Chapter 104: Why Not Use [Finger of Death]!?

“Huh? Isn’t this the spell that turns people into glass and then shatters them?”

Why would a high lich be dabbling in transmutation magic? Yet, when the system notified Raine that “the enemy’s attack qualifies for reflection,” he wasted no time and ordered: Reflect! Why wouldn’t he?

The [Mirror Spell] previously validated by the world’s laws had since been officially renamed as [Fresnel Reflection Spell] in honor of Earth’s renowned physicist, Fresnel.

As the reflection spell activated, a portal tore open in the space before Brutus, his soul-lit eye sockets flickering with astonishment. Through that portal, the brilliant glassy energy ball he had cast with nearly all his magic power shot back—faster and fiercer than before.

In utter disbelief, Brutus watched as his limbs and most of his torso turned to glass instantly. With his momentum broken, he crashed to the ground, shattering his glass-like limbs to pieces.

The last words he heard as he fell were, “Why didn’t you use [Finger of Death]?”

With his magic fading and his severed limbs lying shattered around him, the lich, now resembling a helpless silkworm, felt a swell of indignation. “Using necromancy right in front of you? Do you take me for a fool? If you really think I’m that stupid, then those dozens of liches you destroyed before—they were the true idiots.”

The lich had resigned himself to his inevitable demise. Realizing he couldn’t escape his fate, he lashed out verbally at Raine. Though Raine stood safely back at the valley, only a hyper-realistic projection of him remained before Brutus, depriving him of even a desperate final blow.

From his hidden sanctuary, Raine stroked his chin thoughtfully. “How did you know about my [Lich Bane]…achievement?”

Raine deliberately emphasized “achievement,” probing to see if Brutus knew he was from another world.

It turned out Brutus didn’t know.

“Ha! It’s all divination magic—you should save yourself the trouble. You’re a sadist who takes pleasure in tormenting liches…” With that, Brutus clamped his mouth shut, unwilling to utter another word.

“Divination magic?”

So even the world can’t distinguish between my in-game achievements and reality?

Wait…did this guy truly invent such a spell, so anyone using divination on me would glimpse my full suite of in-game achievements?

Could it be that Brutus…is actually a genius?

At this moment, Raine genuinely felt an urge to applaud Brutus.

But in the enemy’s position, he couldn’t indulge in such admiration. His gaze, however, softened with pity as he observed the lich, now reduced to a torso.

A glowing sphere emerged, encasing what little remained of Brutus’s body to prevent any physical escape attempts. The true prison, though, was the six hovering beholders circling Brutus.

The beholders’ large, gleaming eyes shot out spells like [Charm Monster] and [Mental Command] repeatedly.

Psychic attacks like these were especially potent against most spellcasters.

Despite the onslaught on his mind, Brutus retained his wits instead of devolving into mindless babbling, proving he was indeed a capable lich.

As Raine looked around, he could see that the battle was all but won.

The duchess might not be personally powerful, but she surely understands battle.

As soon as she saw Brutus incapacitated by Raine’s reflected spell, she hoisted the battle flag and, with all her might, shouted, “The evil lich Brutus has been defeated by Archmage Tesla! Marinos! Charge with me!”

After a long night of relentless pressure and several brushes with collapse, the people of Marino summoned their remaining courage, following the fiery silhouette of the duchess as they launched a counterattack on the undead army, now completely without command.

Though the corpse ramp that had piled against the city walls was burned away, the ground thundered as Harry and Downs cast spells, creating new slopes reaching the moat, serving as a floodway for the advancing crowd.

Zombies and skeletons, driven by nothing more than instinct, were surrounded and dismantled by citizens, while the last death knights and corpse mages were hunted down by Sofia, leading her final elite troops.

Fifteen minutes later, Sofia encountered her father and brothers—separated by the chasm of life and death.

The familiar banners and faces seemed to rekindle a spark in the hollow eyes of the three death knights.

They exchanged no words, as there was no need. There was no resistance, for they sought redemption.

Tears suddenly poured from Sofia’s eyes.

“Father, elder brother, second brother…”

There was no response—only the whispering of the wind.

Her father led the way as the three death knights cast their swords aside and knelt in the direction of Marino.

Then, the former duke pointed at Joseph, the knight beside Sofia.

After a moment of silence, Joseph gripped his greatsword tightly and approached the three kneeling death knights.

[Once, I raised my blade against my kin and my people without choice. Now we seek only final peace. Spare my daughter from the stain of our blood, even that of the dead!] The former duke’s soul voice echoed.

“Fath—” Sofia’s cry was cut short as she sank to her knees in grief. Covering her face in her hands, she heard the thud of three bodies falling to the ground.

The two remaining priests stepped forward to perform the final purification on the fallen undead.

The battle was over. In scale, if not in intensity or average strength of those involved, it rivaled that of the Maw of the Demon.

After all, a duchy is still a nation.

If this duchy at the human world’s rear had fallen completely, with the lich’s snowballing tactics, it would have plunged several neighboring provinces into chaos, weakening humanity’s war potential.

Amid this conflict that could have spiraled into a calamity, Archmage Tesla had undeniably shone as the brightest star.

When Raine passed Brutus’s shattered body to Sofia, she once again burst into tears.

Joseph quietly reminded her, “My lady, as long as the lich’s phylactery remains intact, he can resurrect indefinitely.”

Sofia paused, then turned to Raine. “Archmage, is that true?”

“Yes.”

Another question arose as Sofia eyed the half-lich suspiciously. “Then why didn’t this bastard escape?”

Brutus suddenly spoke, “Because against the Lich Bane, there’s no escape. Damn you, Raine. You just want the Marino girl to personally destroy me, don’t you? Fine, then! Tell her where my phylactery is.”