Bro, I'm not an Undead!

Chapter 1100: I Can Penetrate The Heavens!



After defining the third modification, Replicus went on to quickly brainstorm what special traits he could choose for all the modifications he had made. He couldn't wait and choose later, after all, Personal Configuration was to be done before evolution so that it didn't interfere with the form he would take on; some evolutionary options wouldn't fit with the configurations he had in mind.

His third modification was already underway and wasn't the kind that would interfere with how he looked, so it didn't count.

The first special trait he chose was for his extra arms.

He had the guidance field give them the option to freely move around every component of his body and not just be restricted to below his original set of arms. After the trait was granted, the switch to a different spot for each of the two arms was a lot smoother than Replicus had thought. It felt natural. His body didn't rearrange itself to accommodate these movements. What was even more peculiar was that these arms could also operate within Replicus' body. This didn't just include his skeletal insides. It also encompassed the inner works of his mana networks and the skills imbedded within his body. He could interact with them physically- and delicately!

As for the second trait Replicus chose, he asked the guidance field to make the nervous system he had constructed within himself for the thought phantoms to operate four times as fast as whatever skeleton-sensitive system he already had which linked his mind to his body.

Initially, he wanted it to be ten times as fast, but that proved to be an infeasible ask for a mere special trait.

After concluding his second and third special trait requests, Replicus moved on to the Flaw De-demonization. It too couldn't be left hanging before the evolution.

"Now this should be interesting. I had already adopted measures in place in order to make sure I sidestep my Flaw's effect, but it seems at the Fourth Tier, it won't be worth worrying about," the Penetrator said to himself.

Replicus' original Flaw, acquired from the Penetrator series evolutionary path, prevented him from doing any damage that didn't have penetration effects. With this in place, he normally wouldn't be able to punch or slash with a sword. However, because of his Dual Mana- Sourcing Force, which allowed him to adjust the surface area of his strikes and his precise slashes with Null Life Essence that were methodically executed to pierce the target first before slicing through them devastatingly, he had overcome this.

Replicus also had another Flaw, one he inherited when he became the Eternal Storm Veil Penetrator. This Flaw restricted him from ever having more than five Avatars - copies of himself, like the current him.

Flaw De-demonization only applied to the original Flaw, not consequent ones, however. It turned the negative effect of a Flaw into a positive one!

[Your Flaw is being De-demonized. Please wait...]

[...]

[All your properties: Mana reserves, Null Life Essence reserves, offensive skills, Veneration arts, relevant physical attributes, and Affinity essence and concepts, have been inscribed with a passive 5,000% Penetration Damage boost!]

...!!!

Right after the notification came, Replicus felt every inch of his body become strangely... aggressive.

He felt the fibres of his entire being boast a degree of confidence and a desire to prove themselves against enemy defenses; or any defenses for that matter!

"Penetration Damage, huh?" Replicus said before turning to Serenity. "Is this what happens to all Null Creatures at the fourth Tier?"

Serenity swayed.

"No. The release from Flaws takes different durations for different Null creatures. You are just a special case. You have had to gather more cumulative mana experience than anyone else to evolve, so you deserve a quicker rate of Flaw De-demonizing. At least I deemed it so," she said pleasantly.

Replicus nodded.

He then acquiesced to the strong push from his instincts and used one of his four arms to throw a straight punch into the air.

...!!!

To his surprise, the space before him whirled and bore in on itself as if it were a simple layer of dough that had been pressed by a simple, hard force. However, this phenomenon only persisted for a fraction of a second before space returned to normal.

Replicus was stunned by this result.

First of all, the Flaw he had truly no longer haunted him.

And second... a simple punch from him could do something like this now?

His punch counted as a blunt attack. What would happen if he actually used an attack that could pierce through, like the [Nullmancer's Unforgiving Lancet]?

Unfortunately, another tremor in the Outworld Attic reminded Replicus that he didn't have the luxury to think about this. He much preferred to finish everything he needed to do here before travelling back to Aigas. He had an inkling of a suspicion that it might not even be that easy to get back with just his current prowess.

"Since everything else isn't necessary before evolution, I should evolve now. I can take care of Class Reinforcement and In-Verse glimpse afterwards," he thought, and told the guidance field to carry on.

The guidance field had a lot to say before that, though.

[Congratulations on reaching this point!]

[The Penetrator series is a decent racial path within the Null Verse, but its later growth patterns are heavily stunted because of the aggressive competitors that exist at the top of the food chain. Few persist with their olden, pure genes to reach admirable heights. Most Penetrators, to grow their strength further, often have to mix their purity with that of other, more prominent species in order to create hybrids that can stand toe to toe with the strongest within the Null Verse. However, while there have been a few successes, the process to create hybrids is not kind and it rarely produces spawn that live for a more than few years. Those that thrive gain the benefit of new evolutionary paths and magnificent compound powers, but at the cost of some of the abilities that make them Penetrators]

[You, Serenity's chosen, are presented with a choice]

[Would you rather commit to the stunted growth path of the pure Penetrator or would you desire to choose the Hybrid selections and rid yourself of the purity of the Penetrator series?]

Replicus' socket flames became subdued.

A pure Penetrator path and a Hybrid path?

He looked to Serenity.

He knew she could see the guidance field.

"What do you recommend?" he asked.

"I have no idea. What do you feel works for you? This will all be meaningless if you can't find what appeals to your style more. Do you want more diversity or do you want more enticing variations of the same powers you have been using until now? Risk and reward. You are the combatant here, it should be your choice," the blue flame said.

Replicus nodded.

He expected that answer.

This either meant Serenity didn't fully understand every single power in the Null Verse or that

she simply didn't see the need to meddle in such a decision.

The phantoms thought it was both.

"Well, if it's up to me..." Replicus said before making his choice, and to his delight...

[Six possible evolutionary options have appeared!]