The towering Rift Beast, a crystalline juggernaut, stomped through the ruins of the city, its massive frame barely squeezing between the skyscrapers that still stood. Its glowing green eyes locked onto Rin, and an earth-shattering roar shook the ground beneath him.
The air around Rin grew heavy with its presence, a pressure so intense it felt like gravity itself had doubled. His heart raced, sweat beading on his forehead as the notifications floated before his eyes.
**Warning: Boss-Class Rift Beast Detected
Recommended Level: 15
Current Level: 1**
*Fifteen levels above me?* Rin thought, panic setting in. He had barely managed to defeat two Rift Beasts, and now this... this thing was coming for him? He glanced at his status screen.
**Name: Rin Takeda
Class: Unawakened (Evolvable)
Level: 1
Abilities: Energy Strike (Level 1), Force Shield (Level 1)
Status: Awakening in Progress**
His abilities were weak, his energy low, and the strength of this creature was beyond anything he could comprehend. He couldn't fight this. Not yet.
But running wasn't an option, either. There was nowhere to hide, and with the rift still open, more creatures would pour out if he didn't do something.
The beast took another step, its crystalline armor grinding against itself with a sound like nails on glass. Then, it let out a deafening roar and charged, each footfall like a thunderclap.
Rin barely had time to react. He raised his hands, instinctively summoning his **Force Shield**, and the barrier materialized just as the beast's colossal fist came crashing down.
The impact was like a bomb going off. Rin was thrown backward, his shield shattering into shards of light. He hit the ground hard, gasping for breath, his body screaming in pain. His head spun, and for a moment, everything went white.
When his vision cleared, he saw the beast looming over him, its fist already raised for a second strike.
*I can't die here,* Rin thought, panic surging through him. *Not now!*
The power inside him flickered, unstable, barely under his control. But it was all he had. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to his feet, ignoring the pain in his body.
The beast's fist came down again.
This time, Rin didn't try to block. He rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the crushing blow. The ground where he had been standing cracked under the force of the beast's attack, debris flying in all directions.
*I need a plan,* Rin thought, his mind racing. He couldn't outmuscle this thing, and his attacks barely scratched the smaller Rift Beasts. But maybe… maybe he didn't need to overpower it. He just needed to find its weakness.
Rin's eyes darted over the creature's massive frame. The crystalline armor that covered its body looked impenetrable, but there had to be a weak spot somewhere. His gaze traveled upward, past its jagged, armored torso, until he noticed something—at the base of its neck, just beneath the armored plating, there was a faint glow, a soft green light pulsing from within.
*That's it,* Rin thought. *That's the core.*
If he could destroy that, maybe he had a chance. But getting close enough would be the hard part.
The beast roared again, its eyes burning with fury. It swung its arm in a wide arc, aiming to crush Rin where he stood.
But this time, Rin was ready.
He summoned the energy from within, focusing it into his legs. In one swift motion, he leaped into the air, soaring higher than he ever thought possible. The beast's attack missed him by inches, smashing into the ground below.
Rin landed on the creature's arm, the force of his jump sending a shockwave through the ground. The beast roared in confusion, trying to shake him off, but Rin held on, running up its arm as fast as he could.
As he neared the creature's neck, the energy in his body surged again. He could feel it building, the wild, untamed power that had been awakened inside him.
*Now or never,* he thought.
With a shout, Rin gathered the energy into his hands, forming it into a spear of pure light, just like before. The spear crackled with power, brighter and more intense than anything he had summoned before.
He leaped again, this time aiming directly for the glowing core at the base of the beast's neck.
The world seemed to slow as he flew through the air, the spear of light in his hand humming with raw power. The beast saw him coming, its eyes narrowing in fury, but it was too slow to react.
With all his strength, Rin plunged the spear into the glowing core.
There was a moment of silence, as if the entire world held its breath.
Then the core exploded.
A shockwave of energy erupted from the creature's neck, blasting Rin backward. He hit the ground hard, rolling several times before coming to a stop. The impact knocked the wind out of him, and for a moment, all he could hear was a ringing in his ears.
When he finally forced himself to sit up, he saw the beast crumbling, its crystalline armor shattering into a million pieces. The green light that had once pulsed from its core flickered and died, and with a final, ear-splitting roar, the creature collapsed to the ground in a heap of broken crystal.
Rin stared in disbelief, his body trembling from the sheer effort it had taken to bring the beast down. He had done it. He had actually defeated a Boss-Class Rift Beast.
**Quest Update: 5/5 Rift Beasts Defeated
Boss-Class Rift Beast Defeated
Reward: Beginner's Pack, 1000 XP**
The notification floated in front of his eyes, but Rin barely registered it. He was too exhausted to care. Every muscle in his body screamed in agony, and the energy inside him felt dangerously low, like a flame that was on the verge of going out.
Before he could catch his breath, another notification appeared.
**Level Up: Level 2
Abilities Unlocked: Blink Step (Level 1), Energy Burst (Level 1)**
Rin blinked at the screen in surprise. *Level 2 already?*
But there was no time to celebrate. The rift in the sky was still open, and though the Boss-Class Beast was dead, smaller Rift Beasts continued to pour through.
Rin groaned as he pushed himself to his feet, his body protesting with every movement. He was stronger now, sure, but the battle was far from over.
"I need to close that rift," he muttered, staring up at the swirling vortex in the sky. He had no idea how to do it, but one thing was certain: he couldn't afford to stop now.
As the next wave of Rift Beasts descended upon the city, Rin clenched his fists, feeling the familiar surge of power building within him.
"I'm not done yet," he said, determination flooding his veins. "Not even close."
With a burst of energy, he charged toward the rift, ready for whatever came next.