The Lich of Glory Knight Spirit: Moving towards Krimasha!
Chapter 167 - 03: Azlan Mountain (2)

Chapter 167: Chapter 03: Azlan Mountain (2)

In the midst of the white expanse of Holy Light, layers of clouds floated like pieces of land. On these lands, there were some "buildings" formed from the clouds. The "walls" seemed like they could disappear with just a gust of wind, yet appeared fixed in place, motionless.

An elderly Four-winged Angel, using a small clip, picked up a hair and placed it in a bowl with golden engravings, then set it in front of Abod. Inside the bowl were also some barely discernible fragments.

"Where did you get this hair and these skin fragments?" the Four-winged Angel asked.

"From a little boy," Abod replied.

"A little boy? A human?"

"At least he looked like a human boy. Of course, I knew he wasn’t," Abod spread his hands and said, "I really want to know what he actually is. There’s been a voice in my head urging me, so I had to come and ask you."

"Hmm..." The Four-winged Angel stroked his beard and was silent for a moment, then said, "To fully understand, one needs to be proficient in black magic. I can’t do that, so I can only tell you some general information."

"Like what?"

"Like he’s a Half-Lich."

"Half-Lich?" Abod’s expression froze. "There can be such a thing as a half Lich?"

"There wasn’t before, but now there is. In fact, I just coined the term ’Half-Lich.’ But I think it fits him perfectly."

"Why?"

"He looks exactly like a human on the surface, with almost no differences. But in reality, he and humans are completely different species. This difference is usually undetectable. It only becomes apparent in one situation."

"What situation?"

"When he sustains a fatal injury," the Four-winged Angel extended a finger and said softly, "Same anatomy, even if you dissected him, you wouldn’t find any differences. The difference is, a human’s bones are just an organ, the actual body is the brain. The brain is where the soul resides. All organs serve the brain. Once the heart stops, the human dies. He is different. His body is his skeleton, specifically, the magical energy attached to his skull. Everything else, like the brain, heart, and muscles, is just a by-product. If his heart is taken out, he will die, but only physically. His soul can still control the skeleton and continue to exist in Lich form. If his magic power is strong enough, he can even resurrect his flesh. Do you understand?"

"So... is he stronger than a Lich?" Abod looked incredulous.

"You can’t say that. Whether he’s stronger requires deeper research," the Four-winged Angel continued, "An adult Lich has a phylactery, but he does not. If destroyed, he’s really gone. A Lich doesn’t need rest, but he does, because he has a physical component that tires. In these two respects, he is not stronger than a Lich. But, like I said, whether he’s truly stronger needs further research to confirm. I found that his magical energy is extreme, and his magical perception is far superior to that of an ordinary Lich."

"Yes, he could easily see through the disguises of Catherine and me."

"That’s right, his magical perception is the strongest I’ve ever seen. The power that created him must be enormously terrifying."

Abod scratched his head almost franticly. "So, how did they create this... species?"

"Succubus," the Four-winged Angel said helplessly, "Hell has always been better at creating new species than us. Why? Because they have Succubi in their ranks. Succubi are a special species; their specialty is illusions. But that’s just one of their specialties. They can also mate with other species, even make different species mate. They can even ignore gender. Yes, exactly, a miraculous species. This one is likely a hybrid of a Lich and a human, created with the help of a Succubus. A new, high-level magical creature."

Abod was dumbfounded, feeling like his worldview had shattered. Well, he roughly knew what had happened.

"Do you have any other questions?" the Four-winged Angel asked.

"No, thank you."

"No problem. You can come and ask me about him anytime. Honestly, I’m quite interested in this new species myself."

"Alright, thank you."

...

At noon, the Kappa Priest finally reappeared at Gray’s residence.

"Holy Knight, I’m here to escort you up the mountain," the Kappa Priest bowed respectfully to Gray.

"Alright."

After giving a brief explanation, Gray mounted his horse and set out with the team that came to escort him up the mountain.

"Why can’t we go? If there’s danger, what will happen to the Holy Knight going alone?" Stick asked, looking at Gray’s back.

"Do you think there’s anything more dangerous than him?" Carl responded.

"No, I mean if the Holy Knight goes up the mountain alone without any fanfare, what if someone bullies him?"

"I guess you’re curious about what Azlan Mountain looks like and want to see it? Let me remind you, the Holy Knight has ordered not to go out privately. You better stay put." With that, Carl turned and walked back inside.

Stick rolled his eyes, lowering his head helplessly. Andrew next to him covered his mouth to stifle laughter.

...

Gray rode his horse, following the team that came to escort him slowly down the street. The area was crowded with people.

The people here were different from those elsewhere. In other places, if people encountered a team that looked important, even if they didn’t stop to watch, they would at least make way. But here, people scurried around like headless chickens. A bullock cart blocked the team’s path. The Kappa Priest went to ask them to let them through, only to be shouted at in return.

"Is the road yours? I would’ve moved if I could! Can’t you see I’m stuck?"

The Kappa Priest didn’t make a fuss, just said a few words, and returned. Then, everyone waited for the bullock cart to move.

"There are really a lot of people in Saint Lorenza," Gray couldn’t help but sigh.

"Yes, and most are either wealthy or noble. So, everyone is used to it," the Kappa Priest answered softly, "It’s already crowded enough. If we also closed the roads, it would be even more chaotic. So, no one is allowed to display banners in the city, no matter who they are. This is to avoid causing disorder."

"Not even the Pope?"

"The Pope wouldn’t come here," the Kappa Priest shook his head. "If possible, no one wants to come here."

Gray nodded quietly.

In the crowd, Gray even saw a group of dwarves, a few elves. He saw desert merchants covered head-to-toe, leading camels. He saw a southern coastal tribe member wearing shorts and shell necklaces. There was a mix of everything here, seeming more inclusive compared to other cities.

Finally, the team managed to pass through the congested area and continued towards Azlan Mountain.

Azlan Mountain was very close to Saint Lorenza. According to the map, it was five kilometers away. However, in reality, the entire Azlan Mountain was almost surrounded by Saint Lorenza. The houses at the foot of Azlan Mountain were just less dense.

From any corner of Saint Lorenza City, Azlan Mountain was clearly visible.

The two main peaks, one tall and one short, like the city of Saint Lorenza on the plain, were almost completely covered in buildings. The difference was the grandeur and uniform style of the buildings. The less-than-50-percent greenery looked more like the church’s gardens from a distance rather than wilderness.

Of course, this was just Gray’s first impression. The closer he got, the more his perception changed.

As Azlan Mountain occupied more of his view, the grand feeling gradually emerged. What appeared from afar as slender columns were, when seen up close, massive stone pillars requiring eight people to encircle. What seemed like low houses were actually all over four stories high. Larger buildings seen from afar turned out to be colossal structures over twenty stories high.

Besides the meticulously organized buildings, there were serene and elegant pathways and clearly designed gardens between them.

Even the well-traveled Gray couldn’t help but be awed by such a scale of architecture.

Though the nobles in the south were also wealthy, no king’s manor could compare to this.

Azlan Mountain had no walls and no gates, only a massive pathway dozens of meters wide leading directly to the main hall at the top. It was white. All other paths branched off from this one, leading to various buildings.

Of course, having no walls or gates did not mean no defenses. On the contrary, the defenses here were extremely strict. At the foot of the mountain, Gray already saw that the roads leading to the top were lined with heavily armored Temple Knights.

The Kappa Priest dismounted and came to Gray, saying softly, "Holy Knight, please dismount."

"Can’t I ride up?"

"No."

With no choice, Gray dismounted and followed the Kappa Priest step by step upwards.

In four years, Gray had been to many places. Some places were grand but not exquisite. Some places, although small, were surprisingly exquisite. The church combined both qualities.

Walking up the path, aside from the buildings visible from afar, the most impressive things were the various sculptures and exquisitely designed gardens along the way. The degree of luxury was stunning.

"Maintaining this place must cost a lot," Gray asked softly.

"Of course," the Kappa Priest answered briefly, then said no more.

Finally, Gray arrived in front of the main hall at the top of the mountain. In the distance, he already saw Cardinal Anthony III waiting for him. Compared to a few years ago, he looked even older, like he was approaching the end of his life.

The two exchanged greetings.

Anthony III stepped aside and made a gesture of "please."

As Gray passed him, Anthony III whispered, "When this is over, please stay a while. I have something to discuss with you."

At that moment, in the distance, Levi was standing in front of a building, quietly watching the two of them.