The transition from the commercial district to the slums of Orario was not gradual. It was a cliff edge.
One moment, Aiden and Lyra were walking on paved stones under the magical illumination of street lamps fueled by magic stones. The next, they were navigating the twisted, labyrinthine nightmare known as Daedalus Street. The architecture here was insane—a chaotic jumble of brick and wood, buildings stacked atop one another like a tumor growing out of the city's side.
The rain had turned the unpaved alleys into rivers of filth. The smell was distinct: wet rot, unwashed bodies, and the underlying, metallic tang of rust.
"Keep your head down," Aiden murmured, pulling Lyra closer. His left arm, the injured one, was tucked into his hoodie pocket to minimize movement. His right hand was free, fingers twitching with a phantom itch. The Severance Devil was pacing in the cage of his soul, agitated by the hostility of the environment.
"People are watching," Lyra whispered. She didn't look up, but her Reverie sense was picking up the emotional residue of the street. "Hunger. Greed. A lot of despair. It sticks to the walls here."
"Good," Aiden said, his eyes scanning the shadows. "Despair makes people predictable."
They were looking for the emblem of the Soma Familia—a chalice. In the canon of the world, Soma was a chaotic neutral deity obsessed with brewing the ultimate wine. His children, however, were less connoisseurs and more junkies. The Soma Familia was less a guild and more a pyramid scheme built on divine addiction.
"There," Aiden nodded toward a dilapidated stone building squashed between two leaning towers. A faded banner hung limp in the rain, bearing the chalice symbol. Two guards stood out front. They didn't look like the disciplined soldiers at the North Gate. These men were gaunt, their eyes darting restlessly, their armor mismatched.
"Ready?" Aiden asked.
Lyra took a shaky breath. "If they try to separate us..."
"They won't," Aiden promised, though he had no guarantee. "We are a package deal. Two mules are better than one."
They approached the door. One of the guards, a human with a jagged scar running down his neck, stepped forward. He sniffed the air, then sneered.
"Lost, little sheep? The orphanage is two streets over."
"We're here to join," Aiden said, his voice flat. He didn't beg. Begging invited predation. He spoke with the dull resignation of someone who had no other options—a tone that fit perfectly in Daedalus Street.
The guard laughed, a dry, rattling sound. "Join? You look like a stiff breeze would snap you in half. What makes you think Soma-sama wants more mouths to feed?"
"We don't need food," Aiden lied. "We need power. And we know the Soma Familia rewards... dedication."
The guard's eyes narrowed. The word "dedication" in this Familia meant one thing: the wine. He saw two desperate junkies looking for a fix before they'd even tasted it.
"Empty your pockets," the guard commanded.
Aiden turned them out. Lint. A few modern coins that were useless here. The sharpened wooden stake he'd discarded earlier.
"Broke," the guard spat. "Figures. Chandra! We got two fresh meats!"
The heavy wooden door creaked open. A dwarf stepped out. He was stout, with a greasy beard and eyes that gleamed with avarice. This was Chandra, a mid-level executive of the Familia. In the canon, he was a miserable opportunist. Here, he was their gatekeeper to salvation.
Chandra looked them over, assessing their muscle mass (low) and gear (non-existent). "Refugees?"
"Survivors," Lyra said softly.
Chandra grunted. "Entry fee is 5,000 valis. Each. Or... you sign a debt contract. You work the tedious jobs. You gather herbs in the dungeon until your hands bleed. You don't see a drop of Soma unless you earn it. And if you run..." He patted the heavy axe at his hip.
"Where do we sign?" Aiden asked immediately.
Chandra blinked, surprised by the lack of hesitation. "Desperate. I like that. Come in."
The interior of the base was dimly lit and smelled overwhelmingly of fermentation and sour sweat. Dozens of adventurers were scattered around the main hall. Some were cleaning weapons with frantic energy; others were slumped in corners, staring at nothing, shivering.
Aiden felt the System ping in his mind.
[Location Discovery: Soma Familia Base]
[Corruption Risk: Medium]
[Objective Update: Secure Audience with Soma.]
Chandra led them through the hall, ignoring the glares of the other members. He took them down a flight of stairs into a damp basement that served as a makeshift processing center.
"Strip to the waist," Chandra ordered, grabbing a stack of parchment. "God Soma is busy. I'll prep the status sheets. He'll come down, drop the blood, and leave. Don't speak to him unless spoken to. Don't look him in the eye. He doesn't care about your sob stories."
Aiden removed his hoodie and soaked t-shirt. His body was lean, corded with wiry muscle, but marred by the massive, purpling bruise covering his left shoulder.
Chandra whistled. "Nasty hit. Kobold?"
"Something like that," Aiden said.
Lyra hesitated. She turned her back to the room before pulling her shirt over her head, exposing a pale back that seemed too fragile for this world.
The door to the inner sanctum opened. The room went silent.
A God entered.
Soma was unremarkable at first glance. He wore simple, stained robes. His hair was messy, his eyes shadowed by heavy bags. He looked like an overworked chemist rather than a divine being. He held a flask of red liquid in one hand, swirling it absentmindedly.
He didn't look at Aiden or Lyra. He looked at Chandra. "Is the batch ready for transport?"
"Yes, Soma-sama," Chandra bowed low. "Just two new ones to tag before we head out."
Soma sighed, a sound of profound boredom. "Make it quick. The fermentation timing is delicate."
He walked over to Aiden first. There was no ceremony. No grandeur. Soma pricked his own finger with a silver needle, letting a single drop of ichor—blood that shone with a blue, celestial light—fall onto Aiden's back.
The moment the blood touched his skin, Aiden screamed.
It wasn't sound; it was internal. It felt like molten lead was being poured into his spinal column. The System went critical.
[Divine Essence Detected.]
[Soul Structure: Unlocked.]
[Integrating "Severance Devil" with Falna Matrix...]
[WARNING: Concept "Severance" is hostile to "Status" framework.]
[Forcing Compatibility...]
Black text scrolled across Aiden's vision, invisible to everyone else. The pain was blinding. He bit his tongue to keep from thrashing, tasting copper. The Devil inside him roared, thrashing against the divine laws of Danmachi, before finally submitting to the new container.
Integration Complete.
Soma paused. He looked at his finger, then at Aiden's back. The black hieroglyphs of the Falna were carving themselves into Aiden's skin with unusual speed, burning with a dark, reddish hue before settling into black.
"Odd," Soma muttered. "Your vessel... is deep."
He moved to Lyra. The process repeated. Lyra gasped, her knees buckling, but Aiden caught her with his good arm.
[Integrating "Reverie Devil" with Falna Matrix...]
[Compatibility: High. Concept "Reverie" aligns with Magic Systems.]
Soma wiped his hand on a rag. "Done. Chandra, handle the stats. I'm going back to the lab."
The God vanished as quickly as he had appeared. He hadn't even asked their names.
Chandra hurried over with a piece of parchment, placing it over Aiden's back to copy the status. He pulled it away, squinting at the common language text.
"Let's see what trash we picked up," Chandra muttered. He read the sheet. His eyes widened.
Name: Aiden Cross Level: 1
Strength: I-0
Endurance: I-0
Dexterity: I-0
Agility: I-0
Magic: I-0
Skills:
[Render]: Passive/Active. The user can imbue physical attacks with the property of "separation." Durability of targets is calculated as 50% effective.
Cost: High Stamina drain. Mental Strain.
Magic:
(None)
Chandra looked up, a mix of suspicion and greed on his face. "A skill at Level 1? And a durability debuff?" He looked at Aiden with new interest. "You might be useful for breaking monster shells. Not bad."
He moved to Lyra, copying her status.
Name: Lyra Vale Level: 1
Strength: I-0
Endurance: I-0
Dexterity: I-0
Agility: I-0
Magic: I-0
Magic:
[Gossamer]: Chant: "The world is heavy, let it sleep." Creates a localized area of cognitive dissonance. Targets within range suffer sensory lag and minor hallucinations.
"A Caster," Chandra grunted. "Status effects. Tricky stuff. Good for confusion."
He handed them the sheets. "Congratulations. You're barely worth the paper this is written on. But you have potential."
Chandra reached into a crate behind him and pulled out two small vials. The liquid inside was a deep, ruby red. It caught the light, swirling with an unnatural viscosity.
The Divine Wine. Soma.
"Family tradition," Chandra grinned, his teeth yellow. "A toast to your new life. Drink up."
Aiden took the vial. The glass was warm.
[System Alert: High-Grade Narcotic/Magical Agent Detected.]
[Agent Name: Soma Divine Wine (Grade D)]
[Effect: Euphoria, fanaticism, permanent addiction pathway formation.]
[Risk: 100% chance of mental enslavement upon consumption.]
The room went quiet. The other adventurers stopped what they were doing, watching the new blood. This was the test. If they drank, they belonged to the wine. If they refused, they died.
"Drink!" Chandra barked, his hand resting on his axe.
Lyra held her vial, her hands trembling. She looked at Aiden.
Aiden stared at the red liquid. He couldn't refuse. But he couldn't submit.
System, Aiden thought, his mental voice cold and sharp. Can [Render] be applied internally?
[Query Analysis: Affirmative. Target: Neural Receptors/Digestive lining.]
[Warning: Precision required is microscopic. Failure will result in internal hemorrhaging.]
Do it, Aiden commanded. Sever the chemical bond of the addictive agent as it enters the bloodstream. Isolate the mana boost, cut the hook.
Aiden raised the vial. "To the Familia," he said.
He downed the wine in one gulp.
It tasted like heaven. It tasted like every regret he'd ever had was washing away, replaced by a warm, golden sun. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever experienced.
[ACTIVATING SKILL: RENDER]
SNAP.
A sharp, agonizing pain spiked in Aiden's stomach, radiating up to his brain. It felt like a razor blade sliding through his synapses. The warmth of the wine remained, but the hook—the desperate, clawing need for more—was violently excised.
Aiden gasped, dropping the empty vial. He fell to his knees, coughing. Blood flecked his lips. Not from the wine, but from the internal damage of his own power.
"Hah!" Chandra laughed, slapping his knee. "Hits hard, doesn't it? That's the love of God Soma!"
Aiden looked up, his eyes watering, face flushed. He forced a smile. It was a terrifying grimace. "It's... incredible."
He turned to Lyra. She was staring at him, terrified. She knew what he had done. She could feel the Severance ripple through their bond.
Don't drink it, Aiden projected the thought, praying the bond worked that way. Fake it. Use Gossamer on yourself.
Lyra brought the vial to her lips. She whispered the chant, so low it was inaudible under the laughter of the room. "The world is heavy, let it sleep."
A violet haze glazed over her eyes. She drank.
The magic didn't stop the wine, but it dissociated her mind from the pleasure. She experienced the euphoria as if it were happening to someone else—a dream within a dream. She wasn't present enough to get addicted.
She dropped the vial, swaying, and collapsed against Aiden. "Warm..." she slurred, her act convincing.
Chandra nodded, satisfied. "Good. You're one of us now." He tossed two small bags of coins at Aiden's feet. "Advance payment. Go buy some gear. Tomorrow, you enter the Dungeon. You owe me 10,000 valis for the entry fee, plus interest. Don't come back until you have money."
Aiden grabbed the coins and hauled Lyra to her feet. His stomach burned like fire, but his mind was clear. Crystal clear.
"Thank you, sir," Aiden said.
They stumbled out of the basement, back into the rain-slicked hell of Daedalus Street.
They walked in silence until they were three blocks away, huddled under the overhang of a closed bakery.
Aiden leaned against the wall and spat a mouthful of blood into the mud.
"You cut yourself," Lyra whispered, her hand hovering over his chest. "Inside."
"Better than being a slave," Aiden wiped his mouth. "Are you okay?"
"I felt it," she said, shivering. "The pull. It's terrifying, Aiden. Even with the magic... I want more. Just a little bit."
Aiden gripped her shoulders hard. "That's the enemy. Not the monsters in the dungeon. That."
He pulled up his status again. The text hovered in the air.
Aiden Cross Level 1 Skill: [Render] - Proficiency: 1% Condition: Internal Micro-tears (Healing).
"We have the Falna," Aiden said. "The timer is gone. We're stable."
"And we're in debt to a drug cartel," Lyra added weakly.
"We go to the Dungeon tomorrow," Aiden looked toward the Tower, glowing in the night. "We hunt. We get strong. And when we're strong enough..."
He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't have to. The Severance Devil purred in his mind.
When we're strong enough, we cut the chains.
[Multiverse Flag Update: Soma Familia Interaction - Neutral/Deceptive.]
[Status Unlocked: Aiden Cross (Melee/Breaker), Lyra Vale (Support/Control).]