Chapter 40 - An offer you can’t refuse
Adam couldn't resist the mysterious impulse that surged through his body when freed from the strange bindings to the pedestal. Seizing the opportunity, he approached the golden guardian, struggling to rise due to its heavily damaged state. The skeleton was helpless, unable to do anything as Adam drew closer, nor when he placed his left hand on the guardian's skull.
Just like with the other fragments of the "Seven Lights," a strange energy emerged from the automaton. More precisely, the blue flame in its chest began to dissolve, slowly being absorbed into Adam’s arm. This time, he felt an intense, icy sensation coursing through his entire body, sending a shiver down his spine from head to toe.
⌠Notice: Cursed Energy has been increased by 50⌡ ⌠Warning: Skill [Mark of the Damned LV10] has absorbed ‘Depraved Power of Envy’⌡ ⌠Warning: Skill [Mark of the Damned LV10] seal has been partially removed!⌡
“What?”
Adam barely had time to process his situation when the system screen appeared in front of him, snapping him out of what had felt like a trance. Suddenly, he was overwhelmed by a searing pain, as if his skin were being torn apart from the inside. Massive, vaporous jaws—spectral and ethereal—emerged from his arm, sinking deep into the guardian's body with a vicious bite. Then, in one swift motion, the jaws dragged the guardian into Adam's own body, as if it had been consumed and transformed into that same spectral miasma.
⌠Notice: Cursed Energy has been increased by 20⌡ ⌠Notice: Entity [Sacred Guardian of Envy - Rank B] has been successfully integrated to skill [Undead Queen’s Army Lv?]⌡
However, Adam couldn't read the message that followed. The pain and shock were so intense that he collapsed to the ground, clutching his arm and gritting his teeth. He tried to examine it, expecting to see open wounds or something similar, but to his surprise, his arm was completely unharmed. The only difference was the massive tattoo now etched into his skin—a detailed drawing of a locket on his palm, with chains winding around his entire arm. This time, though, the tattoos didn't seem like they were going to fade away.
Slowly, the pain subsided, and Adam began to recover, as he looked up, he saw Admiral Augustus still locked in battle against the two remaining guardians. Unlike before, it seemed both the skeletal enemies and the admiral himself were reaching their limits. Their movements were becoming slower, though they hadn't lost their strength. Augustus, however, was accumulating more and more wounds, and each cut was layering additional debuffs onto his body, being the most dangerous of these the 'Anti-Healing' effect, which had finally taken hold, preventing his injuries from healing naturally.
Adam's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, but one thing was clear: he had to help somehow. But how? Nothing in his current arsenal would work against the guardians, not only because they were B-rank enemies but also because they were immune to the one ability he possessed. Yet, maybe... His thoughts raced, piecing everything together from what had transpired. He might have lost all the stat bonuses he'd gained by absorbing the fragments, but he still had the cursed energy he'd been accumulating.
He could recall the two skills he had that used the cursed energy. However, [Lesser Undead Control] was out of the question due to its restriction—it could only be used on undead ranked F or lower. That left him with [Ghost Phasing], a skill not meant for combat, but at this moment it was the only thing he could think of. Maybe, just maybe, he could do something with it.
He had barely taken two steps toward the combatants when everything around him plunged into complete darkness, freezing him in place. His eyes widened in panic as a chilling breeze brushed the back of his neck. Instinctively, he tried to glance behind him, only to come face-to-face with a pale figure, white as snow.
It was an entity he recognized well, though he had never seen it in this form before. No longer the elongated, humanoid being with three hollow eyes, this time, its arms and legs resembled those of a human. Its robe had transformed into an elegant white dress, and its once-tangled black hair was now smooth and silver, flowing like delicate strands of silk. Yet its face remained indistinct, its features blurred as if seen through a fogged glass, masking any trace of expression.
"My dear, incomplete Lich, look at how much you've grown."
The figure spoke softly, her voice now carrying distinctly feminine tones instead of the guttural sound that had marked all their previous encounters.
"I told you that your luck would run out sooner or later; you can't escape me forever, you know? But I must admit, you've done well. I'm not sure what all this cursed power you've gathered for me is, but rest assured, your queen is pleased. My seal is almost broken; it just needs a little more."
The ghost said this as she lifted one of her delicate hands and brushed her icy fingers across Adam's chin, leaving him powerless to react, feeling as though his body was unresponsive.
"Don't worry, remember that I can sense what you're thinking and what you desire... As a reward for your service, I'll tell you this: there is a very simple way to obtain the power you seek to help these people, and it lies within that curious book you carry to this place. Infuse it with the last vestige of power you've managed to absorb, and I will do the rest."
Those words resonated in the boy's mind, but he couldn't understand why she had said that. Could he really do something with the dark tome? Until that moment, it had only been a binding with no pages at all. But aside from that, could he even consider trusting the words of that entity? She had never once shown herself to be a benevolent being; in fact, all she had done so far was torment him every time he lost consciousness.
Adam's thoughts came to an abrupt halt as another of the ghost's icy fingers rested on his lips, as if she wanted him to keep silent.
"So perceptive as always, aren't you? I'm offering you the chance to save those you care about. There's no need to think it over—everything you seek is within your reach, all in exchange for a small price... your body."
The boy's eyes widened further in surprise at the promise of power. But why? Could it be that she genuinely felt grateful for what he had done up to this point? No, that wasn't possible. Every single one of his actions had been influenced by her; he could recall the voices in his head and the impulses that didn't feel like his own. She had no reason to offer him anything when she could control him in that way. Besides, he didn’t understand what she meant by wanting his body in exchange. He didn’t even know if he had any options, but none of this felt right to him at all.
Suddenly, as if the temperature had suddenly dropped even further, Adam felt his face being crushed by the same hand that had been nearby just moments before, causing him great pain. At the same time, the ghost's appearance began to shift, and her blurred face transformed back into one with those three black holes, now twisting with excitement and anger.
"Exactly! You're forgetting something important... YOU BELONG TO ME! You have no choice. I wanted to see the expression on your face when you realized that you never had any control at all, but you're not amusing. Still, I can’t say I don't appreciate your attitude; you'll certainly make a fine Lich one day... You know? This time I'm serious. I'll give you a little gift—a taste of what awaits you and a bit of false freedom."
After this, the slender figure of the specter began to laugh with a haunting voice that shook the dark space around them before finally vanishing. Adam found he could move again and realized that it seemed not a second had passed since his encounter with the undead queen; Augustus and the two guardians were still locked in the same struggle… Leaving the boy with only one option.
Adam cursed inwardly, knowing that everything the specter had said was true and that he had no choice. Even though part of him screamed internally to stay away from the book on the pedestal, logic dictated that it was the only path forward—assuming he hadn't been cruelly deceived.
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He quickly reached the pedestal, seeing the metallic book still waiting for him. Despite his doubts, he gathered all his courage and took the tome in both hands, focusing as much as he could on the sensation he had felt when it absorbed the other powers in the past. It wasn't long before a system window appeared before him, indicating the result.
⌠Notice: [Ancient Dark Tome - Rank F] has absorbed a little of the ‘Depraved Power of Envy’.⌡ ⌠Warning: [Ancient Dark Tome - Rank F] has regained its power!⌡ ⌠...⌡ ⌠Warning: [Ancient Dark Tome - Rank F] is resonating with the abnormal amount of pure cursed energy of an unknown entity!⌡ ⌠Notice: [Ancient Dark Tome - Rank F] will evolve and change forms due to its corrupted influence.⌡ ⌠Please, select the path of evolution for your treasure⌡
[Necronomicon - Rank ?] [Daemonomicon - Rank ?] [Spectronomicon - Rank ?] [Chthonianomicon - Rank ?] [Cursed Book based on the unholy knowledge of necromancy.] [Cursed Book based on the impious art of demon summoning.] [Cursed Book based on the corrupted practice of specter manipulation.] [Cursed Book based on the blasphemous rituals to contract eldritch abominations.]
Adam didn’t know how to react to such a turn of events. All he could do was quickly read the options presented to him. What was he supposed to do now? He hated having to make a choice—any choice—without enough information to support the best alternative. However, during those few seconds of hesitation, more windows began to appear.
⌠Warning: An unknown entity has forcefully selected the path of [Spectronomicon - Rank?].⌡
“What?...”
Immediately after that forced selection, the book began to emit a large amount of a vaporous substance, disintegrating completely until nothing remained but an amorphous cloud. This cloud began to float and move like a serpent around Adam, until it finally positioned itself in front of him and formed into a skull that let out a piercing scream directed at its master.
[Spectronomicon - Rank ? ] ⌠Additional Information⌡ ⌠This eerie artifact is not merely a book but a sentient ghost bound to its user, embodying the twisted essence of the haunted. Its form can shift between a spectral skull, emanating an unsettling glow, and a ghostly book composed of swirling, cursed energy that resembles steam. Each transformation serves as a reminder of the sinister knowledge contained within, and the user must tread carefully, for the book's curse deepens with every use, threatening to consume their soul in the process.⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡ ⌠Hidden: As a growth-type item, the [Spectronomicon] strengthens alongside its user, enhancing its power and unlocking advanced skills related to the dark art of manipulating spirits. Its rank is tied to the user's Potential stat.⌡ ⌠Notice: As part of the undead race, the user does not suffer any penalty after using the [Spectronomicon].⌡ ⌠Hint: An unknown entity has added three new skills to the [Spectronomicon].⌡
It was too much information for Adam to process, and he had to skim through it quickly until he reached the final part, which stated that he now had three new skills tied to his new item. The book—or rather, the specter representing it—continued to float around him in a disturbingly eerie manner. Adam tried every possible way to access the skills, even opening his status window, but found nothing. The skills were part of the Spectronomicon, not his own. Desperate, he focused on trying to summon the book in front of him, just as the item description stated.
Luckily, it worked! Amid the eerie laughter from the ethereal skull, it gathered in front of Adam and transformed into a nearly transparent floating book. There was no time to read through the details—Adam knew time was running out. He focused on the first words he could make out, commanding with all his strength that whatever was about to happen, it should launch itself against the guardians and assist the elderly Admiral.
Unfortunately, his orders were heeded, and one of the skills stored within the ghostly object activated with a dreadful wail, signaling that the forces of the damned souls were now in motion. Immediately after, a gigantic arm emerged from Adam's own chest—so massive that it couldn’t fit in the room on its own. Luckily, this wasn't an issue, as the intangibility of the limb allowed it to phase effortlessly through the ceiling.
Without realizing it, Adam had summoned the most powerful and dangerous skill of the three he possessed—the partial manifestation of what had been known in the previous scenario as Demon-Type, a walking calamity that only brought certain death to anyone who laid eyes on it. And there it was, one of its arms, growing larger and larger, vanishing into the ceiling while the boy began to scream at the top of his lungs, the pain he was experiencing utterly insane, as though something had truly forced its way out of his chest, causing it to explode even tho it didn’t have any physical wound. Yet, for some reason, this time he couldn’t lose consciousness from the pain as he had before, as if something was forcing him to remain awake, making him endure every second of the excruciating torment.
The Admiral, on his end, was pushing himself to his absolute limit. With the skills of his implants still sealed, he could rely only on his natural physical ability, which wouldn’t have been such a problem if not for the endless debuffs stacking up with every attack he endured. His arms wouldn’t stop bleeding from countless cuts, and he felt his strength slowly beginning to fade... But he would not give in. He would never surrender. Even if it cost him his life, he would take down those two abominations and ensure the safety of the young ones he had sworn to protect. He just needed to find the right moment to strike.
But his train of thought was abruptly interrupted by the agonizing scream of Adam behind him. Instinctively, the Admiral turned, unable to resist the urge to look. That momentary distraction proved nearly fatal, as the remaining two automatons seized the opportunity to deliver what would have been lethal blows. However, just before their strikes landed, a gigantic hand descended from the ceiling—a monstrous, open palm slammed down with incredible force, crushing the two guardians like tin cans and passing harmlessly through Augustus, as though it were nothing but smoke.
“What the hell was that?”
Even for someone with as many years of experience as the Admiral, what he had just witnessed was beyond anything he had ever seen. In disbelief, he watched as the gigantic arm faded away, seemingly swept away by the air after the impact. The two golden skeletons had been utterly annihilated; this time, not even their blue flames remained. All that was left was a heap of broken and flattened golden fragments scattered across the ground.
However, his shock was short-lived. Snapping out of it, Augustus quickly turned back and saw Adam kneeling on the ground, gasping for air and dry-heaving, clearly on the verge of vomiting had his stomach not been empty. Without hesitation, he rushed toward him. Even as the world began to spin around him—likely a result of the heavy blood loss he was suffering—he didn't stop until he reached the young man.
“Boy, are you alright? What happened?”
The old man spoke as he reached Adam and began examining him, unaware that the massive arm had emerged from the boy and assuming he was simply injured. Adam, on the other hand, couldn’t respond. He was still struggling to breathe after everything he had endured. The pain continued to throb in his head, despite there being no physical injury. While the agony of experiencing firsthand the sensation of his chest being ripped open from within would have driven anyone mad, the passive skills [Mental Resistance Lv5] and [Half-Undead Psyche (Innate)] had kept his mind intact—a horrifying combination that ensured his sanity was preserved, forcing him to feel and remember every excruciating second of pain.
"Take your time; it’s all over."
Adam still couldn't speak and continued retching, so Augustus had no choice but to support him and help him to his feet, carefully leading him toward the group gathered in the distance, seemingly having finished their own battles as well. Never had a walk of just a few dozen meters felt so long, but he persevered. Even as his uniform began to stain more and more with blood from his wounds, incapable of healing, he managed to reach the entrance alongside the young man.
But what awaited them was even more bizarre, as they saw the bodies of Drake and Thaddeus unconscious on the ground. The former was covered in horrific third-degree burns, while the latter had an open wound in his chest with black blood oozing from it. Wait, black blood? … The smell of oil was too intense.
Nearby were the others, with Sebastian being the most busy. He was kneeling beside the lifeless shell of his aviatrix and Thaddeus, holding a blue flame in his hands, reminiscent of what the golden guardians had wielded, while murmuring something with tears in his eyes.