Bro, I'm not an Undead!

Beasts were said to officially become threats by skilled combatants when they reached the fourth Tier. This was when they developed exclusive and high level abilities or obtained dangerous mutation synchronisation that gave their bodies special properties from combined racial traits.

However, this was only the start.

Due to the double amount of experience required per every level, reaching higher Tiers was extraordinary difficult for normal beasts after this point, as collecting cumulative mana experience was a really big problem the higher up the chain they went.

Yet, the benefits for actually reaching that level were outrageous, especially for special races like the black skinned beast who, for first time manifested bits of a medium level Divine energy that allowed it forge...

"A Dormant Territory!" the grey haired Mage said with intrigue.

A silvery blue energy that manifested like rays of cloudy light which stormed from the body of this beast, the Nightmare Gale Fiend, shot out and began to tear through the crumpling space!

Everywhere this light passed, the space was forced to return to normal, and as it extended, the Mage shook his head.

Skullius gazed at this beast and expressed mild shock.

'I'll be damned if I don't remember something I've seen too many times...' he thought.

How could he not recognise what this was when he had seen way too many times?

Feeling the suction and entrapment of crippled space waning, Skullius used the chance to retreat close to the Gale Fiend.

Sadly, his Precept couldn't last any longer because the mana he had been given wasn't as much as it could be thus, the Luman landed on the ground while feeling the power of an energy he hadn't yet known the name of caress him.

Nitros.

This was the reason behind many events interconnected to the history of Aigas as well as its power system. The mystery behind how one exceeded the stage of being a Master and leapt ten steps forward in power into the Incandescent Stage, a stage many considered to be 'reasonable peak of power'.

Nitros was stability and creation given a form that mortals could handle.

This was mimicking the art of Divines!

"Phenomenal," Skullius said, impressed by this feat.

So this is where it all began.

All the beasts he had met so far. Azila, the Grinning Jester Fox, Fuwin...

They had to be at least Tier 10 and above!

The Gale Fiend looked to be struggling as the area of coverage for its Nitros only reached around 10 meters, covering itself and Skullius.

The Mage seized what he was doing.

A layer of space could be seen crunched up in his hands like paper, depictions of broken wood, stone and debris on it. He cast it aside and watched it dissipate into various forms of energy.

What a waste.

The grey haired man snickered at himself.

No matter how Skullius looked at it though... that was terrifying.

"I didn't know this trip would have so many surprises. I get to witness a beast cast its Dormant Territory for the first time. A rather sturdy one at that..." the Mage said with a smile on his face.

Around the bright silvery blue light that stretched from the Gale Field, a cloudy texture could be spotted erasing details of the ground, making the beast and Skullius look like they were standing in the midst of a deformed sky full of silvery blue clouds.

"A Dormant Territory..." Skullius muttered.

If he had to guess, this had to be a Territory without any of its features activated yet.

For instance, the Grinning Jester Fox's Territory that didn't have any attack or defensive functions in place when he, Benzard and the others entered.

It was just a dark space.

Then again, Skullius didn't know what a proper Territory did do exactly. Of course he had actually cast one before when had inhabited Eldris' body through [Basic Evil Sanction] but he figured a Territory was more than just a ridiculous boost to stats and all.

It had to be a lot more special than that right?

***

Stylla was choking, Ed had rushed to help her and Seddrik had won. The Harmonic Ember was in his hand and from the looks of his gaze on Karrun and Setkh, he no longer needed them.

It wouldn't be an issue if he killed them now.

Setkh could barely shift his focus to the imminent threat however as his concern was mainly his sister dying.

Seddrik was about to kill these two when...

...?

A flash of gold appeared behind Stylla, its brilliance dying to reveal a large bed onto which her father laid.

Red Rage dropped the bed down to the ground and turned to Stylla.

...!

Ed's hostility flared instantly as he didn't know who this suddenly emerged character was but in the next moment, he was forced to swallow his high guard.

The figure decked in pristine white armour, with a freakishly long cape extending behind his back, clutched Stylla's shoulder and the Genuine Incarnation that was strangling her... shattered.

...!

Seddrik frowned and caution reappeared on the subtle points of his face.

What the hell was this?

How in the world was this possible?

Ed was just as surprised.

He caught Stylla who dropped to the ground all while gazing at Red Rage who took steps forward and faced Seddrik.

"Another vile murderer..." he said with a disgusted tone. "Justice dictates that you walk freely no longer."

The man with the noose for an Incarnation tilted his head and scoffed.

Was this enemy looking down on him?

Just because he somehow deactivated his Genuine Incarnation's effect on Stylla didn't meant he had won.

Seddrik shut the door to the small room as he now had the Harmonic Ember in his grasp.

The space was immediately plunged into darkness. The radiance from Red Rage didn't aid in giving out light as the darkness was set to confuse all intruders, thus, knowing this, Seddrik instantly launched an attack at this new foe simply by recalling where he was standing!

His presence fleeted like that of a ghost and by the time a breath passed, he had already wrapped his Incarnation around Red Rage's neck, his body which stood behind the caped Apostle pulling hard with a terrifying force that dragged Red Rage up!

Even if this was Legendary grade armour, Seddrik's Incarnation was powerful enough to break through it given that enough force was applied!

This just so happened to be what Seddrik excelled at as an Assassin – short bursts of decisively fatal strength that killed the opponent instantly.

Yet...

"A killer with a neck fetish. You are beyond saving!" Red Rage proclaimed.

...!

Seddrik was surprised.

He had applied force enough to kill the average Master instantly but the result was... nothing.

To make matters worse, Red Rage's body warped into a circular distortion that faded and reappeared right before Seddrik, his fist which glowed and launched straight like a golden beam with a terrifying force hurtling towards his opponent's face.

Once again, it was [That One Punch]!

​ ...!!!

Seddrik didn't need to see in the dark to know that this one hit was enough to kill him, even if he defended with Perfect Aura!

Alarm bells rang out in his mind!

His eyes narrowed as he exercised the extended uniqueness of his Incarnation!

Red Rage's absurdly quick arm was suddenly grappled by a noose that tightened around his wrist and pulled it hard to the right in one forcefully jerk!

BOOOOOM!

Whichever wall got blasted with the force of this Special skill was uglified immediately, the whole underground space quaking heavily under the might of Red Rage's misdirected fist!

"Hoo... You are a clever one, murderer!" Red Rage complimented.

Three more nooses tightened around his leg, neck and other arm and pulled hard, their origins being the walls!

Seddrik immediately went for the kill when he found Red Rage to be immobilised, using his Incarnation for coordination.

However...

"Against someone like you, I can mess around no longer," Red Rage declared before going all out, his most powerful skill being cast immediately.

[Greatest Executive Arbitration: Full Release]!

Following the wild gust of a thousands of units of mana and Null Life Essence, light was forcefully introduced into this space... no, the location everyone found themselves in was different altogether!

The one who cast the skill stood before them, his attire having changed to one that suited the occasion...!