Sera didn't argue, though doubt was evident in her eyes. She approached Prince Dain first, drawing out a coil of enchanted rope that shimmered faintly with binding magic.
This time, the prince didn't resist physically, but the fire in his eyes remained undiminished.
Kael turned toward the exit, already hearing the approach of distant footsteps echoing through stone corridors.
More guards were coming fast.
The entire fortress would be swarming with soldiers within minutes.
---
[DING!!!]
[QUEST TAB UNLOCKED]
---
Kael froze as a holographic interface materialized before his eyes, far more elaborate than any notification he'd seen before.
---
[SYSTEM QUEST: Trial of Morality]
[Quest Type: Trial Quest
Difficulty: F+
Objective: Decide the fate of the captive royals and clear the third level of the dungeon.
Option 1: Break the Chains, Break the Cycle
Action: Rescue the royals and expose the conspiracy behind the war, dismantling its foundation.
Outcome: The manufactured war may collapse, but you and your allies will become enemies of both kingdoms' leadership.
Rewards:
- Title: "Oathbreaker of Tyranny" (Increases persuasion effectiveness against corrupt leaders in Primal Adept or below)
- Skill: "Tactician's Instinct" (Boosts battle awareness and strategic planning capability)
- Item: "Shadowcloak" (Reduces enemy detection chance when infiltrating hostile zones)
Option 2: Let the War Burn
Action: Leave the royals imprisoned and manipulate the ongoing conflict to your advantage.
Outcome: The war continues unabated, but you gain significant opportunities for power growth.
Rewards:
- Title: "The Warborn" (Increases reputation among warriors and mercenary factions)
- Skill: "Master of Lies" (Enhances deception capability and information extraction)
- Item: "War Council Sigil" (Improves success rate of negotiations with faction leaders)
Option 3: Blood for Peace
Action: Execute the royals to permanently sever the war's justification, forcing both kingdoms toward negotiation.
Outcome: The conflict may shift toward peace, but at severe cost to your moral standing and public perception.
Rewards:
- Title: "The Silent Blade" (Increases assassination efficiency by 10% against targets one realm above you)
- Skill: "Merciless Resolve" (Boosts damage dealt to high-ranking enemies)
- Item: "Obsidian Knife Set" (A cursed set of five throwing knives dealing stacking poison damage)
SYSTEM WARNING: Decision must be finalized and executed within 2 hours of selection. Remember: "There is no universal justice, only the justice you create. Choose wisely."
Selection timeframe ends in: 00:59:58
---
Kael stared at the glowing interface burning before his eyes. Each word seared itself into his consciousness as the countdown timer ticked steadily downward.
"A quest," he breathed.
His first since reincarnating into this world.
Despite the chaos surrounding him, Kael felt an eerie pocket of mental silence.
He exhaled slowly, silver eyes scanning each option methodically.
The first option meant rescuing the royals and exposing the conspiracy. It was the righteous choice, the heroic path. But it would also make him a fugitive, hunted by both kingdoms' full military might within a constrained timeframe.
The second option suggested leaving them imprisoned and exploiting the war for personal gain. Power through conflict. Influence built on bloodshed. But it meant more innocent deaths, soldiers fighting for lies, civilians caught in the crossfire.
The third option was the most brutal. Execute the royals. Remove the justification for war entirely. Force peace through decisive, irreversible action. But it would stain his soul with a darkness that could never be washed away.
Kael's fingers flexed around his dagger's grip. His mind churned with contemplation, but his heart remained strangely calm.
'What do I choose? The rewards are tempting for someone at my level. But the consequences...'
"Kael."
A harsh whisper cut through his contemplation.
"We don't have time for you to space out," Mira hissed urgently.
She stood near the exit, staff held defensively as Sera finished securing the last royal. Her eyes flickered toward him, noting his strange stillness. She couldn't see the system interface, to her, he just appeared frozen.
"Kael?" she repeated, concern creeping into her voice.
He forced himself to focus, pushing the quest screen to the side of his vision without dismissing it entirely.
He had an hour to decide. But in practical terms, he had maybe five minutes before the fortress collapsed on them with overwhelming force.
The quest could wait. Right now, survival took priority.
He inhaled sharply. "Move. Now."
BANG!
The massive doors at the corridor's end exploded inward. Fire Kingdom soldiers poured through in disciplined formation, at least fifteen, maybe twenty.
Kael moved on pure combat instinct.
He lunged forward, dagger flashing in the flickering torchlight. The nearest soldier barely had time to raise his sword before Kael's blade found the gap between armor plates. A precise thrust to the throat.
Blood sprayed across stone in a crimson arc.
Mira's staff crackled with gathering energy. She thrust it forward, unleashing a concentrated bolt of lightning that forked through the corridor.
The electrical discharge arced between clustered enemies, their bodies convulsing violently before collapsing into smoking piles of scorched armor.
Sera moved with lethal precision. Her bowstring sang three times in rapid succession — thrum, thrum, thrum — and three soldiers dropped with arrows buried in neck, chest, and eye socket respectively.
But more were coming. Many more.
Kael cursed under his breath. "We can't hold this position."
Mira nodded sharply. "Do we retreat?"
Kael's eyes flicked to the bound royals. They weren't actively resisting anymore, but they weren't cooperating either. Especially Princess Elira, whose ice-blue eyes watched him with disturbing intensity, as if trying to read his intentions.
She wanted to know what he would choose.
Kael's jaw clenched. "Move! Everyone, now!"
They ran.
Stone corridors blurred past as Kael led the desperate flight. His enhanced mind calculated routes faster than his feet moved, searching for viable escape paths.
The fortress had been designed as both prison and stronghold, high walls, limited exits, intentional chokepoints. Everything meant to keep people contained.
He needed to find a weakness, fast.
Alarm bells shrieked through the corridors. Shouting voices echoed from multiple directions as reinforcements converged from all sides. The net was tightening.
Kael's teeth ground together. "We're getting boxed in."
Sera fired arrows without breaking stride, dropping soldiers who got too close to their group. Mira unleashed waves of lightning that fried torches and plunged sections of hallway into darkness, buying them precious seconds.