Bro, I'm not an Undead!

1272  The Power Required (2)

The darkness within the interior of the Brilliant Dent was defeated. The copy of the sun providing warmth and light was drowned by the light pouring from the vicious pillar. The sight would have caused most to doubt their state of existence as their eyes were forced to believe that darkness had been the greatest illusion of all.

Everything was so bright. Too bright.

…But then, the restricted space in the Mythical grade treasure known as the Brilliant Dent, vanished.

Suddenly, Deign appeared below, surrounded by the great pool of blackish-red liquid, but quickly, the island's existence was also drowned by the light from the pillar that had caused this.

Everything was highlighted by its overwhelming radiance, and its intensity coursed through everything with a form – corporeal or otherwise.

The Unlimited Stars who were preparing to move out were stunned.

Again?

What was their master doing this time?!

But their thoughts couldn't have all been so casual. Unlike the last time, when their attention was stolen by Skullius' ascension to Divinity, their bodies and souls were temporarily crippled.

Something unseen, something beyond the huge pillar of energy in the distance, pressed on them like a vast, frigid ocean, causing them to freeze.

None could understand it.

None could fathom it.

None, but Susu'k.

Skullius had not regarded him for long following their interaction. The Hybrid Warmoth had chosen to go and address his mortal subordinates instead, leaving the giant Strawler alone and embarrassed in the Second Layer of the Empyrean Hatcher.

He didn't dare seethe in rage and insult his new master for it though. Skullius had every right to treat him as he wished.

The phenomenon currently happening now was one of the reasons why Susu'k was glad he had quickly cast away his arrogance and presented himself before Skullius as a tool at his disposal.

This power burning over the Ju`wtte Transfiguration Pool… had no business being in the hands of a fresh Divine.

Susu'k had already thought this true for Skullius' Hybrid Warmoth form, but this…

'It took a long time for the previous Jan`ind to acquire such power! His… Broader Existence shouldn't be this vast!' the Strawler thought, both awed and frightened.

The fact that Skullius had not abused any of the resources Susu'k's old master had left behind to reach this level, astounded Susu'k terribly.

How was this possible?

The powers crackling over the pool in the distance died down abruptly.

They left a staggering silence that almost seemed too unnatural.

Oddly, the large, broken mass which had appeared over Deign suddenly, vanished, leaving the island with scars and craters.

The storage effects of the Brilliant Dent which had been temporarily overwhelmed by Skullius' power now restored themselves. They scooped back up the bits of the toppled mountain and the duplicated sun, hiding them away in a different space.

Elita, who was in that separate space with Silrat and Theurien raised her head.

Everything had finally calmed down.

She breathed out a harsh sigh and dispelled her bubble of purple Voided Death Essence.

What fierce Amras. It had caught her off guard.

She inspected Silrat and Theurien.

They were safe. None of the adverse effects that would have blasted them from Skullius' energy reached them because of the Voided Death Essence.

That was the unique quality of Voided Death Essence and Null Life Essence in particular. When cultivated at high levels, they remained relevant when matched against concepts in the Common Reality Leagues. This was why even Deities were annoyed by anomalies. Boron, for instance, had sought to kill Skullius immediately after his battle because he knew if given the chance, he would be troublesome. Seconds later, he had been seething at Elita's unexpected arrival for the same reason.

Further evidence of the special quality of Existential Parallels was how Majestic Territories were unable to read Skullius' Null Life Essence and stop it from flowing. This happened because Null Life Essence as a concept was beyond the likes of mana and Nitros. And so was Voided Death Essence.

Elita helped Silrat and Theurien up.

"Are you alright?" she asked them.

"Y-yeah," Silrat said while swiping away the dust.

Theurien also confirmed that he was unharmed.

"What was that?" he asked, his face pale.

Elita didn't answer.

She couldn't quite understand what had happened. She had felt a plethora of sensations just now and had had a hard time distinguishing them.

She gazed at the pile of a mountain ahead. Thick dust and smoke covered most of it, obscuring the fate of the Honing Fortress.

What a pity.

Elita was a little sad to see the destruction of the mountain. She really had admired its aesthetic.

In the next instant, however, she felt the pulse of a formidable concept seep out from somewhere and layer itself over the remains of the mountain. The large uneven blocks began putting themselves back together in the same sequence they had been forced to disentangle from the singular unit that was the mountain. In a few seconds, they formed the rise once again, perfect and whole.

'He reversed time,' Elita thought, and a smile crept over her face.

Well, given Skullius' displays from earlier, she wasn't surprised. It was only natural for time itself to be an ally to Skullius now.

But time was a concept that existed in tiers. The brand of time that spanned within the boundary of worlds was leagues weaker and far less complex than that which dominated reality as a whole.

In a blink, Elita, Silrat and Theurien found themselves back in the white room.

Skullius had brought them all back.

They all looked at him. He was in his Hybrid Luman form, still emitting a crazy powerful but tame presence, different from the berserk one from moments ago. Beyrmir stood at his side, but bits of smoke could be traced along his straw cloak and flesh.

The questions about what that burst of power just now was were pressing, but not as much as the ones about Stylla. At least this was the case for Theurien. He immediately turned to the bed in the centre of the room.

It was no longer covered with the glass cage. On it, a woman with a physical form could be seen, snoring in her sleep. She turned to the side and pushed against the comfy blankets, oblivious to the fact that she was being watched or that she was restored.

She had very long, honey-coloured hair with streaks of auburn at its fringes. Her figure was slim but tall, wrapped in a long, white silk dress.

She had coin-grey skin, smooth and almost shiny. It looked inhumane, but didn't detract from her beauty and distinct features. Without a doubt, she was Stylla Bryne.

Skullius' gaze lingered over her. He seemed to look distracted, a bit fearful, even, but it hardly showed to any of the three he had invited back into the Honing Fortress.

"I'm sorry she looks like that," Skullius said to Theurien with a small smile. "I had to take some… liberties."

But Theurien saw no reason for an apology. He sat on the bed beside Stylla and took a few, deep measured breaths.

He caressed the strands of Stylla's hair gently.

"I see my daughter, and I feel her soul," he said, almost sobbing. "What more could I ask?"