White Night is a Lich.
A Lich refers to a wizard who has achieved immortality by turning themselves into an undead.
These mad wizards, who plunge themselves into the abyss of the dead to avoid death, each have their own reasons for becoming a Lich.
So do it out of a straightforward fear of death, while others for the perverse reason of gaining more powerful dark magic.
White Night's reason for becoming a Lich was simple: there was still much to research.
Born in the Lake Kingdom, she was a wizard who dedicated her life to magic research, but t her demise before seeing its end.
To see the end of her research, she turned herself into an undead - a Lich.
The problem ca afterward.
About a decade after she beca a Lich, the entire Lake Kingdom sank beneath the lake.
Not being alive, and thus unable to receive the curse of eternal life, White Night continued her magic research below the Lake Kingdom as a Lich for five hundred years.
However, even the flesh of the undead is not immortal.
Her skeletal body began to disintegrate over ti.
So, three hundred years after becoming a Lich, White Night began searching for a new body.
At first, using Eastern sorcery, she transferred her consciousness into the body of a Jiangshi (zombie).
Though this new body was strong enough, White Night realized the physical limitations of a corporeal form.
- 'Even if I transfer to a new body, it will eventually disintegrate... I need a way to preserve my mind without the need to transfer.'
Thus, White Night began researching how to digitize her ego and sustain it within a magical chanical device.
After a long ti, her research succeeded.
White Night managed to digitalize her consciousness and upload it into the machine system of the magic tower.
If a wizard who pursues immortality becos a Lich, then she, having digitized herself into a machine, was still a Lich.
Hence, White Night still referred to herself as a Lich - and the ga players called her a Cyber Lich.
***
After explaining her past in detail.
"The White Night who is acting as a commander of the Nightmare Legion outside... is not ."
White Night continued as she led us to the rooftop garden of the magic tower.
"To be precise, she shares the sa ego as , but she's another who turned against ."
...What the hell does that an?
Seeing that we all had the sa perplexed expression, White Night grimaced within the magic panel.
I couldn't fathom how a skull could make such an expression.
"I digitized my consciousness and placed it into a machine. anwhile, I ordered the physical , who had been continuing this research, to commit suicide."
When White Night uploaded her consciousness into the machine, two White Nights were created in this world.
The material-world White Night, who remained in the Jiangshi body and continued her research.
The digital-world White Night, who had achieved the immortal mind she desired.
To maintain her uniqueness and as pre-agreed, the digital-world White Night commanded the material-world White Night to commit suicide. But,
"The other refused to die."
The material-world White Night refused death.
On reflection, it was inevitable.
A Lich is one who flees death to seek immortality.
Even if another '' persists in the digital world, there's no reason for '' to die in reality.
"At that mont, we beca separate entities."
"..."
"That's how the 'other ', who refused suicide, left the magic tower, killed all the ancient wizards revived by the Demon King... and even rose to the head of the Demon King's wizard legion."
I knew all these stories, having read the ga setting book.
The rest of my companions still seed to be having a hard ti grasping it, their faces a mix of confusion and understanding. I clapped my hands.
"Simply put, this Lich's mind split in two. One is the good person here, and the other is the bad guy we need to kill. Okay?"
Evangeline's face lit up.
"Wow! That suddenly makes it much easier to understand!"
"Um, it's not that simple..."
White Night sighed softly from within the panel.
"...No. Actually, that pretty much sums it up. That's what I'm about to request of you."
The wheeled chanical device stopped and turned to face us.
Then, the Lich spoke from the panel.
"Please, kill the 'other '."
Great Sorceress White Night, ranked third in the Nightmare Legion hierarchy.
She asked us to kill soone who was once the sa being as her. This Cyber Lich was making a request to us.
"We couldn't kill each other. We knew each other's moves too well... That's why I need help from soone else."
"..."
"If you do this for , I'll grant you one wish, whatever it may be. Of course, I will provide whatever assistance I can."
Anyway, naturally, all the commanders of the Nightmare Legion must be defeated.
If we can get help from the skull in this machine along the way, we should gladly accept it.
But, out of pure curiosity, I asked.
"Can I ask why?"
"Hmm?"
"Why do you so desperately want to kill the other you?"
Perhaps because I am also Ash, a duplicated and added entity.
I was curious about her intention to kill another version of herself.
White Night looked intently at and said,
"If you look into a mirror and the reflection moves differently than you."
She began,
"Wouldn't that be extrely unsettling?"
"..."
"How would you feel if you encountered an entity exactly like yourself while walking down the street?"
There's sothing called a Doppelgnger.
An old superstition that seeing soone who looks exactly like you brings bad luck.
I wonder if there's an instinctual aversion to another being like oneself in everyone.
"I need to be unique. If there's another to replace , there's no need for to exist, right?"
"..."
"So, I have no choice but to kill the other who is just like ."
I shrugged and nodded emphatically.
"We'll take the job. But in return, I want a promise of full cooperation."
"Don't worry about that. Just tell what you need."
"Great. Then, first..."
I pointed to a large chest in the corner of the garden.
"Please open that treasure chest."
Shiny and flashy.
The chest, emitting an 'I'm expensive' aura, looked luxurious at first glance and was locked with several complex chanisms.
In response to my request, White Night readily agreed.
"Of course. You've cleared this 'Magic Tower,' so you have the right to open that chest."
Click-
Clang!
Almost simultaneously with her words, the chest began to open.
Emitting smoke like dry ice, a dazzling golden light spread from the opened chest.
'Hmm, SSR!'
I slowly walked up to the chest and took out its contents.
They were... a pair of silver bracelets and a pair of anklets.
Holding them, I approached Evangeline and gave her a sly smile.
"These are yours, Evangeline."
"Eh? Oh, does that an this is..."
Evangeline hesitantly accepted the bracelets and anklets.
"Armor... you say?"
I nodded at Evangeline's puzzled expression.
Then, Evangeline, looking intrigued yet hesitant, quickly stripped off her existing armor and slipped on the bracelets and anklets on her wrists and ankles.
"How can this possibly serve as armor... Whoa?!"
Before Evangeline could finish her sentence, it happened.
Swish swish swish!
Starting from the bracelets and anklets, scales sprouted, forming a white armor that began to cover her entire body.
Clank! Clang, click-!
In an instant, a full-body silver-white armor tailored to Evangeline's physique was completed.
The cape, starting from the shoulder armor and draped behind, was as white as snow.
The helt had a sleek shape like a bike helt, but the front was a transparent visor made of a magical panel.
Evangeline's astonished face was clearly visible through it.
The rapid armor deploynt, which could be called a transformation, ended in just a few seconds, and the final armor [Snow White] revealed its dazzling form.
"Wow, wow, wow..."
Evangeline, sensing that this was sothing incredibly special, gaped in awe at her own reflection.
"The culmination of Lake Kingdom's magic engineering - the magical armor Snow White."
White Night explained nonchalantly.
"It's the strongest armor with the highest defensive capability, originally worn by . Before I completed my research, I couldn't die, so I consolidated all the techniques I could use to protect myself."
Now that I've lost my physical body, I don't need it anymore, so take it - White Night added.
"Amazing...!"
Evangeline muttered in awe, examining the gauntlets that ticulously covered even her fingertips.
I nodded approvingly, looking at Evangeline who had finally completed her item setup.
[Snow White] is an armor that performs excellently regardless of who wears it, but it particularly resonates well with Evangeline.
Its various additional features synergize perfectly with Evangeline's skills...
Well, we'll have to test it out in real combat to see.
Anyway, as I watched Evangeline, thrilled with her new armor, Lucas suddenly appeared behind and murmured ominously.
"Master, aren't you favoring Evangeline a bit too much...?"
"Whoa, you scared !"
Startled, I turned around to find the other heroes glaring at with dark expressions... These rascals?
"No, no, it's not like that. I'll take care of all of you too."
And you all got an item each from conquering this Magic Tower! If anything, I'm the only one who didn't get anything!
But since everyone else got items of only SR grade, and Evangeline got an SSR grade (of the highest class) equipnt, they seed envious.
"I'm fine with it!"
Damien smiled broadly, proudly holding up the [Venom Fang] he acquired earlier. Well, yours is also an SSR grade item...!
After reassuring everyone that they too would receive great items.
Verdandi cautiously approached .
"...Ash."
"Yeah. It's your turn now."
I turned to White Night and asked,
"White Night. Is there an item here called the Holy Grail?"
"Huh? The Holy Grail...?"
"We need it to defeat the other you. I was hoping you could provide it."
After a mont of contemplation, White Night exclaid in realization and moved the chanical device towards the interior of the garden.
"That's what you're talking about. It's over there, inside. Co, follow ."
At the very back of the garden, there was another glass door.
Following White Night's lead, we entered it.
As soon as we stepped into the inner chamber of the garden, Verdandi stopped abruptly.
"Huh?"
"What's wrong, Verdandi?"
I asked, and Verdandi murmured hesitantly,
"...It can't be, but I sll the scent of my holand."
"Your holand?"
"Yes. And it's..."
Verdandi frowned.
"The scent of the World Tree..."
Verdandi was spot on.
Inside the inner chamber of the botanical garden, there were trees that are rarely seen in the outside world.
"These aren't just any trees."
Verdandi, examining a tree's trunk, murmured tentatively.
After looking closely at the leaves and even slling them, Verdandi let out a bewildered groan.
"This is a tree of the sa species as the World Tree of our elves...!"
However, the tree was withered and dead, twisted and dry.
It seed as if it had been preserved in its dead state by magic, all life activities having ceased... it was petrified.
"I'd rather not rember."
Kuilan growled, glaring at the red leaves of a maple tree beside it.
"This, this is the sa species as the cursed maple tree of our Leaf Clan tribe."
The maple tree was also dried up, as if mummified.
Beside it stood a tallic tree, its golden branches stretching out in all directions. Dusk Bringar murmured softly.
"These golden branches belong to the Dwarves' Guardian Tree, the Golden Tree."
Looking at the blue coral in a tank that filled one wall, I muttered quietly.
"And this, the rfolk's Blue Coral."
The Golden Tree and the Blue Coral, both in the sa withered and preserved state.
Although dead, the guardian trees of the four major races were all gathered here in this Magic Tower.
Why?
In front of our astonished group, White Night, who had stopped, pointed to each tree and spoke slowly.
"The Elves' Guardian Tree, the Tree of Life... Evergreen."
"The Beastn's Guardian Tree, the Tree of Struggle... Everred."
"The Dwarves' Guardian Tree, the Tree of Wealth... Evergold."
"The rfolk's Guardian Tree, the Tree of Circulation... Everblue."
Finally,
She pulled out a black tree branch.
"And this is the result of artificial magical grafting, combining these four trees."
The dried, withered thorn tree was unmistakably.
"...Humanity's Guardian Tree, the Tree of Darkness... Everblack."
In the Imperial Palace of the Imperial Capital.
And the sa tree I had seen in the spirit realm.
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