Angelus stood in the university library, the safe zone buzzing with survivors finding solace amid the chaos. He’d just used his "Rift Sense" skill, tingling like a cosmic compass, to pinpoint the first rift anchor at city hall. "Alright, it’s at city hall," he told Marcus and Tara, his voice steady despite the knot in his stomach.

"City hall? Downtown’s a monster buffet," Marcus quipped, twirling his pipe like a baton. Tara nodded, her baseball bat resting on her shoulder. "Dangerous, but we’ve got to do it."

Angelus glanced at Lily, playing with kids to distract them from the outside world. "Lil, I need to go out again. Stay here, okay?" She pouted, crossing her arms. "But I want to help!" "Too dangerous," he said firmly, hugging her. "You’re safer here." She sighed, nodding. "Be careful, okay?" He smiled. "Always."

They gathered supplies—backpacks stuffed with water, granola bars, and a first aid kit. Sticky, the goblin, rifled through a pile of junk, snatching a shiny pen. "Sticky, no!" Angelus snapped, grabbing it back. The goblin sulked, but Mr. Smashypants, the troll, just sat confused, and Sparky, the rift hound, wagged his tail, ready to go.

Outside, New Haven was a ghost town of flipped cars, smoke, and distant roars. They stuck to alleys, shadows their only shield. Angelus led, pipe in hand, Marcus beside him, joking, "Remember high school RPGs? You’d always pick thief for the loot." Angelus chuckled. "Yeah, and you’d tank, taking all the hits. Now, life’s mimicking art," nodding at Mr. Smashypants lumbering behind.

Sticky scampered ahead, picking up a rusted nail, then a gum wrapper. "Sticky, stay close," Angelus warned. The goblin nodded, falling back, but not before pocketing a candy bar from a looted store.

They turned a corner, spotting three goblins looting a convenience store. "Let’s take them out," Angelus said. "Legion Command: Attack!" Sticky leapt on one, clawing its face; Mr. Smashypants swung his club, sending another flying; Sparky pounced on the third, tearing it apart. Quick, messy, done. A notification flashed: [You have defeated 3 Goblins. Experience gained: 150.]

But then, a rift spider dropped from above—venomous, multi-eyed, and pissed. "Uh oh," Marcus said, backing up. It lunged at Angelus, who dodged, swinging his pipe. "Power Strike!" he yelled, hitting its side—[Rift Spider: 80/100 HP]. Mr. Smashypants crushed it with a club swing—[Rift Spider: 0/100 HP]. "Whew, close call," Angelus said, wiping sweat.

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Sticky, mid-fight, stole a coin from a fallen goblin, now playing with it like a toy. "Sticky, you can’t just take things," Angelus scolded, but the goblin grinned innocently.

City hall loomed, marble steps scarred, doors ajar, growls echoing inside. They entered, the hall a wreck—overturned desks, claw marks on walls. Using "Rift Sense," Angelus felt the anchor’s pull, a glowing crystal in the center. But as they approached, a massive Rift Guardian emerged—armored, red-eyed, claws sharp—[Rift Guardian: 200/200 HP].

"Oh, great," Marcus mumbled. "Just what we needed."

"Legion Command: Attack its legs!" Angelus shouted. Sticky scampered, clawing a leg; Mr. Smashypants swung his club, crunching a knee—[Rift Guardian: 190/200 HP]; Sparky bit the other—[Rift Guardian: 185/200 HP]. The guardian roared, kicking Sticky away—[Sticky: 40/50 HP]. "Damn," Angelus said.

It backhanded Mr. Smashypants—[Mr. Smashypants: 180/200 HP]—and swiped at Marcus, who dodged, landing a hit—[Rift Guardian: 175/200 HP]. Angelus used "Power Strike"—[Rift Guardian: 165/200 HP]—mana dropping to [Mana: 20/50]. The fight was a blur—dodges, swings, roars—until Sticky, caught in a web trap, screamed, triggering chaos. Mr. Smashypants took a hit freeing him—[Mr. Smashypants: 150/200 HP]—but Sticky emerged, waving his coin, unscathed. "Lucky klepto," Marcus laughed.

"Summoner’s Fury!" Angelus activated—[Mana: 5/50]—boosting attacks. Mr. Smashypants landed a crushing blow—[Rift Guardian: 100/200 HP]; Sparky tore in—[Rift Guardian: 80/200 HP]. Angelus and Marcus finished it, pipes cracking—[Rift Guardian: 0/200 HP].

A notification: [You have defeated the Rift Guardian. Experience gained: 400.]

They found the anchor, a pulsating crystal. Angelus smashed it with his pipe, shattering it. Another notification: [You have destroyed 1 rift anchor. Progress: 1/3. Reward: 500 XP.]

[You have reached Level 7.]

[New Skill Unlocked: Summoner’s Shield – Temporarily increases the defense of your summons by 20% for 30 seconds. Mana cost: 15.]

"Nice, a new skill," Angelus said, grinning.

Back at the library, survivors cheered. Lily ran, hugging him. "You did it!" she cried. He hugged back. "We did it together." That night, exhausted, Angelus thought of the next two anchors, determined to see it through, with Sticky’s coin jingle a funny echo in his mind.