A Liche and his two skeletons walk into a bar.

The Liche wishes he was hungry, but like his previous life, that too was robbed from him. Instead, he goes behind the counter and finds what the Kapa consider to be alcohol and rummages for mugs as the establishment burns around them.

Greg and Doug take turns looking at each other in some confusion as they watch Matt tear through the cupboards for anything resembling a cup as they sit down.

The rising heat doesn’t bother them.

Eventually, Matt does find a cup, which is more of a 3-liter pitcher, and pours himself some manner of dark ale from behind the bar. Relief shines in his undead blue eyes as he watches the ale rise to the very top.

This is a dumb idea, Matt admits to himself, but he is going to try anyway.

He drinks.

The liquid sloshes down his throat and into the floor. A moment of anger flashes in his undead blue eyes, and everything seems to turn red as even this simple pleasure is denied him.

“Did that taste like anything?” Greg quips.

Matt glares at him, a biting retort on his undead lips before something—like a sensation—takes over as the liquid is absorbed by his white bones. Matt shudders.

“Yes…” Matt’s mind thinks hard about that phantom feeling, but it only makes him shudder more till he burps, “and no…”

Greg and Doug smile. “Let me try!”

And soon, it is Greg’s turn to draw himself a drink, only filling the pitcher halfway before attempting to drink. Then he passes it to Doug, who nods—“Yes Boss,” and swallows the rest.

Neither warrior feels anything. They’re only wasting the liquor on the floor as the remnants drip from their bones. Greg shrugs and begins to ask, “Why did it work for you?” before deciding against it.

“Fantasy world, fantasy rules… whatever they are,” Greg thinks before tossing the pitcher.

“You ready to get over being a Skelly yet, or do you need to run more tests?”

Matt stares at Greg, his eyes displaying a mix of emotions before settling on resignation.

“No… We can go.”

“Yes Boss!” Doug shouts, popping up from his barstool.

Matt shifts his eyes between Doug and Greg, pondering if somehow Greg’s condition is contagious.

“Since when can he talk?”

Greg shrugs. “Since always, probably.”

“And his name being Doug?”

“I named him a few hours back… seemed appropriate.”

At first, Matt doesn’t want to visibly show any additional irritation. There is nothing to be irritated about, but… he remembers the System announcing that Doug was now a player character. A player character. And could gain levels! Matt’s first instinct is to return Doug to the void and summon more skeletons to take his place but on the flip side-

On the flip side, there is the not-so-small matter of Matt’s mistakes actually saving his life, Matt thinks. Is it really that bad that he has two skeletons, mostly loyal to him, that can gain levels!? How many necromancers, Matt reasons, would kill for thinking minions that can get more powerful?

For a moment, the former necromancer-turned-Liche looks around and sees the destruction caused by just two skeleton warriors. And a small but significant thought makes him shudder-

“Can I make more?”