Chapter 64

EP.64 Ancient Lich, Skiebal (4)

He has lived for hundreds of years.

It was a life of discarding many things.

The human body was too frail to seek the truth. So he discarded it. After discarding the flesh, all that remained was bones made of magic.

He was satisfied.

He tried discarding a few more unnecessary things. The more he discarded, the closer the truth seemed to be within reach. The more he distanced himself from humanity, the closer he got to the stars.

However, he could never reach it.

Even after discarding many things, the truth remained distant.

At that point, he looked around.

He saw obstacles blocking his path.

This time, he decided to clear them away.

He used the magic he had accumulated over hundreds of years to seek the truth, this time to destroy something.

The kingdom fell.

In a single night, the kingdom turned to ashes, and he burst into laughter. Destroying the kingdom where he was born and raised was so easy.

It was easy.

It couldn't be any simpler.

A mage who hadn't even lived a hundred years was no match. His opponents were always warriors. The superhumans known as sword masters were threatening.

They were threatening,

but not to the point where he couldn't handle them.

After facing them a few times, he got the hang of it. He understood how to deal with warriors. At that point, he thought,

'No one can stop me.'

It was true.

The ancient dragon mage is bound by a contract not to interfere with those related to shadows. If there were any worthy opponents, they would be the Black Dragon, the Apostate, and the Sword of Death, but...

They already belonged to the same domain of shadows.

The remaining task was simple.

He just needed to clear away everything blocking his path to the truth.

Surely, that's all it would take.

-Crunch!

His skull shook.

Skebal's eyes flickered.

'Why.'

Why did it keep appearing?

Whenever he seemed close to the truth, whenever the stars seemed within reach, it always appeared.

As if to maintain balance,

something blocking the path to equilibrium appeared.

-Your path is wrong, Skebal.

-What are you talking about?

-The attitude of seeking the truth is noble. However, there are taboos for a mage. Do not violate them, Skebal.

A voice echoed in his ears.

The gray-haired mage with yellow, beast-like eyes looking down at him came to mind.

-I warn you, Skebal.

-If you cross that line.

The gray elf spoke.

-Everything you have will turn to ashes.

Skebal's dark eyes focused straight ahead.

At the end of his gaze was a mage. Skebal saw the mana rising from the mage's body.

Gray.

The mage approached, trailing ash.

'Gray.'

The detestable gray blocked his path once again.

2.

The ancient lich Skebal.

This legendary ancient mage knows how to deal with warriors. The famous warriors he buried on the battlefield could easily form mountains and seas.

'Dealing with warriors is not difficult.'

They are dangerous when they get close, but Skebal never allowed warriors to approach him in the first place.

He uprooted the ground.

He lined up spells to create traps.

No matter how skilled a warrior might be, they couldn't break through the dozens of spells Skebal had set up with their bare hands.

'After all, a warrior's resistance is not high.'

Resistance to spells cannot be increased by merely training the body. Unless they had a 'special' body like a hero, the resistance of warriors in front of Skebal was as thin as paper.

'They can cut and counter external spells...'

But what about spells that seize the inside?

Unlike himself, who had abandoned his physical body, a human body is limited by various factors.

You can't live without a heart.

You can't see if you gouge out your eyes.

Skebal also knew how to deal with warriors. Except for the Sword of Death, Ganikart, no warrior could defeat Skebal one-on-one.

'...Certainly, that's the case.'

Skebal waved his hand.

The spell was instantly completed.

Bone-Grave.

Crack! Bone fragments shot up from the ground.

The bone spears blocked the path.

Rebuild.

The ground sank. Trees were uprooted. The surface itself was restructured to prevent access.

Swamp.

The restructured ground turned into a swamp. Proper leaps were impossible. With these measures, a warrior couldn't approach him anymore.

If the opponent were a pure warrior, that is.

However, the opponent was not a warrior.

It was a mage like himself.

"..."

Thud, the gray stepped on the ground. As soon as her foot touched the swampy ground, the spells she had prepared were released one by one.

Rebuild.

The ground returned to its original state. The swamp had started to harden from the moment she stepped on it.

What about the bone spears?

The gray's punch shattered them with a loud noise. They couldn't hold for even a second.

He allowed her to approach once more.

As the gray approached, Skebal extended his hand, casting a spell that had buried many warriors.

Grasp.

The spell made of mana tried to seize the heart.

The gray, who had seen through the spell, extended her hand and twisted Skebal's grasp.

The spell was disrupted.

His bones screamed.

He started to cast the spell again from the beginning.

Even as he did, the protective barrier around him creaked under the continuous attacks. Cracks began to appear.

'...The methods for dealing with warriors don't work.'

Because the opponent was a mage like himself.

...What about the methods for dealing with mages?

Asking Skebal this would be absurd. Of course, he knew. He knew better than anyone.

He seized the circuits.

He countered the spells with opposing spells.

He put his knowledge into practice.

Skebal's dark eyes flickered. He read the circuits of the spells the gray was casting.

He seized the flow of mana.

He tried to steal it.

Whoosh.

However, his grasp was empty.

He hadn't caught anything.

Crack!

Once again, the shock resonated through Skebal's skull.

'He can't steal it.'

The spell manifested before he could steal it. There was no room for interference in the process. The manifestation of her spells was extremely unique.

She didn't draw circuits.

She didn't infuse mana into circuits.

She just pulled out the completed spell.

Like a swordsman drawing a sword from their waist, or a martial artist swinging their fist, she activated the spell as if it were a part of her body.

...Then, how about countering with opposing spells?

Skebal looked ahead.

A punch swung at him. The spell contained in the punch, distorting the surroundings, was simple.

Smash.

Smite.

Because it was basic and simple.

Crunch!

There was no spell that could properly counter it.

His body floated in the air from the shock. Another shock slammed him into the ground. A hand appeared in his field of vision.

Crack!

His skull was grabbed. The gray pressed Skebal's skull into the ground and started running. Dirt flew up. Skebal extended his arm.

Smite.

Before he could, the spell struck.

His shattered arm floated in the air. The gray continued to run, casting spells in quick succession.

Smite, Smite, Smite.

The shocks continued to shake his body. His vision also wavered. His arm creaked, and several ribs broke, rolling on the ground.

'It doesn't end.'

He couldn't grasp the flow.

Skebal protected the life vessel inside his skull as much as possible. As long as this remained, his bones could regenerate.

Crack.

However, he guessed that even this wouldn't last long.

Smash.

Boom!

With a loud noise, Skebal's body was slammed into the ground and then shot up. The gray caught him again and slammed him into the ground.

Crack, Crack, Crack!

Cracks continued to appear in the barrier protecting his skull.

While the barrier held, Skebal cast a spell. However, the opponent was also a mage like himself.

She countered with opposing spells.

She intercepted and shot down his spells.

She simply dodged the slower ones by turning her head and twisting her body.

Even as she did, her hand continued to grip Skebal's skull. Her fingers wormed their way through the cracks in the barrier.

Creak, Creak, Creak.

The barrier was about to tear.

"Hah."

Skebal burst into laughter.

'None.'

He couldn't think of a way to counter her.

He knew how to deal with warriors.

He knew how to deal with mages.

However.

He couldn't find a way to deal with this battle mage, a combination of both.

What should he do then?

Skebal assessed the situation.

'Anyway, I can't survive here.'

He was certain of that.

'Even if I die, it doesn't matter.'

Losing the life vessel would be a significant loss. However, if he was going to lose it anyway, he should use it as efficiently as possible.

"Balance."

Skebal was also a mage.

Mages always pursue efficiency. Cracks appeared in Skebal's bone joints. Black sludge dripped down.

"..."

The gray let go of his hand at the sight of the sludge.

She kicked his body with her foot.

Floating in the air, Skebal continued speaking.

"I'll make a deal."

-The price.

"My lifespan."

-Tell me what you want, mage.

Skebal's eyes flickered.

"A wave."

"I'll manifest a wave with the mana saturated in this place. I want a wave that will engulf this forest."

-The price is measured.

Skebal's lifespan was placed on the balance.

He gauged the amount. Ninety percent of his lifespan was placed on the balance.

"I'll make a deal."

Mages are beings who make deals with the stars.

They can place anything on the balance as needed.

Even their own lifespan.

3.

"Phew..."

I paused for a moment.

Because I saw something spreading from Skebal's body. For a moment, I saw starlight.

'...Balance.'

Mana condensed around Skebal's body. It didn't take long to realize where the massive amount of mana was coming from.

'A mana spring.'

The mana saturated in this area.

I couldn't handle this mana. Not just me, but even Skebal wouldn't know how to.

However, just because I didn't know how to handle it didn't mean there was no way.

'A deal using the balance.'

I didn't know how much the price would be. I tried to gauge it in my mind.

'If I use my lifespan... about a year.'

If I used a year, I could do more than Skebal. However, I knew the side effects of placing my lifespan on the balance.

'I don't want to do that again.'

That experience was enough for me.

"..."

I looked ahead in silence.

A black barrier was condensing around Skebal. It took the shape of a black hemisphere.

If it exploded,

'...Aphria would be obliterated, at least.'

Even considering the kingdom's defensive barriers, Aphria, which was close by, would definitely be destroyed.

I had to stop it.

I narrowed my eyes and looked at the black sphere that had swallowed Skebal.

I read the flow of mana.

I calculated its intensity and the direction of the spell.

Deals with the stars are possible for anything. However, the byproducts of the deals are not always perfect.

"Of course."

Sure enough, there was a gap.

I saw the gap in the spell.

I walked toward Skebal. With each step, gray mana scattered.

Snap.

I extended my hand and placed my palm on the barrier. My palm, touching the barrier, burned with a sizzling sound. I pushed it in a bit more.

"Anyway, it's really unfair."

Battles with the Demon King's army are always like this.

Fighting these guys, who always hide something, is incredibly tiring.

"Who the hell, after dedicating their lifespan,