"All of you, scatter. Take cover." said the lich. He put his hand into the air and waved it with a flourish. In an instant, all the mind-controlled humans and beastwomen moved away, huddling behind rocks or going to the corners of the cavern. 

"You aren't going to use them?" said Li. "As a Warlock, I'd assume you had them under your control to use as blood sacrifices or fodder to create more undead."

The lich shrugged. "They would produce only mindless drivel. My research is meant to ascend them to a level similar to mine. Then, at least, I might have a proper conversation with one of my fellow kind."

Azhar stepped forwards, his bowstring nocked back and an arrowhead strung taught between his fingers. "So yer tryin' to get more of yer kind here, huh? After all the misery your type has caused? Ain't gonna' happen on my watch."

He loosed the arrow, a swirl of green energy fluttering behind the feathers of the arrow. Li recognized the particles as [Snipe].

The lich ignored Azhar as the arrow bounced off of his chest, not even tearing his clothes. He continued to talk to Li. "I presume you are familiar with Warlocks. Quite interesting. You must be long lived, then, for we have not practiced our magic in centuries. Yet you still stand with this human here?"

"Not long lived, just knowledgeable," said Li. He motioned around him, to the lab and to all the slaves. "And I am here to put an end to this whole…operation."

Azhar nocked another arrow, but did not fire, knowing it would be useless.

The lich nodded. "And I thought I was guaranteed solace for my research. I suppose I cannot trust an immortal's promises either."

Azhar cocked his head, and Li felt curious too. An immortal? Surely, the lich was working with Chevrette. Was Chevrette himself not human? 

"An immortal?" asked Li. "Do you mean Chevrette?"

The lich raised a brow and stroked his moustache. "Chevrette? Hm." He paused for a few seconds, wondering. "Ah! The wealthy nobleman, correct? Him? Never. I would not stoop to working with fickle mortal minds."

"That don't make no damn sense," said Azhar. "All this here is for Chevrette's slave ring." 

"Slavery? How inane." The lich laughed. "I have no use for slaves. No, like I said, this is for my research to produce more of my kind. I am presented with a selection of beastwomen whom are naturally magically virile, and among them, I select the finest whom I build up into fine vessels capable of undergoing ascension. Though-,"

The lich sighed as he looked around, eyeing the hiding slaves. "I am yet to be successful." 

Li raised his hand to quiet Azhar as he noticed the bowman was ready to protest. 

"Who presents the selection? Who helped you set this all up? Surely, you wouldn't have been able to sneak all this equipment in here, get all these beastwomen from the north, and brainwash these humans to make them your mules without some form of help."

"Quite right. In this human form, I am but a mere cobbler in midtown. I do not have the means to arrange all of this, and I do not have the best relationship with the vampires capable of aiding me here, considering I have used a few of their kind for some of my experiments." 

The lich took a good look at Li. "I can sense immense magical power flowing within you, but to what degree, I cannot truly tell, nor can I seem to gauge whether you are mortal or not, even with this monocle of truesight. 

I intended to eliminate you two to silence word of my operation, but I understand now that will be fairly difficult. Conflict is always my last resort. I sense that you are not truly here for me, but the one who has given me this research opportunity. 

So I present unto you an offer. I shall name this being and lead you to it, and in turn, you will allow me to continue my research. I can always find another willing to aid me for my services. Perhaps it is time I mend my bad blood with the vampires, though I suppose I do not truly have blood flowing through my bones."

"Ain't gonna' happen." Azhar looked to Li. "You ain't seriously gonna' let this freak go, right? He's a threat to all of mankind like this, just like his kind was two hundred years ago."

"A threat?" The lich let loose a scornful laugh. "Who determined that? We High Undead of Kel'Thor Citadel lived in order, in harmony, in peace, seeking out and preserving knowledge. We were not plagued by the biases that renders your kind so unstable. No discrimination, no short-sighted infighting, no irrational hatred.

Why do you think so many mages of your kind came among our midst? Why do you think so many donned the black robes to become warlocks? Do you think it is because they were evil? Black at heart? No, it is because they were persecuted for their curiosity, for their affinity to a magic deemed accursed." 

"Bullshit." Azhar shot another arrow in anger, and this time, the lich caught it in his hand. The arrow withered away, the wood rotting and falling apart into slivers of black dust. "It's cause' of yer' kind that so many undead roamed the lands. How many families ya think got torn apart limb from limb cause' of yer skeletons and zombies?"

"Undeath, too, is part of the grand Cycle," said the lich. "When life becomes too overpowering, when you mortal cockroaches multiply too quickly, the curse of undeath becomes stronger, and so the mindless undead arise to cull your numbers. It is a natural phenomenon set by the World itself. 

The only ones to blame are yourselves.

But of course, you mortals cannot understand. All you humans, you elves, beasts, , goblins, orcs, and all the other colorful walking bags of useless blood and flesh decided that our paradise of knowledge was the cause of this and razed our citadel to the ground. 

What did that accomplish? Undead still arise to this day."

"And now, we got em' under control," said Azhar. "There's so few of ya undead that there ain't no villages getting' swarmed by freaks no more."

"And you think that is because Kel'Thor Citadel is no more? The Citadel was razed two hundred years ago, but the undead hordes did not falter until recently, when foul foreign magics such as your heroes and those elven war machines intervened."

"Don't matter how it happened. World's still been better off without yer kind. Even now, yer playin' with innocent lives here, twisting them and sacrificin' them. All those that failed yer 'ascension' ended up dying, didn't they? And ya think all these people want to be under yer control for the rest of their lives?"

"All of these beastwomen would have been slaves their entire lives, far from home, away from hope and happiness. I would have granted them mercy. If one of them ascended, they would have lived an undeath far better than the lot that life granted them. And the working humans? They are all criminals sourced from the underbelly of this society. Why do you think none have come looking for them?"

The lich shook his head. "There will come a time when you will feel the rot emanating from these corrupting foreign influences you place faith in. These heroes and this technology that you hold dear will be your undoing."

The lich looked to Li. "So, what shall it be? You are unlike any being I have ever met or studied before, so surely, you understand what it means to be alone? Will you not grand me but this research to my name?"

Li shook his head. "As circumstances are as they are right now, I'm afraid I can't do that. What you have now has to end. This-," Li motioned to the lab around him. "cannot continue."

Li was firm on this. The current slaving operation as it was right now had to completely end for Li's plans to work. He had to come out of this raid with freed slaves or else there would be far too many suspicions raised. But that did not mean he was immune to the lich's plight.

The lich breathed out a deep sigh that seemed to last an eternity. He seemed to deflate as the breath left him, as if every ounce of his being were being ejected from him. His skin sagged and sallowed, aging as wrinkles wreathed around it. 

"Very well," said the lich. "Then I, Ven'Thur of the Fel Citadel, have no choice but to fight. When Kel'Thor raised me as one of his liches, he told me to preserve knowledge with all my might, and for this research I have gathered, I shall do just that."

The lich took a hand to his face and tore it off. The skin peeled off like a cheap mask before scattering into particles. Beneath, there was a human skull, the eye sockets glowing with blue fire. A diadem gleaming with malevolent energy flashed at his forehead. The monocle, however, stayed on, the glass magnifying the lich's fiery gaze. 

The rest of the lich's flesh and blood form scattered apart, and the purple suit transmuted into a set of dark purple robes that billowed of their own accord, the movements whispering out quiet wails. 

The lich pointed a skeletal finger to Azhar. "[Death Grip]"

Instantly, Li stepped in front of Azhar with a speed almost akin to teleportation. One small arc of lavender energy crackled from the lich's hand, sparking towards Azhar but instead hitting Li's chest. Aside from that, it did nothing, fizzling out of existence with just a tiny little pop. 

Azhar stepped back in shock before drawing his bow back again. "Heh, what kinda spell was that? Looked like a little tickle. Disappointin', coming from a high and mighty lich."

"That would have instantly killed you by exploding your heart and brain," said Li. "He has instant death spells that bypass any defense you can muster. I don't mean to insult you, but you should get back and stay back."

"Oh? He means something to you?" said Ven'Thur. "My apologies. I thought him an unneeded mortal accessory amidst a duel of beings that are far more. And I must admit I was thoroughly annoyed by him."

"Sometimes, he can be like that, but he is one of my followers," said Li. "I have a duty to protect him."

"Follower? Ah, you should have told me sooner. I do not like harming other's property. But now, I suppose the formalities end." The lich raised both his hands to his sides. They started to draw in vast amounts of magical energy, distorting the space around them as they formed into orbs of black that floated above his palms. "Come, discard your mortal façade. It is only proper."

"You're right," said Li. He glanced back to Azhar. "Azhar, you wanted to know what I was, right? Then get a good look at me. If you have second thoughts about being my follower afterwards, then let me know."

Li stepped forwards, his skin beginning to slough off as he faced the lich.