BOOOOOM!

First a flash of blinding light illuminated the place.

Then an explosion tore through the church walls, sending fragments of brick and stone flying into the air.

Dust and debris filled the night as a figure blasted out through the broken section, landing on the square outside with a grim expression.

Ethan stood there, his sword drawn, one hand gripping Hall's shoulder tightly.

A dead silence hung for a brief moment. Then, the doors of the church burst open and dozens of figures stumbled out one after another.

Under the pale light of the moon, what Ethan saw made his skin crawl. Twisted figures with dark, decayed skin and hollow eyes writhed as they walked. Their movements were distorted, their bodies bent unnaturally, and they let out faint guttural sounds that echoed through the empty streets.

Ethan already had a bad feeling, but he still couldn't fully believe it.

"What… what are these?" he muttered as he looked oddly distorted humans with broken bodies and bones jutting out of their body.

A sick, wet laugh echoed from the ruined entrance of the church. "Kekekek… Did you like this, Lord Ethan?"

Ethan's gaze snapped toward the voice. Out from the shadows stepped Mureno, the priest he had supposedly killed. The sword Ethan had thrust into his chest was still stuck there, yet Mureno's face was calm, almost gentle.

"You're wondering how I'm alive, right?" Mureno said softly, wrapping his thin fingers around the sword hilt. With a slow pull, he dragged it out.

The sound of metal scraping bone made Hall flinch. Then Mureno's body began to burn from within. His eyes ignited like torches, and his flesh peeled away as blue flames consumed him burning the carcass.

Ethan and Hall stared in stunned silence as the man's body disintegrated, leaving behind a flaming skeleton wreathed in smoke and fire.

"It's because I am… a Lich," Mureno said, with a voice that was a mix of laughter and echoing whispers.

"GYAAAAA! WHY THE HELL IS A LICH HERE?" Hall screamed, nearly losing his mind.

He clutched his head, pulling at his hair in panic. "Wasn't this supposed to be a simple investigation?! What kind of nightmare did we walk into?"

"And that's too right under the nose of the Church…This is fuckinh bullshit."

"…"Ethan didn't know how to react after seeing Hall.

'Is he too shocked or he just doesn't believe me.'

His sharp eyes were scanning their surroundings.

The town was quiet.

It was eeriely quiet. Not a single villager had come out, even after all the noise. A strange unease ran down his spine.

"You…" Ethan muttered. "Why did you expose yourself so openly?"

"Also.."Ethan looked at the silent atmosphere outside.He could feel a residue of huge mana but unable to distinguish it.

Mureno laughed again, a disgusting, hollow sound. His burning skull tilted slightly. "Because there's no need to hide anymore. This entire place is sealed with an artifact. The only way out is to kill me. But tell me, can you really do that?"

He stepped forward, the flames around him twisting. "I may be a level below you," he said mockingly, "but a mage always has the advantage over a knight. Now then… go."

He raised his bony hand, and at his command, the horde of undead let out distorted cries.

"GRRR!"

"GKKK!"

"HIIIEEE!"

The ground shook as they ran toward Ethan, their lifeless bodies moving with unnatural speed. Their nails scraped against stone as they leapt at him.

Ethan didn't move.

The moment the first of them lunged, a deep sound echoed.

BOOOOM!

He stomped the ground hard, sending out a powerful shockwave of mana. The force blasted outward, cracking the cobblestone and sending the undead flying like broken dolls.

In the midst of them, Ethan grabbed one by the neck and slammed it onto the ground. The impact shattered the body into pieces.

Mureno's hollow eyes glowed brighter. 'If my Spiritual Interference had worked, this would have been over already,' he thought coldly. 'I need to distract him long enough to cast the curse again.'

"Hey!"

A cold voice rang out, cutting through the chaos.

Mureno's flaming eyes flickered as he turned his gaze back to Ethan. What he saw made him falter.

The faint bluish aura that had surrounded Ethan started changing. It darkened, then turned into a deep crimson. The air itself felt heavier, charged with fury.

Ethan's rage was spilling out.

He looked at one of the undead near him. Its mouth opened, teeth bared, trying to bite his arm. But for a second, Ethan froze.

Even in their deathly faces, he saw something.

It was a gaze filled with pain, suffering, sorrow. Their eyes weren't empty. They were crying silently for release.

And what pierced him the most that these weren't strangers. These were his people.

People who had probably been living ordinary lives. Farmers. Workers. Families. Now turned into monsters.

And where the hell were his guards while all of this was happening?

He clenched his jaw,and his chest tightened painfully.

"They are dead," he said slowly, his voice trembling with anger. "Yet they are still alive…"

He raised his eyes, glaring at Mureno. "What did you do to them?"

The cold, wrathful light in Ethan's eyes made Mureno instinctively step back. For a moment, even the Lich felt a twinge of fear.

'Why… Why am I afraid?' Mureno thought, his flames flickering unevenly. 'I'm the one with the advantage here.'

He forced a laugh. "I turned them into my followers. No… into the followers of our Lord."

"They aren't dead," he continued, raising his arms high. "They've been blessed by our Lord with eternal life. Isn't that a gift worth celebrating? Kekekekeke…"

"Hahahah!"

"So do you like it.."

As his laughter filled the air, more undead figures crawled out of the church. Mureno raised his staff, and a dark mist poured out from him, swirling like smoke. The energy wrapped around the undead, turning them stronger, larger, and more twisted.

"Don't worry dear Lord…You will also become one of them after dying."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.