The Rift Travel Network pulsed with energy as Angelus and his team gathered around the rune-carved node in Portridge’s central square. Lyra, their newest ally and a former Riftweaver, ran her fingers over the glowing stone, her expression tense. “This should take us straight to the capital,” she said, her voice edged with caution. “But the Riftweavers might’ve sabotaged it. Be on guard.”
Angelus gave a sharp nod, scanning his team. Marcus stood ready, his spear gleaming faintly with Rift Warrior energy, his jaw set with determination. Tara hefted her bat, its embedded Rift Bat Fangs catching the light. Sticky, the goblin, skittered around their feet, claws tapping impatiently, while Mr. Smashypants, the troll, loomed like a living wall. Sparky, the rift hound, growled softly, his glowing eyes alert. On Angelus’s arm, the tattoo of his new Rift Drake shimmered, a coiled promise of power.
“Let’s do this,” Angelus said, stepping onto the node. The team followed, and with a blinding flash of purple light, the world unraveled around them.
They didn’t arrive in the capital’s bustling streets. Instead, they stumbled into a ruined courtyard, its cracked stone walls pulsing with rift energy. The sky churned with dark purple clouds, and the air crackled with menace. Angelus tightened his grip on his pipe. “This isn’t right.”
Lyra’s face paled. “They’ve rerouted us. This is a Riftweaver outpost!”
Before anyone could respond, enemies erupted from the shadows: six [Riftweaver Elite Guards: 120/120 HP], clad in rune-etched armor, and three [Rift-Tainted Beasts: 100/100 HP], snarling monstrosities with jagged claws. At the back, a [Riftweaver Mage: 150/150 HP] raised a staff, dark energy swirling around him.
“Ambush!” Tara yelled, swinging her bat into a ready stance as the guards charged.
“Legion Command: Attack!” Angelus bellowed. Sticky lunged, slashing a guard’s legs—[Riftweaver Elite Guard: 110/120 HP]—while Mr. Smashypants roared, his club smashing another guard backward—[Riftweaver Elite Guard: 90/120 HP]. Sparky leaped onto a tainted beast, tearing into its side—[Rift-Tainted Beast: 80/100 HP].
Angelus zeroed in on the mage, but before he could close the distance, the mage unleashed a [Rift Barrage], bolts of dark energy raining down. Angelus dodged, but a bolt clipped him—[Angelus: 90/100 HP]—and another hit Tara—[Tara: 85/90 HP].
Marcus’s eyes locked onto the mage, who was now channeling a [Cataclysmic Rift], a spell that could obliterate them all. “I’ve got him!” Marcus shouted, activating Rift Strike. His spear blazed crimson as he sprinted forward, weaving past a guard’s blade and vaulting over a beast’s claws.
The mage smirked, conjuring a [Shadow Barrier: 50/50 HP]. Marcus’s spear shattered it—[Shadow Barrier: 0/50 HP]—and struck true—[Riftweaver Mage: 120/150 HP]. The mage retaliated with a [Dark Pulse], blasting Marcus back—[Marcus: 65/80 HP]—but the spell faltered.
Angelus seized the opening, summoning his Rift Drake. The tattoo flared, and the drake burst forth, wings unfurling as it unleashed a [Rift Flame Breath]—[Riftweaver Elite Guard: 70/120 HP x3]. The tide turned as the drake’s claws ripped through the enemy ranks.
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Tara and the summons pressed their advantage. Sticky’s claws dispatched a weakened guard—[Riftweaver Elite Guard: 0/120 HP]—while Mr. Smashypants crushed a tainted beast—[Rift-Tainted Beast: 0/100 HP]. Sparky and the drake downed another—[Rift-Tainted Beast: 0/100 HP].
Marcus, bloodied but unbowed, staggered to his feet. The mage bound him with [Rift Tendrils], but Marcus roared, activating Warrior’s Resolve. His spear flared, snapping the tendrils, and with a final thrust, he felled the mage—[Riftweaver Mage: 0/150 HP]—its body crumbling to dust.
Angelus and Tara finished the remaining guards, their combined strikes ending the threat. Silence fell, broken only by the team’s ragged breaths.
Angelus pulled Marcus up, steadying him. “You good?”
Marcus grimaced, pressing a hand to his side. “Yeah. That mage packed a punch.”
“You stopped him,” Angelus said, gripping his shoulder. “That was clutch.”
Marcus smirked, though his eyes shone with pride. “Had to. Couldn’t let you hog all the glory.”
The rift energy faded, leaving loot strewn across the courtyard: [Rift Shards x20], [Elite Guard Armor Plates x5], [Tainted Beast Claws x3], and from the mage, a [Riftweaver Staff: +25 Mana, +15 Spell Power] and a [Scroll of Rift Teleportation].
Tara hefted the staff. “Lyra could use this.”
Lyra stepped forward, taking it reverently. “It’s a Riftweaver tool. I can stabilize the network with it.”
Angelus nodded, then summoned his status window:
[Name: Angelus, Level 15, Class: Legion Master]
[Health: 90/100]
[Mana: 35/50]
[Experience: 200/1500]
[Skills: Legion Command, Power Strike, Summoner’s Fury, Legion’s Wrath, Master Summoner, Summon Storage Tattoo]
[Equipment: Pipe (Rift Fang Edges: +10 Attack), Behemoth Gauntlets (Summons +15% Attack), Riftweaver’s Spiked Mantle (+25 Defense, +15 Mana)]
[Summons: Sticky (Goblin), Mr. Smashypants (Troll), Sparky (Rift Hound), Rift Drake]
The battle had pushed him closer to level 16, and the loot promised upgrades. He pocketed the scroll, sensing its potential.
That night, the team camped in a grove near the outpost, a campfire crackling under a rift-tinged sky. Lyra studied the Riftweaver Codex and scroll, Tara patched Marcus up with a [Minor Health Potion]—[Marcus: 75/80 HP]—and Sticky chased fireflies, oblivious to the tension.
Angelus sat beside Marcus, offering a canteen. “You were a beast out there.”
Marcus drank, then stared into the flames. “I’ve been feeling… off. You’re summoning drakes, leading us like some rift god, and I’m just the guy with the spear. I didn’t know if I could keep up.”
Angelus frowned. “You’re not ‘just’ anything. You took down that mage when we couldn’t. That’s not catching up—that’s stepping up.”
Marcus exhaled, his shoulders relaxing. “I used to think this was all a game, you know? Joking around, swinging my spear. But it’s real now. People need us.”
“And you’re there for them,” Angelus said. “For us. That’s what matters.”
Tara called over, “Marcus, quit moping and help me with these armor plates. Your gear’s about to get an upgrade!”
Marcus chuckled, the weight lifting. “Moping? Please. I’m too pretty for that.”
Lyra spoke up, her voice grave. “The Riftweavers are ruled by Rift Lords—a council controlling summoning, manipulation, and destruction magic. They’re planning a ritual in the capital to merge our world with the rift dimension, seeking god-like power. It’ll destroy everything.”
Angelus’s fists clenched. “We stop them. How long do we have?”
“Days,” Lyra said. “They’re speeding up, knowing we’re close.”
“Then we teleport at dawn,” Angelus decided. “Straight to the capital’s edge. We hit them hard.”
Tara grinned. “Time to crack some skulls.”
Later, Angelus stood alone, gazing toward the capital. The sky roiled with rift energy, a storm brewing. A notification appeared: [New Skill Unlocked: Legion’s Rally – Boosts all allies’ attack and defense by 20% for 30 seconds. Mana cost: 25.]
He smirked. The Riftweavers wouldn’t know what hit them.