"How many more of these we gotta kill?" Brice asked after a while as we scaled down the side of a skyscraper towards another pack of Netherling Cryptids that had spotted us from the top of another building. "It's starting to get kinda boring."

Vera scoffed, "Well, let's just hope we don't run into anything stronger."

I nodded in agreement as we continued our descent. "That would be nice." I paused for a moment, thinking about our next step. "The riftspawns don't seem to stick around when they lose too much health, so that's a good start, but they're starting to coordinate attacks better." I glanced over my shoulder at the dead Cryptids we had left behind us in the previous skyscraper, then added, "And they seem to be more intelligent than they first appeared."

Brice grunted as he followed behind me. "Yeah, I noticed that too."

We reached the bottom of the skyscraper, and we jumped, sailing across a massive gap between buildings until we landed on the other side. When we looked up, we saw the Cryptids that had seen us enter their patrol route. They shrieked in unison and sprung into the air, their wings propelling them forward as they rushed to greet us.

"Here we go again," I muttered, feeling the shadows stir beneath my command.

Brice threw himself into the fray with a grunt, his psychic abilities sending him propelling towards the Cryptids. One punch from him and a Cryptid went spiraling into oblivion, exploding in a brilliant flare of multicolored plasma.

Vera was beside him, her psychic teleportation in full swing as she darted in and out of the battle, leading the Cryptids on a wild goose chase. As one dodged her, she teleported behind it and shot it with her blaster, then teleported away again before another one could engage her.

As for me? I found myself up against a particularly feisty Cryptid. The creature lunged at me, its razor-sharp claws thrashing wildly as I blocked one with my combat baton and another with my armor. Then I swept my leg under it and kicked it backwards, sending it tumbling away. I took my chance to take aim and send a Shadow Blast roaring from my hand, watching as the blast swept over the creature and sent it crashing into a nearby building. It went limp, its iridescent sheen fading away as it fell to the ground in a heap of gooey, unrecognizable flesh.

Another Cryptid pounced at me from above and slammed me to the side, sending me sprawling over the metal railing that kept me from falling over the side of the skyscraper. I landed on a narrow platform a few levels down, and my assailant went to lunge at me again. With a snap of its mandibles, a plasma orb shot out, heading straight for me.

Without a second to spare, I conjured up a shadow wall. The orb hit the barrier and detonated, but the shadow wall held strong, shielding me from the explosion.

"Huh, look at you go, Connor!" Vera's voice echoed through my Interface. I didn't have time to respond. The Cryptid was on me again, its mandibles clacking as it swung a clawed leg at me with all its strength. I barely dodged it in time, but it caught my armor and knocked me back again, sending me tumbling across the platform until I smacked into a railing with enough force to knock the wind out of me.

You've taken 19 Kinetic Damage

I glanced around and then my eyes landed on the skyscraper nearby. It was oriented sideways, its gravity perpendicular to ours. A plan formed in my mind. Dangerous? Absolutely. Crazy? You bet.

I took off towards the skyscraper, the Cryptid hot on my heels. As I neared the skyscraper, I used my Shadow Launch to hurl myself into the air and fly towards the building at breakneck speed. With a swift jerk, I yanked myself into the skyscraper's gravitational field. The sudden shift in gravity was disorienting, but I pushed through the vertigo, holding on to my focus.

The Cryptid followed me, its legs clattering on the surface as it made its way to the edge of the building. Then it leaped towards me, its translucent wings carrying it forward.

Without a second to lose, I activated my Shadow Launch again, propelling myself straight towards it while swinging my combat baton in a wide arc. As I neared it, I tucked into a ball and swung with all my might, the baton colliding with the riftspawn's carapace in a thunderous crack.

It let out an agonized shriek as it hurtled towards the side of the skyscraper and plummeted into the vast expanse below. My momentum carried me forward, and I tumbled out of control until I slammed into a window on the other side of the skyscraper, sending glass shards flying everywhere as I slid to a stop on the floor. I winced as I rubbed my shoulder, but I was otherwise unharmed, save for the scratches and scrapes I had picked up in battle.

You've taken 9 Kinetic Damage

You gained 300 Experience Points

"Another one bites the dust!" I shouted, panting from the exertion.

"Nice move!" Vera called from somewhere above me, sounding like she was still on the other side of the skyscraper. I glanced up and saw her standing on the railing, peering down at me through the broken window.

As I regained my bearings, I finally took notice of my surroundings and got a proper look at the place I had landed on. It was a window office, similar to the ones we had found in the skyscraper that we had been using as our base, albeit in a whole new orientation.

A moment later, Brice appeared next to Vera on the railing, having leaped across the gap himself. "We should probably get moving," he suggested, patting my shoulder before walking off towards the edge. Vera followed closely behind, and I heaved a sigh, looking back at the mess I had made of the office room as I climbed out and followed suit.

----------------------------------------

We continued on for another few hours, but finding the two remaining Cryptids to complete the mission was like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. There were so many skyscrapers, and with every minute that passed, they seemed to stretch further and further into the distance, vanishing into the infinite expanse of glowing nebula.

I was starting to feel a little discouraged when we finally caught sight of one of the Cryptids near a large office building that floated serenely against the backdrop of the nebula.

This one seemed a little different from the others, with more distinct features. Instead of having the standard six legs, it had eight, and its shell had a slightly more defined shape. Instead of three pincers, it had four, and its head was more angular and slender. Overall, it looked bigger and more menacing than the other riftspawns we had encountered so far.

Brice must have sensed my apprehension because he spoke up, "That looks like one helluva bastard."

As if on cue, the Cryptid turned towards us and let out a shrill shriek before leaping out of view. A second later, it burst through a nearby skyscraper's window, sending debris flying as it spewed a barrage of glowing projectiles in our direction.

The plasma blasts lit up the sky in brilliant flashes, but I had enough time to react, conjuring a Shadow Wall to protect us from the incoming barrage. When the barrage finished, the riftspawn launched itself back over to our side of the skyscraper with a single beat of its wings. It landed on top of another building and quickly scuttled to a new vantage point as it continued to fire at us with its plasma weapon.

I did my best to hold it at bay with Shadow Walls while we circled around for a better angle of attack.

With a roar, Brice charged, his blades sparking as he took a running start and leaped over the wall. A blast from the Cryptid knocked him off course, sending him tumbling down to the floor.

Meanwhile, Vera made her move. As the riftspawn focused its fire on Brice, she leaped forward in a mad sprint and teleported behind it. Before the riftspawn could react, Vera raised her blaster and unloaded on it. The Cryptid spasmed wildly as Vera emptied the entire magazine into its abdomen. It screeched and fell off the building, plummeting through the empty space like a brick until it hit the next skyscraper, its iridescent carapace breaking off in a shower of brilliant light.

"Wow," I said as I lowered my Shadow Wall and let out a breath. "You two sure know how to throw down."

Vera let out a chuckle as she put away her blaster. "Yeah, that one was pretty fun."

A moment later, Brice showed up, panting slightly. "Yeah, good job there," he said before gesturing at me with his blaster pistol. "You keep being good with those shadows. It makes it easier for us to handle these things."

I nodded. "Sure thing. You okay though?"

Brice waved off my concern. "Yeah, I'm good," he replied as he massaged his shoulder. "Just gotta get used to the fact that these aliens ain't exactly that easy to take out."

With a shrug, we set off again to find the last remaining Cryptid.

Our search was cut short by a deep, resounding roar from somewhere ahead of us, echoing off the glass surfaces of the skyscraper walls and building upon itself until it filled the entire expanse around us, seeming to come from all directions at once. It was so loud and deep that it made me stumble.

"What was that?" Brice asked as he looked around at the surrounding buildings for the source of the roar.

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A moment later, we caught a glimpse of what was making that noise: A massive Cryptid, easily four times as large as the ones we had faced, was prowling down the side of one of the nearby skyscrapers, its body pulsating with luminous light as it moved.

"That ain't good," Brice muttered, taking a few steps back. "How did we not notice that?"

"I don't know," I muttered, suddenly feeling very small. "That's definitely bigger than the others."

As if sensing our presence, the massive riftspawn turned its attention in our direction and let out another deep, resounding roar. It spread its translucent wings and sprang into the air, shattering the glass windows underneath it and sailing straight towards us like an interstellar torpedo.

It came at us so fast that we barely had time to react before it hit the ground like a meteorite. A shockwave erupted from the point of impact, knocking us off our feet and sending us tumbling along the floor of the skyscraper, trailing plumes of smoke and debris in its wake.

You've taken 33 Kinetic Damage

When the dust settled, I was lying on my back, looking up at the ceiling as I tried to collect my senses. As soon as my vision cleared, I scrambled back to my feet, hastily pulling out my bolt-action rifle and checking on my team.

Vera was okay, already up and on her feet, but Brice was still on the ground, clutching his head and looking like he was in a lot of pain. "Brice!" I shouted as I ran over to him. "Are you okay?"

As I helped him up, he replied in a voice so groggy that it was hard to understand him. "I'll... I'll be fine." Then he shook his head and let out a groan. "Damn, that thing packs a punch."

I helped him steady himself as we turned to face the huge Cryptid that was approaching us from the cratered hole in the skyscraper's surface. It looked like the big brother version of the last Cryptid we faced, except with more features.

"Since this is the last one, should we go all out?" I asked, gripping my rifle as I watched the giant riftspawn stalk closer to us. "This thing is obviously powerful."

Brice grunted and rubbed at his head before nodding. "Yeah, I think we should."

As Vera joined us, she seemed to catch on to our plan. "That sounds good to me," she said, holding up her blaster pistol. "Let's bring down this big boy."

I nodded, focusing my will to conjure shadowy duplicates of myself with my Umbral Echo power. Two of them appeared and followed my lead as we approached the Cryptid from its left side. Meanwhile, Vera and Brice moved on the right side to flank it, staying at a safe distance and firing at it whenever it tried to strike at them.

A large plasma ball flew from its mouth, exploding in mid-air like a bomb as it tore through one of my shadows. The creature then swung one of its forelimbs at me, sending me flying with a sweep of its giant pincer.

You've taken 21 Kinetic Damage

I tumbled across the ground before crashing into a nearby skyscraper. I got back on my feet, wincing at the pain in my side and the ringing in my ears. As I recovered, I saw Brice and Vera engaging with the Cryptid, dodging its pincers as they kept it distracted.

Seeing that I was okay, they kept up their attack as they rushed forward to strike at the Cryptid. Brice's blades bit into its carapace and glowing sparks erupted from its wounds. At the same time, Vera took aim with her blaster pistol, firing a series of rapid shots that tore through its shell.

Then, with a tremendous shriek, the Cryptid went berserk, swinging its forelimbs in all directions as it lashed out at us. Brice and Vera quickly jumped away as plasma blasts hit the ground where they had stood a moment earlier, sending waves of molten heat rippling through the metal and glass.

As soon as I was on my feet, I unleashed a Shadow Blast, watching in satisfaction as the shadowy energy ripped through the Cryptid's shell, scattering glowing chunks everywhere and leaving a gaping hole in its side.

Attack Hit. You deal 38 Umbral Damage.

My remaining shadow clone jumped on top of its back and swung his combat baton across its carapace, cracking it and sending shards of chitin flying everywhere. A plasma blast exploded from its mandibles, sending the clone tumbling across the ground like a rag doll before dissipating into nothingness.

I raised my rifle and took aim, targeting the Cryptid's underbelly. "Aim for the underbelly," I yelled to Brice and Vera, hoping that they could hear me over the sounds of their fight.

The riftspawn roared, its pincers clacking as it spewed a barrage of glowing projectiles at Brice and Vera. They rolled away to avoid it, and I let out a sigh of relief as the last one flew harmlessly past me. Then I took my shot, firing three consecutive shots that pierced the Cryptid's shell and knocked it off balance.

Vera took the chance to reappear behind it and fire her blaster straight into its underbelly. The beast writhed and screeched in agony, its glow dimming as it turned its attention to her. I took aim and fired two more shots at it, landing them both in its soft underbelly before the Cryptid's wings flapped once, propelling it into the air, leaving a trail of glowing white vapor behind it as it shot upward like a rocket.

"Uh-oh." Vera gulped and began to back away. "This doesn't look good."

Brice and I followed suit, cautiously backing away from the gigantic riftspawn as it loomed over us. With another ear-splitting roar, it launched itself at us, its underbelly glowing as it prepared to fire another barrage of plasma at us.

As Vera and I dove for cover behind the nearby skyscraper, Brice used his powers to leap at the Cryptid from above, his psychic energy sending him soaring like a rocket towards it. One pincer lashed out at him, but he leaped into the air and somersaulted over it to avoid it. Then he grabbed onto the underside of its shell and yanked with all his strength, tearing it open as the massive riftspawn shrieked and writhed.

Plasma spewed from its underbelly and hit Brice's back, sending him tumbling backwards and landing with a loud thud against the floor. I could see that he was breathing heavily, and one of his knives had fallen from his grasp. He looked like he had been severely burned by the Cryptid's plasma, his techwear mostly gone, exposing the charred flesh underneath.

"Brice!" Vera shouted as she made her way over to him, putting her blaster away.

The Cryptid shrieked again and plunged down towards Brice. Vera blinked out of existence, reappearing beside Brice and lifting him onto her shoulders as she disappeared again just before the riftspawn hit the ground with a thunderous crash. Shards of metal and glass erupted everywhere as it slid to a halt against a skyscraper wall.

Vera reappeared beside me and dropped Brice gently to the ground. She took out a stimpack from her inventory and injected it into Brice's arm, muttering something to him under her breath that I couldn't hear.

After a few moments, Brice's eyes fluttered open, and he let out a weak laugh. "Yeah, yeah," he groaned as he lifted a shaking hand to his head. "That was too close."

Vera helped him up as I aimed my rifle at the Cryptid. "I'll cover you guys."

They nodded and held their weapons at the ready as the Cryptid slowly regained its footing and shook off its injuries. As soon as it was back on its feet, it let out another loud shriek and leaped into the air, flying towards us on its translucent wings. As it made its way to us, its underbelly glowed, preparing to fire.

I erected a Shadow Wall in front of us while Vera and Brice ducked behind it for cover. The Cryptid fired at the barrier, blasting away the wall into a flurry of shadows that rained down on us as it hurtled overhead.

In a flash, Vera appeared on top of its head and began shooting her blaster straight down into its neck as it flapped its wings to carry it further away. Brice switched to his blaster pistol and peppered at its wings with rapid fire, causing it to plummet to the ground in a shower of sparks and debris, tumbling like a meteorite until it came to a halt.

It got up again, shaking off the rubble, but its glow was fading.

"That's it," Brice growled as he adjusted his grip on his blaster pistol. "Let's finish this."

Shadows coalesced on my hands as I fired three successive blasts at the Cryptid's head, tearing through its shell and ripping open a huge gaping hole in its face. It screeched and flailed its legs as plasma began to spurt from its mandibles, burning through the metal floor and sending molten metal rippling in all directions.

Attack Hit. You deal 41 Umbral Damage. Attack Hit. You deal 37 Umbral Damage. Attack Hit. You deal 40 Umbral Damage.

Brice and Vera joined in, landing critical shots on its underbelly and head, their blasters sounding like thunder as they went off one after another. A few more rounds from their blasters, and the riftspawn collapsed, its iridescent light fading as it dissipated into nothingness.

All that was left of the beast were bits of its carapace that sparkled with iridescent shards as they tumbled down from the skyscraper's walls to the floor below.

You gained 1000 Experience Points

A moment later, the System registered our victory:

Rifgtate Objective Cleared! You've acquired 2000 Experience Points You will receive your 2 Random Rare Drops and 2 Random Uncommon Drops once you've exited the Riftgate You will also receive a special item as a reward for completing your first Riftgate once you've exited.

I let out a breath of relief as I dropped my rifle and sank to the floor. "We did it."

Brice chuckled as he brushed dust off his clothes. "Yeah, we did."

Vera let out a sigh, then picked up Brice's fallen knife before going to tend to his wounds again. "That was certainly something."

Brice nodded, rubbing his forehead as Vera administered another stimpack to him. "Yeah, I gotta agree with you on that." Then he winced as Vera applied a burn ointment to his shoulder. "Ow."

I laughed at that, glad that he was alright. "So what do we do now?"

As if on cue, the System pinged the location of the exit portal and told us we had 31 hours and 59 minutes left to reach it. It was only about one kilometer from our location.

Vera handed Brice his knife, then gave him a reassuring pat on his shoulder. "The Riftgate has no more enemies, so we can just stay here for a while. The Ley Storm could still be happening outside so we should stay put in here for as long as we can."

I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's do that."

I sat down on the floor and let my mind wander for a while, watching the shimmering crystals of light bounce off the walls in an ethereal dance. Hopefully, a sunny day would be waiting for us once we get back to the other side. More than that though, I was excited to see the rewards I'd get from my first Riftgate clear.

Experience Points: 20350/16000 You've gained a new Rank: Acolyte II You have 1 Stat point to distribute You have unlocked one new Umbrakinesis ability The next rank will be Acolyte III You will require 24000 Experience to advance in rank