2063 CE
“Hey kid, how’s the extraction coming along?”
Snapping out of my daydream, I noticed the glint of the corpse’s mana crystal and retrieved it, wiping the blood off with a cloth. The stench of the mangy wolves could be rather pungent at times, and I was grateful for the mask I wore. Looking down at the stone in my hand, it glimmered in the light from my helmet, along with its faint blue aura emanating from the power within.
“Sadie?” I heard, spinning around to look at Trevor.
“Sorry, all done here,” I replied sheepishly for daydreaming in a place like this. Standing up, I tossed it over to him, where he calmly caught it before placing it in the satchel with the rest of the stones we had gathered so far tonight.
“No worries, I still don’t understand how you’re so damn fast in finding them. Josie has only gotten her second from this batch but you’ve already found six.” He chuckled as Josie looked up at the mention of her name and pouted at me as I winked at her.
Gazing down at the corpse he had been examining, I noticed the faint blue aura emanating from the stone still concealed within, several inches away from where he had been probing. Pulling out my butcher knife, I grabbed a clump of fur and cut into the flesh to expose the stone for Trevor. With a sigh of defeat, he dug his fingers in and pulled the stone out to inspect it before allowing it to join the others in the satchel.
I fidgeted with the small mana stone that hung around my neck, beneath my armoured clothes. My uncle, Connor, had claimed it from the first wolf he killed when the rifts first appeared, as he had been defending Mum. The Day of Fracturing, as it became known, was when the whole world seemed to begin its descent into the apocalypse. Less than a third of the population survived the following ten years before society managed to return to a level of normalcy.
Things were different now; many of the smaller countries had been wiped out, merging with larger neighbours or continuing almost as city-states. Dublin remained the last populated area in Ireland, with the rest of the island now infested with monsters, aside from several minor observation forts scattered about. The city survived by permitting guilds to establish themselves there and launch expeditions to farm and hunt for the crystals the monsters produced when killed.
Finding my next corpse to loot, I knelt down and ran my hand over its fur, grateful for the heavy gloves I wore as I brushed away several maggots from the necrotic flesh on its side. The only worthwhile part of looting these wolves was the mana stones, whereas some of the stronger variants held value due to their more resilient fur. Imps were a common monster to hunt, as the leather produced from their hides was fireproof and highly sought after, particularly by blacksmiths and fire mages.
During my time at the Academy, I spent five years studying monster anatomy, the various types encountered, and strategies for combatting them. My combat training was limited to self-defence, but the first lesson was about how to run away, as no paycheck was worth risking your life. Fleeing was all I could realistically do since I possessed little more than the strength of a child, and even then, there were those who could easily overpower me.
Mum was a renowned A-Rank mage, and Dad had been an A-Rank warrior. With Grandfather’s runes enhancing their weapons and armour, they managed to compete with some of the famous S-Ranks of their time. High expectations were placed upon me due to my pedigree, yet hope turned to pity when it became clear that nothing remarkable distinguished me, or that I was seen as damaged goods. Mum would fiercely defend me if anyone dared to ridicule me in her presence, but at the Academy, away from her influence, even some of the professors were open about it.
Reaching in, I pulled the stone out of the corpse I was working on with a grunt and shook my hands to rid them of the gore. Almost everything I wore had been augmented by Grandfather, and the hydrophobic runes in my gloves were excellent in preventing them from getting bloodied by the corpses. Josie wore the same gloves as I did, a gift I had requested from Grandfather for our graduation, and she had commissioned the knife that I held.
The last of the corpses looted, I slid over to Josie’s side and wrapped my arm around her as we strolled down the tunnel. “So? Has he asked yet?” I inquired mischievously in a hushed whisper.
“Shh,” she giggled, glancing over our shoulders at Trevor, who averted his gaze suspiciously. “I don’t want them to know we already know.”
Josie and Trevor had been dating for years, ever since they literally bumped into each other one day between classes. A story as old as time, I had watched them stumble around awkwardly trying to collect Josie’s books that he had knocked everywhere. “It’s about damn time! You hear that, Trevor? Tell that son of yours to put a damn ring on her finger before I damn well do it myself," I shouted at him as I pulled her close while she started laughing at my declaration. Nearby, Bill, who had been trying to ignore us, burst out laughing, slapping Trevor on the back several times.
“Oh, please,” Josie mockingly protested. “I refuse to find myself in the middle of a peculiar love triangle or throuple. What became of, what’s her face, Candy? Has she said anything yet?”
My face must have darkened as she asked, causing her to turn away shamefully. “You know it’s Candace,” I grumbled. The two had never seen eye to eye whenever they met. “I think that when she realised I’m really just not interested in ever moving back to Manchester, she called it quits.”
“Good, I always suspected that girl was merely after the money and the title,” Josie remarked, soothing my back. “You know what they say, onwards and upwards; you’ll find someone better.”
“Or downwards,” I winked at her.
“Girls!” Trevor interjected, having finally heard enough, “Please, you do realise we can hear you, don’t you?”
“Sorry, Trevor,” we both said in unison before erupting into giggles once more as he sighed in exasperation and shook his head.
After another ten minutes of walking down an empty tunnel, our helmet lights illuminating the path, we followed the trail left by the hunters ahead of us. Hearing a howl echo through the tunnel, we immediately stopped and raised our shields, gathering together as we had trained. The four of us could fend off a lone wolf ourselves, but it would be a struggle, and it was not something I wished to repeat.
“Hold on,” Trevor whispered as he drew his gun and crept towards the curve of the tunnel, the sounds of fighting growing louder. Guns were not as effective as they once had been unless one purchased ammunition made from depleted mana stones that had been ground down to size. Prohibitively expensive, Trevor kept a single magazine for emergencies and, thankfully, had never needed to use it in ten years. I carried my own gun, a pistol strapped to my leg, but it was more of a last resort, as I preferred the sword I gripped in my right hand.
Waving us forward, we knelt behind him to watch the fight, with Michael standing at the front, facing off against the smaller wolves while a much larger one paced further back. The four vanguards, supported by a fire mage, were outnumbered but held out well, the smell of burning wolf flesh filling our nostrils. Two vanguards carried large shields, which they employed to defend their flanks, while Michael and the other swordsman, Arthur, cut down anything that charged at them.
I could hear Josie whimper every time Michael had to dodge or came close to being injured, so I wrapped my arm around her reassuringly. After finishing off the last of the smaller wolves, the larger alpha of the pack joined the fray, snarling as it leapt forward. Tony and Max turned their shields together to block the wolf from reaching Michael and Arthur as they stepped back to safety.
The wolf halted at the barrier; Sonia raised her staff and began chanting the spells in Latin that she used to help focus her magic as balls of fire appeared above them and crashed down towards the alpha. Yelping when struck by one, it jumped back, looking up and dancing around the raining fire as smoke began to pool at the ceiling. Latin was a common language for mages to concentrate their attacks, as they were unlikely to use it accidentally outside of combat. Too many mages blasting holes in the sides of buildings forced them to adapt and learn.
Lighting up in a blue light, Arthur braced himself before shooting forward between the two shields, sword poised to strike at the wolf. Seeing him approach, it snarled and leapt to the side before whimpering and snapping its head around. Arthur had merely been a distraction as Michael moved to the opposite side, and his sword sank deep into its shoulder. The rain of fire finished, Sonia stumbled from mana fatigue; but mustering up the last of her strength, she launched a single ball of fire forward, straight into the open mouth of the wolf. Pinned by Michael, the wolf howled as Arthur struck out, sinking his sword into its other front shoulder; with a long howl, it collapsed and ceased moving.
Pulling their swords from the corpse, both of them panted heavily, exchanging smiles and high-fives as Max assisted Sonia to a safe spot in the tunnel. Delighted that all the wolves were dead, Michael waved to us, signalling it was safe to approach, prompting Josie to rush forward to check on him. As I passed, she fussed over him, searching for injuries before wrapping her arms around him, despite his protests that he was fine. The others wore knowing smiles as they observed, each feeling a twinge of jealousy at the attention he was receiving.
As I walked forward, I knelt beside the alpha’s corpse and ran my hand along its singed fur, searching for the telltale glow where I could see the aura of the mana stone within. Furrowing my brow, I examined the body, unable to find it. Standing up, I moved around to the far side and froze; corpses sometimes had phantom twitches as their nervous systems shut down, causing a leg or arm to move slightly. Holding my breath, I stood there, watching as Trevor caught sight of me and turned his attention towards us. Michael had left with the rest of his squad, and I realised that we hadn’t felt the telltale pulse of pressure when the last enemy died, leaving us with three hours to finish up and depart. For the first few years, a sign outlining these rules was present inside the entrance of every rift, but it had long ceased to appear by the time I was old enough to venture into them.
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“Sadie, is everything alright?” I heard Trevor ask through the radio.
“Yeah, I think so,” I replied, kneeling back down beside the corpse. The stone may be deeper than I can see, the only way to discover it is to dig deeper into the chest cavity and go looking for the heart. Gripping the fur and pulling the skin taught, I pressed my blade against the skin and pushed hard, doing little more than shaving its fur off as my blade slid across the skin. Holding up the shaved fur, I was taken aback to discover it had a green tinge at the roots, sending chills down my spine. Alphas had a blue tinge to their fur, but what do I know, according to my professors at the Academy?
Obtaining my licence to join a team on their hunts, even if it was merely as a simple looter and collector, had been an uphill struggle. The first test examiner had taken one look at my Thaum level—a person's capacity to manifest mana—and rejected me without proceeding with the test. Mum and Grandfather had been furious, as this had plunged me into another bout of depression, leading to him being blacklisted along with anyone who employed him from commissioning rune inscriptions. The Rune Hunters were the family guild that Connor formed and which Grandfather now managed, boasting both a private army of warriors clearing rifts and a world-famous workshop producing top-tier items.
Trevor had initially been reluctant to accept me onto the team when he learned the truth about my stunted growth and my family, but Josie and Michael had helped convince him to let me join. I more than proved myself by working harder and faster than even the other experienced collectors; his initial worries were eased, even if it did mean I needed a little extra protection. Reflecting on my last argument with Candace, she wanted us to move to the guild headquarters in Manchester and for me to begin training to assume my inheritance as guild leader when Grandfather would inevitably step down in the next few years.
“Michael, I’m going to need you to come back soon, I can’t get through the skin of the alpha’s corpse.” I called out over the team radio as I stood up, searching for another corpse to work on while I waited.
“Sadie, could you repeat that last part? Are you saying you can’t damage it?” Michael’s voice came through my earpiece, and I noticed a hint of concern as Josie, Bill, and Trevor turned to look at me.
"Yeah..." I started to reply, but I let my hand fall when I noticed one eye open and blink at me before a throaty growl began to rumble through the air.
“Michael!” Trevor screamed into the radio. “Sadie, get away now!” Fumbling with his rifle, he tried to raise it as I stood there, my mind screaming at me to run. My legs were frozen in fear; I realised I was going to die. There was no way I was getting out of this situation alive.
A bullet whistled past my head, striking the wolf in the face and forcing it to turn away with a growl. I finally found my courage as it swung its massive head towards the others, looking for whoever attacked it. As I turned, I scarcely had time to lift my foot before my back was slashed open, and it felt as though rods of fire were pressed against me. It had torn through my armour and flesh as though it were butter, sending me flying through the air from the force of its blow, spinning several times. I was unable to scream as I struck the ground and rolled several more times, no longer able to discern which part of me was in pain, as it was my entire body.
“Bill, get Sadie out of there!” I faintly heard Trevor shout as my eyelids grew heavy. A blinding light shone in my face, and I realised it was Bill’s helmet light as he crouched down and began to drag me back, propping me up against the wall at the side of the cavern.
Flashes of light illuminated the area as Trevor took careful shots with his precious ammunition, finally forced to fire in defence. Each bullet created a small crater on the wolf, yet it continued to advance towards Josie, charging forward as she screamed at it, as if trying to scare it off. Her shout had no effect as her short sword struck its shoulder, barely penetrating the skin before it clamped its fangs over her shoulder and chest. Lifting her as she screamed, the wolf shook its head, and there was a sickening crunch as her screams were silenced and her body limply fell from its mouth.
I wanted to scream in pain at the sight of my best friend dying, but I could barely do more than lie there, gasping for breath as if I were drinking fire. Trevor shifted his fire from careful shots to unleashing the last few bullets of the magazine in a quick burst as it stood there. Screaming tearfully, he charged at it, hoping to avenge Josie, but the wolf simply swiped at him with its paw, sending him flying across the cavern until he crashed into the wall and flopped to the floor, lifeless.
I looked around tearfully and saw that Bill was dead as well, his empty eyes staring at me. I couldn’t see where his legs had gone or remember how he had died. Finding some strength in my arms, I patted the ground and located my pistol, which had fallen from its holster on my leg. Weakly lifting my arm, I thumbed the safety off and fired blindly at the wolf, not knowing if I was hitting it, before letting my hand fall to the ground as my resistance finally faded. My watch was screaming alarms at me, detecting my injuries, waiting to see if I would cancel it before sending an emergency signal to the relay station left at the rift’s entrance.
Reaching over with my other hand, I winced as my injured back scraped against the uneven and sharp rock face that I leaned upon. Fumbling with my glove, I finally pressed the button to confirm the emergency, accelerating the process of sending the SOS just as it ceased ringing. I looked down as it flashed red, a heart rate monitor at the top flickering erratically and a simple ten displayed beneath it. Ten, a paltry ten Thaum was all I could muster in this frail body of mine. I had as much as a newborn baby, and no matter how many rifts I cleared alongside others, I could never grow and accumulate more as they did each time.
Sonia’s fireball, considered one of her weakest spells, would consume thirty Thaum of mana, and she was rated to accumulate over fifteen hundred. Lying there, I felt helpless as the wolf began to stalk towards me, growling menacingly. I was an oddity, a disgrace to the family; I didn’t deserve to survive this.
“Just kill me.” I murmured weakly as it paused in its stalking, its ears twitching. “I have nothing more to give, as if I ever could offer much.”
Sniffing the air, it tilted its head to the side while its tail stood straight up. “KILL ME!” I screamed desperately, wishing for the pain to cease so that I could join the others. Its showing of mercy at this point was insulting.
“You slaughtered my pack.” Its deep, rumbling voice emerged, and I opened my eyes in surprise as it spoke—the first monster I had ever heard communicate. “How dare something so small and insignificant as you attempt to harm me? No, you have his taint, but also… Who are you? Where are your Guardians? No matter, I shall finish you now and hunt down the rest of your pack.”
My mouth hung open as I lay there, shocked by what he was saying. I didn’t grasp what he meant, but it must have held some significance. Wanting to respond as he approached, my body began to stir; no, I realised, it was my mana. Barely able to shift it before, I sensed its warmth start to circulate within me all of a sudden. The pain I felt in my body began to be replaced by a gentle warmth, but only for a moment, as the heat intensified and it felt as though I was on fire. Blue flames erupted from my body, yet they didn’t harm me, though I still grunted as I experienced the surge of power forcing its way through me.
‘Hush, my child, sleep. Fenrir will protect you.’
A deep voice spoke soothing words in my mind as my eyes grew heavier. The voice sounded familiar, as if I had heard it somewhere before, and my mind yearned to reach out to the speaker, feeling inexplicably safe, as if I unconsciously knew they spoke the truth. The wolf that had killed my friends was stepping back, ears pressed flat, tail between its legs, whimpering.
The ground began to tilt as I fell over, but someone, or something, caught me, gently lowering me to the ground, although I couldn’t see them. A shadow fell across my face as a paw stepped over me, then another, as something moved above. Looking up, I saw a tail, entirely black, like a void, but blue lines traced over it, providing an outline, and I was able to see the rest of its body in the same way.
With hackles raised and a throat rumbling in a deep growl that made the other wolf’s earlier snarl sound like that of a cub, I yearned to reach out to it. As it turned its head, I felt a dry tongue lick my face, as if attempting to comfort me before it looked away. Roaring, the ground trembled as the black wolf launched itself at the other wolf, and darkness encroached as my eyes closed, the welcome embrace of the abyss calling to me.
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“ALERT! Guardian Essence detected within a rift. Unknown origin. Thunder-wolf class entity.” A monotone voice announced in the control room of the Spire.
Five pairs of eyes quickly flicked up from their tasks, striving to comprehend the information displayed on the main monitoring screen. After a few moments, they rushed back to their terminals, seeking details about what was occurring. The alert was vague regarding the location, and none of them could determine where it was originating from.
A few minutes after the alert, Athena entered the room as the five of them stood up from where they had crowded around Nezha’s station. “Tell me everything,” she demanded as they cleared a path for her to see the screen.
Nezha turned as Athena drew near and vacated the chair for her to take a seat. “It’s a green-rank dungeon, but that’s all we know. I attempted to narrow it down, but the signal disappeared too quickly.”
Opening the alert logs, Athena scanned the timestamps and slammed her hand against the terminal. The others around her jumped as she lifted her hand, leaving an indent in the shape of her palm on the terminal, which had cracked the screen. As she stared at the damaged display, the crack gradually began to repair itself, and the information started to appear in front of them again.
“The incident is over, and the rift has closed. Look at the timestamps; the signature ID was reassigned and the dungeon relocated to a new spot in Berlin two hours ago.” Grinding her teeth in frustration, Athena tapped the table, irked. “Freya, send out your eyes and ears; something has happened somewhere. The Gaeians are skittish creatures; they won’t allow the appearance of a thunder wolf to go unreported. Nezha, see what reports you can unearth to narrow down the search location.”
“Is it the Heir?” Horus inquired, staying by her side as the others departed. “To possess a thunder wolf…”
“No, we have not introduced thunder wolves yet, so it is impossible that this is theirs. Go down to the vaults below; Fenrir should be on sub-level twenty-seven. He was Master’s favourite, and if anyone were to be sent out, it would be him. It has been long enough since the last alert that I suspect the anointed time has truly come.” Staring at the screen, she didn’t look up at him as she spoke, a glint in her eyes for the end that was creeping inevitably closer.
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Opening my eyes weakly, I felt the hard, uneven ground pressing against my bare cheek, and I attempted to lift myself up but collapsed, screaming in pain. The soothing relief I had experienced earlier had only been temporary, and my back exploded in pain once more when I moved my arms. As I tried to turn my head, I grimaced from the pain of the gravel scratching my face and saw the welcome sight of the rift I had traversed hours before. It should have been an hour’s walk back to this point, and I wondered how I had ended up here. The screen on the nearby relay station had a timer counting down after it detected the pulse emitted when the dungeon was cleared.
It had only been just over twenty minutes since the final wolf was killed, yet there was no one else here. Where was the rescue team that should have been alerted by my watch? They ought to have arrived sooner to save us, or at least to pull me out since I was right here. Filled with anger, I reached out with one arm and slid forward, using a small crack in the stone to pull myself along. Inch by inch, I crawled forward, crying out in pain from the burning sensation in my back.
As I pushed my hand through the rift, I felt the damp grass on the other side and dug my hand into the mud, using it to pull my head through. Screaming in pain to anyone who would hear, I was blinded by the floodlights that illuminated the area. I heard voices shouting as someone blocked the light with their body while hands lifted me by my arms, dragging me away. I couldn’t see their faces as I was carried off, the grunts of pain fading as the abyss called for me once more.