Michael stood amidst a circle of dead wolves, their lifeless bodies strewn across the forest floor, each one missing its core. It had been a week and a half of relentless killing and devouring, and his progress was undeniable. He now wielded his light elemental techniques with ease, without hesitation or delay. The time had come to face the rift boss, with Uriel by his side, so they could finally leave this place and return to the outside world.
In the heart of the large forest, the rift boss—a massive red raccoon—sat waiting. It was the size of an adult male, making it twice as large as Michael. Despite its formidable appearance, Michael couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment.
(I thought the boss monster would be a lot larger, Uriel.)
(It's only an E-Ranked monster, practically a child compared to what's out there in the real world,) Uriel replied with a hint of dismissiveness.
Michael knew the time had come. (Lay down cover fire on three, and I'll close in to start the one-on-one fight. One, Two, Three...)
Uriel unleashed a barrage of light bullets from her mana guns, each shot aimed with precision at the rift boss. The raccoon, disoriented and pained by the sudden onslaught, turned to flee, but Michael was faster. Using his movement technique, he appeared behind the creature, his blade already swinging. The raccoon, sensing danger, dodged to the side just in time, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow.
With its survival instincts kicking in, the raccoon rushed at Michael in a frenzy. Michael, unfazed, coated his blade in light mana and activated his movement skill again, this time synchronizing the energy flow to his legs and arms. The sudden burst of speed caught the raccoon off balance, and Michael's blade found its mark, slashing deep gashes across its chest and leaving smaller cuts along its body.
Screeeeeech! The monster let out a blood-curdling scream, but it didn't retreat. Instead, it charged at Michael with reckless abandon, seemingly indifferent to its own life. Michael continued to dodge its wild attacks, countering with precise strikes whenever an opening presented itself. This grueling battle of attrition lasted twenty minutes. Whenever Michael seemed close to being overwhelmed, Uriel's well-timed shots would stun the raccoon just long enough for him to regain control of the fight.
Eventually, the raccoon began to slow, its movements growing sluggish as exhaustion took its toll. Michael, his body strained from the constant use of mana, knew the end was near. But just as he thought the fight was over, the raccoon began to emit a strange smoke from its mouth, and the temperature around them started to rise rapidly.
Michael's instincts screamed at him to retreat, and Uriel, seeing the signs, unleashed a rapid volley of shots at the creature. (It's self-destructing!) she warned, her voice urgent. (It's planning to take you with it, destroying everything around it to prevent anyone from claiming its core.)
(How big will the explosion be?) Michael asked, panic creeping into his voice as he raced towards Uriel.
(For an E-Rank like that? As long as we get ten feet further away, we should be out of range,) Uriel replied, already moving backward to a safer distance.
Michael sprinted towards her, his breath ragged, just as the raccoon exploded in a fiery blast. Booooommmmmm! The explosion sent a wave of heat and flames surging through the forest. Michael felt the intense warmth on his back as he ducked behind a nearby tree, shielding himself from the worst of the blast.
(Don't just sit there! Go and get its core! You have the fire element, so devour the heat and flames. We need to hurry before the fire spreads—I'm not resistant like you,) Uriel's urgent voice snapped him out of his daze.
Michael nodded, his body moving on autopilot as he jogged through the flames towards the boss's charred remains. As he approached, he activated his devour ability, feeling the heat and fatigue from the battle melt away as his mana reserves replenished. He reached the corpse and quickly extracted the core, a glowing red orb pulsating with energy.
He jogged back to Uriel, the core in hand, and together they headed towards the waterfall. The soothing sound of rushing water was a welcome relief after the intense heat of the battle.
An hour later, they sat under the waterfall, their clothes covered in soot and their bodies marked by burns. Despite their miserable appearance, there was a shared sense of triumph between them. Michael held the large red core in his hands, absorbing its essence, feeling a surge of power course through him. For a few minutes, the energy was overwhelming, but then it settled, a wave of mana washing over him, strengthening his body and sharpening his senses.
Uriel, sensing the change in Michael, felt the seals on her own power beginning to weaken. "Status," Michael muttered, eager to see the fruits of his labor.
[Name: Michael Corvinus]
[Rank: E]
[Talent:]
Ancient God Physique [Partially Sealed]
Light Manipulation [Affinity: S] [Rank E+]
Fire Manipulation [Affinity: C+] [Rank E+]
Gravity Manipulation [Affinity: F] [Rank F]
Lightning Manipulation [Affinity: C] [Rank F]
Devouring [Rank F]
Divine Eyes [Rank F]
[Stats:]
Mana Pool: 206 (↑ +160)
STR: 51 (↑ +46)
SPD: 52 (↑ +42)
INT: 51 (↑ +41)
DEX: 53 (↑ +41)
DEF: 50 (↑ +40)
STA: 50 (↑ +40)
"So, you ready to leave this place, human? We can finally head to a D-Ranked rift," Uriel asked, her voice light and filled with excitement.
"Yeah, but we may need to steal some clothes again," Michael replied, glancing down at their soot-covered and tattered attire.
As they made their way towards the portal that would take them out of the rift, they managed to "acquire" two blue hoodies and a pair of shorts after bumping into some early awakeners. Disguised in their new clothes, they stepped out of the portal, immediately turning invisible with the reflective light skill to bypass the security checkpoint unnoticed.
As they walked past various awakened, they overheard fragments of conversations. The talk of an amber alert caught their attention, especially when the reward was mentioned—a million-dollar reward for finding a missing child. Uriel's curiosity piqued, and after they cleared the security area, she approached an awakened who was gossiping about the situation.
"What's this about a million-dollar reward?" Uriel asked, feigning casual interest.
The awakener, eager to share the gossip, pulled up the alert on his phone. "There's a missing child, and his parents are offering a huge reward to find him. Here, take a look."
Uriel glanced at the phone, her eyes narrowing as she saw the image displayed. It was Michael, with just his first name listed below.
A chill ran down her spine. So, it's begun, she thought, quickly relaying the information to Michael. Their next steps would need to be even more cautious—because now, the world was looking for him.