Bro, I'm not an Undead!-Chapter 1539: Forbidden Monastery of Black’s Scion

A mysterious, searing pain flushed within Fulgardt’s chest, and he couldn’t help but scowl. As he had told Skullius earlier, Divines were capable of sensing Null Life and Voided Death Essence unlike their mortal counterparts; this heightened awareness extended to being able to see beings like Serenity, of course, which was highly convenient.

Fulgardt sensed that the Null Life Essence which had struck him, heavy and voluminous as it had been, was masking some presence of Divine energy that established something deep within him. To his surprise, however, he couldn’t discern what effect it had imprinted. He swiftly searched his flesh, his soul, and even his Broader Existence but was unable to find where it was, or rather, where it would trigger from.

The Immoral didn’t like that.

He immediately surmised that Suzamete and Skullius had collaborated to make something like this happen. There was some cost too. The amount of Null Life Essence which had just been released was staggering. It was likely Skullius’ entire reserve.

’So that’s why he wasn’t using it to defend himself from my attacks. He was planning on expending it all on... this,’ the Immoral thought, and he fixed Skullius with a sharp glare.

The Hybrid Warmoth dashed back immediately upon landing the blow. As did Serenity.

She drifted backward after confirming that indeed, her and Skullius’ efforts had paid off. Also...

’I suppose we were right. I won’t have to pay the price for intervening,’ she thought, greatly relieved.

Normally, Serenity couldn’t intervene in battles for the sake of her bearer or her own interests. If she did, there was usually a penalty that followed. This was why Void had not dared to continue trying to kill Skullius earlier. Of course, that incident had also been one of the few times Serenity could actually intervene for Skullius’ sake. She could only do so when she was matched against her sisters and their powers.

In this particular case, the inference she and Skullius had made judging by what Fulgardt had said earlier, when he stole the Hybrid Warmoth’s kill, had been validated. That wasn’t exactly a good thing though.

’This will probably be the last thing I help you with, Skullius,’ Serenity said to herself, and then she zoomed back into the Hybrid Warmoth’s body.

As soon as she did, Skullius amassed his Amras.

He thoroughly loathed how difficult it was to use it properly. Unlike with mana, which he could develop several skills for, all tailored towards manipulating it better, Amras control only improved by bettering the Broader Existence as a whole, or better yet, gaining a greater understanding of it that wasn’t tied to levelling up the Ascension Status by way of AKHASHA’s system.

But this didn’t stop Skullius from making his next move, of course.

’Let’s give our all while we wait!’ he thought.

...And then he activated [Forbidden Monastery of Black’s Scion]!

[Evil Darkness] throbbed from him and seamlessly layered him like a faint cloak.

The Ascendant tier Andori shook the world upon activation and strangely...

Skullius’ eyes rapidly raced left and right, and his mind stalled for a single instant.

Sensations ran through his body, soul and Broader Existence simply because of the activation of this high-level Andori. He felt himself grow more connected to [Evil Darkness], as though the element had just become some intimate lover of his that he’d been waltzing with for years.

He knew her every step, the shape of her waist, the size of her hand, and most importantly, why she stuck around.

Skullius himself didn’t piece it together immediately, but this feeling came as a result of [Forbidden Monastery of Black’s Scion] reacting positively to his Immortal Realm Physique, Expanded Shadow Fiend’s Leather. Immoral Physiques and Andori or Parlous Natures with similar traits could enhance each other, after all - creating a synergistic reaction.

And this was why Skullius suddenly came to conclusions that Future Skullius and Fulgardt had already been enlightened to when it came to the elements of the Insurgent Magnus.

Back when Skullius inherited these powers and raised his affinity with them significantly, he’d found that the darkness was for restraining and that the light was for control.

Indeed, it made sense back then. Skullius had wielded a skill known as [Perfect Night Domain], for instance, (derived from Evil Darkness) which, when it enveloped targets, would subdue the potency of their powers.

Where [Just Light] was concerned, he’d been able to create a Precept of Light, the Preeminent Attegoth, which later became the Stolen Angel. The entity was capable of exerting control over anything it placed a mark on. Heck, it was even able to take control of Skullius’ body and skill, casting them for him.

But was this the limit? No.

Skullius remembered during his battle with Festos that the Hybrid Luman had used the darkness to give himself a form known as the CREATURE. With this power, he had been able to boost his physical strength to excessive magnitudes. That had nothing to do with restraining, did it?

It did not.

Skullius understood now that [Just Light] and [Evil Darkness] had no inherent limits. The limitations to their usage only existed when the user was yet to breach the barrier to Divinity. Having access to all they could do too early would overload a mortal, and they could be overwhelmed with such kinds of power.

Indeed, it was curious, but the Insurgent Magnus was capable of interpreting light and darkness as much as made sense. Whether they wanted light to represent justice or darkness to represent evil was up to them, but they needed to be able to interpret both sides to properly wield these powers instead of being biased towards one. That might have been why the Labyrinth of the Yoke only made those who didn’t have inherent righteousness or evil advance further into it.

Was it not curious how this power worked?

Using [Evil Darkness] and [Just Light] through higher-level Andori – Divine techniques – allowed an Insurgent Magnus to start tapping into their broader interpretations.

[Forbidden Monastery of Black’s Scion] permitted Skullius into this realm of power with [Evil Darkness].

’I see...’ the Hybrid Warmoth thought, and then he cried out...

"Vanity Gates!"

It had been impossible for him to share his Insurgent Magnus powers with his Apostles, but now, it was no longer a dream.

A gigantic gate appeared in the skies, rimmed with horrific, sculpted protrusions on its frame. It wasn’t the kind of gate you’d have to open. Only a swirling darkness, like a whirlpool, revolved in the middle of its frame.

Beyrmir’s gigantic figure came into view, dripping of scalding mercury. With his four wings, he pushed against the air and flew through the gate. The skies shuddered, tendrils of black lightning storming from the frame of the gate. When Beyrmir emerged from the other side, he was transformed, empowered.

The same was true for Eternity’s Weaver. A gate opened before him too, however small when compared to Beyrmir’s. The Apostle, his figure akin to a large goblin made of scarlet ice, with a top hat that flew over his head – made entirely out of 10s – and a staff that was barely material, walked through the gate.

He too was transformed when he came out the other side.

But Skullius didn’t need a gate. He was master of the invisible, inaccessible monastery from whence these gates came from. All the power was his.

He too transformed... on a whim.

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