'This little creature... He's the opportunistic sort. A dangerous breed for... whatever he is,' the Cluster General thought while shaking its head to brush the pain it felt tremor within its soul away.
It hurt!
It burned!
It itched!
This little bastard had to die an agonising death for this!
Even if pain was something that it could not feel, as it had claimed, he would make it a possibility somehow!
The Cluster General's body began to turn red as a shimmering bluish red flame exploded from its body without warning, warping the space and bearing down on Skullius and everything around him on the ground!
The excessive pressure that was also released along with the overpowered mana from a purple core completely squashed the hill where abandoned houses were set up, lighting them aflame before turning them into ash!
Fire lit on everything, igniting the air, burning the ground and its intensity digging onto the flat surface of ALL that the Cluster General saw, as if a massive ball of over seven hundred meters had suddenly been flung down on this place!
Skullius' body, even from the distance between them was squashed into the ground and he grit his skeletal teeth!
'Damn! This guy doesn't want to come close to me anymore because of Ferex's form! He'll keep using long range attacks until I'm dead!' Skullius surmised as his already dark bones turned darker while brightening up from the atrocious heat!
Rocks began melted and this land slowly turned to a lavascape!
'This is brutal but not enough to put me down!' Skullius thought!
The mana from the orbs he had condensed was channelled to the thirty two sparks of blue light from [Silent Revelation of the Bright King] that shot out massive bolts of Levin to recover his body!
The Penetrator went on to add more fuel to these, ensuring that he wasn't killed in one attack, his rate of recovery speeding up dramatically!
To give an epic visual for this effect, bolts of Levin the size of Skullius' full body were shot from each of the thirty two sparks of light, burying him a whitish blue highlight that caused him to recover so fast it didn't look like he was taking damage at all!
The layer of Null Life Essence around him was also working but the amount of damage he was taking far exceeded the tolerance it gave!
At this point, it was merely an add-on.
Skullius seemed invincible!
However...
The massive greatsword of the Cluster General was suddenly pointed to the ground, in the Penetrator's exact location.
"Cross," the Cluster General said, to which the large sword reacted, its hissing orange blade that had patterns of pink over it releasing an unnerving shudder and then, with a sound akin to thunder and a white shockwave that blew across the sky, an orange blur left the sword's tip!
"Huh..." Skullius had barely begun to process what had just happened when everything around him exploded into flying debris!
Within a six hundred meter radius, the hard crust layering over Aigas was shattered, the ground becoming piles of broken rubble, most of which flew as a massive cross shaped gouge simultaneously carved itself on the surface, as if flung from the unknown darkness!
The gouge extended from Skullius whose body had been shattered without warning, his defences having accomplished nothing as his bones were torn apart!
'Damn it!' Skullius cursed as he struggled to keep himself from falling into the huge depth that was the flaming cross gouge.
The hundreds of arrays from Ferex, attributed to one of the spells he gained from the Innate Holder he had stolen, [Boost], had been lit up on his body, cushioning some of the damage however.
[Silent Revelation of the Bright King] also didn't disappoint, as it didn't stop spitting out the thirty two bolts of Levin to recover his body that was nothing but bone scrap at this moment!
'I need to increase my output of Null Life Essence!' Skullius thought as he used more of his racial energy to shroud his body that was recovering rapidly. 6000 units of Null Life Essence seemed like a lot when he used it all with [Serration Zone: Baneful Edge] which was amplified by two different skills but when it came to protecting his body, it was barely sufficient.
Ferex's body in his hand was damaged quite badly, but with Skullius surging a huge of mana to cover the Apostle, it wasn't in as bad a state as he had been seconds ago.
The Nullmancer's sockets gazed at the lengthy mass of damage that exuded a frightful heat in the shape of a cross and wondered how much more of this he could take.
He was right.
The Cluster General was keeping its distance.
If that was how this fight was going to go down until the end then none of his plans were going to work.
And as if to affirm his frustration...
"Double Cross," the Cluster General called, the greatsword he pointed down releasing another shudder that reached all the way to Skullius along with another rocking explosion which abused the ground, creating another cross shaped pit against the formerly created one, an eight point cross shaped depression being made!
Skullius' body was torn again, but this time, the damage wasn't as bad and with [Silent Revelation of the Bright King] active, he was quickly restored to full health but...
The orange hue that rose from the gouge glowed bright as a similarly coloured heat wave rose like wisps which formed a large yet thin figure, its likeness like that of a thin serpent with lambent orange-pink flames burning over it!
This creature coiled around Skullius who immediately began to burn once again while bound tightly, bolts of Levin persisting over his figure to deny his demise!
'Damn it!' Skullius cursed again.
While it seemed like he was invincible even now, there were only about three minutes remaining until [Silent Revelation of the Bright King] took a hike.
After that...
It wasn't hard to figure out the outcome.
Things really weren't going his way!
The [Null Life Aura] around Skullius gleamed only to the vision in his sockets as he garnered dozens of thick bolts of Silentburn Levin to be produced from the abundant mana he had, all of them hurtling towards him and the serpentine flaming figure!
This skill, [Null Life Aura], allowed Skullius to use elements born from the concept of Null Life such as his Levin and the flames from [Ungodly Passion of Debauchery] freely and without limitations of time. However, the only caveat was that the specific effects of these elements when used as skills would not be accessible to Skullius.
For instance, the Penetrator could not enjoy the effect of creating thralls when using the flames of Debauchery. They were merely an extremely hot flame when used under [Null Life Aura] which is why he hadn't been abusing them in this fight.
Presently, his dashing bolts of Levin did absolutely nothing to the serpent that bound and burnt him with fierce heat, only passing through it as if it didn't exist!
Bruh!
The Penetrator was about to curse again when he felt Ferex inch his way into his mind, exposing an idea.
"What?!" Skullius exclaimed. "Are you sure you can do that bro?"
A mental affirmation strolled in his mind, the Apostle he was conversing with giving reassurance.
Really?
A last minute plan?
Would it work?
Skullius' mind churned fast.
This was feasible and if used in conjunction with his own plan...
There was a chance!
Unfortunately...
"That all depends on whether or not this guy will decide to come closer..." Skullius said as he gazed up.
That was up to chance.
The Cluster General wordlessly looked down at the Penetrator, but a scoff could be pictured from his visage.
"Pathetic. Even if you are not a warrior... I am glad you are this durable. I will savour your slow death..." the Cluster General said to himself.
The bolts of unfamiliar energy that constantly repaired Skullius' form were troublesome though. They delayed the inevitable a little too much.
Perhaps this needed a little speeding up.
The Cluster General's index finger pointed towards his enemy.
"Enhath."
A Special skill was cast with a word – one from the Fire Breeder tongue which meant 'Incinerate.'
A fireball that shone with a blueish, red hue, pulling on the atmosphere as an audible breath escaped from it, its weight unbearable especially for Skullius who sensed its true might, emerged!
...!
Once again, this was bad!
'Ferex! You might want to use your recovery trump card now!' Skullius instructed while preparing to take the hit, though in all truth, it was probably impossible!
He would try still!
If he was to die, he would die trying!
The fireball spun with the Cluster General grinning as his body continued to exude an awesome heat, ready to finish off Skullius.
This was going to be gloriou—
PTSSSS!
At that very moment, an unexpected sound and visual cancelled the momentous occasion.
The intimating fireball fizzled out and disappeared as if it had never existed in the first place!
...!
The Cluster General was taken aback and so was Skullius and Ferex!
This clearly wasn't intentional on the General's part!
So what or who could have done this?!
All three individuals subconsciously looked in the same direction.
A wobbly legged Yuyui stood on the ground with her head looking up at the Cluster General, an ice blue iris from the eye on her forehead looking steadily at the beast!
The Eye of Dispersal and all its vague glory had cancelled out the Cluster General's skill!
"This one..." the Cluster General growled, its body blurring from its spot in the sky and appearing on the ground before Yuyui who yelped and took steps back.
The overbearing presence of the creature momentarily watered down the lime haired girl's resolve but she soon regained it, donning a brave face!
'FIGHT!'
In the girl's head, the word echoed and she firmly held the hilt to Demion's Dance and slashed at the powerful beast!
The sword hissed once more as a dark line was traced through the air but...
WHAM!
With a speed faster than the girl's slash, the Cluster beast punched at Yuyui's head, sending it flying clean off her body!
Yuyui's headless corpse collapsed to the ground and shortly after, she appeared out of thin air again, with bulged eyes overflowing with shock and terror!
"Hmph. You are the most peculiar..." the Cluster General said as it looked at her third eye.
This odd organ didn't have any effect on him as he looked at it, but seemingly only affected abilities and skills, even high level ones.
Fascinating.
The General grabbed Yuyui by the head and dragged her along as it flashed over to Skullius who was crumbling and reforming ceaselessly under the bolts of Levin.
He stood a distance away, watching the Penetrator who desperately kept the Incalescent Mountain Breath on his skull gaze at him with his fiercely burning sockets while keeping up his recovery with the rate of damage he took.
"It seems we can do this for a long time. Your special abilities allow you to recover even from the worst of the minor attacks I throw," the General said as it threw Yuyui down and stepped on her face to block her eye.
The girl fidgeted madly with her limbs but to no avail.
The Cluster beast then raised his large greatsword with a chuckle, from his distance, extending it over to Skullius' shoulder. As it reached the Penetrator, an orange halo glowed, with pink patterns around its circular circumference.
Immediately, the thirty two spots of light that continuously funnelled Levin to heal Skullius vanished and in the Nullmancer's hand, a cracked, blue bladed sword appeared.
It was a jian.
Its guard was decorated with a miniature skeleton that hugged it, along with brown, shaggy furs that circled it.
The Cluster General's greatsword had nullified all skills, including Ferex's Pseudo Spirit Walker's Hide's ability!
The serpent remained still though, burning Skullius as it pleased.
"Haa!" the Cluster General chortled. Now Skullius had no means of recovering against the damage.
He could have the satisfaction of watching him burn even if it wasn't with a scream!
"I will keep this unique toy. Come fetch it when you... if you return," the General said with a light slamming of its foot into Yuyui's face.
Soon, Skullius' body turned red, fumes leaking from it. His bony hand shivered as it touched the greatsword on his shoulder that imposed this dreadful effect on him and Ferex, his socket flames blinking rapidly.
It didn't matter that he still wore the golden crown.
Even the Null Life Essence around only delayed the inevitable.
The Cluster General watched Skullius' pitiful face with a chuckle.
He was truly and utterly doomed.
With the Cluster General keeping its distance still, even as it could finally see the weapon that had caused it that treacherous level of pain, there was nothing Skullius could do to it.
That was how it seemed.
But...
WHOOOSH...
"Hmm?" the General hummed in surprise.
His sword...
Something... happened to it.
A light breeze was expelled from the near three meter long mass, as... something was definitely rapidly pulled from it!
"What is the meaning of this?" the General narrowed his eyes before beholding a shocking phenomenon.
Levin roiled over the surface of the Penetrator's bones again while his sockets flared madly!
Mana gushed in his direction, pulled upon by... a skill?!
But... that was impossible!
The greatsword's natural ability of nullifying all skills...
It was gone?!
The orange-pink halo around Skullius dimmed and vanished, along with Ferex who was in the Penetrator's hand!
A snaking darkness swirled around Skullius before forming a lengthy, torn hooded cloak that barely looked material, its edges intricately sown with an extended glowing blue pattern!
It had large sleeves and a similarly large hood, it's form seemingly made for a cruel hag or powerful Mage, whichever claimed it first!
Its unannounced emergence over Skullius caused the serpent that had been binding him to shatter into small fragments of heat that were dissolved into the atmosphere, a billowing wave of power, of Null Life Essence, oozing from it!
Along with this, the socket flames of the Nullmancer watched a series of notifications stream in!
[The Nullmancer grows tremendously!]
[You have acquired a new skill, 'Defiant Raiment of Perversion']
An absolutely ridiculous skill was awakened... but Skullius didn't care for it at this moment!
His plan didn't even account for it and for now, killing this son of a femur was all that mattered!
The Cluster General frowned as it saw that something was wrong.
Was this creature finally using that trump card of his or was this another unforeseen trick?
Its confidence remained erect.
As long as it wasn't that itching damage, it was confident that this would amount to naught.
Before any of Cluster General's questions could be answered, however, the large creature felt a stinging pain that pierced its eye!
Something unseen!
Something sharp!
Something quick had sunk into its eye, bringing about not only pain to its flesh but another burst of pain to its soul!
"ARRRRGHHHHH!" the General screamed and so did Skullius who pushed his crumbling body over to the beast and touched its abdomen!
"It's a beautiful day to fleshing die, sockethole!" he bellowed.
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