The Lich

  Julius handed me a small orb, about the size of an egg. It was white. I looked at him in confusion. “What is this?”

  Julius simply replied, “Squeeze it, Stone. Don’t be afraid of breaking it.”

  “Just do it,” he insisted.

  I pressed it tightly in my palm. After a few seconds, I opened my hand and noticed the stone had changed color. Was that a bad sign?

  Julius chuckled. “Feel anything?”

  I closed my eyes. A wave of shock hit me. A massive amount of my magic returned, and the exhaustion weighing down my body disappeared as if it had never existed. I looked at him in disbelief. “How can such a small stone have this much effect?”

  Julius responded, “That stone is rare. Highly valuable. You’d never dream of using one in your lifetime.”

  Stone frowned. “Then why are you giving it to me?”

  Julius smirked. “First, we can’t afford to lose you. You’ve proven your strength. Second, this is an order from the king. He instructed me to give it to you and to escort you into the castle along with some soldiers.”

  Something felt strange. My eyes scanned the surroundings, searching for the Lich and the Flame Orc.

  Julius spoke again. “That’s right, kid. The Lich and the Flame Orc have infiltrated the castle. We’re counting on you to stop them.”

  Stone watched the soldiers fight with terrifying precision—no unnecessary movements, no wasted strength. Even though their power had been restrained, they were still war machines, spilling the blood of monsters with minimal effort. A one-sided battle, despite the Lich's forces outnumbering them two to one.

  When I reached the castle entrance, I saw a group of soldiers wielding swords, clad in imposing black armor stained with blood. They carried strange-looking spears, nearly two meters long. The spearheads were elongated, almost like a blend between a slender sword and a spear, perfect for both stabbing and slashing.

  Julius commanded, “You lot, escort Stone to the Lich and eliminate him.”

  Stone muttered, “My name… You finally said it right.”

  Julius grinned and slapped my back. “Now go, kid. Smash that pile of rotting bones.”

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  We marched through the castle corridors, searching for the Lich and his minions. After ten minutes, we found him at the entrance to the main hall.

  Sensing us, the Lich turned to face us. Up close, the creature was even more horrifying. Rotten blue flesh clung to its skeletal frame, its hollow black eyes burning with a sinister green glow. It had no lips, exposing yellowed teeth, and its ribcage jutted out grotesquely. There was only one word to describe it—hideous.

  He struck his staff against the ground, summoning an army of abominations. He hadn’t done this in the first battle.

  At the same time, the Flame Orc stood in terrible condition. His body was rotting, covered in deep scars from our previous fight. He had no eyes, a gaping hole in his chest, and one of his arms was severed at the joint. I’d have to thank Ilarion later for what he did to him.

  I pulled out my hammer. But this time, instead of drawing stone from the ground, I forged it from the metal inside my weapon. My hammer formed into a dark, ominous black metal, exuding an eerie coldness. My weapon had transformed—still a hammer on one side, but now an enormous battle-axe on the other.

  I charged straight at the Flame Orc, swinging a diagonal strike at his arm. He dodged and counterattacked. Damn it! Even in death, his body still retained its instincts.

  I raised a wall of stone to shield myself. His fist crashed into it, sending shockwaves through my body. I staggered back a few steps. If not for the wall, my bones would have shattered.

  I lunged at him again, recklessly.

  Meanwhile, the soldiers fought off the Lich’s summoned creatures. Some of them were bizarre—tiny insects with lethal venom, massive black reptilian beasts that looked like a mix between a hyena and a bat, their dark forms moving at terrifying speed. Others were monstrous hybrids of wolves with scorpion tails.

  One knight severed a wolf’s tail, only for a sickly yellow liquid to splash onto him, making him scream in agonizing pain. The spearmen held off the bat-like creatures. Every attack from these nightmarish beasts was swift and unpredictable. We could barely afford to blink.

  Stone fought relentlessly.

  Though the battle had lasted less than ten minutes, he was already exhausted. Sweat trickled down his face, his chest rising and falling rapidly. Yet, a wide grin stretched across his lips.

  The Flame Orc launched a kick at him. Stone barely dodged before swinging his hammer with full force. The weapon smashed into the orc’s side, the sickening sound of breaking ribs echoing through the hall.

  Damn it! That bastard felt nothing.

  I had to end this—now.

  I formed several rock spheres and hurled them at the Lich. He dodged them, and the Flame Orc pressed his attack. I kept moving, shifting my attacks toward the Lich whenever I could. My muscles burned, my body screamed in pain. My breath grew heavier, my stamina draining fast.

  I had to finish this in the next few moves.

  A reckless plan formed in my mind—a risky one.

  The Lich was now behind the orc. I erected several stone walls to slow the beast down, then gathered every ounce of power left in my body for one final strike.

  I took a deep breath. My muscles tensed.

  I poured everything I had into this attack, my will to kill burning within me.

  Three… Two… One…

  The walls shattered.

  I hurled my hammer with all my might, aiming straight for the Lich’s head. The air cracked with a deafening sound as the weapon shot forward like a bolt of lightning.

  I cursed when the damn monster dodged—only for the Flame Orc to grab me.

  His grip tightened, bones creaking under the immense pressure.

  An explosion rang out as my hammer slammed into the castle wall, dust and debris filling the air.

  The orc kept crushing me.

  I heard my ribs crack. The pain was excruciating. Bone after bone.

  But I refused to lose. I refused to die here.

  Through the clearing dust, I saw what I wanted.

  My hammer had pierced straight through the Lich’s chest, pinning him to the wall like a grotesque decoration.

  Dark, blackened blood oozed from the wound.

  At that moment, the orc’s grip tightened even more.

  “You’ll kill me before I kill you!” I screamed like a madman.

  “Over my dead body—you won’t kill me! I’ll do whatever it takes to destroy you!”

  I spat blood, laughing like a lunatic.

  “DIE, YOU FILTHY TRASH! DIE!”

  The green flames in the Lich’s eyes flickered... then faded into nothingness.

  The Flame Orc’s grip loosened.

  And then—he stopped moving.

  I collapsed to the ground.

  My vision blurred, my breath ragged.

  "Even though it was just a minute… it felt like an eternity."

  That bastard had broken my ribs. My arms and legs were numb—I couldn’t feel them. They were probably broken too.

  Pain surged through my body, cold and merciless.

  "Sorry, guys… I won’t be able to finish the trial with you until the end."