Bro, I'm not an Undead!-Chapter 1662: The Anti-Lich Squad (1)

Right after Fulgardt, Skullius, and the rest were dragged into the Bosom...

"This is probably the last time I will be summoned for now," Somanda said, his face (Camilla’s face) melting. "Skullius will probably leave Aigas after all this is done. That’s if he survives Fulgardt, I suppose."

The High Lich was content spending his last moments watching the tension rise between his lower-ranked peers – the Arch-Liches – and Skullius’ subordinates. Something about the scene made him laugh. Maybe it was because it made him remember how desperate he’d been when he was an Arch-Lich before a sudden miracle allowed him to rise to his current rank faster than he could have imagined. Apparently, that too had to do with Skullius’ terrible luck.

He gazed at Skullius’ subordinates and Apostles. "At least I managed to glimpse the kind of forces he’s gathering in order to storm Deadmanland. Haha."

The High Lich was looking forward to it – he was looking forward to everything.

He’d seen everything about Skullius, or at the very least skimmed through the Null Lifeform’s abilities. He understood the broad strokes of Skullius’ current strength, including even certain details about the War Body. It still astonished him that that little skeleton of his had managed to create all that power.

It wouldn’t surprise him if Skullius grew even further before launching his assault, after all, he (Somanda) had also gathered from when he inhabited Skullius earlier, that Doom Factor 2 wasn’t as debilitating as it should be because of VOW’s intervention.

"I should credit myself," Somanda said as his consciousness began to flee from SoSei. "If my side project is just as special as Skullius, I will have twice the boons."

His cold laughter was the last thing to linger after his presence vanished from the artefact, leaving it with the pleasant likeness of a stationary, soulless girl.

*

Kenno struggled to his feet, taking deep breaths. His eyes had a fierce glow that singed the skin around them and his temples. It quickly died, however, leaving him with a look of agony. Coughing vehemently, he studied his surroundings, soon becoming aware of Savast and Baddan.

"You...you..." he stuttered.

"Yeah? You’ll live, right?" said Savast with a brow raised.

Kenno didn’t reply immediately. His eyes were immediately drawn to the enemies. He’d sensed them all while bearing the role of Deific Usurper’s anchor. Arch-Liches, Doom Knights, and Death Knights. He could hardly believe Savast and Baddan were turning their backs on these Undead fiends.

He’d fought a Doom Knight before. In fact, he was the first to combat it with Araeyn’s help before delivering it to his master earlier, dying multiple times. But now, he not only had to fight multiple Doom Knights, but also the creatures responsible for creating them.

"Getting cold feet?" said Savast with a grin.

"Dead feet, more like," said Kenno, rubbing his half-burnt nose. "Do you guys have any idea the caliber of enemies we’re up against?"

"Does it matter?" It was Baddan who said it. There were two disks over his head, and abundant energies were raging inside him, ready to be mobilized in all sorts of ways – offensively, for the most part. "Master gave us a direct objective. That’s all that matters."

"A direct objective?" Kenno frowned.

"Take care of Kenno and work with my Apostles to get rid of the Liches," Savast repeated the message Skullius had left behind.

Kenno gritted his teeth and facepalmed. "Of course..."

"Hold still," commanded Savast suddenly, and he placed his finger on Kenno’s forehead.

"What are you—"

Before Kenno could finish the sentence, he felt a cold string of energy penetrate his skull and filter into his brain. In a second, it searched for memories tied to Undeath and absorbed them all, noting all that Kenno knew about the enemies.

"I see."

"Hey!" Kenno backed away, scowling. He twisted his torso the wrong way, making one of his many grievous injuries stretch. He grunted in pain and hunched over. "Warn me next time, bastard!"

But Savast wasn’t listening. He was looking up.

Soizar.

Souran.

The names cropped up in his head, and he identified which of the Arch-Liches owned each name. As it appeared, the Liches were also assessing the situation following the disappearances of Quintess, Fulgardt, Listafelle, Boron, and Skullius. It went without saying, though, that they were not impressed with the new lineup of enemies; save for the Apostles that were left behind, none of the combatants had anything special at all. Mobilizing their Knights as they had been before seemed like a waste now.

Savast noted how they felt. He was sensitive to any and all residuals from the thoughts of all sentient creatures.

He was a Mind Caster – the Batty Mind Caster – the absolute pinnacle of the field.

’Well, this is going to be far more interesting than our previous assignment,’ he thought, grinning. ’We were right, after all. Everyone had already moved on from their previous objectives. Luckily for us, gathering all those powerful Cluster beasts wasn’t for naught.’

Finally, he turned back to Kenno, who was looking more thoughtful than irritated.

"While extracting what I needed from you, I also deposited a little information about our...allies in your mind," said Savast.

At the mention of allies, Kenno turned to the whole host of them a short distance away.

The massive Cluster General and the smaller beasts around it didn’t surprise him, but the presence of Em-Sul, the Mad Bishop, Eaniss... and dozens of Mages did, even though Savast had shown him how they all came to meet up. All of them were appraising the enemies with varying layers of graveness.

Eaniss must have sensed Kenno’s gaze. She warped over to him, a gracious smile on her face.

"It’s been a while, Kenno," she said. "Seen better days, I imagine?"

Kenno sighed. "Are you sure you’re up for this fight?"

"Your friend seems to think I qualify," said Eaniss, gesturing towards Savast.

When Kenno turned to the Mind Caster, he chortled.

"I wouldn’t have allowed her to come if she was weak," he said. "The same applies to you."

Eaniss’ brows rose. "Oh?"

But Kenno wasn’t surprised, and Savast was glad he could tell.

"You’ve always been a favorite of master’s," he said. "There’s no doubt in my mind that whatever ordeal he put you through was bound to change you for the better."

And Kenno had indeed changed. He could feel it. A plethora of sensations had run through him while Deific Usurper was active. He’d been drenched in not only Skullius’ Amras, but each and every one of the attacks the Imperial Territory had projected against the Liches and the Deities.

"That change is going to be imperative for what’s to come." A new voice came.

It belonged to a certain Herald and his faceless underling. Kenno frowned, wondering why Savast hadn’t given him information about them. He hadn’t even sensed them until now.

"I hope you’ll allow yourself to seamlessly fit into my plan," said Aingor, much to Eaniss’ displeasure.

Even with all the Herald had explained before, she wasn’t ready to let him off the hook for millennia of deception.