****(POV)

"MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

I have finally done it!

It took me months, but I am finally done!

The ultimate mix!

Never seen before.

Extremely fragrant and delicious!

I carefully pick up a bottle of it.

It is golden in color and shiny.

Perfect!

Time for the grand reveal.

I push the trap door to exit the basement.

"Haha, your wonderful boss is back! How has business-?!"

What the fuck!

Where is my tavern?

Where is my beloved drinking fish?!

Wait…no there is something more.

What the hell happened to the city?!

It is eerily quiet.

No one to be seen.

I feel like I missed something important.

Wait, thinking back on it there was a lot of noise a while back.

I heard faint echoes even with my anti-sound formation.

I was thinking there was a party going on.

It seems something crazy happened.

That is when finally I see someone.

"Hey! You there! What is happening here?"

That is when the guy turns around.

I'll finally be able to…

Oh god.

Scratch that.

This is obviously an undead!

"Sorry! I'm just passing by! Don't mind me!"

It charges toward me.

"Say back! I know magic and I'll use it!"

Damnit!

It forced me to do this!

"Fireball time!"

*WOOSH*

Bullseye!

The undead falls to the ground.

In pieces and charred.

Okay, this is bad.

One skeleton is no issue.

But this is a city.

One with a defense system.

What the fuck am I supposed to do now?

I know.

I slowly make my way to my sect's building.

As I walk, I see many more of these monsters.

Somehow, I manage to avoid them all.

They are literally crawling all over the place.

Before long I reach the manor.

Completely empty.

I wander around.

Finally, I notice something.

The treasury is gone.

Even the secret one.

One that I learned of only by mistake.

Guess they somehow escaped.

I'm not even sure how the city falling is even possible.

I slowly make my way toward the walls.

All seem to be in good condition.

It wasn't a siege.

Did a civil war happen?

That is the only explanation I can fathom.

Did an evil sect take over during the confusion?

What caused this?

*Sigh* I don't know.

For now, I need to get out of here before.

That is when my surroundings suddenly become darker.

What?!

I look up.

Oh god.

This is the worst!

A dragon is floating in the air!

A bone one.

I can feel evil oozing out of it.

I do not move.

Standing oh so very still.

It isn't attacking for some reason.

Just eyeing me.

There is a big distance between me and the exit.

I do not believe I can outrun that thing.

What now?

Is it time to stake it all in one last showdown?

That is when it comes.

A creature that is obviously not human.

But one that dons the appearance of one.

"WhAt dO We hAvE HeRe?"

As soon as I hear it, I know for sure.

This thing is the one responsible for all of this.

For the undead.

Especially that dragon.

"Ah, I'm just a regular tavern owner. I just finished brewing a new batch."

"WhErE WeRe yOu hIdInG AlL ThIs tImE?"

"T-that. In my basement making beer."

"MaKiNg bEeR HE SaYs! HaHaHaHa"

The creature is laughing.

The creepiest laugh I have ever heard.

There is a cacophony of voices.

This thing is ...

That is when I understand what feels wrong with it.

Its speech.

Sometimes it will sound young, sometimes old.

The tone keeps changing.

There should be more than one soul in there.

"HoW DeOs iT FeEl tO KnOw wE WiLl kIlL YoU?"

Fuck.

I'm doomed!

Can I talk my way out of this?

"Think about this! Will killing me accomplish anything?!"

"oH? We ArE LisTeNing!"

"I can create great beer! If you let me…"

"We Do NoT CaRE…"

Rip.

I raise the bottle I have in order to chug it.

At least I'll die doing what I love.

Drinking!

*RIP*

*Rattling of bones*

The ground gets ripped apart.

Out of it comes bones.

Countless bones.

Forming a giant hand.

One that wraps around me.

I try going backward but without success.

Fuck.

I'm screwed.

All the bones latch on me.

Immobilizing me completely.

The worst is that I was so close to drinking!

Now I'll have to die sober.

"FoR YoU To rUsH To dRiNk tHiS It mUsT Be sPeCiAL!"

"Please just let me drink it. It's just a beer!"

"SoMe kInD Of tReAsUrE?"

He comes closer, then he yanks it out of my hands.

He slowly brings it to his mouth.

"Noooo!"

This is what I poured all my heart into making.

He grins evilly then he chugs it all.

Then his face suddenly changes.

"WhAt iS ThIs vILE LiQuid?!"

He starts clutching his neck.

*Shatter*

Somehow the bone hand disappears.

He is unmoving.

*ROAR! *

Oh god.

The dragon is diving at me!

I run.

Faster than I've ever done in my life.

I can't outrun it.

Wait! I know!

"HAHAHAHA Have fun you bone lizard!"

I throw a fireball at it.

At first, it completely ignores it.

There is no way I can damage it.

At all.

Except it wasn't my target.

The projectile flies toward the necromancer.

Hitting it right in the face.

Then its clothes start burning.

Usually, I'm sure it could deal with such an attack.

But right now it is stunned from my beer.

Let's just say it is an acquired taste.

The first time is always the most…shocking.

I rain fire upon him.

That is when the dragon retreats.

Coiling around its master.

Protecting him from danger.

So what?

I'm out!

I run all the way outside the city.

Nothing to stop me.

I keep killing on my way out.

Without anyone to control the skeletons…

No threat whatsoever!

I can't believe I survived that!

I just need to figure out where the people I know went.

It is sad for my tavern.

But it doesn't matter.

As long as I live so will the drinking fish.

I will rebuild.

I will keep working hard.

Then one day I will be back.

For revenge.

I need strength for that.

Should I simply sit in meditation?

Nope.

I have a better idea.

I will cultivate while brewing.

I have figured out something.

My beer has magical properties.

I have heard of powerful alchemists.

Ones that can craft pills to help people power up.

I'll do exactly that.

This is but the beginning!

Perhaps I can make one specially to counter undead?

We'll see…