Lich's True Nature

Huah... AH! I stabbed her... What was I thinking? I could've stopped the blade before it pierced Rin... And why is she smiling!?

Rin's smile turned into a gleeful giggle. Her giggle turned into a small chuckle, and even plain out laughter.

"Ahaha! You should've seen the look on your face," she said mid-laughter, lying on the grass. It had gotten to the ridiculous point where small tears came out her eyes from laughing so hard.

"What... the? B-but aren't you?" Words struggled to come out my mouth.

"Aha, ah, s-sorry," Rin's laughter had calmed down, "It's been a while since I've done that."

"...This has to be some type of hysteria."

"No, no. I'm alright. Have I mentioned I'm a ghost?" Rin suddenly said, being completely serious.

Huh?

"A ghost. Well, a Lich to be exact."

A lich? "But aren't those, you know, mythological undead beings with rotten skin?"

Rin nodded as blood gushed out from a large, bloodied hole in her stomach. It didn't seem to faze her at all. It was hard to believe, but with an intimidating reaction like that... It kinda proved her point. Maybe she was as she said, a lich.

"Ah, I forgot about this," Rin looked down at the gashing hole in her stomach, "Regeneration III."

A bright, glaring light suddenly appeared on her wound. In a few seconds it had managed to completely heal up. Even the tears in her collared shirt were reattached. This was something that the best medic/healer classes could only dream of doing that quickly.

"Ahem, anyways," Rin cleared her throat. She simply picked herself off the ground and dusted the grass off her leggings as if nothing happened, "I'm more of a healer class. I'm not the best swordfighter."

She turned her back on me and walked back inside. Our entire situation here was complete. Suspicions were starting to form in my mind. A lich, who tend to avoid humans, decided to pick one up unconditionally...

Or was she expecting something from me?

As soon as we were inside, we sat back down on the sofa for a brief moment.

"So... a lich," my eyes glanced and stared hard at her, "You look like a normal girl." Something about her did seem off, but it made her look... her clear skin almost felt like it was glowing. It made her look like she was shining, radiant, even.

I hadn't really noticed her small features like her pinkish lips or her small nose, but it made me realize she was kinda...

For a quick moment her lips formed into a smile, but then quickly returned to her natural serene expression.

"Yes. A lich. I know it's hard to believe, but-"

"Don't worry," I interrupted, "I can... trust you. I've dealt with much more confusing situations." Cough cough, like losing my eye and not even realizing it was lost because I've lost my eye so many other times in combat.

"Ah, that's good to hear. Anyways, Aurath, I have something to tell you."

Oh man she has a lot to say. Not that that's bad, but I kinda have priorities like finding out what the hell happened outside.

"Which is?" I asked.

"Well... to be honest, the reason I tested your abilities was because I need you to do something for me."

Jeez. Look, she might be a Lich, which explains why she hasn't had contact with humans for a while, but she is awfully pushy.

"I want to... figure out the cause of the demon invasion," she paused and thought for a moment before resuming, "I mean, the portals. You've seen them. Why are they suddenly here again?"

"I don't know."

"Exactly? Won't you help me?"

"...Look, I really appreciate all that you've done, but I think I've been here long enough."

Rin sighed. "I had a feeling you'd say something like that. I can take you wherever you want in just a matter of seconds. Plus, it's not like outside is any better. "

"Thank you, but I think I'm alright."

"Sorry... but you don't have much of a choice," Rin's voice had become apologetic just as it was earlier.

Suddenly, and seemingly out of nowhere, a light golden chain with a white outline had appeared in Rin's hand. She held it like a dog's leash. Except... the chain had attached to my chest and went through to my heart.

"No... you didn't," my eyes became bewildered at what this meant.

"Sorry. But I can't let you go yet," Rin added with a frown.

"When did you?"

"When you were unconscious, of course."

A small double edge sword appeared on the middle of the golden chain. This, and the golden chain was a symbol of a permanent bond between two humans. It was an agreement that meant life or death. The holder was the master, and the receiver was the servant. The master could do anything he or she pleased with the servant. If either of the two died, then both would die.

Yet, Rin was already dead. She had nothing to lose. In fact, she probably knew that I was stronger than her in the beginning. That's why she did something as low as this...

"Ahaha! Looks like you've figured it out, boy!"

All this from the beginning was a clever ruse to use me as an object... She had never meant her words from the moment she met me!

My blade became unsheathed as my hand held it by the handle. My arm pulled back and swung to the right, aiming for Rin's head.

All Rin did was simply pull the chain, causing me to lose balance and fall on my knees. "Oh, silly boy, what's a sword gonna do against a lich?"

My sword was knocked out of my hand by Rin as she approached me, suddenly placing her hand on my head. She roughly grabbed my hair and pulled the chain, causing a pain that made me flinch.

"You're unlucky to have met me, because this is my true nature. Now you'll become my little puppet!" She said as she began to recite a special spell. "Lich Drain III."

My body was overcome with paralysis. Bit by bit, slowly, I felt myself become weaker to the point where I could no longer stay on my knees. My body collapsed to the wooden floor as my vision turned black.

...

A streak of freezing water abruptly splashed into my face, making my body jolt upright as I gasped for air.

"A-ah, hah, ah hah," disturbed noises escaped my mouth.

The atmosphere of this place... this is a dungeon, isn't it? I've been in many before, hunting for demons.

"You're awake, puppet," Rin stood over me holding a bucket with dripping water.

Before I could say anything, before my body could do anything, before my eyes could even blink, Rin pulled on the golden chain as she gripped it in her hand.

"Sorry to wake you, puppet, but I need you to go defeat that big bad scary monster over there," her voice had become teasingly mocking and she pointed in the direction of a colossal reptilian demon that I had never seen before.

"...Fuck you," I spat at the traitor of a fake person.

"Ah ah ah," she tugged even harder at the chain and pointed a sword at my neck. "Don't forget who's in charge here." The blade had pierced through my neck. Immediately, she thrust the blade all the way into my neck. An indescribable rush of pain and fear shot throughout my body, blood fell on the ground.

Rin withdrew the blade and quicky healed my neck. It was back the way it was just a few seconds ago and the rush of pain disappeared but the fear remained.

"I'll only say this once, so pay attention, puppet," she couched down and stood eyelevel with me, "We're in a Demon Dungeon. All the other demons have already been defeated. The last one is right there. I need you to use all of your divine energy to take it down. Whatever happens after that, leave it to me. Understand, puppet?"

Using the chain, Rin forcibly made me nod. In a bond, masters could also take complete control of the servant's body.

"Good, Puppet! Now, don't keep me waiting," she tossed my sword at me, my hand shot out to grab it.

My body turned around to face the unknown monster demon. Rin brought me to the middle, bottom of the dungeon where the strongest creatures in a dungeon remained. It was a dim, cave-like arena with rock pebbles all throughout the ground. Rocky icicles stooped on the dusty ceiling as it looked like it would collapse any moment.

I'll have to listen to what she says, now. I might be able to run away if her focus shifts to something else.

My legs shook but managed to take a few steps forward. Riniya stayed behind me as I quietly approached the lizard-like demon.

Instantly, it noticed me. The more I approached it, the more I realized how tall it was. It stood over the size of 30- no, 40 men. Silvery red stained eyes stared afar at me as it floated on its wings.

Suddenly, it began to fly at me, claws drooping low. It aimed to sweep me off with its claws. I rolled to the right, barely managing to tuck my head to avoid the creature.

It turned around and landed on the ground besides me. I swung as hard as my arms could, twisting my torso and landing a hit on its leg. It roared, not in pain but in anger. It thrashed around, stomping with its feet as it crawled around on the ground exactly as a lizard would.

Its snooping head had found me. Crawling, it lunged its neck to bite me. My legs kicked off the ground and landed on its head. There, I began to poke my blade around and stab its head. The demon had tough, scaly skin but I was able to leave a few cuts.

The body had impulsively jumped and rolled around, throwing me off. Its long scaly tail whipped me, launching me forward to its head.

The demon caught my leg with its teeth. It rolled its head and thrashed my body around. I dropped my sword, being suddenly crushed to the ground. In a single bite, the demon snapped my leg and dropped me.

It crawled forward, planning to devour me whole but suddenly retreated. Behind me, Rin had appeared and began healing my crushed body and bloodied leg.

"...There. You need to channel your divine energy into your blade and kill it in a single blow. Remember, lizards regenerate pretty quickly," Rin mentioned and suddenly teleported to her original spot.

I'd hate to trust her or listen to her. So, this'll be the last time I listen to what she says.

I ran to pick up my sword. A sharp claw swiped at me. I slid across the rocky ground, just barely managing to grab my blade. My divine energy channeled 15% from my body to my blade.

It crawled yet again at me. I dashed to the right, running past its hands. My hand thrust my blade against the demons' side, hoping to impale it. Instead, my blade flew back.

Not good enough... more!

30% of my divine energy channeled from my body to my sword. I approached, jumped forward and unleashed a vertical strike to its tail.

The tail flew off. The demon roared in agony as it turned around to face me. A speedy claw aimed to grab me. I jumped on top of it and ran up its body, dragging my blade across its skin. Open gashes formed throughout its arm as I ran upward.

40%. 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47%.

It flopped around like an animal, throwing me off again as it aimed to bite me. Instead, the only thing it bit was my sword.

...55... more. MORE! 60!

My blade hacked around and grinded against the lizard teeth. One big pull managed to send a few teeth flying. A big hole was left under the lizard's mouth.

65... 70%

I jumped up, eyelevel with the demon.

"Sword Flight III."

Instantly, my speed and divine energy began to surge. A couple of quick jabs and I managed to poke out a lizard eye.

It's working..!

My legs planted onto the lizards' head, barely managing to jump there in the first place. I tried to control my divine energy levels, but it kept surging. I had gone too far.

80%... dammit! 85!

A downward slice to its neck managed to chop it off as blood squirted out into the cave, a lizard head rolling off into the ground.

90... 95...

Fuck...

I ran downwards to deliver the final attack. I inhaled and pointed my sword downward, aiming for the demon's heart.

"Sword Blast III."

A big burst of light suddenly appeared from my blade. The ground and ceiling began to tremor as a ray of divine energy shot out and burned through the lizard, burning away the heart.

98%

99%

...

0%

My body fell off the demon and plummeted into the ground. Rin revoked my divine energy before it had reached 100%, tugging at me with the chain.

"Good puppet," she said as I lied on the ground.

"Hey, who's there!" An unknown voice called out from behind.

Rin lied next to me, facing me. "You did really well, puppet," she said as the voice came closer. "Because of you, my plan was successful! Ahaha!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a few men dressed in the Agency's uniform.

"Now, let's go to sleep."

My vision turned black once again.