- So, - the Lich said slowly, somehow sipping his tea with obvious pleasure, - and now to less important issues. - Tell me what your level is. And your team. What abilities do they have, important artifacts?
This was a very abrupt transition to topics vital for the adventurer. Klein shook himself and, looking from under his brows, swore that he would not betray his comrades and would not divulge their information.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, the paladin saw something black approaching him at high speed. After a moment, Klein realized that it was a living creature, and clearly very, very angry with the young man. The paladin jumped onto the chair, instantly switching to combat mode, and gave priority to defense:
- [Shield]!
- [Small teleport], - Askeltak said lazily, and the creature, squealing in surprise, ended up on the wizard’s lap. - Hush, hush, Soulsucker, this is a friend. For now. You, guy, sit down, sit down, there’s no point in trampling the chair with your feet.
Klein cautiously returned to the seat, looking at the black fiend of darkness. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a large, fat and incredibly angry black cat. Right now, he was desperately trying to escape from the iron grip of the lich, and furiously hissed at the man, and meanwhile the undead, stroking the cat, continued to say:
- Souly is just unhappy that you took his usual place.” Right, kitty-pusya-susya? Mmm? Who is daddy's darkest spawn of darkness here? Who? Who is this!? Right! It's you, Tormentor! – here the Lich suddenly pointed to the second, white cat, lazily looking at the bipeds from the height of the closet. - Of course you, baby, who else is so good at looking at others as beings not worthy of life!? Hey, Ulya, be so kind as to bring the cats!
For the next half hour, Klein sat in complete prostration and got to know all nine of Askeltak’s cats, while simultaneously listening to their full psychological portrait and biography. The Leach seemed to be incredibly fond of his cats, and was happy to talk about them with someone else. In the middle of the story about the Ripper, the wizard suddenly fell silent and looked intently at Klein:
- Oh, that's it. I figured out your plan! You wanted to distract me! Do you think I’ll take such a simple bait and spend all my time talking about cats instead of interrogating you!? Well, you were right, I praise you. But let's return to my question. Give information about yourself and your comrades.
Klein sincerely did not understand, Lich was playing for the audience, trying to confuse the poor young man, or was he really crazy and forgot about his goal, distracted by cats? In any case, the young man had already made his decision, and remained stoically silent under the inquisitive, unblinking gaze of the undead.
- Will you be silent? Clearly. I'll tell you a secret. I like cats. – At this moment, Klein almost coughed, but could hardly restrain himself, trying not to succumb to the monster’s provocations, but he noticed the young man’s reaction. – Oh, I understand, this is unexpected... So I will ask you to keep this a secret. So, do you like cats?
- What am I? Well, yes, I love it. – the paladin said carefully, and the lich chuckled slyly and disgustingly.
- Then I definitely know how to split you! [Materialization]!
In front of the wizard, spinning in the air, a sheet of paper and a pen with ink appeared out of nowhere. Great, it was the creation of complex matter from nothing. Not some kind of stone or fire, but complex things consisting of many materials... Something that in magic is considered almost impossible. Klein waited apprehensively, not imagining what the creature in front of him might throw out. It could be something harmless, or something like that [Agony] spell...
Askeltak theatrically raised his pen and, moving it over the paper, showed the young man his creation: on the canvas were depicted two potatoes with five sticks sticking out of them.
- This is… - Klein said hesitantly.
- Right! It's a cat! – the lich said contentedly. - Beautiful?
-...
- Great, I'm glad you appreciated it. Since you love cats, you can't help but react to this... KIA!
With an unexpected cry, the skeleton made several sharp movements with his hand, and the handles of knives began to protrude from the eyes of the poor cat, and a snake protruded from his stomach, apparently symbolizing the insides of the animal.
- Well, how? Will you speak now? If you remain silent, for every unanswered question I will draw more dead cats! – the lich said ominously, hovering over the young man. - AND? What is your level and characteristics? Will you tell me now?
- Um... No?..
- Ooo! Heartless humanoid creature! You're forcing me to take action! - With these words, a second one was added to the first dead cat, hanging on a noose.
___________________________________________
Klein looked wearily at the four sheets of paper filled with the corpses of drawn animals. The young man could not help but be amazed at how many sophisticated ways the lich knew to kill a cat. The only thing is that he did not understand the meaning of the cat in the box. The author of the picture said something about a “philosophical riddle” and “the quantum random essence of the world,” but Klein did not even make an attempt to understand what he was talking about. Meanwhile, the dead man collapsed on a chair, loudly complaining about the guy:
- Just think about it! I thought better of you! Now anyone can become a paladin of the Eyeless One or what!? Even a heartless psychopath like you!? No reaction! No!
The maid re-entered the room, bringing a fresh, tempting-looking cake, and her employer addressed her:
- And you, Ulya? What are you going to say? Don't you feel sorry for looking at these poor cats brutally killed because of the silence of this blockhead? Don't you want to cry? Should you ask me to stop? Tell all your secrets?
- No. – The girl answered indifferently. - These are cats. Cats are the very embodiment of the privileged class. They sleep, eat, sleep, get fat and only take advantage of what others have done. If these were our ordinary proletarian dogs...
- Amazing! – The lich exclaimed dissatisfied. - I'm surrounded by monsters! Why am I the only normal one in this room!? Okay, I'm tired. Kid, would you like some cake? Ulyana is amazingly good at cooking!
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- Well... I guess I won’t refuse. “If the lich wanted to kill the guy, he definitely wouldn’t poison him.” Although he will become...
- Then tell me what your level is! – Askeltak exclaimed contentedly, rejoicing that he had caught the young man. – This cake is only for those who say that they are asking for it!
- Then no, thank you, I don’t want to. And anyway, how are you going to eat this cake yourself?.. You don’t have a stomach, tongue, etc.
- Oh, it's simple, I feed on souls. Look what you've doomed the poor unfortunate cake to. Maybe you're not impressed by dead cats because they're drawn? Well, behold! – The lich’s head changed, once again becoming the embodiment of absolute horror and strength, only its sounds made you shiver. – [CONCEPTUAL DEATH]
The cake has disappeared. Just disappeared in an instant. Here he was, and then he was gone, without any special effects. And the Lich used a new spell:
- [PARTIAL RESURRECTION] – a translucent copy of the destroyed cake floated above the plate, slightly materializing. “This is his soul. The soul of the cake." - Klein guessed. But that was impossible, he’s not alive... But this spell... Klein had already heard about it. During history lessons in the temple. He jumped up in horror and, in an attempt to escape, fell on his back.
- Hehe! Apparently this is where I should have started! Now will you meet me halfway?
- You... You... This is a spell! I know him! This is the personal magic of the Lich Lord, who destroyed five principalities in Germany a century ago!
- Oh, so they still remember me! – Askeltak said joyfully.
- This... This is impossible! That's not you! That lich is dead!
- Well, yes. We're talking about a lich. This is some kind of undead. All undead are dead.
- No! He was killed! Put to rest! Destroyed! Fifty-eight years ago, the Ground Angels killed him, like the rest of the Masters!
- What? No, baby, it wasn't like that. I'm here, standing in front of you. You know my name, right? You examined me. Didn't you compare my name and the name of the Overlord you are talking about?
- He doesn’t have a name... Or rather, they didn’t call him to us... Everyone just calls him... Unnameable.
- Oh, well, yes. But no, I have a name, Askeltak, nice to meet you. Well, they call me that because I copied the power of one of my friends, and now anyone who calls my name reveals their location to me. Therefore, mortals try not to name him, and this is how they get out of it.
- This is impossible! You are not him! The Master Abbot said that all the Lords were killed! It was a complete victory for the people! Although at a huge cost, humanity destroyed all seventeen Overlords!
- But I’m here... And several other Overlords are also still alive and well. And the so-called Angels did not kill us. Listen, kid, did they even tell you a word of truth in your temple? If you want to know more, ask Arthur what Tractatus de Stellis Novissimis is.
- Arthur?.. You... Do you know the Master!?
- Do you know me? Aha-ha-ha! – The Lich laughed sincerely, putting the soul of the cake aside. - He is my best work.
- W-what does this mean?..
- Interesting? I will tell you. If you finally tell me your level and characteristics.
- Yes... - Klein answered hesitantly. He didn't want to reveal a single piece of information to this creature, but the thought that it had done something to the guy's guardian infuriated him and gave him strength. - It's coming. I am level thirty-three. Vitality – 27, Strength – 17, Dexterity – 9, Intelligence – 10, Wisdom – 16 and Charisma – 10. Are you satisfied now? Tell us!
- Wait, don't rush me. – The lich folded his hands thoughtfully, thinking. - Ninety three? Not bad. However, you seem to be the Chosen One of Aronis... And this is another five percent increase in stats... Well, even so, you are very, very lucky, congratulations.
- What?..
- What do you mean? Theology. Science is like that, it calculates probabilities. Wait, don’t say that you weren’t taught... No. Can't be. You, damn it, are servants of the god of luck, the god of probability! Science is called so because it studies the various manifestations of your lord! And you don't own it?
- Well... A little?..
-Can you calculate the probability of getting three stat points when gaining a level? – The Lich asked directly.
- Um. No…
- Oh Gods! This generation is doomed! Darkness of ignorance! The horror of disrespect! And they don’t even want to study!
- But... But why even know how to do this!? – Klein tried to defend himself, meeting Askeltak’s particularly cold gaze, receiving an equally cold answer:
- It's science, kid. In your case, science is mandatory. But in general, it allows you to predict the likely outcome of a particular event. And, in particular, it makes it possible to determine how many additional characteristics a person with a level received, and what was the chance of this. So people are divided into unlucky, ordinary, lucky and the fourth category... - The lich stopped, took Klein by the shoulders and looked into his eyes with a serious, long look, speaking as seriously as possible. -...the sickest freaks. You know that as you level up, you increase one characteristic, depending on what you did, and with a ten percent chance - random others. Moreover, these are independent probabilities. That is, with a small chance there is a chance to increase seven stat points per level. The chance of this, of course, is incredibly tiny, but in theology, if the probability of an event is not zero, then it will definitely happen sooner or later. Thus, in theory, there could be a person who receives maximum characteristics for each level... I have not seen this, but I have met something close to this. These creatures... They are no longer people. Those who have characteristics four, five times higher than their level... There is a separate name for them in scientific circles, where I am a member. And every student of theology takes an oath, and I want you to take it too. When you meet such a person... You will have to spit in his face and let him know who he is. What scientists call such a person is... Pissed Lucker.
Askeltak looked solemnly at the guy, passing on his wisdom to him, until the young man asked:
- Academic circles? You? You're a magician. Dark. Lich.
- Hey! – the undead exclaimed offendedly. - Yes, I am a wizard, both a dark one and a lich, and I’m proud of it! And with all this, I am many hundreds of years old, more than half of which I devoted to science! Theology, biology, physiology, algebra, geometry, physics! For centuries after centuries I studied, wrote down and derived formulas and laws! I communicated with the greatest minds of people, dwarves and elves! I more than have the right to be called a great scientist!
- But, - Klein objected, - my [Inspection] said that you are only fifty years old, what centuries are you talking about!?
- Ah, - the wizard waved, - maybe it was my age when I died, becoming a lich.
- Maybe?
- I don’t remember anything from my life. – The ancient dead man said carefree, stroking the purring cat. - But I don’t need it. This is a miserable half century that I was imprisoned in a body of flesh and blood! It’s unlikely that there was anything really worthwhile for me during these years. And even though I forgot my human life, I did not forget my unlife! And in particular, all the centuries-old wisdom that I have accumulated! - And then Lich was carried away, inspiration caught him, and he finished his speech: - And I will share this knowledge with you! Yes, it's decided! From now on, you will come here every day when you are not on a mission, and by spending three hours studying, we will be able to make you a worthy person and a wise husband!
- What? – The paladin was taken aback. Be a monster's apprentice?! - No! And why do I need this!? I understand that you have nothing to do, being immortal, but why did I give up on your math!?
- Need not. Certainly. Of course. Kids always say that about learning! And then, for example, it turns out that they do not have enough knowledge about the essence of the double integral to quickly calculate the area of the uneven shape of the magic shield during battle to minimize damage! That’s when they remember their poor old teachers, who tried to hammer knowledge into their heads by hook or by crook! And generally speaking..
- OK. – Klein said firmly, interrupting the Unnameable. - I will be your student.
The paladin considered the situation, and came to the conclusion that it was the best option to learn more about this monster. It didn't matter whether he was a Lord or not - by pretending to be the lich's apprentice, the boy would be able to get close to him, study his habits, and then... Banish him.
The lich looked at the confident Klein in surprise.
- Oh, - the monster said in a satisfied voice. - You're more interesting than I thought. Maybe you can show me more than little Arthur, hmm?