A Bored Lich

The entrance shut behind Doevm and a lock clicked into place. He whipped around, however his light crystal slipped out of his sweaty hands, shattering before he could find the locking mechanism. His world went black and he cursed under his breath. He didn't know why he was so jumpy; the first legacy had welcomed him in the same way back in the year-long war.

The day of his discovery, soulmagic was all he could think about. He happily turned page after page of beginner soulmagic with fresh eyes, as if it was a toy. If he heeded Maximus's warning, he wouldn't have had to track down another one of his legacies and signal the world of its opening.

Doevm went to pull out another light crystal, but the room flooded with light. Pillars of a transparent, unknown material ran down the hall's sides. The source of the light lay within the closest pillars - masses of blue, swirling energy. Doevm curiously stepped forward and energy bloomed within the next few pillars, beckoning him to follow. He glanced back at the door, then stepped forward willingly.

He had decided on this path ever since he regained his memories and found his father's map within the Acrin Magic Academy. The final nail in the coffin was killing the Grand Shaman, the Demon King's protector. She likely had a small part in the gods' game, yet her irreplaceable loss had caused a shift in the world the likes of which Doevm had never seen before.

The moon tearing itself apart was the immediate reaction, yet only an omen of things to come. Roots, springs of dark energy, were becoming dry and barren. The Bloodwood's decay, for instance, would have brought it to an end if the fire hadn't. Even dark magic needed footholds to maintain itself or else…he couldn't fathom it. If anyone did know of the coming calamity however, it had to be Maximus Draken.

The last spirals of energy lit up a back wall composed of Ploly: an infamously useless resource. It was a strange contrast to the room's construction, the reasoning of which Doevm could only speculate.

He did understand, however, the words written into the Ploly. Like the first legacy, hieroglyphics were etched into the wall's entirety: "She is always watching. She is always watching. She is always watching. She is always watching."

'For such a genius, why write the same thing over again instead of elaborating on it?' Doevm thought to himself. He ignored it and went straight to the book that was embedded into the wall.

Clad in black leather, the front cover read: "Perceiving the Game Board, by Maximus Draken."

Doevm picked up the book, then his mind separated from body.

A soft, repeating clicking echoed down the hallway. The blue, swirling energies burst out of the pillars, combining into a wave and crashing into Doevm. His unconscious body was flung about, yet the book remained tightly in his grasp.

"Oh, it's you again," a voice called out.

Doevm looked up to find that he was no longer in the legacy, at least his mind wasn't. Bearing no ceilings nor skies, the "place" he drifted within was a realm not of the physical world. Although pocket dimensions were laborious to make, they were spacious, bent the flow of time to one's favor, and most importantly, private. Doevm had practically relied on them as a Lich, yet it was only the second time he was within another's.

The ethereal form of Maximus Draken floated in front of him, staring with his arms crossed. "Are you going to ignore me like you did before?" he asked.

Doevm struggled to keep eye contact: "I'm sorry."

Maximus Draken raised his wrinkled brow. Unlike in the first legacy, his spirit took an older form around fifty. His blue hair had grayed, and his face slightly sagged behind his unkempt beard. His golden eyes, however, maintained their light. "That actually sounded like a genuine apology. I'm shocked. You seemed so…calculating the first time I met you."

Doevm's lip twitched. "Please, I need your help."

Maximus put on a jeering smile. "Ah, I see. You couldn't figure it out on your own, so you came crawling back. Although I am surprised you found this place, I'm not interested in teaching someone who won't heed my words. Leave. I'll place my faith in another."

"You're merely assuming..." Doevm gritted his teeth. "I'm sorry. I need your help."

"A simple apology won't change my mind," Maximus maintained.

'I don't have time for this,' Doevm thought.

Maximus turned away: "Shut the door on your way out, lest you track in the bugs."

Doevm didn't move: "I came here for answers and I will leave with answers."

Maximus turned around with a bewildered look on his face: "And how are you going to make me, child?"

Doevm gathered his soulmana and infused it into his words: "I figured it out soulmana."

As Doevm's soulmana raced for Maximus however, it was as if a barrier sprang up. Doevm's will slipped right off Maximus, whose expression darkened. "You dare use my own spells against me?"

'I knew it,' Doevm thought. 'Soulmagic doesn't use mana but it's the same as any other magic. It can be countered.'

A flaming, white aura erupted from Maximus. Pain shot through Doevm as his strength slipped away. Death called out to him. He blinked and the aura was gone, vanishing as suddenly as it appeared.

Maximus remained in a relaxed position, letting the threat hang in the air. "Leave."

Doevm held his hands up: "I meant no ill will. Surely you can see that?"

"I doubt it," Maximus said. His eyes flashed, then he seemed to stare straight through Doevm's soul.

'Even if you're a former hero, you should still have the power to see through lies,' Doevm thought. 'The aura is evidence enough.'

Maximus cocked his head to the side. "How are you...Fine, you can stay for a bit. If you're not lying, why did you try to use soulmagic on me?"

Doevm looked away: "I-"

"If I don't like your reasoning, I will obliterate your soul," Maximus added. ƒ𝚛𝐞𝚎𝑤𝘦𝚋𝓷o𝚟e𝘭.c𝐨𝙢

Doevm swallowed his saliva: "I merely demonstrated why I haven't used soulmana against the gods. Had your book been more focused on practical application, I wouldn't have come here with questions."

Maximus looked like had been slapped. He scratched his stubble and looked down at the book in Doevm's hands. "That's the true reason?" His eyes flashed again, confirming Doevm's words as truth.

"I want to fight, and to do that I need to know what I'm doing," Doevm said. "You must help me correct your mistakes."

Maximus opened his mouth to retort, but hesitated. "Very well. I meant to add practical applications, but I was rushed."

"Which was why you left behind pieces of yourself in each legacy, am I right?" Doevm asked.

Maximus nodded.

"But then, why not utilize soulmagic to fight the gods yourself?" Doevm asked. You were strong enough. Is it not possible to kill a god?"

Maximus shrugged: "I hope it's possible or this will all have been for nothing."

"Then why?" Doevm insisted.

"Because everything was taken from me," Maximus said. "And after that happens…you don't care anymore."

Doevm shook his head. "That's not good enough. If nothing matters to you then why leave these legacies behind? Are you hoping someone will fulfill your revenge?"

"Child, I do not intend to use you if that's what you're insinuating," Maximus hissed. "My business is my business alone. I've lost and that's that. I will guide you and nothing more."

The word "guide" brought with it a wave of comfort, but Doevm needed more out of him. "What kind of a guide won't answer my questions?" he asked.

"Using my own words against me won't change anything either," Maximus said. "Quit it."

Doevm could almost feel the aura building up again, so he dropped the subject. "Fine, but you will help me, won't you?"

Maximus let out a frustrated sigh. "I preferred it when you ignored me. Alright, what do you want to know first?"

Doevm gestured to the book in his hands. "How do I win this game?"