Kain's heart pounded as he stared at the figure before him. The man—or at least, what looked like a man—was standing unnaturally still in front of the pulsating rift. His eyes glowed red, the same eerie shade as the Ravagers he had just fought. Whatever this thing was, it wasn't human anymore.
The air around the room was thick with energy, a buzzing sensation that pressed against Kain's skin, making it feel like the entire building was vibrating. The rift itself hung in the air behind the figure like a wound in reality, a swirling mass of impossible colors that seemed to ripple with each passing second. It was smaller than the one in the sky, but far more concentrated, and Kain could feel the raw power radiating from it.
"You shouldn't have come here," the man said again, his voice low and distorted, like it was being pulled from somewhere deep and unnatural.
Kain's hand tightened around his knife, his muscles tensing. Whatever this thing was, it was dangerous. But more than that, it seemed to be connected to the rift, to everything that was happening. And if Kain was going to figure out how to stop this apocalypse, he was going to have to get through whatever—or whoever—this was.
"I don't know who you are," Kain said, his voice steady despite the tension in his chest, "but I'm not leaving until I figure out what's going on here."
The figure tilted its head slightly, as if considering Kain's words. Then, slowly, it stepped forward, moving with an unnatural grace that sent a chill down Kain's spine.
"You think you can stop this?" the man asked, his voice dripping with contempt. "You have no idea what's coming. The Shattered Realm isn't something you can fight. It's already here."
Kain felt a surge of anger at the words, but he kept it in check. He needed to stay focused. His mind raced as he analyzed the situation. The figure was clearly more than just a random survivor. Its glowing red eyes and connection to the rift suggested something far more sinister. Was it an agent of the Riftborn? Some kind of twisted emissary sent to bring chaos to the world?
Whatever the answer was, Kain knew one thing for sure: this wasn't going to end without a fight.
He glanced at the rift behind the figure. The pulse of energy coming from it was intensifying, and the colors were becoming more erratic, as if it was destabilizing. Whatever was happening here, it couldn't be good. He had to stop it.
"You want to tell me who you are before I rip you apart?" Kain asked, his voice cold as he raised the knife, the void energy crackling faintly around the blade.
The figure didn't answer. Instead, it lifted its hand, and a strange, dark energy began to gather around it, coiling like smoke. The man's lips twisted into a cruel smile.
"I am the Herald of the Rift," he said, his voice echoing unnaturally. "And you, Void Reaver, are too late."
Before Kain could react, the Herald thrust his hand forward, and the dark energy exploded toward Kain, a wave of raw, twisting power that distorted the air itself.
Kain's instincts kicked in immediately.
"Void Step!"
In an instant, the world around him blurred as he teleported out of the Herald's path, reappearing a few feet to the side. The dark energy crashed into the spot where he had been standing, tearing through the ground like a black hole consuming everything in its path. Chunks of concrete and debris were sucked into the swirling mass before it dissipated, leaving a jagged crater behind.
Kain's eyes narrowed. The Herald was no ordinary enemy. Whatever powers he was using were connected to the rift, and they were dangerous.
But Kain wasn't going to back down.
"You're fast," the Herald said, his voice calm as he turned to face Kain again. "But you can't outrun what's coming. The Shattering is only the beginning."
Kain didn't waste any more time on words. He launched himself at the Herald, his knife glowing with void energy as he closed the distance. The Void Slash crackled to life, and he swung the blade with all his strength, aiming for the Herald's chest.
But the Herald was fast. Faster than Kain expected.
With a flick of his wrist, the Herald summoned another wave of dark energy, deflecting Kain's strike and sending him stumbling back. The force of the blow was immense, far stronger than any Ravager Kain had faced so far.
The Herald's red eyes glowed brighter as he raised his hand again, dark tendrils of energy swirling around his fingers. "You can't win this, Void Reaver. Your power is nothing compared to the Rift."
Kain gritted his teeth, his mind racing. This wasn't like fighting the Ravagers. The Herald wasn't just brute strength—he had abilities, dangerous ones, and Kain couldn't afford to take a direct hit from whatever dark energy he was wielding.
Adapt, Kain. Use your head.
He had to play this smart. The System had given him skills, but he couldn't just charge in blindly. He needed to outmaneuver the Herald, find an opening, and strike before the man could unleash more of that dark energy.
His eyes flicked to the cooldown timer in his vision. Void Slash was almost ready, but Void Step would take longer.
Kain, be smart. You're faster than him. Use that.
The Herald summoned another wave of energy, and Kain moved. He darted to the side, using his enhanced Dexterity to keep ahead of the attacks. The ground around him exploded as the Herald's energy struck, but Kain was already out of reach.
"Void Slash!"
Kain lunged forward, void energy crackling around his blade as he aimed for the Herald's side. This time, he was faster, and the Herald wasn't ready for it.
The blade connected, slicing through the Herald's robes and leaving a deep gash across his ribs. Black blood—if it could even be called blood—oozed from the wound, sizzling as it hit the ground.
The Herald let out a low growl, his eyes flaring with anger.
"You're persistent," he hissed. "But you've made a mistake."
Kain didn't have time to react. The Herald's hand shot out, grabbing Kain by the arm with surprising speed. Dark energy surged through the contact, sending a jolt of pain through Kain's body as the void energy clashed with the Herald's power.
For a moment, Kain's vision blurred, and the world around him twisted. It felt like reality itself was being pulled apart, and for a split second, he saw something—something dark—lurking within the rift.
The Herald's grip tightened, and Kain could feel his strength draining. Whatever the Herald was doing, it was trying to siphon his power, to weaken him.
No. Not today.
Kain grit his teeth and focused. He couldn't let the Herald win. He couldn't lose here.
"Void Step!"
In an instant, Kain slipped through the void, wrenching himself free of the Herald's grip and reappearing several feet away. His arm ached where the Herald had grabbed him, and he could still feel the lingering effects of the dark energy, but he was free.
The Herald turned, his eyes narrowing in frustration. "You're resilient," he muttered. "But it won't save you."
Kain glared at him, catching his breath. The void energy inside him was still pulsing, still growing. He could feel it—every fight, every use of his powers, it was making him stronger. But so was the Herald. The longer this fight dragged on, the more dangerous he would become.
And then there was the rift. Kain could feel its energy intensifying, as if the fight was feeding into it, making it more unstable.
He had to end this. And fast.
Kain glanced at the rift again, his mind racing. The Herald was drawing power from it, using the rift's energy to fuel his attacks. If Kain could disrupt that connection—cut him off from the source—he might be able to tip the scales in his favor.
But how?
His eyes flicked to the cooldown timer. Void Slash was ready again. And then an idea hit him. His abilities allowed him to manipulate the void, to cut through dimensions themselves. What if he could do more than just attack with it? What if he could use the void to disrupt the Herald's connection to the rift?
It was a risk. But it was a risk he had to take.
Kain steadied himself, focusing on the void energy inside him. He could feel it swirling, pulsing, waiting to be unleashed. This time, he wasn't going to use it for a simple strike.
He was going to cut through the connection.
The Herald raised his hand again, ready to unleash another wave of dark energy, but Kain moved first.
"Void Slash!"
The blade of Kain's knife crackled with void energy, but this time, instead of aiming for the Herald, he swung it toward the rift. The air around him shimmered as the void energy expanded, lashing out like a whip and striking the rift directly.
The effect was immediate.
The rift pulsed violently, its swirling colors flashing erratically. The Herald's eyes widened in shock as the connection between him and the rift was severed, the flow of dark energy abruptly cut off.
"What are you—?!" the Herald snarled, but Kain didn't let him finish.
He charged forward, his knife still glowing with void energy, and drove the blade into the Herald's chest.
"Void Slash!"
The energy exploded from the blade, tearing through the Herald's body and sending him crashing to the ground. The force of the blow was immense, and the Herald let out a final, agonized scream as his body disintegrated into ash, consumed by the void.
Herald of the Rift eliminated. 500 XP gained.
Kain stumbled back, breathing hard. The Herald was gone, his body reduced to nothing but ash. The room was still now, the only sound the faint hum of the rift, which was still flickering, but seemed weaker than before.
He wiped the sweat from his brow and glanced at the notification that had appeared in his vision.
Level Up!
Another rush of energy flooded his body, and Kain felt his muscles tense, his senses sharpen. The familiar sensation of leveling up washed over him, and he opened his stats screen.
Level 4 Achieved.
Stat Points Available: 5
He quickly allocated the points, focusing on increasing his Strength and Intelligence. The fight with the Herald had shown him that raw power wasn't enough—he needed to be smarter, to use his abilities more effectively.
Stat Allocation:
+2 Strength
+2 Intelligence
+1 Dexterity
As the changes settled in, Kain took a deep breath, feeling the newfound power coursing through him. But despite the victory, he knew this wasn't over.
The rift was still there, still pulsing with energy. It had weakened, but it hadn't closed. And whatever it was connected to, whatever force was lurking on the other side, was still a threat.
Kain approached the rift cautiously, his eyes scanning the swirling colors. The energy it radiated was immense, far stronger than anything he had felt before. But now that the Herald was gone, it seemed... unstable. Like it was struggling to maintain its form.
He had disrupted the connection, but he hadn't destroyed it.
And then, as he stared into the rift, something caught his eye. A faint glimmer, barely visible through the swirling chaos. It was small, but it was there—something on the other side. A shape, a figure, moving within the rift.
Kain's breath caught in his throat. Whatever was on the other side of this rift... it was watching him.
Before he could react, the rift pulsed violently, and the entire building shook. The air crackled with energy, and Kain instinctively took a step back, his heart racing.
Is it going to collapse?
But instead of collapsing, the rift began to expand. Slowly at first, but then faster, its swirling colors growing brighter and more erratic. The entire room was bathed in its unnatural glow, and Kain could feel the temperature drop, the air around him growing colder.
And then, without warning, the rift... opened.
A surge of energy exploded from the rift, and Kain was thrown back, slamming into the wall behind him. His vision blurred, and he felt the ground shift beneath him as the floor cracked and splintered.
When his vision cleared, he saw it.
The rift had expanded into a massive portal, large enough for something—something big—to step through. The air around it was distorted, warping reality itself, and Kain could feel the presence of something powerful on the other side.
And then, as if to confirm his worst fears, a massive clawed hand reached through the portal.
Kain's blood ran cold. Whatever was on the other side of that rift... it wasn't done with him yet.
New Quest: Close the Rift
Objective: Defeat the Riftborn creature emerging from the rift and stabilize the dimensional tear.
Reward: 1000 XP, Void Reaver Cloak
Kain stared at the new quest notification, his heart pounding in his chest. 1000 XP. A massive reward. But that only meant one thing—this fight was going to be unlike anything he had faced before.
He scrambled to his feet, his knife ready, as the creature began to pull itself through the rift.
It was massive. Bigger than any Ravager he had seen so far. Its body was a twisted mass of dark, leathery flesh, and its glowing red eyes burned with a malevolent hunger. Long, spiked limbs scraped against the floor as it pulled itself through the portal, and the very air around it seemed to ripple with its presence.
Kain's mind raced. He wasn't sure if he could take this thing down. Not alone.
But he didn't have a choice.
The Riftborn creature let out a deafening roar, its glowing eyes locking onto Kain. It was fully through the portal now, its massive body towering over him. The ground shook as it took a step forward, its claws digging into the concrete.
Kain gritted his teeth, his heart pounding in his chest. He was stronger now, faster, more powerful than ever. But this... this was something else entirely.
And yet, despite the fear gnawing at the edges of his mind, he felt something else.
Excitement.
This was it. The challenge he had been waiting for. The real test.
His grip tightened on his knife as he faced the creature.
"Let's see what you've got."