Bro, I'm not an Undead! - 651 Lurking Fate! (6)
(A/N: Bonus Chapter).
The BoneTender’s Flaw acted on its desire to manipulate, which also happened to be basis for its abilities. Therefore, to ensure that while it was in other worlds, it couldn’t simply practise unrestrained dominance, it was forced to use a roundabout method to achieve its goals.
It had a deck of seventy cards, all with various different ‘fates’ – stored realities that could only be realised by others, targets whom it ensnared in its alluring trap.
There were four special cards in this deck that somewhat balanced this detrimental Flaw. From three of these, the BoneTender could receive a predetermined reward, while from the remaining one, the card known as the ‘Royal Ace’, it could acquire what it desired, provided a few conditions were met.
Indeed, it was a lot to wrap the around but fairly simple with enough thought.
There was only a single issue with using the Royal Ace card. Unlike the other cards, it was drawn to ambition and desire, much like the Bone Tender itself. This meant that it was the only card in the deck that could willingly choose one of the Bone Tender’s victims. Once it had chosen whom it deemed worth, the individual could quite literally make a wish. Anything they wanted would be granted.
In turn however, depending on how the user expressed their wish, the Bone Tender could flip the meaning, using the power of the Royal Ace for itself.
“Do you wish to gamble on it? Glorious, empty bliss that may last for all undone time?” the BoneTender asked expectantly.
Bliss?
Why empty bliss?
What did this mean?
The bald man while entrapped in the feeling ecstacy blinked.
Bliss, it said. Bliss that lasts through all undone time?
Did that even make sense?
Ha!
The bonfire lit up within Dionas furiously bellowed. A man of his stature and greed could not pass up the chance to earn an eternity of happiness!
Surely, this happiness, the bliss could be fashioned from the specifics of what he wanted, right? It was supposed to be glorious, right?!
Yet, with the burning itch that drove his actions, his choice of card wasn’t needed.
As soon as he said ‘yes’, a card from the appearing deck descended to reach him all on its own!
It simply could not resist this man’s fervour and drive, unlike with the other mediocre humans in this city.
This man actually had desires that transcended triviality!
The card depicting a complex, glittery symbol that gave an impression of unbridled power rested in Dionas’ hand, giving him relief even from the weight of the carriage pinning him down.
The Bone Tender grinned.
A soft intent then called within Dionas, whose eyes were sparkling with nothing but greed.
“What is your deepest desire? Ask and it will be fulfilled,” this intent urged.
Dionas gulped hard.
Truly?
Glorious… empty bliss that lasts for all time?
If he had to choose…
The bald man opened his mouth and uttered words that made the Bone Tender roar with joy at the sky with a grin!
“I wish to rule it all. To have it all… like a king.”
This was all it took.
The Royal Ace shone, making this wish come true but the apparition watching this occur acted first, making the wish, as vague as it was, its own.
To rule it all? To have it all like a king?
That was a wish that transcended Aigas. It had implications spanning several worlds and realities, something that the Bone Tender, who hadn’t expected to be summoned in this world, needed.
This was the perfect improvisation!
Dionas’ body rose with the Royal Ace above it, the carriage pushed away from his figure.
A burst of Null Life Essence coiled around his body and began to transform it, squeezing the life out of it, ejecting his soul without a care, draining the fat in flesh and empowering this mortal vessel by hundreds of thousands of degrees in a mystical fashion!
Pure blue essence revolved around the changing body, creating a bright lens flared. A different attire from the fancy adornments of man draped over Dionas’ changing body.
It was regal attire in a combat sense.
Soon, a new figure stood before the BoneTender.
He was tall, but not alarming so like the apparition.
A dazzling black armour with a soft, rising golden choking mist decked his body, signs of life showing from it as subtly, shallow breaths could be heard, lighting up the crevices and corners of this aegis in a deep golden orange hue. There were countless triangular sky blue jewels lined up over the chestplate, burning with a fierce light of foreign energy, similar but larger ones showing on the pauldrons, poleyns, carved into shape – the form of a certain insignia.
“Ah…”
A deep breath blew out of this new being’s mouth.
It wasn’t all bone like the Bone Tender, but had a face, one as pale, dry and ugly as a corpse’s yet strangely charming. If one were to look at it, they would want to keep staring for a prolonged period. Narrow eyes with nothing but a tenebrous storm were on this being’s face, inducing a dreadful feeling in anyone who into them. Some, in a far away prison believed a single glance was enough to kill any miserable fool.
Long, creamy hair that almost seemed like a trails of bright light instead rested over this being’s head, flowing behind it as if submerged in a hidden sea, at its tips a dull blue colour.
Above all this though, what really stood out on this being’s body was a silver crown.
It grew from his forehead with a metallic sheen and rose half a meter from its head, the power it gushed awe-inspiring.
If anyone but the BoneTender had been standing in its presence, they would have been automatically shredded by the might it bellowed out.
When the dark eyes of this being settled on the Bone Tender, the apparition’s flame head flared lightly and it gave a dignified bow of respect.
The armoured being spoke first in a voice that carried immense weight, the power within it seeming to be affected by its master’s mood.
“You went ahead and made plans of your own? Did you distrust me that much?”
“I would not dream of it, O Null Devil King. I have binds on me that even I cannot control. However, I have made the most of them in the moment. Look around us,” the Bone Tender said.
The creature who had been addressed as the Null Devil King glanced over the surroundings. The screams, the rain, the lightning, the torn infrastructure.
“Are we truly outside Serenity’s prison? And in a rich land as well?” he asked with a tilt of his head.
“Indeed.”
“Fascinating…” the Null Devil King said before chortling. “I suppose you remain loyal then? Winning worlds for Serenity despite being discarded?”
“All have purpose. My old one is all I can live for,” the Bone Tender replied.
The Null Devil King nodded.
“Honourable. Then I shall honour my promise. I will forfeit my existence in this shell and leave it for you. Use it wisely. My strength is enough to alert Divines.”
“Thank you…”
As the brief exchange ended, the shallow signs of liveliness in the body of the Null Devil King vanished and what was left was a powerful, stationary husk emitting enormous waves of power that only the Bone Tender could sense.
Without wasting time, the Bone Tender’s tall frame rose and sank into the vessel that had been left for it. A perfect vessel.
ραпdα nᴏνa| сom
The BoneTender had inhabited it.
“Magnificent…. So this is the power of a Null Devil King?” the Bone Tender spoke in its usual, alluring voice, but the difference was that there were devastating levels of authority in it now. Authority that could be exerted on the physical world and its people.
It seemed all the perks of the Null Devil King remained in this body, making the Bone Tender, a sort of proxy Null Devil King.
‘It paid off…’ the BoneTender, no, the Null Devil King thought with a smile blooming on its lips which parted to reveal rows of shining, razor sharp white teeth!
To get himself accustomed to this body, the Null Devil King proxy raised his hand which was hidden under the glossy black gauntlet and execute a small ability.
A blast of Null Life Essence washed over the city and some – over the mourns of dying, over the crumbling infrastructure and even over the terrible weather spawned by the man who had crawled into a ball, bawling his eyes out.
Everything stopped moving, just like the Bone Tender had done before.
Even the rain hung in the air.
This was a simple application of Null Life Essence.
A basic skill known as [Static Limbo].
‘My power is overflowing and running through this body perfectly. Ah… Thankfully, the Kings and Blood-Risen Emperor cannot be bound by Flaws. I can do as I please… for now,’ the Bone Tender thought.
As all this absurdity ensued, Yuyui had watched it all.
The burst of Null Life Essence had stalled everything in the city hadn’t affected her because of the Eye of Dispersal which had been open all this time, though the strain on it kept getting worse, almost forcing it shut.
And this was all with it unable to fully nullify the powers of the Bone Tender completely when they were directed at her.
She couldn’t hear what was said between the Null Devil King and the BoneTender but she knew it was all bad. Very bad.
Ferex had suddenly turned into… and then…
It was all surreal!
She had slowly regained her senses as things progressed and now, she knew she had to inform Replicus about this if he didn’t already know.
With rapid action, she pulled something from her storage and gripped it in her hand.
It was a grey cube, the Forced Displacer – the Legendary grade object that Black and Brown under Kenno had used to teleport around back in the Isise!
“Now, it appears you have quite a lot of secrets,” the authoritative voice of the Null Devil King smashed into Yuyui, causing blood to start leaking from her eyes, ears and noise!
She kneeled down and grunted in pain as the regal figure, a king with no renown of this world walked towards her and crouched down beside her.
“You have a master, the same one who made this host. He is kin, a special existence whom I have… several guesses about. Depending on how it goes, I might kill him in jealousy,” the Null Devil King said. “Hmmm. Curious… it’s hard to gleam more information from this host’s mind but I can feel a tug in two directions from its body. A connection to this kin of mine. One greater, one lesser…”
The Bone Tender knew he was talking to himself but he couldn’t help it. It was a habit that he did not do anything to change.
He narrowed his already narrow eyes at Yuyui.
“What relationship do you have with this kin, I wonder?”
The lime haired girl continued to spill blood as the voice of this transcendent being smacked against her. However, she mustered the strength to insert mana into the Forced Displacer and in the next moment, she vanished.
The Null Devil King smiled.
It was of no consequence. He already knew where to go for answers anyway.
With everything silent, overpowered by [Static Limbo] into motionlessness, the six presences that the Bone Tender had sensed earlier grew closer, causing the Null Devil King proxy to grin.
Thankfully, he was afforded a few soldiers by his victims, which had been his secondary objective.
These six were powerful warriors to boot.
As direction would have it, they were beings that were flocked wherever royalty settled in Serenity’s prison – her jealously sought for and desired treasure.
There six were the infamous Null Badubs…
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