The Lich's Resurrection Strategy
That bite in the Underground Waterway #4 hurts like hell. Having my wrist pierced by a massive molar is agonizing enough, but... the giant rat's teeth are coated in venom. It’s the kind of poison that lasts for an infuriatingly long time once you’re afflicted. It takes at least two days for it to heal naturally. Nine Stars doesn't forgive a player's carelessness. You're poisoned, and you happen to have no antidote? Then it’s a game where you’re meant to die.
‘This is pure torture. If you’re going to kill me, just do it faster.’
I could feel the cold venom flowing through my veins. A sensation of death approaching slowly, yet surely. My hands and feet were starting to stiffen, and breathing was becoming difficult. The antidote was right beside me. I could use it in a heartbeat if things got desperate, but I didn't. I was going to die on purpose. Would it go exactly as I expected?
My vision slowly blurred.
... ... ...
[Trait: Undying has activated. You have resurrected.]
[Due to the aftereffects of Undying, a portion of your stats will be permanently lost.]
[However, as they have already dropped to the minimum threshold, your stats will no longer decrease.]
Lich, resurrection. My whole body felt stiff. So this is how it feels to die from poison and come back to life. It was only natural that my stats didn't drop. I had stashed everything away in my Phylactery. More importantly, the thing I was curious about was...
‘Oh, I feel fine now?’
I wanted to verify if all negative status effects are cleared when you die and resurrect. And judging by my condition, which felt much lighter than before I died, I already had my answer.
‘I guess status effects only apply to a single life.’
I had gained a massive harvest. It was worth enduring the pain to die of poisoning once. ‘Even if I get hit by a powerful poison or curse, I can just die and come back.’
Furthermore, this allowed me to think of a strategy that would become a great weapon for me in the future. There are elixirs that grant immense power for a short time but come with massive aftereffects. Their effects are excellent, but since you end up bedridden with stat reductions or drug addiction afterward, they were hard to use recklessly. But I, Estelle, don't fear such aftereffects and can gulp them down boldly.
‘Because once I die, the aftereffects reset.’
A few brilliant items were already coming to mind. I know. I know how to obtain those items. And I know how much destructive power those items provide—enough to make me smile while accepting the price of death. The return of the Lich is not far off.
There is a common sewer rat. This rat struggles to survive in the harsh environment of the underground waterway. In the process, its size gradually grows, its temperament becomes ferocious, and its teeth begin to drip with venom. This is a Giant Rat. The rat's struggle for survival doesn't end there. Constantly exposed to the polluted water flowing through the waterway and the thick, stagnant mana, the rat experiences a dramatic mutation after being exposed to such a hostile environment. There are two notable changes. First, it has the audacity to walk on two legs. It can't stand straight like a human, and it can only scurry about with its waist awkwardly hunched, but regardless, the rat gains a powerful weapon: two free hands. The second is an increase in intelligence. Corresponding to its increased size, the capacity of its brain grows, allowing it to engage in higher-level thinking. This is the main enemy of the latter half of the Underground Waterway: the Ratman.
—Kishishi... Die... Human...
The Ratman's red eyes glinted maliciously. Unlike the Giant Rat, it didn't blindly rush in, surrendering to instinct. The Ratman kept its distance from me, slapping the floor of the waterway with its gross tail.
“Senior.”
“Yes!”
A flash of light erupted from behind me. The magic arrow that passed by my face aimed for the Ratman's head, but—
—Kishik!
As I said, the Ratman has high intelligence. It sidestepped and easily dodged the magic arrow. Look at this guy. Dodging well, huh? As expected of a beast-type monster, it’s different from a mere animal monster.
‘I have to end this quickly.’
Flora and I are mages. If we continue the battle, our resource—mana—will be consumed. We can't fight while dragging it out indefinitely. There are many ways to catch a Ratman, but I decided to take the fastest route.
Tap.
I rushed toward the Ratman, closing the distance in an instant.
—Kyaak! Kishishi!
The Ratman's filthy, grime-covered claws lunged at my face. Instinctively, I wanted to squeeze my eyes shut, but I couldn't do that. I must not lose sight of the opponent's attack for even a single moment. That’s the basic rule of fighting.
Clack.
At the perfect timing, a magic shield appeared in front of me, deflecting the claws. The Ratman’s narrow eyes widened in shock. Yes, this is it. I knew I could count on you.
“Nice, Senior.”
I shouted briefly and dove into the Ratman's guard. The creature's shocked eyes filled my vision. It was flustered, and I was not. That is why it dies, and I win.
Magic Arrow.
Aiming at the Ratman’s lower abdomen in the shape of a pistol, I fired without hesitation.
Crack.
—Kishik...! Ke, kyaak...
With a hole blown through its stomach, the creature fell to its knees. Blood-mixed saliva was drooling from its mouth.
“That posture is perfect.”
I liked that it offered its neck without me even having to ask. It was like a pair of well-coordinated professional wrestlers. I focused my mana into my dagger. Frost Blade.
Slash—
The Ratman’s head fell into the waterway, splashing sewage in every direction. The journey of the sewer rat, which had evolved time and again by overcoming the struggle for survival, ended here.
“I, I won...”
Flora frowned as she looked at the headless corpse of the Ratman. It must be her first time catching a beast-type enemy. It would take some time for her to adapt. I dipped my dagger into the water to wash off the blood.
“Senior, you did well. But that Magic Arrow you used at the beginning? You don't necessarily have to aim only for the vital points. If you hit a vital point, great, but if not, that’s fine too. Just focus on landing the hit somehow to accumulate damage.”
“Ah— you’re right. If I had hit the arrow at the beginning, the Ratman’s movements would have slowed down. Then it would have been much easier to block the next attack, too.”
“Exactly. That’s what I wanted to say.”
Without me having to explain it in great detail, Flora understood the point immediately. ‘I like that she’s quick to understand.’ Usually, she’s a ditzy girl who seems to have a screw loose, but in actual combat, her brain works quite well. Well, she was talented enough to be selected as an apprentice mage at the Magic Tower. She wouldn't be a complete fool. I briefly finished the feedback on the previous battle. Attack pattern A is okay at this level. Next, let’s master B and C just like this. Good. Everything is going smoothly. There are no variables yet that deviate from the plan I drew up.
“Estelle-ssi, why are you smiling?”
Flora tilted her head, her eyes wide.
“Did I smile?”
“You were grinning as if something good happened! Tell me, too. Let’s laugh together.”
Was I grinning without even knowing it? Suddenly, I remembered the memories of playing Nine Stars all night long. My body was exhausted, but I felt like I was going crazy with joy back then. It felt like my brain was melting from the dopamine flooding through me. Looking back, I think I often grinned while playing the game back then, too. Because it was fun. Because I loved the game. Because I was incredibly good at this game.
Yes. Just now, I vaguely felt that old sensation. The feeling of being completely immersed in the game, climbing the stairs of growth step by step.
“I smiled because you’re admirable, Senior.”
“Ye-? Hey, what is that. Suddenly.”
Flora let out a soft, deflated laugh. But it didn't seem like she disliked the praise.
We continued to explore the underground waterway and hunted Ratmen. “Senior, it looks dangerous ahead. Let’s go around the other way.”
“Got it.”
I carefully examined the mud smeared onto the wall. To someone without knowledge, this would be nothing more than meaningless mud paste. But I know that this is the language of the Ratmen. As a veteran player of Nine Stars, memorizing Ratman-ese is a basic requirement.
—Patrolling this area. Three kin.
—Trap at the corner. On the ceiling. Rocks fall.
—Passage blocked. If someone gets inside, let’s ambush them.
Knowledge is power, indeed. The Ratmen had written their messages in large letters on the wall without any sense of caution. They never dreamed that a human would be able to read Ratman-ese. The price of their carelessness would be paid dearly from now on. We hid in advance to ambush them, and sometimes we turned their own traps against them, steadily killing the Ratmen in the waterway.
“My bag is getting pretty heavy now—” Flora said, adjusting the shoulder strap of her bag. Thanks to the two of us monopolizing the vast underground waterway for hunting, the harvest was quite lucrative. We already had 380 magic stones. We had collected plenty of Giant Rat tails and whiskers, and even the byproducts of the Ratmen. And even more joyfully...
“What kind of potion is this?”
Flora held a small glass bottle containing a light blue liquid to her ear and shook it. Unlike Giant Rats, Ratmen drop unidentified potions and scrolls with a low probability. That’s why you have to kill them as quickly as possible. If you drag it out, the Ratman will drink the potion. Loss of loot? I absolutely cannot tolerate that.
“Is the light blue one soda-flavored, and the pink one strawberry-flavored? Estelle-ssi, shall we try drinking them one by one?”
“Senior, give that here.”
Strawberry-flavored my foot. I took the potion from Flora’s hand. There are only two types of potions that Ratmen carry. Healing potions. And deadly poison potions. There is no way to distinguish them. Color, taste, and scent are unrelated to the properties of the potion. Since the identity of an unidentified potion changes randomly in every game, you have no choice but to identify them one by one. If I had the Identify spell, it would be perfect for times like this, but... it can't be helped. I have no choice but to drink it myself to check.
“Ugh—”
As soon as I drank the blue potion, my throat started to burn.
[You have consumed a deadly poison potion. You have been poisoned.]
If Flora weren't here, I would have just died once, but I didn't want to reveal my Undying trait yet. So I immediately took an antidote. I also drank the remaining pink potion.
[You have consumed a healing potion. Your health is restored.]
“Haaack...!”
I clutched my throat and convulsed. No, why is the healing potion more painful than the deadly poison potion? It felt like my raw flesh was being torn and stitched up without anesthesia.
“Estelle-ssi, are you okay?”
When I came to my senses, I was lying with my head on Flora’s lap. Okay? It hurts this much. No, objectively speaking, should I say I’ve gotten better? My health has been restored, after all. They say good medicine tastes bitter, but this was beyond bitter; it was at the level of tearing my mouth apart.
“...I’m okay, but not okay.”
“Ye-? What does that...”
“Still, it’s better for me to drink these things than you, Senior.”
If things go wrong, I can just die. Thinking in terms of maintaining the party’s combat power, this is the best option. It would be troublesome if Flora died already. I still have to work her much harder.
However, Flora seemed to have misunderstood my words.
“Estelle-ssi...”
With a moved face, tears were even welling up in her eyes.