"He went in!"
"That guy actually dared to solo the rift?"
"Is he insane? Does he even know the meaning of danger?"
As Ethan's figure disappeared into the swirling mist at the rift's entrance, every set of eyes in the crowd was fixed on the spot where he'd stood moments before. The Windstorm Squad and all the other adventurers were wide-eyed with shock.
They had seen brave souls before—people who'd push their luck a little too far. But this? This was something else entirely. He was alone, and he was heading straight into a deathtrap that had defeated entire teams.
Inside the rift, Ethan felt a strange, creeping discomfort settle over him. He took a deep breath, and a bitter, toxic taste filled his lungs. The air itself seemed heavy, carrying an oppressive weight that he couldn't quite shake.
[You have entered the 'Venomous Swamp' region.]
[You are affected by the 'Venomous Miasma': Strength -10%, Spirit -10%, Constitution -20%, Agility -5%.]
[Due to the 'Holy Light' aura, you are immune to the Strength -10% and Spirit -10% effects.]
He raised an eyebrow, feeling a wave of relief wash over him as the debuff faded. "Holy Light, huh? Guess there's more to this than just the damage buff."
It wasn't just that Holy Light augmented his attacks—it nullified any negative effects on his offensive stats. With his damage intact, he took stock of his surroundings.
The swamp was a vision of decay. The mud, thick and dark, clung to his boots, each step making a sickening squelch as he moved. Trees with gnarled branches reached up like skeletal fingers, their twisted forms draped in sheets of moss. Here and there, he spotted what looked like bones jutting from the mire, as though unlucky souls had met their end here long ago.
Ahead, several pairs of red eyes glinted through the fog, locking onto him like beacons in the dim light. A low growl rumbled through the swamp as massive shapes began to emerge.
Level 15 Venomous Crocodile
Strength: 260
Spirit: 175
Constitution: 325
Agility: 190
Skills: Spin Bite, Pounce
Ethan studied the creatures, analyzing their stats with a quick mental calculation. "So, rift creatures really do live up to the hype."
The crocodiles were massive, their bodies covered in thick scales that oozed a foul, greenish substance. They slithered forward with surprising agility, moving far quicker than anything their size should have been able to. Despite their size, their steps were almost silent, the only sound being the faint hiss of their scaly bellies dragging through the mud.
But Ethan didn't waver. He raised his hand, his fingers sparking with energy as he cast Elemental Destruction. A brilliant beam of energy erupted from his fingertips, carving a path through the swamp as it tore into the approaching creatures.
The crocodiles had barely closed half the distance when the beam struck, and in an instant, their snarls were replaced by sickening crunches as their bodies crumpled and dissolved.
[You have defeated a Level 15 Elite Venomous Crocodile, earning 7,500 XP (+60%).]
[Rift Progress: 0.15%.]
[You have defeated a Level 15 Elite Venomous Crocodile, earning 7,500 XP (+60%).]
[Rift Progress: 0.3%.]
Ethan let out a chuckle as he watched the notifications pop up. "12,000 XP per kill... Feels like I'm taking down bosses back in the training zones."
He glanced around, noting that despite the destruction he'd just unleashed, the swamp looked almost undisturbed. The fog seemed to swallow everything, muffling the sound of his footsteps as he continued forward.
The beauty of his mage class was the sheer range it afforded. Even with monsters as quick as these, he could maintain a safe distance while delivering devastating blows. With Supreme Power enhancing his range, his spells extended well beyond a thousand meters—a distance most mages would only dream of reaching.
"There's no way these creatures are getting anywhere near me."
Smiling, he ventured deeper into the swamp. As he moved, he began to feel the weight of the toxic miasma pressing in on him again, but he shrugged it off. With Holy Light shielding him, he felt almost invincible.
He hadn't gone far when another cluster of red eyes emerged from the fog, followed by the hulking form of a much larger crocodile.
Level 15 Venomous Crocodile Leader
Rank: Bronze-tier BOSS
Strength: 390
Spirit: 263
Constitution: 488
Agility: 285
The leader, easily twice the size of the others, had scales that seemed almost metallic, reflecting the faint light as if armored. Its muscles rippled as it moved, and the ground trembled beneath its weight.
"Looks like they're sending the big guns now."
He raised his hand, casting Elemental Destruction once more. The beam lanced forward, hitting the leader square in the chest. The creature roared, a deep, guttural sound that seemed to vibrate through the very air, but it was short-lived. Within seconds, the leader staggered, its red eyes dimming as it collapsed into the muck.
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[You have defeated a Level 15 Elite Venomous Crocodile Leader, earning 20,000 XP (+60%).]
[Rift Progress: 3.35%.]
Ethan's eyes widened at the XP count. This was the kind of reward he could get used to. He quickened his pace, weaving through the swamp as he continued to mow down creatures in his path.
In just ten minutes, he had torn through the swamp zone, pushing the rift progress up to 20%. It was as if he was unstoppable. Not a single creature had managed to break the hundred-meter barrier, much less get close enough to touch him.
Finally, he felt the familiar surge of energy that came with leveling up.
[Level Up! Current Level: 10.]
[You have reached Level 10. Bronze-tier Advancement is now available.]
"Level 10 already…" Ethan mused, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. He barely even had time to celebrate as he noticed something strange. The rift progress, which had been stalled, suddenly jumped. It seemed like something—or someone—had pushed it further while he was distracted.
Outside the rift, the adventurers had been keeping an eye on the rift's progress meter, expecting it to remain stagnant, maybe even to drop if Ethan was killed inside. But suddenly, the meter ticked forward.
It had gone from 0% to 2.7% in mere moments, leaving the Windstorm Squad and every other team in shocked silence.
"No way!"
Grant's eyes widened, unable to believe what he was seeing.
Most of the onlookers couldn't feel the magnitude of what was happening, but the teams who had just returned from their failed attempts to clear the rift—including Grant's own Windstorm Squad—were left utterly stunned.
A progress jump to 2.7%? That meant Ethan had just soloed an entire wave of Venomous Crocodiles almost instantly.
Impossible.
But then, as if to confirm the surreal, Ethan pushed the progress to 20% in just ten minutes. That meant he had already blazed through the first stage of the rift.
To put it in perspective, even traversing the swamp itself should have taken several minutes. The way things looked, Ethan could have cleared that stage in a couple of minutes if not for the time it took to get from one point to another.
Grant felt a shiver run down his spine. But he knew what was coming next.
Stage Two: The Dread Spiders.
It was a monster that had wiped out the Windstorm Squad with terrifying efficiency. Not only was it fast, but it wielded control abilities that were devastating. The Dread Spider's Toxic Web had immobilized Grant's entire squad, sealing their fate. The team had only managed to escape with an emergency death-prevention scroll. Without that, they wouldn't be here.
"No matter what, he's an absolute monster for getting this far. If he doesn't make it past the second stage, that's nothing to be ashamed of."
Grant sighed, keeping his eyes fixed on the rift. He already had a plan: the moment Ethan returned, he would arrange immediate healing from their team's healer. A talent like Ethan was worth any investment.
Inside the rift, as soon as Ethan hit Level 10, he activated the skill scroll he had received from Principal Grant.
[You used the Level 10 Skill Scroll and acquired Supreme Frost Crystal Shield.]
He reviewed the skill.
Supreme Frost Crystal Shield
Level Requirement: 10
Effect 1: Instantly generates an Ice Crystal Shield with a value equal to Spirit x 2000%, lasting 100 seconds.
Effect 2: While the shield is active, any attack, including true, elemental, or holy damage, triggers a 30-second freeze on the attacker.
Effect 3: Upon expiration, any remaining shield points convert to healing.Cooldown: 60 secondsMana Cost: 20 points
"Unreal… this is ridiculously overpowered."
Ethan was blown away. With his current Spirit attribute, this skill created a shield with a staggering 24,500 points. The sheer magnitude of this shield meant that even opponents at level 20 or 30 would struggle to get through it.
What was even more absurd was the 30-second freeze effect. Thirty seconds of immobilization was enough time for him to decimate any foe hundreds of times over.
Effect 3 was just icing on the cake, as any remaining shield points would convert to health, practically ensuring he left every fight in perfect condition.
As if that weren't enough, the shield's duration was 100 seconds with only a 60-second cooldown. He could essentially keep the shield up indefinitely.
Ethan pieced together why this skill was so god-tier. Supreme Power amplified all skills tenfold, making this one exceptionally powerful. Without his class's boost, it would have been a decent skill, but certainly not this mind-bending. The shield would only last 10 seconds with a minimal 3-second freeze effect, a far cry from the monstrous version he now wielded.
"Amazing. These skills are on another level," he mused, satisfied with the acquisition.
He checked his loot. Among the corpses of the Venomous Crocodile leaders lay several items, more than he had managed to collect from any other area. Compared to the dismal drop rates in the wild, this rift was a goldmine.
"These drop rates… This makes hunting out there look like a waste of time." He smirked, his eyes scanning over the seven or eight items he had picked up—mostly Bronze-tier. Even if these were only Level 15 items, he could sell them for a tidy profit at the exchange.
Ethan pushed onward, delving deeper into the rift. The moment he stepped into a forest shrouded in thick, dark mist, a shrill chittering echoed through the trees. Shadows flitted between the branches, barely visible, but Ethan's keen senses locked onto them immediately.
His extraordinary Spirit attribute had heightened his perception, granting him enhanced reflexes and the ability to detect even the slightest movement. These were Dread Spiders, and they were incredibly fast.
Level 15 Dread Spider
Strength: 130
Spirit: 310
Constitution: 150
Agility: 280
Skills: Toxic Web, Silk Bind
"That explains why Windstorm Squad had so much trouble."
He studied their stats, noting the insane 300-point Agility. Even now, he was barely able to track them as they darted closer. Their venomous hisses filled the air, their bodies moving with a fluid, deadly grace.
But Ethan was prepared. He raised his arm, and the dark-gold staff appeared in his hand, its surface crackling with energy. He channeled the elemental power, feeling the raw force gather at the staff's tip.
A wicked grin spread across his face. "Think you're fast? Let's see if you're faster than lightning."
"Supreme Lightning Storm!"
In an instant, the sky darkened, and a roar of thunder echoed across the forest as bolts of electricity poured down. The spiders were taken by surprise, barely registering the attack before they were obliterated in a hail of flashing light.
The Dread Spiders vanished into clouds of ash.
[You defeated Level 15 Elite Dread Spider, earning 9,000 XP (+50%).]
[Rift Progress: 20.5%.]
[You defeated Level 15 Bronze-tier BOSS: Dread Spider Leader, earning 25,000 XP (+50%).]
[Rift Progress: 22.5%.]
The alerts flashed by as Ethan's experience bar shot up. The spider leader had been no match for the unrelenting bolts. He chuckled, thrilled by how effortlessly he was advancing.
"Fast?" he muttered to himself. "Nothing's faster than lightning."
He moved deeper into the shadowy forest, feeling the thrill of the challenge as he delved further into the rift's secrets.
Outside, the adventurers clustered around the rift entrance, eyes glued to the progress meter. The numbers ticked upwards once again, from 20% to 24%, leaving them all in stunned silence.