Chapter 1009 RETAINER (2)

Chapter 1009 RETAINER (2)

While the Preeminent Attegoth had been destroyed along with all Skullius' skills the Hybrid Luman retained the ability to control [Evil Darkness] and [Just Light] still.

Skullius did not need skills to manipulate these two elements. Back in the Labyrinth of the Yoke, he had been able to control [Evil Darkness] and [Just Light] before even receiving his first skill related to the elements, before even receiving the legacy.

The reason was, of course, his affinities.

As long as Skullius had a good affinity, he was able to freely control the elements well enough. Skills for manipulating these only added a much-needed finesse and simplified the process. Where additional crutches were truly needed, was for the mass production of elements.

Since [Greatest Antiphon of Malignance] was out for the count, Skullius had used the essence that made up the Attegoth – what was left of it before its destruction – to fuel the proportions he needed to create the PHANTASMIC RETAINER. His Graceful Monolith was made of a large amount of condensed [Just Light] after all, hence its name, the Precept of Light.

A PHANTASMIC RETAINER could only be made using affinities for darkness and light that were of the A rank and higher, with precise proportions, as Skullius had read from the tablets back in the Temple of Unlusted Tears.

Of course, the current him already had greater knowledge of this than his former self.

The RETAINERS – three in all – were like vessels that empowered his abilities better than his flesh could, no matter how strong he got, and were the best at using the Seeds of the Fruit of World Myths.

Skullius had been awarded with three more Seeds – much like – after his interaction with Luserus.

Noboboyhama, however, was a vessel only capable of holding two Seeds at a time, but that turned out to be more than enough.

'This should do,' Skullius thought, and he loosened his fingers from their gesture.

The darkness that had swallowed the world receded back into the bold figure above him, revealing once again the humble night which had suffered a ton of horrors in a short span of time.

The spectacular characteristic of Noboboyhama had only lasted a minute, but so much had changed and so many had been affected.

So much had changed.

The status core had completed shifted.

Skullius sighed.

Skullius laughed.

"You'd be in trouble if that were to happen, wouldn't you?" he said, and he turned his head towards the Ode.

Like Umbett, the poor young prince had his hands bound, as well as his whole outline. However, his mouth, legs and ears were also melded together by stitches. Worse yet, his eyes were glazed, a faint golden light visible on them. His pupils could be seen staring up, his eyeballs stitched in a way that kept them rolled in a direction that supported this.

He wasn't the only one to be in this rough predicament.

Every other Maqian who was still alive was in the same boat.

This was the effect of the Number 8 Seed, Delight's Pursuit.

Those who stared into the glowing eye, the only source of light in the darkness, had had their minds enticed into living in a fantasy where they enjoyed their deepest desires; where they weren't trapped in the eternal black, where they weren't questioning whether or not they exited or not. Of course, this ability only worked this well after the victims were left desperate and vulnerable.

This was achieved using the Spirit of Blind Drowning's wide field of dulling darkness.

The same could be said about the Melding Stitch. It was only possible to bind all these targets after the thick domain of [Evil Darkness] was erected for a long enough time.

Umbett seemed to have survived the former of the two Seed effects because she hadn't looked into the light. That took some nonsensical degrees of mental resilience.

With that in mind, Skullius scoffed at the Ode's image. To think he had actually been prepared for a reality where the Ode resisted like Umbett.

"I've decided against killing him," Skullius answered the hag's inquiry. "Our agreed upon conditions were simply 'if I win' and in this case... it's rather obvious who beat the other. Besides that, I think it's a waste to kill a Spirit Warden. Even I don't know much about them. While we are on our way back to Maqi, I'd like to do a few experiments."

Umbett gave Skullius a stern glare.

"So, you truly wish to go to Maqi as part of your reward, and with the Ode in such a state?" she asked. "Are you mental?"

Skullius waved the old woman off.

"Yes, and yes. "Though, I do think it's fair that since I'm letting the Ode alive, the rest of your combatants should be put to death. Preferably by those they assaulted. That would do wouldn't it, my dear Queen?" the Hybrid Luman said as he turned to Embrell who stood free from any binding or mental affliction.

She was simply stunned and quite frankly, rattled. The Spirit of Blind Drowning still stood over her head, after all.

To Skullius' question, she gave a simple nod.