Devil Fruit Powers In The Tower Of God - Chapter 72

After the group destroyed the Hydra heart, the heads of one of the Bone Hydra that was chasing Lumen froze mid-flight. He didn’t need to be informed that they had succeeded in destroying another Hydra heart.

Lumen used his black fire and burned that Bone Hydra to nothing. He recovered a bit of his stamina, but it was nothing compared to what he had used until this point.

For more than a day and a half, he had been avoiding the attacks of the Bone Hydras. Lumen had an incredible amount of stamina, but it wasn’t endless. He was already feeling tired and had taken a few hits that he should have been able to dodge. Fighting for such a long time wasn’t an easy thing even for someone like him.

Lumen considered releasing Berserker and Saber from his black jar, but they couldn’t fly like Archer, so there was a high chance of them being hit by one of the Bone Hydras.

“Oh! The bird killed another one!” The amber-colored skeleton exclaimed. “Someone must be destroying the Hydra hearts, but why?”

The structure of the bones of the amber-colored skeleton changed, and it transformed into a bird of bones that resembled Bonerakard. It flew up in the air and moved closer to Archer.

“Hey!” The skeleton called out to the snake that was wiggling in the air. “Why are you fighting the Bone Hydra?”

Archer got surprised by the amber-colored skeleton and flew away from it quickly. The snake then stared at the skeleton, wondering if it should attack him.

“Leave him be.” Archer heard Lumen call out to him. Since his master said to leave him be, that’s what the snake decided to do.

Lumen had sensed the amber-colored skeleton entering the island, but since he felt no malicious intent from it, he decided it would be better if they don’t attack the skeleton. He didn’t want another immortal creature ȧssisting the Bone Hydras.

“Hiss!” Archer hissed at the skeleton, trying to inform him that they are taking a Test, and ignored him afterward. The snake then continued using his weapons to destroy the Bone Hydra heads.

Archer was also tired from attacking the Bone Hydras for over a day, but he mostly floated in the air, so the snake wasn’t as exhausted as Lumen.

The amber-colored skeleton looked at Archer with confusion in his empty eyes. “Why are you not responding to me?” He asked.

“Hiss!!” Archer hissed out once again, thinking to himself. ‘I did respond, what are talking about?’

“Are you not going to tell me why you are fighting the Bone Hydras?” The skeleton asked.

“Hiss!” Archer hissed with a tinge of annoyance. ‘I already told you that!’

The skeleton observed him for a moment and asked. “Can you actually talk?”

“Hisss!” Archer responded. ‘Of course, I can talk, I’m the greatest snake that ever existed.’

“I see. You are still too young to talk.” The skeleton stated.

“Hisssss hiss hiss hisss!” Archer looked at the skeleton in anger. ‘How dare you ugly skeleton bird call me too young to talk? Do you not see know how great I am? I would have taught you a lesson if I didn’t have to ȧssist my master at the moment.’

“I see. “The amber-colored skeleton looked at Archer one last time and flew towards Lumen. He decided to try his luck with him since he heard him talk.

“Hiss!” Archer hissed after the skeleton left. ‘Yeah, that’s right. Go away, annoying skeleton.’

At that moment, Lumen was dodging the attacks of Bone Hydras, but once the amber-colored skeleton neared him, the immortal creatures did their best to avoid hitting the skeleton.

“Hey! Flame bird, why are you fighting the Bone Hydras?” The skeleton asked.

“I’m undergoing a Test. I’m supposed to kill seven of them within seven days.” Lumen answered and positioned himself, so the Bone Hydras are behind the skeleton.

“A Test? Do you not know that the Bone Hydras can only be killed if their hearts are destroyed first?” The skeleton asked.

“I know that, but there is a barrier that’s preventing me from leaving the island.” Lumen replied while making slight adjustments to his position. He had noticed that the Bone Hydras were avoiding attacking him with the amber-colored skeleton standing in front of him.

“Really? I had no problem entering the island.” The skeleton flapped his bone wings and flew outside the island.

Lumen followed after him, but when they neared the edge of the island, he hit an invisible barrier. While the skeleton flew out without a problem.

‘Noo. Why did you leave?’ Lumen asked himself. He wanted to use the skeleton to his advantage. He had to figure out a way to trick the skeleton into coming back.

“See! I have no problem leaving the island.” The skeleton exclaimed.

“I can see that. So why don’t you come back now?” Lumen asked while avoiding the attacks from the Bone Hydras.

“Why?” The skeleton asked.

“To continue our talk!” Lumen replied.

“What are we going to talk about?” The skeleton asked while floating in the air outside the island.

“Ummm…” Lumen was trying to think of something while dodging the poisonous breaths from the Bone Hydras. “Stuff?”

“Uh! What kind of stuff?” The skeleton asked in excitement.

“Whatever you want to talk about!” Lumen quickly replied, hoping the skeleton would enter the island again.

“Truly?” The skeleton asked.

“Yes!” Lumen replied. ‘Just please come back.’

“That’s awesome!” The skeleton exclaimed and then asked. “But, can’t we talk with me being here like we are doing now?”

‘You bald, bone-headed shit.’ Lumen cursed in his mind and quickly said. “It’s common sense that when you talk with someone, you have to stand in front of them!”

“Really? I’m sorry, I didn’t know that!” The skeleton apologized and flew back inside the island. The moment he was there, Lumen positioned himself, so the Bone Hydras are behind the skeleton.

“So, what are we going to talk about?” The skeleton asked in excitement.

“I don’t know.” Lumen replied while trying to regain a bit of his stamina. He didn’t know how long the skeleton would stay here, so he planned to use it as much he could.

“You don’t know? Then why did I come here?” The skeleton asked sadly and was about to fly away.

“No, no, no. Stop, don’t go.” Lumen called out to it. “Normally, people first introduce themselves.”

“Really? I didn’t know that.” The skeleton replied and stopped in place.

“I will start. My name is Lumen. What’s yours?” Lumen asked while adjusting his position.

“I… I don’t have a name.” The skeleton replied.

“You don’t have a name? That’s odd.” Lumen said. The skeleton looked important, so he thought it would definitely have a name.

“I guess I can’t talk with you since I don’t have a name.” The skeleton said sadly and prepared to leave once again.

“NO! Don’t go.” Lumen stopped it from leaving. “Here’s what. If you stay with me for the next few days, I will give you a name. How does that sound?”

“You will give me a name? That’s awesome. I never had one!” The skeleton said in excitement and started flying circles around Lumen, which allowed the Bone Hydras to fire their poisonous breaths at him.

“How come you don’t have a name? Has no one ever given you one?” Lumen asked.

“No… Most skeletons that I’ve talked to will only bow their heads and don’t speak with me. Boking said I have to reach a certain age before I can get one.” The amber-colored skeleton said sadly.

Lumen already knew that the skeleton is a special existence, considering the Bone Hydras were avoiding him, but it seems the skeleton had greater status than what he imagined. He wondered what exactly the amber-colored skeleton is.

“You must be quite special then.” Lumen said.

“I don’t think so.” The skeleton replied. “Boking does give me bones, which he calls his special treat, but does that make me special?”

“Yes, it does.” Lumen replied, trying to make the skeleton feel good, so he stays on the island for a longer time.

“Yay! I’m special! Are you also special? Considering you are not made of bones?” The skeleton asked. The fact that Lumen and Archer weren’t made of bones, made them very interesting to the skeleton.

“I’m not made of bones, but I do have bones.” Lumen answered.

The skeleton looked him up and down and asked. “Really? Why can’t I see them?”

“Let’s go to the ground, and I will show you.” Lumen said and flew down with the skeleton following after him. He then transformed into his human form, and the skeleton looked at him in astonishment.

“You are not a bird made of fire! But why can’t I see your bones?” The skeleton questioned, all the creatures he had seen had their bones visible.

Lumen pinched his skin and said. “They are under my skin.”

“Oh, wow!” The skeleton exclaimed, and his bones restructured themselves. He turned into a human-looking skeleton and looked at his arms. “I don’t have that thing called skin. You must be even more special than me since you have it!”

“Maybe.” Lumen answered while circling around the skeleton, making sure that the skeleton was in the line of sight of the Bone Hydras.

“Why do you keep walking around me like this?” The skeleton asked.

“Umm…” Lumen tried thinking of an answer. “Because this is what people do when they like someone and want to befriend them.”

“You want to be my friend?” The skeleton asked in wonder.

“Yes!” Lumen quickly replied.

“I’ve never had a friend before! I’m so happy I made my first friend!” The skeleton exclaimed and then asked. “What do friends do?”

“They spent time together, chat, and have fun.” Lumen told him.

“Oh, this is so amazing!” The skeleton clapped with his bone hands. “What are we going to do?”

“Why not talk about what we can do? I can turn into a Phoenix, a bird made of fire. I saw you are able to change the structure of your body. Is there a limit to that?” Lumen asked.

“Not really. I can change into whatever I want to. I’m also quite large normally, but I prefer staying like this.” The skeleton answered.

“Can you change into a house or any kind of structure?” Lumen asked, hoping the skeleton would be able to do so.

“You mean like Boking? He likes making himself look like a building. But, yes, I can.” The skeleton replied.

“Do you mind showing me?” Lumen questioned.

“Sure thing.” The skeleton answered and grew in size. His bones then restructured themselves until he looked like a two-story house. Lumen then quickly entered inside.

“Do you know what friends also do?” Lumen asked.

“What?” The skeleton asked in eagerness to learn.

“They watch over their friends while they sleep.” Lumen replied.

“Sleep? What’s that?” The skeleton had never slept in his life, so he didn’t know what that meant.

“People that have skin on their bodies, usually have to lay down and rest after exerting themselves.” Lumen explained.

“Wow! I’ve never slept in my entire life. Does that mean that I’m more special than you?” The skeleton asked.

“Yes, it does.” Lumen replied. “Now that we are friends, you won’t mind watching over me while I sleep, right?”

“No problem, friend! I will gladly watch you as you sleep.” The skeleton confirmed.

“Thanks a lot, buddy! Just make sure the Bone Hydras don’t come here since they are not my friends, okay?” Lumen said.

“Sure thing.” The skeleton replied. “Oh, boy. I can’t believe I’m going to watch over my first friend as he sleeps! This is so exciting!”

“Archer, come here.” Lumen called out to his snake. Archer quickly flew inside the bone structure.

“I’m going to take a nap, so wake me up if anything happens, okay?” Lumen told Archer, who hissed in confirmation.

Lumen then made his Pocket visible and contacted his group.

[How are you doing?] He asked Leesoo.

[We are hiding in a cave while trying to recover our strength. The situation looks pretty dire for us since Androssi passed out earlier from overusing the Thorn.] Leesoo replied.

[Don’t push yourselves too hard. Just try to make sure you destroy one Heart a day, and everything will be fine.] Lumen messaged him.

[What about you? Can you keep fighting for seven days straight? Aren’t you already tired?] Leesoo quickly questioned him. The group was trying to destroy the Hydra hearts as fast as possible because they didn’t think someone could fight for seven days straight without tiring. Even if that someone was Lumen.

[I’ve found a safe place where the Bone Hydras can’t touch me. Don’t overdo it, but do make sure you destroy all the Hydra hearts within the time frame of the Test. My life depends on it after all.] Lumen informed him.

[Okay. We will do our best. Just make you sure stay alive until that point.] Leesoo replied.