Chapter 5: Horrors of the Lich

Timber wasted no time and ran down the stairs to the ground, creating a small wave of rock to ride to the city at fast speeds. Many undead glanced at the unusual sight of one black knight and two gold, metal golems riding a rock wave to the city in the valley. The ground was destroyed behind him and many undead and demon captains stared around as fifteen of the one hundred eight captains of the vanguard sped past the others, three of them even faster than Timber.

As he rode the rock wave, Ignus could not help its mischievous nature and secretly stole from all the undead captains and undead as they scrambled out of the way, ensuring it could stay within the one hundred foot range of its spirit form. Many undead and demons would wonder why some of their items were missing long afterwards. It was because Ignus could make whatever it took into its hands blend into its spirit form, so long as it was not living. Imps were also considered a plague of thieves as they were the only race that could remove soul bindings, a reason many of the ancient and powerful devils keep hordes of imps as thralls.

Stealing from a devil? It was impossible as no one could know how many imps hid in spirit form within a devil's superior range of ten thousand feet. Devils were never alone and only a very powerful undead or demon could slay them in the midst of an imp horde. Timber also knew how dangerous Bones was as Ignus used to be the imp leader of a devil's horde before Bones used a heinous magic to actually rip the entire soul fire out of a devil, giving a small piece to Lyle for the concoction which was later used on Timber. Of course, Timber did not know of the concoction but he knew Lyle had a devil's soul fire.

"Being an undead's thrall is so much more fun. Less competition and more mischief for me," Ignus giggled. "You're not going to make a second or third imp thrall, right? Master?"

"You're already a little terror," Timber said as Ignus puffed its little chest with pride. "I only have the ability to make two more thralls. I can kill a thrall to replace it with another but not you. You steal a lot of stuff for me and even devils treasure imps."

"Sometimes we lesser demons are more valued than greater demons," Ignus laughed as it stopped stealing and rested on a golem's shoulder. "So, the Great Wall fell. On to Phase 2, master?"

"Yes. Lyle told me that I had to replace an existing human so as to make my escape. Using a method unique to a full lich, Lyle can rip out a human's soul fire and transfer it to me, giving me its cultivation and memories," Timber shuddered as a cold shiver went down his spine.

"They are the most devious of undead. We imps are just mischievous, no grand schemes in our heads," Ignus shrugged. "So who is the target?"

"Some rich kid named Ni Lang , fourth child of Ni Kong. His cultivation is at the sixth layer and the only disciple at the city's sect with an affinity to destruction. He is the only possible candidate for my escape," Timber answered as he hid his sword in his shadow and dissipated the green and black flames. "The only problem would be soul mutation. My spirit and my sword will be affected by his soul. My sword changes as my soul does and my spirit will devour his."

"So Twilight and master's two-headed dragon spirit will change? Your spirit takes time to mutate anyway, a mystery Lyle told master after forcibly mutating master's spirit. Maybe it will finalize the change?" Ignus thought and shook its head. "Ugh. Too devious. Too much thinking. Ignus will just watch master fight from atop this golem."

Timber's rock wave accelerated and abruptly stopped as it neared a smaller white wall, the guards helplessly gazing at the sky as he was launched over them with his golems. He had his golems attack the guards as he raided the houses, a large explosion heard behind him as golden golems broke through the weaker wall. Evidently, centuries of the Great Wall's protection made the city structures lack in defensive capabilities.

Timber tried to ignore the screams as the horde descended on the fleeing civilians. He focused on his task of looting all the clothes and treasures that he could use for the future. Any male cloth that fit, he stole and put into his shadow, tossing the human coins into his shadow like trash. Ignus had the most fun as it burned and scoured the houses for hidden treasures. Timber killed any adult males in his way, knocking out the rest with the back of his hand.

Timber paused and ran out the house as a large explosion appeared in the house he escaped. He looked up and saw a martial arts sect disciple staring down at him with four others. The other four nodded and drew their swords as he saw several humans in the air behind them. Most of the disciples were heading to the horde, a few leaving the formation to attack the undead and demons lingering around. However, they were not flying on their own, using flying swords to fly and not their own capabilities.

"Stay your hand, undead knight fiend! I am at the ninth stage. Prepare for your final death!" the disciple roared and charged at him, two swords in his hands.

"Hahaha. Such a weak undead. Elder brother, we struck out," a disciple laughed and they all laughed until they saw a spear of ice appear in the boy's chest. He coughed blood once before becoming a meat patty on the ground as he fell.

They turned to look at Timber and paled as giant spheres of ice flew toward them. The leader cried out as one flew to intercept it, the others hastily avoiding them as they saw their friend freeze into an ice statue and shatter on contact. The remaining three disciples landed on the ground, racing to Timber. They believed him to specialize in long range fighting, wearing the armor only to intimidate them.

They were wrong. As one of the leader's slashed at Timber, a shield of ice blocked it as a lance of hard rock appeared in the black knight's right hand and impaled the boy. As the boy coughed from the pain, Timber swung his left arm and the edge of the ice shield slit the throat of the boy followed by a push kick as Timber balanced himself. The two remaining disciples nodded and flanked Timber, the leader on Timber's right side. Timber narrowed his eyes, disbelief in his eyes at how weak humans were, and shattered his ice shield, the last subordinate hastily cutting the ice shards that flew at him as Timber ran to his left.

"No. This wasn't supposed to happen!" the boy cried as Timber used earth magic to enlarge the lance, the lance destroyed the boy's chest and leaving only flying limbs and a head as Timber just rammed through him.

"Fake death. Fake death," Ignus reminded its master as the leader ran forward, his two swords blazing with light essence.

"Remember to steal their items after the explosion," Timber ordered.

"Explosion?" Ignus tilted its head and saw Timber's fists harness extreme amounts of water and earth essence in each hands. As the swords and gauntlets made contact, a large explosion of gold, blue, and brown was seen, destroying everything in a thirty foot radius as the whiplash of the explosion damaged some of the nearby houses and tiles on the road. Ignus sped to loot the four dead disciples, pausing to see a black armored gauntlet fly in the air, badly damaged. It later saw a black knight crash into one of the houses.

"Master?" Ignus began after it looted the unconscious leader with badly burned arms holding broken swords.

"I had to delay the Shadow Travel dark spell until after the moment of impact destroyed some of my armor," Timber groaned as he stood up, his right hand regenerating form a minor burn. "I had to use enough of my strength to create that explosion while making it look like I died. Humans are much too weak compared to undead."

He quickly changed into a black robe, putting a black mask to veil his face as only the skin, hair, and eyes needed to be regenerated, his blood mysteriously flowing without abnormalities due to his elemental essences in his body. By the time he slaughtered and looted his way to the pavilion's east entrance, Timber had killed hundreds and amassed a fortune equal to a small kingdom as he raided the largest and most extravagant houses first.

"The ten years of training did enough. You took a while longer than expected," Lyle commented as it saw him arrive. "Your armor and death?"

"I destroyed the rest of my armor into countless pieces of ice. The broken gauntlet of my right hand was left where I faked myself dying in an explosion. I took a while because I raided a few houses," Timber said, playing with a gold between his fingers before tossing it into his shadow.

"Good. Ziming Wei is in the basement of the servant quarters. Preparations have been made to ensure no surge of elemental essence will be detected outside the basement. Come. We don't have much time before the humans are desperate enough to flee the city. You must be seen fleeing among them with Ziming Wei's face," Lyle said as two bald men littered with black scripture tattoos bowed as they donned monk robes. "These are lesser lich that regained their fleshy bodies. They will ensure none disturb us."

"Greetings, Lord Cid Drake," the two lesser lich bowed. "We, of lich faction of Elder Bones, are honored to meet a first born."

"They seem grateful to be an undead," Timber frowned as he followed Lyle into the servant quarters.

"They are immortal, undead only in soul. They physically look like a living human but have power much greater than if they were living. Not all people despaired being undead," Lyle explained as they arrived before a giant black jade cauldron. "This is an ancient devil artifact before the fall of the Venos Empire. It belonged to a devil that enslaved the first of the lich. Master Bones personally slayed him while it used thrall magic on another elder lich. Master Bones is the ancient and most powerful of all lich. His human identity, no one knows."

"And the cauldron?" Timber asked.

"This is the Cursed Cauldron of Madness. Master Bones knows all, everything moving as he wills it. The concoction I made to forcibly mutate your soul was created through this cauldron. Inside it is the souls of one million demons. Ten thousand are required for your ritual. You will sit at the bottom of this cauldron, bathing your body with those souls. They will remove that which marks you as an undead. Like me and Master Bones, you will re-enter the world of the living. Your soul requires ten thousand as you are a first born, a hundred souls inadequate. You will have all the advantages of both worlds, like Master Bones and I," Lyle said as it gestured to the giant cauldron.

"Is this possible?" Timber gasped.

"Evil begets evil. It is only fitting that evil removes evil. Your sword and your soul fire is your connection to the world, pieces of what you used to be. Absolute control over your golems will also be surrendered to you, the golems turning from gold to indestructible black jade. One golem will be destroyed to break the control. Your sword and spirit will change. Ni Lang's soul fire and your soul fire will merge into one, with your soul fire taking his over," Lyle answered. "Ni Lang is really Wolf Ni. The young man you will become is twenty years old and and half the nationality of the continent of Tian. He has blonde hair and brown eyes. No one knows where his mother came from, a fling his father had overseas as he brought the boy back with him. According to the servants of the boy, he was named Wolf, but his father changed it to Lang, to make him fit in with his elder siblings."

"Ni Lang...Wolf....his spirit is a wolf?" Timber asked.

"Precisely. I will be putting Ni Lang's wolf spirit inside you. The outcome is uncertain, but you will retain control of your body," Lyle said as it pulled a casket out of its shadow, revealing a sleeping boy inside. "Now then, let's begin."

"Snacks. Snacks are good at a time like this," Ignus said, appearing in its material form and grabbing some food out of Timber's shadow to eat.

"You might want to go in while holding Twilight. It might help you cope with the pain of the soul fire fusion," Lyle advised as Timber walked into the cauldron, mysteriously able to breathe in the bright jade liquid as he submerged himself and sat on the bottom.

"Time to begin the experiment," Lyle said as a black pentagram appeared on Ni Lang's chest. As Lyle put his hand on the mark, his hand phased through, causing Ni Lang to shriek from the excruciating pain as his soul was ripped out his body. Lyle smiled evilly as he stared at the complete soul fire in his hands, something only Master Bones had done and taught him. He dropped the soul fire into the cauldron and it shined with a black light that seemed to swallow the world around the cauldron.

"Have you begun the soul fusion?" a voice asked as a black cloaked lich with antelope horns appeared from the shadows over fifteen feet tall.

"Master," Lyle bowed. "I just deposited the soul fire of a human inside the cauldron. Cid Drake, or Timber, should have lost consciousness and begun the soul assimilation process."

"Good, put these things inside as well. Undead skeletons can replace bones. It will be up to him to awaken their powers," Bones said as he dropped two golden demonic magical beast bones.

"The Bone Wrenching Ritual? Master completed its creation and used it?" Lyle gasped, worship in its eyes.

"Indeed. You are at the peak of the Flame Realm. This is an entire set of devil bones, infused with the devil's soul fire. As a pure lich, you should be able to withstand its power," Bones said as he tossed a crimson pouch that Lyle gingerly caught and held as if it were the most fragile glass in the world. Putting its new treasure away, Lyle deposited the two golden bones into the cauldron.

"He has the Lich Ring, yes?" Bones inquired.

"Yes, master," Lyle nodded.

"Good. Let him live his new life for now. When the time for the lich to take action comes, we will alert him through the ring," Bones said.

"Are you going to tell him the truth about his family? His mother, father, little sister, and unborn little brother?" Lyle asked respectfully.

Bones paused before it said, "He cannot learn the truth. His father bade me, too guilty to look at his own son. When I learned the identity of the voice that brought the Venos Empire many victories before causing the damnation of the world, even I felt fear. Such power. I learned the true reason for the existence of undead. I saw the mysterious entity in the sunken city and I....no. He cannot learn. You and the imp better not speak of what transpired, demonic magical beast bones and his family circumstances."

"Yes, Elder Lich," Ignus bowed its head.

"If Cid Drake knew what kind of soul he really was, I wonder what he would do? Would he put himself in eternal sleep or embrace it?" Bones muttered as a red ring of soul fire floated above the cauldron.

"Eh? Red spirit ring? Two" Lyle cried as another appeared next to it. "Master? What is this?"

"A red spirit ring. Interesting. Spirit rings form if the soul fire reaches a pinnacle of existence and evolves the spirit," Bones answered. "Since Cid Drake, or Timber, underwent the soul fusion, a spirit ring should naturally perform. Undead will naturally form a spirit ring as they lived a first life already, the spirit of their past life turning into energy to fuel their soul to the next evolution. You have a black spirit ring. You just never depend on your spirit's power and was unaware of it as a consequence."

"I apologize. I will remember not to neglect it. Perhaps I should research spirits and their connection to soul fire," Lyle said, ideas forming in its head.

Ignus's eyes widened and it excitedly ate pieces of raw meat as the white ring revealed the spirit within. A wolf as big as a tiger roared with red dragon scales, snow white fur covering most of its body and tail. A lone gold horn was at the top of its head and had grey talons that seemed profoundly sharp.

"A One-horned red wolf, a wolf spirit comparable to a dragon spirit. Not bad," Bones said as Lyle nodded in agreement as the red rings shined before going back into the cauldron. "Spirit rings carry no abilities but they enhance the defense of one's soul fire and improves cultivation and consumption of elemental energy. It seems he also broke to the peak ninth stage of the Metal Realm. His elements are water (frost fire variant when using ice), darkness, earth, destruction, and fire (destruction variant black and green flames). Five elements with two of them being variants. One is only when turning the water element into ice and the other is a pure, absolute change with black and green flames."

"Were you able to identify the flames, master?" Lyle asked.

"I have. They are the same flames of a Evil Jade Phoenix. Perhaps it caused the new Ni Lang to gain the destruction affinity and warped his natural fire element attribute. He regained flames due to Ni Lang, as predicted. Still, remind him never to use it. The more he uses it, the more powerful it becomes and might consume him. Seeing as it is black and green instead of pure jade, his status as an undead kept it at bay. Make sure he uses it only when his life is at risk until the he reaches the initial stage of the Obsidian Realm. It seems this pawn is not without its flaws," Bones sighed.

"Don't speak of demonic magical beast bones, spirit rings, and warn to never use the fire attribute, martial arts or magic, until the Obsidian Realm," Lyle noted aloud.

"Did you prepare his alibi?" Bones asked.

"Yes, master. I assure you. His new identity will be completely safe," Lyle answered and revealed a panda cub. It looked like an ordinary panda but had white and orange fur instead of black and white fur.

"And what kind of panda is that?" Bones asked.

"A magical beast and demonic magical beast hybrid I created. People have seen Ni Lang inquire about panda magical beasts and it is the perfect cover," Lyle answered.

"A panda? Bears, I understand, but not panda magical beasts," Bones sighed. "So long as he escapes successfully, I suppose it will have to do."

"Ugh," a blonde haired young man groan as he leaned up, his head fully regenerated to normal. "My body feels funny and my soul fire....has rings?"

"I forgot. Firstborns can see into their Soul Realms beneath the Flame Realm of cultivation," Lyle sighed as Bones disappeared before Ni Lang could look around. "Hello, Ni Lang. How do you feel?"

"Powerful. My sword looks the same, but has no edges?" Ni Lang frowned as he stared at his board, the blade in a complete rectangular shape with no sharp edges or triangular point. The blade was completely black with maze-like markings on both sides the color of gold.

"The Conqueror's Sword," Lyle muttered as Ni Lang looked at him.

"That's what it's called?" Ni Lang asked.

"You want it to be called Lucky?" Lyle laughed. "You'd be lucky to cut anything with that sword. Perhaps it requires infusion of elemental energy. Wield it. Try to see its aura, if it still has one."

"Jade wisps, like my Witch Ring?" Ni Lang frowned as he stared at the sword and back at the ring.

"Never use your fire attribute. I know you just got it back, but don't use it unless your life is in danger. That fire with the destruction attribute belongs to the flames of an Evil Jade Phoenix. Wait until you are at the Obsidian Realm. Until then, just cultivate fire essence to let your body adjust," Lyle warned. "We must leave now. A half hour has passed and the last lines of defense must be broken by now."

"What about my golem?" Ni Lang asked, putting his sword away as he pointed at a gold golem standing next to a giant pile of ash.

"Turn it grey. The control rod is grey, right? Your control over the golem has upgraded and now no other control rod may control it/ Quickly, bind this panda magical beast cub and come with me! We must ensure to escape with the fleeing masses," Lyle roared, hastily storing the black jade cauldron into its shadow as Ni Lang nodded and did as he was told.

"What happened?" Ni Lang asked Ignus as it entered its spirit form. Bones and Lyle did not have an imp thrall so they could not have known that all orders were absolute. Ignus told Ni Lang everything and his face darkened as he realized he was a pawn in their game.

"I must leave you now. Follow that road and run with the other humans. Good luck," Lyle said and Ni Lang nodded as he ran off.

"Before you go, take drink this vial. It will help you," Ni Lang said, giving him a white colored liquid that swirled within a small glass.

"I....this is! You....." Lyle roared, its eyes widening as it felt its soul fire get invaded by an unknown force. Its eyes rolled back and its body stood as if in a sleep walking state.

"What was in the vial, master?" Ignus asked.

"A key tool for any assassination with potential witnesses that could not be killed, memory wiping. It locks onto a single memory and wipes it clean. Requires the soul fire of the user to be more powerful than the victim. It seems having two spirit rings really did bring me many benefits. Costs a fortune in the human world, Yiazig told me. I only got three. Now, Lyle, you will forget anything you know in regards to my new identity. You believed me to be killed by sect elders that escorted the humans, finding my lich ring as a result," Ni Lang instructed, removing the blood binding the ring and returning the Lich Ring to Lyle.

"Timber was killed. Must report to Master Bones. The thirtieth failed experiment," Lyle said in a daze as it walked away.

"Oooh. Master, they won't be pleased when they discover the truth," Ignus giggled.

"I was a fool to trust others so easily. I was warned to not trust undead and demons by Bones, but I trusted the elder lich that told me and his servant. They had me in the palm of their hands. Still, I got more than I could have dreamed from them and this little panda too," Ni Lang said as he ran toward the fleeing humans, Ignus flying beside him.

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Writer's Note: Well, I do love deceit and manipulation. Quite a lot to take in right? I try to make it like a real book with a lot of events happening in a single chapter like other giant books I read with five hundred plus pages. Thanks for reading!