[Lifespan Remaining: 10 days, 13 hours, 2 minutes.]
Normally, Robin would be right.
’Except for the fact that his team ends up surviving, so that guy’s a liar...’
Still, Noct assessed the situation again. In this state of chaos, he felt like slaying individual undead and having enough time to gather their cores was just impossible, let alone gathering enough of them to power that mirror while defenses were collapsing like this.
So in reality, there really was only one option: Slay the lich.
’Sylph,’ Noct thought in his head. ’When we fought Leviathan, what would you say his power level was compared to this lich over here?’
’Hmmm...’ the spirit thought for a moment. ’Since it was only a fragment that was hastily summoned, I’d say it was around the level of a 6-Star or 7-Star monster, give or take.’
’Then can’t we just use Sacred Assimilation once more to defeat this lich?’
’Do you have a year of lifespan to give me?’
’No...’
’Then we’re all out of luck.’
’Besides, even if you could afford it...’ the spirit continued. ’Doesn’t seem like a great idea with all these eyes watching.’
’You’re right...’
Back to the drawing board, Noct realized that defeating a 5-Star monster would be difficult, considering that, even with his genius talent, his firepower was only equivalent to 3-Stars.
He looked to his right, discerning quite a lack of lifespan compared to the strength he would need to cast said spells.
[Lifespan Remaining: 10 days, 12 hours, 59 minutes.]
’I’d be out after three or four casts...’
Then, an idea struck him. It might be a gamble, one that would close off their other option forever...but it was the only path forward.
’Sylph, can you use the currents to draw mana out of every dropped monster core on the battlefield and funnel it into me?’
’I can, but are you sure about that...?’ Sylph warned. ’If you do so, then there would be no second option. If you fail to defeat the lich...’
’You know taking risks is kind of my thing.’
’Ugh...’
Thin currents began slipping between the candidates, spreading throughout the battlefield in a gentle breeze.
On the other side of the battlefield, Robin drove his sword through the chest of an approaching skeleton. The creature collapsed, leaving its monster core rolling across the ground.
Mana leaked out from it, but Sylpheed’s current immediately wrapped around it, pulling mana back toward Noct’s body.
〔Mana-Lifeforce Synthesis [★★★★★★★] — Activated.〕
[One hour has been added to your Lifespan.]
[One hour has been added to your Lifespan.]
[One hour has been added to your Lifespan.]
Alice, who had been deep in thought by Noct’s side, widened her eyes at the countless streams of mana being absorbed into Noct’s body.
"What are you doing?"
"Eating," Noct replied casually. "I was hungry."
"What does that have to—"
"Never mind." Alice shook her head. "Noct, I’ve been thinking about something. Even if someon disabled the mirror, why would every undead in Graveyard attack us?"
"Because undead are naturally drawn to the living."
"Yeah, but..." Alice muttered. "Why is all of Graveyard here pretty much?"
The more she pointed it out, the more Noct realized what she was trying to say. In the original game, the two events had always been presented together.
Everyone assumed the mirror breaking and the undead surrounding Base Camp D were connected, and even if they were, nobody actually knew why.
’Was that another detail that was conveniently skipped over?’
Alice looked toward the partially collapsed staff tent before turning back to the scene. "I have a hunch. But...it looks like they need my help."
"Go."
"What?"
"Go investigate it," Noct said confidently. "I can handle things here."
Usually, she wouldn’t trust his confidence. Any time that happened was because he was planning some scheme right underneath. But this time, however, it was different.
Alice nodded her head before drawing her sword, sprinting off into that distance. But of course, the undead did not make it easy for her.
They began converging on her, but dark purple mana had already began warping itself around her.
’She’ll be fine...’
Noct turned around, watching the battle unfolding between Instructor Klein and the Lich that was slowly, but surely, overpowering him.
’Undead are usually weak to Light, right?’
Noct could attack the lich directly, but doing so would give Instructor Klein too much suspicion. So instead, he opted for a different option, one that he had seen someone use before.
And coincidentally, it was Violet Reine.
Watching her cast the spell, Noct studied every individual movement and word from afar. And with just one glance, he understood it.
[Light Prison has been added to Known Spells]
Raising one hand, he chanted the spell. But instead of creating a mass-area effect, it would be concentrated on one target: the lich.
"O sacred light that judges beneath the heavens, gather not upon the land, but upon the one before me. Condemn the shadows and return the dead to silence!"
?Magia Lux — Carcer Lumen? [★★]
A pillar of golden light descended from the skies, tearing through the gloomy clouds above.
BOOOOOOOOOM—!
The beam struck the Frost Lich directly, its wall of ice shattering before it could fully form. Radiant mana poured through every opening in its skeletal body, suppressing the necrotic mana holding it together.
The frozen lake cracked as the lich was forced to its knees, the pressure around it just too great to bear. Its staff slammed against the ice as it attempted to keep itself upright.
Sickly green energy poured from the cracked gem, only to dissolve the moment it touched Noct’s light.
Klein stared at the spell in confusion for a second, but snapped out of it quickly the moment he realized this might be the only opportunity to slay the damn thing.
Aura erupted around his body as he crossed the remaining distance, his sword glowing brighter than ever before.
The lich tried to defend itself by raising its staff, but it was all too futile.
CRAAAAAAAAAACK—!
The fracture spread through the black gem before running down the bones underneath it. The entire bone staff then shattered, its upper half spinning across the frozen lake before stopping uselessly.
Klein instantly reversed his grip, preparing to deliver the final blow through its exposed chest.
But just as he was about to bring his blade down, darkness tendrils suddenly erupted from the lower half of the staff, writhing furiously.
The tendrils wrapped around his sword arm first, tightening his wrist and causing enough pain for the man to drop his sword. More tendrils coiled around his legs and dragged them together.
"What the—?!"
From a distance, Noct could clearly see it. Klein struggled, using his mana to break away some of the tendrils, but each time he did, a new one would just reform.
However, from behind him, an armored skeleton began pulling itself together, both hands wrapped around a rusted greatsword. And unlike the weaker undead, pale-green mana burned along every bone in its body.
"Instructor Klein, watch out!"
But it was too late.
SHHHHKK—!
The bloodied tip of its sword burst through the front of his chest.
"INSTRUCTOR!"