Chapter 12: The Heart's Pulse
Ryo Aelren gripped his new steel short sword, its polished edge catching the dim light of his inn room. The seven silvers from the Rank B mission sat in his pouch, but his mind was on Veyra's chilling words: The Rift remembers. The Memory Fragment—Progress: 6/10—pulsed in sync with the cracked mana crystal on his table, its rune-like glow mirroring the ruined city's spires. The System's whisper—The forgotten stir. Seek the heart—drove him, a call he couldn't ignore.
The Adventurer's Guild buzzed with rumors of the unstable Rift branches, and Ryo's Status Screen burned in his thoughts:
*Name: Ryo Aelren
Level: 1
Class: None
Stats:
Strength: 4
Agility: 6 (+15% in combat, Survival Instinct)
Endurance: 5
Mana: 0
Skills:
Survival Instinct (Passive): Boosts agility by 10-15% when threatened.
Basic Strike (Active): Increases single-target attack damage by 6%.
Danger Sense (Passive): Heightens awareness of imminent threats.
Weak Point Strike (Active): Increases damage to vital areas by 11%.
Rift Sense (Passive): Detects Rift-based anomalies.
Experience: 75/200
Memory Fragments: 6/10*
Level 1 had sharpened his body, but Rift Sense was the key—it had found the obelisk, the dais, and now it hummed with the crystal. Veyra's appearance, her knowledge of the runes, suggested the Rift held secrets beyond monsters and loot. Ryo needed to know more, and the System grew with danger.
A knock at the door startled him. Danger Sense stayed quiet, but he grabbed his sword. "Who is it?"
"Calen," came the familiar voice. "We need to talk."
Ryo opened the door, and Calen stepped inside, his cloak dusted with road grime. The swordsman's scar was stark in the candlelight. "That woman, Veyra," he said, his voice low. "She's no guild member. I asked around—she's a rogue scholar, banned for digging too deep into the Rift's origins. Whatever she said, forget it."
Ryo's grip tightened on the sword. "She knew about the runes. Said I felt the 'old power.'"
Calen's eyes narrowed. "And do you?"
Ryo hesitated. The Memory Fragment, the whisper—they were too personal, too dangerous to share. "I just see patterns," he said, deflecting. "The runes control the Riftspawn. We've seen it."
Calen studied him, then nodded. "Fair. But Veyra's trouble, and the guild's on edge. They're planning another mission—Rank B, clear a Rift branch near the ruins. Same pay, thirty silvers. My team's in, but it's your call. You're not obligated."
Ryo's Rift Sense stirred, drawn to the ruins. The Memory Fragment whispered: Seek the heart. The mission was a risk, but also a chance—more runes, more fragments, more power. "I'm in," he said. "When?"
"Dawn," Calen said. "Get rest. And Ryo—watch your back. Gav's been asking about you."
The warning lingered as Calen left. Ryo checked his gear—leather cuirass, steel sword, six silvers. He spent a silver on a thick cloak for the cold, saving the rest. Sleep was fitful, dreams of runes and Veyra's glowing eyes. The whisper grew clearer: The heart awaits.
At dawn, Ryo joined Calen's team at the Rift Gate. Mira's bow was taut, Brom's satchel ready, and Elara's staff glowed faintly. Calen gave a curt nod. "This branch is active—Riftspawn, maybe worse. Objective: clear the core. No detours."
The portal opened, and they stepped into a Rift branch of jagged cliffs and glowing mist. The ruins were closer now, spires rising like broken teeth. Rift Sense screamed, guiding Ryo to a central structure—a dome, its roof collapsed, runes pulsing across its walls. The air hummed, heavy with mana.
"Core's in there," Elara said, her voice tense. "Mana's off the charts."
They advanced, Danger Sense on edge. The dome's entrance was guarded by Riftspawn—hulking brutes, their bodies fused with crystal, Rank B. Calen charged, his sword a blur. Mira's arrows struck eyes, Elara's fire scorched hides, and Brom's wards held firm. Ryo's Survival Instinct boosted his agility, and he flanked a brute, Weak Point Strike targeting its neck. The steel sword cut deep, felling it.
Experience gained. Level 1: 100/200.
More brutes emerged, and the fight grew chaotic. Ryo dodged a crystal fist, landing a Basic Strike on a brute's leg. Experience gained. Level 1: 125/200. Elara's spell faltered, her mana low, and a brute charged her. Ryo's Rift Sense flared, spotting a rune on the dome's archway powering the Riftspawn.
"Elara, the archway rune!" Ryo shouted, sprinting toward it. He leaped, Weak Point Strike cracking the stone. The rune dimmed, and the brutes slowed. Elara's next spell shattered the archway, and the Riftspawn collapsed.
Experience gained. Level 1: 150/200. Memory Fragment Progress: 7/10.
The whisper roared: The heart is near. Ryo's Rift Sense locked onto the dome's center—a pedestal, its rune glowing violently. Before he could move, the ground shook, and a new Riftspawn emerged—a serpent of shadow and crystal, Rank A. Its eyes locked onto Ryo, and Danger Sense screamed.
"Fall back!" Calen yelled, but Ryo's Rift Sense held him. The pedestal was the core, the heart. He sprinted toward it, dodging the serpent's tail. Calen cursed, joining him, while Mira and Elara attacked from range. Brom's ward shielded Ryo as he reached the pedestal, Weak Point Strike shattering its rune.
The serpent roared, its form unraveling. Experience gained. Level 1: 190/200. Memory Fragment Progress: 8/10. The whisper thundered: The heart is yours. The dome trembled, the branch collapsing. The team fled through the portal, emerging in Varnholt as the Rift sealed.
Panting, Calen grabbed Ryo's shoulder. "That was reckless. But damn effective."
Elara's eyes burned with questions, but she stayed silent. Mira muttered, "Crazy bastard," with a grudging nod. Brom laughed, clapping Ryo's back. The guild paid thirty silvers, Ryo's share seven. His pouch now held twelve silvers, but the Memory Fragment—8/10—was the true prize.
That night, Ryo held the mana crystal, Rift Sense pulsing. The System chimed: Memory Fragment Analysis. Progress: 9/10. The whisper was a command: Claim the heart. The Rift's heart, the System's secrets, Veyra's knowledge—they were converging. Ryo's steel sword gleamed, his scars a map of his path. The next mission would be his crucible, and he would face it head-on.
To be continued…
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