[Lifespan Remaining: 10 days, 13 hours, 14 minutes.]
With each step, the frozen path extended closer toward Base Camp D.
One by one, the skeletal soldiers lowered their weapons and turned toward the creature approaching from across the lake. They were bowing.
The figure wore the remains of a dark ceremonial robe made from that strange darkness, draping over a body that had long since lost all flesh. It wore a jagged crown made from the same darkness, while two balls of sickly green energy replaced its eyes.
In one hand, it carried a staff constructed from several bones fused together. A cracked black gem sat at its tip, leaking enough necrotic mana to make the surrounding air feel stale.
Instructor Klein appeared beside them, drawing his sword. "Everyone, get away from the southern wall."
"What is it?" Alice hesitantly asked.
"A lich."
"And judging by that pressure..." Klein continued. "It’s at least a 5-Star monster, maybe even more. Damn it, central told me it would only be 4-Stars..."
’A 5-Star?’
Noct knew the story of this lich, which was named the Frost Lich. Or, as it was colloquially called by Ending Fantasy players—Graveyard’s Hidden King.
It was one of the first monsters that Amon de Arcadia had slain, and the one that shot The Wayfarer’s popularity as one of the strongest adventuring party, and cementing Amon himself as one of Rexford’s most formidable.
The official report had claimed the lich had been completely destroyed, but because the Hidden King’s dungeon existed for players to enter, that was never the case at all.
’Amon might’ve defeated and sealed it. But they never found its phylactery.’
Destroying a lich’s body meant nothing if the vessel containing its soul remained intact. As long as the phylactery survived, it could continue gathering necrotic mana and eventually construct another body.
The Wayfarers must have mistaken its monster core for the source of its immortality. The lich probably spent years feeding upon the nectoric mana saturating Graveyard. It hadn’t recovered its full strength just yet, but enough to return as a 5-Star monster.
By now, the camp was finally in the state that Noct had expected it to be. A few of the nobles who hadn’t been in this kind of situation before...completely lost their minds to fear.
The looming fear of death.
Some tried running while others frankly...pissed their pants, their bodies freezing up at the sight of the lich approaching.
"Everyone, stay calm and get as far away as you can!" Klein tried bringing some semblance of order back, but his words fell on deaf ears.
Seeing that there was no other option, the instructor stepped up, his sword glowing with radiant green aura.
"I guess there’s no other choice..."
Wind swirled around Klein before the man disappeared. He crossed the distance so quickly that Noct barely managed to process it.
A trail of radiant light followed him as he raised his sword, trying to find weak spots in the lich’s defense. But the monster simply raised its bone staff, forming a wall of ice between them.
CRAAAAAAAAAAACK—!
His blade cleaved through the entire wall and continued toward the lich’s skull. At the last possible moment, the creature shifted aside, causing Klein’s sword to tear through part of its robe instead.
The resulting force carved a trench through the frozen lake.
’He’s strong. Maybe he would even give Noelle some trouble if this were a head-on fight...However, this thing was clearly stronger.’
The lich raised one hand as sickly green mana emitted from it. Several frozen undead instantly erupted from under the lake and lunged at Klein from every direction.
He twisted his sword, releasing a circular wave of wind that shattered them before they could touch him. And in the next moment, the instructor reset his stance, ready to go again.
Seeing the battle, the panicking candidates seemed to have recovered somewhat, but not nearly enough to continue battling seriously.
"Don’t just stand there!" Nolan shouted, recovering first. "Fight if you don’t want to die!"
His voice snapped several students out of their fear. Those who could still fight began gathering their weapons, while the injured and less capable retreated toward the center of camp along with the others.
At this point, most if not all of the remaining Academy guards were already lifeless on the ground. While the ones that were alive were trembling so badly that they couldn’t even hold their weapons properly.
Non-combat related Academy staff rushed toward the center of the camp as well, trying to put as much distance between themselves and the threat as possible.
Several skeletons even abandoned the northern entrance and marched toward the frozen lake, using the newly formed path to approach from east.
With Klein occupied by the lich, there was no longer anyone capable of controlling the entire battlefield.
Nolan quickly reorganized the northern defense while Mira attempted to direct everyone away while providing cover fire, but her orders were repeatedly drowned out by the fighting.
"Noct de Arcadia."
A white-haired boy stood several feet away, sword drawn and face covered in traces of a black, blood-like substance—Robin Fortis.
’So the protagonist finally decided to speak to me.’
Up close, Robin looked completely exhausted. Sweat clung to the side of his face, and several shallow cuts marked his uniform. His eyes moved toward Alice before moving back to Noct once more.
"You know something about this, don’t you?" he asked, but his voice didn’t sound angry whatsoever.
Noct raised his eyebrow, crossing his arms together. "What makes you think that? I’m just a student like all of you."
"Because you’re too calm."
"So are you."
"I’ve fought undead before."
Noct answered him instantly. "I’ve fought worse."
Robin looked at his expression, trying to find a lie or maybe an arrogant bluff. But there was nothing, as Noct was telling the complete truth.
’He’s had his eye on me from the beginning.’
But upon realizing the situation they were in, Robin’s suspicions could wait. "Instructor Klein can’t fight that thing while protecting the camp. The other groups are barely holding together. Yours seem perfectly fine."
Alice stepped closer, resting one hand on the hilt of her sword. "What do you need us to do?"
"My group will keep the northern entrance secure," Robin answered. "You two stop those soldiers from surrounding Instructor Klein."
The protagonist clearly didn’t trust him. His eyes lingered on Noct as though he were trying to see past the careless expression on his face. But without any time, he drew his sword and returned to the northern front.
Yet, before he made it too far away, Robin stopped and looked back once more. "You said you’ve fought worse."
Aura enveloped his blade before he pointed it at Noct. "Then prove it. Otherwise—"
"We’ll all die here."