384 Never Again
Pat. Pat.
Sila exited the Cluster, finding himself standing on the snow again as the crack behind him vanished.
A Conqueror’s Halo was around him, its light thick, almost blinding to an ordinary eye but he paid it no mind as it meant nothing to this body as long as he had the Binds of Fukal.
Sila felt around but couldn’t ascertain the shape of Skullius’ Projected form.
‘I know he didn’t just run away. There must be something he realised that could potentially lead him to back into his body. Hmmm. With all these memories, most of them being a thousand years worth of nonsense, I can’t pinpoint what that tomato flinger is thinking. Still, the Fruit of World Myths should buy me some time for a while. No matter what he is thinking, it won’t work!’ Sila thought with a determined balling of his fist.
The truth behind his ability to take over Skullius’ body and inherent use of the finer things that the Null Lifeform possessed like access to the guidance field and memories all spawned from two things.
The stage of his soul and the simple fact that Sila’s soul was patched onto Skullius’ own.
Unlike the Master Stage, as broad as it was in relation to the two stages prior to it, the Incandescent Stage started to refine one’s soul in preparation for the power they would then receive.
Taking over a body was child’s play for a soul at the Incandescent Stage especially when it was practically one with the original soul of the body it possessed.
Streaming in some of the power in the soul into this body was also easy, just like what Sila had done with the Creeds but he wasn’t able to expand his soul’s information into the Discount Human body because his soul was damaged.
That added to the fact the the Discount Human body couldn’t use some of the higher level concepts he knew without getting smashed to pieces governed Sila’s limit.
The aged soul had used the words ‘my body’ in the process of his declaration of Creeds because he technically qualified to be the owner of the body as a result of the aforementioned circumstances.
Now, with Skullius’ soul which he was feeding on. One without a will, he could revive himself with these new powers all left for his use, though some factors were rather unfavourable. Like having to claim the rest of Skullius’ soul by fighting an Arch-Lich.
Tsk!
‘Still. There’s no need to be nervous. There’s that card that the tomato flinger has in his reserve. I will just use it for myself. Haha. There’s no way that he will repossess this body. Now, I should probably head for a safe place to retire for the rest of the night. This cosmetic body will revert to that… Penetrator form soon,’ Sila thought.
He stored the Elimparidis Stone Staff and Demion’s Dance in his storage ring which he wore on his finger before shooting towards the North.
WHAM!!!
A familiar force bashed against the Discount Human body right then, causing Sila to fall down on his back with a harsh boom!
‘Ah. That damned Hound!’ Sila thought as he kipped himself up and drew away.
His inability to sense this creature was very detrimental to him escaping and there didn’t seem to be a way around it!
‘Seriously?!’
The staff was summoned once again, Sila using the item to shoot a few [Jolt Rays] all around him in an effort to try and pinpoint the creature’s location!
Milky white streams of energy that contained distorted mana mixed with chaotic spatial effects caused horrendous explosions over the snowy ground which hissed intensely as billows of smoke and tendrils of steam poured upwards!
Yet…
Nothing.
Sila’s blind eyes moved around, moreso showing where his focus was than anything else.
He waited, expecting another whacking but…
Still nothing.
‘Hmmm…’
With caution, Sila darted in another direction, hurtling forward at full speed to ensure that he would at least create some semblance of a distance between himself and the Hound.
His incredible speed echoed through rapid steps over the snow as he turned into a dark shadow that ran without pause.
For a full minute, Sila didn’t experience any opposition.
‘Did I lose it? Probably not. I wouldn’t be able tell. Apparently these… Apostles are better at pinpointing my position than I am theirs. Pathetic, tomato flinger! Pathetic!’ Sila raged.
Unbeknownst to him, Ferex was obediently fulfilling the task he had been ordered to by Skullius in the simplest way possible.
He merely settled in the auburn locks of hair on the top of Skullius’ head in his miniaturized form while waiting for his master who seemingly had a plan to return to his body.
Said master right now was flying through the air at rapid speed, creating distance between himself and Sila.
The same could be said by the latter though.
‘The distance that was between us before when entered the Cluster was probably less than 10 miles. With how I used up all those Enriching gems days ago, I’m sure I’m able to travel greater distances away from my body. Now… I just have to exceed that distance limit!’ Skullius thought.
It had occurred to him that there was a way to forcefully return to his body. Something that had happened before on an occasion he had thought back to earlier.
This was during his attempt at clearing the Tenth Task which was to cross a distance of 10 miles in his Projected form!
(A/N: Refer to Ch.233).
At that time, he had failed, over a certain distance, a powerful force dragging him back to his body!
If it worked the same way, then distance must be one of the heavy influences for his prolonged duration in his Projected form!
Skullius at this point had crossed a distance of over 21 miles, his dark figure still going on strong!
“More!” Skullius boomed with a hard expression.
Several minutes passed by, another stretch of distance being covered.
“More!”
Another stretch, amounting to distance of 40 miles!
Still, the tug that Skullius expected was nowhere to be found!
“Moooore!”
The Projected form flashed over 55, 56, 57 miles then 58 and 59, the imagery beneath him turning wild and white when….
CLINCHK!
…!
Both Sila and Skullius felt it!
To Sila who inhabited the Discount Human body, he felt a massive dark chain spontaneously jut out of his chest, its origin being the Fruit of World Myths!
As he saw this thing, the relevant memory attached to it surfaced, making him realise what Skullius was up to!
“TOMATO FLINGER!” Sila screeched with anguish.
Skullius on the hand felt the chain which had crossed the vast distance between himself and Sila in an instant sink into his back and yank him backwards!
The Null Lifeform couldn’t be happier!
He was pulled back with the same speed that the chain had travelled, his figure reaching Sila in an instant!
“NOOO!” Sila screeched as he tried to manipulate the Fruit of World Myths again, something that he was he was able to do because he had tinkered with many treasures at Legendary rarity and above in his olden days!
Unfortunately, this didn’t work.
The item he thought was simple to understand refused to listen to him, bringing the dark figure of Skullius into the Discount Human body seamlessly!
As soon as Skullius felt himself enter his body, he fought back!
Sila’s soul which had grown roughly 25% bigger from consuming and integrating with his put up a fight, with the aged soul’s will wrestling for control!
“TOMATO FLINGER, I WILL NOT YIELD! I AM WAR DRIVEN SOUL, UNLIKE THE LIKES OF YOU! I WILL NOT FALL LIKE THIS AGAIN!” Sila yelled.
His pride which had been reaffirmed by his temporarily showcase of the power and knowledge hidden in his soul was slowly getting overwhelming again!
Why?!
He was a soul at the Incandescent Stage, so why was Skullius’ weaker soul able to smother him and his will?!
Why?!
Was he truly some unnamed General whose worth was merely overstated?!
“Shut up you, sockethole! I’ll lock you up for who knows how long and you’ll never use this body again!” Skullius hissed as he once again detained Sila who screeched hateful words until his voice was no more.
Then, silence.
Skullius opened his eyes.
A lot of good that did.
He couldn’t see anything.
However, in exchange, things were different.
So much was different with his other senses.
“So this is who I am now, huh?” Skullius begrudgingly said with a frown.
Blind and without a core a few days before the Premium Age Royale.
What luck this was…
—
[Author’s Note]
Hey. First off, I apologise for the erratic uploads. I could give a thousand excuses but I’ll just say this will be scheme for the rest of this month but expect more than seven chapters a week.
Anyway this concludes this arc of the story. Feel free to leave your thoughts whatever they are. As you know, I appreciate the feedback greatly.
Thanks ya’ll. Keep the support coming. I’ll improve on the mandatory uploads but do not know discouraged from supporting to attain extra chaps.