The sewer tunnel reeked of decay, its walls slick with algae. Izuku dragged Edric deeper into the shadows, the boy's labored breaths echoing like a death rattle. Behind them, Hana's voice cut through the gloom, cold and precise.
"You're wasting time, Izuku. The Black Lotus will flay that noble alive. But you? I can make it quick."
The system's golden text erupted in Izuku's vision, brighter and more urgent than ever:
[Divine Intervention Offered]
[Option 1: Bow to the Heavens]
— Accept their mercy. Regain 50% of your past strength (temporary).
— Cost: Submit to divine judgment.
[Option 2: Bow to Hana]
— Surrender the noble. Guarantee your survival.
— Cost: Edric's death.
Izuku's jaw tightened. Memory: The Heavenly Chains searing his soul. "Kneel, and your suffering ends."
"No."
[Option Selected: Defiance]
[Penalty: Pain Sensitivity +20% (Temporary)]
[New Debuff: Heaven's Ire – Hostile encounters +30%]
Edric clutched his bleeding shoulder. "W-What do we do?"
Izuku scooped a handful of rancid mud and crushed sewer grit. "Run."
Hana rounded the corner, flanked by two enforcers. "Last chance, Ghost."
Izuku hurled the mud. It struck Hana's eyes, blinding her. "NOW!"
He shoved Edric toward a rusted grate. The noble squeezed through, sobbing. Izuku followed, his malnourished frame scraping against jagged metal.
[Injury: Lacerated Back (Bleeding)]
[Pain Resistance: 0.25% → 0.27%]
They emerged into a storm gutter, the sky weeping icy rain. Izuku hauled Edric into a runoff channel, their boots slipping on moss-coated stone.
"T-They'll find us!" Edric whimpered.
"Quiet." Izuku pressed a hand over the noble's mouth.
Hana's voice echoed above. "Check the tunnels! He's dragging the brat somewhere fragile."
The gutter narrowed into a forgotten aqueduct, its walls etched with the graffiti of dead slum children. Izuku's stolen memories guided him—the original boy had hidden here once, starving and alone. A crevice behind a collapsed pillar, just wide enough for two.
[Hidden Location: The Drowned Vein]
[Effect: Detection Risk -50% (Duration: 1 hour)]
Edric trembled, his fine clothes soaked in filth. "Why… Why did you save me?"
Izuku didn't answer. The system flickered again, relentless:
[Reminder: Divine Offer Expires in 10 Minutes]
[Bow to the Heavens – Regain Strength]
[Bow to Hana – Guarantee Survival]
"You're a fool," Edric whispered. "Take the deal. Let me die."
Izuku's golden eyes—dulled to a feverish amber—locked onto the noble. "You don't get to die. Not yet."
Above, boots splashed through runoff. Hana's voice was calm, tactical. "He'll head for the river. Cut him off at the old mill."
Izuku's mind raced. The river. The original boy had drowned there once, his body washing ashore three days later. But now, the aqueduct's current roared with winter rain.
"We swim," Izuku said.
Edric paled. "I can't—"
Izuku shoved him into the torrent.
The river was a fanged beast. Edric flailed, swallowed by the rapids. Izuku dove after him, the cold stealing his breath. His frail body fought the current, every stroke a battle.
[Vitality: 0.20 → 0.15 (Hypothermia Penalty)]
Ahead, a branch snagged Edric's coat. Izuku grabbed it, hauling them both onto a debris-choked shore.
[Quest Complete: Survive the Traitor]
[Reward: +0.05% Pain Resistance]
[Pain Resistance: 0.27% → 0.32%]
Hana's enforcers shouted in the distance, their torches flickering like dying stars.
Edric vomited river water, his voice raw. "Why… keep saving me?"
Izuku stared at the moonstone shard glowing faintly in his pocket. "Because they want you dead. That's reason enough."
The system's final message pulsed, its golden light dimming:
[Divine Offer Expired]
[Heaven's Ire: Permanent Hostility Locked]
Izuku smirked. Let the heavens rage. Let Hana hunt.
He'd burn the world before he bowed.
To Be Continued in Chapter 12 – The River's Teeth