Chapter 19: The Rift's Awakening
Ryo Aelren's steel short sword hung at his hip, its weight a steady companion as he stood in Varnholt's bustling market, the clamor of vendors and adventurers a distant hum. His reinforced leather vest, greaves, bracer, and new steel helm—purchased with his hard-earned forty-two silvers—felt like a second skin, but the Rift Memory's visions burned brighter. The ancients' System, a seal broken by betrayal, was waking, and the System's voice thundered: The heart speaks. The cracked mana crystal in his pouch pulsed, its rune-like glow a lifeline to the Rift's secrets. With Rift Memory Progress: 11/Unknown and his new Rift Pulse skill, Ryo was no longer just surviving—he was unraveling a truth that could shake Varnholt.
His Status Screen glowed in his mind, a testament to his rise:
*Name: Ryo Aelren
Level: 3
Class: None
Stats:
Strength: 6
Agility: 8 (+15% in combat, Survival Instinct)
Endurance: 7
Mana: 0
Skills:
Survival Instinct (Passive): Boosts agility by 10-15% when threatened.
Basic Strike (Active): Increases single-target attack damage by 6%.
Danger Sense (Passive): Heightens awareness of imminent threats.
Weak Point Strike (Active): Increases damage to vital areas by 11%.
Rift Sense (Passive): Detects Rift-based anomalies.
Rift Pulse (Active): Emits a mana pulse to disrupt Rift-based entities.
Experience: 0/400
Rift Memory: 11/Unknown*
Level 3 had sharpened his body, and Rift Pulse—a skill to disrupt Riftspawn—felt like a key to the archive's heart. But Dren's interrogation, Gav's venom, and the guild's paranoia were closing in. Calen's team was his anchor, but Veyra's absence gnawed at him. Her knowledge of the runes, her promise of truth, lingered like a shadow. Ryo's scars burned, each one a marker of his path from porter to something more.
As he passed a weapons stall, eyeing a longsword he couldn't yet afford, a familiar voice cut through the market's din. "Ryo!" Brom called, weaving through the crowd, his healer's satchel bouncing. His grin was warm, but his eyes held urgency. "Guild's in a panic. New mission, Rank S—first in years. Core destabilization, rune-etched altar. Pay's a hundred silvers. Calen's got us on it, but Dren's pushing to exclude you. We need you, lad."
Ryo's Rift Sense roared, the voice clear: The heart speaks. A Rank S mission was beyond insane for a Level 3, but the altar could be the archive's core. Rift Pulse could tip the scales. "Dren's problem with me?" Ryo asked, his hand resting on his sword.
"Thinks you're a liability," Brom said. "Or a threat. Gav's been whispering in his ear. Calen's fighting for you, but you need to prove yourself. Rift Gate, midnight. Get supplies."
Ryo nodded, spending ten silvers on a sturdy cloak and extra salve, leaving thirty-two. At the guild, the job board was chaos—adventurers clamoring for details on the Rank S mission. The posting described a "rune-etched altar" fueling Rift surges, guarded by an unknown Riftspawn. Rift Sense screamed, and the Rift Memory whispered of the ancients' seal. This was his chance.
As he left, Danger Sense flared. Gav emerged from an alley, his dagger glinting, two guild guards at his back. "Going somewhere, porter?" he sneered. "Dren wants you grounded. Step out of line, and you're done."
Ryo's Survival Instinct hummed, but he kept his voice calm. "I'm on Calen's team. Back off."
Gav stepped closer, dagger raised. Danger Sense screamed, and Ryo acted, Rift Pulse surging instinctively. A faint mana wave rippled, staggering Gav and the guards. Ryo drew his sword, Weak Point Strike aimed at Gav's shoulder. The blade bit, and Gav stumbled, cursing. Experience gained. Level 3: 20/400.
"Next time, I won't hold back," Ryo said, retreating as the guards recovered. Gav's glare promised retribution, but Ryo was already gone, heart pounding. Rift Pulse was a game-changer, but using it publicly was a risk.
At midnight, Ryo joined Calen's team at the Rift Gate. Mira's bow was strung, Brom's satchel ready, Elara's staff glowing, and Jorik's spear gleamed. Calen's scar was stark. "Dren tried to pull you," he said. "I vouched. Don't make me regret it. Rank S core, altar neutralization. Veyra's back—guild's desperate."
Veyra stood nearby, her black cloak stark, the rune-etched scepter in hand. Her eyes met Ryo's, a knowing smile. "The heart awaits, Ryo," she said. "Will you claim it?"
The portal opened, revealing a Rift branch of shattered crystal and glowing voids. The altar loomed in a vast cathedral, its runes pulsing like a heartbeat. Rift Sense screamed, the voice roaring: The heart is here. The team moved, but the air crackled with mana, and a Rank S Riftspawn emerged: a leviathan of shadow and crystal, its form a writhing mass of runes, eyes blazing with ancient fury.
Calen charged, his sword sparking. Jorik's spear pierced a rune, Mira's arrows sought weak points, and Elara's lightning cracked. Brom's ward shattered under a single blow. Ryo's Survival Instinct boosted his agility, and he flanked the leviathan, Weak Point Strike targeting a glowing rune on its flank. His steel sword cracked it, drawing a shudder. Experience gained. Level 3: 100/400.
Veyra reached the altar, her hands tracing runes. "It's the seal!" she shouted. Ryo joined her, Rift Sense locking onto a central rune. He activated Rift Pulse, the mana wave disrupting the leviathan's runes. The beast roared, its form destabilizing. Ryo struck the altar's rune with Weak Point Strike, shattering it. Rift Memory Progress: 12/Unknown. The voice thundered: The heart awakens.
The leviathan swung, its claw grazing Ryo's helm. Pain flared, but Danger Sense guided him clear. Veyra grabbed a glowing shard from the altar, her eyes blazing. "The seal's breaking!" she hissed. "Join me, Ryo, or be consumed."
The cathedral shook, runes flaring. Calen yelled, "Portal!" Ryo guarded Veyra as they fled, the leviathan's claws tearing stone. They dove through, emerging in Varnholt as the branch collapsed. The guild paid a hundred silvers, Ryo's share twenty-five, bringing his total to fifty-seven.
Veyra vanished, but her words lingered: "The seal's end is near." The System chimed: Rift Memory Progress: 13/Unknown. The vision clarified: the System was a lock, the Rift a prison, and the ancients' betrayal had freed something vast. Rift Pulse was Ryo's edge, but Dren's glare from the guild hall promised trouble. With Level 3 and his steel sword, Ryo Aelren stood at a precipice, the Rift's awakening his destiny.
To be continued…