We're Innocent, So Let's Break Out!
Agartha's words, delivered with her signature sly smile that grabbed our attention, were pretty shocking. "We're innocent, so let's commit a crime"? What's the difference between that and saying "You hit me for no reason, so I'll hit you back"?
Agartha, oblivious to my thoughts, was buzzing with excitement as she raised a finger triumphantly.
"No guards around, and this is the perfect timing."
Even the Hunter, who had looked utterly world-weary just moments ago, now seemed intrigued. She locked eyes with Agartha.
"Do you have any proof that there's no one outside?"
"I've got great ears." Agartha tapped her own ear proudly. She'd treated me like a psycho earlier for muttering to myself, but yeah, her hearing was insanely good.
"Tantun showing up threw me off a bit, but it's mealtime right now, and no guards in sight? Something's definitely gone wrong out there."
It was a bit too reliant on her senses for evidence, but having seen the prologue, I knew she was right. Outside, everyone had been massacred by a single Outer God. If anything, me ending up in a place like this was the weird part.
"Fine, let's say that's true. So, how exactly do you plan to escape?"
The Hunter twisted her wrists, fiddling with the wooden handcuffs binding her.
"Not much we can do while we're shackled like this."
"Pfft, that's easy."
With that, she started mumbling something under her breath. The Hunter and I watched curiously, wondering what she was up to—until Agartha suddenly stuck out her tongue.
"Bleh."
Is she picking a fight? The Hunter sighed and shook her head.
"...I'm an idiot for trusting you. A sly thief's words are always..."
"Ai, i-eo an bwa-yo?" (Hey, can't you see this?)
Upon closer inspection of the mumbling thief, I noticed her tongue tip curling slightly. On the pink surface, a needle about the size of a pinky finger glistened, slick with saliva.
Wait, she'd been talking normally this whole time with that in her mouth? Maybe she wasn't a thief but a human sword-swallower.
Agartha rolled the needle like a toothpick on her tongue, then flicked it onto her palm and slipped it into the keyhole of her cuffs. Twisting her joints awkwardly, she maneuvered the tip into hard-to-reach spots.
"If I jiggle it like this and lift here..."
Click!
The wooden cuffs clattered to the prison floor. Agartha wiggled her freed fingers.
"Whew, much better."
"...Impressive skills."
"What good's a thief without this?"
"Didn't you say you were innocent?"
"...Picking at every little thing isn't good for your health, Tantun."
Agartha clamped a hand over my mouth with her free hand, flashing a mischievous grin.
"Enough fooling around. Hurry up and free me."
Agartha stood and approached the Hunter—or so it seemed—before stopping short with a playful smile.
"Hmm, you're right."
"What're you doing?"
"If I don't free you, you'll be stuck here forever, right, Hunter?"
The Hunter's face darkened at the thief's sudden weird turn. Okay, so it's following the original script. Early on, the thief pulls this stunt on the player, prompting the line "Get lost, I don't need your crazy help." The thief bails first, the Hunter escapes somehow, and the game starts. That's when Agartha dies—no death scene, just "a cold corpse" mentioned during item scavenging.
"Why say something so obvious like it's a big revelation?"
"Is that how you talk to someone freeing you? Try being a little more polite."
What would the Hunter say? This was the original protagonist's personality talking.
"Got time for games, huh? Just free me already."
"Nuh-uh. I'm a good thief who only listens to good kids."
The word "kid" hit a nerve—her body twitched visibly. It sucked when it happened to me, but watching from the sidelines? Hilarious.
"Lowborn trash always acts the part."
"Aww, no good. Bad kids belong right here."
Agartha turned and started toward me. The Hunter closed her eyes, sighed, and muttered,
"Just get lost. I don't need your psycho touch for some shitty favor."
Yup, canon line. The Hunter's personality meshed with mine a bit. Wait—this isn't the time to fangirl. Leaving her behind means I die with the thief!
Agartha sauntered over slowly.
"Alright, Tantun, time to free you."
"Ah, thanks."
"That's +1 gratitude point for today. See? I'm a good thief."
She smirked at the Hunter.
"Not freeing you, Hunter."
She must've been pissed from the earlier "you stink" comment. No such line in the original, so she was extra snippy.
The Hunter said nothing—probably confident she could escape solo.
"Beg nicely even now, and I might... Tantun?"
I ignored Agartha and headed straight for the Hunter. Not out of kindness—I needed to tail her to survive! My life comes first!
"Hunter."
"..."
"What're you doing? Get up already."
She didn't seem sulky—just deep in thought, already writing us off as dead weight.
No, you maniac! Sure, Agartha was fated to die, but not me! This path led to two cold corpses next to the thief. Time for tough love.
Even as a noob who'd only played the early game, I'd picked up community lore. Time to use original knowledge.
I grabbed the brooding Hunter's shoulder and whispered,
"If you ditch me, you won't beat the Outer God here."
"What?"
Her pupils dilated. Before she could demand a source, I whispered to shut her up,
"Cool off, and I'll help."
Her eyes still shaky with shock, I figured she'd stay like that. So I grabbed her shoulders and shook her back and forth.
Caught off guard, she let out a weird "Urp!" as her body flopped like a puppet. Only then did she glare at me like I was dead meat.
"What the hell was that?"
Still murderous, but way softer than before. The Outer God line had landed.
"Why sulk alone? Agartha was just messing around."
I glanced at Agartha, who mouthed "I was serious..." I raised an arm like I was gonna smack her, and she forced an awkward laugh.
The Hunter eyed us both, then sighed.
"Who said I was sulking over that childish crap?"
You did. My inner voice stayed silent.
"Anyway, whatever. It'll be tough solo. For my sake at least, yeah?"
She met my eyes for a few seconds, then quietly stood.
Suddenly, a cracking sound echoed. With a snap, her hands were free.
"...Huh?"
Agartha stared in genuine shock, pupils shrinking.
The Hunter ignored her, rolling her shoulders casually.
"Don't act all buddy-buddy after knowing me five minutes."
Her eyes half-closed, but it was clearly aimed at me.
"They say even brushing sleeves in this life means deep ties in the last."
I recited some old saying. She brushed it off like trash.
What a brat. If she weren't a top-tier powerhouse, I'd have flicked her forehead.
She brushed past me to the cell door and gripped the handle.
"So, what's the plan?"
"Huh?"
Agartha blinked blankly at the sudden question. The Hunter snorted.
"You didn't just brag without a plan, right?"
"Ahh! Of course I have one! I'm not that thoughtless."
Agartha rushed to the door, jamming the needle into the lock and jiggling it.
"Why'd you sit tight if you could've left alone?"
"What's it to you?"
"Sheesh, so prickly. Fine, let's go?"
Why stay? You almost got yourself killed, Agartha. No way she'd know I'd saved her ass.
I sighed involuntarily. At least her sharp edges from before were gone—she was now backseat-driving Agartha's lockpicking.
"Some thief, struggling with a lock."
"Hey! You couldn't even do it! It's old and stiff!"
"Excuses galore."
"Should I stop?"
"Then smash it."
"We'd get caught!"
Agartha, suddenly the voice of reason, bickered with the Hunter while fiddling frantically. Watching them, I felt it: crisis averted.
But was it okay to derail the story like this? Screw it. I was about to die—story changes were the least of my worries.
The door creaked open as Agartha called,
"Tantun, quit spacing out!"
"Coming."
It'll work out somehow, right?