Chapter 249: Assassination
A moment later, Charles appeared in front of the Black Tower and soon frowned as he sensed multiple gazes from every direction.
At that moment, a blue-robed woman hurriedly ran towards him and asked in surprise.
"H-How are you here, Miss. Vivian?"
Charles raised his eyebrows and asked in Vivian's voice.
"What do you mean?"
"Just a while ago, Teacher Louise said that you were kidnapped by someone and brought Teacher Marissa, and Teacher Cedric to rescue you." The blue-robed woman said in a confused tone while the surrounding robed students and others nodded in unison.
Meanwhile, Charles's eyes went wide.
"Oh no! I indeed encountered the Ancient Mage, but I manage to escape before he could attack me. Still, he managed to steal my communication ring using some strange skill… Did he mimic my voice and fooled my Teacher?"
His expression went pale as he said those words.
"Teacher Louise and others might be in danger!" The blue-robed woman also said in a shocked tone and hurriedly took out a silver ring.
But before she could contact them, Charles cast [Burning Thoughts] on her and then said.
"Don't worry about them. All of them are powerful Rank-4 Mystics, so they will be alright. No, they might use this chance to kill that Ancient Mage." He suddenly paused for a moment and added.
"But it's better to ask Lord Reid's suggestion."
Without waiting for the blue-robed woman's reply, Charles adjusted his black coat and walked towards the entrance.
As usual, the masked guards checked her identity using her blood and soon let her in.
Just as he entered the tower, tens of robed men and women came in her direction and tried to ask what had happened.
Unfortunately, Charles ignored them and started walking towards the right-side corridor.
His every step appeared faster and faster, and soon he reached the end of the corridor.
A metal door appeared in front of his eyes.
But two 2 meter tall humanoid skeletons in black outfits stood in front of the door and blocked the entrance using large spears.
Blue fires constantly flickered in their eyes sockets, and their skulls looked yellowish-white in color.
'Undead Knight, Rank-4, Skills- Loyal beyond death, Spear Mastery, Eternal Knighthood, Brave Heart… But skeletons don't have a heart…' Charles didn't halt his footsteps even after seeing them gripping their spears and soon appeared in front of them.
"You are not allowed to come here, Human." A cold female voice came out from the right side skeleton, causing the corner of his lips to twitch.
But he quietly touched his space ring, took out an eerie black bone piece, and showed it to the skeleton.
It was a special token Louise gave it to Vivian long ago!
Using this token, Vivian could indeed go and meet Lord Reid once under special circumstances.
Only Vivian, Cedric, Marissa's seventh disciple named Benjamin, and two others have this unique token!
Upon seeing this, both undead knights retracted their spears, unlocked the metal door, and let him pass.
Meanwhile, Charles gave them a polite bow and soon stepped into the gloomy staircase.
He went downstairs and reached the underground floor in a minute.
Then, two gloomy paths appeared in front of his eyes.
Thankfully, Louise indeed said quite a few things about the underground floor, which made his job easier.
'I think the right side path is the Throne Hall, while the left side path is the experimental hall.' Nodding inwardly, Charles chose the right side path and started walking towards Throne Hall's direction.
'Lad, do you really have confidence in killing this skeleton?' The Holem's Crown couldn't help but ask as it saw him nearing towards the Throne Hall.
'It's called Assassination.' Charles corrected him and soon arrived in front of a three-meter tall metal door.
Same as before, two two-meter tall Undead Knights stood at the entrance and blocked the way using their weapons.
But unlike before, these Rank-4 Undead Knights were using powerful scythes!
Before they could ask a question, Charles took out the unique token and showed it to them.
The next instant, both skeletons glanced at each other, pushed open the metallic door, and gestured him to go inside.
Meanwhile, Charles's gaze swept past the carpeted path, pillars, luxurious chairs, dais, and soon landed on a large gloomy throne made of bones!
But what made him widen his eyes was that he saw a black-robed skeleton sat on the creepy bone throne and seemed to be in the middle of reading a book.
Its chaotic red eyes flickered from time to time, causing strange ripples to form in the Throne Hall!
'Demi-Lich Reid.' Charles instantly retracted his gaze and started walking on the grey-carpeted floor.
Just as he entered the Throne Hall, the two Undead Knights once again pulled the door and shut it from outside.
Meanwhile, Charles held his head low, walked silently, and soon appeared in front of the dais.
On the other hand, Demi-Lich Reid didn't even glance at the newcomer and entirely focused his attention on reading the book.
'It seems I need to do something to get his attention.'
Muttering inwardly, he knelt on the ground and spoke in a trembling female voice.
"Something terrible happened, My Lord." His voice contains a trace of anxiety and fear.
As his voice ended, the skeleton suddenly turned his skull, looked at Charles with his eerie red fires, and asked.
"What happened?"
Reid's voice appeared eerie and cold.
Meanwhile, Charles touched his space ring, raised his head, stared into those chaotic red eyes, and spoke with the same fearful voice.
"An unknown person infiltrated the Black Tower, My Lord!"
"Infiltrated?" The whole throne hall suddenly started to tremble.
The next instant, countless ghostly figures began to materialize all over the place and let out terrifying screeches!
Moreover, a boundless invisible pressure descended on his body and even suppressed his soul!
Due to another domineering power, Charles subconsciously lowered his head and felt shocked inside.
'As I thought, his spirit power already reached the realm of pseudo-legendaries. Better give up and retreat, lad.' The Holem's Crown said in his mind.
Meanwhile, the boundless invisible pressure remained in the hall for the next few seconds and soon disappeared.
Then, the Demi-Lich Reid stared deadly at the kneeling female figure and asked.
"What are your excuses?" An icy tone echoed in Charles's ears.
On the other hand, Charles took out a palm-sized disc from his space ring, raised his head, curled his lips upwards, and spoke.
"Good luck answering my first riddle, My Lord."
Saying so, he moved his hand, pressed the center area, and activated the 'Riddles of Nightmares' artifact.
Before the Demi-Lich could understand the situation, he felt that the whole surroundings began to distort for a moment and soon returned to normal.
But unlike before, Reid couldn't find the female at all!
"She pulled me into the dream world!" His soul fires flickered in anger.
Just as he was about to release his wisdom power, an eerie female voice echoed in his head.
"I can be long or I can be short. I can be grown, and I can be bought. I can be painted or left bare. I can be round, or square…What am I?"
'Riddle?' At that moment, he recalled that his disciple Louise mentioned something about riddle artifact and turned serious.
'I need to answer, otherwise; I will face a nightmare creature…' He didn't hesitate for a moment and began to think at a fast speed.
Meanwhile, Charles stood up with a serious look on his face and activated [Accelerate Thoughts] skill.
The next instant, he noticed that everything around him began to slow down at a fast speed.
'This artifact can separate his main consciousness from his soul for only 15 seconds. I need to act faster.'
"Even if you sealed my main consciousness, I'm more than enough to kill you now." A sinister voice came out from the skeleton's mouth.
It was Demi-Lich's second consciousness!
Hearing the voice, the corner of Charles's lips suddenly rose upward.
Without wasting a moment, he first cast [Flame Consciousness] spell on the skeleton and took out a golden-hilted dagger from his space ring.
"Hehe, come and show me what you are capable of, skeleton." He let out a mocking laugh and released his full wisdom power.
Simultaneously, a purple flame appeared deep in Demi-Lich's Inner World and soon formed into an appearance of Charles.
Unlike his original look, his skin, his hair, and even his dress appeared purplish.
It was the newly created replica of his main consciousness!
The replica 'Charles' glanced around and soon noticed that he was standing in the middle of barren land.
The sand, rocks, and even the strange clouds in the sky appeared black.
He didn't even dare to delay any longer and waved his hands.
Tens of purple lightning arcs came out from his hand and flew in different directions.
All those purple lightning were Rank-3 [Knowledge Absorber] spells!
Each of the strange lightning arcs started searching for Demi-Lich's precious memory!
