Chapter 74 – Lich (2)

Lich.

The name for a skeleton that uses magic.

A lich was an undead created when a mage corrupted by miasma died, a rare existence even among the Demon King’s army of countless skeletons.

Given the number of mages on the continent, one might expect there to be many liches, but that wasn’t the case.

Mages who manipulated mana weren’t easily corrupted by miasma.

Thus, most mages who became liches had corrupted themselves.

Some had pure intentions, like wanting to use death magic or explore new magical paths,

But most mages became liches to avoid death.

We knew the soul doesn’t remain in the body once undead, but mages who became liches thought differently.

They believed if memories and personality were maintained through magic after becoming undead, they’d be no different from when alive.

The lich floating in the southern sky had become undead in that way.

That lich had been a famous mage hundreds of years ago.

The living mage had been skilled and accomplished in research, leaving many records to this day.

Perhaps because of this, I heard many mages were shocked when it was revealed that lich was that mage.

After explaining this to my unknowing party members, Yerim tilted her head at my story.

“That skeleton used to be a famous mage? Don’t tell me mages originally dress poorly? Those rags must be discarded clothes, yet it’s still wearing such tatters.”

Yerim was examining the floating lich with binoculars she’d produced from somewhere.

Hoffman shook his head at Yerim’s words.

“No way, mages dress so extravagantly. Even when asked to dress modestly on the battlefield, they wouldn’t listen.”

The mages I knew all wore flashy clothes too.

Not just orthodox mages researching in magic towers, but battle mages on the frontlines wore clothes full of ornaments and fancy patterns until their dying breath.

I was curious and asked about it too, but never got a proper answer.

‘Actually, battle mages seemed to dress that way because they disliked being looked down on by orthodox mages…’

Anyway, that lich wouldn’t have worn such rags when alive.

“Even if it inherited memories from life, an undead is different from the living mage.”

“Of course. All undead are just monsters.”

Hoffman nodded at my words, making the sign of the cross.

No matter how much a lich insisted it was the same as when alive, we couldn’t and wouldn’t acknowledge that.

We had been able to sweep away undead without hesitation because they were just monsters.

If undead were still human, we would have been killing family, friends, and comrades all this time.

For the sanity of soldiers fighting the Demon King’s army, undead had to be soulless corpses and monsters.

“If it was such a famous mage, is that lich an amazing magician?”

Both Hoffman and I made ambiguous expressions at Yerim’s question.

“It is an amazing magician, but… that one was more of a bastard in other ways.”

“I never fought it directly, but was it really the ‘Hiding Lich’ as rumored?”

“Worse than the rumors. I can’t count how many times we lost that one…”

Remembering fighting that lich, I sighed involuntarily.

Unlike the skeleton mages, liches in fantasy novels from my past life, liches in our world didn’t have separate soul-containing orbs.

Our world’s liches didn’t need their soul orb destroyed – just smashing their bones with a mana-infused sword was enough.

Perhaps because of this, the already rare liches appeared even less often in the middle of battlefields.

Yet that lich repeatedly came to the front lines to command the Demon King’s army and blast magic at us.

“We tried everything to catch that lich after being fooled so many times.”

We had mages engage in artillery duels, and sent elite knights on special operations.

It was early in the war when we were being pushed back, and we lost many soldiers then.

“Seeing it’s still fine, its escape magic must have been impressive. Did it use spatial movement?”

I sighed again at Yerim’s words.

“If only it were that simple.”

I explained to the puzzled Yerim what that lich had done back then.

“It would just take off that ragged cloak and slip in among its skeleton minions. Then retreat with the skeletons.”

Without its cloak, a lich was just ordinary bones.

When it hid its mana and mixed with other skeletons, even I couldn’t distinguish it.

“We’d have to destroy all retreating skeletons, but that was impossible while being pushed back.”

Hearing this, Yerim looked at the lich with an incredulous expression.

“They say it was an excellent mage when alive, but such a mage wouldn’t do something so petty. That’s definitely just an undead.”

Ironically, thanks to that lich’s escape tactics, the underground notion that liches were human gradually disappeared.

Even mages interested in liches couldn’t defend its actions.

“I thought someone had destroyed it since it disappeared, but it was here.”

Even if not human, liches had enough reason for undead, making them perfect as vanguards to another world.

After explaining about the lich, I stood with my party members, examining the southern land where it floated.

“Setting aside the lich… how many Demon King troops did it bring?”

“Fortunately, it doesn’t seem to be corps-sized.”

Hoffman, watching the southern city beside me, answered my question.

Though he couldn’t see mana like me, with this much miasma, an experienced soldier like him could estimate troop numbers.

I nodded at his words.

“Right? Looking at the moving miasma, maybe about a quarter of back then.”

Being another world, the miasma wasn’t as strong as then.

The lich clearly couldn’t control corps-sized forces here like in the early war.

“A quarter… fewer than expected, but still more than we can handle.”

“Well, it was still one of the Demon King’s corps commanders.”

Though the Demon King’s corps varied from six to over ten, this lich had commanded one of them.

Yerim, looking sick of our conversation, asked me.

“So how many are there?”

“A quarter of a corps, so roughly 20,000?”

“20,000 zombies?”

“Well, skeletons were originally the main force, but it’s not quite there here. Maybe 15,000 zombies and 5,000 skeletons.”

Originally, a Demon King army corps consisted of about 80,000 zombies and skeletons.

And there were over ten such corps…

The so-called million-strong army.

An impressive number even in this world, but impossible in that world before population explosion.

Yet the Demon King easily created this massive army.

Undead armies needed neither appearance nor training.

Just kill people and raise them as undead.

The Demon King’s undead army thus created nearly swept away that world.

Shocked by the undead numbers, Yerim spoke urgently.

“But when skeletons came before, there weren’t nearly as many!”

“Well, not all the Demon King’s forces sweeping south would have rushed to the safe zone.”

Yerim, looking distressed, asked again.

“But… what about now?”

“Well… this might not be all. They might have left half in the south.”

This wasn’t the answer Yerim wanted.

But I had no response to her question. I didn’t know why they had gathered either.

As I was explaining the situation to Yerim, Zahina, who had been watching the lich, spoke up.

“It seems they’ve noticed us too.”

I turned my head at Zahina’s words.

And I could see the lich’s gleaming skull.

The lich had pushed back its hood, revealing its skull head as it looked in our direction.

I thought we wouldn’t be spotted hiding behind the railing, but unfortunately, the lich’s magical abilities were better than I expected.

The lich looked straight at us, then raised its skeletal hand.

“As expected, it’s not just an ordinary undead. Everyone, prepare for battle.”

“What? But it’s so far away.”

At my words, everyone immediately checked their weapons, but Yerim looked at me quizzically.

The lich was floating over a kilometer away from our building.

It wasn’t the type to charge in alone, and we still had time before other undead could reach us.

However, the Demon King’s army didn’t consist of only humanoid undead.

Just as humans could become undead, so could animals and monsters.

The Demon King’s army controlled and brought all such undead.

Of course, this world had no monsters, but it did have animals.

“It won’t be flying monsters like harpies, so maybe crows?”

As Hoffman said, the Demon King’s army had made great use of undead crows in that world.

Being black, blood stains weren’t noticeable, and being non-human, they could easily pretend to be alive.

Thanks to this, the Demon King’s army could easily scout human formations, and we had to kill all crows on sight, dead or alive.

But what rose from the ground moments later wasn’t black birds.

“They’re not crows. Rather, they’re white birds.”

Dozens, hundreds of birds with mixed gray and white feathers, looking even more grotesque with dark red blood stains, soared into the sky.

The sight of white birds rising with smoke billowing below was like an Olympic opening ceremony.

“Damn, it’s pigeons.”

The flying undead this corps had weren’t crows, but pigeons.

No wonder we hadn’t seen pigeons – they were all there.

“Finally, we can test this out.”

Seeing the approaching undead pigeon flock, Hoffman gripped his bow with both hands.

“I’ll use wind to block their approach.”

Zahina also prepared to use her druid abilities.

“What should I do?”

Yerim fidgeted, feeling she should do something.

But I waved everyone off.

“No, we’re here for reconnaissance. There’s no reason to fight. We retreat immediately.”

Having confirmed the Demon King’s army, there was no reason to stay.

Our current party could handle the incoming pigeons, but this wasn’t the time to face them.

Moreover, something felt off.

That lich wasn’t one to make an ordinary attack.

*Glint*

At that moment, I saw something glinting on a rooftop below where the lich was floating.

I reflexively raised my sword.

*Clang!*

Sparks flew from my sword with a loud noise.

*Bang!*

Then a gunshot rang out.

“As expected, it’s not just the Demon King’s army. It’s an army with guns.”

It wasn’t time to be glad about reduced numbers.

With undead having guns, there was no guarantee the safe zone would remain safe.

I immediately slung Yerim over my shoulder and crossed the building rooftop.

“Eek, why are you suddenly carrying me?”

Yerim screamed at my action, but the other party members silently followed behind me.

After crossing the rooftop, I immediately jumped over the opposite railing.

Yerim screamed again.

“Kyaaah! There’s no ground! We’re falling! No! I can’t even ride amusement park rides well, and now we’re just falling!”

With Yerim’s screams, we descended along the building wall.