Skullius' mind had spun, agonizing over which to choose. He had known that this wasn't simply about getting overwhelming strength. Even though he wasn't an Undead anymore, he was still bound by Doom Factor 1.
As a summoned creature, he needed to supply himself with mana constantly to rid himself of that Doom Factor. At least that's what VOW had said. Thus, it was only reasonable for him to pursue an evolution that emphasised a large amount of mana.
'I would really love to have great physical strength, though,' he thought as he lost himself to possibilities, seeing himself prancing in a lifeless field with the jealous gazes of Bonet, Mono Socket and Fractures following him and his thick, lustrous bones.
In the Boneman's vision, they would drool and ask him how he got so strong, and he imagined himself imparting his divine wisdom:
Milk, my fellow gravemen. Milk.
'Wait! What?! Focus, sockethole!' Skullius shook his head.
Investing in overwhelming physical strength was probably a bad idea.
Even if becoming a bones-for-brains kind of skeleton suddenly became the optimal option, he couldn't suddenly abandon his interest in mana. He had cultivated it since Deadmanland. Why would he give it up now?
The skeleton attempted a sigh.
'[Berserk Skull Hegemon] would have looked nice on my guidance field status.'
[Pffft!].
"Shut up!" Skullius barked at VOW.
The only two options he considered were the first and last.
[Vehement Bone Nullmancer] and [Revenant Forcemancer].
[Spirit Walker] didn't seem all that attractive to Skullius.
As of this moment, his impression of strength was based on what he'd seen with his own eyes. Somanda, the Death Knights, Azila, even the damned boar...
The skeleton couldn't envision a version of himself that was strong without overwhelming, openly expressed might. He had no memory of what a powerhouse of that calibre would look like.
Besides that, the mana this Class offered was less than the last two Skullius was considering; this made it even less attractive.
'The [Forcemancer] sounds good, but I can't even see many of the skills. What if I can't use them until I'm as strong as Azila? That would be... problematic,' Skullius thought.
'That must also mean they are quite powerful but...'
He thought about the Doom Factor. What was the meaning in the prospect of being powerful later if you weren't going to exist later?
Then there was the [Vehement Bone Nullmancer]. It came with a lot of mana and even though it didn't boost the Strength attribute by much, Skullius still found it attractive.
The skills it gave made it the most attractive out of the bunch.
The word Summon had already won him over. He was intrigued by the prospect of becoming like Somanda... and eclipsing him when it came to that aspect.
"It's something like that, right? Like being able to summon soldiers to do what I want? Right, VOW bro?"
[Hmmm. Every option you see has its own significance and you will likely get to see what each one can do as you grow, regardless of your choice. I will leave the actual choosing to you however, young Boneman].
Tktktkt!
Skullius clacked his teeth in displeasure. Such vague advice.
Above all else though, what made him want this Vehement Bone Nullmancer more was one thing.
One thing that he knew he needed.
One thing that would make him feel whole.
"I need that INTELLIGENCE!" he screamed.
Even though he had evolved from being a Moronic Undead, he still felt the lingering embers of his Moronhood dancing in the emptiness of his skull.
But with those 50 points, he felt that he would at least get VOW to stop mocking him.
"There's no other choice," Skullius thought, and he poked on the guidance field.
[You have selected 'Vehement Bone Nullmancer' as your class. Please note that you CANNOT change classes in the future and advancements in the respective Class will stem solely from 'Vehement Bone Nullmancer'. Would you like you to proceed?]
Skullius would have gulped if he could.
Why did this notification need to sound so ominous?
"Uhmm... yes?" he said, unsure, but pushing forward anyway. This had to be the right choice, right?
A tremendous pressure shot up from his feet and baptised his whole skeletal form.
The power Skullius felt gushing into him at this moment was staggering. His core, his bones and his mind shuddered, shaken by unseen strands of power beyond his comprehension.
[You have become a full-fledged 'Null Lifeform'!]
[You have become a 'Vehement Bone Nullmancer']
[You have received +150 Mana]
[You have received +50 Intelligence]
[You have received +20 Strength]
[The following skills have been added: ]
['Apostle Summoning'
'Apostle Armament'
'Depths of the Core'
'@%#^#@' ]
----
[You have finished basic evolution to Null Life!]
[You have received the skill 'Null Life Aura']
[Your power comes from the Serenity that rises after life. Your presence is overwhelming yet tranquil]
[You are neither claimed by the Living nor the Dead. Your soul and body are protected by Serenity. All physical and spiritual damage will be reduced by 50%]
----
A change came over Skullius' bones. They grew by a measure, their shade changing to a foggy grey as the flame in his sockets turned darker.
His mind grew less foggy, and his thoughts raced free.
A certain feeling attached itself to his core, but Skullius couldn't discern where it was coming from or what it was.
After a few seconds, the transitions and flames died down, Skullius finally getting the chance to look at his own body.
He ran the fingers of his one hand on the bones of his ribs and rejoiced. He could feel that he wasn't as brittle and weak as he had been.
"This is incredible," he said. He looked at all the notifications he had received and marvelled.
With his mind feeling clearer than ever, he comprehended them all - even those from before - much better. This allowed him to produce more nuanced thoughts. Skullius immediately put this new deductive skill to good use.
He analysed the skills he had received.
~~~
[Apostle Summon | Lv.1]
When an enemy is slain by your hand, purify it and bring it to the border of Life and Death, creating an Apostle. When summoned, it will be sustained by '#%@%' until it dies.
Mana Requirements: 100 Mana Points
Duration: None
Cooldown: None
----
[Apostle Armament | Lv.1]
A servant needs great strength to protect their master. Using Mana and Null Life Essence, grant your Apostle skills and aid so that they remain useful while standing by your side.
-Caution-
This skill is more effective when your Apostle obtains a Class or Mutation.
Mana Requirements: 250 Mana Points + 2000 Null Life Essence
Duration: None
Cooldown: None
----
[Depths of the Core | Lv.1]
To attain great strength, one must understand their own source of power: the core. The more one understands the more they can evolve their strength from the standard to the elite boundary where very few reside. When this skill is used, the user can alter their core in the direction they want.
Mana Requirements: 500 Mana Points
Duration: 1 minute
Cooldown: 100 days
----
'@%@^##!' [Locked]
~~~
"The costs are insane!" Skullius exclaimed in shock before reeling back with surprise at what he had just said.
"Wow... I never thought a miner like me would ever say something like that.
Skullius wiped away a non-existent tear and continued scrolling through all the options. He was excited.
[Depths of the Core] attracted his attention quite a bit since it had to do with his core.
Did this mean he could actually change his core qualitatively? But to what extent exactly?
The lack of knowledge was biting his hungry mind.
He began reassuring himself that he had chosen the right Class. If such a thing as changing one's core was possible, then he would make sure that he used this skill to the fullest, granting himself every single advantage he could.
As expected, the last skill was not available to him, but he would patiently wait for it. He had three more reliable ones, [Apostle Summon] moreso than the others, he felt.
He could resurrect a foe he had killed!
The prospect of having an army like Somanda made the flames in his socket burn fiercely.
Quite the cliché thought and path, others would say but the Null Lifeform would be shocked to learn that the simplistic un-alive army that he imagined wasn't the goal nor purpose of the skill [Apostle Summon].
It wasn't where the strength of a Nullmancer laid.
Only with his exploration further into himself and this world would he learn that.
Sadly, though, for now, Skullius was limited to a single Apostle: a minion he could control.
'How is this different from Undeath?' Skullius thought, frowning.
The description of [Apostle Summon] didn't sell him on there being that much of a difference what he once was, and what he would be able to create with this skill.
But wasn't there a way to check and see?
Skullius' sockets turned to the dead body of the Dead End Apocalypse Boar, and he clacked his teeth.