Krilo's Grievance

This forest seems familiar to Niva. In fact, the width of the road, a village he can see not far from here, and the hillside that leads to a chasm that he can see from the gap in the trees on the northwest, make it really clear that this is in the outskirts of the village Sari. The difference is, this is the first time Niva is standing in the outskirts at night time.

Sari village outskirts at night time are also not on the list of what they would encounter in the chart. That means two variables that occurred in his dungeon expedition had never happened.

'What are the odds of something like this happening? Almost zero?!' Niva still can't believe his circumstances.

The black thing reminds him of something. A shadowy figure that is problematic in the village. He had never seen something this strange and eerie. It feels like it's from another world.

'There is something wrong and I will find the cause.'

He thinks for a while. From the direction of Lula and Lynel, Niva's direction should be down this road. Leading to Sari Village. 'If this is not real, what kind of people will I meet inside then?'

Not long after venturing the road, a familiar silhouette is standing in front of him. A black compfreund with an owlish face, long digging claw, short stubby leg, and a dim hexagon that engraved on its abdomen.

'No, it can't be.' Niva hastens his movement. For his entire life, he never exerted 100% as much stamina. But now, something in front of him is so important that he sacrificed everything. From a member of the Lord, into a vagrant and criminal. For once Niva never complained about his circumstances. There is only truth, that he must unravel.

"Krilo!" shouts Niva.

Instead of coming to Niva, the pitch black Krilo runs away.

Niva immediately senses something wrong. However, he is approaching it. Like a predator stalking charging for its prey. He will not take his gaze from Krilo. Niva can't afford to lose him anymore.

"Stop!" commands Niva once again.

But Krilo doesn't stop and only gets faster. [The Puppeteer] does not work. Even after the contract is cast upon Krilo.

There are two explanations to this. The compfreund in front of him is not Krilo or there is a catch in to how [The Puppeteer] works. As bad as it sounds, Krilo look-alike in front of him should be writhing in pain by now. And if it is the real krilo, he will stop running by the order of [The Puppeteer].

There is something that Niva cannot comprehend yet about his newfound power. A sequence of action that is missing. A voice response? Touch? He should test it all.

'Krilo' turns right in the corner. Niva follows at the back, but the compfreund is gone. Instead, there is a strange black liquid that travels on the ground at an insane speed. It passes the opened wooden gate of the village.

There is no one. No living beings are present. There are no red painted wooden armored watchguard. There is also no shop clerk when Niva is in the village square. Only a wind howling in the dead town and dim street torches that makes the environment even more scary.

He then saw something on the stone stairs leading towards a hut. The shape and the facade of the hut is strangely familiar. It was the very first hut that they stayed in. 'A black Krilo' is sitting in front of the stair entrance, crying.

A terrifying aura permeates from his body. Even if Krilo is pitch black, the gesture that the compfreund generates is without a doubt, a crying gesture.

Niva slowly approaches the creature. One step, two steps … the Black Krilo is still crying in silence. He inspects Black Krilo from afar; the acid seems to not be taking any effects. Instead, the red scar in his left hand still remains and makes Black Krilo's hand tremble.

"I am deformed … everyone calls me an abomination … only an inconvenience to people." The pitch black Krilo mutters something. The most surprising part is that his voice is the real tenor voice of Krilo.

Niva freezes for a bit. He feels like he should respond to the strange murmurs of Black Krilo, as scary as it sounds.

"No, you are not Krilo. You are my everything and I will not abandon you." Niva threads his words carefully. There is a feeling, an indescribable feeling. Even though he just knows him, looking at the Black Krilo is enough to evoke his empathy. As if he wants to hug him, like a father and a son, like a person and his/her beloved pet.

"Why? You are running for your life because of me. Your life turned upside down for no reason. The Holy Order might stop if you kill me now." Krilo's intonation is becoming clearer. but he still does not look at Niva beside him.

"Everything happens for a reason. The Nature never disappoints those who have faith. It is a trial that She tests on us. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel. We both should have faith for that."

Initially, Niva was a moderate believer in The Church of Eternal. But his encounter with Krilo and especially the bestowance of the mysterious [The Puppeteer] made him believe it might be a way of The Nature to test his longevity.

Niva is itching to hug the compfreund but at the same time don't want to startle and make him run away again.

"But what if there is no light but instead a void as far as the eye can see." Black Krilo suddenly faces Niva. Revealing a blank expression with shining yellow eyes, just like the foe he faced earlier. His voice suddenly changes to a deep and overlapping tone.

It immediately startles him. But he must stay on his guard.

"Tell you what, I can grant you a wish." Black Krilo's facial expression sharpens. "By the power of The Void, I can make it all never happened. With it, I will throw all your hardship from the point you summoned your compfreund. You will have your family and life back."