The First Lich Lord

Chapter 84

It felt like we fell forever. The floor collapsing from under us led into a large chamber. As I struggled to my feet, I overheard Rhea mutter something before a white light filled the area where shed fallen. Even though I could see through the darkness, the bright light showed in greater detail what happened. The pillars supporting the temple above us were still intact, but the floor all around them had fallen away.

Despite the fall feeling so long, wed only dropped two stories. The room we had fallen into once had a very high ceiling. Shouts came from above as Rheas troops responded.

Maxwell groaned beside me, and I fished out a health potion and gave it to him.

What is this place? I shouted at Rhea. But before she could respond, a howl, unworldly in nature, filled the ruined room.

Creatures with humanoid bodies, with one batlike wing and another birdlike wing on their backs began to flood out of hallways that connected to the room. The half of the body with the birdwing was pure white, but the other side was so black it looked like a hole.

Fortunately, Maxwell and I had fallen by what appeared to be the entrance, none of the creatures came from that hallway. However, three different hallways were near Rhea, and the creatures attacked without remorse.

Flashes of alternating pitch-black in pure white light began to fill the room as a battle erupted. The priests were hurt, but her paladins, far more physically strong, were already on their feet defending them, even as Rhea called forth her power. The flashes of light werent coming from the defending paladins and Rhea, they came from the creatures. Depending on which arm they used, there would be an explosion of white or black.

I stared in confusion at the fight before a few of the creatures took notice of Maxwell and me and moved toward us. Focusing, I struggled to bring up information on what they were. Nothing appeared, all I got was a sense of its power, and a sense of wrongness. It was like the creatures didnt belong in the same universe we were inhabiting.

Maxwell was still recovering, so I stepped forward to meet the pair of onrushing creatures. Now in a larger space, I let Mercys blade become longer and curved. It didnt look like these creatures were armored. I struck out, slashing deeply into the white side of one of the creatures. As I spun away, a trail of fluid sprayed from my blade. What amounted for blood from the creatures was gray.

The creatures were half again as tall as I was, a hand reached down for me. In my minds eye I saw it slashing the air right in front of me, leaving behind blades of white light that flew into my body. Precognition gave me the edge, and I turned as the attack flashed past me, dissipating within a meter. I used my turn to spin Mercy and blocked a blow of another attack.

A black fist sped toward me. I took a gamble. I didnt try to block or dodge the blow, instead I struck with Mercy. The fist connected with my chest even as the razor-sharp blade of Mercy sliced with a powerful strike at the shoulder of the creature.

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The black fist released an explosion of dark magic. My gamble had been partially correct, whatever the magic was hurt. But I was a Lich. I dont care how strange your dark magic is, it will never be effective against a Lich.

I drove Mercy down with all my strength and it sliced through the white left shoulder of the creature and ripped it free of the body below the creatures rib cage on the black side. If the blow was not lethal, the festering wound wouldve likely killed it within moments. I was uncertain exactly what these creatures were, but whatever they were, Mercy had no problem slicing them up.

Not taking time to celebrate my kill, I twirled and attacked the other one trying to land a blow. Now that this was one-on-one, even though the creature was bigger than me, I was faster and far more skilled. It didnt take long for me to find an opening and ram Mercy through the creatures chest.

As it fell, I was already casting a spell. Dark mana pooled around me and death magic flooded the body of the creature as I raised it to unlife as my minion, the one I sliced in half I left on the ground. I tried to examine it, and now that I had a connection to them, information came up. But it lacked an explanation that made sense. The spell I used specifically retained the abilities of the creature, or something similar. Normally they also retain the information about the creature.

Twin Elemental Zombie

Level: 42

This zombie had the twin elemental effects of dark and light and life it has retained those abilities in death.

What? I stared at the creature, and though the wrongness was gone, I normally wouldve received more than just this blah ability. I wondered if I had captured the kernel of its soul, if I wouldve gotten more information, but that didnt make any sense. I had never needed to do that before.

I looked over to where the fight still raged between Rhea and the creatures. More and more creatures were pouring out even as the stronger of Rheas troops dropped down from the doorway above.

Do we help? Maxwell asked as he came up beside me.

I shook my head, I just didnt know. Rhea wanted me dead, but every time I looked at whatever these creatures were, a sense of wrongness entered my mind along with an urge to kill them that I had not felt before.

I dont know, Max, I sighed. What do you think?

I think we should use the opportunity to get the fuck out of here, Maxwell said.

Theres something off about these creatures though, I protested. A wrongness, do you not sense it? As soon as the words left my mouth, Maxwells eyes glazed over with that look of him reading a prompt. What did you just get? I asked.

I got a quest, Maxwell said. This surprised both of us, I had given out a few quests since the system saw me as an NPC, but the timing of this one seemed strange. Evidently these creatures are from another universe, and Ekwin doesnt really like them. Since you are a member of his order, I am being rewarded by helping you exterminate them. There was also a suspicious note about a particular priestess being brought over to our side.

How would he know that?

How would I know? Maxwell shrugged as he situated his guitar across his body. All I know is that quest terms from gods are almost always accurate. Besides, there was the added note about these things being worth a lot of experience.

So, youre asking me to risk my life even more to fight these creatures alongside someone who wants me dead for experience? I asked even as I looked at my character sheet and saw that he was right. Id gained a ton of experience from those two kills, far more than I shouldve gotten for something under my own level.

Youre the one who said there was something wrong. Maxwell gave me a confused look.

I know, I was just checking. I turned my attention to the fight as I pulled out another mana potion. If we were going to join the brawl, I would pick my timing very carefully.