The Lich had been caught by surprise, but quickly straightened himself and observed the newly evolved Demon as she posed in front of him with one hand on her hip and the other twirling her sword, a confident smile on her face.
The girl had punched him with her fist, rather than killing him with her blade. The Lich understood that her arrogance was the only reason he was still alive, as his cracked skull rapidly regenerated, hiding the magic stone that lay within.
"My, your party certainly knows how to rise to the occasion." The Lich said, feeling both a ping of annoyance and glee. "Though I can't help but to think you wasted your one and only chance to defeat me."
"Ha, as if. You might have been on top earlier, but with the skill that the Goddess has bestowed on me, you don't stand a ghost of a chance." Art said with a cheeky smile as she raised a hand. "Here, let me give you a taste of its power. [Chaos Control]!"
The Lich looked into the girl's mind, letting him know how to react.
He tossed his magic staff and his magic knife away from him as the chaotic energies within each of them went wild, cracks forming in the items before they exploded with a defining boom.
The smoke was blown away with a small flex of the Lich's power, and he stared at the Demon, starting to understand what she meant when she claimed the advantage was hers now.
"How do you like it? [Chaos Control] is a skill that allows me to control any and all chaotic energy in my surroundings. Making me almost invincible in a Dungeon." Art boasted with her head held high.
"Talking too much." Fran said with slight disapproval.
Archer would have given the girl a smack to the head for revealing so much about her skills to an enemy.
"Oh come on, he was going to find out from reading my mind anyways." Art said with a small pout.
"Then why bother telling him?"
"Because it makes me feel cooler."
"...Was pretty cool." Despite having criticized Art for it, Fran's eyes were sparkling with admiration.
The Lich didn't interrupt the girls as they bantered in front of him. He was using the time to prepare his spells and try to come up with a plan.
To say [Chaos Control] was overpowered in a Dungeon was an understatement.
A Dungeon was effectively a temple to the Goddess of Chaos, and everything in it, every magic item, every monster, every brick, even the very air, contained some traces of Chaos Attributed Mana.
While not as dense as the miasma that filled his Dungeon, it would still give the girl a massive amount of power to work with.
He could no longer afford to play around with his guests.
While he would disagree with her being stronger than him now, the chances of him losing to a lucky shot had drastically increased.
"Fufufu. You certainly have become stronger, but I don't feel like entertaining you today." The Dungeon Master said, focusing his [Time/Space Magic] using the same spell he had used to force the party into his boss room in order to send the Demon away.
The magic circle appeared below the girl who's eyes widened in surprise before she just smirked. "[Disrupt Magic]." She said casually, releasing a pulse of [Chaos Magic] which destabilized the Lich's attempts to cast a spell on her.
The teleportation magic he had been attempting to construct under her fizzled before he was able to properly cast it.
"Not going to happen." Art said with a grin before rushing towards the Lich.
The Lich attempted to fight back, believing that his [True Arrow] spell would guard him from taking any hit, which it did, as the Demon swung her sword, space bent in order to stop it from reaching him, but even so, a ripple was left behind, and a tear appeared in the Lich's perfect armor as the girl's [Disrupt Magic] spell.
Art's sword swung back around as the Lich attempted to deliver a punch, cutting off one of his hands and increasing the size of the hole she had made.
The damage from her attack wasn't anything that couldn't be recovered from, but the sight of the Black Cat jumping over her friend to deliver a much more devastating blow with an [Angelic Magic] charged sword, was a completely different matter.
"[High Tide]!" The Lich shouted, blasting off a high level [Ocean Magic] spell which sent a wave of pressurized water rushing into the two girls, pushing them back.
The water would have smashed normal rocks to bits, but with their high quality armor, the children were no more than inconvenienced by it and looking to attack again.
The Lich teleported away and started to rain spells down on the pair, using [Netherworld Magic], [Ocean Magic] and [Mountain Magic] to fling blasts of miasma, water and stones down on the children.
While [Time/Space Magic] was easy to disrupt, the faster moving and less complex spells weren't as easily destroyed. That said, the children were fast and could dodge his attacks easily. And hitting them was about to become much harder still.
"[Phantom Army]!" Art shouted as she cast her [Phantom Magic] spell, creating dozens of illusionary copies of the girls, while the real things became invisible.
[Phantom Magic] was the higher level form of [Illusion Magic], and while illusion spells could fool the eyes, phantom spells were much more complex, not just producing images, but smells, sounds, tastes and even the feel of the illusion. They were so real that even touching them would not be enough to determine whether what he was dealing with was the real thing or a fake.
Luckily for the Lich, he still had his Detection type skills to fall back on, and his [Life Detection] and [Magic Detection] skills were high enough to let him pinpoint where the real…
{18 Self-evolution Points have been consumed. Upgrading [Detection Jamming] to max level. Upgrade complete.}
"That's just cheating!" The Lich shouted in panic as he read the girls' minds and heard Rani's status report. The girls completely disappeared as the Lich's detection skills were forcibly turned off.
He tried to read the children's thoughts in order to determine their location, but even reading their minds when he couldn't find where they were was difficult.
He blasted attacks all around himself, hoping to keep them at bay, but it was no good.
He felt it as the Demon ripped his shield apart, where the Black Catkin would then use the hole to attack him, doing massive damage with her holy charged weapon.
He could still regenerate his body, and he desperately tried to put up more shields to protect himself as he teleported around, but they kept chipping away at him.
But the real tipping point came when he had attempted to cast one of his wider reaching [Ocean Magic] spells, only to find that he had forgotten how to cast it. By the time he had figured out what was going on, it was too late to stop it.
{Fran: [Skill Taker] Lv3: Target:[Close Quarters Arts]: Rarity 2. Chances: 65.7% Result: Success}
{Rani: [Skill Taker] Lv3: Target:[Close Quarters Techniques]: Rarity 3. Chances: 65.7% Result: Failed}
{3 Self-evolution Points have been consumed. Upgrading [Skill Taker] from level 3 to level 4. Upgrade complete. Cooldown reset.}
{Fran: [Skill Taker] Lv4: Target:[Dagger Arts]: Rarity 2. Chances: 78.4% Result: Skill not found.}
{Rani: [Skill Taker] Lv4: Target:[Staff Arts]: Rarity 2. Chances: 78.4% Result: Skill not found.}
{3 Self-evolution Points have been consumed. Upgrading [Skill Taker] from level 4 to level 5. Upgrade complete. Cooldown reset.}
{Fran: [Skill Taker] Lv5: Target:[Necromancy Magic]: Rarity 5. Chances: 87.5% Result: Success. Title Gained: Necromancer.}
{Rani: [Skill Taker] Lv5: Target:[Water Magic]: Rarity 4. Chances: 87.5% Result: Success. Integrates with existing skills. Shared skill [Water Magic] has reached max level. [Ice Magic] lv1 and [Ocean Magic] lv1 unlocked. Title(s) Gained: Water Magician and Elemental Master. Fran has gained the Blessings of the Goddess of Magic.}
{3 Self-evolution Points have been consumed. Upgrading [Skill Taker] from level 5 to level 6. Upgrade complete. Cooldown reset.}
{Fran: [Skill Taker] Lv6: Target:[Magic Detection]: Rarity 6. Chances: 93.6% Result: Success}
{Rani: [Skill Taker] Lv6: Target:[Mental Resistance]: Rarity 5. Chances: 93.6% Result: Success. Integrates with existing skills. Shared skill [Mental Resistance] has reached max level. [Nullify Psychic Attacks] lv1 unlocked.}
{3 Self-evolution Points have been consumed. Upgrading [Skill Taker] from level 6 to level 7. Upgrade complete. Cooldown reset.}
{Fran: [Skill Taker] Lv7: Target:[Mountain Magic]: Rarity 7. Chances: 97.3% Result: Success}
{Rani: [Skill Taker] Lv7: Target:[Ocean Magic]: Rarity 7. Chances: 97.3% Result: Success}
{3 Self-evolution Points have been consumed. Upgrading [Skill Taker] from level 7 to level 8. Upgrade complete. Cooldown reset.}
{Fran: [Skill Taker] Lv8: Target:[Appraisal Jammer]: Rarity 8. Chances: 99.2% Result: Success}
{Rani: [Skill Taker] Lv8: Target:[Control Undead]: Rarity 8. Chances: 99.2% Result: Success}
{3 Self-evolution Points have been consumed. Upgrading [Skill Taker] from level 8 to level 9. Upgrade complete. Cooldown reset.}
{Fran: [Skill Taker] Lv9: Target:[Life Drain]: Rarity 8. Chances: 99.9% Result: Success}
{Rani: [Skill Taker] Lv9: Target:[Unsealable]: Rarity 9. Chances: 99.9% Result: Success}
{3 Self-evolution Points have been consumed. Upgrading [Skill Taker] to max level. Upgrade complete. Cooldown reset.}
{Fran: [Skill Taker] LvMax: Target:[Netherworld Magic]: Rarity 10. Chances: 100% Result: Success}
{Rani: [Skill Taker] LvMax: Target:[Time/Space Magic]: Rarity 10. Chances: 100% Result: Success}
{Title Gained: Master Thief. Fran has gained the Blessing of the God of Thieves.}
{Blessing of the God of Thieves: Steal one possession/skill/title owned by the target, regardless of the item's location or the skill's level. 1 year cooldown.}
With the Lich's shield down, Fran and Rani had gone on a stealing spree, and stolen most of the skills that the Lich had before he had the chance to stop them, including all of his higher level and rare magics, and with his [Time/Space Magic] stolen from him, his barrier fizzled and died.
"Get away!" The Lich screamed, pumping all of his magic power into his lower level [Fire Magic] putting up an inferno around himself to keep the children away. He was now in a dire situation, he needed more skill, more power, more MIASMA.
Activating [Miasma Absorption], the Lich drew in more miasma the hate of the millions of souls that had been rotting in that hell rushing to him from all around the entire Dungeon. Every remaining undead under his control crumpled away as its corrupted soul was drawn towards him.
"What is he doing?" Art shouted over the scream of the souls as they gathered around the Lich.
{The Lich is absorbing the other corrupted souls in order to grow stronger.} Rani said, now seeing his [Miasma Absorption] and [Miasma Conversion] skills for what they were. {If this continues, he will become stronger than ever.}
"Nn!" Fran rushed forward, prepared to put a stop to the Lich herself, but before her blade could make contact with him, a pair of swords left behind by the Lich's old servants jumped from the ground and flew into the Lich's hands, the Undead Dungeon Master using them do bat Fran to the side.
"Nothing! Nothing will get in the way of my revenge!" The Lich screamed, letting out a deafening roar that echoed even above all of the lost souls that still swirled around him.
Fran and Art let loose a volley of spells which merely bounced off of the sheet of power that surrounded the Lich. The Lich then responded with a blast of fire from his new high level [Flame Magic], which the pair barely dodged.
(Annoying.) Fran grumbled as she stared at the Lich who had stopped attacking to laugh madly at nothing, his mind degrading as he continued to absorb the dark energies. (What do we do now?)
{Calculating… 10 minutes have expired. We must retrieve Archer from the Dungeon Core while the Lich is busy absorbing the miasma.}
(...Nn!)
"Power! So much power! This… this is what I want! This is the power I need to destroy everything!" The Lich laughed wildly as he drowned in the malevolent energy. As he absorbed the undead, their stats and skills were passed to him, combining and growing, making him stronger and stronger. His physical attributes, which had lagged behind, grew as well, until he was far stronger than the Demon girl, and his swordsmanship was ranking up rapidly as well. It wouldn't be long before he would surpass the Black Catkin girl there as well.
His level was even going up, to level 73 and then 74, approaching his maximum level.
"Fuhahahaha! Yes! So long as I have my Miasma Generators, there is no way I can…!" The Lich's rant was cut off midway as a sudden boom shook the entire Dungeon, shocking him out of his power trip. "Wh…What was that?"
He asked, though his connection to the Dungeon had already told him.
Someone had just blown up his Miasma Generators.
How? How could that be? How could someone have destroyed his Miasma Generators?
Was it the Demon or the Black Catkin girl? No, they were battling him up until a moment ago.
Then it hit the Lich. "You." He growled, turning on Jean Dovy, who was leaning up against the wall, having been forgotten during the clash of the titans that had been going down just moments ago. "What did you do!?"
Jean Dovy looked up at the Lich with only a tired half smile. But a magic circle appeared in front of him and from it rose Jean's Servant, Stephan.
The Lich took one look at the Ghost Eater and froze, speechless. "You…"
"That's right." Stephan said, his voice full of kindness as he looked up at the Lich with his empty eye sockets. His smile was so gentle that even the Lich started to calm down.
"So, you've betrayed me then." The Lich said, his voice barely containing any anger at all.
"Not at all. I did the exact thing you created me to do." Stephan said with a shake of his head. "You wanted to have fun and go on an adventure. That was why you made me using a part of yourself."
The Lich was surrounded by a hideous black aura that threatened to devore everything, Stephan was surrounded by a soft golden light. The little Undead radiated purity, the kind of purity that could not be talented.
[Principle of an Element (Purity)]
"Today has been a blast, hasn't it? We've gotten to have a lot of fun… but it is time for us to go." Stephan said, holding out his hand to the Lich.
"...But I… don't want to go." The Lich said as he stared at the outstretched hand.
The day had been fun. It had been everything he had been dreaming it would be. But still…
"I know it's scary, but you won't be going alone. I'll be right there with you, and our friends will be there." Stephan said.
"...Our… Friends." The Lich mumbled, his hazy mind going back to when he had been human. Back when he was a slave. Between the horrible experiments that were performed on them, they had been permitted to sit in the courtyard, he and the others. There had been two other slave children who he had been close to.
The warm glow coming off of Stephan reminded him of those times.
"Passing on isn't something to be afraid of. It is just the start of the next great adventure." Stephan said with his bright smile.
The Lich hesitated before slowly reaching out to take Stephan's hand.
But before he could take the smaller undead's hand, a pulse of miasma within him shook him out of his calm state. "RAHHH!" The Lich screamed as the malevolent energy blasted outwards, blowing Stephan away. It was so powerful that his bones began to crack.
"Master!" Stephan shouted, his voice full of concern for the Lich's well being.
"I won't give up! I will not go quietly! VENGEANCE WILL BE MINE…!" The Lich stopped as three dozen glowing gold swords impaled him through the back.
"I have been gone for 10 minutes. What happened?" Archer said coldly as he stood along with Fran and Art by the Dungeon Core.
He had used [Doppelganger Synthesis SP] in order to create five copies of Fran and five copies of his own sword body, which all stood at the ready.
"Things… Didn't go to plan." Jean chuckled weakly.
"Obviously." Archer said before sending a sword straight through the Dungeon Core, smashing it to pieces.
"No!" The Lich screamed as the Dungeon Core broke. With the Dungeon Core gone, the Lich only had a few minutes at most before he too would disappear. "My Dungeon Core… My vengeance. …I will make you all pay!"
The Lich started to absorb Miasma faster and faster, soaking it in as his body became invisible behind a blanket of black energy.
Then, everything really got out of hand.
{Level 75/75, the Lich had reached Max level… The Lich is now evolving.}
Don't read author's notes if you are afraid of spoilers.
Blessing of the God of Thieves is a completely hilarious skill, as while you can steal things that someone has stored in their Dimensional storage, or you can steal a completely overpowered skill from them, you could also do stuff like walk up to the King and steal his title. Now you are King and telling the guards to throw him out.
I'm not even sure if that would work or not.
Apparently, in the canon, the Goddess of Wisdom has a split personality, with one part called the Goddess of Wisdom and the other the Goddess of Knowledge.
...Huh. I guess that could be an excuse if Fran ends up with the Goddess of Knowledge's blessing later on.
I like the idea that Rani is detested by the Goddess of Wisdom, despite it being the Goddess of Wisdom that took part in her creation, because it matches well with the idea that after her creation, the Gods decided that she was too dangerous to exist and had to be destroyed. (Given that she had something equivalent to the ability to access the Root and overwrite information stored their, that is kind of understandable.) But it does have a bit of sadness to it, the Angel offering itself up to become a sword for the sake of the Goddess only for the Goddess to hate them and strike them down with Divine Punishment for doing what was asked of her.
I also like the idea of her instinctively hating Fenrir, even though Fenrir is completely chill (Like Lancer in a Hawaiian shirt levels of chill), because her original reason for existing was to destroy a rampaging Fenrir, before the Goddess of Moonlight begged the Divine Blacksmith to lock Fenrir away inside of the sword instead, until he could return to his old self.
Looking forward to the next Arc and wondering how things should play out.
Things are actually a lot different from canon due to the constant reminder that Demons are a group of noble battle junkies who serve the Goddess of Chaos, who live in order to act as obstacles to be overcome so that the strong can grow stronger. So people stripping them of their free will and using them as mindless puppets is kind of fucked up.
Art's reaction to the royal twins could be anything from admiration, to indifference, to murderous hatred, all depending on the royals' relationship with the demons.
If things go the way of drama, I don't see how the drama gets resolved. That country basically survives solely because of its use of Demons as slaves. Art isn't going to say it is okay for them to be enslaving her people, and the twins can't exactly stop using Demon slaves and have their Kingdom get destroyed.