Chapter 252
“Fortunately, that skull-headed lich doesn’t seem to be an Elder Lich of 8-star rank or higher.”
Chris studied the lich’s power with a stern expression.
“But I can’t let my guard down. Only the highest-ranking necromancers of at least 7-star level can become liches.”
In other words, this lich possessed power of at least 7 stars.
Of course, if the forces gathered here at the Blood Sword Mage Guild combined their strength, they could probably take down this lich.
The real problem was what would happen afterward.
“If I end up fighting that lich, reinforcements from the Four Kings’ Castle will rush in. In the worst case, I could escape alone through the Arch, but then the plan to assassinate the Blood King would be ruined.”
[You rat, who are you?]
The lich fixed Chris with a glare, its empty eye sockets flickering with malevolent mana.
For reference, Chris was currently disguised under the Crest of the Constellation, making it difficult to discern his true identity at a glance.
The one small relief was that the lich didn’t seem to have come here specifically because it recognized Chris.
Most likely, it had appeared after noticing a stranger while covertly surveilling Idrene.
“I am a healer from the Venomous Mage Guild, here to treat Grand Duchess Countess Idrene.”
At this point, Chris could only hope to get through this without conflict.
“According to the edicts set by His Majesty the Demon King, healers may freely cross borders if it is for the sake of their patients.”
But the lich was not about to back down easily.
[Unbelievable. For now, come with me. I will take you to my lair and interrogate you.]
A sinister voice followed.
[I’ll tear you apart until you speak the truth.]
Chris’s expression hardened.
“No matter who I am, there’s no intention of letting me live peacefully.”
At that moment, Deborah stepped forward with a cold glare.
“Shut up, skeleton. This person is a precious guest of the main house. Stop your rudeness and get lost.”
[Heh heh, amusing.]
The lich sneered.
[Do you really think I care about your Blood Sword Mage Guild?]
“!!”
[Don’t forget, your guild has survived only because of our mercy.]
The lich spoke as if looking down on the Blood Sword Mage Guild completely.
Deborah and the other vampires’ faces flushed with anger, and the situation teetered on the edge of violence.
Then, a message from Deborah whispered into Chris’s ear.
— I’m truly sorry it’s come to this. We had no idea we were being watched. This is entirely our fault. We will take responsibility for dealing with that skeleton.
But Chris shook his head.
“We can’t fight. If reinforcements arrive, things will spiral out of control.”
There was only one option.
He had to eliminate the lich in a single strike before it could call for backup.
Chris sent a message back to Deborah.
—I’ll handle that one. Just watch quietly.
—M-Marshal?
—I have a plan.
Ignoring the startled voice, Chris stepped forward toward the lich.
“If you don’t trust me, there’s a simple way to prove it.”
[What?]
“Check my core right here, right now.”
Everyone flinched.
Doing that would inevitably reveal his identity—his dark mana would be exposed.
More than that, it was like handing over his lifeline.
—M-Marshal? What about that?
But Chris spoke to the lich without hesitation.
“That should be enough to dispel your doubts.”
[Heh heh, fine. Reach out your hand.]
To verify the core, the lich would have to channel mana into Chris and observe his inner self.
As mentioned before, it was an incredibly dangerous move.
The lich had no intention of letting Chris go easily, no matter who he was.
It planned to destroy his core and kill him.
Still, Chris extended his hand, and everyone watched tensely.
“Should I stop him now?”
Deborah clenched her fists tightly.
But she held back, recalling something Idrene had once said.
— Nurse, do you know how to make friends?
Idrene had said that.
—I want to be friends with Duke Christian.
Deborah had served Idrene for a long time, but this was the first time she’d heard her say something like that.
“Duke Christian is someone the lady respects.”
So Deborah decided not to interfere rashly and observed Chris carefully.
Finally.
The lich’s bony hand touched Chris’s.
A flash of white mana surged into Chris’s body, and the lich let out a startled sound.
[What is this? Dark mana? Could it be that you are—]
The lich’s excitement grew.
[How dare you come to my lair! I’ll kill you immediately!]
“No! Stop this!”
Deborah screamed.
But it was too late.
Once a mana clash began, there was no way to stop it.
The mana of the stronger party would crush the opponent’s core.
[Foolish one. You seem to believe that dark mana’s superiority over other mana types will win this fight, but it’s useless.]
The lich had accumulated mana for over a hundred years.
No matter how strong dark mana was, the sheer volume difference was insurmountable.
Whoosh!
The vast white mana surged like a tidal wave, and everyone watching turned pale.
Then, something unexpected happened.
Snap.
Suddenly, the flood of white mana stopped.
[W-What?]
The lich’s voice trembled with confusion.
For the first time, a strange energy was shattering the lich’s white mana.
[W-What is this energy?]
It wasn’t dark mana.
It was a type of energy the lich, despite its century-long existence, had never encountered.
A darkness, yet clear and pure like radiant light.
“Ah, this is called Celestial Venom.”
[Venom…? This?]
Chris let out a small laugh.
“Yes. It’s a poison specialized in hunting disgusting creatures like you.”
[!!]
The lich thrashed, trying to raise its power, but it was meaningless against the Celestial Venom.
Life and death are the most absolute laws of the world.
The lich was the ultimate denial of that.
The Celestial Venom instantly disrupted the lich’s white mana and seeped into its body.
Then.
Whoosh!
It burned the lich away as if purifying it.
[Kraaaah!]
The lich vanished with a terrible scream.
It all happened so fast that there was no time to call for help from the Four Kings’ Castle.
But it wasn’t over.
Flash!
Suddenly, a massive force began to surge from the lich’s corpse.
The vampires turned pale and shouted.
“It’s a spirit rampage!”
“Get out of the way!”
The necromancers of the Summoning Mage Guild command spirits, Gehenna’s demons, and the undead as their minions.
The “Death Cube” is a special magical tool unique to the Summoning Mage Guild, used to bind their minions.
When the master dies suddenly, the Death Cube loses function, and the trapped minions go berserk.
“Move aside, Marshal! We’ll hold them back!”
But Chris did something no one expected.
“It’s fine. Stay calm.”
“What?”
“I’ll handle this.”
Chris looked toward the lich’s corpse—more precisely, the side where the Death Cube was.
A tremendous power was about to explode, but when Chris reached out his hand—
Sizzle.
Suddenly, the raging energy calmed as if water had been poured on a fire.
“…What?”
Deborah and the other vampires stared wide-eyed.
Chris shrugged.
“I manipulated the disrupted lich’s mana with the control of dark mana to strengthen the spell and prevent the Death Cube from breaking.”
He didn’t want to go into detail, so he kept it brief.
“Well, it’s a simple task for me.”
“……”
“Anyway, I’ll take this with me.”
Chris snatched the Death Cube in his hand and whistled.
‘What a lucky break. To get such high-ranking summons in my hands.’
If this had been a proper battle, he wouldn’t have gotten such loot.
When the master dies, the minions outside the Death Cube go berserk and then scatter and disappear.
But since the Death Cube was preserved intact, it came straight into Chris’s possession.
The minions the lich had gathered over a hundred years were countless in number.
‘Of course, I can’t control them all right now.’
The black magic of the Summoning Mage Guild was shrouded in secrecy, and even Christian was a complete novice.
But he planned to master summoning magic someday.
It was a power that could make one person as strong as an entire legion.
‘Then, these high-ranking summons will become my formidable force.’
Chris sealed the Death Cube tightly with his mana.
He could feel the enraged spirits trapped inside, but they wouldn’t break through the seal.
At that moment, Mari, who had been quietly standing nearby, suddenly spoke.
[Master, may I have a brief audience with the cute little ones inside?]
“You?”
[Oh ho ho, I’ll lightly teach those little ones just how great and magnificent you are, Master.]
“…Alright.”
Chris nodded, still a bit stunned.
Come to think of it, Mari was a banshee, so she was similar in nature to the spirits inside.
‘But there seem to be some 7-demon-class spirits in there. She’s going to educate such high-ranking demons?’
Chris found himself curious about Mari’s true nature.
Mari swiftly entered the Death Cube, and silence fell.
Chris turned to the vampires watching him in shock and said—
“Let’s begin the treatment now.”
The moment of destiny had arrived.
It was time to kill the Bloodletting Demon King.
“The Grand Duchess is staying in the annex inside that barrier.”
Deep within the manor, they saw a separate building surrounded by a powerful ward.
“Is that barrier meant to restrain Grand Duchess Idline’s rampage?”
“Yes. Those afflicted by the Rift of Grief inevitably lose their sanity and die as madmen.”
Deborah hurriedly added, “But don’t worry. The lady herself is fighting to keep her rage in check. There’s no danger to the Grand Duke.”
That was somewhat surprising.
‘It’s been quite some time since the Great Curse struck, yet she’s still holding onto her sanity. Impressive.’
Noticing Chris’s surprise, Deborah spoke softly, “The lady endures excruciating pain, determined never to harm us.”
“…I see. Let’s go in.”
“Yes, Grand Duke.”
As they moved forward, Deborah hesitated before asking, “There’s still hope, right?”
Chris frowned, his voice sincere when he spoke of Idline.
‘I don’t like this.’
Every time the Blood Sword Mage’s people expressed their concern for Idline, it made him uneasy.
‘Soon enough, I’ll find out the truth.’
Chris gently rubbed the medicine he had prepared through the Meditation Path.