The [Guildmaster] was one of only one hundred S-ranked beings on the continent of Aethera; the other 99 were either beasts, insane, or presumed dead; S-ranks often had many racial and class evolutions. He was not the first [Guildmaster] but had ascended to the post after a Supreme Chimeara slew his predecessor. Celeste gaped at the quiet man. The dark forest, echoing with the groans of the undead, was the worst place to confront a possibly SSS-rank [Lich], but he was an S-rank. To a B-rank like Celeste, they were untouchable beings, the equivalent of gods. Despite what her [Identify] skill told her about the [Lich]'s rank, with it being a B-rank, she was now confident that it was using some kind of obfuscation skill, perhaps [Identity Block] or [Status Change]. She was also sure that the [Lich] had aided the city in the attack from the rogue [High Necromancer], a known S-rank, had fled from the [Lich]. However, the strange power of [Lich] was quickly replaced by a more important question: why did it have her old sword? The [Everburn Blade] had debonded with her after her class was changed from- the memory made her wince- [Divine Shielder] to [Arcane Scout]. There were special skills that gave you a weakened version of a class. The highest quality was Divine, but she did not want to think of it anymore after the incident. She had placed the blade in her storage and heard that people could move in interdimensional storage. Probably, the [Lich] had found and bonded to it. My ruminations were cut off as a blast of flame erupted from the cage; I expected it to melt into slag, for it to be destroyed, but it held; I gave my undivided attention to what the [Guildmaster] was saying; his smile indicated that was...amused? "In the words of an old [Hero], "Unless you accept my help, you are stuck in a Kobayasu Maru, a no-win situation." The [Lich] didn't respond, and the [Guildmaster] continued, "You should be feeling it now, trying to break the cage just inflicted you with Bonerot, nonlethal but very painful for undead; I apologize, but my compatriots decided that you were-" the cage shook again, as fire, lightning and pure death energy blasted outward "too dangerous, also with that particular attack you inflicted yourself with Blindness, Manarot, and Skillrot. I suggest you don't keep blasting the cage with your skills-" Suddenly, the cage shattered, flamming metal blasted outward, and the [Lich] stood a swarm of enchanted arrow-shaped metal surrounding him, the sheer amount of them serving as a near-impenetrable shield that hadn't been there when she had captured him, the [Guildmaster] was calm, "Well with your stats and the fact that the System is doing a lot of power creep right now, combined with the fact that your achievement reward, which I assume is a permanent item of your choice, I should have expected to breakout sooner, oh well maybe your reputation isn't inflated." Three illusory copies of the [Lich] suddenly appeared. A trail of flame burst into existence, and the swarm turned invisible; I quickly backed up, and the [Guildmaster] laughed, "I should have expected you to break out sooner with your stats, combined with the achievement awards, one of which I assume was choose one item of your choice. It's a beautiful night out here; the leaves rustle, and the owls and sylphs sing, but on nights like these, a monster like me just doesn't want to hold back! [Redemption Flood], [Titania], [Holy Song], [Eternal Wrath]" Celeste stared in awe as a golden flood of mana enveloped the [Lich], a massive aural construct towered above her, song burst into her ear, lilting, majestic, Holy. The air around the [Guildmaster] somehow broke, the air splintered into pieces. Something crept out of the void where the air had once been, [Identify] just showed question marks, [??? Rank?? Level???] The [Lich] was also confused up until the beast pounced at him... and was into pieces by the veil of swirling metal; I gasped. Summoned creatures were equivalent in rank to the summoner or could be one rank higher based on the creature's appearance and the method of summoning. I believed that it was an SS-rank, and it had been shredded into mincemeat. But I looked closer at the remnants of the creature; there was no way an SS-rank threat would go down that easily. From what she read, you would have to destroy every cell in the body of the creature even to have a chance at killing it; I watched as it reformed, it engulfed the [Lich] , and it went dark. One final burst of mana erupted from it, but I sensed it dying; a pity that such a powerful being had fallen. the creature vanished back into the cracked air. The [Lich] was a pile of lifeless bones, the [Guildmaster] walked away, I followed him, and suddenly my former blade ran itself through the chest of the [Guildmaster], the flames with a blinding radiance, scorching the [Guildmaster] to ashes, the [Lich] as suddenly as he appeared, vanished in a burst of shadow.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.