Bloodsteel Horizon
Episode 4 — Blades in the Rift
Current Level: 34
Evolutions: 0 / 150
Mods: Target Lock Mk. I, Overcharge Burst, Precision Strike
Currency: $37,000
Arrival in the Steel Wilds
The Rift didn't just open — it ripped reality apart.
Kael felt his boots hit solid ground before his senses caught up. He was standing in a wasteland of scorched grass and shattered steel pillars that rose hundreds of feet into the air like broken swords. The air was sharp with ozone and the metallic tang of spilled magic.
A faint humming came from above. Not the wind — something alive.
His HUD blinked a new mission.
OBJECTIVE:
Eliminate 5 Monsters (Multi-Hunt)
World Class: Tier 3
Reward: +3 Levels per Kill
Bonus: $3,500 per Monster
Kael's jaw tightened. This wasn't just a hunt — this was a test.
Monster #1 — Ironback Crusher
A roar shook the steel forest.
The thing that emerged looked like a rhino built for war — plated in thick black armor, its back covered in jagged iron spikes. Its molten-red eyes locked onto Kael.
LVL 35 — Ironback Crusher
It charged, the ground cracking under its weight. Kael waited until it was nearly on him, then dove aside, his guns spitting controlled bursts at its knees. Precision Strike locked red markers on its leg joints. A few well-placed rounds shattered the joints, sending it crashing forward.
Kael's Overcharge Burst lit the air in white fire. The Crusher's head exploded in a plume of molten shards.
LEVEL UP!
Current Level: 37
Monster #2 — Gale Reaver
The steel canopy above split.
A blur of serrated wings screamed down from the sky — feathers like sharpened blades, slicing the air as it dove. The Gale Reaver was fast, too fast, each flap of its wings kicking up slicing gusts.
LVL 38 — Gale Reaver
Kael's Target Lock snapped to life, tracing its lethal arcs. He fired in short bursts, rounds sparking as they clipped its armor. The creature banked hard, coming around for another pass — mistake.
Kael rolled forward, pivoting as it dove again. Both guns emptied into its chest mid-dive. The impact threw it off course, slamming it into a steel pillar so hard the structure buckled.
It didn't get up.
LEVEL UP!
Current Level: 40
Monster #3 — Ash-Tide Ravager
The ground bulged — then exploded.
A beast like a massive armored lizard surged from beneath the steel soil, its hide glowing faintly with embers. Smoke poured from vents in its back, and molten drool hissed against the metal ground.
LVL 41 — Ash-Tide Ravager
It was close-range and brutal. Kael's first shots bounced off its plating. The thing lunged, jaws snapping shut where he'd been a heartbeat earlier. He switched tactics, targeting the glowing vents.
Each Overcharge shot hit like a grenade. Steam and molten slag erupted from its back. The Ravager screamed, staggered, and collapsed in a hiss of boiling air.
LEVEL UP!
Current Level: 43
Monster #4 — Void Prowler
Everything went silent.
A shadow detached itself from a pillar, slinking across the steel like oil. It had too many eyes — all faintly glowing violet — and a body that shifted between solid and smoke.
LVL 44 — Void Prowler
It was impossible to pin down — Kael's bullets passed through one moment, then struck flesh the next. He slowed his breathing, watching for the flicker when it turned solid.
Three shots.
One into the chest.
One into the skull.
One through the heart.
The Prowler dissolved into mist, leaving only the echo of its death cry.
LEVEL UP!
Current Level: 46
Monster #5 — Rift Eviscerator
The Rift above widened.
Something huge stepped through — taller than the Goliath from before. Its entire body was a lattice of bone blades, and its four arms each held scythe-like growths. Its head was a hollow helm, empty except for the burning light within.
LVL 47 — Rift Eviscerator
It moved faster than anything that size should. Kael's first dodge barely saved him from losing his head. Sparks rained as the scythes sliced through the steel floor.
Target Lock screamed warnings. Kael planted his feet, letting both guns roar. Overcharge Burst filled the air with explosive light, chewing chunks out of its armor. It pressed forward, even as limbs shattered and blades fell.
The final shot went clean through its chest, tearing the light out of it.
The corpse collapsed, disintegrating into shards.
LEVEL UP!
Current Level: 49
Aftermath
The Steel Wilds fell quiet again. Kael's HUD scrolled:
Levels Gained: +15
Current Level: 49
Currency Earned: $17,500
Total Funds: $54,500
His guns dissolved into his arms, their lines now edged in faint red glow — stronger, hungrier.
The Rival Returns
A ripple cut the air open behind him.
The same man from before stepped through — the silver-eyed hunter with the coat of clan insignias. Only this time, his blade was already drawn, humming with energy.
"I've been hunting you through three worlds," the man said. "Every time you kill, your price goes up."
Kael smirked, summoning his guns. "Then let's make me priceless."
The Rift around them shuddered.
The fight was inevitable.