The Extra Can't be A Hero

The Foolish Lich.

The Foolish Lich was once known as Agva Amaris, a brilliant mind from the esteemed Amaris House. A prodigy in the arcane, he ventured into the forbidden realms of dark magic. Widely regarded as a genius of the highest order, Agva seemed destined for greatness, poised to rise to the rank of Archmage. Yet, in his obsessive quest for immortality, he cast aside everything—his potential, future, and humanity.

But in exchange for everything he once was, Agva finally achieved his long-sought wish. He was granted immortality, though not in the way he had envisioned. Instead of the vibrant, living form he had hoped for, he was bound to an eternal, decaying existence—forever trapped in the twisted shell of undeath, his soul imprisoned within a lifeless body.

He'd lost all the senses he once took for granted.

Touch, taste, smell… They were all removed from his bony body.

Even though Agva was effectively immortal… he didn't feel like he was truly living. He could never taste a steak's succulent juice or smell the forest's misty aroma. And… he would never be able to feel the warmth of a woman ever again.

Those regrets drove the Lich crazy.

Determined to undo his catastrophic mistake, Agva sought to restore his undead form to that of a living being. He desperately attempted to reverse his transformation, but his efforts proved futile. For a Lich to reclaim his mortal body was a feat as impossible as resurrection itself—an endeavour so complex and beyond reach that it bordered on the divine. In the end, it was a goal he could never hope to achieve, and no matter how much of a genius he once was, resurrection was an insurmountable wall.

Therefore, he settled for the next best thing.

Agva entered into a contract with the Demon Cult. They would restore some of his senses in exchange for researching the Magatama. He would obtain a faux body that could eat, smell and touch as much as he wished.

In Agva's mind, the contract was far more favourable than returning to his human body. He could retain his immortality and, at the same time, enjoy the warmth of a woman while eating grapes in a flower garden.

It was perfect.

But alas, the Demon Cult was now rushing for time.

They couldn't afford to indulge in Agva's luxuries any further.

And with haste came mistakes.

"So this is where the Lich lives…"

Standing at the foot of a lush mountain, Leon narrowed his eyes in disbelief. On the outside, the mountain was a haven for nature, with endless trees and animals sprawling about. Yet, there was a sinister truth hiding inside.

"Should I just destroy it with a fist?"

Carmen Solaris, the Grand Commander of the Black Dragon Order, thought out loud. She was known as a bruiser who only knew how to solve problems with her trusted fists. If given the green light, she would have levelled the mountain in seconds, drawing out the Lich and likely ending its miserable life altogether.

But, unfortunately… Carmen wasn't the one in charge.

"If we do that, we'll just create unnecessary mayhem. If we cause a scene, the authorities in Alverton would be forced to stop us." Yue was the one who stopped the female warrior.

"Besides, if you moved, you would destroy all of the evidence in the mountain. We'll need it to prosecute the Governor and all the corrupt officials in Alverton."

"Hah, your call."

While Carmen was unquestionably the 'strongest' and most experienced member of the newly formed Eldorin, she wasn't the shot caller. That role belonged to Amon, the man behind Eldorin's formation. He was the one who uncovered the Demon Cult's existence, defeated the Blood Demon and convinced Alrock, the Solaris Lord, to form a squad unique to him.

However, those who truly knew Amon understood that he was not the real mastermind behind Eldorin.

The one truly pulling the strings behind Eldorin was none other than his wife-to-be, Yue Elune.

Thus, even the stubborn Carmen didn't dare to argue when Yue spoke. The memory of Yue's fury at the hot springs was still vividly etched in her mind, and the Grand Commander had no intention of testing the limits of this fiery junior again.

"I can't believe the Governor would join forces with a Lich! And I'd thought I had met an honourable man I could befriend for life!"

Horus spat, clearly disappointed with the Governor's choice. Among the Solaris members, Horus spent the most time with the former mercenary known as the Iron Count. Before he became the Vice-Commander of the Golden Dragon Order, Horus had spent decades befriending Knights he deemed honourable and just. Governor Valen was one such individual.

So, for him to turn his back on humanity and join forces with a dastardly Lich… was something that Horus could never forgive.

"Flydian will be monitoring the Governor's movements in the meantime. Before he moves, we'll need to collect more evidence."

"That we will."

Amon responded with confidence. He was well aware of what lay beneath the mountain, and merely stepping through the front door would reveal a flood of evidence tying the Governor to the Lich. There was no plausible way for the Governor to wriggle out of this predicament now.

After all, those assembled before him were elite warriors capable of taking down a Lich or two. Amon and Yue alone could handle the Foolish Lich if they were allowed to unleash their full power. But they weren't the only heavy hitters—Carmen and Horus, two of the most formidable living Solaris Knights, were also present. Having them together for a single hunt felt like overkill.

Then, they had this generation's Hero, Leon. The Saintess of the Holy Church, Ellahan. The scion of the Amaris House and the future Archwizard that would aid Leon in his conquest, Johann. And finally, some of the Solaris House's most prodigal talents. Gale, Rufus, Lydia, Arya and Adelia were all on standby, ready to assist Amon in hunting the Lich.

Amon believed this was more than sufficient to hunt the Foolish Lich and end his threat once and for all.

But, ever since entering Alverton, it had been distortion after distortion. No one could guarantee that the Foolish Lich acted alone, just like in [Bright]. If the Demon Cult were to send forces over, the difficulty of the hunt would exponentially increase.

Hence, Amon made the firm decision.

"But first, we need to finalise our groups. Commander, your role will be to stay outside and ensure no one interferes with our exploration. Additionally, if anyone attempts to flee, we'll rely on you to apprehend them."

"So I'm on clean-up duty?"

"Please? You're the only one who can do it."

Amon pleaded in a softer tone than usual. Carmen was unquestionably their most powerful asset, but that power came at an unintended cost. If she went berserk and wreaked havoc in the cave, it would destroy most of the evidence or, even worse, cause collateral damage to the weaker team members.

"Hah, there's no helping it then."

"Gale, Arya, Adelia and Rufus, please join the Commander outside. We're up against a Lich, so purely physical Knights are at a disadvantage."

"Got it."

None of the younger Knights protested Amon's call. They knew their magical defences were inferior to the others in the group, making them easy prey for the Lich.

"Sir Horus, you will lead us in searching the Lich's lair. Yue, Leon, Ellahan, Johann, Lydia and I will join this second group."

"Aye, good selection."

Horus nodded, impressed by Amon's decisive leadership. While Amon and the rest of the crew were undoubtedly talented, they were still fledgling Knights needing guidance. And who better to lead them than Horus, the Knight of the Morning Sun?

Additionally, everyone in the raid group had talent in magic or a certain degree of magical resistance. Yue and Johann were no-brainers; they were genius magicians who would carry their generation. Lydia was a rare Knight-Mage with an affinity with lightning, a pivotal tool for fighting the undead. Ellahan was the Saintess, an undead's worst nightmare. And last but not least, Leon was the wielder of the Holy Blade.

Oh, and Amon's abilities didn't need questioning either.

The only real problem was…

"Then what about us?"

The resistance members—or at least those brave enough to join—voiced their concerns with apprehension. Out of the twenty or so members, only four chose to accompany the group: Kaya, the young girl who had first sought Amon's help; Mirka, her caretaker; Vekka, the resistance leader with the most knowledge of Alverton's crimes; and Jacek, the fiery young man determined to uncover his brother's whereabouts.

Frankly, none of them were going to be of any help. They were far too weak to fight, and if anything, they were only going to slow Amon down or, in the worst-case scenario, perish in the crossfires of battle. Your journey continues on My Virtual Library Empire

There was only one reason why Amon brought them, even though he was well aware of the risks.

To be witnesses.

"Other than Vekka, the rest of you will remain outside."

Amon decided firmly. Vekka, a former law enforcement officer, might have been past his prime, but he could still hold his own to some extent. The other three were liabilities that would only hinder the group.

"No! I want to go with you!"

Kaya grabbed onto Amon's legs as if they were a firm oak tree that gave her protection. That neediness made Yue twitch her eyebrows, but she didn't do anything to act on her displeasure.

"Come on, Kaya. We can't let hold back Sir Amon and the rest."

"No! I want to go with Amon!"

Despite Mirka's soft nudges, Kaya didn't budge. She was determined to stick to Amon, as she instinctively knew the safest place was next to him. Not to mention, there was a high possibility that they would find her sister in the cave. Kaya wanted to be the first to save her if given the chance.

But naturally, that was firmly rejected.

"No, you're just going to slow me down."

"B-But."

"You're a burden, kid. Just stay outside."

Lacking tact, Amon brutally crushed Kaya's wishes. That cold tone was enough to traumatise a child, but fortunately, Kaya had been living a rough life for years now. Some demeaning words weren't enough to deter her, especially since they came from her hero.

"T-Then, if you find my sister, save her first! Just tell her Kaya is waiting, and she'll trust you!"

Without any other option, the young girl implored Amon to save her sister, and he could only nod quietly.

"I'll see what I can do."

Amon replied and peeled Kaya off his leg. However, he wasn't optimistic about her chances. Especially since he knew what the Foolish Lich did to his victims.

'Let's just hope we made it in time.'