The Lich of Glory Knight Spirit: Moving towards Krimasha!

The birds hid in their nests, frozen into ice sculptures, silent. The deer, which once joyfully ran through the forest, had turned into a cluster of frozen stone by the stream.

The whole world seemed to have come to a halt, lifeless. Only the wind, carrying snow, remained active.

Every Golden Dragon huddled in their nests, dejected and unmoving.

The key was completely silent, with not a soul speaking.

...

"Temporary shelter," surrounded by countless Golden Dragons, even in the sky, Golden Dragons continued to circle. This was unprecedented, tight vigilance. However, it seemed already too late.

...

Sarina had rushed off to notify the White Bone Holy Light Court. The surviving dwarves had been brought back to their rooms for treatment. Even the remains of all the Silver Moon Knights that could be found had been recovered.

In the wind-swept room that once belonged to Gray, Richie silently assembled the outline of his father on the bed. Yet, he had only found pieces of armor. Yes, just armor pieces, everything believed to belong to Gray were only fragments of armor and items. Not a single bone could be found.

Still, it was enough for Richie to outline Gray. And Tenidas. But there was no Black Cat, his beloved Uncle Bolaisidong.

Nothing about the Black Cat was found, as if he had never existed.

Time passed, little by little. Richie stood silently, staring dazedly at the outline on the bed, blinking softly.

"We've searched everywhere, there's nothing else to be found." Delia appeared quietly behind him, softly saying, "The Golden Dragons believe there's no point in searching further. Judging by the scene, the battle was fierce and considering the extent of the armor's damage, the bones were likely shattered."

"Got it." Richie answered softly.

"The two captured Golden Dragon Clan members have confessed. They were incited by the Black Dragon Clan and Abraham. Additionally, the Golden Dragon Great Elder wants to see you..."

Richie slowly closed his eyes, not responding.

Time continued to pass, little by little.

Silent, after a long silence, Richie finally answered softly, "I don't want to see him. Has Bruto arrived yet?"

"Not yet."

...

In the snow-covered forest less than two hundred meters from the "temporary shelter," six elders of the Golden Dragon Clan waited anxiously. The harsh cold had invaded Dragon Valley, forcing them to cover their faces, leaving only their eyes exposed.

The Golden Dragons in the sky kept circling, moving back and forth.

"We've suffered great losses, haven't we? This shouldn't be our fault! They saw Dragon Valley as it was, this is our homeland, now it's transformed into this. Moreover, we've lost several of our own! In the end, we still fulfilled the alliance!"

"But we fulfilled it too late; the Lich King is already dead. The Lich King was attacked, our people were involved, that's undeniable fact. And our rescue came too late."

"It was a difficult decision, did he expect us to make it immediately? Golden Dragons aren't Black Dragons, we need time to discuss. Yet, we ultimately fulfilled it, didn't we? That makes a fundamental difference."

"The child... Will he inherit the Lich King's position? The way he looks at us... That's what worries me the most now. Do you remember what he said in the key?"

"We should trust the Lich King, he was a true saint. His child... surely won't be blinded by hatred."

"I hope so, we better talk to him properly before other Liches arrive, otherwise... not every Lich is as agreeable as the Lich King. If he subtly changes the narrative when informing others, we might face a war instantly."

"If he seeks revenge, he should target the Black Dragon Clan first, not us. If he launches a war against us, they'll lose the chance to war against the Black Dragon Clan."

"We signed the alliance, but we weren't truly prepared to sacrifice. Who could have imagined? The alliance was signed less than two hours ago, and we must sacrifice our growing land."

Evilia walked slowly from the "temporary shelter" in a white robe, respectfully bowing to the six elders, "Honorable elders, Richie, the Lich King's son, has rejected the meeting request."

All at once, the six elders gasped involuntarily.

"Was he very resolute?" The Golden Dragon Great Elder asked softly.

"I didn't see him personally, I asked his Guardian Angel." Evilia replied respectfully.

Elder Gjestav slowly closed his eyes, remaining silent.

All the elders were silent, their expressions grave.

...

"What are you thinking?" Delia asked softly in the room, "Thinking of... how to retaliate against them?"

"Thinking of how to retaliate against them? No." Richie slowly shook his head, staring at Gray's outlined figure on the bed, "They don't deserve it. I'm thinking about how to tell this news to mother, how to inform everyone about this. My father, the great Lich King Gray Gruggle, he toppled the human-controlling Court that lasted millennia, defeated Heaven in the Battle of Salted Fish Port, pushed back Hell, created the White Bone Holy Light Court, for the first time in history, united the Undead Clan. Yet, he died in a mere ambush? I can't believe it even now."

"But, it's a fact."

"No, it's not a fact. As long as the ring has not been found, my father is still alive. I firmly believe this. Certainly, I'll handle everything assuming father has left us. The attackers, alliance betrayers, they will pay a price they can't afford. This isn't hatred, it's a verdict based on fairness, justice. I believe, father will understand."

Richie's lips slightly trembled, he tried hard to smile.

Yet, he ultimately couldn't manage it.

His flesh had long died, further frozen in the piercing cold wind. He had lost the ability of any expression, be it sadness or joy. Only the barely moving, colorless eyes remained.

His clenched fist trembled ever so slightly in the cold wind.

The massive skeletal dragons quietly coiled in the room from front to back.

...

The clouds in the sky slowly swirled, forming a vortex.

A lightning bolt descended from the sky, striking the ground before the "temporary shelter."

The space tore apart. Amidst the ear-piercing noise, portals slowly opened, not just one, but countless, of various sizes.

The Golden Dragons surrounding the "temporary shelter" retreated in alarm.

Soon after, one by one Liches emerged from the portals with their forces. Some wore the distinctive white robes of the White Bone Holy Light Court, others wore Silver Moon Knight Order-style armors.

Their eye sockets burned with soul flames.

To confront the Black Dragon Clan, they had been spread across the continent, yet arrived simultaneously.

Bruto was among them.

Countless Skeleton Soldiers, zombies, Undead Knights, bone dragons swarmed out from the portals, swiftly and forcefully taking over the defense of the "temporary shelter." The Golden Dragon Clan were quickly pushed to the periphery.

The entire process happened without a word. The undead archers even pulled their bows, aiming at Golden Dragons.

"Child, we have arrived. You need not fear anything." A voice echoed in Richie's mind.

The Liches appeared in Gray's room one by one, soon filling every corner. They surrounded Gray's outline on the bed, removing their hats one by one.

Gray magic aura surrounded the room.

Raising his head, Richie surveyed the surroundings, his already dim grey eyes softly said, "Thank you, uncles."