SnowFlake (3)
I sprinted hard, dodging the pursuing soldiers. Fractal knew this area like the back of her hand, plunging into the tangled alleyways without a second thought. As long as I held her hand and followed, the soldiers chasing us started thinning out one by one.
"We escaped easier than I thought?"
"This is the lower-class district. The management here's a total mess—anywhere else, we couldn't pull this off."
Handcuffs were all they had for restraints, and the execution spot was just some public square. There was a reason the soldiers' quality and numbers seemed so lacking. I'd figured a fight was inevitable...
"Over here! The prisoner's heading this way—!"
No fucking way, speak of the devil! A soldier popped out right in front of the alley. But it was a dead end. No place to dodge unless we backtracked—and that wasn't an option. We'd have to barrel through.
I quickly asked Fractal, "Can you use collapse magic? Destruction Bolt or Disintegrate Ray..."
"Sorry. My mana circuits are wrecked—I can't cast any spells right now."
"What about that 'divine power' you used to cut the rope earlier?"
"That was a loophole. Can't do it again."
I bit my lip. Steeling myself, I surged ahead of Fractal. Charging straight at the soldier in the lead. In game terms, my equipment slots were empty as hell. This threadbare prisoner rag wasn't offering much defense, and my weapons were just these two fists. Meanwhile, the soldier's handaxe gleamed wickedly. His armor was just layered thick cloth, but it'd block a stab or two.
Don't chicken out. Just treat it like a game.
If the mage Fractal couldn't cast, then I—the frontliner—had to drop the enemy. That was the only way we'd both survive. Play your role. That's RPGs for you.
Whoosh! The soldier swung his axe down at my shoulder.
Thud! Right then, I slammed my foot into the frozen ground for a burst of speed. Ducking low, I tackled his waist with my full body.
"Hngh!"
Crash! An all-or-nothing body slam. Our momentum sent us both tumbling across the dirt.
"Gah!"
My eyes never left that axe in his hand. The second we collided, I desperately grabbed the handle. We rolled on the ground, locked in a tug-of-war—the one trying to wrench it free versus the one clinging for dear life.
Let go and you're dead.
Smack! His elbow smashed into my face. My nose stung, tears spinning in my eyes. My whole body already ached from the guard's beating earlier, sapping my strength. In a flash, he mounted me, pinning me down.
"Stay still, you criminal scum..."
Thwack! A brick swung out of nowhere caved in the back of his skull. No way a lowly grunt had a sturdy helmet. I grabbed Fractal's outstretched hand, gasping for breath.
Goddamn, that was rough.
"Loot the item..."
"No time! Let's go!"
I snatched the axe from his grip and bolted again. My lungs screamed for more oxygen. I was already on the verge of collapse. That shout had drawn more soldiers—hooves pounding our way again.
Could we really make it to the dungeon like this?
"This way!"
Fractal veered sharply into a narrow alley, then deeper into another. It was like the old buildings had fused into a massive maze.
Feels like thief guild territory.
"Too deep and we'll hit thief guild turf—let's stop here."
Ah, it really exists.
The soldiers didn't follow into the tight alleys, rushing past without spotting us. We caught our breath for a moment.
"Dungeon's just ahead. Guards and mages at the portal, so gear up. Just a sec..."
"Let's cut the cuffs first."
"Yeah."
I swung the axe to snap Fractal's chain, then she did mine. Leaning against the stone wall of the cramped alley—barely wide enough for one—we recovered our stamina. The winter wind had numbed my ears and jaw to the bone. Steam rose from our bodies.
Then Fractal clutched her stomach and vomited.
"Urk—."
Black blood sprayed from her mouth. I jumped.
"What... you hurt? Sick?"
"Apostasy penalty. No big deal."
"Apostasy penalty? That's not 'no big deal'!"
Dwarf Stone has eight faiths. Every character picks one, gaining powerful divine boons from their god. Your choice of god and powers defined your strength. But betray that god, and you got hit with the apostasy penalty—heaven's wrath. Each god's punishment varied, but most were life-threatening.
Which god did Fractal betray? She's following 'The Formless One' now, right...?
She wiped her mouth and pinched my cheek.
"Worried about me? Cute."
"Why apostatize...? Hell, how?"
Apostasy wasn't something you did on a whim. You had to blatantly piss off your god. That said, there were plenty of system exploits to dodge it sneakily.
"Prison and execution grounds are temples to 'The Preserved One.' His sealing power dominates there—no magic, no abilities, no other gods' boons."
"But the rope—you said that was 'The Formless One's' power?"
By her logic, it should've failed. But it didn't.
"Right. I used Prayer of Decay. You know that hidden piece? Kill 100+ monsters in one room..."
"Massacre triggers a temple to the death god 'The Formless One.' The execution ground was an overlap—crack for other powers to slip in."
"Quick on the uptake. How many hours in Dwarf Stone?"
"Around 800."
"Cute..."
I got it now. To convert faiths, you needed a temple. Fractal had switched to 'The Formless One' at that execution ground, earning apostasy from her old god.
Switching faiths counted as instant betrayal—heaven's wrath followed. Even if it was necessary for the rope, I still couldn't accept it.
"I could've done it."
I'd had no faith originally—could've prayed to 'The Formless One' and cut the rope. No need for her to take the hit.
"Newbie."
"Yeah."
"What's your goal?"
Goal?
"Beyond just surviving. Like going home, or getting rich and settling down."
I thought for a sec. My goal in this Dwarf Stone world. No time till now, but I'd have to decide eventually.
My answer was simple.
"My brother's missing. I think... he's possessed in this game too. That's why I started playing."
"Gotta find bro, then."
I nodded.
"Can't start with the wrong god and screw your build for that goal, right?"
I couldn't argue. Me, her—all possessors were roguelike players. Always making cold calls for the clear.
Minimize variables. Maximize odds.
Fractal made the roguelike-right call. Just... for my benefit, not hers.
"Let's move. Rest too long and we'll cramp up."
We stood, prepping to go. To enter the dungeon, we'd punch through the portal guards first. Not easy.
I asked her suddenly, "What about you? What's your goal?"
Wind whipped around her. She glanced back mysteriously.
"Got one now... but it's a secret!"
As Fractal said at the start, this district was the most rundown in Labyrinth City. I peeked from behind an alley corner at the portal glowing blue in the distance.
Portal to the dungeon.
Officially a Dimension Gate. No architecture expert, but it reminded me of those Greek temples from TV—tall columns encircling a pedestal with a gaping blue orb in the center. Not massively grand. More like the local shrine on the hill aunties climbed at dawn.
Still a gate, so guards stood before it. Six in total manning the portal. They'd doubled up expecting escaping prisoners. Normally just three, logging who entered or exited.
"We dash and touch the portal—even a finger?"
"Yeah. But they'll block us hard."
Not easy. Terrain was wide open, no way to the portal without clashing.
And worse news.
"One mage. That's fixed?"
"Definite."
"What school...?"
"Dunno. Portal duty means basic Teleportation at least."
One mage among them.