The Problematic Child of the Magic Tower
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Chapter 92: The Graveyard of the Dead (4)
-...Ah.
The skeleton, which had risen from its coffin, let out a faint voice.
It sounded like the strained voice of someone who had just woken up from a long sleep.
At that moment, the six mages felt their insides churn.
‘What a hideous...!’
Even Oscar had to summon his magic just to withstand it.
The voice was like a concentrated manifestation of a deep, abyssal malice.
Just hearing it was enough to twist their magic circuits and souls.
“Urgh!”
“Gah...!”
Two 4th-level mages of the Black Tower and Veronica coughed up blood, writhing in pain.
Even Killian, though he hid it well, wiped away the blood trickling from his mouth with his gloved hand.
“...A lich.”
Oscar let out a groan as he looked at the figure rising from the coffin.
A lich refers to a mage who has turned themselves into an undead to gain immortality.
Needless to say, such forbidden knowledge isn’t taught anywhere, leaving self-study as the only option.
This means only a mage of at least 6th level could even attempt such a feat.
-...What a shame.
The lich's voice was laced with deep regret.
Its head turned slowly toward Kiri Gloria.
-If it hadn’t been for the interference of these wretches, I could have become a perfect being.
“Interference?”
Oscar muttered, and Kiri, glaring at the lich, bit her lower lip hard.
“You ruined everything. I could have sealed it forever...”
Oscar wanted to ask what she meant, but there was no time for such questions.
-I find this displeasing.
The lich slowly raised its hand as it stared at them.
-Not only do you dare to disturb the sleep of a god, but you have the audacity to stand before me with your heads held high.
With a slight movement of its finger.
-Kneel!
Thud!
An overwhelming force of mana bore down on their shoulders.
“Argh!”
“Damn it...”
Everyone resisted with all their might to avoid kneeling, but one by one, they crashed to their knees on the stone floor.
“...”
“...”
In the end, only two people remained standing: Killian and Veronica.
-How baffling.
The lich tilted its head as it observed them.
-It is only natural to kneel before the strong. Is that so difficult to comprehend?
“...You are not strong.”
Despite trembling all over with arms crossed, Killian managed to speak.
“To be strong, one needs exceptional talent and grueling effort. Sleeping lazily for centuries like a coward won’t make you strong.”
“Heh, that’s the most reasonable thing you’ve said yet.”
Veronica grinned, her lips stretching into a wide smirk.
“It’s not that we’re afraid of kneeling. We just hate the filthy, miserable feeling of having our pride shattered in the process and the humiliation of standing up again afterward. No one can compensate for that.”
-...
The red glow in the lich’s skull dimmed.
-Foolish. Hastening your death over mere pride. But if that is what you wish...
The lich’s finger moved horizontally.
-As a god who has ascended to this position, I must grant your request.
Sensing an ominous killing intent, Oscar shouted,
“Everyone, get down!”
Immediately, a beam of magic shot out like a laser.
It sliced through the air, cutting everything above waist level.
“...What terrifying destructive power.”
“Phew, we almost died.”
Killian and Veronica let out sighs of relief as they looked at the long line carved into the wall behind them.
Had they not hit the floor, their upper bodies would have been cleanly separated from their lower halves.
“Oscar, what now?”
“We can’t possibly beat that thing... so, we’ll have to run, right?”
“For now...”
Oscar looked at the lich, who was now fully rising from the coffin.
It was furious that its attack had missed.
-To think you would dare evade divine judgment! Very well. Let’s see if you can evade this as well!
Oscar praised the two of them.
“You did well.”
Of course, Oscar could have resisted kneeling if he wanted to.
But he had chosen to kneel first for one reason:
To place his hands on the cold stone floor and prepare his magic.
-Die! Foolish mortals who dare challenge divine majesty...
As the lich extended its hand again,
Crack!
A deep fissure formed from where Oscar’s hand touched the floor, racing toward the lich’s coffin.
Then, rumble!
The ground collapsed, and the coffin, along with the lich, plummeted below.
-Mortaaals...!
As the lich’s voice faded, Oscar sighed in relief and stood up.
Killian, following suit, stared at the massive hole and asked,
“Is it dead?”
“No way. That was just a stalling tactic.”
“It seemed like a pretty long drop.”
“Not that long. This dungeon has multiple floors.”
Oscar had activated two spells simultaneously when he knelt.
One was 『Scan』, and the other was 『Magic Explosion』, which sent the self-proclaimed god tumbling below.
“At first, I thought of finding the lich’s phylactery—its soul vessel. Destroying that would end everything.”
Finding the vessel is the first and most crucial step in dealing with a lich.
Without destroying it, the lich remains immortal.
“So, did you find it?”
“No, it wasn’t here.”
Oscar shook his head, and Veronica muttered,
“Then it must be hidden somewhere below?”
“Oh, did I confuse you? The vessel isn’t anywhere in this dungeon.”
“What? How can you... Wait, don’t tell me...”
“Yep. I scanned all five floors of this dungeon.”
Everyone froze, stunned by the sheer absurdity of what he was claiming.
“Enough nonsense. I’ve heard enough.”
Kiri Gloria shook her head.
“Liches always keep their phylactery as close as possible. If it’s destroyed, their lives are over. They’d always keep it within their protective reach.”
“Usually, yes. But not all liches are like that.”
“Are you speaking as if you’ve fought one before?”
“....”
How does she know?
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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Oscar flinched, and Kiri, as if she’d been expecting it, continued.
“Of course it wouldn’t be here. I’ve never encountered one myself, but the Black Tower has extensive records on liches. Unlike the White Tower, which has nothing but a hollow reputation.”
She shot a glance at Veronica as if to say, You see now that you made the wrong choice, don’t you?
“The lich’s phylactery is somewhere below this dungeon. We must destroy it, so from now on, follow my orders without question.”
“Huh? Why should we?”
“How dare you...!”
Kiri unconsciously raised her voice but quickly composed herself, furrowing her brows.
"Because of your White Tower's foolishness, the plan to reseal the lich before it awakened failed. Isn't it only fair that you take responsibility too?"
"...I have nothing to say about that. I'm sorry,"
Oscar admitted honestly.
"I thought you were trying to awaken the lich with your resurrection ritual."
"What? Why on earth would we do something so insane?"
Oscar held back the words, Well, because you used to be a bunch of lunatics, swallowing them silently as he averted his gaze.
"But I can't go along with your suggestion. The vessel truly isn't inside this dungeon."
"...Ha,"
Kiri let out a deep sigh, narrowing her eyes into slits.
"So, what now? Are you just going to back out?"
"Of course not. I have a rough idea of where the vessel might be."
"Ha, fine. You’ll go destroy the vessel wherever it is, and we’ll descend the dungeon on our own?"
A mocking smirk spread across Kiri’s lips.
"So, the righteous champions are running away with their tails between their legs in the face of danger?"
"Half right, half wrong,"
Oscar corrected her.
"Killian and Veronica will investigate the area in question. Meanwhile, I'll descend the dungeon with you."
"..."
Although he claimed he would accompany them, Kiri couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
It was already risky enough venturing into a dungeon filled with danger, but doing so with people she couldn't fully trust made it worse.
Of course, they’d insist on following orders to maintain their upper hand.
But if only two leave and one stays...
Killian and Veronica from the White Tower were both 4th-level magic users.
On the other hand, the so-called noble mage in front of her was merely a 3rd-level magic user.
Even if he harbored other intentions, Kiri and her team could handle him on the spot.
"Fine. But don’t forget: in this dungeon, my orders are absolute."
"Understood."
Rumble!
The entire dungeon shook violently at that moment.
The lich below was undoubtedly rampaging, signaling they were running out of time.
Killian asked urgently,
"Oscar, where do you think the vessel is?"
"The cemetery,"
Oscar replied, referencing a place they had passed earlier.
"Honestly, I thought it was strange from the moment the lich emerged from that coffin. A lich, once fully prepared and asleep, avoids detection at all costs. After all, if discovered before completion, it would be sealed away and never see the light of day again."
"Creating skeletons in a cemetery does seem odd."
"Exactly. No ordinary lich would do that. When I confirmed the vessel wasn’t in this dungeon, the likelihood that it’s buried somewhere in that cemetery skyrocketed."
The lich must also feel uneasy.
While it had buried its vessel far from its main body, there was always a risk of it being destroyed.
"And let’s be honest: a remote village cemetery isn’t exactly appealing to grave robbers, making it a relatively safe hiding place for the vessel."
After hearing the explanation, Veronica stepped forward and addressed Kiri.
"What do you think?"
"What are you talking about, traitor?"
"I'm asking if there’s a flaw in his logic."
"..."
Kiri pressed her lips together.
The more she thought about it, the more plausible Oscar's theory seemed.
"Wouldn't it be faster if we all went to the cemetery to find and destroy the vessel together?"
Veronica suggested.
"That’s..."
"No, we can’t,"
Oscar interjected unexpectedly.
All eyes turned to him as he explained,
"If destroying the vessel at the cemetery without any losses were possible, I’d have already beaten up the Black Tower people here to make it happen."
"What? A mere 3rd-level mage like you?"
"Seems you’re unaware of your limits,"
The Black Tower’s 4th-level duo growled in annoyance.
But the fact remained: they hadn’t done so because it wasn’t an option.
"If we all head to the cemetery, the lich will undoubtedly chase us,"
Oscar continued.
"...It’d be nearly impossible to locate the vessel under those circumstances,"
Kiri said, frowning.
"Exactly. Worse, the village could suffer collateral damage if luck isn’t on our side."
"Correct. Someone needs to stay behind and stop the lich from following."
Oscar had volunteered for that role.
He turned to Killian and Veronica.
"Your task is critical. No matter how well we hold out here, if you fail to destroy the vessel, our chances of success drop to zero."
"Understood. We’ll find it."
"Right... Oh, wait, but don’t expect the vessel to literally look like a vessel."
"It doesn’t!?"
Killian exclaimed.
That was close.
Oscar broke into a nervous sweat as he elaborated,
"The vessel could take any form—a diary, a ring, or maybe even a literal vessel."
"How will we identify it?"
"It contains the lich’s soul. The moment you see it, you’ll know it’s extraordinary."
Rumble!
The dungeon shook again as Oscar gestured toward the exit.
"Go now."
"Don’t die. Hold out as long as you can."
"Leave the vessel to us; we’ll handle it!"
Veronica added before they disappeared.
Oscar turned to the remaining three companions.
"Shall we head down as well?"
"Don’t give orders. As I’ve said..."
"You’re the one in charge. I get it,"
he said nonchalantly.
"Let’s start with the stairs."
"Do we even have time for that?"
Oscar pointed at a large hole.
"There’s a faster way down there."
"How deep do you think it is?"
Kiri asked, eyeing the pit warily.
"Doesn’t matter. You’ve got a White Tower mage here, after all."
"..."
Swallowing hard, Kiri stared into the abyss before muttering,
"Then slow and steady. I’m not scared of heights or anything, okay?"
"Got it. Slow and steady,"
Oscar confirmed.
But the moment he spoke...
Whoosh!
A strong wind from behind pushed all four of them straight into the hole.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]

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