Chapter 6: Job Change

A tactic that's not just risking one's life, but closer to abandoning it.

No, it was a recklessness that was hard to even call a tactic.

"Even if you're a Lich, you'll be done for when your mana runs out."

"Do you really think I'd fight you in such a state! There's a limit to underestimating someone!"

In response to the Lich's words, Nick blinked his eyes, moved his body a few times, and then slowly walked away with a look as if he had heard something utterly pointless.

"Well, if this were real, I'd be rolling around in pain. But it's not. Even if they strive for realism, in an RPG game, they can't make you unable to move just because your HP drops."

"What do you mean...!"

Before the Lich's retort could even finish, Nick drew his sword and charged.

The Lich hastily grabbed his staff, but then, perhaps realizing his dwindling mana, issued commands to the boars around him.

"From the dark depths of your heart, I shall beckon..."

"Think I'll just stand here and watch?"

But the command was never fully executed. With a clanging sound, the staff and sword collided.

The boars, though startled, were hindered by the continuous attacks and could not carry out detailed commands.

"Grumble..."

Moreover, the howling of the wolf familiar, which had regained some of its strength, began to echo.

The boars, which had been startled, started to retreat in fear.

One of the unique skills of a familiar, which forcibly intimidates lower-level animal-type monsters.

The boars, overwhelmed by the pressure and unable to follow commands due to their weakened will, would not be much of a threat in this situation.

"Useless pigs... But do you really think anything will change just by stalling a bit!"

In fact, the situation was not in Aine's party's favor, so Aine had no time to just watch.

Using the spirit stone he had taken out earlier to summon intermediate spirits, Aine's mana drained rapidly from his body.

Not a random summoning of natural spirits, but a one-to-one contract with a specific entity through a spirit stone.

While it consumed a considerable amount of mana, the advantage was that the spirit, after long-term integration with the contractor, could understand and act on the contractor's intentions without being explicitly told.

The same applied to the intermediate earth spirit Vulcan and the intermediate wind spirit Zephyrus. Vulcan erected thick stone walls around the injured, while Zephyrus spread a wind carrying Aine's shouts far and wide.

"Here, someone! Help! It's Lich! Lich is here!!!!!"

During his speech, dozens of lightning bolts, Nick's short shouts, and the Lich's nervous grunts assaulted Aine's ears.

At this moment, Nick would repeatedly fall and get back up, helplessly. Even without seeing it, Aine could vividly imagine it. His keen hearing was a torment in this aspect.

"Please, someone, come and help!"

As the Lich gathered black lightning in his hands, he finally turned to Aine.

"Really, you're so damn noisy."

While the Lich found Nick quite annoying, that was all there was to it.

Despite his good equipment, Nick's lack of skill, and the absence of a holy blessing or silver weapon, made it difficult for him to deal significant damage to the Lich.

Without reinforcements, the only future was annihilation.

The wolf familiar, which had been holding back the boars, struggled to stand on its claws and moved to Aine's side.

"Get out of here. I don't want you to get more involved. I'm grateful for the time you've bought."

Thanks to the wind spirit's ability, the voice still carried far, and Nick, hearing this, frowned and turned his head.

"If we leave now, the sudden quest will be canceled, and we'll lose all the money! I can't go!"

"What are you saying? You mean you can't go at all? Your sense of justice is too extreme."

"I agree."

But there are things that cannot be achieved by justice and belief alone. This way, he would die a hundred times over.

"Please, is anyone there? If you can hear me, come here quickly... Ow!"

Just as Aine was about to shout for help again, a bolt of black lightning narrowly missed his face, followed by the Lich's sinister voice.

"Attacking this guy continuously won't do much... but there's easy prey here. Since the others are already half-dead, I'll kill you first."

The powerful magic was so concentrated that the air around it seemed to warp.

The condensed black lightning crackled, forming a shape, and began to take on the appearance of a fierce claw, its malice directed precisely at Aine.

"Damn. Aine!!"

"Feel even more sorrow and despair. You will become my new nutrients. Hah, hahaha!!"

With a wicked laugh, the condensed lightning wriggled and lunged at Aine.

It was not a simple attack but a black hunting dog that would track and tear apart its target until the end.

Aine spat and kicked off the ground to dodge, but the lightning began to track him as if it were alive.

It was so close that it seemed to be about to hit him at any moment, and finally, Nick, gripping his shield tightly, shouted at Aine.

"Move to the party member's position!!"

As the shout echoed, a shadow fell over Aine.

The lightning struck, and for a moment, the surroundings were dyed pitch black with dark magic.

"Ah...!"

"..."

Nick stood there, his body scorched black. The smell of burning filled the air, and his equipment was half-destroyed by the powerful attack.

Aine, gasping for breath, grabbed Nick's mangled body. Behind them, the Lich's laughter dripped to the ground.

"Mr. Nick Mohaji... Why did you do that!"

"Well, I thought the penalty would be severe if you died..."

"Quite a dramatic scene. But you're finished now..."

"Why did you go this far when I could have escaped!"

"The quest is so difficult, the reward is worth it. I can't give up."

"Fine... I'll do what I can to help."

"I'm here too. Don't talk as if I'm not here, you filthy guys!"

The Lich's shout echoed, and Aine and Nick, startled, turned their heads.

Now, there was no one to hinder the Lich.

The murky magic began to concentrate again, and a hissing sound came from the boars, whose will had been weakened by the wolf familiar.

But in this life-or-death situation, Nick was not glaring at the Lich but looking up a bit higher, moving his fingers and lips.

"Accept."

"You've held on well, despite being mere ants."

"Accept, accept."

"This great Lich will...!"

"Ugh, too tedious. I agree to all the items."

"... Listen, you damn trash!"

"Ah, sorry. Really sorry. I suddenly got a quest. But is it okay for you to be like that?"

"What are you talking about...?"

Nick pointed at the Lich's feet. A tree branch was wrapping around his ankle bone and climbing up.

The Lich, startled, tried to shake his foot, but it wouldn't come off easily, as if it had a will of its own.

The wolf familiar, who had been holding back the boars with all his might, showed a tired smile with his sharp teeth.

"It's too late. Sahabati, Ifep."

"Even though I called as quickly as possible."

"Hehe, sorry. I thought calling loudly would be noticed."

The dryad and golem, who had been lying injured when they first arrived, were approaching Aine and Nick.

The dryad, with a noble and delicate face and black hair, and the golem, resembling a human statue without facial features.

Ifep, the golem, turned his smooth face toward Aine and spoke in a gentle tone, though he had no mouth, directly to Aine's consciousness.

"The sound of the wind spirit you summoned reached us."

"Really...?"

Rumble. As he finished speaking, the ground began to shake.

Cracks appeared in the earth, and the boars, including the Lich, were thrown into confusion. Vulcan, who had erected stone walls to block attacks, wagged his tail and welcomed the newcomers.

"The sincere voice. Your and our request was heard by our brothers without a single omission."

A sharp root shot up from the crack and pierced a boar. A loud scream echoed across the field.

The startled Lich issued a hasty charge command, and numerous boars rushed toward Aine and Nick.

Despite the overwhelming weight and force, a rock hand emerged from the ground and flung nearly ten of them away.

"The earth has responded to the judgment."

The roots intertwined and formed more than ten ants and dryads, and the rock hand continued to grow, revealing the imposing figure of a giant golem.

The black-haired dryad, Sahabati, slowly turned to Aine and smiled.

"Good child, don't worry anymore. Sinister mana is the enemy of all nature."

The earth turned upside down, and giant boars were either pierced by roots or thrown into the air in a scene that seemed too unbelievable to be true.

Some boars' teeth damaged the rocks and roots, but the damaged parts were quickly repaired using the earth.

It was a complete reversal of the situation.

"Y-You... Ants...!"

The Lich let out a roar of rage and created a large magnetic field around himself.

Even though they were quite far away, everyone felt their skin tingle with heat.

"What, you were still hiding such a skill?"

As Nick grumbled, everyone retreated a bit, and the Lich began to condense massive mana into his staff.

"... It looks extremely dangerous."

The Lich, bowing his head and letting out a sinister laugh, looked at Nick with a haughty attitude.

"Trying to defeat me, a mere human. I was once part of the ancient Hedoroa. I will be the one to laugh last. I had saved my mana to create an undead army... but I'll crush your soul. No one has ever survived this."

"Stop setting flags! It's pitiful to look at!"

"I'll take your body to the laboratory and lock you in a jar for life as my experimental subject..."

"Life? In a jar?"

Nick, interrupting the Lich with a meaningful smile, asked.

"There are three important facts you don't know. Want to hear them?"

"... What are they?"

True to his nature as a Lich who fell due to his thirst for knowledge, he couldn't resist his curiosity.

Nick let out a hollow laugh, then held up three fingers and folded them one by one.

"First. Due to a bug, if you're stuck in a location or can't leave, entering a command will move you to the last non-combat area. Type slash and emergency exit."

"What?"

"Second. You've set too many death flags."

"What do you mean!"

"Third."

Nick drew his sword with his other hand.

But the aura he exuded was incomparably more intimidating than before,

and the presence emanating from his body was far stronger than when he first faced the Lich.

"I just received a job change quest."

Compared to the Lich, he didn't seem to be at a disadvantage at all.

"Now, I'm stronger than you."

And it was true.