"So... how exactly do we find a rift?" Andrew asked.
Mella jerked her thumb at the man behind the counter. "We use rift detectors. He'll get you one."
The man grunted, disappearing into a back room. Moments later, he emerged with a compass-like device. It was small, with a metallic casing etched with delicate star designs and a faint glow emanating from its center. Its needle wasn't fixed but wavered subtly, as though sensing something just beyond Andrew's perception.
"Here," he said, shoving it into Andrew's hands. "Follow the needle, kid. It'll point you to the nearest tear."
Andrew examined the device. "Thanks," he said.
Mella steered toward the exit. "Come on. First stop's a permanent rift—one that's always open. We'll need a carriage for this."
She led Andrew through the crowded hub, weaving between people until they reached a small station where carriages were lined up.
Mella flagged down a driver, a stout man with a scruffy beard, and exchanged a few coins for a ride. "We're heading to Unstable-1," she told the driver.
Andrew knew of the areas called Unstable. They always had rifts.
They both got in.
The carriage rattled along a cobbled road, passing through the bustling streets of the city. They moved steadily toward the main gate, where registered transports were allowed to pass without much hassle.
The gate loomed ahead, tall and reinforced, flanked by guards who gave them a cursory glance before waving them through.
As they crossed beyond the city walls, the hub grew smaller behind them, and the landscape shifted to open plains dotted with strange, twisted plants. Some had thick, gnarled stems, while others had bright red flowers that seemed to pulse faintly, giving the area an eerie glow. Andrew stared out the window, letting the silence hang for a moment before turning to Mella.
"So, about these rifts… What's our job, exactly? The only thing I know is that we rift fighters stop monsters from coming out of the rifts, getting rid of them. But, that's very abstract. What are the rules?"
"You've got a lot of freedom as a rift fighter," Mella said. "You can pick your own schedule, your own rifts, your own team—if you even want one. But there's a quota depending on your rank. For us wood gems, two rifts a day. Minimum. That's what keeps the tower happy." She tilted her head, considering him. "For most people, that's plenty to pay for upgrades, gear, and a decent living. Just don't slack off, or they'll come looking for you."
Andrew nodded, mulling it over. "What will they do? Hang me."
"Maybe."
"What?"
"I'm joking."
The permanent rift came into view, a crackling storm of light and energy that twisted the air around it. Colors Andrew couldn't name flickered in and out of existence, and the ground beneath it was warped, as though reality itself struggled to hold its shape.
Andrew held up the compass. The needle trembled slightly, keeping its direction but shifting ever so subtly. "Is there a way to tell how dangerous it is?"
Mella pointed at the compass. "See how the needle wavers? That means the rift's energy isn't too volatile. If it were stronger, the needle would pull straight and hard, like a magnet. You'd know to be extra careful."
Andrew stared at the rift, a nervous energy bubbling in his chest. Mella studied him, then smiled faintly.
"Ready?" she asked.
He nodded. "Yeah. I've done this before."
"Of course. That's how you got your ability. But you must've had a person with you to take out the monsters, right?"
Andrew hesitated. "No. I… just had a sword. The system gave it to me."
Mella blinked, her expression shifting to disbelief. "You went into a realm alone? Are you insane?"
"I wasn't thinking straight," Andrew muttered.
"Yeah..." Mella shook her head. "System gear is barely better than junk in the beginning. You got lucky."
"Was it really luck or am I just really good?" He smirked. "Jokes aside, before we go into the rift, what should I be aware of?"
"Monsters have cores inside them—valuable stuff. Harvest those cores whenever you can. Town Hall pays well for cores and other materials you find. It's one of the main ways you'll support yourself as a rift fighter."
"What about alien plants or other weird things?" Andrew asked.
"Depends. For permanent rifts like this one, most of the interesting discoveries have already been made. But if you see something unusual, grab it."
Andrew nodded again, taking mental notes. As they approached the rift, a sudden surge of white lightning arced toward them.
The flash deposited them on a beach, the sound of crashing waves filling the air. Andrew blinked, disoriented, and looked around. The sea was a vibrant, unnatural purple, its surface glistening in the strange light of the realm's sky.
"That water…" he began.
"Poisonous," Mella said casually. "Tastes sweet, though. Don't drink it."
"How the hell do you know that?"
"I tasted it." She made a dumb expression.
"You're a special person."
Andrew turned his attention to the shoreline. The sand was dark and coarse, littered with pieces of driftwood and strange, bulbous plants that seemed to pulse faintly. The treeline beyond was dense, filled with twisted trees whose leaves shimmered with an oily iridescence. "So... what now?"
Mella replied. "You're a rift fighter now. Kill a ton of monsters, Harvest cores, gather materials that look valuable, and survive. Got it?"
"Got it."
Behind the shore, movement caught his eye. Creatures emerged from the treeline, their forms unnervingly alien. They stood on long, spindly legs, their bodies covered in sharp, feather-like protrusions that shimmered with a metallic purple sheen. They were taller than him by at least half a meter, and their claws gleamed in the dim light.
The creatures screeched, their heads tilting unnaturally as they sized up the intruders. Without warning, they charged, claws tearing through the sand.
Andrew drew his sword. A strange, slippery secretion coated his armor.
The creatures reached them in seconds, slashing and biting with feral intensity.
Andrew ducked under a swipe. He retaliated, driving his sword into one creature's side.
It shrieked and flailed, but the blade struck true, felling it. Andrew barely had time to steady himself before another creature lunged at him, its claws slashing toward his arm. He twisted away, feeling the sharp edge graze against his armor, but the slippery secretion that coated his skin and armor caused the claws to slide off harmlessly. Andrew countered swiftly, driving his sword upward into the creature's chest. It let out a guttural screech before collapsing to the ground.
Another creature lunged at his side, forcing Andrew to roll across the sand, his armor slick and allowing him to move more fluidly. He sprang to his feet, swinging his sword in a wide arc, the blade connecting with another creature's leg, severing it. The creature toppled over, and Andrew finished it with a decisive stab.
Nearby, Mella fought with practiced precision, her spear moving like an extension of her body. She dodged an incoming swipe before plunging the spear into the creature's abdomen. She moved to the next one with ruthless efficiency, striking true each time.
Andrew's heart pounded, adrenaline surging through his veins. He could feel himself adapting to their erratic movements, each dodge and strike becoming more instinctual. The slippery secretion over his armor was a lifesaver, allowing him to deflect attacks and reposition quickly. He sidestepped another charging creature, using its momentum against it, and slashed across its back.
After what felt like an eternity—filled with the clash of claws, the shrieks of monsters, and the relentless pace of combat—the last of the creatures fell, its body hitting the ground with a heavy thud.
Andrew touched a corpse, trying to steal its ability.
[The target must be alive for its ability to be taken]
Great...
Breathing hard, Andrew felt exhaustion settle deep into his muscles. Mella knelt beside one of the corpses, her spear tip expertly carving into its stomach. She pulled out a core, a star-shaped white stone. She held it up for him to see.
"Harvest the cores. That's where the money is."
Andrew mimicked her actions, extracting a core from a creature's remains. The process was messy, but he managed.
"How'd you know where to look?" he asked.
"Experience," Mella replied. She stood, holding the core in her hand as the creature's body began to evaporate. "By the way, you can't feel it but your system is absorbing energy from them. Over time, it evolves your body. You'll know when you absorbed enough—you'll feel full, like after drinking too much water."
Andrew glanced at the evaporating remains.