The river's roar faded into a hollow drip as Izuku dragged Edric into the skeletal remains of a collapsed tannery. Rain slashed through gaps in the roof, pooling in the grooves of rusted machinery. Edric slumped against a corroded vat, his breath shallow and rattling. The moonstone shard in Izuku's pocket pulsed faintly, its cold light reflecting in the noble's glassy eyes.
[Quest Updated: Survive the Night]
[Objective: Stabilize Edric's Condition]
[Reward: +0.03% Pain Resistance | Risk: Infection Spread +25%]
Izuku tore a strip from his already threadbare sleeve. "Hold still."
Edric flinched as Izuku pressed the fabric to his infected shoulder. "Y-You should leave me. I'm slowing you down."
"You're bait," Izuku said bluntly, tightening the makeshift bandage. "Alive, you're leverage. Dead, you're useless."
The system flickered, golden text bleeding crimson:
[Divine Offer Reissued: Bow to the Heavens]
[Regain 60% Past Strength (10 Minutes) | Cost: Surrender Edric]
Izuku ignored it, scanning the tannery. Memory: The original boy once hid here, chewing on leather scraps to stave off hunger. He'd carved a symbol into the wall—a crude sun.
Edric's voice trembled. "Do you ever… regret saving me?"
Izuku paused. "Regret's a luxury."
The moonstone shard flared as Izuku pressed it to Edric's wound. The noble screamed, back arching as blue light seared through his veins.
[Moonstone Activation: 10%]
[Edric's Infection: 80% → 65%]
[Izuku's Vitality: 0.15 → 0.10 (Overexertion Penalty)]
"Wh-What did you do?!" Edric gasped.
"Bought time," Izuku muttered, collapsing against the wall. His vision swam, the system's alerts blurring:
[Warning: Critical Vitality Threshold Reached]
[Suggestion: Consume Edric's Lifeforce – Restore 0.20 Vitality]
"No."
[Defiance Penalty: Vitality Drain -0.02/hr]
Footsteps echoed outside. Hana's voice cut through the rain. "Check the tannery. He's here."
Izuku hauled Edric into a hidden cellar, its floor littered with brittle bones and the remnants of a child's stash—a rusted locket, a dagger, a moldy journal.
[Hidden Memory Unlocked: The Tanner's Son]
[Effect: Resolve +2%]
Edric's eyes widened. "Is that… blood?"
"Old," Izuku said, pocketing the dagger. "Stay quiet."
Above, Hana's enforcers overturned vats. "Nothing! Let's move."
Hana paused. "Wait."
Her boots creaked on the cellar's trapdoor. Izuku's hand tightened on the dagger.
Memory: The Tanner's Son, starving but defiant, hiding here as slavers raided his home. "I won't bow," the boy had whispered. "I won't."
The trapdoor rattled. Izuku lunged.
The dagger's rusted edge bit into Hana's forearm as she yanked the door open. She stumbled back, shock flashing across her face. Izuku slammed the door shut, jamming the dagger through the handle.
"You're predictable, Ghost," Hana spat. "Always choosing pain over sense."
"And you're a liar," Izuku shot back. "But we already knew that."
[Combat Log: Critical Strike (Hana)]
[Pain Resistance: 0.32% → 0.35%]
Edric stared at the bloodied dagger. "You… you hurt her."
"Not enough," Izuku said, dragging him toward a sewer grate. "Move."
The storm swallowed them as they fled into the labyrinth of canals. Hana's shouts faded, but her shadow lingered in every alley. The moonstone's glow guided Izuku to a derelict chapel, its altar cracked and overgrown with weeds.
[Sanctuary Discovered: The Forgotten Shrine]
[Effect: Hostile Encounter Rate -40% (Duration: 6 Hours)]
Edric collapsed on the altar, his skin pale. "Why… keep fighting?"
Izuku placed the moonstone on the altar. Its light swirled, revealing faded murals of winged warriors striking down serpents. Heaven's judgment, etched in dust.
"Because they want me broken," Izuku said. "And I refuse to be."
The system's final offer pulsed, its golden light dimming to black:
[Heaven's Final Bargain: Kneel or Perish]
[Izuku's Response: Silence]
To Be Continued in Chapter 13 – The Altar of Defiance