Forgotten Path

"You... have waited for me?" Nash looked confused when he heard what the skeleton just said and raised a brow.

"Yes, I did." the skeleton gave a scarce nod as a response and turned around before walking away with the same slow but firm steps it has walked with a few moments ago.

"W-Wait! Where are you going?" Nash extended his hand toward the skeleton almost as if he wanted to grab his shoulder, but realizing it was not a great idea he halted in mid-air and let his hand remain frozen there.

The skeleton, however, just simply continued to walk forward without stopping in its track and said, "Follow me. Your trial will begin soon."

"Trial? What trial?" Nash asked with a puzzled face, but as he got no answer to his question and neither did he plan to remain where he was alone, he cursed quietly under his breath and followed the skeleton hurriedly.

"Where are taking me and what kind of trial did you just talk about? Also, you have still yet to answer my previous questions about this place." after walking through a vast grass field then a dense forest in complete silence, Nash couldn't contain his curiosity inside any longer as questions one after another flooded out of his mouth like water from a broken tap.

Of course, it was somewhat understandable, as currently, the only one that can give answers to his seemingly annoying questions was the emerald skeleton in front of him, who acted all so mysterious ever since the first moment they met.

And as Nash thought, just like how he failed to get any response during his first time, he failed to get one this time too as the only thing the skeleton did was to turn his head toward him before shifting his attention back on the road on the front once again and proceeding walking in silence.

"So I'm invisible to you at this point? Ok, that's cool, understandable." Nash shrugged casually as if he didn't care being ignored, but after another hour of walking without talking and getting any answers to his questions, his face became slightly annoyed and his eyes narrowed scarcely.

"I never knew this before, but now I slowly get to realize that I indeed hate being ignored. Maybe I should throw a brick in your face, huh?"

And to his great surprise, just as he said those words the skeleton in front of him finally decided to halt its steps and turn around to look at him while crossing its seemingly fragile arms before its rib bones.

"So you do wish to die just to know what this place is?"

"Yes... Wait, what? No! Why would I want to die for a little bit of more knowledge?" Nash nodded before he quickly shook his head once he understood what the skeleton just said to him.

Although he wished to know what this place truly was and how he could get out of here as many lived depended on him outside this Forgotten Lands, he did not plan to leave the living behind and die here, sith he just began his journey on his new life a little more than just a month ago!

The skeleton seemed obvious about Nash's thoughts, hence shaking its apparently hollow skull gently it turned back around and once it began to walk again, said, "Then keep your pointless questions for yourself and follow me. We don't have much time to waste. We need to reach the Forgotten City as soon as possible or you will die."

'And another thing to raise many other questions, cool...' Nash's mouth twitched with slight annoyance as he thought about this in his heart, but just as he was about to follow the skeleton he saw it suddenly halt its steps once again and turn toward him.

"W-What?" Nash asked with hesitation once he felt the sudden change of atmosphere around him, even feeling as his back began to sweat profusely almost as if he was in great crisis.

The skeleton remained silent for a few seconds before it said calmly, but its voice held coldness that almost felt freezingly real, "Nothing, just make sure you don't act rashly or don't blame me for being rough on you."

"Huh?" Nash seemed to be confused for a split second before the sudden realization hit him like a truck and fast nodded his head after swallowing hard.

'It seems I got a little bit comfortable and got carried away. Next time I need to be more careful.' taking a serious note in his heart after understanding his mistake, Nash apologized to the skeleton quietly, and without asking or saying anything else he followed it in silence.

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The wind blew the leaves on the thick and tall trees and the strands of grasses that reached up approximately a foot from the ground, while two figures, one emerald skeleton, and one human boy walked next to each other seemingly in silence.

Neither of the two talked nor tried to speak but simply walked forth with steps that were both calm and firm that showed just how confident they were in themselves.

Nash and the skeleton walked about three days and nights without any rest, but even after such a long time which would make any normal living human fall onto the ground and crawl because of physical exhaustion or thirst, Nash felt no change in his body at all and felt just as energetic as ever before.

He didn't even feel the slightest sign of hunger despite eating nothing for three whole days straight, which made him wonder deeply if it was because of what the skeleton have just told him and he was currently in a form of a soul, hence it was understandable why things such as hunger and thirst didn't apply to the current him.

However, the most shocking and at the same time confusing thing about his current condition was not this, but the fact that they didn't even encounter any beasts on their way much less attacked by one!

At first, he thought it was because of the skeleton's aura which was on the Warmaster Rank, but after considering several things about this matter for a while longer, he realized it was not completely right to assume it was thanks to the skeleton.

Logically speaking, beasts below the Warmaster Rank won't dare to approach them because of the skeleton, but after seeing that there were not even the slightest trace that beasts are lurking around them or at least were around before running far away in fear of getting killed by the skeleton, Nash realized that there were more to this than met the eye!

As Nash tried to figure out why there were no beasts around, suddenly he noticed as the skeleton on his side stopped walking and remained motionless, while its hollow eye sockets gazed at the white staircase in front of it that led the way toward the massive green mountain's peak that vanished among the white clouds above the blue sky.

"We have arrived. Now it is time for you to ascend and complete your trial." the skeleton said calmly as he took a step to the side and sat down, clearly indicating that Nash will climb the stairs all alone without it following him.

"Huh? The trial is up there?" Nash's eyes widened as he looked at the staircase and followed its route until he could not see it any longer as it disappeared among the clouds above.

'Like a fierce dragon curling and twisting around an eternal mountain...' was what popped up in Nash's mind as the scenery in front of him gave exactly an image such as that.

"The trial is not up there, it is already before your eyes." the skeleton responded calmly and added, "Now go and ascend the Forgotten Path to complete your trial once and for all."