Dragged to Another World… and I Took the Goddess with me!

After the realization, they began making their way to Moistvile. Majestria, of course, complained nonstop, but no one paid her any attention, forcing her to follow along whether she liked it or not. Behind them, the Incubus Midwife waved goodbye to Finn, its snake-like drawl trailing in the fog.

As they moved, Finn felt way more at ease with the girls nearby. Whatever had called his name earlier had put him on edge, and having them close helped calm the lingering unease. He didn't feel like anyone was actively watching him now—but the thought of it still clung stubbornly in his mind.

Maybe he was paranoid. Maybe he was slowly losing it. Either way, dwelling on it would be a one-way ticket to a white padded room, and he wasn't ready to check in yet.

Majestria, once again perched on his shoulders, began glowing faintly, casting their path forward in a ghostly light. The fog clung thickly to the ground, swirling around their legs as if the fog itself was trying to slow them down.

Silvara had probably noticed by now that they were gone. Likely annoyed, maybe suspicious. Finn didn't care. Nothing else mattered right now. He had a job to do, and he was going to see it through—or at least figure out how to survive it.

Before long, the spindly, absurdly long bridge to Moistvile loomed through the thick fog. Its warped wooden planks creaked under their footsteps, which seemed to vanish behind them as the bridge stretched on into the mist. Finn steeled himself. The grotesque town awaited, and there was no turning back now.

***

Each step across the bridge felt like it might collapse beneath them. Finn had already survived three bridge disasters—he wasn't eager for a fourth, especially over this murky, swampy nightmare.

Majestria's glow intensified, turning her into a makeshift lighthouse in the fog. It was impressive. Finn wondered how she even managed it—and what the people of Moistvile thought about a glowing goddess guiding travelers through their silent, misty town, if they were even out.

The girls were unusually quiet, probably unnerved by the thick fog and eerie silence. Beyond the occasional creak of the bridge planks, the only sound was the swamp bubbling beneath them.

Until that silence shattered.

A sudden flurry of birdcalls erupted, the cawing of crows echoing across the fog. Finn couldn't see them clearly—only vague shadows flitting through the mist—but their frantic, panicked sounds made his stomach twist. An unusually large flock, all calling and circling somewhere above the town.

'I do not like this one bit…' Finn muttered, straining to hear where the crows moved in the fog.

Regardless, they pressed forward. Finn led the way, mostly ignoring his own unease.

Finally, they reached the entrance to Moistvile. To his surprise, the familiar hillbilly man who normally greeted visitors was nowhere in sight. That small ritual of being welcomed—or warned—by him was gone, leaving the town feeling even more unsettling.

Finn shrugged it off, blaming the fog. Maybe the man was holed up in the guild, the place most townsfolk spent their time anyway. Finn was heading there himself.

As they moved through the town, the crows' calls grew louder, echoing and shifting above the grotesque, warped buildings, their exact location hidden in the fog.

Then Finn caught something in the corner of his eye—a figure in an alley, rubbing something against a building. He turned to focus, but the figure was gone, vanishing like a ghost.

"Funk that…" Finn muttered under his breath. That had to be the same man—or maybe the mayor—responsible for the swamp, the trash, and whatever else had made this place a grotesque nightmare.

Before long, they were standing in front of the guild. Finn set Majestria down, her glow fading until she was just a regular deadweight goddess again.

He soon pushed the doors open…

***

The guild was crammed full of people—every villager in town must have squeezed inside, along with a few unfamiliar faces. The air buzzed with chatter, speculation, and nervous whispers about the thick fog smothering the swamp.

And then Finn saw them.

Elise. Ardin. Chunkus. Raze. Even Seraphina. All gathered at the counter. Ardin was leaning forward, voice raised, while Elise wore her usual expression: half-tired, half-done with life.

Finn started weaving through the press of bodies, muttering "sorry, excuse me" as he forced his way forward.

By the time he got close, he could finally catch pieces of their argument.

"What do you mean you don't know what's happening out there?!" Ardin slammed his fist onto the counter. "You work here! Shouldn't you know why the swamp looks like hell?!"

Elise didn't even flinch. She just gave him her eternal, soul-crushed stare. "Do you really think I'd know? I just work here every day with no breaks. I barely slept last night—the swamp was too noisy last night."

Ardin scowled. "And you didn't even bother checking outside? You live here, don't you?"

Elise leaned on the counter, voice dripping with exhaustion. "Yeah, but that's way too much effort. Do you have any idea how tiring it is to talk to idiots like you all day?" Her words slurred as if she might nod off mid-sentence—until her eyes flicked toward the crowd.

And landed on Finn.

Her entire demeanor changed in an instant. From weary and dead-eyed… to almost glowing. Hopeful.

"Hi, Finn! How was your adventure?"

Finn reached the counter, rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "Hah, I… uh… would rather not talk about it right now."

Ardin noticed him too—and immediately ground his teeth in irritation. He opened his mouth to snap, but Finn cut him off.

Looking at Elise, Finn's voice grew serious. "Right now… I don't think it's a good idea for you all to be here."

Her hopeful look faltered. "What do you mean?"

Finn hesitated, trying to think of the least insane way to explain. "You know how people have been dumping trash into the swamp?"

"Yes, why? What does that have to do with—"

"Yeah, about that," Finn interrupted. "From what I've seen and heard… I think the swamp's finally reacting to it. Like, the fog—it isn't normal. Something's wrong with it. Really wrong."

Elise's tired eyes narrowed slightly as she processed his words.

"…That isn't good," she said quietly.

Soon the girls caught up to him—Majestria elbowing someone out of the way so hard they slammed onto the wooden floor.

"Finn! Stop abandoning me like that!" she huffed, brushing herself off. "Do you know how irritating it is, especially with all these disgusting mortals rubbing their skin against mine?" She shivered dramatically. "It was horrible."

Then came Lickthorn, giggling perversely before collapsing face-first onto the ground—clearly aroused by how many men had been pressed against her.

And finally, Chestelle suddenly popped out of the crowd before flopping onto the floor like a turd being shot out of a somebody's you-know-where.

Finn dragged his hands down his face with a long, theatrical sigh. "Can't you guys just be normal for one second?"

Turning back to Elise, Finn's tone dropped again, more serious. "I don't know, but… I think the mayor, or someone, is doing something to the town and—"

STOMP!

The heavy clang of metal boots slammed onto a wooden table. A booming, noble voice immediately followed, silencing the guild as every head turned.

Finn whipped his head toward the noise—only to see Ardin, one foot planted on the table, the other on the bench, hands on his hips like some off-brand Saturday morning cartoon hero.

And somehow… his armor was shinier than usual.

Finn stared, deadpan. 'What the hell.'

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Ardin bellowed with pomp and flair, his voice carrying across the packed guild hall.

The villagers and adventurers all turned toward him, eyes full of admiration, their faces lighting up with hope. A small cheer rose, growing louder as if this man had descended from the heavens to save them.

"I have come to a frightening realization about this beloved town!"

The crowd gasped. Whispers spread like wildfire.

Finn raised an eyebrow, thoroughly lost on what he was about to say.

Ardin puffed his chest out. "Through my vast knowledge and keen perception, I have discovered the truth! The constant disposal of trash and filth into the swamp has birthed this unnatural fog. But fear not! For I, Ardin Lightblade, will put an end to this chaos and cleanse this town of its despair!"

The hall erupted into cheers and claps, the people chanting his name as if salvation itself stood before them.

Finn's eye twitched. 'That sack of shit! '

"And I have come to a fearful realization," Ardin boomed, voice swelling with righteous thunder, "that the mayor of this town is responsible for this fog—and he is not working alone…"

Gasps rippled through the room. Heads turned, villagers and adventures alike whispering, already trying to guess who the accomplice could be.

Finn's eye twitched. 'They seriously believe whatever this clown says!'

Ardin's face fell into a mask of sorrow and noble disappointment. He shook his head slowly, like a priest delivering tragic news. "But what I have also discovered… is that someone I know has been working with the mayor in his vile acts."

The crowd collectively gasped again, this time with a pained murmur. A few villagers even looked on the verge of tears.

'Bull. Shit.'

Then, with a sudden burst of drama, Ardin thrust out his finger like he was casting every sin of mankind onto one poor soul.

"This man—right here!" His voice cracked through the hall like a thunderbolt. "He has been working with the mayor, plotting to harm you all and destroy this town!"

He was pointing straight at Finn.

For a moment, the room was silent—then every head turned at once, a hundred pairs of eyes burning into Finn like spotlights.

Whispers broke out, fast and sharp. Until finally, one villager shouted above the noise:

"That's the same guy who tried to steal Ardin's glory before! He's been rotten since the start—let's get him!"

The crowd erupted in agreement, their anger boiling over.

"YEAH!"

"GET HIM!"

"TRAITOR!"

Finn's jaw dropped as the mob began to cheer for his blood.

"WHAT THE FUUUUUUUUCKKKKK?!"