Taking on two enemies?
Doable.
Taking on three…
Nope.
My instincts screamed at me to move, and I darted toward the only option—the empty street to my right. Raising my shield, I angled it to deflect the incoming blows.
[Block successful. Mitigated amount of damage: 3, other damage halved. Suffered amount: 7]
[Block successful. Mitigated amount of damage: 3, other damage halved. Suffered amount: 7]
Each strike sent shocks of pain up my arm, but I used the momentum to propel myself forward. The sudden burst of speed almost sent me sprawling, my feet skidding awkwardly over the uneven ground as I stumbled into the street. No time to recover—I straightened up and sprinted as fast as I could.
Behind me, the grinding scrape of stone on stone reverberated through the crumbling walls. The golems were determined, their footsteps closing in as I pushed myself harder.
Finally, I reached my moment. Digging in my heels, I turned sharply, raising my hand. “Ice Dance!”
The runes flared to life as frost erupted from me, spreading out in a glittering wave. The icy sheet crept across the street, encasing everything in its path, including the three golems. They were close now—too close—two charging side by side, with the third trailing slightly behind.
“Let’s dance on the ice, then!” I shouted, planting my heels firmly to anchor myself. My whip lashed out, snapping through the frozen air with precision. It struck the more injured golem squarely on the head.
[Armor not pierced. Target lost 13HP (6/2 normal + 10 ice)]
From all that damage, my blood was already turning to ice, boosting my ice damage even further. “Take that!” As they closed in, I started backing away toward the dungeon’s center. If I can’t go there silently, let’s make some noise!
I miscalculated. Making noise was not a good idea.
At all.
A nervous glance over my shoulder confirmed my fears. At least ten of the stone soldiers had joined the chase, moving in frightening synchronization like a relentless unit. I gulped, pulse quickening.
Why am I having so many problems since I came back? I should be walking over these noobish players and mobs like they’re nothing!
In full sprint, I turned a corner—and nearly skidded into another patrol. Two more soldiers stood in my path, their glowing runes flaring as they registered my presence.
With a resigned sigh, I muttered, “You know the drill.” I gave them a half-hearted wave. It wasn’t necessary, but it kept my spirits up. Without waiting for a reaction, I bolted in the opposite direction, hearing the crunch of stone feet as they joined the growing mob behind me.
My fingers worked the runes on instinct. Salvation was in the only ace I had left off cooldown. “Chain Lightning!” I shouted, pivoting mid-run to unleash the spell.
The crackling arc surged through the air, striking the lead soldier with a blinding flash before leaping to the others. The first row stumbled, their precise movements faltering as the energy coursed through them.
[Critical hit! Target lost 32HP (16x2)]
[Critical hit! Target lost 24HP (12x2)]
[Critical hit! Target lost 18HP (9x2)]
[Critical hit! Target lost 12HP (6x2)]
[Critical hit! Target lost 6HP (3x2)]
The temporary reprieve gave me just enough time to put some distance between us, but not enough to lose them. Their steps fell back into rhythm, the sound of their pursuit echoing louder with each second.
My gaze locked on the palace building ahead, one of the few structures still standing amidst the ruins. Running aimlessly wasn’t an option—not that running was a poor plan. Absolutely not. The palace’s towering silhouette loomed over the dungeon.
That’s the plan, I thought, forcing my legs to pump harder. Get there. How I’ll save myself when I reach the place?
I grimaced as the sound of grinding stone grew closer behind me.
Well… that’s future Charlie problem.
Damn you, past Charlie! I cursed myself, breath ragged as I stumbled into what once might have been the palace gardens.
Well, gardens might’ve been generous. The area was a chaotic mix of nature reclaiming ruins—trees and shrubs forcing their way through crumbled stone and rubble. What was probably once a fountain now stood as a sad, moss-covered basin, cracked and empty, a single vine curling over its rim like a flag of surrender.
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Behind me, the relentless scrape of stone feet grew louder as my unwanted entourage poured in after me. “This is where we part ways!” I shouted over my shoulder. “Thanks for accompanying me home!”
My sarcasm hit as hard as my whip—not at all.
The golems remained unimpressed and undeterred. Ahead, the palace walls soared, its weathered facade a mix of grandeur and decay.
And, of course, the entrance was guarded by four more soldiers. Because why not? The more the merrier.
Spears whistled through the air, one embedding itself into the broken ground mere inches from my feet. I zigzagged on instinct, narrowly avoiding another that clattered harmlessly against a half-buried piece of rubble. I’d learned my lesson a few times already—don’t get skewered.
Desperately scanning my surroundings, I spotted a broken window up ahead. It was my only way in. A flicker of hope flared before reality doused it—the window was high, perched above a dead end.
I skidded near the bend, my heart pounding in my ears.
Two options.
First: keep running blindly, hope for the best, and pray I stumble across another way in. Unlikely.
Second: charge straight at the dead end, jump, and pray I could make it through that window. If I failed? The image of myself cornered with no escape flashed in my mind.
Then it’d be time for Plan D.
D as in Ice Dance last stand.
The grinding stone grew deafening.
Decision time.
----------------------------------------
In a luxurious mansion…
Lisa stretched sluggishly, the silk sheets slipping down her shoulders as the soft sound of her wake-up system filled the room. The curtains slid open just enough to let in a blazing streak of sunlight; the heat rushing in and forcing her to squint.
“Good morning, Miss Lisa,” Droid v6 intoned smoothly from its station near her bed. “Your latte is ready.”
She groaned softly, sitting up with a yawn. The rich scent of fresh coffee filled the air, and her eyes landed on the tray beside her. A steaming latte and a small bowl of what could only be described as… healthy food… awaited her.
Her hand reached for the latte first, the warm cup grounding her as she took a sip. The creamy blend nudged her groggy mind awake. She swung her legs off the bed, her bare feet sinking into the plush carpet as she stood.
“Outfit suggestions for today?” she asked lazily, ambling into her walk-in closet.
“Based on your preferences, I’ve prepared three looks,” the v6 replied, projecting holographic images into the air with pre-programmed precision.
Lisa scanned the options. “Casual Chic,” she said with a snap of her fingers, and the automated rack slid forward, presenting perfectly coordinated clothes—a blazer, trousers, and casual yet stylish shoes.
Ignoring the healthy food entirely, Lisa moved to her living room, latte in hand. She sank into her usual spot on the oversized couch, her legs curling beneath her as she scrolled through her feed, the morning sunlight filtering through the sheer curtains.
“Katherine released a new video?” she mused aloud, sipping her coffee. Her eyes flicked to the droid, but it was pacing in and out of the doorway again, stuck in the same irritating loop. “I thought Papa said he’d look into that…” she muttered under her breath, but the thought faded as she clicked on the video thumbnail, sending it into their holo-projector to view in full 3D.
It opened with a scene from Rimelion. Katherine and… Charlie? Cute as ever, standing under a spell that seemed to shield them from some monster in the background.
“Katherine, pull out a teleport scroll! Now! Marketplace!” Charlie’s commanding voice rang out.
Lisa chuckled, shaking her head. She already knew where this was going.
Katherine turned to Charlie. “No. Always meet with glory.”
“They know each other?” Lisa murmured to the droid, her brow furrowing. She glanced back at v6, still caught in its frustrating, unresponsive loop.
With a sigh, she turned back to the screen.
Katherine was amazing. Lisa found herself on the edge of her seat, completely fascinated by the video. The flames… those stunning, holy flames! They danced across the room with such fierce beauty that Lisa almost forgot to breathe.
When the video ended, a link to Riker’s Rimelion Ranking page appeared. Curious, Lisa clicked it and scrolled down to see Katherine’s rank.
“Ranked 19th?” she murmured, her jaw dropping slightly. “Woah!” Jealousy bubbled up, but not the bitter kind. More the ‘I need to congratulate her and maybe steal her secrets’ kind. She pulled up her friend's contact.
Lisa hesitated, her finger still hovering over the pressed call icon. Would Katherine even pick up? She had died at the end of the video, so maybe—
“Ahoj Lisa!” Katherine’s face lit up the projection, cheerful as ever. Lisa blinked, surprised by how quickly the call connected. “Sorry ‘bout Dmitry.”
That hit her like her instructor’s wooden ruler. “Hey, Kit!” Lisa forced a bright tone, working hard to suppress her now sour mood. “You can’t pick your fiancé, so it’s okay. You don’t have to defend that evil… boy.”
Katherine’s smile wavered, a flicker of guilt passing over her face. “Still… not cool, yar a friend.”
Lisa sighed, waving it off. “Maybe that’s why he did it. To show his superiority. Which… yeah, sadly, he is. But that’s not why I called!” She leaned forward, her excitement bubbling to the surface. “Congrats on hitting 19th place on RRR!”
Katherine’s cheeks turned pink as a shy smile spread across her face. “Charlie’s work, not moje. She called angel.”
“Angel?” Lisa’s eyes widened, and she practically slid to the edge of her seat. “She’s so cuuuute! How do you know her?”
Katherine hesitated, her smile turning a little mischievous. “KatFan69.”
Lisa froze for a moment before bursting into laughter. “Wait, wait—KatFan69 is Charlie? The super-cute Ice Princess is your mysterious strategist?”
Katherine grinned as she nodded.
Lisa laughed even harder, clutching her stomach. “Oh, that’s hilarious. She’s adorable and brilliant? Well, she helped me with enchanting, but this…”
“Charlie’s 8th,” Katherine added casually, a sly grin on her face, before ending the connection, as if it was Kathrine’s doing she was 8th.
“WHAT?!” Lisa’s yell echoed through the now-empty room. Propelled by disbelief, she hurriedly navigated to the top 10 section of the rankings. The profiles there were even more detailed.
And there she was. Charlie. Eighth place.
Alongside the data, a collection of videos was linked. One caught her attention: a real-life clip of Charlie in Riker’s tower.
Lisa stared, her jaw slackening.
That cute Charlie?
After watching it, Lisa shook her head, chuckling to herself. “Riker and his games,” she muttered. The man could turn even the smallest interaction into a battlefield of wits.
Her gaze flicked back to the list of videos. “V6, get me some chips!” she called, not wanting to move from her spot.
The droid’s usual hum of activity caught her attention, and she glanced over, expecting compliance. Instead, she found it in a frustratingly familiar loop, pacing in and out of the doorway.
“Good luck, whatever you are doing, Charlie,” she let out a sigh, and tore her gaze from Charlie’s and Katherine’s videos. “Okay, v6, let’s look at the sensor of yours…”
Back to Charlie…
----------------------------------------
It was a risk—a calculated risk—but my only shot. I bolted toward the window, spears whistling past me like deadly warnings. Hah, no way you hit me! I was in the Battle of the Northern Insurgency—eight times—because they kept postponing it in the real Rimelion and in the battle. They had hundreds of thousands, mages, and archers.
Good luck hitting me.
The memory of that chaos, of dodging fire and steel, kept my mind sharp and focused. My eyes locked onto the window ahead, mentally calculating the jump even as another spear clattered against the rubble near my feet. I visualized the exact spot to launch from, noting the handhold in the broken, weathered stone of the window frame.
Closer now.
My attention shifted to my footing, ensuring my steps were precise. The optimal place, the right foot.
No room for error.
And then I was there.
I pushed off with all the strength I had, leaping toward the crumbling frame. The world blurred for a moment, and then my hands slammed onto the edge of the window. The stone was cold and unstable, groaning under my weight as tiny fragments chipped away beneath my fingers. My grip tightened, urgency coursing through me, and I glanced back.
Damn.
Behind me, all the soldiers threw their spears as if they’d rehearsed it.
The sound of projectiles cutting through the air spurred me on, a rush of adrenaline giving me the strength to haul myself up.
My arms burned, but I didn’t dare to stop.
With one final pull, I slid into the window just as the spears struck the wall, splintering against the stone. Panting, I collapsed onto the cold, dusty floor, sweat pouring down my face.
Raiding the treasures could wait. For a moment, I just lay there, staring up at the dim, cracked ceiling. “Past me,” I whispered between breaths, “go to hell. Seriously.”