The soft knock on the door echoed in the silence, an almost imperceptible sound that, to Subaru, was as thunderous as a warhammer. Elsa Granhiert.
She was already here. Time had run out.
Felt and Rom had heard it too. The thief leaped to her feet, her small hand already clutching a dagger hidden in her belt.
Rom let out a low growl, his eyes flashing with protective ferocity as his hand gripped the heavy mace with terrifying ease.
"Elsa... here?" Felt whispered, his face pale. The thief's bravado faded in the face of the imminent threat.
"Yes. It's her," Subaru confirmed, his voice strained. The pain in his belly sharpened, reminding him of his own fragility. There was no time for doubt.
"We can't face her! She's too strong. Her target isn't the badge, it's the girl who's after her. She specializes in opening bellies!"
Rom clenched the mallet. "No one touches Felt."
"I know," Subaru nodded urgently. "That's why we have to go. Now! There's a back exit, right, Rom? A way out of this alley."
Rom hesitated, his ogre-like eyes weighing the situation. He knew the "Undercity Hunter"'s reputation. She wasn't an enemy to be taken lightly.
"There's an old trapdoor in the back, under the scroll shelf,"
Rom finally said, his voice raspy. "It leads to a dry sewer. It's narrow, but we could use it."
"Perfect! Felt, the badge," Subaru held out his hand, his expression pleading. "I need you to have it for now! We can't lose it. It's our bargaining chip for survival."
Felt hesitated for a second, then, with a look of determination, slipped the badge into her own pocket. She wasn't handing it over to Subaru, but at least she was keeping it safe. It was a step forward.
[Charisma Obstacle Overcome: Building Confidence in a High-Stress Situation.]
[Reward: 15 EXP, Charisma Increase: 4 -> 5.]
A smile spread across Subaru's face. It worked! Social interactions and overcoming obstacles gave EXP.
"Rom, through the trapdoor! Quickly!" Subaru urged, pushing himself toward the back of the store. The soft knocking on the door became more insistent, more authoritative.
Rom, with his astonishing strength, moved a massive wooden shelf filled with dusty objects as if it weighed nothing, revealing a rusty metal trapdoor in the floor. He opened it with a metallic creak. A musty, earthy smell wafted from the dark hole.
"Come in! I'll cover you!" Rom said, his mace raised, ready to defend the entrance if Elsa burst in.
Felt didn't wait. She slipped through the opening with the agility of a squirrel. Subaru followed, the wound on his abdomen protesting violently as he squeezed through the narrow space. He fell into a small, thankfully dry sewer.
Just as Subaru was halfway down, the shop's front door burst open with a crash.
"Oh, what a shame!" a melodious, eerie voice came from the entrance. "It seems my little mice were about to escape."
It was her. Elsa Granhiert.
Rom growled and lunged for the door, blocking the view of the sewer. "You'll never get through!"
Subaru managed to slide completely into the tunnel, landing beside Felt. The little thief helped him up.
"We have to move!" whispered Felt, already running down the tunnel. "Rom won't be able to hold her off for long!"
The sound of metal clashing with metal and a groan of pain from Rom echoed from the tent. Subaru felt a pang of guilt. He had used his knowledge to save himself, but at what cost? The original Subaru wouldn't have abandoned Rom.
But this wasn't the original Subaru. This was Hiroto, the otaku, and he had a system. And that system told him that his priority was to survive to secure the save point and then return, stronger, to save his friends.
"Come on, Felt!" Subaru panted, limping after her.
The tunnel was almost pitch black, broken only by faint halos of light filtering through the vents. The musty smell and the distant sounds of the city were his only companions.
[Agility Obstacle Overcome: Evading a Superior Enemy.]
[Reward: 20 EXP, Agility Increase: 5 -> 6.]
[Stamina Obstacle Overcome: Overcoming Physical Pain.]
[Reward: 15 EXP, Stamina Increase: 5 -> 6.]
The system flickered again. Experience was accumulating rapidly. Subaru felt a slight relief, a small burst of energy.
He could have died there, but his knowledge and quickness had allowed him to accumulate EXP and improve. This was the game.
"Where are we going?" Subaru asked, his voice choked with exertion and pain.
"I know the tunnels," Felt replied, her voice strangely calm for the situation. "We can exit near the commercial district. From there, we can try to reach Roswaal's mansion. But come on, the blood trail you're leaving is huge!"
Subaru felt the sticky heat in his abdomen. The wound was still bleeding. But now, with the system, at least he had a chance to heal, to become stronger.
He had to get to the mansion. He had to survive the night. His main mission was about to be completed.