Bro, I'm not an Undead!

[ Supreme Skill ]

[ Flesh It Like You Mean It | Lv. 1 ]

-A complementary skill to the Lifeless Evolution Package-

The user is able to gain a flesh body that is masked from most types of detection magic. While it does compromise the user's racial abilities, it offers much more in exchange. The greater the level, the more realistic the body.

Mana Requirements: None.

Duration: 24 hours.

Cooldown: 3 hours.

~~~

Skullius remained silent for a moment as he looked at the new status screen.

[Congratulations, you have cast 'Flesh It Like You Mean It' for the first time!]

[You will temporarily enjoy the perks of being 'human' and with an increase in your level, many more benefits will be unlocked. This is a complementary package to 'Lifeless Evolution' offered by Serenity for your convenience!]

[Please note that additional sensations are currently disabled from your new body]

Skullius trembled as he looked at himself. The sensation from his vision was different and his bones were coated with flesh and warm ivory coloured skin.

Under his robes, a standard body which was neither fat nor thin, muscular or otherwise, replaced his foggy grey skeletal frame.

His height was reduced to roughly one and a half meters, which made Skullius feel uncomfortable.

He might as well be a midget.

His face... well, that was where all the magic was at.

The blankest face imaginable highlighted his head.

There were no distinctive features.

Standard looking grey eyes, a nose and a mouth were the only things visible, making him look like a solid, undetailed drawing.

Short, light auburn hair could be seen on his head, completing the look of an overly generic human being.

"This..." Skullius stammered as he looked at his hands.

[Apostle 'Red Rage' ha—

BOOM!

The trunk Skullius was hiding behind was shattered by a powerful force of mana!

Skullius took a few steps back, almost falling at the sudden explosion.

The hairs on his skin rose, being somewhat sensitive to the mana, but his bones were what reacted the worst.

Torn between the shock of his new body and the attack that came from beyond, Skullius froze.

On the other hand, Eobald who had just now cast a wisp of his mana after sensing a peculiar activation of energy from Skullius' direction, was dumbfounded when he saw his figure.

"You!"

Eobald's voice travelled to Skullius with a burst of mana within it and shook him out of his reverie.

Skullius promptly looked at Eobald, quivering.

"Come here...!"

Skullius began walking over to Eobald obediently. The closer he got, the more he sensed the powerful mana he exuded.

Soon, he was merely two meters before the man who coughed up blood and glared at him, his eyes shining dangerously.

"Even in my current state... I can notice something fishy when I feel it... What are you..?!" Eobald growled with a face full of suspicion.

Skullius hesitated, gulping saliva for the first time.

There was a gnawing feeling hammering at his mind as if something was triggered with this transformation of his.

He looked at his guidance field status - which was still flickering before him - and saw his race. He reserved his comments and responded to Eobald with ample fear that made his chest rise and fall.

"I'm... I'm a ... I'm a Dis— I'm a human... Just like you..." Skullius answered nervously.

His response didn't sound unnatural at all.

Eobald's eyes did not leave Skullius' face. There was confusion and apprehension.

"What's wrong with your face? You look... strange."

Skullius didn't know how to answer to that. What was he supposed to say in response?

Eobald felt his instincts point at something awry here.

Because of his weakened state, however, he couldn't think straight. He had spent the night bleeding out while enduring the agony of the poison.

He hadn't been even be able to properly sense what was in the range of his mana sense. It was only after he felt the strange weaving of energy that he forced himself to seriously investigate.

Yet, he was slowly losing the luxury of finding out what was amiss.

Well, now that he thought about it, did it matter?

"What's a Foundation Stager like you doing here anyway? You're weaker than any adventurer I've seen in my life. How did you survive in this forest?" Eobald asked suspiciously.

Skullius began to sweat; this particular upgrade didn't help though.

It was strange indeed, especially when he saw his own stats. No one would simply believe that he was KOing all the powerful creatures he came across.

"Luck... I guess," Skullius replied, wholly doubting his own words.

Eobald frowned, not buying the excuse one bit.

Unfortunately...

His body jerked as he coughed up blood.

'Dammit! I just caused myself more damage.' Eobald thought. 'I have no other choice. I wanted a miracle, here it is. Might as well use it. At least...

HE should buy it, right? If I at least try...'

"Listen closely."

Eobald pulled out a silver object. It was circular and it fit within the palm of his hands. Circular rings could be seen on its surface, with texts inscribed that were incomprehensible.

He motioned for Skullius to come closer. The Discount Human did so.

Eobald handed the silver object to Skullius and muttered something while holding his hand.

Skullius felt a faint trace of mana flow into the circular object that he held and then into his body before it clutched onto something deep within him!

['???' has been bound to you]

'What?'

Eobald took in deep breaths as he once again felt that with each excessive use of his mana, his body sustained more damage.

"This is a Key... to a certain labyrinth where a special legacy is being kept. My enemies want this Key, but I have bound it to you. If they kill you, it will be destroyed. Run away as far as you can before they find you and keep the Key safe. Do not let them have it!

Do you understand?"

Skullius slowly nodded after hearing Eobald's words.

Eobald nodded and pulled out more stuff; a short scroll and a crest. He also took his sword and gave it to Skullius.

"The scroll can be used to teleport to several locations - known cities. As for that crest..." Eobald paused and pointed at the crest that was shaped like a very thin red hand,"...Once you appear in any of the cities the scroll takes you, someone must come to receive you, if not, hold out that crest. Hand whoever has the same crest these objects."

Blood began dripping from Eobald's eyes, his skin beginning to turn into a nasty shade of purplish red.

"As for the sword, keep it. I hope you use it well."

Skullius was overwhelmed by all this information.

It was a lot to take in for a skeleton who had spent centuries in the mines of Deadmanland.

He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

"I'm counting on you..." Eobald said with a light smile that somehow told of freedom, regret and fear. "Now... please do me a favour. I'd rather perish by the hands of a fellow human than those of a... beast...ugh... May the strength that leaves my body, serve you well."

A solemn smile bloomed on Skullius' face immediately.

He unsheathed the sword he had been given and drew closer to Eobald.

He wore a humble expression and tenderly handled Eobald's shoulder, looking him in the eye with a dignified nod of his head.

"I thought you'd never ask. It would be my honour," he said with the purest voice he could muster.

TCH!

The mirror-like sword of Eobald penetrated his heart.

The gasped and choked, life fleeing from his body. Then he was no more.

Skullius grinned. For a moment, he forgot all that Eobald had said!

'Atrocious luck, who?'

[You have killed a Higher level existence, LV15 Human. You have gained experience]

[Calculating Exp...]

[250,000 Exp awarded]

[Would you like to appoint Exp to 'Null Lifeform (Boneman) or 'Discount Human'?]