Chapter 4: Lich

Summoning a lich was already a feat worthy of recognition. Veteran adventurers thought twice before facing these terrifying creatures. Many required meticulous preparation before entering combat.

For example, they carried explosive arrows, fire scrolls, and holy light techniques.

The fact that Abad had managed to dodge the lich’s first spell showed his credentials as a former swordsman. The family man charged at his adversary, filled his limbs with mana to increase his speed and physical power, then raised his metal blade and brought it down upon the undead creature’s skull.

CLANK.

But he failed.

The magical scepter itself was used to block the tavern keeper’s attack.

Shit, no!

With his own momentum working against him, Abad had no choice but to throw his entire weight to the right.

And he did it just in time.

Half a second later, an icy stake shot out from the lich’s bony mouth.

“Ice and dark magic. How dangerous. Dear, when I give you the signal, I want you to take our daughter and run without looking back. T-This monster is stronger than me.”

“D-Daddy, what are you saying? We won’t abandon you!” Ana exclaimed, so frightened by the suggestion that she could not even stand up.

She hated herself for being such a coward.

And how could she not?

Her precious father, the same man who had always protected and spoiled her for years, was risking his life.

“Light Magic: Great Impact!”

“Black Magic: Dark Barrier.”

The metal blade shone once more with a beautiful white radiance. Immediately, a beam of pure mana shot straight toward the lich’s empty skull.

It was a magnificent technique.

Even army captains had trouble dealing with that move.

But it could do nothing against the magical barrier raised by his undead enemy. Light crashed directly into darkness and vanished in an instant…

“Wind Magic: Blade!”

The lich continued reciting spells with its unnatural voice. This time, it was a wind spell. Abad raised his sword and, without thinking twice, formed an incomplete barrier that allowed him to keep his limbs.

Of course, he suffered some striking cuts across his legs and arms.

But a few slashes were better than being completely decapitated.

“AAAAHHHHH!”

And then, he saw it…

The perfect opportunity.

For a few moments, less than four seconds, the lich had to lower its staff to recharge its magical energy. Despite being dead and possessing infinite stamina, its magical object required a pause. Otherwise, it would eventually fail.

After withstanding one more assault, the lich tilted its staff ever so slightly.

And the miracle happened.

Abad hurled his sword straight at the enemy’s skull. Since the creature’s gaze was focused on the deadly staff, it could neither dodge nor block the light-filled blade that struck it directly through the socket of its left eye.

As a result, the highly developed skeleton turned into white dust.

“You did it!” Anahí shouted.

Like a teenage girl in love, she jumped into her husband’s arms with a smile stretching from ear to ear. In the past, she had seen her husband fight drunks and petty thieves.

But that could not compare to this victory.

Defeating a lich in single combat was something to be proud of.

Especially because, in the process, he had managed to protect his beloved family.

“Yes, thank you.”

Still incredulous over his victory, Abad smiled and pointed toward his daughter.

“Ana, are you all right? Can you walk?”

“U-Uh, y-yes, I think…”

Ana, on the other hand, had not overcome the shock of the moment.

She tried to walk toward her parents and leave this bitter ordeal behind. Only a few meters remained before they reached the fortress. There, they would be safe.

They had to be.

“Oh no.”

Unfortunately, luck did not smile upon them that day.

Two seconds later, the family found themselves surrounded once again.

This time, they were not zombies or skeletons.

They were liches.

Many of them.

Ten hooded skeletons, all armed with the same dark staff.

Ana ran straight into her parents’ arms while Abad shielded the two most important women in his life. Defeating one lich was one thing, but facing ten was impossible.

Not even a gold-rank adventurer would be capable of such a feat.

“I suppose this is the end. I love you both…”

There was no choice but to accept death with dignity.

The staffs shone with a dark glow, and mana flowed violently through the ruins of the village.

No, it can’t end like this! It isn’t fair!

Our poor protagonist closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable end.

Curiously enough, she did not see her life flash before her eyes.

There were no special memories either.

Nothing.

Only darkness and fear.

If anything comforted her in her final moments, it was the fact that she would perish alongside her beloved family.

.　　　　.　　　　.

But death never came.

Instead, there was only silence.

“Huh?”

When Ana opened her eyes, she saw the same man in black armor who had bought the tabard from her that very afternoon. The mysterious figure drew the attention of the liches, and upon sensing the threat he posed, they stopped aiming their weapons at the family.

This was not simple convenience.

The knight truly represented a serious threat to the undead.

And they confirmed it in the blink of an eye.

Just as Ana tried to open her mouth to stammer the first thing that came to mind, the armored silhouette vanished.

“Huh?”

SLASH.

Four liches burned in black flames, incinerated without being able to do anything to prevent it.

The orichalcum-rank adventurer swung his longsword like lightning and, without any difficulty, blocked the dark beams that threatened to knock him down.

It was like watching an unstoppable storm in the middle of summer.

The blade shone with a silver radiance, so brilliant, so beautiful, that for a moment Ana believed it was a divine revelation. Two more liches fell before his strength, pierced by a brutal thrust that destroyed not only their skulls, but also the rotten brain matter within.

I-Incredible…

Her father, an experienced mercenary and warrior of a thousand battles, had struggled greatly to deal with a single one.

Watching the liches fall as if they were tiny goblins made her understand the enormous difference between mortals and champions.

This was how a hero should look.

Implacable.

Powerful.

Merciful.

“Dragon Magic: Great Pact!”

“D-Dragon…” Abad whispered, incredulous at the black knight’s enchantment.

In a world without gods or divinities, dragons were the closest thing to deities. They were considered great masters of magic, owners of techniques long forgotten by modern kings. Only a select few were chosen to train under them in the highest mountains, far from mortal tribulations.

Seeing a user of “Draconic Magic” was a privilege that happened only once in a lifetime.

The skulls flew into the sky, pushed by a black whirlwind that destroyed every last gram of rotten calcium. Nothing remained, not even the gravel from the collapsed buildings.

“More are coming! Watch out!” Ana tried to warn the warrior with a desperate cry.

But the armored man did not flinch at that warning. He turned his face only a few centimeters and spotted four animal skeletons.

Elephants, to be exact.

They stood nearly four meters tall, all of them surrounded by a purple glow that increased the power of their charges. That could only mean one thing:

Someone was commanding the undead against the Dragon Champion.

“Stay close,” the unexpected savior said. “Do not run until I tell you.”

“Understood,” Abad replied. “We won’t move.”

“Dragon Magic: Thousand Deaths!”

The fractured ground cracked even further. Little by little, magical energy once again flowed violently across the entire battlefield. The black armor, still undamaged, shone with a dark hue.

“AAAAHHHHH!”

Ealdic performed a superhuman leap five meters into the air. Half a blink later, his blade split the enemy’s vertebrae in two, eliminating the first elephant skeleton.

Its other three companions did not stop or flinch. They attempted to surround the warrior with a triple charge, trusting in the weight of their blows and the black magic driving them forward.

But it was all useless.

A wall of dark fire prevented the fortified bones from passing through, eliminating them instantly and giving them no chance to change their trajectory toward the innocent witnesses.

It was a true display of power.

T-The world of true heroes is terrifying.

Ana still could not believe it. Her daily life consisted of serving at the tavern and spending time with her loved ones. Battles of great power, politics, glory, and fortune were alien concepts to her.

Seeing the strength of a Dragon Champion firsthand only reaffirmed her determination not to get involved in such problems.

She wanted nothing to do with any of it.

She only wished to survive the incident and return to her normal life.

Let the heroes and villains kill each other. I’m just a civilian.

“Can we run to the castle now?” Ana asked, using what little strength she still had left to speak.

Before Ealdic could answer, a devastating roar crushed every sound in the area. Ana nearly fainted from fright, and Anahí had to cling to Abad to keep herself from falling from the sudden impact.

They had never heard such a booming voice before.

Not even the experienced orichalcum adventurer had.

“No,” the armored man replied. “S-Something is coming.”