476 Kin...
(A/N: Bonus Chapter).
Yuyui had been feeling quite useless throughout the entire course of this trip so far. She had yet to fully recover from what she had had to experience through the risen memories of hers and now…
This memory made her feel even worse in this moment as the words of her father were similar to what Skullius had told her, the only difference being that one expressed concern and the other just expressed urgency.
She was constantly reminded that she lacked something.
The inability to commit to violence, in its different forms, for what she wanted.
Even freeing herself had taken the influence of another as if that individual, Skullius, hadn’t come, she would still be dying of starvation every half a year for eternity perhaps.
What she lacked was something that even the owners of the power she now wielded demanded.
How angry they must be that she had received their power.
This was Yuyui’s thoughts.
Seeing Skullius wreck through the Fire Breeders easily even though he was technically weaker than her in his Penetrator form was… also another demotivating fact.
She had committed to Skullius now but she couldn’t do anything but not die (permanently), which did precious little to help Skullius.
Despite the mixed emotions that scratched at her throat and chest, she still tried to… do something.
She tried to open the eye on her forehead, the Eye of Dispersal but it did not budge. It didn’t react to any of her efforts and nomatter what she did, nothing changed.
After Skullius had been bashed into the forest, attaining considerable damage, Yuyui had been flustered.
The Penetrator was clearly not very considerate towards her but he was still her master and even cutting that part aside, if Skullius died, there was probably no way of getting out of here so either way, she had to help in some way.
Yuyui was yet to develop a true sense of loyalty towards Skullius but the facts remained.
Ferex also felt the same, in terms of feeling insufficient that was.
However, his main stress was with trying to protect Skullius from the immediate dangers that he could also sense from this Cluster.
Beyond that, he was almost there.
His second and more combat oriented form that he had been working on was close to completion. If he could just get that finished, he would no longer be a simple means of transport.
He would be much, much more.
He could fight with Skullius side by side.
For now though, both Yuyui and Ferex would focus on what they could do now to help Skullius.
***
The trio travelled hidden from the surveillance as they headed towards the end of the line of smoke within the Limitless Body Null Demon Hound’s mouth.
Less than two minutes remained before [Ungodly Passion of Debauchery]’s duration ended and Skullius wanted to see if this bastard could do anything to help his case or otherwise.
Worst case scenario he would have his kill stolen but he wasn’t counting on it. From what he had tasted of the Cluster General of this place, he was in for a bitter fight.
The trio crossed the vast distance to the location where the Cluster General was located and…
BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!
“The battle has already begun?” Skullius questioned himself as he urged Ferex to run faster.
Soon, the high ground on top of which a large hill rested on became visible and Ferex carefully approached while opening his mouth enough for Skullius to see.
“I knew it,” Skullius said. “Get closer, Ferex. Climb up that slope.”
“Master, are you sure?” Yuyui asked with a concerned look.
pan-d a-n0vel.com Her blue core allowed her sense the power of whatever was ahead and it was facing suppression.
“I won’t be able to act unless I’m that close at least.”
….
One of the guards of the Cluster General who continued to sit without moving on the throne flew into the sky and halted when he was ten meters away from the sky blue creature that flapped its wings in place, its dark eyes that spun focusing on the Cluster General.
At least that’s what it looked like.
The guard analysed this unique looking creature.
Some of its features resembled those of a Fire Breeder while some, like the white on its hands and feet did not, definitely did not.
‘This thing… its not even looking at me. It’s only keeping its focus on lord,’ the guard analysed. ‘It’s underestimating the rest of us.’
The guard wasn’t at pleased to be dismissed.
He was one of three ordained from birth to protect the Cluster General!
He wouldn’t stand for this!
Candle flames lit up behind the guard, six inches away from its back, twelve of them, dotted up to form a circle like a birthday circle with scattered candles!
These flames, with their orange hues suddenly flared as if fuelled up, their ferocity shooting out like jets as they propelled the guard forward with blinding speed that caused his image to vanish from view, zipping towards the smoking enemy!
BOOOM!
A sphere of storming heat with a visible effect on the air bubbled with a fierce force that caused Ferex’s Hide to start to smoke, burnt up even as the Apostle was a distance away!
The figure of the guard only reappeared when it had gone past the blue creature, the sound of impact coming later!
The guard Fire Breeder, upon reappearing from his acceleration, shook his head a little.
Just now, he had punched the living hell out of the enemy, but…
He felt like he had barely done any damage as his enemy didn’t show any reaction at all!
The hell!
He packed a lot of power in that attack!
On the other hand, things were so fluff for him.
The guard shook his head lightly.
‘What is that smoke? I barely touched it but already feel… strange,’ he thought.
On the ground, Skullius who was watching marvelled.
His sight honed in on how the Fire Breeder guard was utilising the flames on his back to accelerate his movement. He didn’t even use his wings anymore.
‘That’s an interesting technique…’ Skullius thought. This applications of fire could be really useful to him.
Beyond that though, he was more impressed by how the blue creature he had created had tanked an attack from this guard who had a super bright mana core!
When it came to Skullius’ influence over mana cores with [Greater Mana Crafter], it lessened the more conscious one was of their core as when an expert grew stronger, they were naturally able to control elements of it.
These guards were such experts and yet, the blue creature he had summoned had survived an attack from it?
He couldn’t quite feel anything even close to reinforcement around this creature.
No mana.
No…
‘Wait a minute…’ Skullius thought as he came to a rapid conclusion.
He was going about this wrong!
His excitement for [Greater Mana Crafter] was blinding him towards the very real obvious reality that this creature…. didn’t use mana!
It was using Null Life Essence to guard its body!
This wasn’t something Skullius could sense very well with mana manipulation skills. It relied on his innate ability as a Null Lifeform which was garbage as he hadn’t exercised it much!
He still couldn’t even control his Null Life Essence at a basic level as the only way he could use it was through already established skills like [Unbound].
But this thing…
Now that he thought about it, outside of [Unbound] and perhaps [Bringer of All], only [Null Life Aura] could be said to be a simpler application of Null Life Essence than some of his other skills.
Could he use it to try to understand the energy form?
Preferably right now?
He wouldn’t risk acting now as the Cluster General wasn’t even focusing on the fight in the air. He was definitely on guard.
‘Alright then. Before this thing disappears, I might as well try to learn how it’s using Null Life Essence with [Null Life Aura] active,’ Skullius thought.
No one but him, Ferex and that blue creature could sense Null Life Essence after all and that thing didn’t give two flying sockets about him so it would be fine.
Back to the fight in the air…
The guard with the flames behind his back saw the blue creature still only gaze towards the Cluster General who didn’t even spare it a glance.
The General knew, after all.
This wasn’t the real enemy.
The real enemy was probably hiding somewhere.
The guard accelerated once again and landed six punches on what he thought were the vitals of the creature, each punch causing a heated rumble in the air!
Yet, his enemy’s body still didn’t react at all!
Another one of the guards stormed into the sky as well as he growled, “What’s taking so long?! You can’t kill this one enemy?!”
“Why don’t you give it a try?” the guard who had been fighting before hissed back as he floated aside giving room for his peer.
The other guard scoffed as on his skin, glowing orange markings formed along his arms and chest which hissed with heat!
The guard’s body was set aflame after as it set to attack the blue creature with its wings unfurling for a rapid flight towards the target.
BOOOM!
…!!!
Unfortunately, the same scene of an unprogressive battle didn’t happen.
The enemy that the guards were fighting suddenly vanished from sight with a crackling of the air, its wings having beat against it so hard that it shot ahead to catch the guard who had set himself alight off guard!
The creature grinned as it sank its clawed, white hands into the guard’s face, its finger piercing cleanly through its eyes!
The guard screeched from both the pain of being violated like this and from the fumes that instantly began to affect it!
However…
Its pain slowly turned dull, a weird sensation building up in its brain and heart that caused it to feel… ‘happy’.
The other guards grew wary when they heard their mate start to laugh maniacally, its sockets that remained with the blue creature’s fingers in them, bleeding profusely.
What manner of horrific shit was this?!
Were they so weak that each of them could be done in with one attack?!
The guard with the flames behind its back drew back as it retreated to the platform on the hill to liase with the remaining guard who also looked ahead warily.
This wasn’t something they could handle casually.
This was in the realm of the unknown!
To their surprise though, the creature finally showed a strong reaction suddenly, its head swinging to the left as it was…drawn to something.
A field of something familiar opened up a distance away and of everyone around, only it could see.
Something with a serene presence.
Something that felt more like home.
The creature stopped drooling as it turned to this direction, its wings beating against the air with crisp clap again as…
…!
“What the… why is it coming here?!” Skullius who had just activated [Null Life Aura] exclaimed.
The blue skinned creature landed within the Aura and…emitted a sigh of satisfaction.
It felt at home, its instincts of a new born kicking in.
It couldn’t see Skullius but it kept gazing around, looking for his traces.
“SHIT!”
Skullius’ sockets flared.
They were too close to the Cluster General for such surprises to happen willy nilly!
Why did this damn thing have to act so damn unpredictably?!
This unpredictability could cost him his Null life!
He didn’t want to go out like that!
Right then, as if to prove a point, the fiery pupils of the Cluster General finally moved from the horizon as they followed the blue skinned creature.
“There,” the huge creature said in a chilling voice that drew its guards’ attention towards what they were already looking at.
…!!!!!!
As the piercing gaze of the Cluster General turned to this spot, Skullius felt it!
This was bad!
Thrillingly so but very bad!
He hypothesised and thought but within a limited span!
The Cluster General still probably couldn’t see him and Ferex but…
TCHT!
The large hand of the Cluster General wrapped around the hilt of the massive sword dug into the pool of magma around it, a surge of unbearable torridity blazing as if to melt the air itself!
A skill was being used!
A terribly powerful one from the sword!
….!!!!
Everyone felt it.
The immense level of threat.
“FLESH IT!” Skullius called as he leapt from Ferex’s mouth and used cast a skill at the same time.
At this very same time, the blue skinned creature twisted its head to focus on him who was now visible to it…
It had found the user of this, finally!
Its dark eyes that spun calmed and it opened its mouth fractions of a second after this ‘same time’ where multiple things occurred.
“Kin…Your enemy is strong,” it said comprehensibly to the Penetrator.
And then the deleterious devastation ensued….
—
~Sponsored by Earth546~