If there was one thing Synn hated, it was the post. The only letters he ever received were overdue notices from his landlord. In fairness he wasn't a bad guy, he had a job to do, and Synn knew he was stopping that from happening. Still, it had resulted in the argument he was in right know so he was still annoyed at the guy.
"Sy, I don't care. I'm done, I'm breaking up with you!"
"Danika. I can change our fortunes."
"You've been saying that for two years. You barely go to classes; I don't know how you'll graduate."
"Honestly, I can feel a change coming."
"Well,” she sighed “I hope for you it does. I've been scouted, a minor guild is willing to pick me up and put me through college and… I'm taking it."
"That's great. We should celebrate."
"No Synn, you need to listen. We're done. I'm moving into the guild lodgings."
She moved towards the door with a pack slung over her shoulder. Hesitation kicked in as she brushed past his hand. She turned and looked up at him, his 6ft2 athletic frame dwarfing her lean 5ft5.
"It wasn't all bad, we had a lot of fun." She said kissing him gently on the cheek before she turned and walked out of the apartment and his life.
Furious, Synn started to throw furniture around. His rage bubbling over. He’d always had a short temper, and this wasn’t the first time they’d broken up it was just that he knew, this was the last time. It hurt; he’d suspected it was coming. Danika had closed herself off more than usual recently. It was so she could focus on her studies and meeting the minimum requirements for a college, or so she said. But really it was just a way out of this life and he understood and supported that.
They’d met at age fourteen and bonded over their difficulties in class and that had somehow become dating. It was also the same time that Synn had started combating the rifts. No longer were you considered an adult at eighteen. The huge loss of life when rift breaks started happening meant that children became self sufficient at age fourteen and therefore less of a burden on the aid of the state.
Their difficulties came in how problematic it was to level their starting skill and stats, well for Synn it was impossible but for Danika she had to put ridiculous amounts of energy in compared to everyone else. To get a class and be considered eligible for one of the elite Academies or Colleges you had to level your primary skill to level 10. For Danika it was a time and effort issue but for Synn his skill was locked at the first level as that was also its maximum level. He couldn’t increase it through continued use like other people or apply experience to the skill or his stats. It was rare but there were some broken skills that prevented people from progressing. Luckily it was still useful enough that he could join rift delves and that was how he made enough money to almost pay his bills.
Luckily, he didn't destroy the apartment and furniture in his heartbreak tantrum as that would cost him money he really didn’t have right now. His notification buzzed, just as he was about to start tidying up, to let him know a high priority message had come through.
Urgently calling all local adventurers. A new rift has appeared in an unstable format. We require as many of you as possible. This isn't a drill; real lives will be lost if you refuse to act now and the rift breaks. Location will be uploaded to your map on acceptance.
Accept YES/NO?
Mentally clicking ‘Yes’ Synn thought to himself ‘Great, now I get to go be ridiculed by my peers too.’ He changed into his delving gear and messaged his friend Lance ‘Any chance you’re off to the rift and I can grab a lift?’. Lance lived in the same block of apartments and was also a delver, he just hoped that he was also heading to the rift or he’d have to spend a chunk of his money on public transport.
The reply was quick, ‘Sure Dude, see you in the garage in 5.’ Synn was truly grateful that he wouldn’t be late to the rift.
The ride was in awkward silence after Lance had asked if Danika would be joining them and Synn had to explain that they’d broken up.
As the car pulled up Synn thought he saw the back of Danika’s head moving behind a car after alighting a guild coach. ‘Surely, she wouldn’t come here today, would she?’ But as they moved to the gathering point, he realised just how wrong he had been.
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Danika stood with ‘The Venomous Stingers’, a guild group that specialised in poison strikes. This was part of why Danika had been slow to progress, her skill required her to build up a poisonous core through the absorption of atmospheric poisons and unless you discovered a truly poisonous area within a rift it was hard work to draw the natural poisons from the air outside rifts.
The worst part was that she wasn’t standing alone, she was holding on to the arm of someone else wearing the emblem of the Venomous Stingers.
“Danika?” He called out.
“Dude, don’t.” Lance put his hand on his shoulder. “She’s clearly not worth your time if she’s already moved on.” He tried to be sympathetic as he’d seen the pain on Synn’s face during the drive.
“Sy,” She was shocked to see him there “I… I didn’t expect to see you so soon.”
“Clearly, didn’t expect you to have moved into a new relationship in less than an hour.”
“It, it’s complicated. Brad and I, we synergise. I met him when I went to try out for the guild, and we went for a few coffees after to talk about our skills and his skill creates a poison mist when fighting that strengthens him. The longer he spends in it the stronger he becomes.”
“So, you’re what? Dual cultivating now?”
“No, no. He just gets me.”
“Problem?” Brad stepped up pressing his hand into Synn’s chest forcing him to take a half step back.
“There will be if you don’t take your hand off me.”
“Synn, please don’t start anything? This is my first outing with the guild. A chance to prove myself.” She pleaded.
“Oh, so this is your useless ex that you couldn’t wait to get away from.”
“Brad, you’re not helping. Go back to the group.”
“No, I think he needs reality to give him a gentle reminder his fist turning green.”
Lance stepped in between “Back off unless you want to be done before the delve starts.”
“From this useless punk? I doubt it.”
“No Brad, he’s right. Synn might not be able to level but in a one on one he can beat anyone close to his level and none of us have opened a class or second skill yet.”
Synn smirked at Brad as he was pulled away by Danika.
“How are you feeling Dude?” Lance asked when they were alone again.
“Like someone is still twisting a knife in my chest.”
“Maybe sit this one out?”
“I can’t, I need the money. More so than before now it is just me and not Danika and I sharing the bills.”
“You can always give up the apartment and crash with me for a while.”
“Thanks, you’re a good friend. I might have to do that anyway if I don’t get anything useful from this delve.”
“I know. And don’t worry. I’ve got your back in there so there won’t be any sneak attacks from Brad for you to worry about.”
“Damn, I am off my game. I didn’t even think of that.” He worriedly chuckled wondering if they would try something underhanded like a sneak attack.
Just then a dark black van with a white ‘R.O.R.T.’ emblazoned on the side pulled up and a young lady stepped out dressed more for a court room job than a rift delve. She had high heels, tights, a pencil skirt and a white blouse. “Please gather round everyone. I haven’t all day, this is a serious risk to the local area.” She called out.
Everyone stopped their conversations and began to congregate around her.
“Good, good. Now I’m from the Rift Office Response Team as you’ve probably gathered, and this rift here has been classed as a category four. That means it’s low level and able to be taken up by anyone with a combat or a combat adjacent skill, but it must be completed in a timely manner.”
“How come you haven’t brought a team then? Brad called out.
“Our teams are spread thin this week and are currently out on other assignments. That doesn’t however, mean that we are neglecting the risk that this rift poses to the built-up area and as such we have called in support from Armageddon Academy. Luckily, they have a team already heading out this way and they should reach here within three to four hours.”
“That’s no help. We could witness a full rift break by then with all the beasts inside storming out and turning the residential district into a nest.” Brad continued to poke at the Rift Officer.
“Indeed, and your incessant whining is only making that possibility more likely. Now for those who haven’t had a basic education or just forgot what causes a volatile rift like this is when a single monster has exceeded the maximum level of the rift, the energy it emits overwhelms the stability and cause the entrance to become an unpredictable gateway to our world. It takes a much more cohesive and powerful force to come in and collapse the rift should that happen so I need you all to be my first wave and reduce the number of beasts that could break out should Armageddon Academy not make it in time. Okay, now let’s break off into teams and get ready to enter.”