Bro, I'm not an Undead!



The Conforming Trickerteer was useful as an artefact upgraded through [Unbound], the features it inherited allowing it to qualify as an item beyond the realm of Legendary. However, the guidance field still identified it as Legendary, keeping to its tradition of marking items embraced by Null Life to a higher standard.

Skullius was fond of this armour, but admittedly, when he got it, he had expected it to have an ability similar to [Brisk Storm Avatar].

Essentially, a powerful double.

Unfortunately, it wasn't capable of something like that on its own.

It could assume the user's likeness and copy their abilities to a degree, but it barely counted as a second Skullius. To achieve that, the Hybrid Luman had to take extra steps to make its functions more up to par with what he desired, like during his battle with Hobbu Bobbu.

Creating a mana core like his for the armour, using the Precept of Light to control the Conforming Trickerteer more efficiently...

The need for these extra steps was what made the armour a bit less... impressive, in Skullius' eyes.

That said...

Skullius became hopeful when he received a new skill from the latest Cluster run.

[Lucent Apparition].

~~~

[Lucent Apparition (Special) | Lv.1]

Project a soul light from your body that can carry a portion of your consciousness and solidify it anywhere within a range of 5 miles. In the solidified state, your consciousness' only limit is the strength of your soul, and the mana required to perform complex actions in such a fragile state.

-Caution-

It is possible to receive damage through the projected soul consciousness.

--

Mana Requirements: 275 (I) Mana Points, 110 (I) Mana every minute

Duration: ---

Cooldown: ---

~~~

[Lucent Apparition], which had been [Lost Wraith] before [Just Light] had favoured and transformed it, matched very well with the Conforming Trickerteer... provided Sila was efficient enough with his innate abilities as an Incandescent Stage expert.

As the light prompted by the skill shone from Skullius to the Conforming Trickerteer, Skullius willed the slender armour to assume his likeness, which it did in an instant.

A copy of his Hybrid Luman body with light auburn hair featuring a dark orange hue at the tips, a handsome face with clear, white eyes and blameless skin appeared. It donned the same outfit Skullius was wearing – the dark leather armour with a hood he had always worn with the Chains of Damnation around his waist.

Skullius smiled.

'You're up,' he said to Sila.

The Tower General realised what he was supposed to do.

'So that's what all that talk was for...' he murmured to himself.

The exposition about how the two were practically the same soul, and all that by Skullius...

It was simply to tell Sila that he wasn't getting a way out. Nomatter what he did, there was no way to separate himself from Skullius without harming himself as well. Therefore, his only ticket to getting a body, was to use the channel provided.

Projecting the consciousness of his soul onto the Conforming Trickerteer!

As an Incandescent Stage expert, he could do this very efficiently, but he was completely at the mercy of the Hybrid Luman since the skill [Lucent Apparition] was controlled by Skullius... the Trickerteer too.

At any point, Skullius could just cut off the mana supply to the skill and the Tower General would be back in his bubble since his soul would have never left.

'I see now. You're too cruel, tomato flinger...'

Reluctantly, Sila projected his senses through the light guiding a path from Skullius' body and soul into the double.

The feeling that followed was quite extraordinary for the old piece of soul.

He felt a sensation in his hands, though it wasn't quite as humane as he would have hoped. Then he felt the sturdy balance from his legs, the stability in his torso and the rational mental focus from his head.

He finally inhabited a body again after so long!

A vain breath was pulled into his nostrils and he raised his head and screamed into the air.

"Haaaaaaaaa!"

Skullius face palmed.

"I can feel once again!" Sila growled, his voice so powerful that it caused a faint ripple through the air. The raw physical power afforded by the Conforming Trickerteer was not to be trifled with after all.

The Tower General took more deep breaths with excitement. He clasped and unclasped his hands repeatedly, ensuring that he had a good grip.

The Conforming Trickerteer in the transformed state was a like a hollow human body, which was why he fit so well.

Marvellous!

The only downside to this experience was that Sila couldn't see since the armour copied aspects of Skullius but that wasn't a problem. He was the one who took away the Hybrid Luman's sight so that he could reinforce his other senses in the first place!

"You better behave. One wrong move and you're back to that darkness again. Worse yet, I could simply not deliver on what I promised," Skullius warned.

Sila's zeal was immediately dampened a great deal.

That's right.

Skullius had said that they would venture to the Labyrinth of the Yoke to look for comrades of Sila. That had been how he had convinced the Tower General to help him find the Temple of Unlusted Tears after their spat. While the task of going back there was now left to Replicus, it wasn't impossible to fulfil what the Tower General wanted still.

In truth, Sila should have been grateful that Skullius sparing him meant that he could still look forward to this, and in part, he was.

Wait... Besides him being a dormant trump card, maybe Skullius was trying to keep his word on what he promised too. Was that the other reason the Hybrid Luman had spared him?

"What can I even do? You've shut off access to all your powers from this armour haven't you, tomato flinger?" Sila said.

"Yes. And most of your physical strength too. For now, I'll give you a few minutes to enjoy the outside. From then onwards though, I'll only be calling you when I need you."

Sila slowly nodded.

It was better than nothing.

Besides, his hopes of seeing his comrades from the Second Grand War were revitalised!

Skullius began walking towards the mansion and the Tower General followed while appreciating everything within his sensory reach.

As they passed the trail of trees, Skullius was baffled to find the vast menagerie of beasts guarding the mansion.

The Terrors in armour standing guard at the doors.

The giant flies floating above the mansions without swaying even a little from their fixed position.

And the...

VWOOOOOSH!

A large pillar of flame spawned from the sky and hurtled down towards Skullius. Before it reached five meters within his aerial range though, it slowed down and landed in front of him without the aggression it had begun with.

"Well damn. Already?" Skullius said as he saw the flame take a humanoid shape.

A tall, muscular goblin made of orange gold fire was formed, its glowing white eyes staring directly at the Hybrid Luman.

It was the Tier 9 Imperial Elemental Goblin that Skullius had defeated in the Cluster!

It was shocking to think Red Rage had already tamed the thing since it was only yesterday when they captured it!

What efficiency!

"Does it remember me?" Skullius wondered.

The way the creature kept staring at him implied that it recalled him who had frustratingly weathered through all its attacks without getting hit.

In any case, there was no way it was going to do anything to him.

Skullius passed it and entered the main mansion.

The lavish design that had been within before the refurbishment had been elevated several fold. Now, when merely entering the mansion, one would be dazzled by the fine quality of materials used to make the interior and the skill of the people who refined it.

It was like a palace.

Maidservants gave short bows as Skullius entered the house – all of them, some old and some new, acknowledged who was responsible for bringing back the grandiosity of the Family Estate.

The Hybrid Luman went up the lounge which was spacious and decorated with various forms of relaxing furniture and luxuries.

'If only Genhuis offered this kind of generous extravagance. Ah, damn that word,' Skullius thought bitterly.

Behind him, Sila couldn't see all this but he could feel it, a whistle of marvel being forced to escape his mouth.

"To think this is what you have been up to, tomato flinger..." he said.

Skullius ignored the Tower General and sank into a large, comfy single couch, emitting a harsh breath afterwards..

A maidservant immediately brought him a refreshment which he sipped on as many thoughts ran through his mind.

'Now that I have a partial counter against Aurolio, I can relax a bit... and deal with more pressing matters.'