"Fools! All of them! They are all fools who are blind to reason!"

The students of the library averted their gaze as he shouted from his table.

"Demons, Orcs, Goblins, and wild beasts are nothing compared to that thing! Yet this fool of a king wishes to take no action while the threat is still but a seed waiting to sprout!"

"Eru, you must understand his position. Arluk cannot spend needed men to march off into-"

"I'm not talking about fielding armies! Defenses! Arluk cannot face this threat alone, Y'vanna! The king should be focused on preparing for the long twilight instead of petty politics amongst bickering kingdoms!"

His hand slammed down onto the table and toppled over the stack of books his companion was reading. She sighed as she looked up at the Black Mage as he angrily sipped the cup of tea that she poured for him earlier.

"This whole kingdom will perish if we do not prepare adequate defenses. Yet what is that damned boy doing?! Off somewhere in the Northern Wastes fighting against barbarians."

"At least our relationship with the Giants are now cordial."

"Of course, of course... But Giants, Elves, and Dwarves won't be enough to face the coming storm. If it was just another Goblin King or an Orc Warlord, I wouldn't even pay it no heed. But what I saw in that vision terrified me."

"And what type of horror could scare the greatest Shadowmancer so much that he had to seek an audience with the brat he once taught?"

Ereldru'ash shuddered and stroked his beard to calm himself. His eyes stared at the last drops of tea in his cup while he recalled the vivid dream he saw.

"I was staring into the void itself, Y'vanna. It didn't just stare back at me, it bared its teeth and claws. It writhed in the darkness with its many eyes as it clawed against the shackles that bound it in that place. Whatever it is, it is much more vile and malevolent than the Demon King and his armies and its hunger deeper than the ravenous Undead the Necromancer commanded. It is the void itself, and I could hear the silent tune it sings to all."

His brown eyes were wracked with fear and his voice filled with dread as he spoke. He closed his eyes as he shoved the horrid images of the thing that lurked in the void from his mind.

"That's... intense. Well, that's one of the negatives of playing around with Shadow Essence. Nothing good ever comes out of the Plane of Shadow anyway."

"Tch! Nonsense! Shadow Essence is an untapped source of mana, you know? The papers I wrote about the subject descri-"

"Of course, of course. Anyway, what are you planning to do now that you've been tasked with experimenting on defensive fortifications?"

Ereldru'ash blinked at Y'vanna as the bored Geomancer traced the rim of her teacup with her delicate fingers.

"Hmm. The walls of this city are old... Perhaps work on that first?"

He silently weaved his spell while the adventurers around him fought with his creatures of shadow and smoke. Three adventurers circled him warily, their weapons drawn and their silent gaze focused on him and him alone. For a moment, the vision in his bright, green eyes of pure mana blurred as the spell sucked out more mana from his body. But in the darkness of his mind, he managed to grab hold onto his consciousness through the shadow and fog that gnawed at him.

“Keep it together, like shadows in the dark... “

He said to himself with a raspy voice akin to that of a dying man. He glanced up at the source of the footsteps that approached him quickly.

“[Shadow Blast]”

“Too slow!”

The man with a spear leapt and dodged the black bolt of shadow that was aimed towards him. His eyes flashed at the sight of the large man charging at him with his greatsword.

He could see the Holy Magic weaved into the steel of the greatsword as the man held it over his head. It did not scare him, but it made him summon to his hands whatever magic that still remained in his body. With a heavy blow, it crashed against the barrier of the Black Mage but it had failed to deliver a killing blow. Instead, it struck only black smoke as the Black Mage's form slipped away beneath the man's feet. He emerged moments later from his shadow, his hands glowing with necromantic energy, ready to tear apart the man from limb to limb.

But the stinging pain of something sharp made him jolt backwards. Stefan grunted as he twisted his Elven sword deeper into the Black Mage's shoulder. The Black Mage hissed and began to cast a spell to bind the man, but Jared's spear pierced through his chest. He looked up at the armored man as he swirled around, his sword burning the air around it as it sliced through the air.

"[Purifying Strike]!"

His voice made the Lich tremble, and the bright edges of his greatsword's blade flashed with brilliant light that engulfed his form.

But as it bit into his flesh and seared away parts of his body, black tendrils exploded out of his chest and engulfed Ludwig. Within moments, his armor was being cracked open while the Lich's body exuded a foul miasma that made Jared and Stefan jump away from him. The Lich had no time to rest as he raised his thin fingers towards the two men. Suddenly, they found themselves being pushed down to the ground by something while the Lich's form contorted above Ludwig. They watched in horror as the Lich's hands glowed a sickly shade of green as the bones in his body impaled Ludwig.

With the use of Necromancy, the Lich let out a cacophony of rattling laughter as he sucked away at Ludwig's mana. Ludwig tried to lift his arms to strike down the Lich, but it was in vain. He saw his shadow on the ground, its form distorted and bound by black tendrils that sprang from the Lich's own shadow. But as he felt the searing pain of his life being forcefully torn from him, he let out a thunderous roar filled with desperation as he poured all of his strength into his arms. He could feel his flesh being slowly torn apart as he forced himself to lift up his arms with every ounce of his strength. Within moments, he was free of the Lich's Spell of Shadow Binding and he found himself holding the Lich's skulls in between his hands.

Immediately, he pressed down his thumbs into the sockets of the Lich. Green mana and black liquid gushed out of his face as the green flames that served as his eyes were snuffed out by the man's desperate attack. An unholy scream left the Lich's jaws as Ludwig forcefully purified him with his bare hands and through the pain and wounds that covered his entire body, he poured his strength into his prayers and his will. Steam left his helmet while blood dripped out of it in a torrent, yet the man continued to pour what remained of his Holy Magic into the creature under him.

"Perish under the judgement of the Gods, Lich!"

He spoke with a hoarse voice through gritted teeth and a pool of blood in his mouth. The Lich screamed in fury as he cast a spell in desperation.

"[Shadow Rend]!"

His voice was like a dying man's yet it nearly deafened Stefan and Jared. But Ludwig didn't even move.

In fact, he wasn't moving at all. The two of them just stared at Ludwig as he stood as still as a statue. After a moment, they watched in horror as he toppled backwards with a soft groan. Their eyes widened and their mouths were left hung open as the Lich's shadow ripped apart Ludwig's like a foul beast. The Lich himself didn't move, yet the shadows around him lashed out in different directions as Ludwig's body contorted and twisted before them.

His limbs were torn from their sockets, his armor crushed like soft rock, and his soul was devoured ravenously by the Lich. They watched the ground as the shadows of the Lich retreated back under his robes like vile hands that dragged with them what looks to be pieces of the man's shadow. Jared scowled and tried to charge at him, but he was soon pinned in place by the same shadows that ripped apart his fellow adventurer. Then he watched as the shadows took hold of his own, and his mind raced with the thoughts of death and the gruesome fate that befell Ludwig. But instead of death, he was thrown towards Stefan like a doll.

The Lich's eyes burst into green flames as he absorbed the lingering mana over the man's corpse before he turned his attention towards the mess in front of him. He was about to cast the same spell on them to finish them off when two arrows and a bolt of Shadow Magic crashed against his face. He turned towards the direction it came from, only to be met by a hail of arrows, magic, and even by rocks. He hissed angrily as he watched a Low-Elf shoot an enchanted arrow at him.

"[Shadow Protection], [Shadow Strengthening], [Shadow Walking], [Blinding Darkness], [Domain of Shadows]."

His eyes flared like violent flames of green while magic and shadows flowed out of his hands.

Stefan and Jared dodged as black bolts of magical shadow exploded near them. The Black Mage roared out as the walls of his room crumbled and cracked while the fleshy material that covered them was forcibly pulled away by his own magic. Arrows bounced off or were shattered by the shadows that surrounded him yet he did not move an inch from where he was standing. He will need time for the effects of his numerous spells to take effect, and he knew just what to do to buy himself precious moments of much needed time.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain to his right. His eyes flashed as the shadows that shielded him broke and scattered. An arrow, blessed by a Priestess, pierced his side and immediately burned away the flesh around its head. He roared and quickly pulled it out before he dodged another one aimed at his head. Magic burned behind his eyes in anger and he hissed at them like a foul beast of the wild.

"Ella! Ilyana! Where's Lea?"

Jared rushed over towards them while they watched the Black Mage as he stood motionless against the hail of projectiles thrown at him.

"S-She's healing the wounded. Rotten Oak bark, t-this is a mess..."

Ilyana's voice was filled with exhaustion as she struggled to keep the door behind them closed.

Pillars of rock prevented them from opening, but she could feel the things behind it as they pushed against the door. By her feet are three empty bottles of Mana Potions, and that was a bad sign. Jared looked at the beads of sweat travelling down her face as she continued to pour more and more of her mana into the spell.

In the distance, he could see Stefan as he weaved through the thick barrage of spells around him while arrows poured down on him. The silver-haired Katherine was with him as she cut down the shadows he summoned with his vile magic. There were around 40 adventurers left from the original 100 or so, and half of them were doing their best to stop the vile Lich as it continued to cast something under its breath. Its green eyes glowed brightly with each cast of its spells while its left arm swatted away those that tried to strike at it.

"Ella, I need you to cast-"

"I-I'm all out of blessings... I used the fourth one to bless all of Miss Semilia's arrows."

Ella looked away while Jared scratched the back of his head.

"Damn. I was counting on that... Any ideas on how to take down a Lich?"

"Well, I think Liches have a magical core somewhere. It's what binds their soul to the body, I think."

"And where the hell could that be?"

"S-Somewhere close to him and well protected."

Ella glanced at the Lich as it strangled an adventurer. She looked away and uttered a silent prayer as she heard the man's death cry as his life force was violently pulled out of his body.

"Or we could drain it of mana."

Azalia walked out of Ella's shadow, bruised and bloodied.

"W-What the hell happened to you?!"

"Just a slight miscalculation on my part. I need to cast a spell, I will need someone to cover for me."

The Shadowmancer smirked as she pulled back her hood.

She had scratches all over her body and the robes themselves looked like a wreck. But Azalia ignored the pain and pressed her hands together as she began to cast the spell. The spells she knew were mostly illusionary and focused on movement rather than damage, but this was a different spell than the ones she normally cast. She spat out blood as she watched the Lich turn its attention towards her.

"With shadows, I bind thee. With thy own thoughts, I imprison you. And with my hands, I seal your fate. [Mind's Shadow]."

Her words made the hair at the back of their heads stand as the Lich dashed towards them.

Azalia's own shadows emerged from the ground and shot towards and met the Black Mage. For a moment, his barrier held. But then it shattered and Azalia's spell wrapped around him rapidly. His eyes flared at the shadows that clutched at him tightly while arrows struck his body from all angles. Azalia smiled and watched the Black Mage's attempts to break free of her spell, only to be foiled with each magical attack thrown at him.

"T-That will keep him at bay for a while... Gah, my arm..."

Her anguished yelp made Mina's head jerk towards her.

Blood trailed down the length of her arm and she noticed the lacerations along its length. She also noticed her labored breathing and the large beads of sweat on her forehead. She could feel the heat coming off of her body and the intense amount of mana that she was burning with each second. Jared immediately pulled out his last bottle of Health Potion but Azalia shook his head at him when he tried to pour some on her wounds.

"Save it for later, Sir Jared. I still have some strength left in me to push through the pain but my mana is on the verge of drying up."

Azalia's voice was strained as her focus was on preventing the Black Mage from moving.

But then it happened. Azalia let out a gasp as she felt her spell break. Magical energy shot outwards in all directions as the Black Mage brushed off the spells and arrows thrown at him. Azalia was about to stand when she felt the mana in her body grow violent. She raised an arm in a futile attempt to shoot one last [Shadow Bolt] at the Black Mage, only for her to collapse beside Mina. She was unconscious and her body burned with a high fever.

The Black Mage looked at this and sighed in disappointment. She would've made a promising student when he was still alive, but she was still 2nd rate Mage compared to him. He was about to kill her quickly with a quick snapping of the neck using her own shadow when he saw the flash of steel in front of him. He dodged quickly by turning into wisps of smoke as he saw the thin body of the rapier pass him by. Yet the wind and force of the blow left scratches on his face and he had to jump away quickly.

The maiden held her sword aloft as he jumped away from her. Her silver hair flowed with the grace of the gentle wind that blew against the mountain. His gaze met hers and they exchanged intense blows with the glares they threw at each other's directions. They said no words to one another, instead, they circled one another while he cast his spells silently within his mind.

Without warning, Katherine's wrist flicked as she lunged for the Lich's chest with her sword. But though his body is as stiff as any corpse, it moved unnaturally fast. He dodged her attack effortlessly, yet he was unable to throw an attack of his own. He found himself dodging a flurry of fast strikes and powerful thrusts as the girl danced around his attempts to grab her.

The Lich's eyes flared as he felt the tip of her rapier thrust into his empty chest. He gasped as the rapier's tip exited out of his back while the girl twisted the blade in an effort to do more damage. The Shadow Essence that moved his body according to his will spewed out of the entry point. He groaned softly as the liquid swirled back into his body while the girl pulled out her silver weapon.

"It is futile."

His raspy voice filled the air with a green hue as he reached for Katherine.

"You are but an obstacle in the way of my goals."

"I did not come here to exchange words with a foul creature of the shadows. Begone, Lich!"

Katherine's words cut through the tense air as she shoved the Lich away from her.

His green orbs saw only the fleeting glimpse of steel before the bones in his head shattered. She had done it, she had destroyed his skull. Green magic poured out of his head as Katherine's sword struck his left arm and all he could do was watch it happen. He could feel the magic that bound him to this place drain away as the broken pieces of his skull fell to the floor. Magic spiralled out of control and he saw his creations melt away and disappear. He let out a final cry as the magic in his body slowly faded and he glared at the woman responsible for this.

Stefan stared at the bones and robes that lay before them. They could tell that it was over, it was just a regular corpse now. He looked at Semilia, whose face was now flushed red due to the exhaustion she felt. Her quiver was empty now, and her hands sore and numb. She stared at the creature that caused the death of 57 people that joined them in this expedition. It was responsible for countless more, but they didn't care anymore. It is finished.

Eric sighed as he stumbled to his seat with a flask in his hand. He took a swig of the strong liquor within while he watched Jared from afar as he watched over three of his unconscious teammates and Azalia. They were drained of mana, all of them, and they would need a lot of rest to recover. He took another swig and looked down at the small shard of bone that jutted out of the floor. It looked weird, but he thought nothing much of it.

"Stefan! Want to drink with me?"

"S-Sure..."

"Mind if I join in?"

"And me as well?"

"Heh, there's room here for all of us."

Eric smiled as he patted at the spot beside him. His smile quickly faded, however, when he felt the wetness beside him.

Their eyes turned towards the black liquid as powerful blasts of mana erupted from the shattered remains of the Black Mage. Katherine rushed forward as the shards of bone pieced themselves back together with loud snaps that blasted everything around them with magical energy. He was forming his body back together with Shadow Magic and the mana he gathered during the fight. Eric spilt his drink and grabbed his sword while the few adventurers that are still able to fight rushed to their aid.

Semilia stepped on one of the broken fragments of bone, only for it to slip away under her boot and cut through the air like one of her arrows. It snapped in place as the Lich's body rose from the ground, now imbued with necromantic energy that burned at the flesh of anyone who dared to approach him. Half of his face is still gone, yet both of his eyes floated in place as he grabbed at the tip of Katherine's rapier. The Lich knocked it away and disappeared, reappearing moments later behind her.

Eric and Stefan dashed towards the Lich, their swords ready to cut him down. His green eyes flared as he felt the crackling of electricity behind him and the burning sensation that came from Stefan's sword. He let out a roar as he grabbed Katherine by her neck before he flung her towards Eric. The two of them were sent flying across the room while Stefan dodged a blast of necromantic energy that came from the Lich's hands. The Lich roared as the spear pierced his chest, yet he simply broke it in half as he slowly pulled himself together.

"I cannot falter now... Not here, not now. You wretched fools that seek only riches knows nothing about the true threats that lay hidden before you."

His voice was filled with anger the final pieces of his skull slid in place.

"S-Shit. How the hell is he not dead?!"

Eric yelled out as Katherine pushed herself off of him.

"Whatever is binding his soul to this world is pretty powerful. We need-"

"I am bound to this world not by the will of the sinister Gods that seek only chaos, but by my own will and strength. I am Ereldru'ash the Black Mage, and I will not stumble here now that the threat that looms over Arluk approaches. If you think a simple attack like that could kill me, then you mistake me for a meagre Goblin, woman!"

His voice made the walls of the room crack while the anger in his eyes blazed like a roaring forge. Magic surrounded him as his form loomed over them, yet he turned his attention towards the sinister magical circle that glowed a disgusting shade of green.

"I must- I must hold myself together. Arluk cannot fall, it will not fall... I will not let it fall."

His voice was deep and distorted, and they watched in utter horror as the Lich's robes began to contort and snap violently.

Black tendrils extended out from underneath his robes as the magical circle spewed out magic. The few Archers that were left fired arrows into the shadows that formed around him as his eyes circled towards the magical circle. But the arrows were simply melted into Shadow Essence as the Lich walked towards the magical circle as it grew more violent. He laughed as he stared at the faces of despair before him.

"I will save Arluk with this, and I shall bring peace to this world. I shall silence that damned song with my shadows and I shall face its darkness with a darkness of my own..."

With those words, the Lich began to cast the final parts of his incantation. He smiled as the area around the magical circle cracked and distorted. Stone into something dark as the corruption slowly spread outward with each word.

"With this, I shall have no need for mana... I break the bonds that separate these two planes! [Release, Reali-"

His words were left unfinished as a sword that glowed with bright light shot towards the magical circle. It broke through the barriers he put up behind him and sliced off his arm before it shattered the circle engraved into the wall.

A scream of utter rage and agony rang out from him as the magical energy spiralled out of control. The walls around the circle cracked as the shadows that spewed out from it was sucked back into the Plane of Shadows. With a final burst of energy that knocked back even the Lich himself, the magical circle was burned away from the stone while the sword that broke it cracked and shattered into beautiful fragments of silver dust and orichalcum shards.

His green eyes and the heads of everyone turned towards the claw that threw the weapon. The Lich roared as centuries worth of mana flowed back into him from the now ruined spell and he turned his wrath towards the creature standing in front of the open doorway. Its crimson eyes glowed brightly before it turned a bright yellow as he stepped into the light of the adventurer's lanterns and torches.

"The thief that lurks within these stone halls... I shall have your head for this!"

The Lich, now imbued with the mana he gathered over the course of centuries, burned with magical energy as necromantic energy and shadows lashed all around him like serpents of green and black.

The Goblin panted as he saw the large form taking shape at the other end of the room and the bodies piled around the door. Behind him was Riel, Orien, and Ameera, holding weapons that were given to them by the Goblin. All of them paled as they faced the Lich as it thrashed around with its many tendrils while its green eyes looked at the Goblin. Riel felt suffocated by the large amount of mana the Lich gave off while Orien prayed to the Goddess for protection from this being of horrors.

With a scream that made the ears of some people bleed, magical circles appeared around the Lich as he aimed at the Goblin. He had no grin on his face as he aimed his most powerful spells towards the creature, only a menacing scowl and a look in his eyes that burned with deep hatred and disgust. Stefan and Eric grabbed their swords as the Lich's hands twisted and moulded the mana in the air into powerful blasts of magic. His green eyes flared brightly in anticipation as the Goblin dashed towards him with his burning sword.

"I will not fail at the hands of a lowly creature such as a Goblin! Perish!"

With those words, the Lich's hands glowed with green magic as he pointed a gnarled and skeletal finger at the Goblin's figure. The Goblin snarled back at him and continued to dash towards the powerful Lich while his hands glowed with magic of his own.

And they all watched as the two monsters clashed violently in the midst of the now crumbling dungeon. The two exchanged powerful blasts of magical energy and at that moment, the walls of the dungeon began to crumble.