¡Whack, whack, whack!
We continued entering the cave, killing all the soldiers we found in our path. The closer we got to the center, the larger each group of troops became. However, at the same time, the battles became much easier. Not only did I have Versyl, who could act as a healer, but my stats were increasing.
¡Whack!
I'd say my stats are pretty much like when I was exploring the third floor...
[You have entered the Pilgrim's Altar.]
As soon as Versyl and I reached the center of the map, a purple fog surrounded us. «Be careful», I warned. «Something could come out at any moment».
«Okay».
We went deeper into the fog, raising our guard, which we had lowered a little after how easy it had been for us to deal with the soldiers. I took a few steps forward, shield raised to protect my upper body.
This was exactly the same place we had been fighting Dreadfear. First things first, we had to take a look to see if there was anything different. The cavern was empty, except for a monument in the center, but where the well-known statue of the wise man used to be there was another stone statue more than five meters high.
«Sr. Sandal, eso es...»
«Yeah. That must be the Witch's Altar».
We had made the right decision by heading downtown. After making sure no one was there, I approached the stone statue and examined the altar in detail. «Versyl, do you know anything about this?»
«I don't know. It's also the first time I've seen the statue, but the images of the Witch I've seen in the books didn't look like this...»
«They must have changed the books to make it look like pure evil».
«Yeah, I guess they did... So is this what the Witch really looks like?». Well, I didn't know for sure either, but at least it seemed that way. The stone statue was exactly like the girl I met after defeating Riakis. «Who was going to say it? So she was a little girl...» Versyl Gowland marveled as she extended her hand.
«Stop. Something could happen if you touch it».
«Oh! Of course!» She quickly withdrew her hand, surprised at herself. Then, in a careful tone, he asked: «...What's the plan now?».
«First we have to examine it more to decide».
We continue to inspect the stone statue, being careful not to come into direct contact with it. There were three lines of text on the pedestal, but unfortunately, the writing was impossible for us to understand.
«Ancient languages are not my strong suit...».
i sighed. However, Raven had always been good at reading ancient languages. Well, I assumed that a player couldn't be expected to have the same knowledge as a real wizard who had lived in this world his entire life. «It's a shame. It would have been helpful to know what...»
«A star, a sun, a moon». Before I could finish the sentence, an unknown voice rang out behind us. «All creatures that exist on this earth are equal when you look at them from above».
I turned to see a middle-aged man in knight's armor staring at us. Damn, I could tell he was strong just by looking at him. Was it the boss?
Don't tell me he also uses an aura?
«Isn't it disgusting? The idea that filthy monsters are just like us?». The gentleman smiled with satisfaction when he looked me in the eyes. I raised my shield, hiding Versyl behind my back. «Oh, but sure, you probably don't agree. If you had a straight moral compass in your heart, you would not have betrayed humanity in the first place».
Then he introduced himself in a way that left me speechless. «I swear by my name, Argarcil Dreadfear, the Sword of the Empire that protects this world, that I will punish every dirty pilgrim». Swearing by his name, the knight drew his sword at lightning speed, directing its tip towards us.
¡Fwooo!
An aura surged to life on the bright white blade.
...This is ridiculous. How can it be fair?
As soon as I saw his sword start to glow, I felt a chill and stiffened.
We have no chance of defeating him in normal combat.
It was clear that we would have to fight him regardless, but no matter how much my stats increased when defeating soldiers, it would be impossible for us to defeat a knight who could use an aura in this state. His sword would pierce my shield and split me in two before I could even get close.
...There must be a way.
Falling into despair when faced with an impossible situation was a waste, when I could spend that time finding a way out of the situation. How could we defeat this bastard?
There has to be a way.
Dungeon and Stone wasn't a friendly game at all, but it wasn't a completely irrational game either. Even though my skills and stats were sealed and I had sent this guy with too many powers, there had to be a way to deal with him somehow.
I just had to think things through.
I couldn't lose faith yet. I needed to weigh my options one by one.
First, Argarcil Dreadfear was definitely the boss. Which led to the next question: how were we supposed to defeat him?
Not leveling up.
Defeating soldiers increased your stats, yes, but trying to raise them to the maximum before entering the boss room would be a mistake. Once you had killed a hundred of them, you would have to kill ten soldiers, and not five, to increase your stats. At that rate, even after days and days of hunting, you still wouldn't be at a high enough level to defeat him.
So... is it the altar?
I risked taking a look at the Witch statue. Perhaps, as the soldiers said, activating the altar would trigger an event that would help us defeat it.
The question is, how do we activate it?
I carefully stepped back and approached the statue, then extended my hand and placed it on its stone surface. Unfortunately, nothing happened. There must be some kind of activation condition.
Since it's an altar, maybe I have to give it something?
«Bring the pilgrims we caught earlier», the guy pointing his sword at us suddenly shouted.
Surprisingly, someone obediently responded from beyond the fog. «Yes, Captain White». It didn't take long for dozens of soldiers to appear dragging two women tied with ropes.
«...Oh! Sir!»
«B-Bjorn! You must be here to save us...!»
So these two were caught before we even got there.
He didn't have much hope for Ainar, but he hoped that Erwen could at least arrive safely. Feeling relieved that the soldiers didn't execute them on the spot, I tried to adapt to this new variable as best I could.
...Until now, everything seems to follow an established plot line.
Although Erwen and Ainar had been captured, they ended up here in one piece, albeit as captives. I doubted it was a mere coincidence. Most likely, everyone's meeting at the Witch's Altar was a fixed point in the plot.
«…¡Ugh!»
«¡Alas!»
The knight approached the bound Ainar and Erwen and kicked them towards us. Versyl ran quickly and untied the two.
«Sorry...»
«¡Thank you for salvarm!»
erwen apologized as Ainar showed his gratitude. Unlike Versyl, they both still carried weapons and armor that I would have assumed the soldiers would have confiscated from them. Erwen had a dagger and Ainar a sword.
Why do you release them and not disarm them?
«What does this mean?»
He smiled at my question. «I just wanted to see it».
"¿What?"
«The strength of your conviction to betray not only the empire, but the entire world». He looked at each of us equally and declared: «Kill each other. Right here, in front of the Witch you follow».
I started laughing. Did this guy think he could force us to do what he wanted with a few words?
«I, Dreadfear, swear by my name that any of you who kill the other dirty pilgrims will have proven your innocence and will thus be absolved of all your sins».
The concept of this battle against the boss is terrible.
Dozens of soldiers surrounded us, and Dreadfear brandished his sword in the center of them all, an arrogant gleam in his eyes.
There was a moment of silence. Naturally, none of my colleagues seemed unfazed in the slightest by his offer.
Oh, that didn't include me, of course. «How do you expect us to believe that?».
«¿B-Bjorn?»
Ainar was taken aback by my question, but it couldn't be helped. I still hadn't finished putting my thoughts in order. I needed to buy time through the conversation.
«How to convince you, hm...». A kind smile appeared on Dreadfear's face. «Believe me».
He didn't try to sugarcoat things or make up some valid-sounding excuse. He simply demanded that we trust him. However, that was enough.
[Captain White, Dreadfear, has released Persuasion. Your perceived credibility increases significantly].
So his offer was not a lie.
«Those who escape the Witch's clutches will return alive».
To think there was a way out of this alive. This was giving me a big headache.
Of course, I wasn't worried about betrayal. Even if their offer was genuine, the members of our group would not dare to betray each other.
But the fact that he's giving us that option in the first place must mean it's a pain to fight ...
What could be? What was the way for us all to get out of here alive without sacrificing anyone?
«If you find it difficult to decide, I will make the choice easier for you». He took a step forward.
[Captain White, Dreadfear, has launched Deprivation of Property. You cannot take any action].
My body seemed to turn to stone as soon as I saw his eyes. No matter how hard I struggled to move my arms or legs, I wasn't able to move an inch.
...I guess he's not a character made to fight.
I already knew I could use an aura, but this was too much.
He slowly approached me and raised his sword, pointing it at my stomach.
Slash!
The wound was not deep. It would heal quickly with a potion, but if left, bleeding would be a problem. «Agh!» After stabbing me and ripping it off, he turned to the rest of us and did the same.
So this is what he meant when he said he would help us make a decision.
«It's your choice from now on. A painful death or possible survival. I wonder how long your conviction will last».
He seemed relaxed, as if he was sure that none of us would attack him. I could understand why.
They are bump, bump, bump.
No matter the person, when you are on the verge of death, you tend to have all kinds of thoughts. I had seen it happen many times before.
Even with Ainar and Erwen...
And what about Versyl, our newest recruit? We had made it through the Ice Rock expedition together, but could I really expect such loyalty from a player?
... Shit.
I gritted my teeth, forcibly getting rid of such doubts. The more doubts he had, the more he would be playing into his hands. Under normal circumstances I would never have had those thoughts.
...i need to think.
My body wasn't going to move for a long time, so I decided to close my eyes and focus on thinking. If you wanted to beat Dungeon and Stone, you first had to understand the game designer's intentions.
All this to foster distrust between us.
Until now, this whole conversation seemed straight out of a non-skippable cutscene. Since an almost unbeatable boss had appeared (it was practically impossible to get close to him), that meant that the way to overcome this event was not by force. In these types of searches, the results ultimately depended on the decisions the player made.
What happens if no one betrays themselves?
Would the game be over? Would we all die? Or was our goal to hold on until someone showed up to help us? Maybe until the Witch's Altar was activated?
He had no idea, and whatever choice he ended up making, he would have no way of knowing for sure if it was the right one. Well, that's why 99% of the first attempts ended in failure.
«Five minutes have passed. I've given you enough time to think things through, so I'll give you each a chance».
Suddenly, I regained full control of my body. It seemed like the first one to get up was me.
Clang.
He threw a dagger that fell at my feet. «Pick it up. Goblin poison was applied, so your friends can die without pain».
Este bastard.
When I stood still and just glared at him, he simply smiled and nodded. «I wish everyone were like you». With that, my body became motionless again.
Step step.
He walked down the line until he was in front of another person. «Pick it up». He said the same sentence but Erwen remained silent.
They are bump, bump, bump.
My heart did not calm down. What a strange reaction. I trusted Erwen one hundred percent, but deep down I couldn't help but worry.
«A person. You just have to stab one of them and you will get out of here alive, clean of your sins».
I shuddered at his comment when a sudden, intrusive image of Erwen stabbing Versyl appeared in my head...
«...Fuck you».
«Eres have malhablada».
Fortunately, Erwen's turn also passed smoothly. Then it was Ainar's turn.
«Behel-Gah!» As soon as he released the body, Ainar tried to pounce on him with a scream, but he easily kicked her to the ground and passed the next person.
Finally, it was Versyl's turn.
It's your turn, tivs.
As soon as he regained control of his body, he picked up the dagger from the ground with trembling hands. «Only one...? Me... Do I just have to stab one person...?».
Damn sea.