The sound of footsteps echoed down the long, decrepit hallway, the faint creaks and groans of the old floors adding to the eerie atmosphere as kururin and Cillian moved cautiously forward. The air felt thick with dust, and the distant sound of dripping water made the silence even more oppressive. kururin led the way, her every step deliberate, but her senses were alert, constantly scanning for any signs of danger. Behind her, Cillian walked, his face set in a serious expression as he carefully observed the surroundings.

  As they continued deeper into the ruin, the hallway began to widen, and eventually, they reached a point where the path diverged. A fork in the road, and an unsettling choice to make. kururin stopped, gncing at Cillian, who had already come to a halt beside her, his gaze narrowing in concentration. The man's posture suggested that he wasn't just walking aimlessly, but rather, that he was very familiar with this pce—or at least, its dangers. Cillian, recalling his past life spoke, his voice low and cautious.

  "Stop, lets go left, the right stinks of corruption."

  kururin raised an eyebrow at his words. Corruption? Corruption was the main enemies that pyers or rather hunters hunt, its not like the standard beasts or monsters like goblins that can be found on other fantasy games, each corrupted individual is a unique abomination that was once a person. She could feel the subtle shiver of discomfort run down her spine at the idea of a corrupted entity just roaming on the right side of the ruins.

  "Understood." she replied, her voice steady. Without hesitation, she turned to the left, motioning for Cillian to follow.

  The two of them proceeded down the left path, but the atmosphere remained tense. Every step they took felt heavier, as if the weight of the ruin's history pressed down on them. The air was thick with the scent of decay, and the faint sounds of distant movements—whispers or footsteps—kept her on edge. kururin gnced over her shoulder at Cillian, whose attention was focused on the hallway ahead, his eyes that looks dead are scanning every detail, as though he were anticipating something.

  -Something doesn't sit right.

  kururin thought, trying to shake the unsettling feeling gnawing at her. She had been paying attention to the situation, and though Cillian seemed like an experienced guide, there was something strange about his behavior. He never lifted a finger to help her. All the work—the disarming of traps, the exploring, the navigating—had been left to her. It was beginning to feel like a one-sided partnership, with her doing all the heavy lifting while Cillian stood idly by, watching from behind. It somewhat makes sense considering this is technically still a trial for her, but still she couldn't shake the feeling away

  -Could it be!?

  The sudden thought hit her, and she froze mid-step, her eyes snapping back to Cillian. He hadn't noticed her pause as he continued forward, his cloak trailing slightly behind him as though it were caught by a draft. It wasn't the cloak that caught her attention, though. It was the way it moved, the movements feels weird like its not animated nor alive at all. She had been too distracted earlier, but now, as she took a closer look, something about him felt... off. Cillian's form was cloaked entirely, but beneath the robe, she could see no visible signs of life—everything feels robotic.

  -Wait a minute

  she thought, a realization slowly dawning on her.

  -His face is completely hidden... and his body? There's a body no sign of anything remotely alive beneath that robe..

  A chill ran through her as the truth clicked into pce.

  -This isn't a man at all. He's not human. He's a puppet!

  The very thought of it shocked her. She had seen this in the trailers powerful entities in the game—gods, fallen beings, entities with powers beyond comprehension. But to think that one of them might be hiding in pin sight as a puppet, controlling an inanimate body through mystical means, was something she hadn't expected.

  Kururin stood there, frozen for a moment as the pieces of the puzzle fell into pce.

  -The voice, the way he's never done any of the work, the fact that he always stays behind me... It all makes sense now.

  Her eyes narrowed.

  -He's not here to help me. He's here to use me. But for what?

  She couldn't help but let out a quiet, giddy ugh at the realization.

  -This is unbelievable! I seem to have stumbled upon a greater being in disguise, how fortunate!

  kururin was a bright individual. Before buying the game, she had watched and analyzed every trailer, teaser, and closed beta test footage. The premise of the game intrigued her: it was set in an industrial-age Europe, with in-game nations that mirrored real-world countries from that time period, but with added mystical and fantastical elements. What really caught her attention, however, was the game's unique approach to religion. Instead of the Catholic Church and other religions common in that era, the game featured seven divine churches, each led by a powerful deity. There were also countless smaller churches, each worshipping minor deities that weren't recognized by the main churches, which added a nice touch of originality.

  The game's central feature, Authority, stood out the most. It wasn't magic or science but something completely different. The game promised pyers complete freedom—whether they wanted to become a ruler of a nation, a god, or something else entirely. With endless possibilities, the game allowed pyers to carve their own paths, making it an exciting experience that kururin couldn't resist.

  And her suspicion right now is, this man right here is one such god, a fallen god to be exact, she concluded that the deity in question is sealed, bound or has it's divinity stripped off from it, which expins why he cant interact with the physical world and only uses puppets to communicate. She deduced that she had discovered a main story quest, or something of simir level, which answers her initial question before, she can roughly guess that the following quests will probably lean towards helping to unseal or regain the deities divinity.

  -This game is an iceberg of lore and history just waiting to be discovered..

  As a history graduate, this game gives her the tingles that she so much desire, she hasnt even gotten the chance to yap about the mention of Canute in the game, a well known king that unified the english, danish and nordic realms back in the real world, that same great ruler unified the north and apparently fought off against the giants from the north! yes giants! hehehehhehhhehehhe...

  Seeing kururin giggling creepily, Cillian became concerned.

  -Have I perhaps, attracted the attention of someone crazy?

  Cillian decided to ignore her odd outburst for the moment, focusing instead on the task at hand. The path was about to lead them into the heart of the ruin. After a few more minutes of walking, they finally reached the entrance to the boss room—a massive, weathered door that loomed before them, its surface etched with ancient symbols and runes.

  "It seems this is as far as we can go for now, I sense something sinister beyond that gate. Rest, we shall open the door and proceed after a while"

  kururin, still buzzing from her discovery, nodded. Her mind was racing, but she understood the need for caution. The upcoming encounter would require all her focus, and she had no intention of letting the excitement cloud her judgment.

  "Alright"

  They stood in silence for a moment, each lost in their thoughts, as the eerie silence of the ruin pressed in around them.