Bro, I'm not an Undead!

Chapter 1104: The Warmoth's Spine



What appeared beside the Progeny was something... odd.

Despite the shockwave which had rolled out when the thing met the ground, emphasising its immense weight, at a glance, it was hard to see how this... thing, could even influence its material surroundings.

Replicus tilted his head in confusion.

The only thing he could see clearly were the bolts of Ju`wtte crackling around the space this... thing, inhabited. As for the actual item, what was certain was its height. It stood at roughly sixteen meters, towering massively over the Progeny.

However, it looked like an unfinished drawing, a draft of sorts. Without paying attention, one would only see many soft shadows tracing an image that was all but unclear.

But this was only a consequence of looking at it with the eyes.

The thing's presence was unfathomable. Replicus had almost forgotten to breathe when it landed with a great thud that shook his very core.

Was this the Warmoth's Spine? Something so abstract?

He spent a few more seconds staring at the wavy, unsettled, disjointed shadows rising upward until he was interrupted by Serenity's voice.

"I think... I think it's sheathed," she said.

"What?"

"This weapon. I think it's sheathed, which is why its features are so vague. Touch it," she said.

Replicus hesitated a little before drawing close to the oddity and trying to reach for one of its shadows.

The instant his hand rested upon this shadow - which seemed to be solid - a wild gust blew over the towering mass before him, and as though a layer of invisible sand was washed off from it, the true image of the artefact was revealed.

As its name suggested, it was indeed a spine.

Large segments of stacked vertebrae in an ivory hue formed its mass, with a large, black handle protruding from the end, which was facing upwards. The bottom of the weapon, the Fond Calamity, was what was digging into ground, making it groan. It was formed by the largest vertebrae, with the others following after it scaling down in size to the back handle.

Replicus' curved eyes sparkled.

The thing was roughly as wide as he was tall!

What's more, six, unnaturally sharp bone protrusions - like blades - came from the left side of the stacked vertebrae, all long and curved. Their edges actually shone as though smoothened and carved to leave devastating cuts.

(A/N: They are exaggerated versions of a spine's spinous process.).

A dark presence wafted from the Warmoth's Spine and it resonated with the Warmoth's Progeny tremendously. For a while, he was lost in the feeling it gave. It gave him the impression that as long as he was wielding it, he would be invincible.

And perhaps that was true.

[The Warmoth's Spine has acknowledged you as its master]

As the notification from the guidance field flashed in Replicus' eyes, the Warmoth's Spine seemed to invert, its handle, which had been pointed to the sky appearing in Replicus' grip while its other end now took its turn to point defiantly at whatever was above!

'Wow...'

Upon wielding the weapon, Replicus felt his already surging powers surge all the more.

He felt himself get imparted with a presence that he alone couldn't exude.

His back straightened.

His eyes sharpened.

This weapon, fixed his posture?

Replicus soon discovered that what he felt from the Spine was conservative.

When looked to his Apostles, he saw that both of them had bowed down on one knee and hung their heads, as though they weren't worthy of looking at him.

....?

Even Araeyn was showing a degree of respect without being coerced.

[+50 Favourability with Araeyn]

[+80 Favourability with Red Rage]

"Oh," Replicus jerked. He hadn't seen that in a while.

He looked at the Spine again. To think this thing had such kind of power to make even a rebel like Araeyn submit!

But this was not all. Far from it.

Despite the Warmoth's Spine being five times his size, its handle much too large for his hand, Replicus felt that his grip on the weapon was firm. The handle drew in his hand as though afraid of parting with it. A closer look would reveal that Replicus' hand had sunken in as thought it was welded into it.

To add to the convenience provided by this artefact, Replicus also found that the Warmoth's Spine weighed... nothing.

If he were to be blinded, he would have thought he wasn't holding anything at all.

The sensation made him grin and before he knew it, he was tempted to swing the Spine to see its full might when...

"STOP! Don't do that here!" Serenity warned. "You might not feel like it has a weight to it, but it does. A simple swing from that thing might destroy this whole place."

Replicus immediately desisted.

"Right. This is a Pseudo-Transcendent weapon after all," he said.

Oddly enough, on top of not feeling its weight, the Progeny didn't feel its effect on the surroundings. Apparently, everyone else could, though. "Let's see."

At once, Replicus used the guidance field to check the properties of Warmoth's Spine.

[Warmoth's Spine]

-Pseudo Transcendent-

Made from a miniaturized section of the Warmoth's thoracic spine, the Warmoth's Spine is an artefact bearing a portion of the true essence of the Colossus Warmoth. It is naturally resistant to the effects of all concepts and is especially generous to all those who carry the will of the Warmoth through its Legacy and the Ju`wtta.

-Damage-

1,890,000-3,000,500

-Durability-

975,000-990,000

[Special Effects]

-Weightless to the user

-Allows the user to adjust their size

-Gives the user a fragment of the Colossus Warmoth's regal aura

-Can veil itself when needed, limiting its interaction with the material world

-+500% to Ju`wtte production and Ju`wtte skill efficiency

-+500% to all energy reserves

-Each swing applies triple the maximum attack speed of the user

-Each attack has a chance to deal 500% additional damage

-Each attack contains 100% Crush and Shock damage

-Each of the six vertebrae blades (spinous process) can be used separately from the Spine with

just the user's will.

[Skill: Honoured Lacerance]

By infusing 500,000 units of Null Life Essence, the user can unleash a vertical slash that WILL NOT fail to cut through any foundation or entity existing within the dimensions of a world

and below.

[Skill: Full Spine]

For a limited time, the user can unleash the full length and girth of the Warmoth's Spine, amplifying its powers. Usable only once a day.

[Skill: Warmoth's Peal]

By infusing units of 100,000 Null Life Essence, the user can unleash a devastating sonic and

Ju'wtte blast.

[Full Release: Locked]

Replicus sighed, overwhelmed.

This was definitely the strongest weapon he had seen so far!

So many powerful skills. Not to mention just its special effects were also ridiculous!

The attack speed, the increase to reserves...

'I can even manipulate my size, huh? I kind of wish that applied to the weapon too though,' he

thought, but was not disappointed in the slightest.

As his eyes scrolled over all the skills and the mysterious [Full Release], which was apparently

locked, Replicus suddenly shook, realising something.

"Right. I can't put it down..." he said aloud. The Flaw!

If there was anything to put a damper on his mood, it would definitely be this.

'I had thought this would be fine since I have four arms, but... Even if its not simple to let go of

the weapon, the fact that one of my hands will constantly be occupied is still a bit inconvenient.'

"It's not that big of a deal. Be thankful this is all just a mere inconvenience to you. It's better

than starving or having to watch out for assassins you made yourself," Serenity said.

Replicus shrugged.

Well, she wasn't wrong.

"You should check your other gift," Serenity added while pointing at Replicus' waist.

There, on the rim of the Progeny's fur pants were three keys, each the size of his forearm, bound together by a ring.