An icy wind blows through the small, barred window of the interrogation room threatening to put out the only torch illuminating the small cramped space. The sound of dripping water patters to the ground in uneven drops as the icicle that had formed under the torch's sconce hours ago melted from the heat of the flame. It was an almost defiant sound as the water refused to return to it's icy prison. It was this battle of the elements that seemed to add to the tension of the small room. Across the table from you were a pair of guards clad in plate and chain mail. One of the two bore a full helm that he never removed. Part of you wondered why. With the temperatures so cold, it must have been incredibly uncomfortable to wear ice cold metal over their head. Or perhaps the helmet was slightly stuffy as most of the man's breath would be contained within the helmet thus keeping it warm.

The sound of something slamming into the table pulls you away from your thoughts. "I'm telling you. We know as much as you do!" Irene shouts as she glares daggers at the two men in front of you. The two of you had been in detainment for about an hour or so after the fight. The guard directly in front of you, a rather serious man who was clearly at the end of his patience speaks up once more.

"And we're telling you that it makes no sense that two foreigners, who just recently arrived, immediately find signs of heresy in our city. So we can only assume that you might have had something to do with this." He says, his arms crossed and hands tugging irritably at one of his sleeves. Irene throws her hands up in the air.

"What more do you want us to say? That we're here to kill the High Priest? Maybe burn the whole city of Valford and it's surrounding towns to the ground?!" Irene shouts back. "We've told you already! We're just travelers!"

"You'd do well to keep your servant in check, sir. Her outbursts look poorly on your house." The guard grunts out through gritted teeth.

"I'm not his servant! I'm his teammate! He's not even a noble!" Irene continues to shout. The two of them had been arguing in circles for quite some time and it seemed that the only thing you and the other guard had in common was that neither of you seemed to have the opening to speak up. Part of you found it very amusing and another part of you found it rather fascinating. Irene was never like this outside of the game. She was always far more calm and collected. As a matter of fact, you don't think you'd ever seen her angry at work.

"I'm getting nowhere with you. Clearly you have some kind of predisposition to subvert the truth!" The guard finally snaps and shouts back. He jabs a finger at the table as if demanding order like some kind of judge. "I recommend that you speak truthfully good sir as I've rather lost my patience with the two of you and your games. For starters, you could actually give us the name of you and your house, maybe how you're able to shapeshift. "

>What do you say?
>Stick with the name you gave him from the start. The Traveler.
>Give him your real name. John Doe.
>Say your in game name. Regal_20.
>Side step his question. Say you'll tell him what you're doing here in exchange for information regarding the heretics and dragons. (What do you want to know?)
>Write in.

>>6274857
>Stick with the name you gave him from the start. The Traveler.
We’re back.

>>6274857
>Say your in game name. Regal_20.

>>6274857
>Stick with the name you gave him from the start. The Traveler.
say that we saw this sus guy in the bar and that he seemed to recognize us because he suddenly started running
we suspect he was a spy, possibly one of many
he could have been working for the same group or individual behind the wyvern attack on the airship
offer them our help

>>6274857
>Stick with the name you gave him from the start. The Traveler.

>>6274857
>Say your in game name. Regal_20.

>>6274857
>Give him your real name. John Doe.
Normally I'd vote to stick with Traveler but this is funnier.

>>6274857
>Say your in game name. Regal_20.
I feel like John Doe would be the more classic manhwa answer, so let's do a little different.

Have they not yet found out that MC stopped the last dragon attack?

>>6274857
>Stick with the name you gave him from the start. The Traveler.

>>6274863
>>6274878
>>6274885
>>6275297
We have a code name and we're sticking to it.

>>6274952
They have not. The story is being circulated by players but it's only been a few hours since then. Compounding the fact is that your pseudonym is The Traveler which is easily confused for "a traveler" so the original tale is told with you and your name as the hero/leader but subsequent tales get a bit muddled and sometimes just substitute you for a generic traveler. Not someone who goes by the moniker. On the plus side, no one is finding out you were the God of Battle or the one who got server first.

You hold your hands up in a gesture of peace. "As my companion has mentioned. I just go as The Traveler. Like it or not, I don't have a name anymore." The helmetless guard's eyes bulge and for a moment you fear that they'd simply pop out of his skull. You make a placating gesture and quickly add, "However, it's like we said. We arrived here on a whim after hearing that this place is famous for it's technology and mixture of magic. Unfortunately, what captivated our attention was not what your city offered but what it suffered from. On my flight here my airship was raided by wyverns, some bearing actual riders. If it wasn't for the fact I was flying with actual adventurers then I'd probably have been dead." The guard in front of you stares at you but glances at his partner. The silent man's helmet tilts ever so slightly in what you estimate to be a nod. With the guard placated for the moment you continue, "It was because of this we became curious of what was going on in the city. We've never heard of anything about dragons or heretics before. But it was getting late and we decided to take shelter from the cold. At the tavern we were in, we noticed a suspicious person. Before we could call the guards or tell anyone, he noticed us and proceeded to run so we went after him. After that, he transformed and we only defended ourselves. I don't think there's anything suspicious about that." You conclude.

"See? It's like we told you before. We haven't done anything!" Irene argues, folding her arms tightly across her chest. The two guards look at each other for a moment making it the most movement you'd seen from the silent one. The silent guard leans down and seems to whisper something to his partner. As if in defiance, Irene does the same. "Think they believe us?" She whispers.

"I think they're getting it. We're being pretty persistent with our story and it's not like we changed anything up." You whisper back. "I think they're gonna have to come to terms with the fact we're telling the truth."

"That or they'll just throw us in jail." Irene mumbles as she goes back to sit up straight. Another cold breeze blows through the small room and the torch flickers menacingly. Eventually, your two counterparts seem to come to a conclusion and you speak up once more.

"It it means anything. We are willing offer our help. We have...umm...experience with a few things due to our travels." You say. It was rather difficult to keep up the facade of not being an adventurer while offering to help with things that is usually taken up by adventurers. Still, you couldn't deny that it was very funny to see how people reacted. The guard before you rubs his temples. It was clear that this was not what he had in mind for his shift today.

He stands up, "I need to get in contact with my superiors..." He half mutters half grunts and he walks out. You and Irene sit there a bit awkwardly whilst the remaining guard remains as immobile as ever. Eventually, restlessness begins to settle in and you start to idly tap on the table. Irene quietly traces shapes on the table using the water that was dripping from the bottom of the torch. Just as your boredom starts to reach it's highest point, a loud noise reverberates throughout the hallway outside. Too far to tell what it source was, you can only confirm that it was not something to take comfort in when it sounds out once more, slightly louder, and a clear roar echos throughout the halls. Instinct and years of playing kick in as you and Irene immediately get to your feet and with weapons drawn if you had any on hand. Only a split second later, the silent guard also gets to his feet with a mace and shield in hand. You hear the noise once more only this time it was far clearer. The sound of something being forcibly broken or perhaps an explosion of some kind.

"I don't have my weapon!" Irene says as another explosion rings out. By now you can hear the shouts of guards and other prisoners running around. The door rattles as someone attempts to open it but when it fails to open, you hear something being slammed against it in an attempt to break it down.

>What do you do?
>Take a step back and let the guard take point. Right now you need to focus on getting Irene a weapon.
>Throw the door open and take whoever is behind it by surprise.
>Take point and wait for the door to be broken down then attack. Escaping is your priority.
>Write in.

>>6275376
>Take a step back and let the guard take point. Right now you need to focus on getting Irene a weapon.

>>6275376
>Take a step back and let the guard take point. Right now you need to focus on getting Irene a weapon.

>>6275376
>Take a step back and let the guard take point. Right now you need to focus on getting Irene a weapon.

>>6275376
>Take a step back and let the guard take point. Right now you need to focus on getting Irene a weapon.
So I guess the cost is for the town to bother with

>>6275376
>Throw the door open and take whoever is behind it by surprise.
*Sigh*, we'll do the heroic thing, I guess

>>6275376
>Take point and wait for the door to be broken down then attack. Escaping is your priority.

>>6275413
>>6275434
>>6275442
>>6275516
Sorry about no updates yesterday, work had me beat. We'll let the guard tank for us. Writing.

You shift to the side and let the guard take the front. "Where do you have our weapons?" You ask. For the first time all night the man speaks up.

"Guard quarters. End of hall." He says, his voice measured and brief. The door rattles once more as something strikes it with more force that bare hands could muster. Another strike hits it and you can hear the wood crack from the impact.. Once more and the guard raises his shield higher as the hinges rattle and become loose. A third time and you see something pierce through the center of the door, glinting in the torchlight. The sound of cruel laughter slips between the missing chunk of door and you see the head of a hand axe embed itself into it. With a shout the guard rushes forward, shield up and mace at the ready, and slams into the door. The weakened door breaks apart on impact sending whoever was behind it flying. You rush forward just in time to see the guard block a sword with his shield. He sidesteps, allowing the sword to slip harmlessly off his shield and building momentum to swing his mace right into the attacker's side. There's a sickening crunch and the man falls to ground clutching his side. Another inmate rushes forward with a dagger in his hand in hopes of scoring a surprise hit.

"Stick close!" You shout to Irene as you step forward to parry the attack at the wrist. The drive your fist into the inmate's gut, knocking the wind out of him, and following up by a straight kick to the chest. The blow sends him flying backwards a few feet and allows another to take his place. You pull Irene between you and the guard.

"We got a live one boys!" One of the inmates shouts. "An a pretty one too."

"We have to start working towards the guard station. If we hold our ground we'll just get swarmed." You say, ducking under a swipe and punching your assailant twice in the face. You think you hear the guard make a noise of approval but it's difficult to hear over the din of the shouting. Even so, he begins to move towards the end of the hall. You half walk, half hop backwards as you stay on your toes and move along with the group. Another inmate goes down under the impact of the guard's mace and you fend off one who attempts to grab Irene though not before she breaks his nose with a single punch. Inch by Inch, you fight your way towards your destination.

"Where the hell are the other guards?!" Irene screams over the fighting.

"Upper or lower floors." The guard says. "Sounds like fighting there." You focus on listening and you think you can faintly hear the sounds of footsteps coming down from the stairwell. You're quite surprised the man can hear anything properly from under that helmet. Irene opens her mouth to say something else but a loud roar reverberates through the hallway. From the opposite end of the hallway you see a large scaled mass. It's jaw hangs in an odd angle and it walks with a strange gait as if it were limping. It punches down a doorway, releasing the prisoners within, with the same explosive sound you heard moments earlier before it turns and seems to notice your group. It lets out another unholy roar and begins to rush down the hallway. Any inmates who didn't immediately move out of the way are crushed underneath or thrown into a nearby wall with similar results.

"It's that thing from before!" Irene shouts.

>What do you do?
>Run. Forgo all defenses and make your way upstairs. You're not sure if you can fight that thing in such cramped quarters.
>Fight your way to the guard station. You might be able to barricade yourself in there long enough to gather some supplies and gear.
>Stand your ground. With that thing chasing you, you won't be safe until it's put down.
>Send the Guard and Irene forward. You'll stay behind and hold the line to buy them time.
>Write in.

>>6276371
>>Send the Guard and Irene forward. You'll stay behind and hold the line to buy them time.
let's see if he still feels like boiling himself

>>6276371
>Send the Guard and Irene forward. You'll stay behind and hold the line to buy them time.

>>6276371
>Send the Guard and Irene forward. You'll stay behind and hold the line to buy them time.

>>6276371
>Fight your way to the guard station. You might be able to barricade yourself in there long enough to gather some supplies and gear.

>>6276371
>Send the Guard and Irene forward. You'll stay behind and hold the line to buy them time.

>>6276374
>>6276378
>>6276384
>>6276535
1v1 rematch. Let's do this. Writing.

"Irene, go with guard and get armed, get reinforcements. I'll hang back and hold these guys down." You say. Irene gives you a look.

"Are you crazy! There's like a hundred other guys here along with that thing! We should fall back. Regroup with the other guards and work our way back down." She argues. You shake your head.

"If that thing is on the loose that it'll whittle us down before we can form a unit. At least against normal prisoners, you and the other guards can group up to make a sizable group. Otherwise, we're just trickling in. Doesn't work well in mobas or here." You insist. "Worst case scenario, you'll have to find other adventurers while the guards hold the line." Irene chews her lower lip.

"Damn it, you're right. Hopefully we can find some healers." She relents. "Does the guard have any clerics?" She asks. The guard nods.

"Yes." He says simply. "Come on." The two of them turn their backs to you and you to them. You take a deep breath to center yourself and you dash forward on exhale. Leaping into the thick of things, you kick an inmate in the back of the head, swing your leg around to strike at another's knee, and shove them back into a empty cell. The scaled beast lumbers towards you and one of the inmates charges it.

"Die heretic scum!" They shout but his dagger bounces uselessly off it's scales. The monster grabs him by the leg and quickly slams him into the stone floor just like he did to you. The impact snaps the man's head and he dies instantly. His limp body is tossed aside and the monster continues onwards. You didn't have any knowledge of taming beasts, nor were you as good as reading people as Irene but you could see hate in it's eyes. Whatever intelligence was left in the monster's mind was enough for it to remember and to hold a grudge. You raise your hands and get ready for a fight but another inmate leaps on your back! He shouts something unintelligible and tries to bring an ax down on your head. You just barely catch his wrist and throw him over your shoulder. The distraction is enough and the back of the monster's hand connects. You're flung back and sent rolling on the ground. Adrenaline rushes through you allowing you to catch the foot of someone attempting to stomp your head in. You pull, twisting the ankle, and causing them to slam their head into the corner of an entrance to a cell.

The monster's fist misses you as you instinctively roll to keep on the move. Bits of brick hit scratch at the side of your face but you manage to avoid any real damage. You throw yourself forward, driving your fist into the beast's hip as hard as you can. It felt like striking stone but more of it's scales crack from the impact. You stay close, using it's elongated arms against him and not giving it a chance to get a good grip on you. The hallway made it difficult for the two of you to move around. There wasn't enough space for you to dart around it like you did before without getting into it's range but the narrowness also prevented the monster from swinging it's arms around like flails.

You say on your toes, waiting. You knew what it could do. If it chose to breath fire down the hall, you're not sure if you'd be able to get away at this distance. You glance over your shoulder for a moment. Irene and the guard were still making their way down the hall adding to the list of targets the fire could hit. Even if you could direct it up or down, you'd still get some of the brunt of it. Worse yet, it might cause the floor or ceiling to destabilize, collapsing them. Still, you couldn't just stand there and do nothing. You needed some kind of plan. A few more inmates begin approaching you as well, hoping to take advantage of the fight. Were they allied with the monster? You don't recall it avoiding friendly fire unless releasing it's allies was a side effect to it's rampage.

>What do you do?
>Try and force your way past the beast. If you can get on the other side, it'll at least be facing away from Irene and the Guard.
>Have the monster use it's breath attack and aim it to cause a collapse. It could lead a lot of damage. The only issue is the matter of you surviving it.
>Continue to stand your ground. You just need to buy time. Not win. If you die, you'll have to run back but hopefully enough of a defensive line can be built to hold the tide for you to return.
>Push past the beast and run downstairs. Maybe there's enough hate in it's mind that it'll give chase. Pulling it to a lower floor would buy some more time.
>Write in.

>>6277553
>Continue to stand your ground. You just need to buy time. Not win. If you die, you'll have to run back but hopefully enough of a defensive line can be built to hold the tide for you to return.

>>6277553
>Continue to stand your ground. You just need to buy time. Not win. If you die, you'll have to run back but hopefully enough of a defensive line can be built to hold the tide for you to return.

>>6277553
>Continue to stand your ground. You just need to buy time. Not win. If you die, you'll have to run back but hopefully enough of a defensive line can be built to hold the tide for you to return.
If we're just buying time, then it's better to keep putting prisoners between us and it until either of them get tired of it.

>>6277553
>Try and force your way past the beast. If you can get on the other side, it'll at least be facing away from Irene and the Guard.

>>6277600
>>6277596
>>6277568
We're standing our ground. Hero style. Writing.

You leap forward transforming midjump to deliver a kick to another inmate. "It's round 2 buddy! Hope you're ready for a repeat of last time!" You shout, pointing right at the monster. Truthfully, you weren't there to win but if it meant that the monster would focus it's attention to you and let you buy more time, you were more than willing to play the part. Several attacks come your way but your new form's extra speed gives you just enough of an edge to get by unscathed. A small step backwards causes swung brick to miss, a lean to the right and the following attack causes the dagger to cut into the previous attacker's arm, ducking causes a hammer to strike the dagger wielder in the chest and you finish it all off by kicking them all over. You quickly hop over the struggling inmates to avoid getting grabbed by the monster, it's claws digging furrows into the stone floor as they miss you. Thrusting out your legs, they connect straight into the monster's chest throwing it backwards into some more people.

The monster digs it's claws into the walls to slow it self, slicing through doors and stone alike. You try to get into striking distance but more prisoners block your path. Beyond them, you see more of them engage the monster. "Get 'im boys! We kill the heretic and they'll let us out as heroes!" One of them shouts. The inmates before you didn't seem as inclined to do so. Instead they rush you, most wielding rubble such broken stone or bits of door and others with nothing at all. You're forced into a back step as they all rush at you. You block, duck, and dodge to keep the attackers at bay while you see the inmates taking on the monster fall one by one. Slipping into an empty cell, you grab the wrist of one of your attackers and pull them roughly into a knee to the gut. You toss them into the cell and step forward to drive your shoulder into the next, knocking them and his companions aside.

A scream echoes through the hall. The inmates fighting the monster were doing as well as you would have guessed. Two lay dead on the ground, and a third seemed to be fading fast. A fourth is held in both of the monster's hands, one of his arms bent at a wrong angle. You bolt towards him, kicking aside one of the men who tried to hold you back. There's another snap as the monster bends the man's other arm to the brink and beyond. He screams and you grab your fist to bring both hands down in a hammer blow to the monster's knee. The beast roars in pain, dropping the injured man. You manage to catch him, stomp down on the broken scales on the monster's knee, and dive into another cell. "Hells! What is that thing?!" The man screams between swears. He shouts vulgarities as you set him down in a corner of the room.

"Stay still, I need to keep that thing at bay." You say, dashing out. You instinctively throw a punch out of surprise just as you leave the door and run into the monster. In it's pain, it had followed you despite the heavy bleeding coming from it's injured leg. Your fist connects right into it's chest just as it slams both it's hands down on you. Your legs buckle and the ground underneath you cracks from the impact but you remain upright. Gritting your teeth, you raise your foot as high as you can and kick forward with all your might. The monster stumbles back and crashes into the wall behind it causing it to fall. You stumble forward yourself and get back to your original position putting you between the monster and the guard station at the far end of the hall. The monster slowly starts to get to it's feet, small jets of fire escaping it's mouth.

>What do you do?
>Run forward and strike at it's face as hard as you can. Hopefully that's enough to get it to not breathe fire.
>Leap into an empty room at the last minute and hope the fire doesn't come in as it fills the hall.
>Grab some debris and try to jam it down the monster's throat. Maybe it'll start to choke.
>Tank the flames like you did before and continue fighting. Survival is a secondary objective.
>Write in.

>>6279197
>Grab some debris and try to jam it down the monster's throat. Maybe it'll start to choke.

>>6279197
We have those goblin spurs right? Hot metal spikes shoved in its mouth would surely hurt. maybe some knives the prisoners were wielding

>>6279197
>Grab some debris and try to jam it down the monster's throat. Maybe it'll start to choke.
Yeah, I like this plan. It's creative

>>6279197
>Grab some debris and try to jam it down the monster's throat. Maybe it'll start to choke.

>>6279197
>>Grab some debris and try to jam it down the monster's throat. Maybe it'll start to choke.