I had some of the greatest sleep of my life underneath that tree. I woke up to see several of the fairies napping on top of a purring Inkler, and I really hated to spoil the scene. We really had to though, so I made us breakfast. The smells of cooking woke Inkler up, and after breakfast we started back toward the shore. Several of the fairies had to take pity on us and assist with their magic, but we eventually made the crossing.

“Angus, Inkler. We assume you are preparing to destroy the lich?” Zephire asked.

“Yes, your majesty.” I answered. “Though sleeping under your tree was wonderfully refreshing, we have duties that must be seen to. I’m sure you understand.”

“Indeed we do. Alas, we cannot send you off with a normal blessing until we have had our mantle for a year and a day. The best we can do is wish you good luck, and pray for your success.”

“Thank you, for your generosity. The equipment is more than thanks enough, and I think I speak for both of us when we wish you and your kin well. Hopefully by the end of the day, there will be one less scourge in the desert.” Without further ado, Inkler and I headed towards the dungeon once again. We put on a serious air, as an ancient lich was no laughing matter.

As we approached the entrance to the lich’s area of the dungeon, some instinct made Inkler pause and growl. I immediately stopped as well, looking around. Seeing nothing, I checked the magical spectrum and sucked in a breath. There was a wall over the entrance, energy shooting through it at random intervals. To the side, I noticed a branch of mana leading to a completely mundane brick. Pushing it, the force field deactivated.

“Well, looks like this guy likes some traps. Thanks for the heads up Inkler, I’ll keep [Mystic vision] activated. Just watch where you step.” He chuffed in agreement, and we started moving down the stairs. I was rather surprised that it had taken us until this point to find a trap, but that was fine with me. Unless you are setting them, they are annoying.

Three sets of stairs later, and I stopped Inkler from moving forward. Down the entire length of hallway, I could see magical tripwires crisscrossing the hall. “Well, we have two ways of disarming this. Make that three.” I told Inkler. “I could try my hand at disarming obviously advanced magical traps. You could follow after me, hoping not to set off any of the traps. Or we could send a shadowgheist in and purposely set off all the traps.”

Chuffing at the last one, I chuckled a bit as well. “You’re right, setting them all off is the way to go. [Shadowgheist].” My summoned clone took one look at me before turning and sprinting down the hallway at top speed. We watched as it made it five traps in before he couldn’t outrun the effect, dissipating into a cloud of darkness as an axe swung down from the ceiling and cleaved into his chest. “This. This might take a while.” I spoke, and Inkler sat down to watch the show. Every twenty-seven minutes, thanks to the cooldown shortening of my new set, a new shadowgheist attempted to run the gauntlet.

“This is taking way too long.” I muttered after the third clone died. “If only you could. See.” My eyes widened with a new plan. The issue was Inkler couldn’t see the beams of magic. I could fix that. Stone manipulation on the walls created tubes of stone around the beams of magic. That way, even if he wasn’t watching Inkler couldn’t accidentally trip one of them.

“Alright bud, I think we got this. Before we head through though, see that suspiciously empty area off to the left?” He nodded at me. “If I was a devious sort, I would leave an area empty of magic traps and leave a mundane trigger there, like a pressure plate. So we are going to move around through the right side of the hallway. Got it?” Snorting in derision, Inkler took off and easily wormed his way through the gauntlet, smugly looking back at me. “Yeah, yeah. Smug damn cat.” I muttered as I looked things over. I could probably do what Inkler did, but with far less grace. Smiling, I looked him dead in the eye and spoke three words. “[Dancing shadow steps].”

“You were saying about how easy it was?” I asked as he chuffed at me. I couldn’t help but laugh a bit as we continued on. There were occasional traps along the way, though the lich was incredibly lazy about their distribution. All of the pressure plates had a slightly different elevation than the rest of the floor, making them stand out to the wary adventurer. The higher ones seemed newer because there was slightly less dust on them. The ones that were slightly depressed were even easier, as the thicker dust was obvious. Twice more there were gauntlets of magical tripwires. Stone manipulation made them trivial. Half an hour of travel later, and we were standing in front of some truly ostentatious doors.

Twice my height, they looked to be solid gold. There was a stylized figure made from a mosaic of gems, radiating magic from a staff topped with a massive sapphire, while three figures knelt at his feet. Unimpressed, I pushed open the doors and entered a grand receiving hall. Two rows of pillars lined the sides of the 300 foot space. Each pillar had a ring of gems at the top and bottom, different from the ones before it. At the end of the room sat the lich upon a gilded throne. Typical mage dress, with a black robe and a scepter adorned with a massive ruby, his skin was dried from the desert air. At his side sat two massive hounds. Obviously built for strength, they each had bone armor.

Zandkazaar

Heroic Lich level 100

Zandkazaar. Once a renowned mage, his name now strikes fear into the hearts of those knowledgeable about magical histories. He set up his seat of power in the midst of three fallen kingdoms, draining their kings and citizens to empower himself. Thanatos has decreed that his time is at an end.

Undead Guardian Hound

Heroic level 95

Crafted from unknown components and gifted a pseudo life from the necromantic arts of Zandkazaar, these hounds are unflinchingly loyal and incredibly dangerous. Who knows what weapons he managed to imbue within their hideous forms?

“Impossible. One single intruder besting my three generals and my dragon?” A raspy voice croaked out of the lich’s throat, as the dogs started growling.

“Oh, that’s not all I’ve done.” I taunted him. “I freed Oberon, and broke the curse upon the kingdoms. By the way, how much does it hurt when a lich loses a phylactery? You probably shouldn’t place them within fallen kings.”

“KILLLL HIM!!!” The lich stood and screeched in rage. The hounds took off at an impressive pace, while Inkler and I spread just a bit. The hounds each took a target, and I got into a defensive stance. Body bladed towards the charging hound, I held my weapon low waiting for it to get within range. When it was about ten feet from me, it launched itself into the air while I activated my plan.

“[Stone pike].” I calmly said, using stone manipulation to create a thick spear from the ground. Already in the air, the hound had no chance to avoid it, impaling itself through the chest. As it kept snarling and trying to get to me, I calmly walked forward and shoved the hammer into its jaws. Head back and unable to bite down, I put my hand inside its mouth and channeled a skill. “[Purging flames].”

Eyes wide in fright, the creature finally knew fear. It didn’t last long, as the green flames consumed it from the inside out, leaving a charred husk crumbling to the ground under its own weight. Turning, I saw Inkler was in the process of dismantling his opponent using his superior agility. The hound was already missing a hind leg and a good chunk of the bone armor it originally had. Inkler let the hound pounce at him one more time before unleashing a reality slash that cut through its unarmored belly, leaving it in two swiftly dying pieces.

“Tsk. If you cannot be overpowered with brute force, perhaps numbers shall do the job.” The lich rasped as we continued down the aisle towards him. “Souls of my slaves, arise once again. Your master demands the death of intruders. Rise. Rise and destroy. [Legion summoning]!” As he chanted the spell, green orbs swirled around him faster and faster. Reaching a crescendo above his head, they slammed into the ground. Seconds later, bodies erupted, and a wall of shambling mummies approached us. Before they could attack, Inkler spun and snarled behind us.

“Damn. Sneaky bastard will resurrect the fallen bodies?” I muttered, watching as Inkler once again battled the undead hound. Time to get serious. With the lich out of sight, I summoned a shadowgheist and went through the last of my stash of inferno potions, liberally spreading them through the crowd of mummies. “[Dancing shadow steps].” I used the skill several times. First to get out of the line of sight of the lich, and then to move swiftly and silently through the hall so that I was behind where the lich was. Once there, I observed as my clone easily dealt with the mummies. Rather than fight them outright, he would kite them around for a bit and then use a counterattack to send them stumbling into the still burning bodies of their brethren. In the meantime, Inkler had once again killed the hound. Smart cat that he is, he carried the head of the beast over to one of the burning piles and tossed it in.

“Annoying pests. Let’s see you handle this! [Necromantic barrage]!” Ten discs of dark energy formed around the lich, and started firing bolts of energy at Inkler and my clone. While he was distracted, I had to take this opportunity.

“[Reaper’s edge][Rocket slash].” I tried a combo to decapitate the lich, but he must have sense the mana somehow and turned just enough that it wasn’t a fatal blow. Staggering under the force of the strike, he teleported a short distance away, losing his grasp on the skill that he was using to keep my clone and Inkler away.

“So you wish to use clones? Two can play at that game! [Multiplicity]!” Instead of one lich, there were now five that kept teleporting around until we couldn’t tell which one was the real lich. They all had the same health bars, and what seemed to be linked health as well. My clone managed to strike one, and though it did minimal damage it spread that damage among every lich copy.

“[Death ray].” One of the lich’s targeted Inkler, but his armor was able to disperse most of the energy. He even had the presence of mind to ensure that the reflected ray didn’t strike any of the nearby lich’s. I had to do something, but what? How the hell do I ensure that I am hitting the right lich? While I desperately sought a solution, Inkler and I started trading blows with the nearest copy. The other three liches had destroyed my clone. Though we did manage to take off quite a bit of health, things were deteriorating for us far too quickly for comfort. In a flash, the lich reappeared by his throne with all five copies.

“You have taken my loyal servants, my slaves, and far more seriously my health. For this, you shall pay with your own. [Death spiral].” A vortex of dark energy swirled around the liches, spreading out to cover the room. As the energy passed me, a horrid stench of death and decay filled my nostrils and I watched as my health bar started slowly draining. Coughing, I chugged a healing potion and placed one in a bowl for Inkler.

“Potions will not save you mortal!” The lich taunted as I rapidly scanned my inventory for some desperate plan. Some saving grace. There has to be THERE!

Standing back up, I palmed the potion I had taken from my inventory. “I’m an alchemist. Potions will always save me.” I snarled, throwing the sunburst potion so that it landed at the feet of the lich. With a burst of light and wail of agony, I saw our chance. The lich on the front left of the formation was the only one to cast a shadow. “[Dancing shadow steps][Keen edge].” I snarled, closing the distance in an instant and slashing the chest of the lich. As he stumbled back in pain, I saw the damage reflected in all the copies. Their health bars also took a large hit.

“[Undeath smite]!” Reversing the blow, my hammer shattered the jaws of the lich, disrupting whatever spell he was hoping to cast. He desperately tried to catch me with a backswing of his own scepter, but I simply leaned back and watched his arm swing right into the waiting jaws of Inkler. “[Reality slash].” Inkler had already kept his arm extended, and I used the opportunity to sever it at the elbow.

“AAAAAAAA!” As the lich screamed in rage, the clones all had their right arms dissolve into motes of light to match the damage done to the original. Damn, but that was a great copycat spell. Admiration for the spell aside, I kept up the pressure with constant attacks. While I worked on the main body, Inkler was moving between the clones and distracting them. Suddenly, I found myself alone with Inkler near the throne.

“Never have I been so injured in battle before. You shall suffer eternal torment for what you’ve done!” The lich rasped from across the hall at us. His health had dropped into the red, and he had recalled all of his clones. My stomach dropped as he started prepping a massive spell.

“Inkler, behind a column!” I ordered, making sure that I was the only target. Surely the lich didn’t have a spell that could one shot someone with my stats, right?

“An eternal cage, from which nothing can escape. Darkness bind you, nether consume you. Your tattered soul shall long for oblivion! [Prison of eternal shadow]!” Around me, fingers of darkness erupted from the ground to curve over my head, creating a cage. Then they widened to completely seal me within a sphere of darkness, and started pressing in on me.

I could see nothing. Absolutely no light whatsoever. Total darkness. Pressing. I wasn’t losing health, of that I was sure. But it was disorienting. I had to escape. Escape! How? I couldn’t pull up my inventory. No popups. Even the flames of [Undeath smite] couldn’t pierce the darkness. Before panic could set in, I smiled as a realization struck me. He had cast a spell of shadow around me. Shadow I could manipulate!

Back in the room, I saw Inkler vainly trying to close the distance with Zandkazaar. He would let Inkler close, and teleport away. Each time he would use distance attacks, usually firing bolts of necromantic energy. Inkler’s armor would deflect nine out of ten bolts, but that last bolt was slowly wearing him down. Concentrating, I changed the ball of concentrated darkness into an elongated bolt, and added a bit of earth mana into it to give it some substance. The lich teleported with his back to me, right in the middle of the room.

As I prepared to throw my spell, Inkler leapt to the side so that he was out of the way in case it pierced completely through the lich. He disguised the move as a dodge from one of the necromantic bolts, so Zandkazaar had no idea what was going to happen. I silently launched the lance, and it nailed the unsuspecting lich right in the middle of the back.

“W. What?” He asked, spinning partially to see me standing there. Before I could get closer, his health dropped and his body shattered. Switching to [Mystic vision], I saw his spirit rapidly being drawn toward me. Ducking out of the way, I expected it to either move into the throne or the scepter. Instead it went through the back wall.

“Did? Did he hide his phylactery in the wall?” I asked, walking back there. Taking my hammer, I started tapping where his soul disappeared. There was a square area, around two feet by two feet, that rang as hollow. To my surprise, I couldn’t use stone manipulation. Well, that’s why we have hammers! A few blows later, and the false stone had shattered enough that I could start pulling it out. Inside was a set of canopic jars, three of which had shattered. The only one standing had a falcon head and was practically glowing with magic.

“There’s no escape Zandkazaar. Thanatos is waiting for you.” I said, pulling the special dagger from my inventory. I stabbed it straight into the only jar remaining, and watched as the blue glow was sucked down the blade and into one of the four diamonds on the handle. Inkler had padded up to me while I was doing this, and chuffed at the dagger that now held the soul of the lich. “What do you say we loot the body and head out of here?” He seemed to like that idea, so I walked up to the body of the lich and looted it.

Loot

Ring of rapid cursing

Scepter of dark rituals

1 platinum

Ring of rapid cursing

Cooldown for all curses reduced by 50%

Curses cost 20% less mana

Scepter of dark rituals

+1 to shadow magic skills

Shadow magic skills advance to Advanced at 2x speed

“Well, looks like Jon’s the big winner on the drops.” I said to Inkler, who just looked at me blankly. “Oh, that’s right. You haven’t met everyone just yet. What do you say we head back to the city to see Salmahim and the others, then head back home?” Inkler seemed much happier with that suggestion, and so we headed out. I was looking forward to finishing up with the desert and getting rid of all the sand that got everywhere.