What a great day, Fila thought as he ran. He shot for the moon and was now among the stars. He expected that one of the women was a Yellow at the most, considering that they managed to survive for so long in this dead nation, but a Red was the luckiest outcome possible. She could handle most of the kvesh, and more were continuously streaming through the tunnels, keeping her distracted while Fila could grab as many mana crystals as possible. He had never expected to get so many before Metamorphosis, especially as many yellows as he did.

The girl running behind him was a bit annoying to deal with, but she wasn't much of a worry. Fila turned back and snapped at one of her feet, freezing it to the floor. He glanced at the girl's face that was simultaneously shocked and enraged. Fila shrugged and continued on his way, collecting crystals. He didn't want to do more than that as he was worried that he would provoke the Red woman fighting in the distance.

"You know, in my thousands of years of life, you might be the most reckless contractee I've ever had, and I was contracted by Helix of Radula and the first Queen of Nitich at one point."

"And somehow you got nothing from them whatsoever."

A devil's contract usually involves an initial boost of power to the contractee, and the devil collects their soul at death, collecting all the mana and abilities they generated as great interest. These aren't how all contracts were made, according to the devil, but it is the one that Fila made, and yet...

"I already told you, the Queen of Nitich tricked me. She sealed me in the cave and drained me of everything I had gained for 500 years. Can you believe that, 500 years of my life stolen, all my efforts just taken like that. It's predatory is what it is. Then I had to just stay in the cave for 500 more years. And they call us the deceitful ones."

"I was 5 years old when you first offered me the contract."

"500 years is a long time to be stuck, trust me, you would've broken down too."

Fila rolled his eyes as he plucked a yellow mana crystal from another corpse. At this point he had about 10 yellow mana crystals, and 25 green crystals. One yellow crystal or 100 green crystals was enough to undergo Metamorphosis, but with more crystals he could acquire a better trait and with this he was ready.

Fila made his way towards the massive glowing, green obelisk, twisting, dodging and weaving through the kvesh. At the base of the Needle were a circle of cocoons all connected to the structure.

"That's strange," remarked the devil.

"What?"

"Kvesh don't need Poda's Needle to Metamorphosize, they are born with strengthened exoskeletons and molt their skins when they consume enough mana, bringing them to their next tier. There should not be cocoons here."

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"Maybe they like the light here. Kvesh aren't renowned to be the smartest creatures out there."

"They are pitiful creatures. They don't even realize what they are capable of. If I formed a contract with one of them, I would have the entire world under one of their thumbs in one month. They reproduce, well like bugs, they are born with exoskeletons and grow quickly. The perfect soldiers. They're kind of like monkeys, they have the thumbs but do not know how to make fire."

Fila phased him out again, knowing that if he responded, the conversation would only drag, and reached for the Needle, his heart beating so hard it felt like it might leave his chest. Finally, he would get what he was promised, and this would only be the first step. Fila would use this as a platform to become the strongest in the lands, then the skies couldn't hurt him, the *kvesh* couldn't hurt him, people couldn't hurt him, his mother couldn't hurt him like before, freedom was upon him, true freedom.

But Fila was pushed before he managed to make full contact with the Needle. He tumbled to the ground and above him was the girl from earlier.

"You little shit!" she screamed.

"How did you escape?" Fila was shocked.

The girl lifted a mangled right foot and fist before kicking him with the left.

"I got out," she said plainly. "I'm an Apis you fucker, you think you could just freeze my foot and get rid of me? I know how to suppress a bit of pain," she kicked him this time with the mangled foot. Fila was sure that he saw her wince slightly.

"The Apis Family are still alive?" Fila asked.

"Alive and kicking," the girl said, kicking him in the face this time. "And so are some of the Queen's Telsons from back in the day." She lowered his face to inches above his. "The same Telsons who have memorized all 1000... and 1 methods of torture from flaying to skiving, so you might as well tell me who you are now. I'm willing to save them the trouble." She added another kick for good measure

"Fila," he wheezed, "Fila Fall."

Her eyes opened with an initial shock, but closed in laughter. "The Telsons it is. There's no way in Poda's Blue skies that you are a Fall. The Falls are meant to be honorable, chivalrous, and kind. You are crooked, boorish, and cruel. You sent a poor old woman to her death for Poda's sake."

Fila looked to the side where the woman was ripping a *kvesh* in half, and raised an eyebrow. He got a kick for that.

"You didn't know she was a Red when you dropped her!" she cried.

"I had a suspicion she was strong enough to survive. How else does one make it this long while the skies are busy falling," Fila replied. *Perhaps, flattery is in order*, he thought. "It takes real courage to be able to survive in this cruel world. I'm sure you've suffered many, many loses, and I respect your tenacity, your drive, your prowess. You know what, I'm willing to give you one-fourth of the crystals I've collected just out of respect for you if you just let me go."

"*Too much,*" the devil said.

"You take... all of my... crystals... and only offer me... one-fourth... of your stolen... items," she kicked him with every breath. Fila took the opportunity during her last kick to push her good leg in the air, causing her to trip over her bad one. Fila stood over her, bruised and in pain and switched his glove to its fire side.

"You know, you have real anger issues, you should really work on that."

The girl pursed her lips, silent.

Before Fila could snap her from existence, the Red woman appeared in a blur between them. *Shit*, Fila thought. "Please-"

The Red woman picked him up over her left shoulder and launched the girl on her right and ran towards one of the tunnels in the Nest. Fila could only watch as the Needle disappeared from view and he entered the darkness.