Bro, I'm not an Undead!
Chapter 1184: You Are Not An Undead

High above the clouds of Aigas…

<What was that? The activation of that odd lightning component – an arrow, it seems – I'm sure it didn't utilise mana. Not all the way, at least. You saw it too, right?> Boron said while looking past the cover of clouds with narrowed eyes.

<I did, yes. Though this isn't the first time I've seen it. That anomaly has used it before. Turning mana into an opposite version of itself is a rather complex fair. The means with which he used to be able to carry out such a thing is beyond me. Even when I saw it, I couldn't comprehend it entirely.> Suzamete said.

Her eyes were also fixed upon something way beyond clouds.

<Hmmm. It's potent. Dreadfully potent. It crushed the integrity of the land and air easily; everything held upright by mana. No living thing can contend against him if he can wield this… Polar Mana. Well, with the exception of his… counterpart.

Now I understand why you said this… Skullius, just might be a great threat, even to us; a two-fold threat>

Suzamete turned to Boron.

<My words will only ring true following the outcome of the battle.>

<Which you know but won't tell?>

Suzamete did not meet Boron's suspicious eyes.

<I think it's best if you don't. Even if only for the sake of entertainment.>

***

Skullius was pleased to see that Replicus didn't have an immediate retort.

This naturally meant that he had succeeded in making the damned fake understand how fickle his lifespan was.

[Brisk Storm Avatar] was a skill from the Eternal Storm Veil Penetrator which allowed for Replicus to exist. It had created a copy of Skullius – Replicus.

Skullius was able to destroy, or rather, deactivate [Brisk Storm Avatar]. However, there were a few caveats.

The first was that Skullius couldn't use [Brisk Storm Avatar] while in his Hybrid Luman form.

Since his entire relevant arsenal was in his Hybrid Luman form, he hardly ever used his Penetrator form (Skullius currently held the Eternal Storm Veil Penetrator race, different from Replicus.) He would simply wait for the three-hour cooldown of [Greater Celestial Counterfeit] – the skill responsible for his flesh form – and assume his Hybrid Luman form immediately without expanding on his Null Life powers.

The second caveat lay in the fact that Skullius was unable to do anything to Replicus if he wasn't in range of the skill's extra features.

The only thing that could be shared between Replicus and Skullius when they were outside the range of the skill was experience. (This wasn't automatic, of course. They both needed to actively decide to share EXP.) They couldn't communicate and they couldn't share memories.

(A/N: Refer to Ch.563&564).

As such, this meant Skullius was disallowed a harsh degree of free control over his copy.

Because [Brisk Storm Avatar] sapped energy automatically to maintain itself, thereby fuelling Replicus' existence while they were apart, Skullius couldn't have simply stopped supplying mana to the skill even while in his Luman form. It seemed the skill was still powered by his Penetrator core even when he was the Hybrid Luman.

But perhaps if he truly tried, Skullius could have found a way around seamlessly getting rid of Replicus. Perhaps he could have employed some tactic, some trick, but he didn't. In all honesty, Replicus' existence was as much of an opportunity as it was a nuisance. A copy of him so powerful it could rule Aigas, had its uses.

He wanted to kill it, of course, in the end.

He would be able to do that soon enough. As soon as [Greatest Celestial Counterfeit] went on cooldown, it would be game over for Replicus. Skullius would be able to deactivate [Brisk Storm Avatar].

As it were, Skullius was sure that Replicus, through the guidance field, could tell that only an hour and twenty minutes remained till he was forced to assume the Eternal Veil Penetrator form again.

The Hybrid Luman cackled.

"Looks like you've got everything planned out," Replicus said with a sigh.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Skullius said calmly.

Replicus leered behind his helmet.

"I assumed our goal was to merge and become strong enough to storm Deadmanland and retrieve our soul from Somanda. Perhaps as you are now, you think you possess such strength, but I am left to wonder…" he paused, "…do you even want to retrieve the other part of our soul anymore?"

Skullius gave a bark like laugh.

"Goodness, Replicus. We came into this world as undead. Soon after, physically, we stopped existing as such lowly creatures. We were proud of it. New powers. New connections.

However, before not too long ago, I realised that I… we, hadn't shed the mindset of an undead; a drone whose path was steered and piloted by their master. A foolish, ambitionless minion. Somanda showed us that bit of our soul we are missing twice, and each time, it's driven us more voraciously towards – as you must know – returning to him.

I, Replicus, have shed that filthy thought, that stupid desire. I am free," he said with a look in his blank eyes that told of no lies.

Replicus couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"What about deciding to discard your past as if it never existed proves that you are free? Accepting who you are in its entirety, good and bad is what makes a living being free. Running from it only makes you a coward. I'm disgusted to see that I have become so spineless, hiding that cowardice behind flashy ideas," he hissed.

"As am I," Skullius replied. "I can hardly believe that the replica I sent to scour the world and build up our strength only managed to trap himself even deeper within the palms of scum like Somanda. I have evolved beyond such narrow-mindedness. Perhaps you really don't remember. Let me remind you then, how twisted our former master was, yet also brilliant.

He caged bits of our souls so that he could watch us all, Bonemen, yearn for them so much that we created feeble brotherhoods between each other. Powerless skeletons that did his bidding while suffering from eternal desire! He enjoyed our suffering! He knows just how much you yearn for that soul and will use it against us! Oh, it's funny!

You desire so terribly to enter the domain of undead gods just so you can obtain the memory of a girl you barely know!"

"Her name is CAMILLA! And all that matters is that she is a part of us we need to reclaim!" Replicus barked.

"And how long did it take for you to learn her name? A millennia and some? Where is the significance in that? She is long dead! What difference does her pathetic existence make to us?! What do we gain by learning what colour shirt she used to like?"

"It is more than clear that she holds significance, Skullius! We have memories of her wi—"

"A single significant memory! One! Believe me, when you were away, I saw much of her! More of her! Perked on that snowy hill, naked and angry! Just that one memory is all we have of her, and it can't even begin to decide if she was ever worth anything!

It does not justify falling into the hands of that blasted Lich again!"

"You—"

"Choose freedom, you imbecile! For once, choose whom you want to serve rather than to fall for the twisted ploys of false gods! You, my dear, DAMNED fake, are NOT an undead anymore! Own it! Believe it!"

"I AM NOT AN UNDEAD!"

"Prove it then! As powerful as you have become, has it not occurred to you that you can gain enough power to simply render Somanda's hold over you irrelevant? Who would care if you lack half a soul when you have far transceded the power of Deities?! You could remake your own soul! I'm sure you have come across powers of such kind as a Null Lifeform! Think, you fake!"

"ENOUGH!"

A fierce light shone from Replicus' eye slits.

He was enraged.

All this talk about him following an undead mindset…

What utter fleshing garbage!

"So, this is the epiphany Fulgardt helped you see, is it? That being whole is a sin, or perhaps a plot by higher beings?" Replicus said scathingly, and a mocking laugh left his lips. "I don't need a lecture from you. I have met Divinity itself in the face and it doesn't strike me as the sort of thing capable of judging me and forcing my path! I've met Divinity and killed it where it stands!

It is no longer a height that is too far out of reach. You, Fulgardt, Skullius, Festos, or whatever you call yourself now, are the one underestimating just how much I understand about higher powers. I have no one shackling me anymore – be it my mind or body."

A frightening presence exploded from Replicus as he spoke.

It was indeed a presence befitting of one who had slaughtered a Divine being seven days ago.

"Before I retrieve my soul, I will bring Somanda to his knees. I will make him see that the little skeleton he toyed with is no more; the one whose soul he split to cause pain is long dead. It is all for vengeance. I will make him sorry for stripping me of what is mine; regaining the other part of my soul is simply a graceful bonus. I will raze everything Somanda brought up to the ground.

I'll strip away all his treasures. And only when I've given him as much despair as he gave me for the last thousand years, will I make him taste Death as he was meant to taste it! THAT is my FREEDOM! Don't presume to think I intend to go back to Deadmanland with a bunch of flowers or coin, begging for my soul."

Replicus was seething. His silver armour hissed of steam.

"If you see the path forward any differently, then you are worse than that little Moronic Undead who fled from Somanda on that day those months ago."

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[Author's Note]

Another reminder to refer to the Master Index for abilities you have forgotten. Everything has been added there