Chapter 250
A lich doesn't die just because a sword pierces its skull.
At its core, magic begins with sacrifice — surrendering something and offering it as the price. The greater the value of what's given up, the greater the power the magic holds in return.
Before anything else, becoming a lich required giving up one's life as a human, along with what remained of one's lifespan.
Because what had to be surrendered amounted to nearly everything, what a lich gained in return went far beyond ordinary imagination — and included a vitality that came close to true immortality.
That "vitality close to immortality" was the very reason Gracius had chosen to become a lich.
But near-immortal wasn't the same as truly immortal. In other words, there were ways to kill a lich — limited though they were.
Holy power potent enough to purify centuries. Crushing the orb that served as the lich's source. Or, failing those, pouring in mana strong enough to sever immortal vitality and shatter him apart.
Nam Hyeon-hwa had chosen the last method.
Vast mana surged along the blade.