Chapter 108

As Ethan locked eyes with the lich, the undead creature lifted its head in response. Its skeletal face, barely distinguishable from a bare skull, had no eyeballs, only two eerie, flame-like lights flickering within its hollow sockets.

Being stared at by those unnatural eyes sent a chilling sensation through Ethan, as if his very soul was being laid bare. Acting on pure instinct, he reinforced his mind with spiritual energy, forming a protective barrier around his soul.

Mental attacks could damage the spirit, but direct harm to the soul itself was far worse.

Yet, for some reason, Ethan couldn't shake the feeling that this creature could truly see into his soul.

"A lich… this won't be easy."

He wasn't familiar with the nature of liches in this world, but based on his past life's knowledge, these beings had an unusual life cycle, one that made them exceptionally difficult to kill.

Then, unexpectedly, the lich spoke.

"Your strength is impressive."

Ethan heard the words clearly, despite the underwater setting. There was no distortion, no muffled sound. That's when he realized, the lich wasn't speaking in the traditional sense. The voice resonated directly within his mind, as if whispering to his very soul. Had he not shielded himself, the effect could have been far more unsettling.

But what truly caught him off guard was the voice itself.

"A woman?"

"What? You sound surprised."

The skeletal face twisted into something akin to a smile—or at least, that's what Ethan assumed it was meant to be. Without making any visible movements, the lich was suddenly elevated, as if standing on an unseen platform.

Now that she was at eye level, Ethan could see more clearly, she was standing on something. A wide, flat-bodied creature, twisted and grotesque, served as her platform. Its flesh was tattered, its eyes glowing with an ominous light.

Another undead.

"That's why it's so easy to control."

The lich ran a hand along the abomination beneath her feet.

"These are my pets, all very obedient… just like the ones you killed earlier."

Her tone darkened, carrying a clear trace of hostility. She was clearly displeased by the loss of her minions.

"But before we fight, I should at least introduce myself."

Ethan wasn't sure if she was being arrogant or simply eager to talk. Maybe it had been a long time since she'd met someone worth conversing with.

"My name is Christina. I currently serve Lord Beckford."

Ethan's expression shifted slightly at that name.

Beckford.

He had heard that name from Wilson before. He had expected to encounter Beckford sooner or later, especially after crossing into these cursed waters.

What he hadn't expected was to immediately run into another one of his subordinates and an undead one, at that.

Christina noticed his reaction. Despite having no flesh, she somehow conveyed surprise, something Ethan found slightly unsettling. Was it his enhanced perception, or had his mental abilities grown to the point where he could instinctively read her intent?

"You know Lord Beckford?" she asked, voice sharp with curiosity. "Have you heard his name before?"

Her response was quick. Within moments, she pieced things together.

"You killed Wilson, didn't you?"

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You haven't heard about that from anyone else?"

Christina's skeletal grin widened, a cruel amusement in her posture. Just looking at it sent a chill down Ethan's spine.

"That's because anyone who has heard of or seen Lord Beckford either dies… or joins us and becomes undead."

Her voice was eerily casual.

"There is no third option?"

"There is no third option."

Her words made one thing very clear, this was an unavoidable conflict. There was no chance for negotiation.

Ethan had no intention of waiting around to be killed, nor would he ever accept becoming an undead.

Even if his mental strength surpassed that of an ordinary person… even if he could retain his consciousness and possibly become a powerful high-ranking undead… it didn't matter.

He had zero interest in that kind of existence.

"Then there's nothing more to say."

With that, Ethan raised his wand in his left hand while drawing his battle cross with his right.

The transparent blade shimmered faintly, but in the underwater environment, it was nearly invisible—at least, to the average eye.

However, Christina was far from average.

A lich's sight was vastly different from a human's. With her enhanced spiritual perception and undead vision, she could clearly sense the energy emanating from the weapon.

"You really are strong," she mused. "It would be a shame to waste such talent. You could always join us."

She sounded genuinely serious.

"You're far more capable than that worthless Wilson."

Ethan let out a dry chuckle. "I appreciate the offer, but I have no interest in becoming a rotting corpse."

Christina wasn't offended. If anything, she persisted, as if she truly believed she could change his mind.

"You don't understand," she said, her voice almost persuasive. "With your power, you could become an exceptional undead. You wouldn't even need a physical body like mine, you could preserve your spiritual form. If you did, you would understand… the body itself is nothing more than a vessel. You could change it at will, or even craft the perfect form for yourself…"

As she spoke, her voice grew feverish, her skeletal features betraying an eerie sense of reverence.

The flickering lights in her eye sockets, once cold and ominous, burned with an intense, almost fanatical glow.

Ethan almost laughed. Was she actually trying to convert him?

For a moment, he wasn't sure whether to be disturbed or flattered.

"Once again, I appreciate the sentiment," he said dryly. "But no, I still have no interest in becoming undead."

Christina's excitement faded in an instant. Her energy dimmed, and for a brief second, she looked… disappointed.

It was almost enough to make Ethan feel guilty, as if he had just crushed her hopes.

But the feeling passed quickly.

Because Christina's aura immediately shifted—the eerie, ominous malice returned in full force.

"Then I guess you'll just have to die here."

Ethan moved his wand through the water, feeling the drag as it slowed his motion. "You're welcome to try."

Christina let out a bone-chilling laugh, the sound piercing through his soul like icy daggers.

"You don't actually think I spent all this time talking to you without preparing anything, do you?"

As she spoke, the water around them darkened.

From the abyss below, a swarm of undead began to rise, surrounding Ethan on all sides.

"Look at my darlings—so obedient, so much better than those pathetic sailors. At my command, they'll tear you apart, rip out your soul, and shred it to pieces."

Ethan glanced around, taking in the situation. To an outsider, it might have looked like he was in a dire predicament, but he remained completely unfazed.

"So, do you really think I've also been wasting my time chatting with you this whole time without making any preparations?"

At this point, he was more convinced than ever that rejecting the idea of becoming undead had been the right decision. Sure, turning into one seemed to grant immense power but if this level of intelligence was a side effect, then no thanks.

"Be purified by the boundless sea."

Throughout many civilizations, water was revered for its cleansing and purifying properties. While it lacked the sheer destructive force of Holy Light, it still held an innate power over the undead, its purification was broader in scope, affecting all that was tainted, even if its intensity was somewhat weaker. But in the current underwater environment, that wasn't a problem.

As Ethan unleashed the spell he had been preparing, a surge of magical energy erupted from his hands and wrists, expanding outward in waves. With every ripple, the power intensified, drawing upon the surrounding water.

Part of this was due to Ethan's meticulous spell construction but the real reason for its potency was simple: being underwater amplified the magic infinitely.

Even though Ethan wouldn't be able to control the spell once it was cast, he didn't need to.

This kind of magic functioned like a rolling snowball once set in motion, it gained momentum on its own. All he had to do was initiate it, then sit back and watch the results.

As the ripples expanded, the nearest undead were the first to be struck. The impact crippled them immediately, while those slightly farther away were outright erased by the water's purifying force.

As for the ones even farther back?

They didn't even resist, the moment the magic touched them, they vanished without a trace.

That was the nature of this spell the more water it absorbed, the stronger it became. Only the undead closest to Ethan survived the initial blast… but even they were on the brink of destruction.

Of course, even this spell had limits. It couldn't expand infinitely even in an ocean, the maximum radius was about 100 meters. Beyond 50 meters, its purification effects started to weaken, gradually dissipating into ordinary water.

Still, within its effective range, it was absolute devastation.

"This… this is impossible!"

Christina's once-mighty undead horde had been annihilated in an instant. The few that remained were in critical condition, barely clinging to existence. The death energy keeping them intact was now fully occupied with maintaining their survival, rendering them incapable of using any abilities.

Even their physical forms were too damaged to launch a basic attack.

At this point, they were practically useless.

"You…"

Christina's voice trembled not with fear, but with rage. Losing so many of her subordinates so easily was unacceptable.

"You… must die!"

A piercing howl erupted from her skeletal form, but this time, it wasn't just a simple psychic attack. A visible shockwave, an almost tangible ripple of destructive energy shot toward Ethan with terrifying force.

Yet, just as it was about to strike.

An unseen current diverted it, sweeping it aside effortlessly.

***

For every 100 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 30+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves.