183 Fighting a Lich
As Leo peered through the portal, a shiver ran down his spine as a figure emerged. It was a skeleton, much like the others he had seen before, but something about this one was different. Its bony hands were tightly wrapped around a long, dark staff that seemed to pulse with an eerie energy. At the top of the staff was a menacing skull, staring out at Leo with empty eye sockets.
The skeleton’s hands glowed with an unearthly green aura, casting an eerie light on the dark robe that draped over its body. The fabric was thick and heavy, covering the skeleton from head to toe and leaving only its skull exposed. As the figure stepped forward, Leo could see that its movements were slow and deliberate, as if it were considering its next move carefully.
As the Lich raised its staff, Leo could feel the mana in the air pulsing and shifting, drawn towards the normal skeletons that had risen from the ground. The air around them seemed to hum with energy, and Leo braced himself for what was to come.
Rattle...
Suddenly, the undead creatures affected by the Lich’s magic began to tremble and shake. Their bones rattled together as they grew and twisted, their forms contorting into new and more intimidating shapes. Leo watched in awe as wings sprouted from their backs, extra limbs and hands emerged from their torsos, and tails and horns erupted from their skulls. The skeletons now looked more like demons than mere undead creatures.
It was as if the Lich’s magic had unlocked some dormant power within the skeletons, granting them a newfound strength and malice. Leo knew that the real battle was about to begin. These creatures were no longer mindless undead, but something far more dangerous.
Even Leo had to adjust his fighting style as he realized the strength of the monsters had doubled, making it much harder to finish them off with a single hit. Every move he made required more effort and precision, as the skeletons swung their new appendages and wings at him with deadly accuracy.
The white flame that had engulfed his body grew brighter, fueled by the increasing amount of mana required to sustain it. It now burned with a more intense heat, and its corrosive properties were even more potent, causing major damage to every skeleton that came in contact.
‘Deal with the winged undead!’
.....
Leo was becoming increasingly frustrated with the undead creatures that had grown wings. The appendages acted as extra shields, allowing the skeletons to evade death time and time again. Leo had lost count of how many times he had struck a fatal blow, only to have the creature sacrifice its wings to stay alive.
Half of the Shadow soldiers sprang into action, using their deadly bodies to stab the skeletons from behind and shatter their skulls with hammer-like limbs. He was grateful for the backup, but Leo knew that he couldn’t rely on the soldiers alone. He had to find a way to defeat the Lich and put an end to his relentless onslaught of undead.
Even as the Shadow soldiers fought endlessly, the Lich continued to hover above the battlefield, his staff still raised high in the sky. With each passing moment, he created more and more empowered skeletons, adding to the growing army that was slowly pushing the players back towards the city.
The death rate among the players doubled within minutes, and nobody could have predicted just how powerful the Lich’s upgrades would be. It was a terrifying sight to see, the Lich acting like a perfect general, controlling and upgrading his army with ease.
Zziinngg...
Suddenly, a projectile tore through the air, aimed at the Lich. The undead mage reacted quickly, creating a green shield that blocked the incoming spell. As he looked up to see where the attack had come from, his empty eye sockets caught sight of Ava flapping her black feather wings. She had cast another Lightning Spear and was heading towards him.
The Lich knew that there was little chance that she could defeat him, but he also knew that she was a distraction. He had to focus on her, which meant that the skeleton army would be left vulnerable. The army was considerably smaller than in the last wave, and if the players managed to defeat them all, they could assist Ava in defeating the Lich.
Rattle...
Pointing his staff to the sky, the Lich moved his bony jaw and began casting a spell. Dark portals appeared above Ava, and grey chains radiating with a sickly green aura began writhing towards her at a frightening speed.
Ava had barely any time to react, but she quickly cast ‘Lightning Step’ and managed to evade the chains at the last second. With a flicker of lightning, she appeared a dozen meters away from the attack, her silver hair blowing in the wind.
The Lich let out a guttural growl, frustrated that his attack had missed. He knew that he had to focus on the players, but he also couldn’t ignore Ava. She was a thorn in his side, and he had to get rid of her.
Summoning more mana, the Lich began casting another spell, this one much more powerful than before. The air crackled with mana as he pointed his staff at Ava, ready to strike.
Crackle...
Crackling energy surged around the Lich, causing the ground to tremble and Ava to frown in concern. She could sense that he was preparing a powerful spell, one that could mean trouble for her and the other players.
Suddenly, the Lich’s skull began to morph, growing a massive bone crown that gave him an even more demonic appearance. His back sprouted a pair of enormous wings, and a tail grew from his skeletal form. The upgrade seemed to transform him from a lich to a terrifying demon lord.
As the transformation completed, a sphere of pulsing green energy enveloped the entire battlefield, causing Ava and the other players to feel immense pressure. Their attributes were lowered by twenty points, making it even harder for them to fight.
Ava gritted her teeth and began to focus her mana to cast another spell, determined to find a way to defeat the Lich. But as she reached out to gather the necessary energy, she felt a strange disruption in the flow of mana. Her concentration faltered, and she stumbled, the spell failing to take shape.
Frowning in frustration, she tried again, but the same thing happened. It was as if the Lich was somehow blocking her magic, preventing her from summoning the Lightning Spear. She glared at the undead creature, its skull face seemingly smiling at her failed attempts.
‘Shadow Realm...’
Suddenly, a massive shadow descended over the entire battlefield, engulfing everything in darkness and shadows. Even the lich, who was hovering high in the air, was absorbed into the all-consuming darkness. The undead scouring the area looked around, trying to discern anything in the shadows, but there was nothing but darkness.
Confusion gripped the players, but soon they grasped the gravity of the situation and began to retreat from the ominous Shadow. They had already witnessed what had happened to the ‘Vikings’ guild when they had unknowingly stepped into the Dome, and the players did not wish to inadvertently incur Leo’s wrath. They may have been after contribution points, but they considered it more prudent to withdraw from the area than to risk venturing into the unknown darkness and suffering a fatal consequence.
Ava quickly made up her mind and opted to follow the other players, promptly flying back to the wall where Eli was already waiting for her.
“Come down...”
The lich heard a voice and searched for the source in bewilderment.
Suddenly, a Shadow materialized above the undead, striking it with a massive, hammer-like limb that sent the skeleton tumbling to the ground.
The undead tried to speak, but no sound escaped from its lips, as if the Shadow had muffled all the sounds within its realm.
“Surround him...”
A male voice resonated across the battlefield, prompting the lich to erect multiple green barriers around its body in a desperate bid to defend itself. However, it soon became apparent that the Shadow had cut off any chance of escape, and the lich’s attempts to teleport out of the Shadow Dome were met with failure as its spells refused to work.
Clank...
Suddenly, a dark silhouette materialized out of the shadows, hurtling towards the green shield that the Lich had deployed, causing it to crack under the impact. The undead swiftly reacted, using its staff to cast a grey chain towards the silhouette, hoping to ensnare it and gain the upper hand. However, the silhouette evaded the attack by retreating back into the shadows, causing the chain to miss its target.
Clank... Clank...
The shadows emerged from multiple directions, converging on the green barriers deployed by the Lich and the cracks began to spread across them, threatening to shatter them completely.
“Come on, just enter your second phase!”