The Lich's Hunger and the Tissue Box
This game has a food system. Well, obviously. Even a hero who smashes dragons like they’re common lizards needs to eat to survive. It’s not strange that your stats take a penalty when your hunger or thirst gauges drop. It had never been a major problem for me before, though. There are countless ways to find food in this game. You can even eat human corpses if you’re desperate enough. Unless you’re in a dungeon with tricky, specialized mechanics, you rarely have to worry about starving to death. Perhaps that’s why I let my guard down. I never imagined I’d actually face the threat of dying from hunger and thirst.
“Is anyone there…!” I cried out weakly. I’m not even sure why I’m speaking in a historical drama tone.
“I am thirsty. Honey water… bring me honey water…!”
I am a Lich, a self-proclaimed ruler of death. If I just asked, my subordinates would immediately serve me food and water… Ah. It hit me all at once. I, Estelle Frostwind, am the only one left in this mansion. Michael and his party wiped out everyone else. The loyal maid who served the Lich, the Bone Dragon, even the low-level skeleton soldiers—all of them were thoroughly eradicated.
“Damn it all…”
I cursed my past self for being so thorough, but there was nothing I could do. Dragging my trembling knees, I desperately crawled out of the room. I had to find something to quench my hunger and thirst. Even if I have the Undying trait, I don’t automatically get a full stomach just because I revive after dying.
“Hungry… thirsty…”
My vision was blurring. *Thud.* As I collapsed, the cold stone floor pressed against my cheek. But I couldn’t stop here. If I stopped now, I felt like I’d never be able to move again. I mustered every ounce of strength and crawled forward, inch by inch. Please, let there be something left in the mansion. I’d even settle for that slimy seasoned eggplant I used to despise. I wouldn’t care if it were Hawaiian pizza topped with mint chocolate. Right now, I’m ready to eat anything with gratitude. Please, anything…!
“Oh, oh… oh!”
My eyes snapped open. The ceiling was shattered, its frame exposed like a house hit by a bomb during wartime. Rainwater had pooled on the floor, dripping through a hole above. It wasn’t even a mouthful, but water is water. I wiggled over and licked the rainwater. *Slurp.* It was heavenly. So sweet. No fragrant wine in the world could compare to this dirty rainwater I was tasting right now. *Slurp, slurp, slurp.* I flicked my tongue frantically, drinking until the floor was dry.
Thirst has been quenched.
Next was food. I wiggled my body like a caterpillar again and explored the mansion. There was nothing on the third floor, but while searching the second floor…
◈ A mushroom growing alone in a damp, shaded corner. It may be poisonous, so consumption is not recommended.
I found a mushroom sprouting between the wooden planks. Poison? Who cares? I was about to starve to death. I plucked it and ate it immediately. The mushroom didn’t taste very good. It had the texture of wet tissue paper, and the bitter aftertaste was unpleasant. But hey, at least I had something in my stomach.
“Whew.”
Having barely managed to satisfy my hunger, I rested for a moment before standing up. I decided to sweep the mansion thoroughly. It would be great if something was left behind. I circled the mansion with that thought in mind, but…
“Damn you, Michael.”
The mansion had been thoroughly picked clean. Well, I had expected as much. The person who played Michael was none other than me. It’s impossible to just walk past loot without picking it up. That aside, I had a question. This mansion shouldn’t have been this much of a wreck, right? The holes in the ceiling, the peeling walls and floors—it was all so dilapidated. It was bad enough that wild mushrooms were growing on the floor.
‘Well, if you think about it realistically, of course it would be.’
In the game, the items you can farm are fixed. For example, you can search a dresser and take the necklace inside, but you usually can’t steal the dresser itself. Fancy chandeliers or carpets on the floor are clearly worth a lot, but you can’t take them. They’re treated as non-collectible decorative elements. They’re just pictures of rice cakes—unattainable.
But if the world of Nine Stars had become reality, that would be a different story. The owner is gone, and the mansion has lost its defenses. There’s no way scavengers like hyenas would leave it alone. It’s only logical that they would take everything of value. Should I interpret this as the original game having a touch of realism added to it?
As a gamer, I felt a bit intrigued as I continued to search the mansion.
I searched for a long time, but it was just full of useless trash. Collecting this stuff wouldn’t be of any use. I gave a bitter laugh and kicked a tissue box that was rolling around. Nothing but garbage. There was nothing left to see. But at that moment.
*CRACK!*
I felt a heavy impact, as if I’d been uppercut in the solar plexus.
“Hrk-!”
I let out a high-pitched scream and bent double. That hurts like hell! What was that? Did something attack me? I didn’t do anything. I just kicked the tissue box…
Wait. A sinister premonition washed over me. Clutching my aching chest, I picked up the tissue box with trembling hands.
◈ Durability: 3/6
◈ A phylactery containing the soul of the Lich Estelle Frostwind. If this is destroyed, the Lich can no longer revive.
◈ A small paper box that was used to hold tissues in the past. It is easily damaged by strong impacts, water, and fire.
Excuse me. This is my phylactery? Well, it was strange, I suppose. The source of a Lich’s Undying ability is their phylactery. In the game, the final step to stop a Lich from reviving was to destroy it. So, there had to be a phylactery somewhere in this mansion. But a tissue box? That’s just not right. Wasn’t it supposed to be a pure white jar decorated with jewels?
I felt so frustrated that I unconsciously tightened my grip on the box.
“Hrk-!”
The pain, shaking me to my very bones, returned. It seems the damage dealt to the phylactery is linked to my main body.
“Ha.”
Was it because of the pain, or the sorrow? A single tear leaked out. I carefully tucked the tissue box into my chest and left the mansion.
*Caw, caw—* Somewhere in the shaded forest where the sun didn’t reach, a crow cried out ominously. My priority was to get to the nearest village. There was no future in this mansion. I hurried my steps. Since this wasn’t my original body, but the body of a frail young girl, I couldn’t move as fast as I wanted. Did this Lich woman never go for walks? If I didn’t stop to rest every ten minutes, I’d get short of breath and couldn’t walk. The only saving grace was that I knew the fastest route to the village. If I had to wander the forest all night without knowing the way, it would have been a nightmare.
‘Undying, huh… It’s definitely a unique trait.’
Sitting on a tree stump to rest, I pondered the direction of my future growth. I’ve raised all sorts of characters, but this was my first time raising a Lich. I lost all my abilities, but thank goodness I still have the overpowered Undying trait. In a game where death is the end, being able to revive over and over is an advantage that can’t be compared to anything else.
‘But that doesn’t mean I’m invincible.’
I must never let my guard down. This isn’t a sloppy game where you can clear everything just by relying on one cheat trait. There are definitely situations that even Undying can’t overcome.
‘Let’s call them Bad Endings.’
As I experienced earlier, the activation of Undying depends entirely on my will. Bad Ending #1 would be if I no longer wanted to revive. I’d call it the “Broken-Hearted Lich” ending. For example, imagine I fell to the bottom of the deep sea and my foot got stuck in the wreckage of a ship. No matter how many hundreds of times I revived, there’d be no answer. Or imagine falling into deep lava in a volcano and burning to a crisp. Even if I revive, I’d just turn into fried Lich. If I faced such a hopeless situation, I’d probably give up on Undying.
That’s not the only Bad Ending. ‘It’s also dangerous if the phylactery is destroyed.’ Bad Ending #2. ‘No, seriously, how could you break that?’ This old tissue box I’m holding so carefully in my arms. If this is torn, that’s the end for me. Game over.
‘And… there’s an even scarier situation.’ Bad Ending #3. ‘Please, I beg you, just kill me.’ What if I lose a fight, but the opponent has no intention of killing me cleanly? That’s extremely dangerous, too. They could keep me alive and subject me to endless days of biological experiments and torture. Just imagining it gave me goosebumps.
‘Plus, it’s a problem that I possessed a young girl.’
Because I’m a girl, there are even darker scenarios possible. I don’t want to think too deeply about that. I just hope that such things I fear never happen to me. I have no choice but to get stronger as soon as possible and gain the power to protect my body.
…I’ve rested enough. It’s better to move diligently before the night gets dark. If it’s the closest village to the Lich’s mansion, it must be the Garden Western Frontier. Fortunately, it’s a distance I can reach quickly even with my current pace. It would be great if I could arrive by today.
As I was walking with that thought in mind—
*Rustle—*
The bushes moved nearby. At the same time, the distinct, gamey smell of a wild beast wafted over. *Huff— huff—* The sound of the beast’s breathing followed. ‘Something is there.’ My heart pounded.
The world of Nine Stars is by no means a peaceful world for travelers. Believing that there would only be crows or squirrels in the forest was too naive. I quickly scanned my surroundings and picked up a thick branch that looked somewhat usable.
“Get lost. I’ll attack if you come any closer.”
I held the branch up and swung it around a few times. Beast-type monsters usually appear in the forest. These guys have low intelligence and aren’t very cautious. Deciding to turn my back and run away would be a blunder. Instead, I had to show them that I wasn’t an easy target. I’m just a weakling right now, but bluffing as much as possible is the only way to survive.
‘Please, just go away.’ I prayed desperately in my heart. ‘Go away. Please, just leave.’
I felt a gaze watching me from the bushes. A tense silence followed, and then— *rustle—* Leaves fell in a shower, and a massive figure stepped out from between the trees. Four legs with rippling muscles. Shiny fur. And when I looked up at its head, I saw golden horns shaped like lightning bolts.
A sigh escaped my lips. Oh, come on. Why does this deer-bastard have to show up here?