Chapter 960 - Heed the call

“But enough blabbering,” the armored lich added at the end of his speech, "Since the temple is out of reach, what would you ladies do? Stay and scavenge to satiate that burning curiosity?”

“We can hardly go and dig up the place for treasures when the original owner is there,” Sofia answered first.

“What she means is that you, sir Starshield, are a much more interesting topic in her necromancer's eyes,” Saria added.

“Naturally. I have long been an object of fascination. Though one would have expected the years to wash such a reputation away. Why necromancy?” The lich asked Sofia, completely immobile under his armor, thoughts unreadable.

Sofia pointed at Saria. “I used to believe she was dead. That is the very short about why I picked up necromancy at the start… Now I mostly care about my summons and keeping a good synergy.”

“She has an unhealthy obsession for skeletons,” Saria added, ending up on the receiving side of a Sofia glare attack.

Arrenham faintly nodded under his armor. “As one should, they are the more versatile undead for a reason. Since we share that interest… I would let you dig up the remnants of my home, but there is hardly anything left of value. How about– a little game instead? To make this meeting worthwhile. A round of Overshare, maybe?”

Seeing Sofia and Saria looking at each other with questioning eyes, the armored lich sighed.

“I assume that it is not as popular a game as it once was? Let me explain,” Arreham said, extending an open palm, in which a large enchantment-covered metallic ball appeared. “Overshare is a game of trust and knowledge. Both parties must think of a spell they will teach the other side, and place hand upon the artifact. This artifact here, is capable of reading your sense of value. The higher you value the knowledge the higher a number it will show.”

“Is there any way to know what the other person was thinking of?” Sofia asked.

“No. This toy here only reads subjective value. Nothing else. Hence why it is a game of trust played amongst scholars,” the lich explained.

“So what happens to the person who ‘overshares’?” Saria asked next.

“They win,” Arrenham answered. “Whatever happens, both sides must teach each other the first spell. Then, whoever undershared must teach the other side a second spell, of a personal value at least as strong as the oversharer’s spell’s value, assuming they have one.”

“What if someone strongly values a weak or hyper-specific spell? This game of yours seems full of pitfalls,” Saria commented.

“Is that not what makes games interesting?” the lich answered in a sinister tone. “So, any players?”

Sofia turned to Saria, “You’re better at mind games, do you…”

Saria shook her head, pushing Sofia forward with a hand on her shoulder, “What am I going to do with two necromancy spells? You’re up, sis.”

Teach them to me, maybe? Sofia thought, but did not say out loud, as she was rather interested in playing anyway.

Meanwhile, the lich seemed rather amused, “Two necromancy spells, you say? Confident young one, aren’t you? Let us play a different game next time. Now, Sofia, then. Ready to overshare?”

“Can it be any spell?” Sofia asked.

“As long as you can teach it and you believe the other side would be able to learn it.”

“I have surprisingly few of those with any value…”

“I have selected mine already.”

“Do I only need to touch the artifact?” Sofia asked.

“Indeed. Think about your share and leave your hand on it for a few seconds.”

Sofia nodded, placing her hand on the metallic orb.

To someone else, there may be some deep strategy involved as they protect their knowledge, but for Sofia, who had already sold the entirety of her knowledge once to secure a leyline seed, she hardly felt any pain for parting with a spell or two. So her strategy was simply to try to force a valuable spell out of the other side.

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Her first thought was to share Pareth’s summoning circle, as it held a strong sentimental value to her, but it was in truth just a basic necromancy spell, and it only summoned Pareth because it was her using it. Since it couldn’t keep its value through the transfer Sofia felt that it counted as the other side being unable to learn it. As for Bookie’s summoning spell, it was a blurry mess at best, and considering where it came from, she would not share it even if she could.

So she decided to share something foundational to her, that she also believed could be interesting to the other party, although she did not for one second believe that the lich would truly learn it.

[Runelord]

Sofia felt a weak mana current probing her brain, she still wondered if it could be some kind of trap, but then again an Ascended would not need to resort to such tricks.

Finally two numbers appeared in between them, a 79 on Sofia’s side, and a 7 on Arrenham’s.

The Lich stepped back with a gasp, “What? I… I LOST?!” Falling to his knees, he let the orb escape his hand and roll on the floor as he shakingly grabbed his helmet. “No! How could this happen…”

Sofia said nothing. She struggled to understand whether this was genuine or not. Logic said it probably wasn’t, but if so then this Lich’s acting skills were entirely too good for someone without a proper face.

Or is he just crazy?

Sofia did not get an answer, as the Lich proceeded to simply stand back up, ignoring the sisters’ gazes, and act like nothing had happened there, leaving the orb on the ground. “What were you thinking of sharing?” he asked perfectly calmly, with none of the overwhelming emotion he had seemed to be dealing with seconds prior.

“Uhh– I… That would be [Runelord] a passive skill that helps push all other skills to the limit of their current potential and also strengthens the undead…”

“Oh, so that is what that was. Your aura is rather pleasant, this one must say. And such a practical skill for you only stands at a 79? There must be skills you truly cherish that push it down so low.”

Sofia just nodded.

“Well, my skill in comparison is pretty inconsequential. I named it ‘Myriad eyes’,” the lich announced, spreading out his arms.

Thousands of globulous eyes appeared all around the group, stuck to anything solid by red tendrils of flesh, they all stared at them. From the way they appeared, it was clear that they had always been there.

Did he… Those were invisible?!

“These little things are the reason your arrival did not go unnoticed,” the lich explained, summoning more fleshy eyes in the palms of his hands. “Technically zombies. But do not expect much from them, they only know how to watch. I will impart on you this today. And something else, seeing as this was my loss.”

I suppose his plan from the beginning was to let me ‘win’ and reciprocate with as much value as I was willing to give away… I would have only screwed myself over sharing something worthless.

“Then how about… Hmm… You seem quite… Encumbered,” the lich commented, observing Sofia, “Is that staff your primary weapon?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Then, let me share a staff spell which I seldom use anymore, but still holds sentimental value. This singular spell took me to great heights during my younger days. And it is very lightweight. The requirements to use it are rather steep, but not an issue for you, in my eyes. The name is… ‘Gods call thee’. Let me demonstrate.”

With a wave of his hand, Arrenham made the eyes he had summoned disappear, and an imposing golden staff appear in his palm.

“Let us see…” he mumbled, “Which one… Oh, I know the man for the job, and I just happened to need some money. Perfect, perfect.”

Suddenly a man appeared next to the armored lich, he stood completely chained by mithrium bindings, mouth gagged and eyes ripped out, his chest impaled by several glowing stakes.

He was still for only a moment, before, as if regaining consciousness, he started to struggle with bloody tears and muffled screams.

Sofia and Saria both instinctively took a step back, but the lich seemed not to mind.

In Sofia’s eyes, numbers of light slowly formed over the chained man’s head.

Level 498?!!!!

Not wanting to end up like the chained man, Sofia continued to keep her mouth shut.

I cannot help you…

Meanwhile, the lich held out his staff, placing the tip against the man’s chest.

Casting a glance at the sisters, he quickly cast a spell, calling the name out, “Soul sight.”

Sofia and Saria could now see the chained man’s soul, looking just as pitiful as his physical self.

“Artherion Rokard, I trust we both agree that you have spent enough time repenting for your sins?”

The man stopped struggling for a second, incomprehensible words escaped his gagged mouth.

“Good. You are free. Now go. The Gods Call Thee.”

Sofia watched a pulse of mana shoot through the lich’s staff. It penetrated the man’s body and soul directly. Then, as if torn apart by two powerful forces, his soul stretched down toward the ground, while his body stretched up toward the sky. Bits of his being were torn off one by one, before disappearing into the ether amidst disturbing fleshy noises.

From the way the man struggled, it looked like he was going through absolute agony.

It lasted just about ten seconds. Without a body for support, a manaless mana heart fell to the ground along with the bindings and stakes. That was the only part of the man left, a dead core. His body and soul were gone, and not even a trace of blood remained.