Losses and Gains

In the midst of a village ravaged by a brutal massacre, a lone skeleton could be seen scavenging amidst the carnage. The stench of death and decay hung heavily in the air, mingling with the aura of loneliness and disgust that seemed to encompass the skeletal figure. His bony fingers clawed through the rubble, searching for any scraps of equipment that might be salvageable. But no matter how hard he tried, the feeling of emptiness and brokenness that consumed him remained.

As he rummaged through the wreckage, Siverra's thoughts turned to the mysterious Monster Crystals. What were they, really? Did he have one that would appear when he died, keeping his soul tethered to the physical realm? The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he had been in the area far too long. The sounds of fighting and chaos in the distance were growing louder, and he knew he needed to make his escape before he was discovered.

Before he could flee, however, a woman suddenly appeared before him. "Hey," she said, her voice calm and steady. "I have a few questions if that's okay." Siverra regarded her warily, wondering what she could possibly want from him in the midst of all this death and destruction. But something about her demeanor put him at ease, and he found himself nodding in agreement.

Siverra's gaze fell upon the woman standing before him, and he immediately recognized her from the cave. However, he made no attempt to reply, as he did not want to reveal his ability to speak.

The woman's voice broke the silence. "Ah, yeah. You can't talk. Well, if you can understand me, groan once for yes and twice for no, okay?" she said, trying to communicate with him.

Siverra remained silent, his face expressionless as he stared at her. The woman persisted, hoping to glean some information from him. "Do you remember anything from when you were alive?" she asked.

Once again, Siverra refused to respond, giving no indication that he had understood her. He suspected that she was trying to buy time while her cohorts arrived. He needed to act fast.

Without warning, Siverra leaped to his feet and activated his mana control, allowing him to move at breakneck speeds. With each stride, he covered an incredible amount of ground, leaving the woman behind.

Shira's heart sank as she realized that the monster she had once protected was now beyond her control. "Of course," she muttered, anger and frustration bubbling within her. "Why did I prioritize him over my job? I'm such an idiot." She berated herself for her foolishness, regretting ever seeking him out again.

Meanwhile, Siverra was back at his base, replaying the events of the night in his mind. His thoughts turned to the woman who had seemed to sense his presence - how had she known he was there? What was it about him that made him so easy to find?

As he pondered this, a golden skeleton could be seen wandering near his base, its movements purposeful and determined. "The mana signals... it leads to somewhere here. But where?" the skeleton thought to itself, scanning the area for any sign of its target.

But despite its best efforts, the skeleton was unable to locate Siverra. "I have to report back to master," it muttered in frustration. "I believe he is using some sort of cloaking device to fake his mana signals. That must be it." The skeleton turned and ran off, its mission a failure.