---
The sky over Moontoon was gray once again, veiling the sun behind ashen clouds. Amid the remains of a half-burnt scouting outpost, Ki Ran sat silently atop a stone. His Skeletons stood guard in eerie silence, while Rusdi flipped through metal sheets inscribed with Ex Machina symbols they had found earlier.
> "Too quiet," Ki Ran thought.
"After that observing monster... why is it this silent now?"
The mysterious artifact they carried pulsed faintly—as if breathing. With every pulse came a whisper… or perhaps a warning.
---
[Memory Fragment Detected]
A formless voice echoes within your mind…
> "Find the place where light cannot reach.
There, the first door shall open."
Ki Ran frowned. The whisper rang directly inside his head, disrupting his focus.
> "Am I losing my mind?"
"Or… is this part of the system?"
---
They arrived at a small cave entrance tangled in tree roots. Ki Ran raised his hand, signaling Rusdi to stay quiet. A weak creature—fox-like with two tails—hid behind a rock.
Ki Ran aimed. The Skeleton moved slowly.
A Bone Spike rose from the ground.
The creature looked at Ki Ran—its eyes held no rage. Only fear.
> "Just one strike. A bit of EXP, but worth it."
"Is this wrong?"
Ki Ran's hand trembled—not from fear.
But for the first time… he felt satisfaction.
> [EXP +14]
[Remaining EXP for Level 4: 312]
---
Later, they sat by a small campfire. Smoke drifted into the sky. For a moment, the world felt still.
Rusdi:
> "In the old world, I used to read comics. Necromancers were always villains.
Aren't you afraid of becoming one?"
Ki Ran:
> "The ones who bullied me... were humans.
Were they better than the undead?"
Rusdi:
> "...Life's not black and white, huh?
Still, don't lose yourself, Ki Ran."
Ki Ran didn't respond.
But deep inside, Rusdi's words echoed.
And that made everything… heavier.
---
That night, as they prepared to sleep, a faint crack of twigs sounded from the east.
The Skeletons were alert instantly.
Ki Ran activated [Death Sense].
But this time… he sensed no undead.
> Footsteps—steady. Heavy. Organized.
A faint circular symbol was etched into the dirt: the mark of Elves.
> "They're watching…"
"But not attacking. Why?"
---
The artifact suddenly glowed.
One of its symbols turned deep violet.
Then came a strange voice—not from the sky, not from the ground… but from the bones of Ki Ran's own Skeleton.
> "If he evolves… the threat category will change."
[Status Effect – Mental Surveillance Still Active]
> Skeleton: -10% accuracy, but now showing signs of consciousness.
> "You're starting to think, aren't you?"
"Did I… create something truly alive?"
---
The Elven faction begins to move.
Rusdi also hears the voice from the artifact.
A small hidden dungeon begins to reveal itself beneath the ruins.
Ki Ran's morality is tested when he discovers a child… from another race.
---