Chapter 3: Young & Lich #3

Chapter 3: Young & Lich #3

This game has a food system.

Yes, even a hero who can beat dragons like lizards needs to eat to survive.

So, it’s not strange that there are penalties to abilities when hunger or thirst levels drop.

This system has never been a major problem for me until now.

Because there are countless ways to obtain food in this game. It’s a game where you can even eat human corpses if necessary.

This means that unless it’s a dungeon with tricky special mechanics, you’ll almost never starve to death.

So, was I being complacent?

I never imagined I’d face a crisis of starvation and dehydration.

“Is anyone there…!”

I shouted weakly.

I don’t know why I’m speaking like I’m in a historical drama.

“I’m thirsty. Honey water… give me honey water…!”

I’m a Lich, proud ruler of death. My subordinates would surely bring me food and water if I just asked…

Ah.

It suddenly dawned on me.

There should only be me, Estel Frostwind, in this mansion.

Because Michael and his party took care of all my other subordinates.

The loyal maids who served the Lich, the Bone Dragons, even the common skeleton soldiers-all of them, thoroughly.

“Damn it…”

I resent my past persistence, but there’s nothing I can do.

Dragging my trembling knees, I desperately left the room.

I need to find something to alleviate my hunger and thirst.

Even though I have the trait “Immortality,”

dying and reviving won’t automatically fill my stomach, right?

“Hungry… thirsty…”

My vision is blurry.

Thump.

As I collapsed onto the floor, my cheek met the cold stone floor.

But I can’t stop here. If I stop once, I feel like I won’t be able to move again.

With all my might, I crawled little by little.

I hope there’s something left in the mansion.

Even slimy seasoned eggplant, which I used to hate, is fine.

Even Hawaiian pizza with mint chocolate topping is okay. I’m ready to eat anything gratefully right now.

Please, anything…!

“Oh, oh… Oh!”

My eyes snapped open.

The ceiling, shattered like a house hit by a bomb during a war, revealing its skeletal structure.

Rainwater was pooling on the floor through the hole in it.

It’s a small amount, not even a full sip, but it’s water nonetheless.

I crawled slowly and licked the rainwater.

Lick, lick-

It was heavenly.

It’s so sweet. No fragrant liquor in the world could compare to this dirty rainwater I’m tasting.

Lick, lick, lick-

I frantically stuck out my tongue and drank the water until the floor was visible.

「Thirst has been quenched.」

Next is food.

I wriggled my body like a caterpillar again and explored the mansion.

There was nothing on the 3rd floor, and while searching the 2nd floor…

「Unidentified Mushroom

-Classification: Food Ingredient

-A mushroom that grew alone in a damp, shady corner. It may be poisonous, so it is recommended not to eat it if possible.」

I found a mushroom growing between wooden planks.

Poison?

What do I care? I’m about to starve to death.

I immediately tore it off and ate it.

The mushroom wasn’t very tasty. It had the texture of wet tissue paper, and the bitter aftertaste was unpleasant.

But it’s better than having nothing in my stomach.

“Phew.”

Having barely satisfied my hunger, I rested for a moment and then stood up.

First, I should thoroughly search the mansion.

It would be nice if there was anything left.

Thinking so, I walked around the mansion, but…

“Damn Michael.”

The mansion was truly thoroughly looted.

Yes, I expected it to some extent.

Because the one who played as Michael was none other than me. It was impossible for me to overlook items.

Putting that aside, I have a question.

Wasn’t this mansion originally not this dilapidated?

The ceiling has holes, and the walls and floors are all old and torn.

Wild mushrooms are growing on the floor.

‘Well, that’s natural if you think about it realistically.’

In the game, there are specific items that can be farmed.

For example, you can take a necklace from a drawer, but you can’t usually steal the drawer itself.

Even the ornate chandeliers and the carpets on the floor, which must be quite valuable, cannot be taken.

They are treated as mere decorative elements that cannot be collected, like a feast for the eyes.

But if the world of ‘Nine Stars’ became reality, it would be different.

The owner is gone, and the mansion has lost its defenses.

Hyenas like looters wouldn’t just leave it be. It’s common sense that they would take everything valuable.

Should I interpret this as a touch of realism added to the original game?

I continued to search the mansion with a bit of gamer’s curiosity.

「Dust Bunny

-Classification: Miscellaneous Item

-Small dust particles have gathered to form a large clump. If you start seeing this in your house, it’s time to clean.

「Broken Wooden Plank

-Classification: Material Item

– Cracked and split wooden plank. It seems usable as firewood.

After searching for a long time, I only found useless trash.

Collecting these won’t do any good.

I gave a wry smile and kicked a rolling tissue box.

It’s all trash. There’s nothing more to see.

But at that moment.

Crack!

I felt a heavy impact, like an uppercut to the solar plexus.

“Hyaak-!”

Letting out a shrill scream, I bent my back into a right angle.

It hurts like hell!

What was that? Did something attack me?

I didn’t do anything. I just kicked a tissue box…

Wait, could it be?

I had a bad feeling.

Clutching my aching chest, I picked up the tissue box with trembling hands.

「Estel’s Reliquary

-Unique Item

-Durability: 3/6

-A reliquary containing the soul of Lich Estel Frostwind. If this reliquary is destroyed, the Lich can no longer revive.

-In the past, it was a small paper box used to hold tissues. It is easily damaged by strong impacts, water, and fire.

Excuse me.

This is my reliquary?

Well, it was strange.

The source of the Lich’s immortality was its reliquary. In the game, to stop the Lich from continuously reviving, destroying the reliquary was the final step of the strategy.

So, the reliquary had to be somewhere in this mansion.

But a tissue box? That’s a bit much.

Wasn’t it originally a white jar decorated with jewels?

Overwhelmed, I involuntarily tightened my grip on the box.

“Hgehk…!”

Pain that shook me to my bones struck again.

It seems that any impact on the reliquary is transmitted to my body.

“Ha.”

A single tear welled up, perhaps from the pain or from sadness.

I carefully put the tissue box in my arms and left the mansion.

***

Caw, caw-

A crow croaked ominously somewhere in the shady forest where the sun never reached.

First priority is to head to the nearest village. There’s no future in this mansion.

I walked diligently.

Since it’s not my original body but the body of a frail girl, I can’t move as quickly as I’d like.

Did this Lich never go for walks?

After walking for about ten minutes, I had to stop and rest, otherwise, I’d be too breathless to walk.

The good thing is that I know the fastest route to the village.

If I didn’t know the way and wandered in the forest all night, it would have been truly agonizing.

‘Immortality… It’s certainly a unique trait.’

Sitting on a tree stump to rest, I pondered the direction of my future growth.

I’ve raised all sorts of characters, but this is my first time raising a Lich.

Although I’ve lost all my abilities, it’s fortunate that I still have the ridiculously overpowered trait “Immortality.”

Being able to revive multiple times in this game, where death is usually final, is an incomparable advantage.

‘But that doesn’t mean I’m invincible.’

However, I must never let my guard down.

This game isn’t so easy that you can clear it relying on just one overpowered trait.

There will surely be situations that even “Immortality” cannot overcome.

‘Let’s call it a bad ending, for example.’

As I experienced earlier, activating “Immortality” depends entirely on my will.

Bad Ending #1 would be if I no longer wished to revive.

Shall we call it the ‘Broken-Hearted Lich’ ending?

For instance, imagine falling to the bottom of the deep sea and getting your foot stuck in the wreckage of a sunken ship.

No matter how many times I revive, there’s no escape.

Or imagine falling into the deep lava of a volcano and being roasted.

Even if I revive, I’ll just turn into fried Lich.

In such a hopeless situation, I would probably give up on “Immortality.”

That’s not the only bad ending.

‘It’s also dangerous if the reliquary is destroyed.’

Bad Ending #2. ‘No, why would you break that?’

This old tissue box that I cherish in my arms. If it tears, I’m done. Game over.

‘And… the most terrifying situation is something else.’

Bad Ending #3. ‘Please, kill me.’

What if I lose a fight, and the opponent has no intention of killing me mercifully? This is also very dangerous.

My life would be spared, but endless days of biological experiments and torture would follow.

Just imagining it sent shivers down my spine.

‘And the fact that I’ve possessed a girl’s body is also a problem.’

There are darker scenarios possible because I’m a girl.

I don’t want to think too deeply about this.

I just hope that what I fear will never happen to me.

I have no choice but to get stronger as soon as possible and gain the power to protect myself.

…I’ve rested enough.

It’s best to move diligently before night falls.

The closest village to the Lich’s mansion would be the Garden Western Frontier, right?

Fortunately, it’s a distance I can cover quickly with my walking pace.

It would be great if I could arrive by the end of today.

As I walked with that thought in mind.

Rustle-

The bushes nearby moved.

At the same time, the musky scent of a wild animal wafted over.

Hoo- Hoo-

The sound of the beast’s breathing followed.

‘There’s something.’

My heart pounded.

The world of ‘Nine Stars’ is by no means a peaceful place for travelers.

It’s too naive to believe there are only crows and squirrels in the forest.

I quickly scanned my surroundings and picked up a thick branch that seemed somewhat usable.

「Branch

-Weapon, Material Item

-Durability 3/4

-Attack Power 1 ~ 3

-A basic blunt weapon found in nature. Its value as a weapon is not high. It’s only slightly better than an empty hand.

“Get lost. If you come closer, I’ll attack.”

I held up the branch and swung it around a few times.

In the forest, beast-type monsters mainly appear.

These creatures have low intelligence and are highly vigilant.

Turning your back and running away is a bad move. You have to show them that you’re not an easy opponent.

Even though I’m a weakling right now, bluffing as much as possible is the way to survive.

‘Please, go away.’

I earnestly repeated in my mind.

‘Go away. Please, just leave.’

I felt eyes watching me from within the bushes.

A tense silence followed…

Rustle-

Leaves fell, and a giant figure emerged from between the trees.

Four legs with rippling muscles. A shining coat of fur.

And if you look up and follow its gaze, you’ll see golden horns shaped like lightning.

「Encountered Field Boss Golden Horn.」

「Danger Level: High」

A sigh of exasperation escaped my lips.

Oh, come on.

Why does this damn deer have to show up here?