Chapter 84: Lich (I)

The lich is the second dark creature known to humanity after vampires.
However, compared to the well-known vampires, humanity’s understanding of liches is far less, with knowledge mostly circulating only among magicians.
Legends of vampires originated in the Alchemy Age, with the most prominent figure being Gungor, who was transformed after his death as a werewolf. Liches, on the other hand, emerged in the Post-Magic Age following the Alchemy Age.
At that time, the Saxon kings supported the refinement of black magic, and human magic history developed in the direction of black magic. Due to their lack of understanding of magic, people feared this supernatural power. They referred to magicians with such powerful abilities as wizards, so black magicians could also be called dark wizards, while white magicians were called white wizards—this was the earliest structure of the magical world.
But when a certain black magician discovered and mastered the power of death, this balance was immediately shattered.
When the refinement of black magic reached a bottleneck, some black magicians seeking ultimate power turned to studying the power of death. These magicians were the earliest necromancers.
The emergence of the power of death shocked the world, as orthodox magicians believed the soul to be sacred and inviolable—even magicians close to deities should never interfere with it.
As a result, the early dark wizards split. Some magicians who adhered to orthodox black magic refused to associate with those who played with souls. They abandoned the title of dark wizard and instead became black magicians, dismissing those who violated world ethics and were blinded by power as necromancers.
From then on, the structure of the entire magical world gradually collapsed. Professions such as dark mages, illusionists, and spellcasters became known to the world, all of whom were initially referred to as dark wizards.
Although they chose different paths, black magicians and necromancers shared a similar pursuit of great power: black magicians sought to harness the negative aspects of various elements, while necromancers focused on the powerful yet controversial power of death.
In their quest to acquire power, both black magicians and necromancers encountered a challenge.

As is well known, the power of dark mages comes from various elements in the atmosphere, while the power of necromancers stems from their control over the forces of death. However, there is a constraint: the human body, as the vessel, eventually reaches a limit in storing magic, which is the famous “Goblet Theory.”

I recall that during the Post-Mage Era, mage Israel Mears proposed a theory. He compared mages to goblets and magic to water, arguing that each mage’s maximum magic storage capacity is limited and fixed. If a goblet is already full of water, how can its capacity be increased?

Once the truth of the Goblet Theory was established, mages throughout history were puzzled by this issue. For them, magic equaled power; without it, even the strongest mages could be defeated by an ordinary warrior.

Decades later, dark mages introduced the “Water Quality Theory,” suggesting that magic could be further purified, akin to improving the quality of water in a goblet—increasing its density and reducing the space it occupies—thereby expanding its storage capacity.

Unfortunately, magic itself is already the smallest unit, similar to elements. No matter how much it is refined or optimized, it cannot achieve the desired results.

Dark mages do not believe in gods, yet they claim to be the closest to them, as their powerful magic enables them to do what only gods can. However, gods and being close to gods are two entirely different concepts. In the teachings of dark mages, “god” does not represent any specific entity or legend; it is a vague concept symbolizing an all-powerful, eternal force.

“All-powerful” here refers to immense destructive power—something that early dark magic, or today’s forbidden spells, can certainly achieve. The key lies in eternal power.

We all know that a mage’s magic can diminish for various reasons. If a mage exhausts his last trace of magic, death awaits him. For mages, magic is synonymous with life.

What methods exist to break the shackles of the Goblet Theory and obtain endless, eternal magic?

After generations of research, the dark magicians finally found a viable way to break this shackle and enter the realm of the gods—namely, [Elementalization], which allowed them to gradually adapt their bodies to one or several elements—usually just one—to greatly enhance their affinity for those elements, thereby gaining complete control over them. Using these elements as a foundation, they could further master more elements, boosting the power of their magic and completely freeing themselves from reliance on magical energy.

This method of breaking free involved establishing a deeper spiritual connection with the elements of the atmosphere, completely shattering the constraints that limited the manifestation of power. From then on, what determined the strength of their power was no longer magical energy but rather the strength of their mental power.

Unfortunately, though theoretically feasible, integrating a magician’s body with elements has yet to be successfully achieved in practice.

In modern times, as magic became increasingly widespread in wars—especially after the year-long war with Salonia over a decade ago—the older generation of dark magicians, who once represented the empire’s ultimate power, gradually lost their pursuit and desire for such immense power. It could be said they lost their edge, or perhaps they turned to other valuable things, such as family, kinship, and love.

Regardless, the dark magicians utterly failed in breaking free from these constraints. Even the highly rumored theory of Elementalization saw no famous dark magician in history prove its feasibility; it remained merely a cherished hope.

Yet, the necromancers, who found a solution almost simultaneously with the dark magicians, succeeded…

During the more than a hundred years when necromancers were suppressed by dark magicians, several powerful necromancers emerged who managed to break free from these constraints. They adopted methods similar to those of the dark magicians to overcome these limitations, but unlike them, they paid the price known as humanity…

Liches! These are dark beings that severely violate the fundamental laws of the world. Well, actually, they don’t even qualify as dark beings; they should be called undead creatures.

Perhaps some people confuse dark life with undead creatures, but dark life is so called due to its elemental nature—such as abyssal demons, which are dark creatures, while skeletons and wraiths belong to the undead. What distinguishes them is the world they are connected to: dark creatures still possess life and are tied to the mortal world, whereas undead are connected to the land of death. Unless their soul imprints are completely erased, they cannot be killed—because they are already dead; even if killed, they simply return to the land of death.

Thus, the ghouls, derived from werewolf mutations, are a type of life that defies the laws of the world. Though they have died once, they are connected not to the land of death but still to the mortal world.

Liches are another category—undead mages who have given up their physical bodies and connected their soul imprints to the land of death. No matter how powerful they become, they cannot be utterly destroyed because their true soul imprints lie in the land of death, not in the mortal world. This is precisely what makes liches so terrifying—we may have heard of exorcising liches, but we’ve never heard of anyone being able to destroy such monsters.

Of course, liches are not gods; they do not possess eternal immortality. After breaking one shackle, the undead mages who become liches are subjected to another—one could say this is what the world calls balance.

What restrains them is the strength of their souls. No matter what kind of life form they are, the strength of their souls remains constant; it neither increases nor decreases. The same applies to liches: if killed, the imprints deep within their souls suffer irreparable damage. If the damage is severe, even liches cannot avoid destruction—well, actually, their fate is even more tragic—they vanish completely from this world along with their souls.

Yet the power of liches is undeniable; they are even stronger than black mages of the same rank. They can retain the magic they once knew and wield purer forces of death. Moreover, they are immune to physical damage and mental magic—neither illusions nor mind magic can affect them. What’s more terrifying is that their power comes directly from the land of death, free from any constraints of magic.

Even though they are called monsters or demons, it must be said that liches are opponents no one wants to face, as they have nearly reached the realm of gods, wielding almost eternal life and power.

But for this power, they also paid a rather heavy price…
Their grayish-white, gauzy, transparent bodies revealed faintly transparent skeletons—well, let’s call them that—nothing short of a combination of skulls and wandering spirits.
Their breath carried frost cold enough to condense moisture, and their entire being exuded a deathly aura that made living beings feel utterly oppressed.
“Lich…” Pul’s feelings were complex as he stared at the monster before him, which could no longer be called human.
Before entering this ancient castle, he had vaguely guessed that at least one former necromancer must have lived here, but he never imagined it would be one who chose to become a lich.
You see, this resurrection magic is even among necromancers considered a sealed taboo—although necromancers wield the despised powers of death, they have never lost their belief in being human. But liches… no, rather, necromancers who choose to become liches, have already lost their humanity.
Thinking of this, Pul murmured to himself with a heavy heart, “Be careful, Argus!”
Glancing at his companion Pul, Argus’s relaxed expression gradually faded as he said in a low voice, “Is it that tricky? How about you?”
Pul shook his head with a bitter smile and said, “There’s no comparison!”
“Hey!” Argus was momentarily at a loss for words. Staring at the huge crystal stone before them, he said irritably, “It seems we’re really unlucky lately, running into some tough guys one after another…”
Rolling his eyes, Connel said sternly to the lich, “Hey, you’re a lich, right? Tell me, where’s Vlad?”
As soon as Connel finished speaking, an unnatural surge of magical energy emanated from the huge crystal stone. Perhaps Connel’s mention of “lich” had exposed the lich’s deepest wounds.
“Foolish man, you will pay a heavy price for your rudeness!” The words, clearly laced with anger, showed how furious the lich was.
“Oho, he seems angry…” Argus said with a smile. Then his expression froze as he saw the lich fly out of the huge blue crystal stone, floating in midair, its blurred face revealing a grotesque skull.
He… actually passed through that crystal stone? Argus was astonished.

Seeming to read Argus’s thoughts, Poole whispered, “The lich has no physical form and can pass through anything…” Before he could finish, he was interrupted by the lich’s roar.
“Lich! Lich! I am Craig Hadlor—you wretched little reptiles!” Hearing the lich’s thunderous roar, it seemed he was extremely enraged.
“Craig Hadlor?” Poole’s eyes widened in shock. That name was all too familiar—it belonged to a leading necromancer over a hundred years ago, as famous as any renowned dark mage of his time.
As he was still in awe, he suddenly felt a dull pain in his mind. After a brief moment of realization, he cried out, “Watch out! Soul shock!”
But his warning came too late. The powerful Gungro and Jean Connel had no resistance to this mental assault. They collapsed to their knees, clutching their heads in pain. Even Argus, who was stronger than Connel, felt dizzy and disoriented by the mental impact.
“Wretched reptiles! Feel the fear of death thoroughly!” The lich named Craig Hadlor spread out his eerily transparent hands—actually, claws.
“It’s the wail of the dead!” As Poole gave the warning, Connel heard countless agonizing screams in his ears. It was an unbearable high-pitched shrieking that made his soul tremble. Dizziness and nausea left him utterly unable to resist.
“Damn it!” Argus covered his forehead and glanced at the lich Hadlor in the air. He quickly drew several symbols on his chest and shouted, “Open!”
As soon as he spoke, layers of dark energy surged from his feet, and the shadow behind him gradually took shape. A pair of pale red eyes slowly opened…
“Pretty impressive!” Protected by that shadow, Argus emerged from the wail of the dead and sneered through gritted teeth, “Reptiles? Let’s see who’s the real reptile!”
“…” Lich Hadlor remained silent, sensing the powerful dark energy within Argus. Just then, a gust of wind blew, and Connel had somehow appeared behind Hadlor, swinging his sharp claws at the latter’s back.
Unfortunately, Connel’s attack did no harm to Hadlor. As Poole had said, Connel had passed straight through his body.

“Stupid, didn’t I say liches are immune to physical damage?” Puhl muttered with a frown.
“Hey,” Agus teased, glancing at Connel, who stood on the ground with a stunned expression, “how does it feel to pass through a lich’s body?”
Surprisingly, Connel, who usually avoided talking to Agus, now wore a strange expression as he said, “I… I can’t describe it. It’s like my soul’s being torn away… It’s awful…”
“Because the world the lich is connected to is the Land of Death!” Puhl stepped back slightly, took out a wand from his pocket, and frowned. “Agus, my necromancy has no effect on this guy. The only thing I can do is shield you from psychic attacks…”
“Understood!” Agus nodded slightly and said to Connel in the distance, “Step back, Connel. Your strength has no effect on him—let me deal with this lich!”
“Lich! Lich!” Lich Hadrolor grew even angrier upon hearing Agus’s words. He spread his arms and chanted an ancient and obscure spell. Soon, a strange purplish-red magic circle appeared on the floor of the room.
“He’s casting a summoning spell!” Puhl warned loudly, knowing necromancy well.
Along with Puhl’s voice, a skeleton arm suddenly emerged from the liquid-like ground within the purplish-red magic circle. Then, a dozen green skeletons slowly crawled out from beneath the ground.
These skeletons had distinct features from those in the graveyard outside: they were made of jade-like bones that glowed faintly and were clearly much thicker than ordinary skeletons. Especially the faint green soul flames in their eyes—both in intensity and vigor—showed they were completely different from those ordinary soldiers.
“Skeleton soldiers from the Land of Death…” Puhl whispered, looking at the soldiers who held bone knives in one hand and bone shields in the other. “Be careful—these guys aren’t just ordinary soldiers!”
“And so what?” Connel sneered before disappearing from his spot. When he reappeared, he was already in front of a skeleton soldier, his sharp right claw swinging down mercilessly.
“Bang!” At the last moment, the skeleton soldier raised its bone shield, managing to block Connel’s fierce attack with only a few steps pushed back by the force.
This… is this a skeleton? A fragile skeleton? Connel was stunned.

Connel was stunned, but that didn’t mean the skeleton soldier opposite him paused in its movements. With a thud, the bone knife in its right hand struck straight at Connel’s shoulder. A crackling sound followed, as if even the bone in his shoulder had been severed.
“Roar!” Connel let out a pained cry and instinctively swung a heavy blow at the skeleton soldier’s shield, using sheer force to send it flying. It crashed into the wall with a loud bang, creating a deep hole. Strangely enough, the skeleton quickly got back on its feet, shaking its head as if it hadn’t suffered any serious injury.
This…
Connel instinctively glanced at his right hand. Even if he hadn’t used his full strength, it shouldn’t be impossible to break a skeleton, right?
Just as he was filled with shock, Puhl’s voice came from afar, “Connel, these aren’t ordinary skeletons. They’re skeleton soldiers summoned from the Land of Death. If you don’t want to lose another life, don’t underestimate them—otherwise, you’ll regret it!”
“Skeleton soldiers?” Connel smirked. The wound on his shoulder healed at an incredible speed, returning to its original state in the blink of an eye. He moved his right hand and said softly, “Regret it? Heh!” With that, he rushed at one of the skeleton soldiers, ignoring the bone shield raised by the enemy, and delivered a fierce punch.
With a bang, the bone shield shattered instantly.
“Whether they’re ordinary skeletons or skeleton soldiers from the Land of Death, they’re all just scum!” Connel said, then swung his hand back to sever the skeleton’s cervical vertebra. He then grabbed both of its skeletal arms and pushed it with his right knee, causing the skeleton to scatter on the ground.
Glancing at the skull rolling on the ground, Connel sneered and stomped on it until it was crushed. He then glanced at the other nine skeleton soldiers surrounding him and winked at them.
Meanwhile, Argus was also in a fierce battle with the lich Hadrol. After Argus summoned ‘Phantoms’ to protect himself, Hadrol’s mental attacks lost their effect, but the battle still didn’t tilt in Argus’s favor. After all, a lich could be considered the most powerful variant of a necromancer, and the magic he wielded was far more than just death magic.

At first, Argus was struck by the opponent’s [Dim Perception], which not only severely weakened his five senses but also deprived him of mental perception. Then, [Life Theft] made Argus feel as though his life force was being sucked away, leaving him utterly weak. Followed by [Increased Damage] and [Weakening], the damage Argus endured increased dramatically. Added to this were the physical attacks of [Bone Spears] and the mental attacks of [Soul of White Bones], leaving Argus in a constant state of being attacked.

Fortunately, he was under the protection of a phantom at that time, so the endless [Bone Spears] and [Soul of White Bones] cast by the lich Hadlor could not truly harm him. The only thing worth noting was those green, highly toxic liquids—corpse poison. Just smelling their pungent odor was enough to show how deadly they were.

“Pretty impressive!” Argus seemed to grow angry as well. He lowered his head and muttered a few spell bytes. Immediately, a giant claw appeared above lich Hadlor’s body—[Claw of Darkness].

Unlike the previous attack by Connel, Hadlor floated back a distance right before being struck, but he was still scratched on his arm by the massive black claw.

Like strong acid, greenish-white smoke immediately rose from the bones of his hand where he was grabbed.

“Dark power? Damn reptile! You actually hurt me…” Hadlor grew even angrier. With a wave of his right hand, dozens of bone arrows glowing with a faint light appeared around him and shot at Argus like lightning.

Perhaps sensing the threat, the phantom surrounding Argus became clearer, acting like a sturdy armor that blocked all the poisonous bone arrows aimed at him. With a series of crackling sounds, bone arrows scattered across the ground in front of Argus.

It had to be said that these bone arrows had strong corrosive power; even the dark power forming the phantom was eroded by a layer.

“Do you want to play?” Argus smiled mockingly. He raised his right hand, and the dark power on his body transformed into hundreds of arrows, which, with a whooshing sound, shot densely at Hadlor.

[Arrows of Darkness]

Unfortunately, Hadlor clearly knew the danger of these arrows as well. He immediately summoned a solid wall of bones in front of him. The skeletons forming the wall held their hands tightly together, blocking all the dark power.

It could be said that Argus and Hadrol were roughly equal in strength, with neither truly able to overpower the other. However, Purl, who stood by and couldn’t intervene, observed the battle calmly and wasn’t optimistic about Argus. After all, everyone knew that liches possessed eternal strength—they never felt fatigue—but Argus was human; he would get tired, and his magic was limited. How could he compare to a lich who had broken free from his shackles? There was one more crucial point: in this eerie room, there were nine pale blue crystals in total—eight aside from the one where the lich Hadrol stood… Yet even so, Purl still missed something… “Roar!” After spending so much time, he still couldn’t even kill a mere human who disturbed his slumber—this clearly hurt Hadrol’s pride. Looking at the skeleton soldiers he had summoned from the land of the dead, now reduced to piles of bones, Hadrol seemed unwilling to continue fighting these three humans. After summoning a layer of [Bone Armor] to protect himself, he spread his arms wide and called out loudly, “My brethren, awaken from your slumber! I need your help to punish these insignificant creatures with death! Wake up!” Along with his call, the other eight crystals began to emit pale blue light one after another. Then, to Argus’s astonishment and Purl’s frown, eight liches, roughly similar to Hadrol, emerged from their blue crystals and floated in front of the three of them. “This is really troublesome…” Argus muttered with a bitter smile, realizing he had hit a wall. Aside from Connel, who couldn’t inflict any damage on liches, how could he and Purl, who was hardly of any help, deal with nine powerful liches at once? But the troubles didn’t stop there… After awakening his brethren, the lich Hadrol continued his calls, for he was furious. He wanted to kill every human who set foot in this area to quench his anger. “Our servants, awaken! Kill all humans who invade our territory!” “Servants?” Purl instinctively frowned, sensing an ominous premonition. Suddenly, he heard a faint vibration, followed by another… Good heavens—so the wooden coffins here weren’t just decorations? Purl stared in shock as a vampire-like figure with fangs climbed out of one of the coffins, gasping for breath. No way… There were hundreds of coffins here…

Pur secretly hoped his guess was wrong, but the truth was that they were indeed in big trouble, and it involved another group of people who had entered the ancient castle as well…