After the moon changed once, I could see the outside of the forest. My time in the forest was likely much shorter than my time outside it, but I still felt a touch of nostalgia seeing the barren graveyard before me. However, besides that tinge of nostalgia, most of my head was occupied by pessimistic thoughts.
'I already know that my luck isn't very good but I hope there's someway out of my predicament.'
Of course, I wouldn't be stupid enough to go snooping around myself. I sent off buff boy with a decent amount of my agility before finding myself a spot to lay down. Since there would be turbid times ahead, I felt that I should get my sleep while I could.
As I rested, I left part of my mind to watch what buff boy was doing. Since my servants were also parts of myself, we could also share senses.
'This is a bit too empty.'
The first thing that I found odd was the absence of zombies and skeletons in the area. Those things seemed to appear like cockroaches when I was here so there was something ominous about them disappearing.
'Either someone did something to the area or there's someone actively killing them as they respawn.'
The first idea I thought of was bad already but the second one was terrifying.
'I have to be careful.'
Since I couldn't be impulsive I made sure that buff boy properly searched the vicinity. After all, I didn't want to take one step and end up in a deadly trap.
A few moons later and though I didn't know what caused all of the undead to stop respawning, I got a good understanding of the surrounding ten mile radius. This also allowed me to check out the nearest human settlement but running over there was kind of a last resort since I could run up into some really strong guy.
'Hmm, I'm worried but it can't be helped. I'll just pick a decent direction and let buff boy be the scout.'
Thinking like this I was preparing to leave the forest as buff boy returned, but that was put to a stop when a gloomy figure blocked buff boy's path. It didn't look like this old robed figure just came like 'poof', but it was only when it was in my sight that I noticed it. As buff boy froze in place, two green flames that hanged in the space of its hollow eye sockets turned towards buff boy.
"Hmm, a human? No, it's different."
As it spoke, I didn't know what was more surprising. The fact that I knew what it was saying without memory of the language, or the fact that it could speak despite just having a skull for a head. Either way it didn't matter since I knew that I was no longer in control of buff boy's fate, so I figured I might as well use him properly and took full control of the wheel of his body.
"Can, I... help, you?"
In addition to the unfamiliarity with the language I was using as well as my lack of talking experience in general, my fluency was quite lacking. Once I started speaking I realized that this language was the same as the one that was on the evolution tree diagram. It seemed like something I was born with so even without being taught I knew the basics of the language.
"Oh, you're capable of speech as well? Come here, young one."
The cloaked skeleton beckoned buff boy with its hand that had a shiny ring for each finger. Once I saw that hand I gained more confidence in my guess as to what this being was, but I still needed confirmation. I moved buff boy closer to the monster. I couldn't sense any intent from it so I could only wait to see what it would do.
As buff boy was around a few metres away from the figure and I started to become relieved, the robed skeleton clenched its fist and white cones shot out from the ground to pierce buff boy. Thankfully I couldn't feel pain so I took a good look at what things were piercing buff boy and saw that they bared a resemblance to bones.
'Just as I thought, a Lich. And an old one too. I should leave as fast as possible.'
I wasn't a coward, but I knew my limits. Since Lich was on a higher branch than Unique Ghoul, I knew that it had to have better base abilities than I did. Even with my unique skill I didn't want to take any chances. Especially since I couldn't use my Magic Eyes of Perception on it even after secretly transferring most of my mana to buff boy.
However, right before I cut my connection to buff boy, the lich figured out his identity.
"Hmm, looks like it's a familiar of some sort. The master should be nearby."
It was a scary analysis but I was confident that I could get out of here. Since a Lich would be magic-specialized, I believed that I could beat it with my agility, but I underestimated its magic mastery.
The lich waved its hand and a long bony hand holding a green pearl that was fitting for its magic staff appeared.
"Let's see, based on the flow of mana, this should be enough."
The lich then tapped the ground with its magic staff, and then, out of nowhere, with a flash of light a translucent dome was formed that captured the lich, buff boy and I. No, it was likely just me and buff boy. With the dome ready, the lich turned in my direction as if it could see me.
"Isn't it time for you to come out?"
'Damn it. It got me.'
There wasn't much I could say. For the first time since coming here, I was outsmarted by an enemy. Even though I wasn't as good at magic as it, just by looking I could tell that I wouldn't be able to break this cage before it came for me. In other words, I was forced into a conflict.
"Tch, there's no other choice. I'll have to give this my all."
I reabsorbed buff boy and #1, and took up #1's sword. I then took a few minutes to show myself to the lich. It might be hard to kill me in the forest, but with this barrier up that passive thinking would just lead to me getting tortured. I couldn't be sure, but when those green flames looked at me, I had the feeling that the lich was smiling.
"Well then, will you resist or-?"
Before it could finish I blasted off my feet and got my sword to its head. With my agility I could probably race against a sports car so it wouldn't be easy to spot me. But even so, a giant ribcage blocked my sword.
"I suppose that's your answer."
I quickly retreated after getting my sword blocked, but I was only narrowly able to escape from the clutches of bony hands once I landed. Thereafter, everytime I tried to evade the giant bony hands, more would pop out where I escaped to.
'Rather than keeping up with me. It seems that he's predicting my movements.'
"You're rather nimble, aren't you."
Despite the fact that I hadn't been caught once, the lich didn't seem worried, and it had that right.
Right after I jumped from the bone hand trying to catch me, it fired a lance of bone at my landing location. I wasn't able to change where I would land so I could only prepare to face it. I imbued the curse of decay onto my sword and then used it to deflect the bone lance once I landed.
'Yes!'
The moment my sword made contact with the bone lance, a crack appeared on it. However, the lich had accounted for this.
The moment the crack was created, black gas seeped out from it and wrapped over the black glow of my sword. My instincts rang like an alarm but it was too late. At the end of this confrontation my sword broke into two and I was flung into the air.
As I flew through the sky, the only thought in my head was,
'What the hell...'