Overwhelming Firepower

The freezing energy continued spreading toward Lucen’s chest. He pulled against Aleister’s grip, but the skeletal fingers did not move.

He who had overwhelmed many people with his physical stats could not get out of the grip of the Lich. If he allowed himself to be fully paralyzed, then it would be checkmate.

The first idea that popped into his mind was a classic anime move of chopping off his hand, but he did not do so. He was unsure if his regeneration skill could regenerate lost limbs.

He then had a second idea pop into his mind, another anime classic. It was far less extreme, but it was going to hurt nonetheless.

Lucen suddenly lowered his body and twisted in the opposite direction. Aleister’s grip prevented his wrist from moving with him.

A sickening crack echoed through the chamber. Lucen’s shoulder left its socket.

Pain exploded through his body. Even with Battle-Crazed reducing his fear and hesitation, the agony nearly caused his concentration to break.

Lucen rotated beneath Aleister’s arm. The dislocated shoulder allowed his trapped arm to turn at an angle that should have been impossible. He twisted his wrist toward the gap between Aleister’s thumb and fingers, then pulled with all his strength.

His skin tore against the skeletal grip, but his hand slipped free. Lucen immediately used Unbound Demonic Stride to create distance.

”You broke your own body?”

”Heh, it’s just momentary, I can fix it.”

Lucen touched his left shoulder and, with a sudden click, forced it back into position.

CLICK!

Another wave of pain spread through his body, but the arm was once again attached properly. But because of the Acting Adept trait, there was no trace of pain seen in his face.

The Lich stared at him. ”Why do this? Do you not feel pain? Even if you do this, you won’t be able to escape.”

Lucen’s smile widened, although cold sweat was already running down his back.

”Unlike an undead monster like you, I do feel pain. This is the sensation that tells me that I’m still alive. What about you, who have become a monster of vengeance, who feel nothing? Does that hatred of yours even exist anymore? Are you just moving like that in memory of your former human self?”

The blue flames within Aleister’s empty eye sockets remained completely still. However, the dark mana surrounding his body continued expanding until cracks spread across the stone beneath his feet.

”Brat who inherited the blood of cowards and savages. You know nothing of me and of my hatred.”

The blue flames within Aleister’s empty eye sockets suddenly expanded. ”Then look upon my hatred.”

Battle Instinct screamed. Lucen immediately attempted to use Unbound Demonic Stride, but his eyes had already met the pale blue flames.

Lucen understood what the Lich had tried to do. The Lich had obviously used something like frightening gaze, but Lucen’s had many resistances to mental attacks.

Certain images entered his mind upon looking at those eyes.

He saw Ironhold covered in flames. The bodies of Thornefang members were piled across the streets. His father knelt among them with a sword piercing his chest, while Cael’s lifeless body rested at Aleister’s feet.

The Lich stood above them all. Lucen, whose mental resistance was more powerful than his other skills, knew the images were false.

His many skills were protecting his mind, pushing back against the fear. The illusion shattered. Lucen chuckled and spoke to the Lich.

”Is that supposed to frighten me?”

Aleister stared at him due to his mummified look; it was hard to tell what the other person was thinking. ”So you resisted it, then how about this?”

Aleister spread both arms. The dark mana surrounding his body suddenly collapsed inward. For a fraction of a second, the chamber became strangely silent.

Once again, battle instinct was giving him a sharp warning.

However, unlike the attacks before, the warning did not come from any particular direction. Danger was everywhere. Lucen immediately used Unbound Demonic Stride to escape.

It was a good thing that the others were fighting the undead at quite a distance. This place was big enough that you would find it hard to believe they were underground.

Dark mana erupted from Aleister’s body. There was no projectile to avoid and no direction from which the attack came.

A sphere of necrotic energy expanded around the Lich, swallowing everything nearby.

Lucen, who had used Unbound Demonic Stride, had left several afterimages as he tried to escape the range of the skill.

However, the dark wave expanded faster than he had anticipated. It caught him before he could leave its range.

The moment the necrotic energy passed through Lucen’s body, he felt as though countless invisible hands had reached inside him and begun tearing away his life.

His white aura mantle flickered. The snow-like aura surrounding him lost some of its brightness, while dark lines briefly appeared beneath his skin.

Lucen appeared several dozen steps away and landed on one knee. Blood trickled down his mouth. Lucen spat out the blood that was gathering in his throat.

His heart continued beating, but each beat felt weaker than the last. His muscles suddenly became heavy, while the exhaustion from the entire battle struck him all at once.

’Disrupt Life.’

Lucen recognized the ability immediately. Unlike Disintegrate, it did not destroy stone or metal. The chamber remained untouched. The spell attacked only the living.

’Of course, a Lich would have something like this.’

Lucen’s regeneration activated. Warmth spread through his body as his damaged flesh and weakened organs slowly recovered.

His resistances, traits, and divine blessings had reduced the effect, but the spell had still torn away a significant amount of his vitality.

As Lucen was about to attack, the Lich did not let up and immediately used another spell. Aleister pointed one skeletal finger toward him.

Dark green mana gathered at its tip. Unlike Disintegrate, the spell did not pull mana from the entire chamber. There was no violent distortion or heavy pressure.

The energy was quiet and concentrated, almost unnoticeable compared to the dark mana still fading around the Lich.

However, Battle Instinct reacted even more violently. Lucen’s expression changed.

’No f*cking way! You’re telling me this is a weakened version! That should be the skill finger of death.’

Aleister spoke a short phrase in the ancient draconic language. A thin bolt of dark green energy shot toward Lucen.

Lucen’s body was still weakened from Disrupt Life. His muscles refused to respond with their usual speed, while the numbness left behind by Paralyzing Touch had not completely disappeared.

Unbound Demonic Stride would not be fast enough. Lucen activated RELEASE. His heart slammed violently against his chest.

Mana and aura surged through his weakened body, temporarily forcing his exhausted muscles to respond.

Lucen created a trench gun and aimed it toward the ground beside him. He pulled the trigger.

BOOM!

The fire-imbued shell exploded against the stone. The recoil and blast threw Lucen sideways just as the dark green bolt reached him.

He avoided a direct hit. However, the spell still grazed the left side of his body. The moment the necrotic energy touched him, Lucen felt his heart stop.

His vision turned black. For a fraction of a second, there was nothing, there was no sound, there was no pain, there was not even the sensation of his own body.

Then his heart beat again. As if the air lost inside his body came out all at once, Lucen breathed out. Lucen crashed against the ground and rolled several times before stopping himself with one hand.

Black veins spread across the left side of his neck and chest. The flesh beneath his armor had turned pale, while part of his white aura mantle had disappeared entirely.

Lucen, who had drunk the blood of a dragon, possessed vitality beyond that of ordinary people. His body fought against the necrotic energy while Regeneration repaired the damaged flesh.

The black veins stopped spreading. His heart beat weakly at first, then with force.

Aleister’s blue flames flickered. ”You survived even that move?”

Lucen forced himself upright. His legs trembled, and blood ran from his mouth, but his smile remained. ”So, got any more tricks up your sleeve?”

Despite the situation being unfavorable, with unyielding and Battle-Crazed making him feel like victory was still within reach.

Aleister raised a skeletal hand. Dark mana gathered around his fingers, but it was much slower than before.

Lucen quickly created a rifle in his hand and started firing at the Lich while charging forward. Despite his current condition, with his regeneration and other skills, he could still keep going.

Now that he had a clearer understanding of what level the Lich he was facing was at, he became even more determined to end things here.

”Come on, you f*cking mummy! Let’s see who between the two of us will reach a game over!” Lucen, who was being overwhelmed by excitement and many other emotions, spoke in the language of his old world.