As they ventured deeper, the corridor opened into a vast chamber. At its center stood a skeletal figure draped in tattered robes, its eyes glowing with an eerie blue light. The Archmage.
As Leon and Roselia entered, the Lich’s eyes flickered, its head moving slightly to look at them. "Humans… are not welcome in my domain," it said, its voice a haunting echo.
Leon raised his brow in surprise. "You can talk?" he asked.
The Lich nodded slowly. "I have fleeting moments of clarity—remnants of the wisdom I once held. And then… it vanishes," it said, its gaze lowering. "How pathetic I have become…"
Leon frowned. This was unexpected. There had been no mention of such behavior in the information they had gathered about the Archmage.
"Human," the Lich continued, "would you like to hear my story?"
A notification flashed before Leon.
{New Quest}
{Listen to the Archmage’s Story}
{Reward: Continuation of the Quest}
"Alright, what is it?" Leon said, nodding as he accepted the quest.
The Lich inclined its head slightly, but its glowing eyes suddenly flared red. Its demeanor shifted, and it hissed with malice, "You dare disturb my domain?"
Leon and Roselia exchanged a quick glance, wondering what was going on.
Another notification appeared in front of Leon.
{New Quest}
{Stall time until the Archmage regains its wisdom}
{Time Limit: 1 minute}
{Reward: Continuation of the Quest}
"I see…" Leon muttered, understanding the peculiar nature of this quest. Despite the rewards for completing it, this explained why many adventurers had failed.
If the quest relied on stalling an unstable Archmage prone to sudden violent outbursts, it was no wonder so many adventurers hadn’t made it past this point. An Archmage was like a ticking time bomb. You never knew when they might unleash devastating magic.
"Roselia," Leon whispered, his staff ready, "stay alert. This might get messy."
Roselia nodded, gripping her weapon tightly as the Lich’s eyes burned with fiery malice.
"I will be on alert," Roselia said, stepping back cautiously, her eyes scanning the surroundings for any sudden threats.
Leon gave her a brief nod, his focus locked on the Lich. The timer for the quest continued to tick down in reverse, every second feeling like an eternity.
"Magic Missile," the Lich incanted, and glowing projectiles shot toward Leon with precision.
Leon twirled his staff, countering with a barrier spell. "I’ll have to use only weaker spells," he muttered under his breath, deflecting the missiles. "If I overdo it, I might kill him by accident and fail the quest."
The magic duel had officially begun.
Leon stood firm, his mind racing as he analyzed the Lich’s attacks. Despite its erratic state, the Lich still wielded immense power, every spell a calculated challenge.
Roselia, watching from the sidelines, kept her weapon ready but refrained from stepping in. It was Leon’s decision to handle this alone, and she respected his resolve.
The Lich raised its skeletal hands, summoning a wave of Arcane Blades that sliced through the air. Leon countered with a quick Wind Slash, dispersing the magical blades before they could reach him.
"This is a test of endurance," Leon thought, keeping his spells balanced—strong enough to counter the Lich but not so overwhelming as to end the fight prematurely.
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"Come on, Leon," Roselia whispered to herself, gripping her weapon tightly. "You can do this."
The duel raged on, the chamber filled with flashes of light and bursts of magical energy. The timer continued to count down, inching closer to zero.
"Almost there," Leon muttered, beads of sweat forming on his brow as he cast another defensive spell to block a barrage of Fire Bolts.
The Lich’s attacks grew wilder, its fleeting moments of intelligence giving way to bursts of chaotic rage. Despite the pressure, Leon remained composed, his strategy clear: stall, survive, and wait for the moment of clarity to return to the Archmage.
Time was running out, but Leon knew he could hold on. He had to.
{29...}
{21...}
Leon continued to attack the Lich, carefully interrupting its spellcasting to prevent it from conjuring anything too powerful. He understood the stakes—if the Lich succeeded in unleashing a devastating spell, Leon would be forced to counter with equally powerful magic, which could have catastrophic consequences. A clash of high-tier spells might kill the Lich outright, failing the quest.
The Lich’s mana reserves were immense, seemingly infinite, making it a nightmare opponent for most adventurers. However, Leon’s own massive mana pool and his exceptional mana regeneration allowed him to keep stalling without breaking a sweat.
{2...}
{1...}
As the timer hit zero, the Lich’s glowing red eyes faded, replaced by a calm, ethereal blue. It stopped attacking, lowering its skeletal hands as it looked at Leon with clarity.
"It seems I lost myself once again," the Lich said in a voice that carried both wisdom and sorrow.
Leon resisted the urge to correct it—the "moment" of clarity had lasted far longer than a second. He let it slide.
"My name is, or was, Valtheris von Raon," the Lich began. "I was a powerful Archduke of this once-beautiful kingdom... until we made a fatal mistake."
As Valtheris waved his hand, Leon and Roselia found themselves surrounded by a vivid illusion. They stood in the middle of a breathtakingly majestic kingdom. The streets were lined with grand architecture, and the air carried a sense of pride and prosperity.
"This was our kingdom," Valtheris continued.
Leon and Roselia marveled at the splendor but quickly noticed something unsettling. The kingdom seemed populated exclusively by the wealthy.
"Why are there only nobles and rich people here?" Leon asked, his voice tinged with suspicion.
Valtheris sighed deeply, the glow in his eyes dimming slightly. "That was our mistake. This beautiful kingdom was built on the backs of the common folk. We confined the peasantry and lower-class citizens to the outskirts, far from the city walls, while only nobles lived within."
He gestured again, and the illusion shifted. The once-beautiful kingdom became a stark contrast—dilapidated slums outside the city walls and vast, empty fields.
"We grew drunk on power," Valtheris said. "We dismissed the commoners, thinking we didn’t need them. Slowly, our kingdom began to decline. The nobles didn’t know how to farm, nor how to cook. Without the backbone of the commoners, our society fell apart."
The vision darkened further, showing the kingdom in ruins. Its grandeur reduced to a crumbling wasteland, the once-thriving civilization left in shambles.