The forest was silent. Ryu and the Rift Beast looked at each other—a hunter and an enemy—but between them, there was neither fear nor anger, none of the emotions that usually accompany a battle. On the beast's half-human face was a faint, gentle smile, and in its red eyes shimmered a strange recognition.
Ryu stood there quietly, his face completely calm for the first time.
"You… know my name?"
The beast spoke softly in its deep, heavy voice,
"…You won't remember… but we have met before."
A small glimmer appeared in Ryu's eyes, as if his mind was trying to recall some forgotten image, but nothing came. He asked in a quiet tone,
"You're not just monsters… are you?"
Pain flashed for a moment in the beast's eyes. It slowly lowered its claw, as if it didn't want to fight. There was a faint trace of human sorrow in its voice.
"…We were once human too."
Ryu froze for a second. His face remained calm, but curiosity and a subtle hidden concern began to rise in his eyes.
"Human? Then how did you end up like this…"
The beast was about to answer when suddenly a loud crack echoed through the air. Above the forest, a new rift opened, and pitch-black energy began to pour down. The beast's eyes flashed with pain and fear.
"No… not again!"
Ryu moved quickly to react, but before he could, the black energy struck directly into the beast's body. The beast roared in agony, trembling as its human features began to break apart, and madness returned to its red eyes.
"Tch… someone else is controlling this rift."
The beast roared and leapt toward Ryu, but every move carried pain, as though it didn't truly wish to fight. Ryu stopped his hand and spoke softly,
"You don't want to fight… but someone is forcing you to."
The beast continued to roar, its body transforming further, its claws growing sharper. The air around them thickened with deadly pressure. Ryu brought back his old arrogance in his eyes and said in a low tone,
"All right then… I won't let you suffer for long."
He traced something in the air with his finger, and a golden magic circle floated around him. But then the beast stopped for a brief moment and spoke in a faintly human voice—
"…Ryu… don't kill me… there… there are more… like us…"
Ryu paused for a moment, his face softening as he took a quiet breath.
"More? You all…"
But before he could finish, the beast roared again and lunged at him. Ryu simply closed his eyes and said,
"…All right. I'll set you free."
He raised both hands together, golden rings spinning faster and brighter, swirling through the air like lightning. The beast dropped its full weight onto him. When the two forces collided, the ground shook violently and a massive explosion echoed through the air—
And then a new message flashed across Ryu's system—
Hidden Truth: "First Hero of Rift – Connection Confirmed"
Ryu's eyes widened for a moment, and for the first time, his face truly looked surprised.
"First Hero? You… you weren't just some random monster…"
The light radiating from the beast's body grew even brighter, and its human face reappeared for a brief moment. It smiled softly and said,
"…You'll remember everything… Ryu."
And then, in a flash of blinding light, its entire body turned to dust. The forest was silent once again, and Ryu stood still, staring at the place where it had been.
He slowly closed his eyes and murmured,
"…Looks like this game isn't as simple as I thought."
Up in the sky, that same pitch-black rift was growing larger, as if something else was ready to emerge.
Ryu began walking back toward the village. His face was completely calm, as if he were returning from a short stroll, not from fighting a high-level monster. When he reached the village gates, he noticed people peeking out from behind their doors. Children had gone silent, and some women were pulling their kids back inside.
Ryu glanced at the sky and said softly,
"Did I steal their food or something that they fear me so much?"
A gentle voice came from behind him.
"No… they're not afraid, they just don't understand. You did something for them that they could never even dream of."
Ryu turned around. A girl was standing there. Her long green hair shimmered faintly under the sunlight, she wore a simple brown leather dress, and held a small herbal pouch in her hand. There was no fear in her eyes, only curiosity.
Ryu looked at her and smiled lightly.
"You?"
The girl straightened slightly and said,
"My name is Elira… I'm the herbalist here."
Ryu replied with a faint, amused smile,
"Herbalist? Hmm… from your voice, I thought you were a philosopher."
A small sparkle appeared in Elira's eyes, and she gave a gentle smile.
"And you… you're strange. You don't look like a hunter."
Ryu shrugged and said,
"I think I'm just a tourist."
Elira watched him for a moment, then asked quietly,
"That… creature… it was human, wasn't it? I heard it say your name."
Ryu looked at her for a moment, his face calm but his eyes reflecting a hidden depth. Then, with a faint, teasing smile, he replied,
"You're a herbalist, not a detective. Better stick to your plants."
Elira sighed softly and fell silent, but the curiosity in her eyes didn't fade. Ryu just shrugged and walked toward the village.
By evening, peace had returned to the village. Ryu sat on an old wooden bench, drinking a local brew. His face was completely relaxed, as if nothing that had happened in the village concerned him at all. Then, in the distance, came the sound of galloping horses and people screaming.
Elira ran toward him, out of breath, and quickly said,
"Do you hear that? Bandits are here! If no one does something, they'll destroy the village!"
Ryu twirled his cup, looked at her, and said with a faint smile,
"And you want me to do something? You people already fear me."
Elira replied sharply,
"Fear doesn't mean hate… Please."
Ryu looked at her, then stood up with a small smirk.
"All right then… let's see what kind of entertainment today brings."
At the village gate stood a massive man, nearly six feet tall, his chest covered in tribal tattoos, with an old scar across one eye. His name was Gorak. Behind him stood ten to twelve men, armed and intimidating the villagers.
Gorak roared,
"Listen up, people! Give us your food and gold, or your homes will burn!"
Ryu walked forward slowly and stood before him, his face completely calm.
"I've heard that line before… but your acting's a bit weak."
Gorak, furious, stepped closer and shouted,
"And who the hell are you? Get out of here!"
Ryu smiled lightly and said,
"Me? Just a tourist. But your show's getting boring, so I thought I'd make an entrance."
Enraged, Gorak raised his hand to strike Ryu—but Ryu simply snapped his fingers. The ground beneath Gorak split open, and he fell hard to the ground. His men panicked and began stepping back.
Ryu said casually,
"Hey, hey… your 'village raiding show' hasn't even started yet."
He waved his hand, and a small golden ring appeared in the air. Instantly, all the bandits were lifted off the ground, hanging mid-air as if tied by invisible ropes.
Ryu looked at them with a smile and said,
"All right, rehearsal's over. Now get out of here, and don't ever come back."
Gorak, filled with a mix of fear and anger, nodded frantically. Ryu lowered his hand, and the bandits ran off as fast as they could.
Silence fell over the village. People slowly came out of their homes, still afraid, but in some eyes, there was gratitude too. Elira approached Ryu and said softly,
"You're… strange, but… maybe not as bad as people think."
Ryu looked at her and smiled.
"I try to be bad, but people never give me the chance."
For the first
time, Elira smiled openly at him and walked away. Ryu sat back down on the bench and looked at the sky, saying quietly,
"This game… is starting to feel complicated."
Far in the sky, for just a moment, a small black crack shimmered again, as if someone was watching from beyond.
—To Be Continued