novelraw Chapter 180 180 - Habitual
Chapter 180 180 - Habitual
I can't be sure about it yet, but I have a sneaking suspicion that I might just earn an upgrade to one of my achievements. It's almost like regicide is becoming second nature to me. Or not? Twice is not a habit yet, right? That can still be explained by unfortunate circumstances perfectly fine! Of course I would first need to figure out how to actually hurt her. My efforts so far have had only lackluster success at best.
Unlike with the king boletus I can at least talk with her, thus I feel I ought to give her a chance at least to avoid that fate. I doubt she will go for it, but I have to try at least. Even though I seriously dislike her, especially after reading her book she is a bad disappointment in real life, I have to try. Once. I'll give her exactly one chance.
"Well, Bianka, I hope you don't mind if I call you by your name like that, I don't really like you, but I'm willing to give you a chance to get out of this … alive, well in a manner of speaking. How about you abdicate."
Her headless body already was in the process of taking aim at me with her staff again, when my words make her hesitate. The skeleton holding her head is still standing over by the entrance of the yard, blocking the others behind it from coming in too, curiously enough. The look on her face is best described as incredulous.
"Come again?"
Sure, she may seem incredulous, but by the sound of how she said that I'm already pretty sure she is not going to say yes. I decide to extend the benefit of the doubt some more and clarify my words, and if just to buy myself some more time to think on my next steps.
"Well, I'm not too excited about the prospect of upgrading my regicide achievement. So, if you abdicate, give up all claims on your fancy chair there and preferably get lost from around here for good, I'm not going to make you regret your life choices."
The greenish glow in her eyes suggests that if anything my words make her rather angry. Judging by the way it's flaring up like the blaze of a bonfire I'd even dare say she is furious. The eye of the cyclops skeleton holding her head matches hers. The crystal at the head end of her staff is the same too, which gives me an idea. I move quick to add some more insult to injury to buy myself a little more time. Maybe I can even make her lose her cool completely. I nod first at her head cradled in the hands of the skeleton minion then at her body which is starting to tremble, probably out of anger.
"Take your time to think about it. If you need a moment to make some stitches, go ahead, I'm not in a hurry. This isn't something you should charge into either heedless or headless."
The effect is intended. She lets out a wordless scream, or rather a screech that is beyond all reason, At the same time her body takes aim with the staff. She is channeling more Mana this time though, which gives me just enough time to get clear completely of what comes next.
This time she doesn't settle for one of these darts of dark energy. Instead she channels her Mana into a continuous beam that eats into the facades of the buildings behind me as I dodge.
And damn am I glad I dodged this one. That beam carved a straight furrow into the stones, thick and deep enough I probably could place my fist in it. If it had hit me it probably would have cut me in half. That's not an experience I want to make. At the same time the dodge got me closer to her body and most importantly the staff with the glowing crystal.
A lich removes their soul from their body, placing it in a valuable receptacle, their phylactery, for safekeeping. That's how becoming a lich works, right? Well, I may be wrong, but one way or the other I'm about to find out. If I'm wrong my not so gracious host already mentioned what she plans to let me experience. The only question in that case is, if she will kill me before boiling my flesh off my bones. Let's hope for the best, so I don't have to find out.
Making her furious certainly seems to be the right call though. She doesn't even think about not blocking my sword with her staff as I come at her. If she were still in a clear state of mind she would just eat the sword strike that can't really hurt her anyway. She is out of her mind though, thus my sword connects with the crystal, burning with flickering energy now like an actual bonfire, as I adjust the angle of my strike at the last moment. And this time around I receive the desired notification, even better, it comes with the lich's wordless shriek of pain and rage as background noise. The sweetest noise though, no contest, is the noise of a shattering crystal.
[*Ding!* Critical Hit! Bianka the Pale's Health reduced by 158!]
What a hit! No achievement for massive damage yet though. My [Melee Weapons], [Blades] and [Long Blades] skills all improve a little. The latter two are precariously close to their next level up now, but my attention is mostly focused on the next notification instead.
[*Ding!* You have defeated Bianka the Pale!]
That one is the most welcome one yet. It isn't the last though.
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
[*Ding!* Achievement upgraded! [Habitual Regicide] You have committed another act of regicide, killing a seated monarch! By right of might the throne is yours now!]
I lower my sword and groan. I start to tremble as what just happened really hits home. It's only the threat of the cyclops skeletons that keeps me going right now. My gaze moves to the one holding Bianka's head. The greenish fire in her eyes is gone now though, and the same is true for the undead cyclops. Even as I watch the last green glimmer in its large eye socket extinguishes. A moment later it collapses as if its strings have been cut. I can hear more cluttering from behind it, as the other skeletons collapse as well.
The last of the energy that fueled my mad dash for that decisive strike leaves my body and I stumble back only to hit the throne with the back of my knees. Without a second thought I collapse onto it. That just happened? That just really happened. My sword drops from my trembling fingers as I laugh and cry at the same time.
At the same time I'm starting to feel a little faint. I lean back against the backrest as the feeling gets stronger. Just in time too, to not drop off the fancy stone chair as another notification hits my consciousness with the force of a freight train, despite being only a whisper in the voice of Fox.
[*Ding!* You have unlocked a class upgrade! Upgrading Scoundrel to Eminence in Shadows!]
This isn't all yet, as a few more associated notifications are quick to follow.
[*Ding!* You have unlocked the Shadow Shroud class skill at Level 1!]
[*Ding!* You have unlocked the Shadow Step class skill at Level 1!]
[*Ding!* You have unlocked the Monarch's Domain class skill at Level 1!]
There is another weird feeling too, one I only felt once before, when some of my skills became class skills while unlocking my masked mediator class. This time it's three skills in total. My [Bluff], [Etiquette] and [Intimidate] skills all get moved to the upgraded class.
After a few moments the dizziness fades and I groan as I only now become really aware of the new name of my main class. Goodness gracious, I'm not going to learn how to play the grand piano! Thank you very much! I laugh out loud once and begin to wipe away the tears to collect myself again. My hands are still trembling a little though.
I stand and pick my sword back up and after a moment sheathe it since there are no more enemies coming ta me. One deep breath later I turn around and squint at the throne I have been sitting on. It's not a single solid block of stone. No it's a seat assembled from multiple polished slabs, connected via dovetail keys. The stone itself is downright mesmerizing, now that I have some time to look at it. It appears to be of a charcoal gray at first, but as I look closer there are iridescent flashes of blue, green gold and violet. It's like a storm trapped in stone.
There is something beyond the obvious I have to confirm though. I focus harder and activate my [Identify] skill on it. A little of my Mana drains away to fuel it and the result promptly comes in.
[Decrepit Throne of the Frontier (Skyfire Feldspar, Rare/Unique) – This decrepit throne has clearly seen better days. It still is the seat of a king or a queen though. Despite its age it clearly still holds power. Category: Furniture, Soul bound: Viviona]
It's as expected, yet my left eye twitches anyway. It's like with the crown I gave Ediva for safekeeping. Except to whom can I entrust this beautiful piece of furniture? It's a tad harder to hide or obscure I'd say. And I can't really leave it here. If someone were to find it, they might get ideas. I place a hand on the backrest, running my fingers along the polished stone.
"I'm sorry to say it, but I think I'll have to hide you. At least for the time being."
I let my fingers wander along, tracing the edges of the individual stone plates, as I start to make up the beginnings of a plan.
"Dovetails, huh? I guess that makes you a puzzle of sorts. If I figure out which piece to take out first I should be able to move you one plate after the other."
I take my time. The throne isn't the only thing I need to figure out anyway. Bianka mentioned other adventurers in passing. The way she did suggests that she dealt with them in a rather final way too. Looking around at all the skeletal remains piled up against the walls she doesn't strike me as the sort who would have let useful material go to waste. Oh yes, considering the fate she threatened me with I suspect that the remains of any adventurers and their gear might still be around. If so, I should dig some graves and if I find their guild tags I should return those as well.
First though I have to deal with another matter. As I move about the wound in my side sends another painful jolt through my body. Looking down I can see a small hole burnt through my bodice and the blouse under it. The worst part though, I ache in the back as well. Has that damn spell really penetrated all the way? That's seriously scary.
I resist the urge to sit back down. Instead I place a hand firmly over the wound in the front, which, of course, causes more pain to lance through my body. I just clench my teeth though and look skyward before I begin to pray.
"Fox, divine guardian of many masks. God of making mischief and Goddess of having fun. I beg you, heal this servant injured in your service and ease her pain."
A little of my Karma dissipates, as my words are heard and the pain eases and the wound begins to heal. Both my [Prayer] skill and my [Healing Touch] skill improve a little too, but compared to the easing of the pain that hardly matters right now.
I pat the throne's backrest once more.
"I'll get back to you, but I think I should look around a little more now."
Without loosing any time I do just that. First my gaze brushes over the fronts of the buildings grazed by the lich's other spell. The more I see, the gladder I am that that one didn't hit me. I'd be dead for sure if it had connected.
The next point of interest are the necromancer's remains. Those make me stop dead in my tracks for a moment. It's like she is drying up and turning to dust even as I watch. How peculiar. I simply can't look away, not until very little but a skeleton garbed in dusty rags remains.
The same is true for her head, as I find out as soon as I manage to tear my eyes away from the ghastly sight to check on the cyclops skeletons. I count those just to make sure. I'm really not in the mood for a surprise encounter with any stragglers at the moment. There are five of them. That adds up as far as I can tell. So far, so good.