Chapter 1586: The... Amalgam? (1)
It was beyond Skullius how his Apostles had managed to warp all the way here into the great void. Even though he knew they could sense his presence (Red Rage moreso than the others because of his recently awakened Rank) it shouldn't have been possible for them to reach him with their mostly mortal abilities.
But the Hybrid Warmoth wasn't complaining. His followers were giving more credence to his declaration to Future Skullius earlier: that he was going to fight Fulgardt as the Nullmancer.
Drawing Null Life Essence from Red Rage to use for his own, Skullius called forth…
"[Bringer of All]!"
The Apostles turned to their master, expecting to be utilised in the Nullmancer Class ability.
…But only one of them was pulled towards Skullius.
Weaver shuttled towards the Hybrid in the depths of the great void and was absorbed. He and his master were suffused with a staggering amount of Null Life Essence and their aggregate form began to change. The being that was formed was a seamless combination of both the Null Lifeforms' features and powers. However, it didn't look quite as complicated as it should have.
A humanoid with skin that looked more like shaved crystal than anything else was born, draped in a four-sleeved robe that was made with clouds of royal blue, forest green and milky white. The robe was saturated with all kinds of Null Life Essence, its breadth and free-flowing nature hiding everything about the new being from the neck and below.
Just a moment later, though, the new Null Lifeform made some of the dense clumps of cloud recede to expose his four arms. In one of them, a staff made of a series of glowing numbers and symbols was in his grip.
The new creature's crystalline lips parted and released a searing breath.
[Bringer of All] was an ability that allowed Skullius to merge with all his Apostles. Originally, it also allowed him to combine one skill of his into the mix, which further changed the powerset of the resultant being. However, during the great battle against Jerthrax, and the masked man, he had evolved it to its peak. Now it allowed him to add in as many abilities as he had Apostles. Since he had five Apostles at present, he would have been liable to adding five abilities as well, all of which would be deconstructed, enhanced and multiplied.
However… this only would have been the case if Skullius merged with all his Apostles. [Bringer of All] was malleable enough with his current skill. He consciously rejected a merge with all his Apostles except Weaver, which forced him to lose the benefit of adding four more abilities to the resultant creature he would become. Now, he only had one choice, and he chose the Andori [Entropy's Harmonizing Nimbus].
Indeed, all this was because Skullius wasn't looking to engage with Fulgardt using the amalgamation of power he would receive from [Bringer of All], even though that would have been a very valid choice. The ability itself was considered a skill, but because it had been evolved to its utmost limit, it was pretty much Divine, at least in Null Life terms (as there was no Andori classification in the Null Verse).
It would have made sense to fight Fulgardt as a full amalgam, but Skullius didn't want that path. He was looking ahead, at the long term. He wanted to use something Fulgardt didn't already know. Something he wouldn't expect!
For now, his use of [Bringer of All] Skullius was for buying himself some more time, and also…
'So that's what Focused Null Life Ota is…' the Bringer of All thought. Weaver's knowledge was his own now. 'Hm. Earning it is easier said than done though. Good thing I chose my nimbus as the ability to bond with.'
All the pieces were set now.
The new amalgam felt as though he could make everything work. He could beat Fulgardt and Somanda at the same time if he played his cards right. His unconventional name even teased that fact.
He wasn't Skullius Festos Dawn or Eternity's Weaver, after all.
He was Weaver of the Right Festos Dawn.
There was a hidden meaning in that name. Only VOW, who had given the name Festos Dawn to Skullius in the first place would know.
"I'm done with you nuisances," the Immoral said as his hand was bathed in darkness.
In the moment it took for him to consider the other Apostles (and disregard Skullius' transformation), the entity who would weave a new dawn gave the Apostles instructions.
And indeed, the three responded accordingly.
The gigantic Beyrmir used his hot mercury body to pour himself outward as a massive mercury blanket that splashed over the enormous Undead minions Somanda had left behind. He charged every inch of his body with Null Life Essence and hardened himself after making contact with all of them. He aimed to stall them all, even for a moment.
He barely succeeded, but it was enough.
The rest was up to the others.
Weaver of the Right Festos Dawn searched for SoSei through the wreckage of two worlds and looked upon Camilla's appearance.
Doom Factor 2 ignited within him and thankfully, Somanda's influence fell upon Fulgardt.
"You never learn, do you?" the High Lich said with Fulgardt's lips. He meant to leave at once, and he managed to begin withdrawing from the Immoral.
…But not before feeling the first touch of the amalgam's wrath.
Weaver of the Right Festos Dawn had already been taking action before Doom Factor 2 was triggered within him. His utilisations of Null Life Essence and oddly, Maximum Jaqquezjaqqz as well were suddenly a hundred times better!
Different kinds of Null Life Essences (from Weaver) shuttled through him just as the essence of Maximum Jaqquezjaqqz did as well. It was an ingenious solution prompted by the Weaver side of the amalgam.
By channelling the right kinds of Null Life Essence well enough, it was possible to counteract the negative effects of using a certain amount of Maximum Jaqquezjaqqz without having a Voided Deathform body!
That was why Weaver of the Right Festos Dawn was suddenly bathed in a puce and turquoise essence over his crystalline skin without spontaneously exploding.
…And that was also why the amalgam was able to shoot out a powerful [False Tickler] – a lethal slash – at the Immoral before Somanda's presence faded away!