eyes. "You can't make me feel like I can topple a mountain with a sigh and then send me on reconnaissance, right?"

"Oh, sockets no," Skullius said with a grin. "Not for you two."

"What do you have in mind?" Vali asked.

Skullius walked up to her and caressed the fabric of her loose clothing.

"Wear something nice. Something that won't look ugly with blood on it."

***

"Old Umbett. Are you sure we aren't ignoring something that might bite us in the ass later? That tree… or whatever it is… unnerves me…" the young Ode said as he looked at the distant glow that towered and branched freely, as though it owned the skies… the dark skies.

The old hag whom the young Ode was sauntering with, along with other combatants – barely twenty in number – sighed.

"It should do more than unnerve you then, if you truly want to worry about," she said and licked her chapped lips which went on to become dry a moment later."

"What's that supposed to mean?" the crimson-haired young man turned as he asked.

"Mystery. Dark mystery. Something… familiar is wondering around this island. I first sensed it on the shore… and now, its laid bare. However, neither you nor I, I feel, are quite ready to know whether the feeling in my gut is true or false," Umbett said with a cough.

"That's the most cryptic you've been so far, old hag. Well done. Whatever it is though, is it something even you can't handle?"

The old woman gave an aged, mucusy laugh.

"You need to only worry about your objective. You intend to challenge the rulers of this land to Kuthmuk, do you not? You promised your father you wouldn't back out or lose, regardless of who it was you were to face."

The Ode sneered.

"Oh please. Like I'd be defeated by scrubs who befriend trees."