Chapter 2: Young & Lich #2

Chapter 2: Young & Lich #2

「2 seconds remaining」

The necklace around my neck began to glow red.

The ‘Ancient Magic Restraint Device’ is, in a word, like a sophisticated timed bomb.

The principle is simple.

Set specific conditions, and when the conditions are met, it explodes.

This terrifying necklace, I’d love to take it off right now, but-

it’s not easy.

The ‘Ancient Magic Restraint Device’ suppresses the body and interferes with mana operation. Plus, it’s so sturdy that it won’t budge from any ordinary impact.

It simultaneously acts as an inescapable prison and an execution device.

In other words, I’m screwed.

「1 second remaining」

However, I hold onto one hope.

You know how in movies and dramas, there are often these timed bombs with countdowns?

But there’s no guarantee they’ll always explode.

It’s a common trope to stop them just one second before detonation to create suspense-

-BOOM!

***

My body is sinking into the dark, deep water.

The ‘Ancient Magic Restraint Device’ operated with perfect precision, without the slightest error.

What a cold machine, not caring about common tropes.

I guess I’m dead.

The afterlife. If such a thing truly exists, this might be it.

The bright light cast from the surface of the water recedes further and further.

The pitch-black abyss awaits at the bottom where I’m about to reach.

Suddenly, a thought crosses my mind.

What was my life?

Used and abused as a corporate slave, then gaming all night until dawn after work.

Then I entered the game and got blown up without knowing why.

This is a life that isn’t even funny.

Regret washes over me.

If only I had known…

‘I should have played the game more diligently and seen the hidden ending before dying.’

The abyss drew closer.

Slowly but surely, I’m approaching the annihilation of my existence.

…If I just let go and surrender to this, will everything end?

It was then.

「Trait: Immortality can be activated.」

My body, which had been sinking like limp seaweed, began to emit a blue light.

Ah, right. I had this.

This changes things.

‘I don’t want to die.’

‘Nine Stars’ is the world I know best.

It’s my home ground, so why should I die?

I’m confident I can do better than anyone else.

Damn it, not yet.

I don’t want to die!

I snapped my eyes open.

I straightened my sinking body and desperately flailed my limbs.

Let’s go back up, towards the light.

***

「Trait: Immortality has been activated.」

「As a side effect of Immortality, some of your stats will be permanently lost.」

「However, as your stats have already dropped to the minimum, they will not decrease further.」

The message I had seen before flowed into my mind again.

“Aagh…!”

The first thing that greeted me in this world was the intense pain that swept through my entire body.

A groan escaped my lips due to the unbearable agony.

My whole body ached as if I’d been beaten mercilessly by a professional boxer-

but first, I checked my body.

The situation was the same as before.

Chains binding my limbs. A silver necklace hanging around my neck.

「Lifeform detected. Automatic termination protocol will commence shortly.」

「Commencing in 5 seconds」

This damn thing doesn’t even break?

No, I don’t even have time to be angry.

What needs to be done now is clear.

I must escape from here using all the knowledge and wisdom I’ve accumulated from playing ‘Nine Stars’.

Don’t be scared. I can do this.

Because I understand this game better than anyone.

Alright, let’s get started.

「4 seconds remaining」

The first thing I need to do is…

“Status.”

I said it out loud.

Nothing happened.

「3 seconds remaining」

“Status open.”

“Check information.”

「2 seconds remaining」

No, I need to check my status first.

First, I need to know what abilities I have and what I can utilize.

But how do I check it? In a game, it’s just one button press, but here I don’t know how.

Perhaps?

A thought suddenly struck me.

Maybe it’s not by speaking.

I closed my eyes and focused my will.

Then-

「 Estel Frostwind

Health- 4 Mana- 14

Physical Composite- 4

Magical Composite- 4

Faith Composite- 4

Alignment- Neutral

Trait- Immortality

Skills- None 」

“…Frostwind?”

I muttered involuntarily.

So that’s it.

Given that I have the trait ‘Immortality’, why didn’t I realize it sooner?

If that’s the case, then I’ve possessed the Lich’s body-

「1 second remaining」

-BOOM!

…

…

…

Hey, excuse me.

I was looking at my status. You should give me some time to think.

Did you have to explode so precisely, without any mercy?

Don’t you have any service time, like a karaoke machine?

In any case, I died and revived again.

「Lifeform detected. Automatic termination protocol will commence shortly.」

「Commencing in 5 seconds」

This is driving me crazy.

I feel like I’m losing my mind.

It’s not just a figure of speech; I genuinely feel like my mind is breaking.

The biggest problem is that even though the body revives, the mental damage remains.

I’m seriously contemplating.

Why am I going through all this trouble? Wouldn’t it be easier to just give up? To sink to the bottom of that dark sea and find peace?

If I don’t break this insane cycle of dying and reviving every 5 seconds, my sanity will surely collapse.

St-stop…!

If you keep killing me like this… my head will go crazy…!

‘Crazy.’

What was that monologue just now?

That was a bit dangerous.

What am I even thinking? I might be halfway to madness already.

「Commencing in 4 seconds」

‘Snap out of it.’

I steadied myself and tried to recall how to disable the ‘Ancient Magic Restraint Device’.

As I said, this terrifying sealing device is incredibly sturdy.

However, it’s not like there’s no way to disable it. I’m an expert in this game, so I naturally know how to escape.

The first method is to disable it using magic.

This is possible if the ‘Magic Engineering’ and ‘Mana Control’ skills are both level 5 or higher.

‘But from what I saw earlier, I don’t have any skills.’

Can’t be helped. This method is a pass.

Second, mechanical dismantling using lock-picking skills.

If the ‘Trap Disarming’ skill is at its maximum level, one can exploit the gaps in the restraint device using their tongue and even a single strand of hair, even if their limbs are bound.

This… honestly has no possibility. Unless you’re the Rogue King Akasha, no character can perform such martial arts-like techniques.

「Commencing in 3 seconds」

Ultimately, only one option remains for me.

I’ll have to use the last method.

I moved my body, recalling the knowledge stored in my mind.

First, I shook the chain on my left arm.

Next, my right arm. Then my left arm again. My left leg. My right arm. Finally, I shook my neck.

It’s crucial to pay attention to the exact sequence. If it’s even slightly off, the necklace will explode.

Clank, clank-

Then, a new message appeared.

「Request to cancel automatic termination protocol received」

「Please enter the deactivation code.」

Alright.

The knowledge I have is working.

Gaining confidence, I shook the chains again in a specific sequence.

「Request for a hint if the deactivation code is not remembered.」

「The hint is as follows.」

「I’m happy.

I’m happy.

I’m happy.

Because _ _ _, I’m happy.」

「The deactivation code is _ _ _.」

「The protocol will be suspended for 30 seconds until the deactivation code is entered.」

Gulp.

After swallowing, I spoke the deactivation code.

***

My frail body, freed from the chains, was roughly thrown onto the cold ground.

Liberation.

I massaged my aching limbs.

I never realized how wonderful it was to have freedom of movement before.

‘Well, this confirms it.’

The last method to disable the device is for one person only.

That is, the culprit who confined me using the device.

Only that person knows the deactivation code. Therefore, only they can understand the meaning of the hint.

However…

‘But I also knew the deactivation code.’

By the way, the deactivation code was “Eagle”.

The hint, which looks like an obscure poem, is the cheer song of my favorite baseball team. NPCs within this game would never use such a hint.

In other words, summarizing all this information-

‘The one who confined me is that bastard Michael.’

Michael, the player character I was controlling.

He’s the one who used the device to restrain the Lich.

It was absurd.

My creation, whom I meticulously raised, had the audacity to trap its creator and mess with me.

I still can’t fathom how this situation came about.

Regardless, it happened.

What’s important to me now isn’t ‘why did this happen’.

It’s ‘what am I going to do about it’.

I ask myself.

What am I going to do?

…The answer is obvious, isn’t it?

‘Since it’s come to this, I have no choice but to clear ‘Nine Stars’ as the Lich.’

Frankly, the conditions are extremely unfavorable.

Michael is in a state of completion that I painstakingly nurtured, whereas my condition is, as you can see, dire.

My stats have dropped to the bottom, and all my skills and magic are gone.

If you compare it to a running race, I haven’t even reached the starting line yet, while Michael is right in front of the finish line.

However, it would be a mistake to think I’d give up easily.

‘Let’s see who wins.’

I managed to lean against the wall and stand up.

Just standing made my legs tremble like a newborn fawn.

…This body is truly pathetic.

My limbs are uselessly thin, and my skin is white as if it’s never seen sunlight.

I have to raise this frail girl somehow and clear the game…

First, let’s get out of this room.

The moment I made up my mind and took a step, my knees buckled.

Ah, damn it.

Can’t Estel even walk?

I can’t seem to muster any strength in my legs.

「Warning: Hunger level has dropped below 1%. Please consume food immediately to avoid starvation.」

「Warning: Thirst level has dropped below 1%. Please consume fluids immediately to avoid dehydration.」

…No wonder.

I had no strength in my body.

P-please, someone give me food.