Chapter 6

Dana acted without hesitation; his movements were faster than his thoughts. By the time he realized it was just a suit of armor, the dagger had already pierced the chest of the armor. It was a set of plate armor, and it emitted a low, dull sound. The armor swayed, and Dana quickly grabbed it, the sound, though low, seemed piercing in the night. He dared not breathe heavily, and the armor did not fall. He listened carefully, and after a while, seeing no one coming, he let out a sigh of relief, his back already drenched in sweat.

The tower was actually part of the building, with an opening inside the castle. Before him was a long, dark passage, with stone walls on both sides. At the door, there were two suits of armor, like guards, standing at the entrance.

Dana maintained his faint shadow state and began to move forward along the passage.

The castle's passages were like a maze. This castle had a history, passed down to Nicholas Andrews by a necromancer. The building was large, with a square shape, towers at each corner, and an open area in the center. The surrounding structures were made of stone, forming a cohesive whole. The inner passages were even deeper, with poor lighting, making it gloomy even during the day, let alone at night.

Dana cautiously moved forward in the passage. Along the way, he encountered several gargoyle and ghoul statues, all of which he managed to avoid. These creatures just stood still and would not attack unless someone entered their range. At a turning point ahead, two gargoyles guarded the entrance.

According to his memory, this was where Nicholas Andrews practiced, and the storage room was nearby. Dana carefully approached the area without entering the gargoyle's alert range. He saw a door nearby, unguarded by any gargoyle, and after some thought, he concluded it must be the alchemy laboratory that Tao had mentioned.

He was hesitating when he heard movement from a distant door. Without time to think, he quickly slipped into the alchemy lab, gently closing the door behind him, leaving a small gap for observation.

The distant door opened, and Wang Qianian had finished his practice, not realizing that someone had entered the castle.

As soon as Wang Qianian came out, he felt something was off, as if someone was watching him. He found it strange but did not pay much attention, thinking it was just his recent focus on practice. However, he did not realize that this was a warning sign.

Wang Qianian paused, his eyes naturally scanning the area, but he saw nothing unusual. He shook his head, subconsciously tightening his grip on his staff, while Dana dared not breathe, especially when Wang Qianian glanced toward the alchemy lab where he was hiding.

Wang Qianian turned, and Dana secretly rejoiced. Just as he was about to relax, a sudden thought struck him, making him doubt: "Could Nicholas Andrews have noticed something and is pretending nothing happened? What is his plan?"

He slowly closed the door, and the room was pitch black. He wanted to see what was inside but hesitated, touching the flint on his chest and then letting it go. The room had a strange smell, a mix of various gases and the pungent odor of potions.

The corridor had lights, magical lamps in glass globes, as Wang Qianian, though a lich, preferred light.

Wang Qianian entered his bedroom, closed the door, and, though he did not need to sleep, he had a habit of lying in bed for a few hours each day.

Lying in bed, he carefully recalled the day's events, a good habit he had developed in his previous life. Lying in a hospital bed, he had nothing to do but imagine, and over time, he began to recall the details of his life, forming this habit.

Dana stayed in the dark for over an hour, with no sound from outside. He had long adapted to the smell in the alchemy lab. Seeing no movement outside, he quietly opened the door and slipped out.

He explored the castle, avoiding areas guarded by gargoyles and ghouls. The sky was almost light, and he quietly approached the castle's main door, made of thick oak. Behind the door was a large wooden bar, and even with a battering ram, it would be hard to break through.

He thought for a moment, then slowly cut the bar with his dagger, leaving a thin layer of wood. After doing this, he still felt uneasy and went to a lit area, where he took out a charcoal pencil and drew a detailed map of the castle's interior, noting his observations.

He folded the paper and took out a small bird, a level one magic creature called a Blue-eyed Bird, and tied the paper to its leg. He went to the tower, where the sky was just beginning to lighten. He released the bird, which flew away like an arrow. The gargoyle's eyes opened, saw the bird, and then closed again.

Gargoyles, ghouls, and skeletons were all summoned by magic and had no intelligence, only instincts. As long as you did not enter their attack range, they would ignore you.

Dana had completed his preparations and smiled, knowing the lich would never suspect an enemy was hiding in his castle. If he had good luck, when the Wolf Fang Mercenary Group attacked in the afternoon, he could strike from behind, and the lich's fate would be sealed.

He descended the tower and decided to hide in the servants' quarters, a place the lich would not think to check. He carefully made his way to the servants' room.

The corridor turned, and just as he was about to reach the servants' room, he suddenly stopped. In front of him stood a person in black, wearing a cloak, completely enveloped in black, holding a staff.

Dana broke into a sweat, his right hand gripping his dagger, and he asked hoarsely, "Are you the lich Nicholas Andrews? How did you find me?"

Wang Qianian did not answer. He had discovered Dana thanks to his habit of lying in bed and recalling his actions in detail, a habit he had not lost despite his recent transformation.

Wang Qianian had finished his practice late at night and felt someone was watching him, but he did not pay much attention. When he lay in bed, he recalled the day's events and felt a sense of doubt. Could someone really have entered the castle? The doors and windows were untouched, and the defenses were tight. The castle was high, and logically, no one could enter.

But thinking about the world not being his familiar Earth, he was startled. He connected with the gargoyles, which, though summoned by magic, were not summoned by his body. They had existed for a long time, and Wang Qianian had only activated them, replenishing their magic daily to keep them active.

Gargoyles had some instincts and short-term memory, but they could remember for a day or two, and some higher-level ones could remember for up to ten days. These memories appeared as images that Wang Qianian could perceive, and when necessary, he could see the world through their eyes.

The images flipped quickly, mostly showing the night, but soon a shadow appeared in the tower. The gargoyle flew up to check, but found nothing unusual.

The intruder had managed to avoid the gargoyle, as the gargoyle had no real awareness and did not think much. However, Wang Qianian knew someone had infiltrated the castle.

He reviewed the memories of other gargoyles and finally found a clue. Despite Dana's caution, he had left a faint trace. Wang Qianian was secretly relieved that his habit had led to such a significant discovery.

Seeing the Blue-eyed Bird fly away, Wang Qianian confirmed that the intruder was still in the castle, but the message had been sent out.

Wang Qianian sat up as the sky lightened. He silently chanted a spell, and a faint, eye-like object appeared above his head, quickly becoming invisible. This was the Eye of the Undead, which he used to survey all the rooms.

As the Eye of the Undead silently flew, the conditions of various parts of the castle appeared in his mind. The Eye of the Undead was not undetectable; it carried the aura of the undead, though faint, it could still be traced.

Dana, however, had no way to detect it. He cautiously moved through the castle, not using his shadow form this time, as he was familiar with the layout. He just needed to hide in the servants' room and wait.

Wang Qianian put on his cloak, which he usually wore only in front of others to hide his emaciated appearance.

Wang Qianian appeared before Dana, who was shocked to realize he had been discovered. He asked a question, but Wang Qianian did not answer. He observed Dana, a young man in his twenties with grayish-yellow hair, not tall, but with eyes that darted around. Wang Qianian coughed lightly, about to speak.

Dana seized the opportunity. As soon as Wang Qianian coughed, his body turned into a blurry shadow, and his dagger, like a venomous snake, aimed directly at Wang Qianian's neck.

Wang Qianian was startled and instinctively drew his sword, a movement he had practiced countless times, deeply ingrained in his instincts. The sword was already thrust out before he could think.

Dana's shadow suddenly stopped, and he looked at Wang Qianian in disbelief. The sword had pierced his throat, while his dagger was still two feet away.

He fell helplessly, never expecting to be killed by a lich with a sword rather than by its necromantic magic.

In the forest, a Blue-eyed Bird flew like an arrow toward a camp.