Chapter 196
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 196
When Elena declared she would face the lich alone, I couldn't help but voice my concern.
“Will you be alright on your own?”
Mondelach, the keeper of this Chrono Dungeon and the former king of a great tribe that once inhabited the ancient dark archipelago.
He was the owner of the Cognitive Acceleration Stone.
The dungeon’s layout differed from what I remembered, but thankfully, the keeper remained the same. I stared at the crimson eyes glowing in the darkness.
As far as liches go, he isn't that strong.
Most liches were high-ranking mages who had achieved immortality by reaching a magical pinnacle through sheer talent and study. However, this one was more of a phenomenon—a creature born by chance from the powerful ley lines and mana of the Meteor Archipelago, fused with a desperate, lingering obsession with life.
Because of this, he lacked the profound magical expertise typical of high-ranking mages. He couldn't skillfully wield complex dark magic or intricate curses.
The only thing to truly be wary of was his prowess as a necromancer.
Still, he’s not an opponent to be taken lightly.
For a being like a lich, simple manipulation of mana was enough to manifest magic according to its will. This was even more potent inside its own domain, the dungeon.
Despite my worries, Elena nodded calmly, her confidence unwavering.
“Yes, I’ll be fine. Please, leave it to me.”
“…”
Truthfully, while the lich was strong, Elena held a significant elemental advantage. Even with the difference in raw stats, it wasn’t a fight she could lose. Still, I needed to ensure she could focus solely on the battle.
“Alright. But don’t push yourself too hard.”
Just as we were finishing our brief exchange…
Creeak—.
The lich, who had been perched upon a skeletal throne, slowly rose to its feet. At the same time, a strange, resonant voice echoed directly into my mind.
[Intruders... have you come to disturb my long slumber?]
Having stood up, the creature surveyed the room as if checking the dungeon’s condition. Its jaw clattered as it spoke.
[Heh heh... useless things. I ordered them to guard my abode, yet they broke their bindings and fled. And to so kindly guide my enemies here... what a betrayal.]
“…”
It seemed the lich had noticed that the souls bound to the dungeon had vanished thanks to Elena’s Rite of Souls. He also saw the stone monuments that had lit up in each room to guide our way.
Apparently, those monuments were a kind of hint secretly left behind by the laborers who built the dungeon, acting against the lich’s will. They had opened a path for us to console the souls of those unjustly buried alive and defeat the creature.
The lich’s red eyes flared as it shrieked.
[Fine! Then I shall make you the new slaves of my binding! You shall guard my home for all eternity!]
Swoosh—!
As the lich thrust out its hand, mana swirled to form a massive, demonic limb.
Death Hand!
It was a specialized spell exclusive to the demon race, usable only after mastering advanced dark magic. As the giant demonic hand loomed over her, threatening to crush her, Elena traced the sign of the cross in the air, manifesting a holy barrier.
“Sacred Shield!”
KABOOM—!
A cross-shaped barrier of white light materialized, intercepting the black hand and triggering a massive explosion. The Death Hand, neutralized by the holy energy, dissipated like mist.
Seeing Elena block the attack so effortlessly, the lich’s eyes gleamed with malevolent interest.
[Hoh? A priestess of the gods? In that case...]
The lich shifted its gaze toward those of us standing behind Elena. It had decided to target us first, as we were far more vulnerable to dark magic than the troublesome priestess.
[Wither under my curse!]
An unholy incantation spilled from the lich’s mouth, instantly transforming into a torrent of red mud that surged toward us.
A Curse Spell.
It was a magic of decay that could instantly liquefy a human, turning them into a ghoul or a skeleton. It also carried a corrosive effect that could instantly dissolve any equipment below a certain grade.
However, it slammed harmlessly against the holy barrier Elena had cast.
Swoooosh—!
The torrent of red mud churned violently against the translucent barrier. The level of the sludge rose steadily, looking as if it would swallow us whole the moment the shield flickered.
“Ugh.”
Philip and Chloe, visibly shaken, trembled and stumbled backward.
“Don’t worry.”
I dropped a steel ingot to the ground and initiated a transmutation.
Fzzt—!
A wall of solid steel materialized with a flash of blue lightning. It formed a secondary fortification inside Elena’s holy barrier, shielding us from view. This would block the curse even if Elena’s barrier fell, and the visual sense of security helped calm our allies.
After securing the party, I consumed various enhancement stones and potions to boost my stats. Then, I cast Aegis Shield.
“I’m going to step out for a bit.”
“Will you be alright?” Ciel asked, her voice tight.
“Of course.”
I dismissed her concern and stepped forward. I had already fought the Twelve Honored Ones; this wasn’t even a proper lich, just a naturally occurring one. I could handle this.
As I prepared to move, Philip called out, “Sir Roen, I thought Lady Elena was going to handle the lich…”
“She is. But the lich isn’t the only enemy here.”
The lich’s true power didn't lie in its dark magic or curses, but in its authority as a necromancer to command minions. If it summoned other monsters for a surprise attack during the duel, even Elena would be in danger. It would be one thing if the summons were low-level, but…
Thanks to the Rite of Souls, all the vengeful spirits bound to the previous twelve rooms have been put to rest.
In this situation, there was only one thing the lich could possibly summon.
Flick—.
“Take this, just in case. It’s a potion for curse removal and health recovery.”
I tossed a pouch of potions to Ciel and stepped outside the barrier.
Slosh—.
The red mud, saturated with the power of the curse, churned against the Aegis Shield surrounding my body. The sludge beat against the spherical shield like a fierce current, but it couldn't break through.
However...
[You are exposed to the Gaze of Death. Your Agility will periodically decrease while you remain in the dungeon.]
A system log appeared before my eyes. The moment I stepped out of Elena’s holy barrier, the dungeon’s debuff began to take effect.
[Agility stat will decrease by 1 every 180 seconds. Please be cautious.]
A vicious curse that drained 1 Agility for every three minutes spent in the dungeon. An hour in here would cost me 20 Agility.
Just then...
Ting—!
Another log appeared.
[You have guided the souls within the dungeon to the correct path. The curse is lifted.]
“Hm?”
Perhaps because of the Rite of Souls Elena had performed earlier, the debuff vanished before it could take full effect. It was an unexpected turn of events, but a welcome one. Now Elena could focus entirely on the lich without worrying about our safety.
I pushed through the red mud and approached Elena, who was locked in a fierce magical stalemate with the lich further ahead.
Flash—!
Brilliant white divine light flared in the darkness. Elena was holding her ground perfectly. True to her word, she wasn't being pushed back in the slightest, even while maintaining the barrier for the others.
It was then.
[Appear!]
Vwoom—!
The lich thrust out its hand, and a portal tore open behind Elena. A massive knight mounted on a phantom horse emerged.
“Heeheeheeeigh!”
The headless knight swung a massive greatsword down toward Elena’s back.
“...!”
Caught off guard by an attack from a blind spot, Elena couldn't react in time.
Klaaang—!
But I moved in just in time to cover her. The Dullahan’s sword was deflected by my Aegis Shield. After blocking the strike, I stood back-to-back with Elena.
“You need to watch your back.”
“…Thank you. I said I’d handle it alone, but I ended up needing your help.”
“Don’t worry about it. You can release the holy barrier now. The dungeon’s debuff is gone thanks to the rite. I’ll protect the others, so focus on the boss.”
As I spoke, I pointed to the steel wall I'd built, and Elena dispelled her holy shield. Now, she could funnel all her divine power into the battle.
After catching her breath, Elena looked at the lich and the Dullahan flanking us.
“Roen, could you buy me some time to chant?”
“I take it you have a powerful divine spell ready?”
“Yes. I’ll finish the enemy in a single blow.”
Elena’s eyes shone with determination as she clenched her fists. It seemed she had an ace up her sleeve.
“Please lure them so they’re standing in a straight line.”
“Got it.”
I nodded and dashed forward, drawing the attention of both the lich and the Dullahan.
Just then.
[What are you whispering about!]
Flash—!
A red beam shot from the lich’s fingertip. The power of the beam tearing through the darkness was formidable, but…
“Weak.”
Compared to the likes of Amur and Carmilla, it was laughably slow. I extended my hand, concentrating the Aegis Shield into a single point.
Shhhk—.
The Aegis, which had been spread around my body, layered itself onto one spot, maximizing its defensive density.
Ting—!
The beam failed to pierce the shield and was deflected harmlessly.
[!]
The lich froze, stunned that its attack had been so easily neutralized. It seemed shocked that its magic was stopped not by a priestess of light, but by a mere mage.
Not giving it a moment to recover, I began weaving chains of mana.
Ch-ch-ch-ch-chank—!
I manipulated the chains to intercept the Dullahan’s greatsword as it swung toward the back of my head. The Dullahan’s attacks were programmed to aim for the head, making them predictable enough to block without even looking.
Clank—!
The Dullahan’s greatsword was ensnared by the mana chains, completely immobilized.
“Heeheeheeeigh—!”
The Dullahan spurred its phantom horse back, trying to wrench its sword free, but my mana chains wouldn't budge. These weren’t simple chains from a scroll; they were woven from my own raw mana.
Roen’s current Intelligence stat, enhanced by potions, is 64.
Intelligence governed the precision and power of magic. A score of 64 was exceptionally high, comparable to a veteran mage. Even a high-level monster like a Dullahan couldn't easily break my bindings.
[You bastard!]
Enraged, the lich screamed and charged at me.
Tap—.
I moved fluidly, luring the Dullahan and the lich into a straight line exactly as Elena had requested.
[Try and block this!]
The lich lunged, its hands wreathed in immense mana. A storm of demonic energy swirled around it.
I remained calm and transmuted the floor, raising a thick earthen wall in front of me.
KRRRUMBLE—!
The vortex of demonic energy tore through the earthen wall and bore down on me, but its momentum had been sapped. I deployed my Aegis Shield and layered a mana barrier behind it.
KWAGAGANG—!
Thanks to the multi-layered defense, I weathered the lich’s attack without difficulty. As expected of a naturally occurring lich, its raw power was manageable. Or perhaps I had simply grown that much stronger.
I continued to buy time, enduring the combined assault of the two monsters.
Kaaang—!
I either suppressed the Dullahan’s attacks with mana chains or simply tanked them, trusting in my shield and suit. Its patterns were simple, making it easy to manage. As for the lich’s more threatening beams and dark magic, I dodged or used transmutation to create obstacles.
With my stats bolstered by items and traits, combined with the experience of fighting the Twelve Honored Ones, I wasn't being pushed back even under a two-on-one assault.
Szzzk—.
However, because I was focusing the Aegis Shield for combat, I could feel the red mud seeping into the gaps. It was a good thing I was half-demon; a normal human’s skin would have rotted away by now.
Just as I was busy maintaining their aggro and weathering the storm…
Vwoooooom—!
An immense pressure emanated from Elena’s direction. A chill ran down my spine, and the hair on my arms stood on end.
At that moment, I heard Elena’s voice.
“Roen!”
I nodded and poured my remaining mana into the chains, binding the Dullahan and the lich in place.
Charrrr—!
It would only hold them for a heartbeat, but a heartbeat was all we needed. The moment I had them pinned and dodged out of the line of fire…
“Divine Punishment.”
FLASH—!
With Elena’s command, a pillar of pure white light engulfed the darkness.