The Extra Can't be A Hero

Chapter 110: Archwizard (2)

Liches.

Former mighty magicians who had given up their humanity in the quest to reach the peak of magic. They can live forever by shedding their human skin and surrendering their mortal urges. Granted, they would need a constant supply of mana from outside sources, but as long as that persisted, they were practically invincible.

No matter how often you destroy their physical forms, their astral state will revert to normal. Embodying the essence of the undead and arcane, Liches stood at the pinnacle of the magic world, and few magicians alive would have the ability to challenge them. Typically speaking, they were Archwizards, but with their forms shredded.

Even with Hyades’ long history, there had been only a few instances when a Lich would be born. After all, no archwizard in their right mind would give up their humanity to live an eternal life where they are just skulls and bones.

However, in the few times that they were born, the whole world would persecute them.

Why?

"A Lich feeds off the souls of the living to survive, and given the circumstances, I have come to believe that a Lich resides in Alverton," Amon explained grimly. Of course, he won’t divulge the whole truth yet; it was for Leon to figure out and grow into the hero he was meant to become. But this was a good starting point for the young Adonis.

"A Lich?! Why would there be one here?"

"I’m trying to figure that out too…"

Amon continued to feed Leon with the dark truth, all while highlighting the gravity of the situation. But, truthfully, he did not need to continue to scare Leon. Due to his former training in the Holy Church, Leon was acutely aware of how dangerous Liches could be. If anything, Leon knew more about the anatomy of Liches, more so than most Solaris Knights.

"How is it possible?! A Lich will need to feed its soul vessel constantly! If that’s the case, it would have taken many lives by now! There’s no way the Governor wouldn’t notice all that missing people!"

Leon was right. A Lich couldn’t create its life force and mana. It had to rely on absorbing other humans’ life forces like a parasite to retain its immortality. Due to its enormous output, it requires a large number of human souls. If a Lich existed, the number of missing people would be in the thousands yearly. Yet, Alverton still functioned just fine.

"You’re right, but we’re talking about a Lich. A former Archwizard that was once at the pinnacle of the world. We won’t know what kind of tricks it may have."

"..."

Although unconvinced, Leon didn’t retort any further. The reason is that Amon had never lied to him before. Not once. So, if Amon was convinced that there was a Lich in Alverton, he must be right.

"An Archwizard, huh? Could Yue ask the members of her house? Surely, she could mobilise an Archwizard!"

"There’s that option, but… why bother when we have a prime candidate nearby?"

"What?"

Amon made a cryptic statement and directed his eyes to the lake’s edge. There, a fully robed individual was loitering around, their demeanour uneasy despite the serene surroundings. They wore an oversized cloak with the hood pulled up, casting shadows over their faces. Dark sunglasses obscured their eyes, and a scarf or high collar covered the lower half of their features, making it nearly impossible to identify them.

Such a suspicious individual was sure to catch attention, defeating the purpose of a disguise. And Amon was the first to notice him and his apparent intentions.

"I know you’ve been eavesdropping, so don’t bother to hide it. Just show yourself, or I’ll drag you here myself."

"A-Ah, so my cover was blown, huh?"

The mysterious figure visibly flinched as if he didn’t expect anyone to notice his less-than-upfront behaviour. Realising that running was futile, the individual moved some mana around, and his feet left the ground as if he were weightless. In no time, he flew towards the yacht with serene grace and entered the boat with a helpless sigh.

The sudden appearance of the hooded figure brought chills down Leon’s spine. Even with his heightened senses, he didn’t realise someone was eavesdropping on them. If Amon had not stopped him, Leon would have pulled out Ascalon in preparation for battle.

"I should have expected nothing less from the scion of the Solaris House. To think the Tibelius Cloak wasn’t enough to dull your senses."

The suspicious person removed his hood, unveiling the handsome face hidden within. His young and striking features were first revealed: sharp cheekbones, a strong jawline, and piercing violet eyes—a hint of his noble lineage and deep intelligence. His hair was black with a tinge of brown on the sides, highly contrasting his pale complexion. He was white, terrifyingly white. It was as if he had never seen a day in the Sun.

As he removed the coat from his shoulders, Amon and Leon could admire how well-dressed this individual was. Dressed in a finely tailored coat of deep midnight blue embroidered with intricate silver runes, he exudes sophistication. The fabric shimmers faintly, as if enchanted, and the crest of his house is subtly stitched over his heart, marking his heritage with pride. A high-collared shirt adorned with a jewelled brooch adds to the air of refinement.

He wears a ring on his right hand—a family heirloom etched with symbols of arcane power. His movements are precise and purposeful, radiating confidence without arrogance. Most importantly, his body tingled with mana, giving Leon a sense of wariness.

The man before him was no ordinary mage.

He was a magician from a high lineage.

And Amon was the first to recognise him,

"Johann Amaris…"

"Amon Solaris, it’s been a while!"

The handsome, playful young man skipped forward and attempted to give Amon a high-five. Unfortunately, he was barking up the wrong tree, and Amon simply left him hanging like a fool. Though, that didn’t deter the man from tapping on his shoulders in a friendly manner.

"When was the last time we’d met? When you were fifteen? Back then, you were just a little critter. It has only been three years, and you’d already outgrown me?!"

"Puberty tends to do that to people."

"Tch, just you wait! Once I hit my second puberty, I’ll outgrow you!"

"..."

Amon didn’t answer and shot the tease-master an annoyed brow. While the young man before him was shorter than him, it wasn’t by much. Amon had reached 1.88 metres after his last growth spurt and was likely to get his maximum height soon. On the other hand, the youth in front of him was about 1.8 metres. He was not exceedingly tall, but he was by no means short.

’Do you even have a second puberty if you’d hit twenty years old?’

Amon seriously questioned Johann’s claim but didn’t want to speak out. He exchanged glances between Leon and Johann before realising he had yet to introduce them.

"Leon, this man here is Johann Amaris. Heir to the Amaris House."

"Amaris?!"

Leon widened his eyes and shot the young man with an incredulous look before him.

The Amaris House.

Just like the Solaris House, the Amaris House was one of the most prestigious lineages of the land. During the Great Dragon War, the Solaris Ancestor wasn’t the only human favoured by the good Dragons. A few champions were chosen to learn the ways of the Dragons, and the Amaris Ancestor was one of the destined few.

If the Solaris House gave birth to Knights that would dominate their generation, the Amaris House possessed the most magically superior lineage in all Hyades. The number of Archwizards that had come out from their bloodline was too many to count, and their strength grew with each generation.

Although the Solaris House was still considered the most powerful lineage in the world, the Amaris House was a close second. Not to mention, the number of technological and magical developments that the Amaris House have contributed to mankind has made them into a political powerhouse in the Hyades Republic.

And it wasn’t just the Amaris House’s name that surprised Leon.

Even for him, who wasn’t attuned to the world’s happenings, Leon had long heard of the name Johann Amaris.

A genius who had condensed his fourth circle before twenty. Also, a master of the elements, a unicorn of a magician that hadn’t been seen since the Amaris Ancestor. Some even said he could become an Archwizard earlier than anyone else in history. If not for the existence of Yue Elune, Johann Amaris would have been considered the most prodigal magician of his generation.

For such a person to appear here…

"Nice to meet you! Johann Amaris, at your service!"

"Leon Bright…"

"No, I know you! You’re this generation’s hero, right? It’s an honour to meet you in person finally!"

"N-No, the honour is mine!"

As Amon watched Leon and Johann get acquainted, he couldn’t help but feel a slight nudge in his chest. In [Bright], Johann Amaris was to become Leon’s comrade and join him in his journey to defeat the Demon Cult. The pair would take on deadly foes together and would eventually grow to become one of the most potent Knight-Magicians combinations the world had ever seen.

With Amon intervening, the timeline of their meeting had been shortened, but that was a good thing in this case. After all, the foe that they were dealing with was none other than a former Archwizard.

"You came quickly…"

"Of course! This was the first time the stoic Amon Solaris had ever called me! So I’m curious to see what the big commotion is about!"

"And since you’ve been eavesdropping… You should know now."

"Hahaha, again, I apologise for that! It’s just, you can’t be too sure, you know?"

Johann scratched the back of his head, seemingly embarrassed by his past actions. Though, it didn’t take long for his goofy exterior to melt away as he grimly said:

"A Lich, you said?"

"Yes, and one with the backing of the Demon Cult. So, it’s fair to assume it has become a Greater Lich."

"How scary…"

Johann whistled, clearly astounded by what he heard. A Lich was no mere threat. Depending on the Lich’s desires, it could terrorise a town or level a city. Either way, it was a threat that any living human would need to exterminate.

As a member of the Amaris House, Johann felt a greater responsibility to take action.

"But before all that… would you mind telling me what’s the Demon Cult?"