“Hmm, so the Arthor Empire is the biggest in this world? But the mightiest is the Siegheld Kindom? Does that really make sense?” Foster asked with a slight frown. From what these three had been explaining to him, it seemed like this world was mostly like earth was during medieval times. Of course, with the exception that it had magic and monsters and other, both cool and scary, stuff. So Foster would have expected that the mightiest country would have the most extensive area as well because of war and stuff.

“Well, that’s what it was like 13 years ago. That was the last time we’ve spoken to someone from outside.” Georg pointed out, and Foster started slowly thinking about this situation some more.

“Is there a reason why Siegheld isn’t just taking over the whole world if it’s that strong?”

“Oh, yeah, the king there doesn’t care about that... The country is a bit chaotic to tell you the truth. It’s a small but rich country. In some parts. In others, it’s extremely poor. Just a huge gap between there and everybody just does whatever they want. There are barely any laws, and the only ones there exist to protect the nobility.” Georg explained to Foster, “But because everyone can do what they want, they have some powerful people there. And some really messed up ones too, the kind that research just whatever and end up finding out about methods to exterminate a whole race.”

With his eyes opened just so slightly, “That’s... Scary.”

“It is, but there’s no need to worry. Siegheld has the greatest might on paper, but their army isn’t really a proper thing. Because nobody really wants to be in the army, I guess.” Jakob pointed out, and Foster slightly scratched the back of his head.

“I don’t know about that, some people just enjoy the idea of an army like that. Maybe there are more people like that than you’d think.” He suggested, but Georg just slowly held his hand in front of Foster to stop him.

“Well, let’s not think about that for now. We’re at the forest’s border now.” Georg explained, and Foster just stared forward confusedly.

“Here? Doesn’t the forest continue over there?” He asked, and Georg turned toward Foster and just stared at him for a little while, “Right, I forgot you don’t have any useful skills. You can only really perceive it if you can see the energy flow. Because right there, the flow of any sort of energy is just completely distorted. Life Energy, Mana, anything really.” Georg explained to him, “Just keep walking forward a bit.”

“Err... alright...” Foster replied with a slight frown and then did just as the skeleton suggested. Without hesitation, he kept walking forward for a few more meters, before he suddenly felt something hard hit his foot out of nowhere. But since he wasn’t really able to react that quickly, as he didn’t expect it, his face completely slammed into whatever it was that he walked into.

“Motherf- Why didn’t you tell me that it’s literally just a fucking wall?” Foster asked angrily, and Georg lightly shrugged, “What’d you expect? Some mist, a light distortion, or two? Nope. That’s just the kind of spell this seems to be.”

“What bullshit is this...? At least now, I know you didn’t lie...” Foster pointed out as he rubbed his nose annoyedly, just kicking the invisible wall in front of him. However, that wasn’t really the best idea. In a battle of a literally indestructible wall and a worn-out foot, it should be rather obvious which party wins.

And as Foster was kneeling downward to rub his toes to get rid of the pain, Georg came up behind him, “I know you’re frustrated, kid. But if you can get down there and get us what we need, then we will be able to leave this place. Let us head back toward the well. Once there, we can start-“

“What the actual fuck.” Foster said, absolutely and utterly baffled, but Georg really didn’t know what he was speaking about all of a sudden. But a few moments later, he kind of figured it out when he turned around, seeing a massive figure of rotting flesh and bones approach them.

It obviously wasn’t made of parts coming from just a single creature, that was for sure. Foster just didn’t recognize most of the elements that were on it, except for a couple of places where Lunacide-skin seemed to be patching it up. At least judging from the seemingly random glowing patterns that were dotting its body.

On its head, it had just one giant, single eye. But instead of having a proper iris, that part of the eye seemed to be only made up of a deep, gaping mouth with sharp teeth covering the whole circumference of it. At the same time, the pupil was obviously a cavernous hole that reached far deeper than even physically possible.

And Foster’s first reaction was, of course, to bend over and throw up the little food that he managed to eat throughout the past night.

He was exhausted, thirsty, hungry, and now also disgusted? What the fuck was wrong with this forest? Did it just want him to die right there? Because if it did, then Foster might be able to oblige to that request quite soon!

“What in the name of the nine circles of hell is that?” Georg asked, seeming quite scared and startled himself right now. And that didn’t help Foster’s mood all that much either. He hoped that at least these three guys knew anything about it, but instead, they were just as scared as Foster was. Alright, maybe not JUST as afraid, but they were close!

“Don’t worry, kid, we’ll defend you!” Georg exclaimed next, swiftly stepping in front of the young, defenseless man, immediately backed up by both Jakob and Ernard.

However, before any of them could do anything, the thing of flesh and bones swung its giant fist to the side, albeit maybe ten meters away from the group, “Great! Guys, I think it’s-“ He started, but before he knew it, Foster’s whole body was flung toward the invisible wall behind him.

It took all the air out of his lungs immediately, and soon Foster also heard the sound of numerous bones cracking and shattering in response to what this thing just did. Of course, they weren’t his own, but rather those making up the bodies of Jakob, Ernard, and even Georg. It seemed like Jakob and Ernard were far worse off, however. At least Georg’s bones mostly stayed whole.

And with heavy steps, the thing made its way toward Foster, immediately undoing that. With a single step, half of Georg’s bones were just completely beyond repair in any possible way. Foster couldn’t even see Georg’s head anymore... Was it cracked under this thing’s foot as well?

Would it just kill Foster now too? Just what the fuck was it, what did it want?! Foster didn’t know, but he wanted to, he needed to, he-

He was grabbed by legs and quickly dragged across the ground for a couple of meters before the thing just picked him up and started carrying him along. Foster wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, but he was pretty sure he heard a quiet whisper directly behind him right then as he stared up at the thing of flesh and bones and fainted.

---

When Foster woke back up, the world was already upside-down for him. All he could see was a remnant of the thing of flesh and bones’ body before everything around him went black, and he felt his body falling.

Foster was able to see some stone-bricks as he dropped down, so he figured that this thing brought him to the well again... So Foster really just had to die now?

At the very least, he just tried to turn his body slightly around so that he wouldn’t hit the ground head-first, although he soon found that he didn’t have to worry about that at all anyway.

Because instead of hard rock, he soon found his body hit a surface of water as a bright glow surrounded him. Immediately, Foster tried to swim to the surface, soon seeing what seemed to be something like a shore inside of this cave.

The moment that he got there, instead of checking himself for any weird injuries, Foster just checked on his headphones instead. He had placed them into his backpack into a plastic bag before since it was briefly raining just before they reached the wall, but luckily, the headphones were bone-dry.

But that couldn’t really be said about the actual bones that he found inside of his backpack. Foster placed his headphones onto his head to be able to properly relax, and then looked down at the skull in his hands, “G-Georg?” He quietly stuttered, and just a few moments later, the skeletal head started clattering again after it lost some of the water that was inside of it after that drop.

“Aye, kid. That was one hell of a ride, Dontcha think?” Georg pointed out with what seemed like a slight laugh, although one that still had to go through a little bit of water. It was bizarre, actually. He didn’t technically have any organs to speak anyway, so Foster wasn’t sure why whatever magic he was using wasn’t working just because of a little water.

But either way... “What the fuck just happened?” Foster asked with a deep frown, and Georg just silently looked at him for a few moments before making a suggestion, “I think the Lich sent something here to come pick you up... It might have noticed that there was someone without a class around here.” Georg suggested, but Foster just sighed deeply and looked around the room as he stood back up.

“Didn’t you say that the Lich was killing and eating undead?”

“Well, it probably just made a doll to use for its purposes for now. It probably can’t leave this place on its own.” Georg suggested, “Hold me away from you if you can. Just into whatever direction you are looking.” He said, and Foster slowly nodded and did just as asked.

“Yep, this place is just as creepy as I remember...” Georg muttered quietly, “If I remember correctly, then...“

“Come... here...” Just as Georg was speaking, another voice slowly started overpowering the skeletal head’s. It seemed like Georg himself didn’t notice it and just continued talking. Still, Foster himself just kept hearing it over and over again.

It was like an echo that just tried reaching out to Foster over and over again as if pulling him in. Slowly, Foster stood up and did the one thing that he thought he could do in a moment like this. He let out the loudest, most frustrated scream that he could.

“Screw you! You goddamn prick! Go fuck yourself!” Foster yelled out after what was basically a screech, and the echoing voice finally stopped, but instead, Georg came into tune again.

“Well, I know it might be a bit reckless, but you don’t have to be that angry about it. We can go for another plan.” Georg pointed out with a slightly angry tone himself, but Foster immediately looked down at him, trying to lock eyes with Georg... Or rather, Foster looked deep into Georg’s eye-sockets, before explaining, “No, no! That wasn’t directed at you! I just heard this voice, and I think it was the Lich, and... Fuck, I don’t know! It was just pissing me off, so I screamed a bit... sorry.” Foster explained, and immediately, Georg sighed rather deeply.

“I see... Then I think I may better repeat the plan.”