Chapter 173: The End

Time seemed to slow.

Henry was aware of the blades stabbing into him. He was aware of his Hit Points dropping fast and he was very aware of the ground coming fast. But all this was by the way.

His focus was especially on the object in his hand.

For something wrapped in the sickly deathly mana of the Lich, and was the source of such a deplorable creature's immortality, the Phylactery pulsed with a strange innocence.

For an agonizing second, Henry was struck with a strange sense of compassion. As though he were questioning the morality of destroying something so… gentle?

And then he felt a force pulling at it. He could tell immediately who the force was coming from; The Lich was trying to pull the Phylactery from his grip. The realization shook Henry out of the misguided thoughts of compassion and he clenched his fist, crushing and destroying the Phylactery.

The Lich screeched in a tone of pain that caused everyone in the chamber to shudder but then it froze with its jaw unhinged and then began to turn to dust. Without its Phylactery to keep it living, not even its skeletal frame could remain whole.

The glowing eyes of the Mummies dulled and they all fell to the ground as one. Some even hit the ground so hard that their bones disjointed within their bandages.

Henry heard the Lich's screeches but he was unable to focus on it because once he had destroyed the Phylactery, time seemed to have resumed and he was now even more aware of the ground. He was going to slam into the ground hard and he only hoped he still had enough Hit Points to handle the impact.

But then, the fall suddenly became unimportant as Henry's mind was pulled from his body. Having experienced this many times already since he had entered the Dungeon, he knew what was coming.

He was about to experience the Lich's Undead Woe.

The person Henry was possessing knelt on the ground in the middle of an etched Arcane Circle. Henry didn't understand the Arcane symbols but knowing whose memories he was looking through, he knew what was about to happen.

The circle soon began to glow and the scent was horrific. Like it was the amalgamation of thousands of decays and it only took a while before Henry realized that this might not have been too off-based.

Sacrifices were made for the Lich to achieve its morbid immortality but Henry could feel that it made those sacrifices with joy. It would sacrifice millions if necessary as long it was able to extend its existence and forever improve itself.

The process began and it was as though the man's heart were pulled from his chest. Only the pain was a thousand times worse. Henry would have yelled but he didn't have a voice here and the man accepted the pain with delight.

A masochist through and through.

When it was over, the violet pulsing link to what once made it human floated in front of the Lich and it treated it with care. Not because it cared for the attachment to its vulnerable past but because this was the key to its invulnerable future.

Henry could see into its thoughts. The horrible experiments it had planned;

The constructs it could create with the bones and remains of its victims.

The service of dutiful knights to whom it would grant Immortality so they could eternally serve it.

The ones whose individuality and sense of self it would rip away just so they would be gatekeepers to evaluate those who could venture deeper into its abode. Only the very best should make it through because only they would make the best ingredients.

Yes, the Lich had goals and its 'eyes' sparkled in excitement at accomplishing those goals.

And then the Woe was over and Henry was back in his body. Sёarᴄh the NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

He found that he was lying on Nyx's back. The horse must have galloped over to break his fall. Henry smiled lightly at the fact that even though her back was certainly softer than the cold hard floor of the Chamber, he would still have lost Hit Points. Of course, seeing as he was still breathing, it must have been a manageable loss.

[Kill-Reward: 2000 Exp]

[Undead Woes: 2500 Exp]

[Quest Completed!]

[You have received 10,000 Exp]

*[Nyx has received 5000 Exp]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[You are now Level 26]

[Hit Point Maximum increased to 260]

[Hit Points: 22/260]

[Mana Point Maximum increased to 370]

[You have received 12 Stat Points to Allocate]

[Nyx has Leveled Up!]

[Nyx is now Level 12]

[Nyx's Hit Point Maximum increased to 200]

[Nyx's Mana is now 210]

[Strength: 85 ———> 90]

[Speed: 160 ———> 170]

[Stamina: 80 ———> 85]

Henry was barely aware that Nyx was trotting but he was soon made aware when the voices of the others in the Chamber were getting closer.

"Henry, you did it!" Louis said, and being ecstatic seemed to be the limit of what he could manage physically. His Stamina was so depleted that his legs shook even though he was seated on the ground.

Andor, ever the silent type, simply smiled.

Not by choice, Henry's eyes fell on Aurelius who was flanked by the Squires Alice and Darren who both looked worn out but were delighted they had come along.

Aurelius' lips were pursed as he and Henry exchanged a look and then he gave a sharp nod before turning his face away. That was clearly the only bit of acknowledgment he was going to afford Henry.

Henry rolled his eyes and looked away. He was searching for someone.

He slid off Nyx's back as though that'd help the search. He hadn't paid all that much attention to the ground below while he was working on the Contraption but he knew Eloise had been working to keep the Lich busy and give him time to complete the task.

Not seeing her had him fearing for the worse.

"Well done."

When he heard her voice coming from behind him, Henry allowed himself a sigh of relief but when he turned around to face her, his eyes bugged.

Eloise had a hand over a hole in her abdomen. How it wasn't bleeding even more than it already was, was a mystery.

Eloise smiled lightly at his reaction,

"It looks worse than it is," she said easily.

"How can you say that?" Henry asked, his eyes still bugged.

"It'll heal," Eloise said in a nonchalant voice, and as skeptical as Henry was, he noticed the sides of the hole squirming as though trying to pull together to mend it.

"That'll be uncomfortable for anyone to look at," Eloise said quietly with her voice as nonchalant as ever.

She pulled bandages from out of nowhere and wrapped them around her wound. Henry was sure he could still see the squirming so he looked away.

He looked at the others within the Chamber. Norbert's group looked exhausted but even as they leaned against the wall, the columns, or the now-unlocked Chamber door, their eyes darted all over the Chamber.

Now that Henry was not so focused on the Lich and could afford to glance around, he saw there was a good selection of loot within the Chamber. They'd sure to sell well outside whether for their uses or just to satisfy vain desires.

Everyone in Norbert's group seemed to be biding their time to start scampering away with Loot and occasionally, Henry saw their eyes dart to him like they knew he should have first pick for eliminating the Lich but wondered if he was capable enough to defend that right. They were sizing him up.

That caused Henry's lips to curl in the corner into a smirk but he put it out of his mind for the moment and directed his attention at the allocation of his Stat Points.

He knew exactly where he wanted to put it all.

'Put all my Stat Points into Perception.'

[Are you sure?]

'I am.'

[Perception: 31 ———> 43]

[Perception has surpassed 40]

[Conditions have been fulfilled]

[Skill Level Up!]

[Insight is now Lv.3]

[You have acquired <Insight> active effect; Weakness Assessment.]

Henry smiled lightly because he had somewhat expected this.

'So it levels up every 20 Stat points then,' he thought with a hand now stroking his jaw before he unrolled the description page for <Weakness Assessment>;

[<Insight Lv.3>

•Weakness Assessment (Active): With the combination of your magical energy and your Perception, you can scan a target and pinpoint parts of their bodies that will result in the most damage. I.e Their Weaknesses.

Costs: 20 Mana Points.]

Henry frowned lightly and just to test it out, he activated the skill and turned it on Aurelius who was still facing away from him.

[Activating <Insight Lv.3> Weakness Assessment…] Explore more at m,v l'e-NovelFire

In a second, parts of Aurelius' body became highlighted. The brightest highlights were at the center of his forehead and over his heart.

"20 Mana Points to find out what I already know?" Henry mumbled seeing the new skill as either useless or a ripoff.

And then he remembered enemies they had battled in the Dungeon. Most especially, the Monstrosity. He realized how useful this Skill would have been in that fight and saved them from doing things as useless as cutting off its foot or slicing at its neck.

"Okay," he agreed to himself with a chuckle, "Maybe not too useless."