Unlike the pitch darkness below the Lich Tower, the large room was brightly lit by numerous paintings and torches hanging around its perimeter, and an impressive torch chandelier hung from the arched ceiling.
"You're here!"
The Lich's voice, completely unlike its appearance, sounded like an elderly man. It stood up and closed the book in its hand, which then vanished.
Five golden, translucent shields appeared around its body.
"This is just a formality."
It sounded as if it was explaining or trying to put Yang Tao at ease.
Having experienced the Ender Dragon, Yang Tao was no longer surprised, but he still asked the question he most wanted to know.
"Does the Ice Queen have intelligence too?"
"Of course, but whether she wants to see you is another matter entirely."
This Lich wore a magnificent magical robe, unlike those in the game, and a golden crown on its head, equally exquisite. It walked towards Yang Tao, its crimson eyes fixed on him.
"I was wondering when you would come to me..."
Yang Tao sheathed his Yamato and looked at the Lich, asking, "You knew I would come?"
"After you entered this world, all of us knew you would come, of course, those brainless beasts are not included; even if they weren't assimilated by the rules, they have no intelligence whatsoever, just like the Naga before you arrived."
"Before being assimilated by the rules?"
Yang Tao felt he had heard something interesting and immediately asked curiously.
"Can you elaborate?"
"Heh heh, of course, no problem. It's a very simple story. The small and ignorant human archmages, responding to the King's call, gathered in the towers of this world and began researching arsenic-lead-iron reactors. Theoretically, these reactors could extract large amounts of diamonds and gold."
"But no one knew this was just the beginning of a disaster. Through their research, someone discovered that this reactor might connect to another world. The archmages, possessing great power, became excited. For them, beings who wielded extraordinary power, the allure of a New World was naturally self-evident."
"They used the arsenic-lead-iron reactors at the top of the tower to summon a large number of monsters called Ghasts, for secret breeding and research experiments. But they didn't expect their actions to attract the attention of a god. The sky was obscured by a dark figure, and the captured Ghasts were also affected. The magnificent tower's summit instantly crumbled."
"Actually, She did nothing, just watched the entire world from high in the sky."
"Then... the world simply couldn't bear Her power. At this moment, all the archmages with world-destroying power realized their insignificance. They had no ability to resist... No, they couldn't even form the thought."
"It's unknown how long passed, perhaps an instant, perhaps decades, or even hundreds or thousands of centuries, after all, time has no meaning to Her."
"She left, but the world became as it is now; the world's rules were changed... Besides what you know, everything else disappeared, including the sun that never sets in the sky."
Clap, clap, clap!
Yang Tao felt the story was too wonderful and couldn't help but applaud, saying, "That's really good; this story even makes my blood boil."
The Lich said nothing, just quietly looked at Yang Tao.
"Alright, you archmages are really bored. A typical example of failing to invade a world and being invaded instead."
Yang Tao wasn't particularly interested in how the Twilight Forest was digitized, after all, he had already digitized two worlds.
It's just that the ordinary people of this world were somewhat innocent. The archmages got the benefits, but when trouble came, they had to bear the brunt together. This was a clear case of being a scapegoat.
"Um... I have a question. If I don't kill you, can I go to the next area?"
The Lich gently shook its head and smiled, "No, since you've come, then continue to follow the rules."
"Oh, I forgot to mention earlier, the archmage who discovered the arsenic-lead-iron reactor was me."
With that, a staff inlaid with an ender pearl appeared in the Lich's hand, and it fired a dark green ender pearl-like projectile at Yang Tao, though it only resembled an ender pearl.
It flew towards Yang Tao, trailing a long particle effect.
Yang Tao drew the Yamato from his waist and lightly tapped the dark green magic orb. Upon being struck, the orb flew back in the direction it came from.
"Don't you want to live?"
"All the Liches in the world are my avatars, and also my main body. I cannot die, nor can I leave the tower. Only you can truly free me, but you cannot do it yet. However, I can wait..."
Hearing the Lich say this, a smile appeared on Yang Tao's face as he said, "Since you say so, then I have no psychological burden. So..."
"Prepare to face your death this time."
As his words fell, a large number of Phantom Swords appeared around the Lich's body, slowly rotating.
As Yang Tao's mind gave the command to attack, these Phantom Swords instantly pierced the Lich's body.
The golden, translucent shields that surrounded the Lich, capable of blocking most physical attacks, were shattered by the Phantom Swords.
As all the shields shattered.
With a whoosh, Yang Tao's figure instantly passed through the Lich's body.
The Yamato was reinserted into its sheath.
"Goodbye!"
The Lich's health bar above its head was emptied, and it fell to the ground, dissipating into smoke.
A treasure chest appeared in the middle of the hall.
Yang Tao walked towards the chest, which contained some loot dropped by the Lich.
"Zombie Scepter?"
This was one of the Lich's four scepters, capable of summoning a Zombie with forty health points.
Yang Tao didn't really believe the Lich's words earlier. Whether what it said was true or false, if it was true, then an archmage who wanted to invade Minecraft should, by all accounts, be an enemy.
It's like a robber who commits murder and arson, and one day gets caught and thrown into prison, and then he says he truly repents, so you pity him and let him out?
Don't be ridiculous, we're all adults, aren't we?
Of all the Lich's requests, the only way he could help it was to help it find complete liberation.
Other than that, there was no other possibility.
He pulled out the map.
Looking at the various Boss icons on it.
"Next is the Minoshroom?"
The Minoshroom has a strange half-Mooshroom, half-Minotaur appearance.
They are fierce beasts with a crazy desire to attack anything.
These beasts are confined deep within the Labyrinth Fortress, serving as the last line of defense protecting the labyrinth's treasures.
"I wonder which Minotaur warrior challenged the limits..."
Although Minotaur, being bull-headed, are half-cow, the Minoshroom, which is a hybrid of Minotaur and Mooshroom, is also a biological miracle.