Chapter 20: The Prison's Key
Ryo Aelren leaned against the cold stone wall of Varnholt's Adventurer's Guild, his steel short sword sheathed at his hip, its edge a quiet promise of resilience. The fifty-seven silvers in his pouch were a fortune, enough for a longsword or a month's refuge, but the Rift Memory's latest vision—a System forged as a lock, the Rift a prison for an ancient force—consumed his thoughts. The System's voice roared: The heart awakens. The cracked mana crystal in his pouch pulsed, its rune-like glow a beacon to the Rift's buried truth. With Rift Memory Progress: 13/Unknown, Ryo was no longer just a survivor—he was a key to a cataclysmic past.
The guild hall buzzed with fear. Adventurers whispered of Rift surges swallowing villages, mana storms tearing forests, and the guild's desperate measures. Dren's interrogation had marked Ryo as a target, and Gav's accusations—tying him to the surges—fueled the guild's paranoia. Calen's team—Mira, Brom, Elara, Jorik—was his bulwark, but Veyra's disappearance with the altar's rune shard left a gnawing void. Her promise—The seal's end is near—was a siren's call, dangerous and alluring.
Ryo's Status Screen glowed, a map of his ascent:
*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: 100/400
Rift Memory: 13/Unknown*
Level 3 had honed his body, and Rift Pulse—a skill to disrupt Riftspawn—had saved him from Gav's ambush. The Rift Memory's visions—of a civilization betrayed, its System sealing a primal force—suggested the Rift was no mere anomaly. Veyra's knowledge of the archive, her connection to the runes, made her a perilous guide. Dren's scrutiny, Gav's malice, and the guild's fear were closing in, but the Rift Memory's truth was Ryo's path. His scars burned, each one a testament to his defiance.
As he scanned the job board, a heavy presence loomed. Danger Sense flared, and Ryo turned to face Dren, the guild enforcer, his plate armor gleaming under torchlight. Two Rank A guards flanked him, their hands on swords. "You're coming with me," Dren growled. "No excuses."
Ryo's Rift Sense hummed, sensing no immediate attack but a deeper threat. "What's this about?" he asked, hand resting on his sword.
"Guild council," Dren said. "You're linked to the surges—runes, relics, Veyra. Explain yourself, or you're done."
Before Ryo could respond, Calen's voice cut through. "He's on my team, Dren. Got a Rank S mission—core stabilization, rune-etched vault. Guild's orders. You want him, talk to the council after."
Dren's eyes narrowed, but a clerk's shout confirmed the mission. "Fine," he spat. "But you're on a leash, porter." He stormed off, the guards trailing.
Calen pulled Ryo aside. "That was close," he said, his scar stark. "Rank S, core vault, hundred-twenty silvers. It's a death trap, but the guild's desperate. Veyra's back—council hired her. You in?"
Ryo's Rift Sense roared, the voice clear: The heart awakens. The vault could be the archive's core. "I'm in," he said. "When?"
"Dawn," Calen said. "Gear up. You'll need everything."
Ryo spent fifteen silvers on a steel-plated belt and a mana-infused bandage, leaving forty-two. The belt's weight steadied him, the bandage a lifeline for wounds. At dawn, he joined Calen's team at the Rift Gate. Mira's bow was strung, Brom's satchel heavy, Elara's staff pulsing, and Jorik's spear gleamed. Veyra stood apart, her black cloak stark, the rune-etched scepter glowing faintly. Her eyes met Ryo's, a challenge. "The vault is the Rift's heart," she said. "Will you unlock it?"
Calen's glare silenced her. "Core vault, neutralize the surge. Rank S Riftspawn—expect hell. Move tight."
The portal opened, revealing a Rift branch of molten crystal and void-black storms. The vault—a massive rune-covered dome—pulsed like a living thing. Rift Sense screamed, guiding Ryo past mana traps. The voice thundered: The heart is yours. The team advanced, but the air crackled with raw power, the runes flaring.
Inside the vault, the core—a rune-etched monolith—glowed with blinding mana. Guarding it was a Rank S Riftspawn: a seraph of crystal and shadow, its six wings of rune-carved blades shimmering, eyes burning with ancient wrath. Calen charged, his sword sparking. Jorik's spear pierced a wing, Mira's arrows bounced off, and Elara's lightning fizzled. Brom's ward shattered, and a wing-blade grazed his shoulder, drawing blood.
Ryo's Survival Instinct boosted his agility by 15%, and he flanked the seraph, Weak Point Strike targeting a glowing rune on its chest. His steel sword cracked it, drawing a scream. Experience gained. Level 3: 200/400. The seraph's eyes locked onto Ryo, and Danger Sense screamed. He dodged a blade-wing, its edge grazing his bracer.
Veyra reached the monolith, her hands tracing runes. "It's the prison's lock!" she shouted. Ryo joined her, Rift Sense locking onto a central rune. He activated Rift Pulse, the mana wave disrupting the seraph's runes. The beast staggered, its wings faltering. Ryo struck the monolith's rune with Weak Point Strike, shattering it. Rift Memory Progress: 14/Unknown. The voice roared: The key is forged.
The seraph swung, its blade grazing Ryo's helm. Pain flared, but Rift Pulse surged again, weakening it. Veyra grabbed a glowing rune fragment, her eyes blazing. "The prison opens!" she hissed. "Join me, Ryo, or be its prey."
The vault shook, runes exploding. Calen yelled, "Portal!" Ryo guarded Veyra as they fled, the seraph's blades tearing stone. They dove through, emerging in Varnholt as the branch collapsed. The guild paid a hundred-twenty silvers, Ryo's share thirty, bringing his total to seventy-two.
Veyra vanished, but her words lingered: "The prison's end is yours." The System chimed: Rift Memory Progress: 15/Unknown. New Ability Unlocked: Rift Bind (Active). Temporarily seals Rift-based entities' mana. The vision clarified: the Rift was a prison for a godlike force, the System its chains, and Ryo's actions were breaking them.
Dren's glare met Ryo at the guild, but Calen's presence held him at bay. "You're pushing fate, kid," Calen said. "What's next?"
"Truth," Ryo said, his scars burning. The Rift Bind ability, the Rift Memory, Veyra's call—the Rift's prison was waking, and Ryo Aelren, with Level 3 and his steel sword, was its key.
To be continued…