Faceless Phantom 9 Chapter 7 - Mirage And Birdbath Riddle

Mutated Zombie Knight was a tough enemy. He vomited poison when I got near him. His rusty sword also made the poison stronger. Fortunately, I had a lot of antidotes and I also had Low Poison Resistance skill. It was enough to fight him all day. Compared to the skeletons, he was really slow. Actually that was my second advantage since I had to deal with Uruzak and his skeletons attack too. My first advantage was obviously Uruzak's AoE spell. I kept my attention to him and made a move when he was channeling the spell. Till I eventually beat the Zombie.

I looked at its body on the ground as I was panting and wiping my sweat. I changed my target back to Uruzak. It was then Melleth was coming. She entered the boss room.

'Thank goodness I'm faster. I killed that Zombie first before she comes. I can do this!'

From here on, it was a fresh air to me. I had to be careful of their every move. The only problem was Melleth. But I doubt she would be dangerous yet.

[You have inflicted 536 damage on Uruzak]

[You have evaded Uruzak's attack]

[You have inflicted 574 damage on Uruzak]

[You have evaded Uruzak's attack]

[You have inflicted 493 damage on Uruzak]

[You have received 428 damage from Uruzak]

I kept attacking Uruzak while avoiding his attack and skeletons. It seemed easy when I said it, but I still got hit by his staff sometimes.

'Hit, evade, run then hit again.'

A few minutes pa.s.sed until she finally moved. She was starting to sing.

[Requiem of Madness's effect can be felt]

[You have received 100 damage from Requiem of Madness]

"Tsk!"

I clicked my tongue and put my hand in my bag. I took out a bottle of potion and drank it. Then I kept hitting Uruzak and avoiding his skeletons. I did the exact thing over and over again. I kept my HP in a safe percentage. I was prepared. I stocked a lot of potions when I was going back to town. The only thing in my eyes now was winning the fight. Watching his d.a.m.n bones scattered on the ground. Then I would crush that skull into pieces. That was when it would be over. And I would let my body rest for a day. But now, I was slowly cutting his HP with my sword.

Uruzak's HP eventually dropped below 20%. However, I already used all my potions. I was so close. I didn't think my potions would run out so fast. I tried to evade all his attacks and I also kept my distance from his skeletons. Still, I was cornered. The skeletons finally surrounded me. My whole body was drenched by sweat and blood. Panting and holding pain from the wounds, my body became hot. I was leaning on the wall and thinking...

'This is it... This is my limit...'

A thought of giving up already on my mind. Well, I couldn't do anything at all in this situation. Ran away was an option but I already sick of that idea. Then I could hear someone. A woman's voice. I looked around.

"Help me... Please end my suffering... sobs..."

I kept looking around. Only skeletons could be seen.

'Who? Who is it?'

Then I noticed her. The crying voice was coming from the special boss.

"...sobs... I wanted to die..."

After hearing that, the thought of giving up was gone. And my mind was filled with emptiness somehow. That boss...

"Please... I just want to die... sobs..."

I stood still while the skeletons starting to thrust their sword on my neck, gut and chest. One by one stabbed me continuously. The wounds got deeper every time they thrust. Till I slowly became numb and didn't feel any pain... Then I moved my feet. Slowly fasten my pace until I rushed. A window popped out.

[Skill acquired][You have learned Ignore Death!]

[Ignore Death's effect can be felt]

I ignored the system message. I thrust my sword towards Uruzak. Suddenly, three ice spikes were formed in front of him and instantly shot straight to me. I swung my sword and sliced the first ice spike. I jumped above the second one, then I ducked avoiding the last one. However, it still got me. It cut my right cheek and pa.s.sed through. I immediately swung my sword on him.

I kept swinging my sword on his hard bones. And he also kept swinging his staff on me. I didn't know why I didn't even had a thought to evade his attack. Perhaps because I didn't feel any pain anymore. I recklessly attacked him until my sword and his staff met. Our strength made us getting pushed backwards. We looked at each other as we gained a distance. I was panting. Then I saw his HP bar.

'15% left...'

When I was about to move, suddenly multiple pains flowed through my body.

"GAGH!!!"

I let out a shout and fell on my knees. A window popped out.

[Ignore Death has worn off]

I instantly realized that the skill was keeping me from feeling pain. I looked at my HP bar...

///////

Zeroth

HP: 1/1400

MP: 435/1080

///////

I could guess that it was a skill which kept my HP at 1 point for a certain duration. Additional effect would be I wouldn't feel any pain. So I opened the skill window.

[Ignore Death]

Level 1

Active: A Will that exceeds survival instinct. Nullify pain and damage.

Pa.s.sive: Persistently ignoring death and pain in critical situation.

Duration: 10 seconds

Mana cost: 500

Cooldown: 1 hour

'Active and pa.s.sive skill!'

I was surprised. It was actually an amazing ulti for tanker or warrior. And I could get the skill without even had the job. Probably because I often faced death recently. For the first time I felt thanks to these two bosses. But the feeling was gone after I noticed Uruzak channeling his AoE spell. I couldn't move. Of course, I already expected this since I had given up before. However, something surprised me even more...

[200 HP has been healed by Mirage]

'...!'

///////

Zeroth

HP: 202/1400

MP: 435/1080

///////

[200 HP has been healed by Mirage]

Again something healed me.

'Who is Mirage?'

I looked around and I stopped at the black humanoid form. It was her. It was the special boss. She was the one who healed me.

'Why? She is Mirage? Then why her name is The Pure Zeon of Melleth?'

I was so confused. She was not Melleth this whole time. Knowing that, then the quest would be long. It wouldn't be like as simple as 'Go kill a boss and back get the reward' quest.

'First of all, she healed me.'

Monster wouldn't heal me for no reason. And she was also a boss. It was even weirder. The only explanation I could get was she might be cursed and becoming Uruzak's puppet somehow.

'Secondly, her name in the system window is actually Mirage.'

That was probably her real name. Then why was she called Melleth on the boss name? Couldn't get anything, I left this thought aside.

'Okay, I need to stop thinking. I guess I need to kill Uruzak first.'

It seemed he was the culprit of this case. Yeah, it was the only thing that made sense for me at the moment. I was becoming more determined and sure about my victory. With Mirage healed my wound, I definitely could kill Uruzak. But then Uruzak noticed her condition. He began casting spells on me.

[Weak Mind's effect can be felt]

[Surrender to Darkness's effect can be felt]

[Night's Grip's effect can be felt]

[Choir of Darkness's effect can be felt]

[Curse Disease's effect can be felt]

[Undead Howl's effect can be felt]

[Curse of Venom's effect can be felt]

[Curse of Plague's effect can be felt]

[Curse of Doom's effect can be felt]

'Gimme a break!'

It was like he was learning. Like an AI learning about the situation they got into. Well, actually everything in a game was obviously an AI. Of course some intelligent creatures would learn from their mistakes. And Liches were considered having a high INT. Some even way higher than High Elf's.

But... I felt warm and light all of sudden. Like the weight was lifted from my shoulder.

[Mirage used Song of Purity]

[Weak Mind has been lifted]

[Surrender to Darkness has been lifted]

[Night's Grip has been lifted]

[Choir of Darkness has been lifted]

[Curse Disease has been lifted]

[Undead Howl has been lifted]

[Curse of Venom has been lifted]

[Curse of Plague has been lifted]

[Curse of Doom has been lifted]

I smiled.

'It's gonna be an easy win.'

I rushed forward and thrust my sword on Uruzak's ribs.

・・・

///////

Congratulations!

You have defeated Lich Necromancer Uruzak.

///////

[All Stats +10]

[You have earned Unidentified Black Tome]

[You have earned Uruzak's Staff]

[You have earned Uruzak's Robe]

[Wisdom level has increased!]

[Skill Upgraded][Wisdom has been upgraded into Greater Wisdom]

[Day Dreamer level has increased!]

[Skill Upgraded][Day Dreamer has been upgraded into Formidable Mind]

[Sword Mastery level has increased!]

[Skill Upgraded][Sword Mastery has been upgraded into Advanced Sword Mastery]

[Durable Body level has increased!]

[Skill Upgraded][Durable Body has been upgraded into Endurance]

System messages kept popping out. I ignored those messages and looked at the special boss. The black humanoid body slowly changed. It was like black liquid was melted from her body and it turned into a beautiful girl. Then she fell on the ground. Surprised, I approached her and knelt down.

"U-umm... Hey, are you okay?"

There was no answer. However, I could still hear her breath. I didn't know what to do. So I just looked at her from head to toe. She had beautiful eyelashes and eyebrows. Pointy nose. Her lips were colored like a cherry flower. Short pointy ears could be seen between her long white straight wavy hairs. Her skin color was similar to a snow. It also looked soft. Her red cheeks made her face looked like a doll. She was wearing a white dress. It was then I stopped my eyes on her waist. I noticed something behind her. It was a wing. A single left wing was on her back. Leaving her appearance aside, I tried to think something to help her.

'What should I do? I don't have any more potions. I also don't even have a healing spell. Should I carry her to the town?'

It wasn't like she was in critical condition though. There was no wound on her body. It was because I didn't attack her at all when she was still a special boss. Her HP was absolutely still 100%. So I tried to put my hand on her shoulder and shook her body.

"Hey... Please wake up..."

I shook her three times. Then she began to moan and gain her consciousness. Her eyes opened and immediately widen when she saw me. As if she was in a shock, she gasped, turned her back on me and curled. She was covering her head with her arms. She was shaking. I could barely hear her tiny voice.

"P-please...d-don't...h-hurt me..."

She kept muttering those words over and over again. I didn't intend to scare her at all. She was afraid of me somehow. Panicked, I tried to comfort her.

"I-It's okay... I'm not gonna hurt you..."

She was still muttering.

"I-I'm here to help you... Hey, look at me. Please, it's fine..."

Her body was still shaking.

"Hey, it's okay... I'm not gonna hurt you, Mirage..."

Suddenly her body stopped shaking. She also stopped muttering the words. Slowly, she began to move her arms and showed her face. She slowly sat down and then staring at me. Her eyes were also had different colors. Even the colors were also the same as mine. However, it was the opposite. Her right one was blue. And her left one was violet.

'An Angel with single wing and heterochromia eyes.'

I tried to not get confused and kept my expression calm.

"It's fine. I'm here to help you."

Her eyes became smaller and tears were flowing on her red cheeks. She was sobbing while trying to say something with cracking voice.

"T...Thank y-you..."

"It's okay... Can you tell me why you are here?"

She hid her lips and slowly shook her head.

"U-umm... Where are you from?"

She shook her head again.

"Do you know who you are?"

She shook her head multiple times. And at that moment, I stopped questioning her. It was clear that she had amnesia. It might be a trigger when I called her name before. It helped me comfort her somehow. Looking at her sad face made me unconsciously patted her head.

"Everything will be fine."

I smiled at her and she slowly nodded.

"Can you get up?"

I gave her my hand. She slowly grabbed it and stood.

"Let's get out of this cave first. Stay close behind me, ok?"

She nodded and started to walk behind me.

Along the way, I was thinking about everything that just happened. She was a victim of Uruzak's black magic. Uruzak probably cursed her to be his puppet somehow. When Uruzak's HP dropped low, her consciousness was slowly recovered. That was why she was healing me and gave me buffs. I was glad she wasn't going against me. It made fighting with Uruzak became easier.

We kept walking until we reached the herb room. When suddenly I couldn't hear her footsteps behind me anymore, I looked behind and heard her beautiful voice echoing throughout the room...

"I know this place..."

I stopped and looked at her. She was standing in front of the birdbath. Curious, I tried to ask her.

"W-what do you mean?"

She put her right hand on the birdbath. Her empty eyes gazing into the water.

"I don't know... I just...remember that I came from here somehow. When I was still being cursed."

At that moment, I noticed something. There was a stone plate attached under the Birdbath. It seemed there was a writing on it. I took a closer look and read what was written.

'Thou who seek the gate.

Thou shalt find Angel of Direction.

Marking with mine ident.i.ty in the sky.

To the east she gone, nothing is found.

To the west sooth lied, only lie is heard.

To the south she prayed, wish is not granted.

To the north door existed, key is hidden.

She wilt shed tears if her prayers are heard.

The key shalt be granted if the moon is found.

When thou hast the answer, I welcome thee within mine chamber.'

I didn't know that it was there before. I really needed to pay more attention to the surroundings.

'A riddle, huh?'

I began to sit down and thinking. Mirage who had no clue about what I was doing came closer to me and eventually noticed the plate too. I ignored her presence and lost in my own mind.

The first sentence could refer to an entrance. The second one was obviously about the statue. When I read the third one, I knew that it was about the symbol on the statue. However, the hard part was after that. If I guessed it correctly, the entrance would be appeared in the north. I opened the map and looked at the compa.s.s. North of birdbath was two pillars that attached to the wall.

'Of course, the entrance has to be between those pillars.'

I stood and tried to push the wall between the pillars, but it didn't budge at all.

'Yeah... I have to solve the riddle...'

I looked at the statue. It was facing south. It was a direction where she prayed.

'What does it mean?'