Kano and Elgot moved slowly deeper into the mine, where the cold blue glow of crystals bounced off rows of stone statues depicting dwarves, humans, elves, and even demons. Amidst this collection of silent figures, Kano suddenly stopped.
He studied one of the statues intently — a woman who stood out from the rest.
She was incredibly beautiful, though frightened: small horns adorned her head, and a thin tail, like a whip, ended in a small blade. Her body was exposed, and her figure reminded him of Lianel with her voluptuous curves.
Noticing Kano's interest, Elgot quietly asked,
—"What is it that draws you in?"
Kano, still gazing at the statue, replied,
—"She's unbelievably beautiful... Her figure is like Lianel's, her breasts large, but it's strange that she's wearing so little clothing."
Elgot chuckled and explained,
—"This is a demon, a succubus. A creature made for pleasure. They know the arts of indulgence so well that they drive men mad. When a man is ready to do anything for one more night, succubi make a contract with him for his soul, and after it's signed, they kill their prey, gaining the soul — or rather, the crystal they use in rituals. They're exceptional alchemists and mages, despite their demonic origins."
Suddenly, amid the silence of the mine, Kano heard a soft, barely audible whisper,
—"Boy, free me, and I'll be forever grateful to you..."
Kano froze. He turned to Elgot and whispered,
—"Did you hear that?"
Elgot leaned in and replied, with a hint of doubt in his voice,
—"You heard...?"
Kano took another look at the woman statue and again heard the voice echo from beneath the stone,
—"Yes, it's me. Don't be afraid, I'm not your enemy, I'm alive. An ancient undead turned me to stone, but now I've returned..."
Kano, pale with surprise, murmured,
—"Can you hear me?"
The woman replied, her voice becoming more confident,
—"My name is Revena. An ancient evil, otherworldly evil, has settled here, and they brought me here by force."
Elgot abruptly interrupted Kano,
—"Boy, don't listen to her — she's speaking to you with her thoughts!"
Kano, still stunned, answered,
—"I... I can hear her. But what are you offering me? An unforgettable night or eternal pleasure?"
Revena responded, her voice growing irresistibly seductive,
—"Choose, and you will feel your darkest desires become reality..."
Elgot did not hide his displeasure,
—"Demoness, we are going our way. Leave him alone — he's not in his right mind!"
Kano glanced at Elgot, but there was a longing in his eyes that was hard to suppress.
—"Don't listen to that idiot," he said, barely holding back his embarrassment, "I... I feel something powerful."
Elgot, leaning in closer, called out,
—"You fool, you're hopeless! You had a chance to possess three of the most beautiful women, and here you are, dreaming about a demonic succubus!"
Kano shouted in anger,
—"Shut up! Don't provoke me!"
Suddenly, among the rows of statues, something flashed like a faint shadow. The atmosphere in the mine thickened, and the tension grew.
The darkness in the mine deepened. The cold blue glow of the crystals flickered, and the air filled with an intangible sense of threat. Unexpectedly, like emerging from beneath the stones, a fleeting shadow appeared, slowly enveloping the space around the heroes.
Kano, sensing the approach of danger, gripped his sword and loudly said,
—"Elgot, be careful! Every move we make could awaken something terrifying..."
Elgot, surveying the area, whispered,
—"This shadow... it's not just darkness. I can feel an ancient, unknown power hiding within it, ready to unleash its fury at any moment..."
The air around them shuddered, and each step became heavier. The shadow slowly began to take shape, its outline becoming clearer in the mine's gloom. The crystals on the walls pulsed, emitting uneasy flickers as though transmitting energy from the unseen threat.
Kano took a deep breath and, with determination in his voice, declared,
—"I won't let this shadow take our lives! We will fight, even if it's our last step!"
Elgot, gripping Kano's hand tightly, added,
—"Be careful, every action we take could be the spark that ignites a chain of events we can't escape from!"
The shadow relentlessly expanded, consuming more and more space, as if foretelling that the greatest trial was yet to come. The heroes' hearts beat faster, and the darkness of the mine deepened, enveloping them in an icy silence.
The darkness in the mine was almost tangible. It enveloped them, choking, and it seemed that the space around them was growing ever tighter. Kano stopped, resting on the hilt of his sword, staring into the depths of the tunnel.
Elgot, who was leading, grimaced and stopped.
—"Something's wrong here," he muttered.
—"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Kano smiled grimly, but immediately tensed again. —"But what exactly?"
Elgot remained silent, his fingers tracing the carved dwarf symbols on the walls of the mine. He was studying something intently, as though trying to extract meaning from these ancient inscriptions.
— "This is something ancient," the mage finally said, stepping away from the wall. "And honestly, I've never seen anything like it before. There's almost nothing about such creatures in the books."
Kano grimaced.
— "Can you ever say something optimistic?"
— "Optimism is a luxury when you're in a mine literally covered with petrified corpses," the mage grumbled, surveying the frozen figures of dwarves and warriors.
Kano felt something watching them. Not with eyes. It was as if the very darkness in the depths of the tunnel could sense their presence.
Then, once again, her voice echoed.
— "It's a Lich."
Kano shivered, feeling a chill run down his spine.
— "What?"
— "It's a Lich, boy. He already knows you're here, and if you make one wrong move — you'll become part of his collection."
Kano swallowed the lump in his throat and almost involuntarily muttered aloud,
— "A Lich..."
Elgot spun around sharply.
— "What?"
— "It's a Lich," Kano repeated.
Elgot tensed, his fingers tightening around his staff.
— "That's entirely possible..." he muttered. "If this really is a Lich, then we're in trouble. Creatures like these..."
— "They're eternal," Revena interrupted. "They're neither alive nor dead. These are cursed sorcerers who bound their souls to a magical crystal that grants them immortality. They can't be killed by ordinary weapons. They have almost no physical form, only an essence tied to their crystal."
Kano felt a cold shiver crawl down his back.
— "And you're saying he can't be killed at all?"
— "There are two ways."
Kano held his breath, sensing that the answer would not be to his liking.
— "The first is magical. A powerful explosion destroys his crystal, and he vanishes forever. But along with him, the blast wave destroys everyone he has turned to stone."
Kano slowly turned his gaze to the petrified dwarves and warriors.
— "That's out of the question..."
— "The second way is to destroy the crystal with a sword. But it's harder. His body is a shadow, and the crystal is hidden. You have to strike straight at the heart when he weakens."
— "So... I need to break through his ghostly body to strike directly at the crystal?"
— "Yes, boy. But if you make a mistake, he'll destroy you."
Elgot watched him closely.
— "How do you know all this?"
Kano smirked.
— "The beauty gave me the tip."
The mage rolled his eyes.
— "Wonderful. Now let's listen to the naked demoness, who's just dying for you to trust her. Do you even realize she's a succubus?!"
Kano shrugged.
— "Well, she's helping for now..."
— "Of course she's helping you, you freed her!" the mage barked.
But there was no time to argue further.
The darkness came alive.
Something began to rise from the depths of the mine. Kano and Elgot felt the air grow cold around them.
And then, for the first time, they saw the Lich...