Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: A Lich's Proposal and a Sister's Discovery
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‘So…’
Putting the second secret swordsmanship aside for now, Lee Shin calmly organized the information he'd been given.
According to the explanation, the previous Salseong already knew he was going to fail.
No matter how legendary he was in his time, his strength alone wasn't enough to root out all the corruption in the kingdom.
Naturally, he came to the conclusion that he needed to raise a successor to follow in his footsteps, and so he left legacies throughout the kingdom for this purpose.
Seven of them in total.
‘That means there are six more of these…’
Lee Shin's gaze grew heavy.
Perhaps, under normal circumstances, one would have to obtain all these legacies to finally be recognized as a qualified successor and change classes to Salseong.
This wasn't just Lee Shin's personal guess; most class quests were designed this way.
You prove your qualifications, and then the class change happens.
Especially not for a legendary class; it wouldn't just be handed over so easily.
This was evident just by looking at how the Giant Golem guarding the dungeon's lowest floor had exploded from a single hit of the Incarnation of Malice.
The same golem that hadn't even been scratched by Gillaim's attacks exploded from a single Incarnation skill?
It didn't make sense.
It wasn't a matter of damage; it was designed from the start so that only a qualified successor could clear it.
…But Lee Shin had killed the 8th Prince and skipped all these steps, becoming a Salseong in one go.
That was why, despite having changed classes, he had so few skills at the beginning.
‘…So I've been doing things backward.’
In the end, I took the long way around!
Lee Shin clicked his tongue and turned his gaze back to the message.
[The Salseong captured and imprisoned numerous black mages, then placed a powerful seal so that only a qualified successor could release them.
The strongest black mage to survive among the many will surely be a great help in carrying on the will of the previous legend.]
‘What's this about?’
He understood that this dungeon was something the Salseong had left for his successor, but he couldn't see how that connected to the message above.
Does it mean I should use that lich as an ally?
But considering the nature of black mages, the Salseong must have known they wouldn't just obediently follow orders.
‘…No, is that why he imprisoned them?’
So I can exploit their weakness and control them, just like with Cedric?
The answer to this question came directly from the lich.
-Something like that.
“Something like that?”
-Hmm... Ah, yes. You must have seen the countless remains scattered on your way here, correct?
“I did.”
Lee Shin nodded.
There were too many to miss.
-They were all black mages imprisoned by the Salseong. Myself included.
“……?”
Lee Shin furrowed his brow.
“Something's strange.”
-What do you find strange?
“You're telling me that many black mages were caught by a single person?”
Even for a legend of his time, it seemed impossible.
A lich was by no means an easy opponent, and there were so many of them.
If all of them were caught by one Salseong, then the problem lay with those who were captured.
In response to Lee Shin's doubt, the lich shook its head and answered.
-It's possible. We weren't liches back then.
“What?”
-We were all captured when we were just ordinary black mages. He locked us in this underground prison and left us here.
“……Left you here?”
-Yes.
The Salseong hadn't targeted liches from the start.
He targeted the relatively weaker, budding(?) young black mages.
Instead, he pushed them into an extreme situation to draw out their potential to its very limits.
It was incredibly effective.
For the black mages left in this underground prison with nothing to eat or drink, the only way to survive was to abandon their mortal bodies and become liches.
Become a lich, or die.
It was literally a life-or-death choice.
Countless black mages died at this threshold, and each time, the Salseong would capture new ones to replenish the numbers.
And the only black mage to survive to the end in this hellscape was Adam.
He was the most skilled among them.
To survive, he stole the life force and mana of the other black mages trapped in the same cage, and after the sacrifice of hundreds, he became a lich.
-That is how I survived.
But even after becoming a lich, escaping on his own was impossible.
This was due to the powerful seal the Salseong had placed for his successor.
Looking at Lee Shin, Adam's red eyes glowed as he spoke.
-Now... I wish to go outside. I've lost track of how long I've been trapped in here. So, heir of the Salseong. Will you not make a deal with me?
“A deal?”
-Yes. A deal. No, a contract would be a more accurate term.
Tiring.
[Lich Adam proposes a ‘Soul Contract’ to you!]
Soul Contract – Mark of Master and Servant
A master-servant contract bound to each other's souls.
If you agree to the contract, the Mark of the Servant will be engraved on Adam's soul, and the Mark of the Master will be engraved on yours.
The one with the Mark of the Slave can never defy the master's words.
The contract cannot be broken without the master's consent.
[The contract requires 100 unassigned stat points.]
[Do you accept?]
“A master-servant contract?”
A surprised Lee Shin stared at Adam. He was willingly offering to crawl under his heel...?
Seeing Lee Shin's expression, Adam replied nonchalantly.
-I am a lich, after all. You wouldn't feel safe releasing me without at least this much, would you?
“…That's true. But what if I don't release you even after we make the contract?”
-Haha! That will not happen.
“?”
-Letting me rot in here would be a great waste. I guarantee I will be of great help if you just let me out.
Adam's confident declaration made Lee Shin's expression change subtly.
“…So, you're saying you'll prove your usefulness?”
-Yes.
“You think that'll be as easy as it sounds?”
No matter how dysfunctional the Eteun Kingdom was, it wasn't so far gone that it would turn a blind eye to a black mage, let alone a lich, the pinnacle of the undead.
The moment one was discovered, the kingdom would dispatch troops to subjugate it.
It might be a different story if Lee Shin's power base was firmly established, but at this point, it would just be handing them a reason to hunt him down.
“I can't take you around with me, so can you still be of help?”
Lee Shin expressed his doubt.
But Adam answered with confidence.
-I can.
“You can?”
-Who do you think created all those golems on the upper floors?
“Golems? …Ah!”
Once the Salseong had created a lich, he no longer needed to capture more black mages.
He stopped the kidnappings and had Adam create golems to disguise the prison as a dungeon.
In other words, the tens of thousands of golems on the floors above were all created by Adam's hand.
It was the moment Lee Shin's resolve began to sway.
What Lee Shin lacked most right now was his own faction, and if Adam could create golems, he would be a huge asset to his forces.
The fact that he would be completely subservient was also a plus.
-What say you, successor?
“……”
Adam's question was laced with confidence.
After a brief moment of thought, Lee Shin accepted.
“I'll do it.”
[You accept the Soul Contract.]
[100 unassigned stat points have been consumed to engrave the Mark of the Master on your soul.]
[Your Infamy has greatly increased.]
[You have become the master of Lich Adam!]
[This is a great achievement! You have acquired the title, <Master of the Lich>.]
Master of the Lich
The aura of death emanates from your soul!
You will no longer be attacked first by undead-type monsters, and you will deal additional damage to the undead.
[You can now check Adam's information through the status window.]
[You have acquired a Salseong's Legacy.]
[All stats increase by 30.]
* * *
After the contract was complete, Lee Shin didn't take Adam out with him right away.
The lich's appearance was a problem; he couldn't just walk out with it.
“You'll stay here for the time being.”
-Until when?
“I don't know... but it won't be for too long.”
It was just a matter of persuading the Count.
He just needed to ask for any empty plot of land in the territory and leave him there.
Of course, persuading the Count was the real issue, but he was confident he could do it by explaining that Adam was under his complete control and weaving in his usefulness.
-Grr....
“It can't be helped.”
Adam seemed a bit frustrated that he couldn't leave right away, but he also knew it was unavoidable.
-...Understood.
Adam nodded.
Leaving Adam in the dungeon for now, Lee Shin logged out.
* * *
[Logging out.]
[Today's playtime: 16 hours and 45 minutes.]
[Please be aware that excessive gaming can be harmful to your health.]
Click.
“Phew.”
Having logged out, Lee Shin emerged from the capsule.
Because his playtime had been a bit long today, it was already dark outside.
“……”
Lee Shin stood there blankly for a moment before cracking his stiff neck and heading to his computer.
The next video was scheduled to be uploaded soon, so he planned to check his channel once before bed.
But then.
Rustle.
“Hm?”
A sound came from right beside him.
When he turned his head, he saw someone lying on his bed.
“!”
Startled, he took a closer look and saw it was Lee Si-eun.
Lee Shin reflexively picked up a ballpoint pen, then put it back down and asked.
“You scared me. What are you doing?”
“……”
“…Are you asleep?”
Si-eun was sleeping.
Letting out a dry laugh, Lee Shin shook the dozing Si-eun awake.
“Eeehee... hee!”
“……”
Si-eun mumbled in her sleep and tossed for a moment, but then her eyes shot open and she sprang up.
“……Gasp!”
“Good morning.”
“……What?”
“That's my line. What are you doing in my room?”
“Huh?”
At Lee Shin's words, Si-eun silently looked around.
Life slowly returned to her eyes, and she soon rubbed them as she spoke.
“…I must have dozed off while waiting for you to get out.”
“Want some water?”
“No, I'm fine. …But why are you out so late today? You're usually out by evening at the latest.”
It was 2 AM.
As she said, he was out much later than usual today.
“Something came up.”
“…Oh, really?”
“Yeah.”
“……”
It was a non-explanation, but Lee Si-eun didn't press him.
She hadn't asked because she was genuinely curious about what had made him late, anyway.
After a short silence, Lee Shin asked.
“So, you said you were waiting because you had something to say.”
“Huh? …Oh! Right.”
“What is it?”
“What is it!”
But at that simple question, Lee Si-eun's demeanor suddenly changed.
Clapping her hands as if she'd just remembered something, Lee Si-eun glared at Lee Shin and demanded.
“Hey, you. Don't you have anything to say to me?”
“……?”
It was a rather abrupt question.
After pondering for a moment what she meant, Lee Shin replied.
“No?”
“No?”
“No.”
“Really, nothing?”
“…What are you talking about all of a sudden? Why are you acting like this? Coming to my room in the middle of the night. Did I do something?”
“Of course you did something, that's why I'm here in the middle of the night, huh?!”
“……?”
Lee Shin studied Lee Si-eun's face.
She didn't look like she was joking.
Lee Shin tilted his head back for a moment, lost in thought.
‘What did I do…?’
But no matter how hard he thought, nothing came to mind.
Her wallet, her vanity... he hadn't touched any of them recently.
“Wait, you went through my wallet…?”
“When we were kids.”
In the first place, Lee Shin went to great lengths to avoid causing trouble outside the game, so it was only natural that nothing came to mind.
“…I really don't know.”
Lee Shin replied, a question mark still floating above his head.
At this, Lee Si-eun's eyebrow shot up.
“Oh~ you don't know?”
“Yeah.”
“Really?”
“I'm telling you, I don't know.”
“Even after seeing this?”
Si-eun scoffed and shoved her phone screen in Lee Shin's face.
“What is this?”
“This is you!!”
“……Huh?”
At Lee Si-eun's words, Lee Shin's eyes widened.
Looking more closely, he could indeed see a familiar person on the small phone screen.
In the photo on the screen, Lee Shin was strolling through the streets of Avala Online with Jeong Yu-ra.
…in his cross-dressing getup.
“……!!”
Lee Shin froze, standing stock-still.