Bro, I'm not an Undead!-Chapter 1649: UP The Voltage! (4)

Earlier, within a new kind of Cluster...

Baddan was giving yet another sigh of exasperation while the Stark Troops, and everyone else gawked at what was happening before them.

Within this Cluster, which had emerged as it was – littered with creatures that no mortal should ever face – because Boron had ascended to Aigas, an immensely powerful Cluster General stood, stunned, bowing its head before Savast. Even though the now ’tamed’ creature was enormous, the Unlimited Star seemed to look down upon it. It was beneath him, as was all its spawn; tens of thousands of them were also standing still, stunned – each extremely formidable.

Eaniss had said the Cluster General was likely on the same level as the masked man, but Savast wasn’t convinced.

’Maybe it was yet to hone its powers properly. Even with the time dilation in Clusters, that might not have been enough time. I do get the impression that it was beyond mortal, though,’ he thought, scratching his neck.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! Well, butter my breadsticks! You’re absurd!" cried the Mad Bishop, rushing up to Savast and slapping him on the back. "How would you like to join my faith, hmm? Using that ridiculous strength of yours for a divine cause – doesn’t that just get your blood frothing? How about it? We even have free bread." She was grinning from ear to ear.

Savast looked at her with disgust, and then glanced at Baddan, who shrugged. He wasn’t too familiar with the Mad Bishop either despite encountering her on a few occasions during the mission to kill the masked man.

"I’ll pass," said Savast. He was very unkind with his next words. "If you two combining your forces couldn’t so much as deal a single lethal wound on something as weak as this, what could I hope to gain from joining your Factions?"

The other party in question was Em-Sul – another Severed Union Faction Leader. The man donned a scowl. For a moment – perhaps because Savast was dressed in that familiar starry armour – he saw a bit of that arrogance he had grown to loathe from Bright Storm. It was so easy to tell these two (Baddan and Savast) were that man’s subordinates.

Perhaps what itched Em-Sul the most though, was the fact that despite the great deal of trouble he went through to obtain the Harmonic Ember (previously owned by the Bryne Family) and using it to evolve himself beyond a typical human expert, he still couldn’t compare to Skullius’ subordinates. How in the world had they grown so much more powerful in such a short span?

The Mad Bishop also donned a scowl and glared at Savast.

"Hey!" she said scathingly, and Savast raised a brow, mocking the inbound hostility. "I just told you. We have free bread too. Are you saying that’s not enough? You’re the kind that prefers corn over wheat, aren’t you?"

Savast was stunned. He’d never dealt with... madness before. Luckily for him, Eaniss, who had entered the Cluster at the same time as him and Baddan, approached and dispelled the needless confusing atmosphere.

"Nicely done," she said, feeling the enormous Cluster General’s thick furs. "There’s no question. No single force on Aigas – except Bright Storm’s – is capable of handling creatures like these. It’s a shame. If more Clusters of this caliber spring up every day... The Severed Union will be overwhelmed." She smiled, however, looking delighted.

Savast considered her.

"You’re a little more competent than I expected."

Eaniss chuckled. "You think so? I’m honored."

Baddan gave an awkward cough, drawing Savast’s attention.

"Keep talking like that and soon, you’ll be indistinguishable from Kintar."

That remark soured Savast’s mood instantly. But also...

The Cluster suddenly shook violently, jerking left and right.

Eaniss frowned. "What’s going on? The Cluster General is alive. Why is it already collapsing?"

Everyone was wondering the same thing when, faster than they all could react, a ripple of quivering kinetic energy swept through the Cluster, obliterating it. In a blink, the intricate, seemingly boundless space within was replaced by a dark, eerily silent stretch of darkness. Traces of vegetation, and even dirt could barely be seen floating around – remnants of the Cluster world.

But many of the experts also remained.

Incandescent Stagers like Eaniss, Em-Sul and the Mad Bishop had survived nearly unscathed, along with a few of the stronger Masters under them.

Savast, Baddan and the Stark Troops were perfectly fine. The same was true for all the beasts Savast had ’tamed’ within the Cluster. While the General was in a league of his own, the rest were still as resilient as Beyond the Veil Stagers.

"Stagnant Space?" said Savast, observing the darkness.

"Yeah. What hit us just now?" said Baddan. "I couldn’t even trace it."

"Your perception of time has been warped."

The one to speak was a new character, freshly spawned in the darkness. Everyone turned.

The instant Eaniss, Em-Sul and the Mad Bishop saw this figure’s companion, however, they frowned in realization.

"You are..." Eaniss said, coldly. Her shock bled through her wide eyes.

The faceless individual standing next to the man who’d spoken just now gave a nod.

"We meet again," he said, "under even more dire circumstances, as it occurs."

"Dire?!" the Mad Bishop screamed.

Em-Sul grunted his displeasure.

The first figure was rather dismissive of everyone. "I am whom you’re imagining. Call me Aingor. Time is of the essence, though. Your prompt intervention is required."

***

Present time...

"GRANT ME THE CHANCES!" Baddan cried as everyone fell out of the sky.

His technique was activated at once, summoning a giant, billowing cloud that expelled a massive, formidable creature – a Cluster General – orbited by hundreds of thousands of other powerful beasts. It was steeped in dense layers of Null Life Essence, as were the beasts spinning around it in a clean formation.

Within this formation were several Arch-Mages and other weaker Magecraft practitioners, tense and ready for battle.

Then there was...

"WOOOOOHOOOO! We’re heading to the afterlife in glory with this one! Make merry in bread and wine!" the Mad Bishop screeched with a face rippling with absolute joy.

She, along with Eaniss, Em-Sul, Savast, Baddan and the two strange men from before were riding the enormous Cluster beast’s head with the Stark Troops and the remnants of the Faction experts just behind them.

One of the two men, Aingor, said to Savast and Baddan, "We’ll let you take the lead from now on."

But the two Unlimited Stars weren’t listening.

Even though the attention of Liches and Deities suddenly fell upon them, they didn’t shrivel up.

Their Stark Constellations sparked violently. Information was fed into them as a result – all that they needed to know.

’I see...’ they both thought, and realized belatedly the gravity of the situation.

The tendrils of Ju`wtte flying off just now were dying down and six individuals had just disappeared into thin air. Including their master.

He had left the two a message, of course, after the influx of the status quo.

I’m leaving everything to you. Take care of Kenno, and work with the Apostles to get rid of those Liches before they do even more damage.

Baddan was the first to snap in Kenno’s direction. The chaos of the battle had not allowed for the Apostles to take him with them just now. In a blink, both Baddan and Savast warped to the thawing body of their fellow Unlimited Star. It was battered, scourged, scorched, broken and flayed.

Kenno was barely alive – perhaps a breath away from death. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

However...

"I can’t believe it. I think I’ve seen him in worse condition than this," said Baddan and he turned away from Kenno and eyed the Liches. "You can wake him up, right? That’s all he needs."

Savast also eyed the Liches. They looked rather incensed. What had just happened couldn’t have left them in a sourer mood.

"Damn right." Savast said and he placed his hand on Kenno’s chest. He stole a sliver of the boundless reserves of mental energy he had stored up and poured them all into his comatose peer, drawing out his consciousness. "Rise and shine. How can you dare call yourself our senior if your drop dead before the battle has even begun?"

The words seemed to travel with Savast’s mental energy deep into the crevices of Kenno’s being. They echoed, rebounded and ricocheted.

...!!!

The Unlimited Star violently jerked awake, gasping for life with a Divine glow in his eyes!