The Lich (3)

"This is bad..."

Kihersen Pluma, the fearsome lich, is trembling both in fear and excitement. He thought of seeing the intruder on a whim, only to be shocked senseless. In the mirror's reflection is a familiar silhouette. It wasn't his imagination when he suddenly felt melancholic about the past magic eruption era.

"So, that is what I felt, a familiar mana signature. But it has been so long, so my memory of it is vague. I have to see him directly if I want to confirm it truly…"

The lich's soul flames in his hollow eye sockets danced eerily as he weighs the pros and cons of confronting the 'Final Champion', the last of the true immortals.

"It is too dangerous. If he really is who I think, it could be the death of me."

…

An army of undead goblins led by a big undead goblin. It can't get nastier.

"I don't like casting untested magic, but you leave me with no choice. I thought of limiting myself with a Death Stare, but it looks like I have to bring the bigger guns."

Sadly, undead-type monsters seem to be resistant to my instant death skill. Looks like I have to shelf my Death Stare. Tsk.

"GRAAAAAH!"

SWOOSH!

It is fast.

The berserk Death Goblin King has already reached me with its monstrous stats. Fists descended with meteoric fury. My reflexes didn't betray me as my arcane power teleported me a short distance away.

It was ARCANE FLASH, a burst of short-distance teleportation devised as a survival skill. I tried to cast Arcane Step to create more distance, but the Death Goblin King is relentless. He is already on my toes delivering its remorseless punches.

"ARCANE FLASH! ARCANE FLASH! ARCANE FLASH!"

I screamed the skill's name with more energy than usual. Adrenaline is coursing through my veins. I have to do something!

"Huff… huff…"

My breathing is becoming harsher and harsher. I am not even sure what the Death Goblin King's level is.

"You want to get physical, huh? Fine by me!"

Under the Martial Magic skillset, I used AURA, a mana application discovered before the magic era. In the game, it allows the player to inflict a higher damage percentage through a basic attack.

But in this world of blood and bones, Aura is something more. I enveloped my feet with Aura and with a kick, I made a super jump. The Death Goblin King entirely missed me. On top of Arcane Flash, I was able to outmaneuver the undead monster for once.

Since the monster didn't expect me to suddenly jump like that, I found an opportunity to counterattack.

In creating a magic warrior build, the Martial Magic technique is crucial. I don't know what it is that I was thinking when I learned this particular skill, but 'nuff said. Imma gonna abuse this Aura thingy as much as I want.

"ARCANE SWORD!" My wand emanated a terrifying amount of arcane power. My MP dwindled at an alarming rate as a sword take form in my grip. With my wand as the base and handle, I mixed a bit of my Aura as I shape a one-badass-sword.

It doesn't look that far from the visuals in the game, except that my wand now has become heavier. With Arcane Sword, every basic attack I dish out is now expressed as magic-skill-damage.

This is already deadly, but I can get more creative.

Likeso~

How about a little experiment? What if I cast Arcane Slash on top of all of this?

"Let's see… Die, you filthy shit! ARCANE SLASH!"

SWING!

CRASH!

BANG!

It was an unbelievable sight. The space warped as an invisible torrent of destructive force pass through the Death Goblin King. The destructiveness was contained in a single stroke that desires to cut anything.

The earth didn't shudder, but the ferocity of the mana around me says otherwise. This is a one-freaking-annihilating combo!

A ONE-HIT BLOW!

The Death Goblin King was bisected in half starting from head to toe. I have about half of my MP left. I drank some Mind Potions to restore my mana. This is my first time using this potion, and it tastes bitter. Blegh.

I am planning of conserving my resources as much as I can, but it looks like I have to spend my Mind Potions more generously today.

"Hmmm… To think that the final boss would come for me himself. What an honor."

It took me no time at all to reach maximum MP. I flexed my wand, ready for more action.

"Greetings, Final Champion. I am Kihersen Pluma, the eternal lich. How would you like a cup of tea?"

Now, now, now. This lich is strangely receptive.

…

I sat comfortably, as I absorb the sight of interesting furniture around me.

"The tea smells good too."

"Looks like we have an aficionado here, may I have the fortune of knowing your name, oh Final Champion?"

I know it is rude to leave your conversation partner hanging in the air, but I cannot help but admire my surroundings. A zombie maid you wouldn't expect to be undead is pouring us tea, more surprising is it possesses almost flawless beauty. The décor alone in this guest room strays too far from an undead's preference. There are just too many inconsistencies that don't match a lich's traits. I am not being undead racist, but this is just baffling.

"…"

"I am sorry for leaving you like that. I was too absorbed by your place, that's all."

"Perhaps, are you imagining a gloomy place where the seats are made of bones, the tea is filled with blood, and the walls are decorated with death? I am sorry, but I am not your stereotypical lich."

"Stereotypes aside, I know for sure that a lich is the personification of negative magic. They don't like cheerful places like this filled with a lot of pinks, reds, and yellows. In fact, I can imagine you writhing in disgust just by being here."

"You must be knowledgeable. It is true I hated this place, but I am used to it now. After all, I had plenty of experiences of receiving troublesome guests like you. Creating a room like this has become second nature to me."

"Yeah, I admit it. It's not bad. But I believe in my knowledge very trustfully."

In my hand is a bottle filled with yellow liquid. I poured its contents onto the table. The moment the liquid touched the table, the mana around us fluctuated. I emptied the bottle's contents, and true to its name, the Dispel Potion revealed to me the truth about my surroundings.

The table and chair are really made of bones like what the lich suggested a while ago. But the insides of the tea are far more appalling, it is filled with worms swimming in dark murky liquid.

I casually observed my surroundings. If it were the old me before my transmigration, I would be already vomiting crazy thanks to the horrid sight of entangled corpses of women embedded in the walls.

The only reason I can preserve my sane mind is because of my game character's memories that have fused with me.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk… What a nasty sight. Enough with the pranks, let's get straight to the point. Give me what I want."