EP.62 Ancient Lich, Skebal (2)
Strange events are always sudden.
It’s an instant for your daily routine to be disrupted.
Aplia Academy.
The cradle of learning located in the royal capital is experiencing untimely chaos. It begins with the death of a student.
During the test, one student collapsed and vomited blood. And then, he disappeared without a trace. Given the circumstances, it is clear that some kind of spell was involved in the process.
-I don’t know.
-The method is different. The system is different.
However, it is unknown what the order is.
-···I can’t track it.
Even though Aplia Academy is home to top-notch magicians, none of the magicians can come up with an answer to the student’s disappearance.
Time passes.
Without knowing anything, time passes by.
– Dean Aaron!
-Dean!
The disappearance of just one student is already confusing, but the incident does not stop there.
-···Department, five students…!
-This way too! Students have seizures during class…!
Several more students collapsed.
They didn’t go missing. Instead, he had a seizure.
-···This.
After checking the student’s status, several professors provide an answer. The professors’ voices trembled slightly as they gave the answer.
-It’s a symptom of demonic energy poisoning.
I can’t believe it even after saying it.
Academic staff raise questions.
-What on earth is this…!
Symptoms of demon energy poisoning in the middle of the royal capital?
It is difficult to understand this phenomenon. Things you never imagined would happen one after another.
-uh?
and.
-Hey, look over there!
The forest near Aplia, Harmain Forest, began to be covered by a black curtain, and the chaos reached its peak.
-Um, what kind of barrier is that?
-Barrier! Isn’t there a professor of barrier analysis? Professor Rempel, what on earth is that?
Just looking at the blackened barrier causes fear. Students take a step back. The professors also did not hastily think about approaching him.
However, not reaching out does not solve the problem.
Squeak, squeak.
The barrier increases its size.
Expand the scope. It begins to surge towards Aplia like a wave. That speed is unusual.
“···Ah, ahaha.”
Looking at the approaching black waves, one of the professors burst out laughing. That laugh is like that of a person who has lost his mind.
“Everyone, everyone, run away.”
Rempel, professor in charge of barrier analysis.
He looked at the barrier and burst into laughter.
‘Why, is it in a place like this?’
The moment Rempel saw the barrier, he realized immediately.
What kind of barrier is that?
What does it mean that it appeared here?
I didn’t know, I couldn’t not know.
“Come on, run away.”
Professor Rempel looks back.
He looked at the professors with shaking eyes.
“That is.”
Anyone who has been steeped in the field of barriers cannot fail to know that barrier. Because that barrier was synonymous with a difficult problem.
“That is the barrier of the ancient lich Skebal.”
Skebal.
The professors’ complexions turn pale at the sound of that name. There is no wizard who does not know the weight of that name.
The Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King’s Army.
One of the four disasters that burned the kingdom in the past.
‘Why is such a being in Aplia?’
There is no one who can answer that question.
Confusion grows. In the midst of the confusion, Professor Rempel opened his mouth and spoke.
“Move, you have to get a little further away. “We have to move with the students…”
Even though he says so, I don’t think Professor Lempel will be able to escape either.
Squeak, squeak.
The speed at which the barrier approaches is much faster. No matter how much I run, I don’t think I can escape that barrier.
“hurry···.”
Rempel’s voice gradually becomes quieter.
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The voice that said, “Run away,” was drowned out in the commotion and could not be heard.
Rempel looked at the barrier in vain.
Black waves hit Aplia.
and.
“···ah?”
Because Rempel was watching the barrier until the end, he was able to notice the sudden change.
Aplia’s rooftop.
A light flashed there.
Flash!
A flash is only a moment.
Then the roof begins to crack with a crackling sound. Above it, something blooms.
‘···Mana?’
Mana surges on the rooftop.
Its quality is different from the crashing black waves. The structure itself is different. Brilliantly shining mana rushes in.
A rush of mana obscures my vision.
Covered by the rising light, the figure standing on the rooftop is not visible.
There is only one thing visible.
The color of the blooming mana is gray.
Smash.
Soon, gray and black waves collide.
Kwaaaaaaaaaa!
With a roar like thunder, a shock shakes Aplia. The street trees sway in the rushing wind. The ground shakes.
“Uh, oh oh!”
“What are you talking about?”
Professors who were running stumble.
Some fall. They fall to the ground and look at where the shock began.
Sigh, blah blah blah!
The place where the gaze stopped was Aplia’s research building.
The rooftop of the research building where the barrier will be reached first.
“·····.”
Some people stop, others sit down on the floor and look at the place blankly.
The barrier approaching Aplia has stopped.
The black waves are stuffed there as if they were about to hit the research building, as if time had stopped.
Tick, tidik.
Eventually, the barrier cracks.
Sigh, blah blah blah!
The barrier collapses helplessly.
There is a huge hole in the center.
widely.
Someone jumped into it.
Because of the robe covered up, neither his body nor his face can be seen. However, the pattern engraved on the robe can be seen at a glance even from a distance.
It was originally a symbol symbolizing the Gray Magic Tower.
Now it is a pattern that symbolizes only one person.
There is someone who recognizes that pattern.
“···Raniel.”
Someone calls that name.
“Ashen wizard, Raniel.”
2.
Damn it!
“Tsk…!”
As soon as he left the other world and returned to reality, Lesti stumbled. She managed to stand still by holding on to a nearby tree.
It may have been because of excessive use of mana, but there was a bigger problem than that.
‘I can’t breathe…!’
I was out of breath.
It was difficult to breathe.
‘This place…’
Resty looked around with trembling eyes. It was in the middle of the forest. Where is this forest? Why is it so difficult to even breathe?
Suddenly, a tree caught her eye.
The bark of the tree is unique.
The shell is smooth without cracks.
The moment he sees it, Resty realizes where this is. And, even why breathing is difficult.
‘···Harmain Forest!’
A place where saturated mana hovers.
Resty coughed dryly and sat down. He leaned his back against the tree and with difficulty lifted his head.
The ancient lich, Skeval, has already left.
Bone fragments are taking the place where he left.
“···Whoop!”
A foul odor comes from the bone fragments stuck on the floor.
Resty was disgusted by the instinctive repulsion he felt.
It was already difficult to breathe, but the demonic energy leaking from the bone fragments made breathing even more difficult.
“···Ugh.”
Little by little, I become dizzy.
Because of the saturated mana, the surrounding scenery looks distorted. My senses are numb, and my eyes are bloodshot.
Trudging.
Eventually, I even start to have auditory hallucinations.
Plop, plod.
The sound of footsteps lingers in my ears.
Even though there may not be anyone in a place like this, the sound of footsteps is coming closer.
widely.
The steps stop.
Resty looked at where the sound stopped. I see something through my blurry vision.
Everything looks distorted and distorted.
The characters in the field of view are clear.
Gray hair flutters.
I see squinted blue eyes.
“·····.”
She silently took off the robe she was wearing. She draped a robe that resembled her cloak over Resty’s shoulders.
“···ah.”
Immediately after, Resty’s breathing cleared.
It was still difficult to hold my body up and my senses were distorted, but at least I could breathe. Resty spoke the name of the person standing in front of him.
“···Professor Rania?”
Rania van Trias.
She bends her knees and makes eye contact with Resty. Meeting his gaze, she slowly raises her arms.
Tuk.
Then, he placed his hand on Resty’s head.
The mana that spread from her hand drove out the remaining magical energy in Resty’s body.
“great job.”
A short word.
With that one word, Lesti felt as if her tension was relieved.
Tuk-tuk.
Rania stood up, shaking her knees, and looked at Resty for a moment before taking a step.
And then he asked a question.
“Did you see where it went?”
In response to that question, Resty slowly raised his hand and pointed in a certain direction. This is the direction that Skebal passed by.
I don’t know why.
The opponent is the ancient lich Skebal.
No matter how outstanding this professor is, Skebal is on a different level. It is a being called the wizard’s nightmare.
‘Ashen wizard Raniel.’
He would have to be at the level of that legendary wizard to be one of the biggest names he could face.
‘I’m sure it would be like that…’
Why? He was pointing in the direction Skebal was heading without any doubt about himself.
“thank you.”
A faint smile.
And then she takes another step.
“·····.”
Resty looked at the back in silence.
Even in the forest where everything was shaking, she was as clear as ever.
3.
Skeval, an ancient lich, reflects on his life.
A life that lasts hundreds of years is long.
Most memories have faded, but there are certainly memories that do not fade over time.
That’s the case with magic.
Skebal has been engaged in magic for hundreds of years.
The average person devoted an unimaginable amount of time to searching for the truth.
A man called a rare genius devoted his entire life to magic. As if that wasn’t enough, he studied magic even while transcending life and becoming undead.
To reach the stars.
To covet the truth.
Hundreds of years were spent just for him.
All kinds of emotions have weathered over those hundreds of years. I don’t feel joy, sadness, or any other emotion.
All that is contained there are the simplest emotions.
“Ashen.”
anger.
“Abominable gray.”
Skebal’s bones creak.
The contract was destroyed. All five pieces prepared for the altar were smashed.
The whole plan went wrong.
Everything is ruined.
At the center is the same wizard as always.
“Again, again, again!”
Skebal’s eyes shake with anger.
It’s always like that.
This is a story from 5 years ago, or even more. It begins with the kidnapping of Stella, a star child born into the royal family.
Seven years ago, Skebal contacted the royal wizard.
Even that contact wasn’t easy. By breaking through all kinds of protective barriers and even sacrificing his Life Vessel, Skebal corrupted him. He made a renegade.
The plan was successful.
The fallen royal wizard was powerful. It wasn’t difficult for him to kidnap the star child.
If only there was one variable.
The plan would have succeeded if it hadn’t been for a wizard who was staying there at that time.
It was from then on.
From then until today, Skebal’s plan has been thwarted by just one wizard.
No matter how perfect your plan is.
No matter how much mana you sacrifice or even how much life vessel you spend to create a spell.
The wizard always ruins his plans. When plans go wrong, the wizard is always there.
“always.”
Skebal stops walking.
“You are always at the end.”
He raises his arms.
The tip of the finger, made of bony joints, points to the wizard standing in front of Skebal.
The wizard’s hair is gray.
Skebal feels anger at the abominable gray color.
The wizard’s eyes were blue.
Skebal harbors hatred in his blue eyes that do not waver in any situation.
“hey.”
The wizard laughs.
“It’s been a while, you skull bastard.”
Skebal feels an irresistible urge to hear that voice. I want to tear that wizard to pieces right now.
“Ashen wizard, Raniel.”
Although its appearance has changed, Skebal recognizes its presence at a glance. There’s no way he wouldn’t recognize it.
Gray mana.
Because the disgusting gray color still remains.
Of course, Raniel is not the only one with gray mana. Rather, gray mana is the mana commonly found in those related to the gray magic tower.
however.
Like that thing in front of your eyes.
As far as Skeval remembers, the only person with gray mana that embraces starlight is the gray wizard Raniel. Because soft starlight flowed through the wizard’s mana.
Puzzle.
Even the starlight is abominable.
Skebal feels hatred towards the starlight that appears to those who have come into contact with the truth.
“You always are.”
Skebal grabs his outstretched hand.
“It always appears in front of me and ruins my plans. Do you know what, Gray? “If it weren’t for you, the royal capital would have fallen into my hands a long time ago.”
If only the gray light hadn’t interfered.
“Stella, the child of the star, would have fallen and become a saint of the altar that worships the shadow of the star.”
Skebal recites the events that would have happened one by one.
“The battlefield would have collapsed long ago. There is no way that wizards who have lived less than a hundred years would be able to destroy my barrier. “If it weren’t for you, if it weren’t for you…”
Because of that, many things have failed. There are so many.
Skebal looks at the gray light in front of him with eyes shaking with anger.
“however?”
Meeting that gaze, Gray tilts his head.
“What the f*ck is that?”
And then, as always, she shrugs leisurely.
“If I tease you, you’ll do well.”
“···what?”
“It works because I do it?”
Grumbling.
The bones I was holding creaked.
“Why, gray?”
Skebal spoke as if chewing up every word and spitting it out.
“Why don’t you fall down? “To kill you, to deal only with you, I studied countless things.”
Those thin bones point to a gray heart.
“Even my god placed a curse on you. The shadow of the stars has cursed you. “By the way, why are you alive?”
Skebal shouts, pointing to the thing in his heart.
“why!”
Beat, beat, beat.
“How is it that you can get away with that curse? Only you were safe. “Only you!”
The sound of bones grinding gets louder.
“Because one is not enough, I cast a new curse. I would have planted in you the larvae of the shade that I had grown by cultivating vital energy. “But why are you still alive?”
Skebal’s whole body is shaking.
The magic energy he wears reacts with saturated mana. Skebal shouted as sparks bounced around with a crackling sound.
“Even after taking on that curse!”
you.
“How, what on earth are you doing…”
Why, only you.
“You can stand as a human, right?”
I can do what I couldn’t do.
“why!”
Ancient lichs who have lived for hundreds of years feel inferior. To a young wizard who has only lived for half that time, let alone half a hundred years.
“·····.”
Gray, who had been quietly listening to those words, opened his mouth.
“oh···.”
She exclaimed briefly.
He then points to his body with his finger.
“Did you do this, you motherf*cker?”
Quick.
The veins on her forehead stood out.
A word from the author (author review)
Cheer up Skebal!
*These days, the average length is approaching 6,000 to 7,000 characters including spaces…!
I worked hard on it 😀
