Lich for Hire

Chapter 107: Levitras Love

Bella Trix was drowning in regret.

She knew that divine prophecies were almost always accurate unless a god was deliberately lying to toy with mortals.

She simply had not expected it to come true this quickly. She had planned to wait, hoping to profit without having to debase herself.

Instead, the godblessed had marched straight to her doorstep. Worse still, he hadn't even lifted a finger. His assorted undead underlings alone had crushed her completely.

The moment Ambrose appeared, Bella Trix had been convinced that this was divine punishment: retribution for her disregard of the prophecy, and for her opportunistic mindset.

As a result, she decided to devote herself wholeheartedly to the godblessed, in accordance with the goddess's revelation.

Ambrose, however, frowned deeply. Something about this felt very suspicious.

"Doesn't the Mistress of Pain's doctrine permit lying?"

Bella Trix panicked.

She had been so focused on how to curry favor that she had never stopped to consider Ambrose's perspective.

Even if she offered her allegiance, was he obligated to accept it?

Ambrose was a lich, one who was naturally opposed to the living by virtue of his very existence. How could a mere declaration of loyalty bridge such a racial divide? Bella Trix knew she had to show undeniable sincerity. Otherwise, she would likely die here—and dying after defying the Mistress of Pain's prophecy would probably mean plunging straight into hell to endure eternal torment.

Ambrose did, in fact, suspect her of lying.

Dropping to her knees and pledging absolute obedience out of nowhere—perhaps he might have taken her word for it if she were a paladin of the Lyon Empire. But followers of Levitra had no reputation whatsoever for honesty or good faith.

Just as Ambrose was weighing whether killing her outright would be the safer course, Bella Trix hurriedly spoke up. "The Mistress of Pain has granted me a divine revelation. You are godblessed, destined to bring boundless suffering to the world. As a follower of the goddess, I will do everything in my power to aid you in this divine objective.

"Don't slander me," Ambrose shot back at once. "I'm a scholar, perhaps a businessman at most. I'm nothing like you lunatics."

Though liches were aligned with evil, they were nothing like these pain-worshiping madmen. Liches were rational, communicative, and capable of doing business.

Levitra's followers, on the other hand, were violent, cruel, and so deranged that most races could not tolerate them.

Why would Levitra claim that he would bring pain to the world? He was a lich who could create souls out of nothing. By undead standards, he was practically a saint. How could a deity just say nonsense like that?

Absolutely not. He could not accept being Levitra's godblessed.

And yet, his intuition told him that the woman might be telling the truth. Had the Mistress of Pain really given her a revelation? The thought made Ambrose profoundly uncomfortable. Being noticed by that goddess felt like nothing but trouble.

"You just said that you're willing to do everything in your power to aid me," Ambrose said slowly. "Does that include House Trix's assets?"

The moment Bella Trix heard this, she knew there was hope for her. She answered at once, "I am Duke Trix's daughter, his only child and the sole heir to this territory."

"Only child?"

Few noble houses limited themselves to a single heir. After all, one accident could sever the bloodline, and a wider lineage meant greater strength. The Skinner Duke wielded considerable power; having only one daughter was highly unusual.

Bella Trix said proudly, "I was the only one who survived the rituals. That's why I'm the only child."

That explanation was... disturbingly convincing.

"Very well," Ambrose said. "Take me to your treasury."

Whatever the Mistress of Pain was plotting, securing tangible benefits first surely wasn't a mistake.

Bella Trix was a little taken aback. What kind of lich was this? He had just gained a noble's allegiance and an entire territory, but his first demand was to see the treasury?

Still, she dared not refuse. This was part of her pledge of loyalty. If she failed to satisfy him, she knew she would die horribly.

With no other choice, Bella Trix led Ambrose away from the mines toward the main city.

Compared to House Letterman's lands, Duke Skinner's territory felt bleak and desolate. The Lord of Storms and the Mistress of Pain were both crazed gods, but Viscount Letterman was still a relatively normal noble who could manage his lands competently when not enraged. The Skinner Duke was different. In his efforts to please a deranged goddess, his lands had become a landscape of torment.

Along the road were scattered crosses stained with dried blood. Some even bore half-rotted corpses, reminiscent of the barbaric practices of old vampire impalers.

The people of the territory were deeply terrified of Bella Trix. They prostrated themselves fully from afar, not daring to make a sound.

Ambrose was delighted.

Generally, the more brutal and tyrannical the nobility, the more wealth they inevitably hoarded, That meant a larger harvest for him.

Bella Trix led him onward. Before long, they arrived at a castle.

Grand lords usually possessed castles of their own: home, stronghold, and sanctuary all in one.

Ambrose glimpsed traces of multiple magical traps with just a cursory look.

But with Bella Trix guiding him, he faced no obstacle. Soon enough, they met Duke Skinner himself, who had rushed over upon hearing the news.

Though the duke still bore many scars on his face, his self-mutilation was far less extreme than his daughter's. At least he still looked vaguely human.

"Great godblessed—"

"Stop." Ambrose cut him off sharply. "Until I figure out what's really going on, if you mention this supposed revelation again, I'll turn all of you into lab rats."

The Skinner Duke stared at his daughter in shock. Something was clearly off. The goddess had ordered them to follow this lich—yet the lich himself seemed utterly disdainful of their goddess.

Under Ambrose's insistence, they soon reached the treasury.

Rows of neatly stacked chests filled with gold greeted his eyes. Ambrose was very pleased.

Excellent. The Skinner Duke's holdings included perhaps eight hundred thousand gold coins alone, along with numerous priceless artifacts whose value would be hard to estimate. Yet what truly caught Ambrose's attention was the blood-red statue at the center of the vault.

This was no mere decoration. Ambrose could feel the immense power coiled around it.

Bella Trix hurriedly explained, "This is a divine artifact from our old kingdom. By sacrificing our pain, we may communicate directly with the goddess."

Ambrose said nothing. The moment his gaze met the statue's eyes, he felt himself drawn into a mysterious space.

His soul and body were completely severed. Even his phylactery ceased to function.

There was no doubt about it: this was divine power.

Chaos surrounded him, filled with piercing, unending wails.

A bewitchingly beautiful woman appeared before him. She wore a revealing, skintight leather outfit, her exposed flesh adorned with iron nails and rings of every shape. Merely looking at her induced phantom pain.

Yet her beauty was undeniable, and even her malicious grin carried a strange allure.

There was no mistaking her. This was the Mistress of Pain, Levitra. Perhaps only one of her avatars, but even so, the pressure on Ambrose's soul was overwhelming.

Levitra stepped up and reached for his soulfire, touching the burning flame with her fingertip.

"At last we meet," she said softly. "Interesting lich."

Her finger seemed to be steeped in potent venom. That single touch sent searing agony straight through Ambrose's soul.

Liches did not feel pain. This long-forgotten sensation made him tremble, nearly robbing him of speech.

Yet, moments later, another feeling welled up. It was as though enduring that extreme pain had elevated his very soul.

Ambrose recalled Levitra's doctrine: pain is sacred. Endure pain, savor pain, and you will ascend to a higher realm of existence.

Levitra clearly sensed these changes. Drawing back her finger, she began, "You have more talent than I expected, unbeliever. Become my chosen. I will grant you greater power and help you ascend to true godhood."

She was serious. He was nothing but a skeleton with no sense of pain. How had he even caught her eye?

Having just recovered from the extremes of agony and ecstasy, Ambrose replied, "No. Your doctrine is... too extreme."

His soul was completely at Levitra's mercy. Lying or concealing the truth was meaningless. It was better to be frank. He could only gamble that even Levitra would not dare violate Supreme God Aion's laws. This space existed for "negotiation," not coercion.

Lovita saw through his thoughts at once. The Mistress of Pain was displeased by his refusal, but just as he had anticipated, she could not truly harm him.

Gods faced severe restrictions when acting directly against mortals.

There was even a saying on the continent that unbelievers were less likely to suffer divine punishment than devotees. After all, gods could not bind unbelievers with doctrine, whereas their own faithful were far easier to constrain.

Even the God of Alchemy could not act directly after being profaned. Only when the Lord of Knowledge intervened could he borrow his divine power to strip the alchemists of their inspiration and creativity.

From Ambrose's perspective, rejecting Levitra's "invitation" was the wisest choice. If he did not believe in her, she had no authority over him. If he accepted, she could punish him at will for "violating doctrine."

"You are a little too clever, lich," Lovita said coldly.

Unfazed, Ambrose replied, "An unbeliever has to be clever. Otherwise, I'd have been dragged to hell long ago. Goddess, maintaining this space consumes the faith stored in the statue. By my estimate, it won't last much longer. I suggest cutting to the chase."

Levitra snorted. "I had hoped to use a simpler method to make you serve me. It seems that won't be possible."

Something felt very off. Her tone sounded as though she intended to act by force. Was she really willing to violate Aion's laws? Was she not afraid of losing her divinity?

"Let's discuss things," Ambrose said hastily. "I'm just a lich. I'm not worth such a sacrifice."

Lovita smiled cruelly. "Don't worry. I have no intention of breaking Aion's laws by punishing mortals at will. But while gods may not punish mortals freely... blessings are another matter. I know you once abandoned a great boon. Let me help you reclaim it now. Accept the love of pain."

She drew the whip at her waist and lashed it hard upon Ambrose's soul.