Chapter 14: The Forgotten's Call
Ryo Aelren staggered as the Rift Memory flooded his mind, images of an ancient civilization—rune-covered spires, skies torn by mana, a cataclysm birthing the System—fading as quickly as they came. The ziggurat's chamber pulsed around him, the core's shattered rune dimming, its mana dissipating. His steel sword trembled in his grip, the System's chime still ringing: Level 2 Achieved. Memory Fragment Complete. Unlocking: Rift Memory. The whisper—The forgotten awaken—was now a voice, clear and commanding.
His Status Screen updated, glowing in his thoughts:
*Name: Ryo Aelren
Level: 2
Class: None
Stats:
Strength: 5
Agility: 7 (+15% in combat, Survival Instinct)
Endurance: 6
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: 0/300
Rift Memory: 1/Unknown*
The chamber shook, stone dust raining down. Calen grabbed Ryo's arm, his scarred face tense. "Move, kid! This place is collapsing!"
Mira's arrows were already slung, Brom's satchel clutched tight, and Elara's staff flickered, her mana nearly spent. Ryo's Rift Sense screamed, guiding them through the crumbling tunnels to the portal. They dove through, emerging at Varnholt's Rift Gate as the branch sealed behind them, the dawn sky a stark contrast to the ruins' gloom.
Panting, Calen rounded on Ryo. "What the hell was that? You froze after hitting the core. Talk."
Ryo's mind raced. The Rift Memory—a glimpse of a lost civilization tied to the System—was too much to share. "I… saw the rune's pattern," he lied, his voice steady. "It was powering the sentinel. Had to break it."
Elara's eyes narrowed, her mage's curiosity sharp. "You're more than you seem, Ryo. That wasn't just instinct."
Mira snorted, but her tone held grudging respect. "He got us out alive. Again. Let's not grill him."
Brom clapped Ryo's shoulder, grinning. "Lad's a survivor. That's enough for me."
Calen studied Ryo, then nodded. "Fine. Guild's waiting. Let's report."
At the guild, the clerk's eyes widened at their report—Rank A Crystal Sentinel, core neutralized. The thirty silvers were split, Ryo's share seven, bringing his total to nineteen. He could afford better gear, but the Rift Memory weighed heavier. The System wasn't just a tool—it was tied to a forgotten past, and he'd only scratched the surface.
As the team dispersed, Calen pulled Ryo aside. "Guild's asking questions. Your name's coming up too often—goblin nest, survey, now this. Gav's fanning the flames. Watch yourself."
Ryo's Danger Sense prickled. "What's his deal with me?"
"Jealousy," Calen said. "He's a low-rank Awakened, but you're outshining him without a class. Stay with my team, and I'll keep him off you. For now, rest. We'll talk training tomorrow."
Ryo nodded, heading to the market. He spent ten silvers on a reinforced leather vest, sturdier than his cuirass, leaving nine. The mana crystal in his pouch pulsed, its glow stronger since the Rift Memory. Rift Sense hummed, urging him to study it. Back at the inn, he held it, focusing. The System chimed: Rift Memory Analysis. Progress: 2/Unknown. The voice returned: The forgotten awaken. Seek the archive.
Ryo's breath caught. An archive—another piece of the Rift's past. The ziggurat's runes, the spires, the core—they were fragments of a lost world. But where was the archive? The Rift? Varnholt? Sleep brought no answers, only dreams of crumbling cities and glowing eyes.
The next morning, Ryo found a new posting on the guild board: Secure Rift Relic, Rank B. Reward: 35 Silvers. The description mentioned ruins and a "rune-etched relic," stirring his Rift Sense. Calen's team was already signed up. Ryo added his name, his resolve hardening. The relic could be the archive, the next step.
At the Rift Gate, Calen's team gathered, but a new figure joined them—Veyra, the rogue scholar, her black cloak stark against the morning mist. Her eyes locked onto Ryo, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "You again," she said. "The Rift favors you."
Calen's sword hand twitched. "You're not guild. Why're you here?"
"Guild hired me," Veyra said, her voice smooth. "The relic's tied to the Rift's origins. I'm the expert. Shall we?"
Ryo's Danger Sense flared, but Rift Sense pulled him toward her—she knew the runes, the forgotten. The portal opened, revealing a Rift branch of shattered stone and glowing vines. The ruins were older, their runes pulsing with raw mana. Veyra led, her steps sure, while Ryo's Rift Sense guided him past traps.
The relic—a rune-covered orb—sat in a sunken temple, guarded by a Rank A Riftspawn: a crystalline golem, its body a mosaic of glowing shards. Calen charged, Mira fired, Elara chanted, and Brom warded. Ryo's Survival Instinct boosted his agility, and he flanked the golem, Weak Point Strike targeting a glowing joint. The steel sword cracked it, slowing the beast.
Experience gained. Level 2: 50/300.
Veyra reached the orb, her hands tracing its runes. Ryo's Rift Sense screamed—the orb was the archive. He joined her, Weak Point Strike shattering a rune to weaken the golem. The System chimed: Rift Memory Progress: 3/Unknown. The voice roared: The archive opens.
The golem fell, and Veyra grabbed the orb, her eyes gleaming. "You see it too," she whispered to Ryo. "The forgotten. Come with me, and I'll show you."
Calen's shout cut through. "Portal, now!" The branch collapsed, and they fled, orb in hand. Back in Varnholt, the guild paid thirty-five silvers, Ryo's share eight. But Veyra's offer lingered. The Rift Memory, the archive, the System's truth—Ryo was on the edge of something vast, and his steel sword felt heavier with purpose.
To be continued…