7. An Unwanted First Step
It's common sense.
When you move into a new neighborhood—even if it's only temporary—it's polite to greet the neighbors.
That's what the Diffodils did. We went around and introduced ourselves. One of our neighbors was an old man living alone in a surprisingly large house. People around here called him Old Neil.
He gave off a strange vibe, but he didn't seem like a bad person. That was the general opinion of the locals. Even so, we barely ever saw him. Occasionally, we'd pass each other by chance, but that was about it.
And yet... every time I caught a glimpse of him, I felt something off.
What really stood out was his odd schedule—he'd sometimes leave in the dead of night or come home just before sunrise. That's not something you expect from an elderly man.
Still, something deep inside me told me: Old Neil wasn't normal.
And today, that feeling finally made sense. The fog in my mind cleared. I remembered—
Old Neil is one of the Nighthawks.
+100 Points
Sigh...
Another theory, proven wrong.
Until now, things had followed a certain pattern. My room, my parents' names, my school, the Evernight Church—each time I encountered something significant, I'd instinctively gain the knowledge I needed. That's how I was able to "become" Chris Diffodil. Or rather, just be myself.
But this time... it didn't work like that.
If that rule still applied, I should've known who Old Neil was the moment I met him. But the recognition only came now—much later.
While I was still trying to piece things together, a group of black-clad figures arrived at Old Neil's house.
The Nighthawks.
One of them froze when he saw me, clearly startled. He quickly turned away, trying to hide his face.
That had to be Klein, I thought even though I couldn't see his face clearly, I watched as they formed an invisible barrier around the house.
In seconds, the veil covered everything. All that remained in my vision was a perfectly ordinary house.
Then, a sudden wave of drowsiness hit me.
Somehow, I knew what it was. I could picture it clearly from the descriptions in the story.
A Nightmare ability.
I stumbled onto the terrace and sank into the seat where my father usually relaxed.
The moment I closed my eyes, sleep claimed me instantly.
Then, not long after, I felt it—someone, or something, was tampering with my mind.
A presence was slipping in, invading my thoughts—my dream.
A man in his thirties with light brown hair and sharp gray eyes.
Dunn Smith.
According to the original story, he was the only Nighthawk Beyonder currently in Tingen City capable of entering someone's dream.
He silently walked through the landscape of my mind, checking things over. Then, just as quietly, he left.
They were verifying whether I'd been influenced by mysticism.
Luckily, he didn't try anything more invasive. I'd only just started learning Occlumency. At best, I could stay conscious while projecting a normal dreamscape.
I let out a long breath of relief. Everything should be fine… or so I wished.
Suddenly—I snapped awake. Panic surged through me, the cause of my sudden awakening was the excruciating pain.
A burning pain radiated from my wrist. I looked down in shock, seeing the white bracelet—the one given to me by that mysterious woman—glowing fiercely.
One of the marbles on it lit up, softened like skin, and then split open. From within, a glowing ball of light floated out, pulsing with energy.
Reflexively, I caught it.
It was beating.
The sensation in my hand was just like holding a living heart. A rhythmic pulse echoed through my palm, sending a shiver of disgust through me. I was about to toss it away—when everything blurred.
My senses dulled. My mind clouded. It felt like I was drowning in a haze of confusion, unable to focus on anything but the overwhelming presence of the glowing ball. Time seemed to slow, every second stretching into eternity as I struggled to retain control over myself.
—
Gulp.
When I came to, I felt the sensation of swallowing something, and I instantly realized—
I'd swallowed it.
That glowing, beating, disgusting thing—it was gone. I didn't need to guess what had happened.
I looked around, disoriented. I was still on the terrace, and barely a few seconds had passed. Yet, I had clearly… eaten it.
Panic surged within me as I pressed a hand to my throat, hoping—no, praying—that I could somehow retrieve it, that it was all a mistake. But deep down, I knew it was too late. Whatever that thing was, it was inside me now.
I tried to calm myself, taking shallow breaths as I stood up from the terrace. I looked down at my body, half-expecting to see some sign, some immediate consequence. Nothing. But that only made the fear grow sharper.
I didn't understand how or why. But the cause was obvious.
The bracelet.
Which meant—it was her doing. That strange woman the system had labeled as a "special being."
Why? What was her goal? What did she want with me?
Then I noticed something else.
The Nighthawks' veil around Old Neil's house had been invisible until now. But now, I could see it—a faint, flickering distortion in the air, like a ripple on the surface of water.
Thud.
I crumpled to the ground, my knees giving out.
?!!
"Ugh!" A sharp gasp escaped me as an overwhelming pain tore through my insides. It felt like my body had been shattered, then cruelly forced back into place.
'Spider Kick!!'
"W-what…?" My vision twisted, and the pain sharpened. Hallucinations flooded in.
'What did you do to me?!'
"Ggh… gha…" My mouth couldn't form words anymore.
'I did all your work, and you just played games all day!'
'Isn't that what pets are for?'
'What?! That's abuse! I demand a lawyer!'
'So you are my pet?'
'No! Wait—what did you do to me, D?!'
'Something interesting.'
Just as suddenly as they came, the voices vanished.
The pain began to subside—just a little.
??? has been consumed.
Assimilating with host…
Failure = Death likely.
Current Success Chance: 50%
Do you want to increase the chance?
[Yes / No]
The System's interface flickered into view.
Even reading the words was painful. My entire body trembled.
Yes.
It wasn't like I had any other choice.
10,000 Truth Points required.
Error: Insufficient Points.
Current Balance: 1,672
A loan is available. Would you like to take one?
[Yes / No]
"Yes!!" I shouted, hoping the system would respond faster. I didn't think I could hold on much longer.
It started explaining the loan system in detail, but I skipped everything.
Just get it done.
Success Rate: 50% → 80%
That was the last thing I saw before everything went dark.
"Ghh…"
I woke up groggy, my head pounding as though it was about to split open. It took me a few seconds to remember what had happened.
And then, it all flooded back in a rush.
My heart raced, and I immediately checked my body, terrified of what I might find.
But—everything seemed normal.
I exhaled in relief, though the fear still gnawed at me.
Click.
The door opened, and Mother rushed in.
"Chris! You're awake!" She hurried to my side and checked me over. "How do you feel? Are you in pain?"
"I'm okay, Mom. Maybe I was just tired," I said, trying to keep things calm.
"You were unconscious for three days! Don't tell me it was just tiredness!" she scolded, clearly shaken. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"I promise. Look—I'm fine." I got out of bed and stretched a bit to reassure her.
Later, I did the same for my father.
"We're scheduled to head back to Backlund tomorrow," Grandar said, concerned. "Do you want to delay the trip a bit and rest more?"
"No, let's go," I replied without hesitation. "I already miss home."
More importantly, we needed to leave this city immediately.
Running into Klein this many times? That couldn't be just coincidence anymore.