This Lich Requests More Remuneration
Chapter 468 - 438 Sworn Enemy Declaration

Chapter 468: Chapter 438 Sworn Enemy Declaration

Aeolus’s head was being held in Amberser’s hand, but such injuries as being beheaded and cleaved through the chest were not serious for this lad.

What Amberser hadn’t expected was that Aeolus would regrow a head from his severed body, while the head he was holding in his hand turned directly into seawater.

What exactly was the structure of this lad’s body? It seemed he could freely transform between seawater and flesh and blood.

Was he truly as ceaseless and undying as the waves?

The freed Aeolus didn’t bother being polite with Amberser. Although he didn’t understand how Amberser had suddenly donned a suit of armor, he wasn’t scared at all.

Just armor, who doesn’t have it?!

A layer of luminescent shell appeared on his body, somewhat resembling a lobster shell, and then Aeolus once again charged at Amberser using the power of the seawater.

The clash between Aeolus’s trident and Amberser’s demon-slaying blade was swift once more, as if they were ignoring the resistance of the seawater.

Amberser felt shocked; the lad had grown stronger since their last encounter. The lobster magic armor on his body not only provided defense but seemed to also enhance his bodily functions, greatly increasing his speed.

A high-level warrior could wield their weapon with physical prowess, capable of using a greatsword to perform vasectomies on flies. Aeolus now seemed to possess such prowess; his trident was both powerful and agile, piercing through Amberser’s defenses with the demon-slaying blade numerous times, leaving a series of gashes on his mithril mech.

That trident must have also been a special weapon infused with magic power, or else it wouldn’t have left marks on the mithril.

Looking at the lobster-shaped magic armor on his body, this lad was indeed the Koutao Murloc Goddess’s chosen!

Amberser swung his arms to block Aeolus’s trident slashing down on him, the tremendous force creating visible ripples on the seafloor.

Taking advantage of this deadlock, Amberser spoke again, "Aeolus, I’m down to fight, but give me a legitimate reason. What exactly have I deceived you about?"

Aeolus angrily said, "I want to find Airel, and you tricked me into searching for that Mermaid Clan’s imposter. You’ve been stopping me from finding Airel, and you still say you’re not deceiving me?!"

With a roar from Aeolus, turbulent currents burst from his trident, pushing Amberser’s body towards the seafloor.

This sudden water vortex pressed Amberser into the seabed sediment, and in the next second, Aeolus raised his trident high and stabbed towards his chest.

But the tip of the trident only grazed the surface of the mech, plunging deep into the ground without causing much damage, while Amberser’s demon-slaying blade again pierced through his chest.

Aeolus incredulously looked at his chest. The outer layer of magic armor, tougher than steel, how could it be sliced open like cutting tofu by these insignificant little knives?

Having learned from his previous lesson, Amberser didn’t sever Aeolus’s body but instead gripped it firmly, and said, "Aeolus, you say I’m stopping you from finding Airel, have you lost your mind? From the beginning, I asked if you knew anything beyond the name, and you said you didn’t even know that yourself!

"I told you then, the name Airel is very common in the ocean, impossible to determine who you were looking for. How could I stop you when I didn’t know whom you sought?"

Aeolus, spitting blood, froze for a moment as his fierce and angry expression wavered.

Something seemed off; the Lich’s words made some sense.

But it was the Koutoa Murloc Goddess who told him this, and this Lich has been deceiving him, always preventing his search for Airel.

Amberser noticed the change in Aeolus and released him, then said, "Aeolus, although I don’t know what you’ve been through these last few days, think about it calmly. Initially, you said you wanted to find Airel, I told you it was pointless to search like this. Then, I learned that the Mermaid High Priestess is also called Airel, so I took you to meet her, to see if you could recognize her..."

"The Airel I’m searching for is not that one! Not a mermaid!" Aeolus coughed up blood, vehemently saying.

Amberser roared back just as angrily, "Don’t you have to meet her once to find out the truth!? How can you be sure without meeting? Do you think I’m the Goddess of Fate, and you’ll find her just because I say so? Did I ever tell you before the meeting that she was the Airel you were looking for? I repeatedly confirmed with you if you could recognize her by something other than her face. You didn’t know, and I didn’t say for sure that she was the one you sought, only that you should keep confirming. How can you say I deceived you?!"

Aeolus froze again; Amberser’s words were indeed correct by any measure—he hadn’t been deceived.

"Could it be, I’ve made a mistake?"

Just as Aeolus began pondering this question, that chaotic and maddened voice rang in his ears, "Don’t listen to him, he is lying, he’s been tricking you all along, knowing from the start who Airel was, leading you in circles. Ask him if he isn’t also acquainted with an Airel."

Aeolus’s gaze shifted, and he questioned Amberser, "When I first told you I was looking for Airel, did you already know where she was? You knew Airel then, right?!"

Amberser didn’t answer; he started to feel that something wasn’t right, Aeolus’s mental state seemed off.

The previous Aeolus was just foolish, but still possessed rational logic. Now, however, he seemed somewhat neurotic, much like that Koutoa Murloc Goddess.

Amberser expanded his senses, closely observing Aeolus’s condition, and quickly identified the issue.

On Aeolus’s forehead, a sinister magic power in the form of thorns was piercing into his brain.

"Crown of Madness?! No, stronger than that spell’s effect!"

The Crown of Madness was a very common second-tier spell, not very demanding to cast, whose effect was to send a target into a frenzy, attacking all nearby indiscriminately.

But Amberser had never heard of the effects of Crown of Madness continuing after death and rebirth, nor was Aeolus in a state of indiscriminate friend and foe—it was simply logical chaos and uncontrollable frenzy.

"Aeolus, what on earth happened to you? Maybe I can help you!" Amberser asked.

Even a deity’s curse isn’t without a solution.

But Aeolus wouldn’t listen and once again raised his trident, saying to Amberser, "Did you know Airel all along but chose not to tell me?"

"Nonsense, I’ve told you I know many Airels, but I had no idea which one you were looking for!"

Aeolus shook his head wildly, babbling incessantly, "No, are you still deceiving me?! I know you’ve been using me from the start."

Amberser was now certain that this man had lost the ability to think rationally; this was clearly the handiwork of the Koutao Mermaid Goddess. It seemed impossible to reason with him verbally.

As the two had been battling for so long, the Kuotuo Murlocs following Aeolus had already arrived on the battlefield. These foolish creatures had begun chanting incantations, their magic igniting in countless luminous sparks, illuminating the depths of the sea.

Amberser sighed; madmen were always the hardest to deal with.

"Aeolus, one last chance, will you calm down and talk, or do you wish to continue fighting me?!" Amberser shouted.

A struggle flickered across Aeolus’s distorted face, but it was quickly overwhelmed by madness.

Aeolus roared, "Liar, you deserve to die! This sea is my offering to the great Talos, and you will become my trophy!"

Amberser shook his head helplessly—there was nothing left to say.

"So be it." Amberser raised his blade high, declaring loudly, "I swear here and now, you, Aeolus, deluded madman, ingratiating villain, I regard you as my sworn enemy, and this vendetta shall not end until death!"

Amberser rarely made such melodramatic declarations, but this wasn’t about posturing; it was part of a ritual.

This was the power of the Ranger, selecting a target as one’s sworn enemy, adjusting all one’s abilities accordingly. Against your sworn enemy, you would receive an all-around enhancement.

All of a Ranger’s attacks against their sworn enemy would inflict increased accuracy and damage, while the enemy’s damage to the Ranger would be reduced.

This was why Rangers were often criticized: when facing their sworn enemy, Rangers were truly strong, but against any other targets, their abilities seemed somewhat lackluster.

Now, for the first time, Amberser invoked the ranger’s sworn enemy declaration and felt an indescribable power coursing through him. Aeolus’s image became even clearer in his eyes.

Although the Legendary Ranger power was shared by Katherine, Amberser hardly practiced it.

But a legend was a legend, and from that moment on, Amberser felt like he could pin Aeolus to the ground and pummel him into submission.

Amberser waved his hand, tearing open a rift in space, and from it stepped a young girl.

Amberser said to the girl, "Naomi, it’s been a while since we last fought side by side."

Naomi gave a slight smile and transformed with a swish of her body, turning into a gigantic shark.

Amberser mounted the shark, for a Ranger is never without his beast companion, and Naomi would share the effects of Amberser’s sworn enemy declaration as well.

As Amberser mounted the giant shark, the Kuotuo Murlocs had finished preparing their spells, hurling hundreds of them towards Amberser.

The magic began to morph as soon as the Kuotuo Murlocs cast them.

What should have been an Ice Ray turned into a Fireball Technique upon casting, which then exploded in the water, toppling them. What was meant to be a Stopping Spell became Chain Lightning upon release, but misfired, causing bloody havoc among their own ranks. A Kuotuo Murloc intended to cast a Group Buff Spell, only to release a poisonous cloud that stained the water dark green.

Chaotic casting meant the Kuotuo Murlocs couldn’t be sure if their spells would morph unpredictably, resulting in either divine intervention or a lethal pitfall for themselves—even the Koutao Mermaid Goddess couldn’t be certain.

But what was uncertain for the goddess was not so for Amberser.

A bunch of fools betting on odds in front of a Diviner Mage?

The Dice of Destiny had already covered the entire battlefield, locking the Murlocs into a cursed future where spellcasting was concerned.

After the barrage, the Kuotuo Murlocs were the first to suffer hundreds of casualties.

This bizarre situation even stunned Aeolus, who had led the Kuotuo Murlocs in many battles. Their chaotic magic, although ludicrous, often had a few spells that proved miraculous in sheer volume—why had all the spells failed this time?

In the moment Aeolus was distracted, Amberser charged towards him on the giant shark, his Demon-Slaying Blade grazing Aeolus’s neck and severing his head.

As Aeolus was decapitated, Amberser promptly summoned the Golden Throne, and cast a Ninth Circle Spell—True Polymorph—on him!