Chapter 11: Reality

So that explained the dark magic traces that had prompted the province-wide lockdown.

More than likely, this hooded figure was the one who’d been discovered.

The screaming from inside the house behind him had already stopped.

Whoever had been in there was probably beyond help now.

The priority was to defeat this person.

No matter what, I had to take down the bastard who’d made me worry for nothing!

Confident, I raised my hand, ready to unleash a spell.

This time, I’d finish him off with a clean Withering—prove my worth!

“With—huh?!”

But just as I lifted my right hand, the suspect, who’d apparently already noticed me, had darted back inside and slammed the door shut.

Hah!

With my target gone, I froze, completely unsure what to do.

Who even fights like that?

For a moment, I stood there dumbfounded, unable to react.

But my opponent certainly wasn’t pausing his actions!

Bang!

Swish—

A window beside the house flew open and shut in an instant, and almost simultaneously, I heard a sharp swish.

I quickly understood what that sound meant.

A throwing knife.

And right now, that knife was embedded in my right thigh.

“Aaaargh!”

A searing, burning pain shot through my brain.

I clutched the wound and collapsed to my knees.

He used a throwing knife!

No, I couldn’t stay here—more attacks would follow.

Creak…

The door was opening.

No time to hesitate!

“Teleport!”

Hearing the door swing open, I panicked and hastily cast short-range teleportation to get away.

Damn it, I’d teleported too close.

Because of the pain, the spell hadn’t been perfect.

I’d only moved about thirty meters from where I’d started.

It was like I’d Flash straight into a wall!

Less than a second after I vanished from my original spot, I noticed the hooded figure had already appeared there, with two more knives stuck in the ground where I’d been.

He didn’t even pause to blink before vanishing again.

He was too fast, and it was too dark—I completely lost track of him.

I had no idea where he’d gone.

Had he fled?

No—even though I couldn’t see him, the dark aura around me hadn’t diminished much.

I remembered reading in a book in the demon realm: if the source leaves, the aura should fade quickly.

I needed to get help.

That scream earlier must have woken people up.

There was still a chance!

I could run!

Terror consuming me, I tried to cast Teleport again—but why couldn’t I?

Did short-range teleportation have a cooldown?

Or had the pain caused the spell to fail?

I recalled that back in the demon realm, I’d also had to wait a while before casting it a second time.

Since then, I’d never used it multiple times in quick succession.

I’d never thought to test my limits.

I’d been so arrogant, so careless…

I’d wasted so many nights staring at the moon.

I should have found a place to experiment with my magic long ago.

If he closed in and attacked me now, I was done for!

“Wither… Wither… Wither!”

I rapidly gathered mana in my hands and blindly fired Withering spells in random directions, repeating the process over and over.

It was all I could do.

Slowly backing away while casting, I couldn’t afford to be careless anymore.

Without knowing where he was, this was my only option.

At the very least, it might keep him at bay—or buy enough time for someone to come help.

I should never have come here.

I should’ve listened to Karin.

Why had I been so confident, thinking I could take down an unknown enemy in a single exchange?

This was a real world.

No one fought like enemies in a turn-based game.

I was still far too naive.

No—I couldn’t dwell on that now.

There was no time for regret.

I had to—

“Ah!”

Before I could come up with a plan, I was tackled from behind and slammed to the ground.

It hurt—but how?

I’d just cast magic behind me!

Wait… that sensation… It felt like he’d jumped down from above and landed on me.

Damn it—had he circled onto the roof of the house behind me?

That fast?

“Mmph—!”

The hooded figure pinned me down, one hand clamping tightly over my mouth, the other swiftly grabbing both of my wrists.

A knee dug into my lower back.

I was trapped, face-down on the ground.

With my mouth covered, I couldn’t chant spells.

Even if I didn’t need a full incantation, I still had to speak the spell’s name aloud to cast anything other than my innate lich levitation.

Why… why had it come to this?

Was this what a real life-or-death fight was like?

Not even a moment to catch my breath?

What was I supposed to do now?!

Right—I still had floating!

I hurriedly activated Levitation, but in my panic, I’d completely forgotten that a simple novice spell like that couldn’t change anything.

My opponent was far too strong.

Floating did absolutely nothing.

I didn’t budge an inch.

I was just struggling uselessly, like a lamb led to slaughter.

All my efforts were in vain.

It was over.

I had no options left.

He’d circled behind me in no time and caught me effortlessly.

All I’d managed to do was cast one short-range teleport.

I was as helpless as a frail little loli—completely at his mercy.

Karin had been absolutely right.

I was wrong.

I really was nothing but a newbie.

Compared to people who’d fought for their lives in this world, I was just someone who’d lucked into power.

The sheer gap in combat awareness alone had been enough to get me subdued so easily.

There was no resisting now.

Was I… going to die?

This time, I wasn’t in a puppet body—I was soul and body united.

Unlike other liches who anchored their souls to bones with mana, if my physical body took a fatal blow, I would die.

For real.

Regret burned through me.

I truly—truly regretted it.

Someone—please, help me!

“You—”

“Get away from her!”

Frey’s voice reached my ears.

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