My SSS-Rank Grim Reaper System-Chapter 44: Truths of the Reaper

[THRONE ROOM - MOMENT OF DECISION]

Alex looked at his team, seeking consensus.

Seraph had a skeptical expression visible even through her visor. Maya looked cautious. Raven... Raven looked curious, which was almost as dangerous as any trap.

"Talk," Alex decided finally. "But we keep our distance. And at the first suspicious move, we attack."

The Lich King nodded—a surprisingly human movement for an ancient skeleton.

"Prudent... Very... prudent... Approach... then... But... first..."

He snapped his fingers.

The two hundred skeletons that were still fighting each other disintegrated into dust.

"There... Calmer... atmosphere... for... conversation..."

The team approached cautiously, maintaining a defensive formation. Grim remained in his 1.5-meter form, ready to grow to Awakened if necessary.

The Lich King descended from his throne, walking toward a section of the room where there was a long stone table and chairs (why did a dungeon have a conference room? Alex didn’t ask).

"Please... sit... It’s been... a thousand... years... since... I played... host..."

He gestured toward the chairs.

Everyone exchanged glances, then slowly sat down—ready to spring up at any moment.

The Lich King sat at the head of the table, placing his scepter to one side.

"Now... then... Questions... first... Then... answers... It is... proper... protocol..."

"Alright," said Alex, his wounded shoulder still throbbing. "First question: What are you really? You’re not just a regular lich."

"Perceptive... I am... not... a regular... lich... I am... Archlichlord... Lich... King... of... Third... Circle... Formerly... known... as... Lord... Valdris... the... Eternal..."

Dramatic pause.

"First... bearer... of... Fragment... Three... after... the... sealing..."

That caught everyone’s attention.

"First bearer?" Seraph asked, leaning forward. "How long ago?"

"Nine hundred... eighty... three... years... I have... carried... Fragment... Three... for... nearly... a full... millennium..."

He leaned back (could skeletons lean back? Apparently yes).

"When... the Gods... sealed... the Reaper... they divided... his... essence... into... seven... Fragments... Each one... hidden... or... assigned... a guardian..."

He raised his hand, showing a glowing green mark on his palm.

"Fragment... Three... ’The Hand’... Fused... with... my... core... Made... me... immortal... Invincible... Powerful..."

His voice turned bitter.

"And... prisoner..."

"Prisoner how?" Maya asked.

"The Gods... did not... trust... me... They thought... I would... seek... the other... Fragments... Gather them... Become... the new... Reaper..."

He looked directly at Alex.

"So they... cursed... me... They sealed... this... castle... They made it so... the Fragment... could not... be removed... while... I lived... But... also... they made it so... I could not... die... while... I had... the Fragment..."

"Eternal trap," Seraph murmured.

"Exactly... For... centuries... I waited... I hoped... that... someone... strong enough... would come... Kill me... Free the... Fragment... Free... me..."

The Lich King looked around the table.

"Viktor... Cross... almost... succeeded... Fifteen... years... ago... But... his... team... died... He... fled... Alone..."

Heavy silence.

"Second question," said Alex. "You said you had truths about the Original Reaper. What truths?"

The Lich King leaned forward, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

"The Original... Reaper... was not... the monster... the Gods... claim..."

"He was... one... of... them..."

Collective shock around the table.

"What?" Alex blinked. "The Reaper was a God?"

"The Eighth... Original... God... God... of... Death... and... Transition... His... name... was... Mortanis..."

The Lich King stood up, beginning to walk around the table as he spoke.

"Mortanis... maintained... balance... When... humans... died... he... guided... souls... to... the... afterlife... When... monsters... became... too... numerous... he... reaped... them... He was... balance... He was... necessary..."

"But... the other... Gods... feared... him... His... power... over... death... meant... that... eventually... he could... become... stronger... than... all... of... them... combined..."

"So they... conspired... They... attacked... him... during... the... Shadow... War... When... he was... weakest... They... divided... him... They sealed... the... pieces..."

"And... they told... the... world... that... he... was... a threat... A monster... A thing... that... must... be... destroyed..."

The Lich King stopped in front of Alex.

"But... the truth... is... the Gods... simply... eliminated... competition..."

Alex felt his mind racing. If that was true...

"So gathering the Fragments," he said slowly, "wouldn’t be creating a monster. It would be..."

"Resurrecting... the... God... of... Death... Restoring... the... balance... that... the Gods... broke..."

"Or..." The Lich King leaned closer. "Allowing... a... new... bearer... to take... that... mantle... To become... the new... God... of... Death..."

He looked directly into Alex’s eyes.

"So... the question... young... Alex... is... What... will... you... do... when... you have... all... seven?"

Before Alex could respond, the Lich King turned abruptly toward Raven.

"But... enough... of... heavy... philosophy... I have... a... different... question..."

He approached Raven, leaning in.

"You... blood... specialist... Dangerous... beauty... Charming... smile... Tell me..."

His voice changed—still distorted but somehow softer.

"What... would... someone... like... you... do... with... immortality?"

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Fragment... Three... when... properly... fused... grants... immortality... Power... over... the... undead... Control... of... legions..."

He moved behind her chair, his hands resting on the back.

"Imagine... Never... aging... Never... dying... Always... beautiful... Always... powerful..."

"Where are you going with this?" Raven asked, though she sounded more curious than alarmed.

"A simple... proposal..." The Lich King leaned close to her ear. "Take... Fragment... Three... from... me... Become... the new... bearer... And... stay... here... with... me..."

"WHAT?" Alex stood up abruptly. "No! No way!"

The Lich King straightened up, turning to Alex.

"Why... not? She... is... an adult... She can... choose..."

"Because it’s an obvious trap!" Alex shouted.

"A trap? No... not... a trap... A genuine... offer..."

The Lich King walked toward Raven, extending his bony hand.

"Think about it... my dear... A thousand... years... I have... been... alone... Imagine... company... Conversation... Someone... who... appreciates... the beauty... of... the dark... arts..."

"We could... rule... this... citadel... together... You... as... Lich... Queen... Me... as... King... Legions... of... the undead... at... your... command..."

"And..." He moved closer. "Immortality... means... infinite... time... to... explore... all... the pleasures... that... the world... has... to... offer..."

Raven looked genuinely tempted for a moment—not by the romantic offer, but by the power.

"Raven," Seraph warned. "Don’t."

"I’m just considering," Raven said slowly. "Immortality sounds pretty good..."

"Raven!" Maya stood up too. "He just wants to use the Fragment to keep you trapped here like him!"

"Not... trapped... Free... With... power... And..."

The Lich King produced something from some dimensional pocket—a rose. Dead, preserved for a thousand years, but still recognizable.

"I appreciate... beauty... I always... have... Someone... like... you... deserves... to be... worshipped..."

"Did you just give me a dead rose while asking me to stay as your immortal undead girlfriend?" Raven asked incredulously.

"Yes... Is it... inappropriate? It has... been... a long time... since... I courted..."

Despite the situation, Raven laughed. "It’s absolutely inappropriate. But I appreciate the effort."

She took the rose, twirling it in her fingers.

"However," she continued, "I think I’m going to decline. I have things to do. People to poison. A normal world to enjoy."

The Lich King sighed—a long, sad sound.

"Pity... Well... then... Plan... B..."

CLANG.

Doors behind them CLOSED with ominous finality.

[Throne Room: SEALED]

[No escape allowed until battle is complete]

The Lich King retreated toward his throne, picking up his scepter.

"If... you won’t... stay... willingly... then... I must... take you... by... force..."

His tone changed completely—no longer conversational, but threatening.

"And... your... friends... interfering... must... be... removed..."

He raised his scepter.

"I regret... this... truly... But... a thousand... years... of... solitude... make... one... desperate..."

[BOSS FIGHT: LICH KING - RESTARTED]

[NEW CONDITION: Protect Raven]

[Lich King will focus capture attempts on Raven specifically]

"Damn it!" Seraph cursed. "It was a trap after all!"

"Defensive formation around Raven!" Alex ordered.

Everyone converged, forming a protective circle.

The Lich King raised both hands.

[Spell: Chains of Binding - Directed]

Necrotic chains shot out—not toward everyone, but specifically around Raven, trying to wrap her up.

Grim intercepted, cutting chains with his scythe.

But more chains followed—dozens, hundreds, all directed at Raven.

"He can’t hold them all!" Grim panted.

Maya launched [Ring of Fire] , burning chains.

Seraph cut through them with her spectral scythe.

Alex used [Blood Weapon] , creating a barrier of spinning blades.

But the Lich King didn’t stop.

[Spell: Temporal Stasis - Directed at Everyone Except Raven]

Everyone except Raven suddenly froze—not physically, but temporally. Trapped in a single second extended infinitely.

"GUYS!" Raven shouted, reaching out—

The Lich King appeared behind her, moving faster than he had shown before.

"Forgive... me... for... this... my dear... But... I truly... cannot... let you... go..."

He grabbed her wrist.

[Spell: Soul Mark - Attempting to Apply]

Green energy began to flow from his hand into Raven’s—trying to mark her, claim her.

Raven struggled, trying to use [Blood Whip] —

But she was drained of MP from previous battles.

[Raven MP: 550 → 50/650] (the attempt to resist drained everything)

"Let go of me, you old pervert!" she shouted, kicking.

"Shhh... you will... struggle less... once the... mark is... complete... Then... you will see... Immortality... together... is... better... than... mortality... alone..."

Then—CRACK.

The [Temporal Stasis] broke.

Not because it ended.

Because Grim, being undead, had been partially immune—enough to fight through it.

"LET! RAVEN! GO!" Grim roared, his voice resonating with fury they had never heard from him before.

He charged, his form exploding into full Awakened form—2.5 meters of armored fury.

[Death’s Reaping Strike - Maximum Power + Fury]

He struck the Lich King with enough force to shake the entire castle.

The Lich King was forced to release Raven, being thrown back twenty meters.

[Lich King HP: ??? → ??? -500] (first real damage of the fight)

Raven fell, caught by Maya who had also broken free.

"Are you okay?" Maya panted.

"Fine," said Raven, rubbing her wrist where the Lich King had grabbed her. "But look at this."

She held up her wrist—there was a mark. Bright green. Shaped like a dead rose.

[Soul Mark - Partially Applied]

[Effect: Lich King can track Raven wherever she goes]

[Effect 2: If Raven dies, her soul is claimed by the Lich King]

"Shit," Seraph cursed. "We need to break that mark."

The Lich King stood up, dusting himself off.

"Impressive... blow... Fragment... One... truly... is... powerful... when... protecting... those... he... cares... about..."

He picked up his scepter.

"But... you will not... change... the outcome... The mark... is... placed... Raven... now... belongs... to me... Eventually..."

"And... you..."

He raised his book.

"Must... die..."

The lights in the room darkened.

The phylactery behind the throne began to pulse brighter—feeding massive power to the Lich King.

[Lich King - Serious Mode Activated]

[Stats Increased +50%]

[No longer holding back]

"I enjoyed... the conversation... truly... But... now... Now... I fight... to... win..."

[Spell: Necromantic Domain - Maximum]

Absolute darkness exploded from the Lich King.

The entire throne room transformed—walls bleeding necrotic energy, floor cracking, skeletons emerging from every fissure.

[Necromantic Domain - Active]

[Within the domain:]

- Lich King gains +30% stats

- All enemies lose 10 HP/second

- Lich King can summon unlimited undead

- Healing is reduced by 50%

"This is bad!" Maya shouted, feeling her HP drain.

[Maya HP: 1,200 → 1,190 → 1,180...]

"We need to break the phylactery!" Seraph shouted. "It’s the only way to stop this!"

"But it’s protected!" Alex responded. "The barrier has 10,000 HP!"

The Lich King laughed—a horrible, resonant sound.

"Exactly... You cannot... reach it... You cannot... break it... You cannot... win..."

He raised both hands.

[Summon: Death Knights - Elite Guard]

Ten Death Knights materialized—not regular ones, but elite. Each level 60, full armor, legendary weapons.

[Elite Death Knight - Level 60]

[HP: 5,000 each]

"Kill them... All... except... Raven... She... lives... The rest... die..."

The Death Knights charged.

"FORMATION!" Seraph shouted.

But they were exhausted. Wounded. Constantly draining.

And the Lich King was still at full strength.

The true battle had only just begun.

And the odds had never looked worse.