Bro, I'm not an Undead!

Chapter 1206: The One Left Standing (20)

A month ago.

Timemould Mirror Box...

"...but as I said, it's just a theory," Serenity concluded.

Replicus didn't give any kind of response for a while. The sounds of thunderous and violent clashing in the background were the only thing to prevent an awkward silence from persisting between the humanoid, blue flame and the four-armed Progeny of the Colossus Warmoth. "Only a theory, huh?" Replicus finally said, disentangling his two upper arms which had been folded in front of his chest. "Implicit evolution? Well, that could be possible, given that Caxellac really looked down on anything mana-based. His grasp over Null Life Essence in general also suggests to me that it has a hand to play in evolution, at least where the top races of the Null Verse are concerned."

Replicus' eyes were fixed on the guidance field as he spoke. He looked so intently at his massive value for Null EXP that the numbers might have been compelled to flee.

He then turned to Serenity.

"It's still really strange to hear the uncertainty in your voice. I mean, the Null Verse is your creation. How do you not know many of the things involved in its more ultimate species?" he said.

Serenity shrugged.

"I created it, established its mechanics and set its boundaries. In the millions of years it has had to mature, I haven't been an active participant in how its expanded and evolved. I have my own agendas outside it, you know. Besides, through the Voice of Worlds, I can get knowledge about the overall progression of things in the Null Verse - pressing matters mostly - so I didn't bother sticking around a lot," she said.

Replicus nodded.

"I see..."

He, his phantoms, and Serenity had been pondering on what Null EXP could be. Given the super-inflated value, they had all assumed that the purpose behind it would be quite... delectable.

Serenity had tried to reach VOW to ask directly what this variant of EXP was, but she found to her immense surprise - that the Timemould Mirror Box, where Replicus and the Unlimited were all trapped until their selected training time passed (plus the repercussions), cut off all communication to outside planes. Serenity wasn't able to reach VOW from here.

Thus, all Serenity and Replicus had was speculation.

"There's considerable risk, but what the flesh, I don't mind trying it out," the Progeny said.

"Are you sure?" Serenity said with concern. "We don't even know if this is safe for someone that isn't a Divine. For all we know, trying to surpass what you are now, when even the denizens of this place - that Strawler and the armour - seem to deem you too weak, might be extremely detrimental."

"I know," Replicus said with a small smile and he looked at one of his palms.

It was still funny to him that he no longer embodied skeletal traits. That had been the hallmark of his existence for a long time.

Interestingly enough, as the Vehement Bone Nullmancer, his Apostles had embodied mostly skeletal properties as well, derived from the evolutionary options they were offered. But now Replicus was simply the 'Nullmancer'. Not everything had to be bone.

Replicus chuckled.

"I reject that same fate."

"What?" Serenity said, surprised.

"I walked down this path before, you know? I once entered a Labyrinth that handed everything to me - EVERYTHING - on a silver platter. All I had to do was strive to survive and follow the guidelines and the footpaths laid forth before me. I, being as weak and as simple as I was, dived at the opportunity, desperate. I was blind," Replicus said, and his yellow eyes gleamed. "You were right. That me from back then couldn't have comprehended your reasons and your existence."

Serenity was lost for words.

Where was all this coming from?

"Skullius is the embodiment of my past weakness; not just in terms of strength, but in mental terms as well. Oddly enough - ironically enough, actually - the Warmoth's Progeny is similar to Fulgardt. 'Become HIS echo'. That's what that blasted armour told me. It wants me to become the Warmoth. That Strawler wants the same. And if I do end up meeting this vague requirement to be seen as worthy in their eyes, what exactly is the end goal, hmm? Will I be possessed by the Warmoth too?"

Replicus clicked his tongue.

It pissed him off a bit how everything really was working to push him in a direction that would probably make him regret ever choosing the Colossus Warmoth's Progeny as his evolutionary path.

The fact that his Flaw, where he couldn't allow the source of his Ju`wtte (the Ju`wtta) to be destroyed or lose possession of the Warmoth's Spine, were decided by the Warmoth himself was already ominous enough, now that he considered it.

"Perhaps my battle against Skullius will be more than just an excursion to thwart a parasite. I fully intend to win, swiftly in fact, but in the process, perhaps whether or not I was ever just a normal organism without the guts and WILL to surpass the powers I acquire will be tested," Replicus said and then he sighed.

Serenity was immensely impressed.

She had a lot of things she wanted to say in that moment, but Replicus was not done talking.

"And as for the Warmoth's powers..."

***

[You have expended 15,100,000,000 Null EXP!]

As the guidance field chimed at his action, Replicus' body exploded with great bolts of Ju`wtte while trapped in Jiggorrhax's blast of incomprehensibly powerful might!

The Progeny had two powerful tools in his arsenal that he had speculated would help him become the Colossus Warmoth's 'echo', as the great suit of armour had put it: the Supreme skill [Bloodline Awakening: Warmoth's Return] and the Full Release of his Warmoth's Spine. However, Replicus had decided to abandon the usage of these two options. To him, this was no different from receiving Fulgardt's legacy and his WILLS.

Thus, Replicus opted for an alternate path.

Serenity had hypothesised that the Null EXP he received following his defeat of the Null Devil King, Caxellac was for 'implicit evolution'. She had been right. This was different from the predetermined paths Replicus had been shown thus far each time he evolved. In a way, implicit evolution was akin to the Personal Configuration he had experienced as a reward for reaching the Fourth Tier.

By expending the Null EXP, an individual could forcefully evolve once or several times beyond the capabilities of their racial qualities. However, the risk was as Serenity had feared. This was indeed a means used by Divine beings and it worked especially for Divine beings.

Replicus had powers comparable to the Divine, but he was not there yet. His body couldn't

handle it.

That didn't mean the EXP was useless to Replicus though.

No.

Perhaps permanently evolving his race was still out of reach, but through trial and error - using millions of Null EXP each time - he had discovered that he could accomplish temporary evolutionary gains depending on the amount of Null EXP he used.

This was exactly what Replicus was doing right now.

The method to use the Null EXP was simple, but excruciatingly painful.

'Channel it. Use as much finesse as possible,' Replicus told himself.

Null EXP was similar to regular EXP - cumulative mana experience.

In essence, it was Null Life Essence, but it was incredibly rich with the information of the organism it had been taken from. It could be manipulated precisely within the body, and after declaring that he wanted to use it, Replicus felt it flood his body from the guidance field!

"NGHHHHHRRRRR!!!" the Progeny screamed in agony.

He had expended 15 billion units at once, but it wasn't out of careless judgement. He had estimated in the last month, that this was about as much as he could handle, but still, his

body was barely able to contain the power.

Yet giving in to pain was a luxury Replicus couldn't condone.

Using [All Null Commander], his Null Life Essence manipulation skill, he guided the Null Life

Essence towards the very cells that composed his form!

With the help of the thought phantoms - whom he had practised this with many times - it was a lot easier than it otherwise would have been.

Each of Replicus' cells (and indeed even a creature like him had those, just not in the shape

one would expect) were saturated with so much energy that their composition changed

dramatically, rapidly!

However, this change didn't happen in the typical fashion; that is, towards a logical progression in the same line of species that the Colossus Warmoth followed.

No.

Many factors were taken into account.

Replicus had four arms.

Replicus had a human form - the Hybrid Luman form.

Replicus had an oddly deformed soul.

Replicus was not a native of the Null Verse.

Replicus had a Transcendent grade tool that had nothing to do with the Warmoth, bound to

him.

Replicus was simply... his own individual.

As such...

[You are evolving...]

[You have become the...]

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