Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended

CHAPTER 172: The Dismal Lich

Just as the creature lunged for its prey, a blur erupted from the darkness. Daisuke tore through the underbrush like a demon out of hell, his daggers flashing maliciously in the dim light. With one decisive strike, he severed its leathery wings as if they were paper. A follow-up kick sent the beast hurtling into the forest floor like a wayward arrow, leaving it writhing in the dirt.

"Hey! Are you alright?" he asked urgently, his eyes darting around like a hawk as he positioned himself in front of her, shielding her with his body.

"Y-Yes," Lumielle cried, her voice trembling, knees buckling beneath her. "But that monster isn't the problem! It's that one—the one in the cloak!"

Daisuke followed Lumielle's trembling finger, his eyes narrowing as they trailed past the squirming form of the bat-like creature and landed on something far more menacing lurking in the shadows. The fiend's form was wrapped in a ragged, dark cloak that seemed to drink in the light around it. Murderous intent radiated off the creature in suffocating waves, making the air feel thick and heavy. Its face was a skull—smooth, unnervingly expressionless, and devoid of life—save for the faint, ghostly glow that pulsed deep within its hollow eye sockets.

A skeletal arm jutted out from beneath the tattered fabric, its bony fingers clutching a massive scythe. The weapon's blade gleamed wickedly, reflecting faint glimmers of the bioluminescent forest. Suspended from the back of the scythe was a mana crystal lamp, its eerie glow casting flickering shadows across the creature's jagged frame.

It stood unnaturally still, the silence amplifying its dread-inducing presence. Then, with a bone-chilling scrape, the fiend took a single step forward and its scythe shifted slightly, as if anticipating the carnage to come.

"What the hell is that thing?" Daisuke murmured.

"This... may be as far as we go," uttered Lumielle despairingly, her face drained of color.

"Huh?" Daisuke exclaimed, sparing her a sidelong glance. "What're you talking about?"

The princess's ashen gaze fell to the flower within her grasp, her pupils quivering. "There is no mistaking it," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, too shaken to speak any louder. "That creature is undoubtedly a Dismal Lich. It typically resides in the Hazeveil region of the Murkwood Forest. According to the guild, once it locks eyes with you, it becomes a matter of kill or be killed. Its defense and vitality are terrifyingly formidable."

"Is that all?" Daisuke smirked, his tone laced with bravado.

"No," Lumielle replied, swallowing hard. "It's not. The Dismal Lich has a single weakness at any given time that cycles between physical damage, magical damage, and several others." Her voice grew more strained as she continued. "Once it marks a target, it takes one step every thirty seconds. After ten steps, it teleports directly to its target—no matter the distance—and drives its scythe straight through their heart."

DING!

[Dismal Lich | Lvl 0 | Anomalous | HP: 180000/180000]

[MP: 0/0

Attack: 9999

Defense: 918

Physical Attack Resistance: 100%

Magical Attack Resistance: 100%

Elemental Attack Resistance: 0%

Holy Magic Resistance: 100%

Dark Magic Resistance: 100%]

Daisuke felt a cold sweat break out across his forehead, a nervous grin stretching his lips. What the heck is up with this Final Fantasy shit?! 9,999 Attack Power?! 180k HP at level 0?! And that defense... that's gotta be on par with a level 100 mob!