The chaos of the Rift Nexus spread like wildfire. The market square, once filled with laughter and life, was now a warzone. Fires blazed in abandoned stalls, overturned carts littered the streets, and monstrous roars reverberated through the city.
Ezra clutched the glowing spear in his hands, its warmth a small comfort against the cold terror building in his chest. The beast he had wounded moments ago writhed on the ground, its molten blood hissing as it pooled around it. Yet, even as it died, more Rift Beasts poured out of the portal in the sky.
“Ezra!” a familiar voice called.
He turned to see his best friend, Mia, sprinting toward him. Her dark hair was tied back in a messy ponytail, her expression one of barely-contained panic. She carried what looked like a crowbar, its makeshift use as a weapon evident from the dents and blood on its surface.
“Mia? What are you doing here?” Ezra asked, sidestepping a chunk of debris as she reached him.
“What am I doing here? What are you doing standing around? We need to get out of here before those things tear us apart!”
Ezra gestured toward the Rift Beasts swarming the streets. “And go where? They’re everywhere!”
Mia’s eyes widened as another notification appeared before her. She swiped at the air, her lips moving silently as she read the text. Then she looked at Ezra, her expression shifting from fear to confusion.
“You’ve got one too?”
“One what?” Ezra asked, already dreading the answer.
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“A class!” Mia exclaimed, holding up her hands as though presenting an invisible trophy. “It says I’m a ‘Scrapper.’ I have some weird perks about scavenging, and—” She paused, noticing the spear in his hands. “Wait, where did you get that?”
“Long story,” Ezra muttered. “We need to focus. There’s a kid nearby—”
The roar of another beast interrupted him. A towering creature, its form cloaked in shadowy mist, stepped into the square. Its crimson eyes scanned the chaos, locking onto Ezra and Mia with predatory intent.
“Oh, great,” Mia muttered, raising her crowbar. “This one looks worse.”
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[SYSTEM ALERT: Elite Rift Beast Detected.]
Name: Void Reaver
Level: 10
Threat Level: Lethal
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Ezra’s blood ran cold. “Level 10? What does that even mean?!”
“It means we’re screwed!” Mia shouted, pulling him out of his stupor. “Move!”
The Void Reaver lunged, its claws slashing at the space where they had stood moments ago. Ezra rolled to his feet, clutching his spear tightly. Without thinking, he charged forward, the spear glowing brighter with each step.
“Ezra, wait!” Mia screamed.
He didn’t stop. The Void Reaver swung its massive arm at him, but this time, Ezra’s body reacted on its own. He ducked under the blow, spinning around to thrust his spear into its side.
A surge of energy erupted from the weapon, blasting the creature backward. It roared in pain, dark mist leaking from the wound like blood. Ezra stumbled back, breathing hard, but the System notifications didn’t let up.
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Critical Hit!
10% damage dealt to Void Reaver. Weakness: Light-infused attacks.
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“Only 10%?!” Ezra groaned.
“That’s it! We’re toast!” Mia yelled, swinging her crowbar at a smaller beast that had darted toward her.
“Not yet!” Ezra growled, gripping his spear tighter. The glowing lines of the weapon shifted, as if responding to his will. A new prompt appeared in his vision.
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Rune Enhancement Available: Channel Light.
Activate?
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“Yes!” Ezra shouted.
The spear’s glow intensified, transforming into a blinding radiance. The Void Reaver hesitated, its crimson eyes narrowing as if in fear. Ezra didn’t give it a chance to recover. With a battle cry, he charged forward, the spear slicing through the air like a comet.