Ethan and the hybrids surged forward, still under the protection of the shadows and Ethan’s Mass Hide.
But their target was a living embodiment of the dark itself. The team got two hits in – Tara’s arrows finding their mark square in the beast’s jawless mouth, and Ethan bringing his blades down on the creature’s shadowed arms. Then, the Lich’s eyes glowed with unnatural fire, and a seething anger began to emanate from its hooded, featureless face.
Without warning, the Lich raised its staff, and the chamber erupted in a cacophony of dark magic. Shadows pooled on the floor, twisting and writhing before forming into grotesque shapes—each with glowing red eyes and bodies that seemed to flicker between solid and incorporeal.
[Enemy Identified: Shadow Warrior]
HP: 100/100
WILL: N/A
Damn! Ethan spat in his mind, looking at the Lich as it teleported away from his next attack. Its speed clearly outmatched his – Rachneros was strong, sure, but he wasn’t exactly the quickest beast.
But they had done some damage – that there was no doubt:
[Nether Lich]
HP: 115/195
“Alright!” Ethan shouted as he readied himself for the horde of shadows that roared in the faces of his party. “You know what to do! Take ‘em down and then we blast the Lich all with a single attack!”
The shadow beasts snarled as they took form, their claws gleaming in the dim light. There were dozens of them, and more kept materializing from the darkness.
“Here we go,” Tara said, her voice steady despite the overwhelming odds.
Ethan surged forward, his long spidery limbs carrying him into the fray. He struck the first shadow beast with his paralysis scimitar, but the creature didn’t fall like the others they had fought. Instead, it twisted, its body reforming almost instantly.
PARALYSIS: Resisted
“They regenerate!” Ethan shouted, backing away as the beast lunged at him again. He managed to skewer it with his leg, but even then, the creature began to reform, its dark body knitting itself back together.
Klax roared, charging into the mass of shadow beasts with a flurry of claws and teeth. “We have to focus on the Lich! These things won’t stop until it’s dead!”
“Easier said than done!” Fauna called out from behind, her staff glowing as she sent a wave of light crashing into a group of beasts. The light tore through their shadowy forms, momentarily dispelling them, but even then, they began to reassemble, their flickering bodies regenerating faster than expected.
Tara darted in and out of the chaos, her blades slicing through the air with deadly precision. But no matter how many times she cut them down, the shadow beasts kept coming back, relentless and tireless.
“We can’t keep this up forever!” she yelled, parrying an attack from one of the creatures and slashing its head clean off. “They just keep coming!”
Ethan locked eyes with the Lich, who stood at the far end of the room, watching the battle with cold amusement. It hadn’t even moved since the fight began, its bony hand resting lightly on its staff as the shadow beasts did its bidding.
Then he noticed – his Appraisal flaring up almost subconsciously – that the creature he had struck had actually taken damage:
HP: 45/100
He blinked as five of them launched themselves at him, using his Roar to throw them right back, and following up with a Wing Buffet that sent a slew of the Lich’s minions crashing against the four walls of its tomb.
“Weaken them!” Ethan shouted. “Take them down to the last sliver of their health, and then we blast that fucker with a single strike!”
Fauna nodded, sweat beading on her brow as she channeled more magic into her staff. “Get ready!”
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Ethan smiled back at the Hopla.
No hesitation this time, eh, Faun?
With a shout, she raised her staff high, and a surge of radiant energy exploded from its tip. The blast hit the closest shadow beasts, disintegrating them into nothing more than wisps of smoke. But it kept them alive – just barely.
For a brief moment, there was a clear path.
“Go!” Ethan roared, charging forward with his legs skittering across the stone floor.
Klax barreled forward beside him, his massive frame smashing through any creatures that tried to block their path. Tara followed close behind, moving like a shadow herself, her blades flickering in the dim light.
The Lich finally moved, its hollow eyes narrowing as it raised its staff. Dark tendrils of magic shot out from the ground, coiling toward Ethan and the others before morphing into a barrier of shadow beasts clawing and snarling with deathly intent. Ethan dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the tendrils as they whipped past him. He scaled the walls and hooked his limbs onto the ceiling before crashing back down to earth with a Dive that crushed the living walls of shadow as it crashed down on them. He saw Fauna raise her staff again, sending a barrage of magical bolts toward the Lich, but each one was deflected by a shimmering barrier of dark energy.
“Its defenses are up!” Fauna shouted, frustration creeping into her voice. “We need to break through that shield!”
Klax didn’t hesitate. He lunged forward, claws extended, aiming straight for the Lich’s barrier. But the moment he made contact, the shield flared with energy, sending him flying backward with a painful grunt.
Ethan cursed under his breath. This wasn’t going to be easy. The Lich’s mana wasn’t depleting fast enough – it had what seemed like a limitless supply of shadows to keep them at bay while it maintained its magical defenses. And those beasts… they were regenerating too quickly.
“We need to disrupt it!” Ethan called out. “Force it to move!”
Tara’s eyes flashed with understanding. “It’s anchored itself to that spot. If we can make it move, we might have a shot.”
“I’ll hit it from the side,” Ethan said, already moving into position. “Klax, Tara, try to push it into one of Fauna’s attacks.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice!” the rampaging Minxit yelled back.
Klax grunted in agreement, already shaking off the blow from earlier. He moved to flank the Lich while Tara darted to the other side, her movements precise and deliberate. Fauna held her staff at the ready, watching for the perfect moment.
Ethan charged forward, his venomous fangs bared. He slammed into the Lich’s barrier with all his strength, his spidery legs scraping against the shield. It flared in response, but Ethan didn’t let up. He pushed harder, forcing the Lich’s attention onto him.
As expected, the Lich turned toward Ethan, raising its staff to unleash a wave of dark energy. That’s when Tara struck. She moved like lightning, her blades flashing as she darted in and slashed at the Lich’s side. The blow was just enough to disrupt its focus.
The Lich hissed, its hollow voice filled with rage as it staggered back. In that moment, its shield flickered.
“Now!” Fauna shouted.
She unleashed a bolt of searing light directly at the Lich. The barrier shattered under the force of the magic, leaving the Lich vulnerable.
“Push it back!” Klax roared, barreling toward the Lich with a savage growl. His claws slashed through the air, aimed directly at the creature’s chest.
The Lich reacted swiftly, raising its staff to teleport out of the way. But Ethan had been watching, studying the way the Lich moved, the subtle flicker of magic that preceded its teleportation.
“There!” Ethan yelled, his legs already moving toward the spot the Lich was about to reappear. He struck out just as the Lich materialized, catching it mid-teleport.
The Lich screeched, its skeletal form recoiling from the impact. Dark energy crackled around it, but it was clear that the creature was weakening. Its movements were slower, its magic less precise.
The teleportation…it disrupts its perception, Ethan realized. Which means…
[Hide: Activated]
Tara and Klax pressed the attack, their combined assault keeping the Lich off balance.
The shadow beasts, though still regenerating, were becoming less coordinated, their movements sluggish as the Lich’s control over them began to wane. Fauna kept them at bay with bursts of light and fire, ensuring they didn’t overwhelm the group while they focused on the true threat.
The Lich, now cornered, snarled in desperation. It raised its staff once more, summoning a final wave of dark energy.
But before it could bring its deathly catalyst down on the ground, it felt the keen sting of two blades pierce its ribcage from behind.
[Hide: Deactivated]
“Sorry, buddy,” Ethan snarled down at his shuddering prey. “There’s only one Lord of monsters here.”
Without a scream or even a whimper, the Lich’s form dissipated from existence. Its shadow slaves did the same, their claws passing through the hybrids harmlessly as their forms simply shriveled and melted away into the air, leaving the team panting for breath and looking up at the triumphant form of their Archon standing proud above them.
[Nether Lich] Defeated!
Spirit Cores: +250
Current Spirit Cores: 375
Tara shook her head as Ethan simply shrugged, pointing the way toward the exit door.
“…that was your badass one-liner?” she scoffed. “Mr. Archon… you’re getting sloppy.”
[LOOT Acquired]
Without even acknowledging what Tara said, Ethan found himself licking his lips at the blade that had just settled into his hands from the ashes of his enemy.
Now...that's more like it.
He'd just gotten a weapon worthy of a Demon Lord.