The moment Keon pointed his arm at the mutated Bloodwick, the Rift Barrier pulsed with raw energy. The plasma beam, once swallowed into the abyss of his domain, now re-emerged—faster, stronger, and more devastating than before. A blinding blue-white streak of destruction erupted forward, splitting the air with a thunderous roar.
Bloodwick had no chance to react. The beam tore through its flesh, burning away its writhing mass in an instant. Layers of grotesque, shifting muscle were obliterated, peeling away to reveal something hidden deep within—a core. It pulsed with an eerie glow, a sphere of condensed energy throbbing like a dying heartbeat. For the first time, the monster's form faltered, its regeneration slowing, unable to keep up with the devastation ripping through it.
But the beam did not stop. It surged past the exposed core, carving through the battlefield like a vengeful comet. Then, in the far distance, it detonated. A massive explosion followed—a silent flash of light, then a deafening boom that rolled across the land like an earthquake, sending shockwaves rippling through the air.
Keon stood still, his violet eyes locked onto the burning remnants of the battlefield. His navy blue hair fluttered in the aftermath, cloak shifting against the force of his unleashed power. Slowly, he lowered his arm, exhaling as the dust settled.
The fight wasn't over yet. The core still remained.
Keon glanced at the BloodWick, its grotesque form writhing as it refused to die. Its core pulsed with a faint, sickly glow, regenerating even as it lay broken.
He needed a way to destroy it completely.
Keon turned his head slightly, catching sight of Stella. She stood firm, gripping the plasma rifle, its tip glowing red-hot from recent use. He considered his options—he didn't want to summon the Abyssalflame Serpent again. The BloodWick looked like it was already on its last leg, and wasting another powerful summon on it felt unnecessary.
Instead, he pulled up his System Panel, searching for another solution.
---
System Panel
Name: ??? Keon
Title: The Forgotten One
Age: 17
SP: 7
Primary Stats:
Strength: 38
Agility: 32
Endurance: 40
Perception: 25
Intelligence: 27
Mystic Affinity: 4
Abilities & Skills:
Eclipse State (Passive)
Rift Leap
Rift Barrier
Rift Storage
Rift Storage Inventory:
Big Boulder
Obsidian Hourglass
System Tasks:
Rift Leap Through Worlds (3/20)
Reward: Void Gazer Mask
Equipment:
Cloak of Disguise
---
Keon's eyes flickered over his inventory. His mind worked fast. There had to be something here that could finish the job. He just needed to act before the BloodWick could regenerate further.
Here's the continuation of your scene:
---
Keon exhaled, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the writhing, regenerating core of the BloodWick. He cracked his neck slightly, then raised his hand once more.
"Alright... let's try this."
With a mere flick of his fingers, the Rift Barrier pulsed again. This time, instead of repelling, it pulled. The very space around the BloodWick warped, dragging the grotesque mass forward like an invisible force had seized it. The monster screeched in resistance, its tendrils flailing, but Keon's will was absolute.
The BloodWick's distorted body jerked upward, suspended in the air. Its regenerating flesh stretched, writhing violently as if realizing its impending doom. Keon didn't give it a chance.
He accessed his Rift Storage.
In an instant, the massive boulder materialized above the struggling abomination. A monolithic slab of stone, impossibly heavy, loomed like an executioner's blade. Keon gave the smallest smirk.
Then, he let it drop.
The air thundered as the colossal rock crashed down, slamming into the BloodWick with an earth-shaking impact. A sickening, wet crunch echoed across the battlefield, followed by an eerie silence. The ground trembled from the force, cracks spiderwebbing outward from the sheer weight of the boulder's landing.
For a moment, nothing moved. Then, dark ichor pooled from beneath the crushed mass, oozing like spilled ink. The BloodWick's grotesque limbs twitched—weak, feeble—before going completely still. Its core flickered one last time beneath the crushing weight… and shattered.
A pulse of dying energy rippled outward as the BloodWick let out one final, distorted wail. Its body convulsed, then rapidly disintegrated into a fine, black dust, leaving nothing but the massive stone resting in its wake.
Keon let out a slow breath, lowering his hand as the Rift Barrier faded away. The fight was over.
He took a step forward, his violet eyes scanning the battlefield, then turned his gaze to Stella, who stood frozen, staring at the aftermath.
"Well," Keon muttered, dusting off his cloak. "That worked."
Keon didn't waste a second. Without hesitation, he willed the Rift Barrier to eject the Abyssalflame Serpent.
The air warped violently as the barrier pulsed, spitting out the massive undead snake in an instant. Its abyssal flames surged, skeletal body coiling in fury. The moment it emerged, its hollow, burning eyes locked onto Keon, seething with hatred.
But before the serpent could react—
"Rift Storage."
A pulse of void energy engulfed the creature. Its form distorted, sucked into nothingness before it could even process what had happened. One second, it was there—hissing, seething. The next? Gone.
Not a trace remained.
Keon exhaled, lowering his hand. His Rift Storage remained as absolute as ever. Nothing escaped unless he willed it.
"Yeah," he muttered. "Didn't think so."
Stella sat slumped against the base of a scorched tree, her breath steady but labored. Strands of silver hair clung to her blood-smeared face, her usually smooth, pale skin marred with dirt and streaks of crimson. Her sharp blue eyes, sharp as glass yet unreadable, fixed on Keon.
She didn't say anything at first. Just… stared.
Keon had just crushed the BloodWick, erased its core, and then—because apparently, that wasn't enough—casually pulled a flaming undead serpent from thin air, only to shove it into oblivion like it was an afterthought.
Her dark meta-suit, scorched in places and slick with grime, shifted as she adjusted her position against the tree. One knee bent up, the other stretched out. Her rifle lay across her lap, its barrel still faintly warm from previous shots.
She sighed through her nose, tilting her head slightly.
"…Y'know," she finally said, voice low and even, "I really should stop being surprised by you."
She wiped some blood off her cheek with the back of her glove, her expression unreadable—though there was something almost amused, almost exasperated, lingering beneath it.
"You always pull something," she muttered, leaning her head back against the bark, watching Keon with that same piercing stare.
Keon turned to Stella, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. He raised a hand, giving her a casual thumbs-up.
"Amazing teamwork," he said, his tone light, as if they hadn't just survived a hellish battle against an unrelenting nightmare.
From the distant horizon, the first slivers of sunlight began to creep through the ruined landscape, casting a golden hue over the battlefield. The long, brutal night had finally ended.
Stella exhaled, tilting her head back against the tree. She glanced at Keon, her sharp blue eyes narrowing slightly.
"…Do you ever get tired?" she asked, her voice laced with genuine exhaustion. Even as a trained soldier, even with her enhanced endurance, this fight had drained her. Yet here he was—standing, talking, barely looking fazed.
Keon chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Ah, well, you know… adrenaline, momentum… cool factor?" He shrugged, flashing an easy-going grin.
In his mind, however, a very different thought crossed him.
Of course, I'm fine. My Endurance stat is 40.
Stella patted the ground beside her, her silver hair still damp with sweat and blood. She let out a sigh, her voice taking on a firm yet caring tone.
"Keon, sit. Rest. Now."
Her blue eyes locked onto him with a mix of exhaustion and authority—like an older sister scolding a stubborn younger sibling. But Keon, still full of energy, pointed dramatically at the smoldering remains of the destroyed lab center.
"But Stella, the lab is right there!" he exclaimed, eyes wide with childish determination. His arms flailed as he gestured toward the wreckage. "I mean, yeah, it's kinda destroyed, but maybe—maybe!—there's something left we can use to call for help from the city!"
He spoke with the exaggerated enthusiasm of a kid showing off a cool discovery, completely ignoring his own fatigue.
Stella narrowed her eyes. "Keon."
Keon froze.
"Sit. Down."
"…Yes, ma'am."
Defeated, Keon plopped onto the ground beside her, rubbing his nose in fake embarrassment. Stella shook her head, rolling her eyes with a tired smirk.
As Keon settled beside Stella, the tension in the air began to fade. The long night was finally over, and for a brief moment, the world felt still.
But then—
A distant humming cut through the silence. Low at first, then steadily growing louder. A deep, mechanical roar, familiar yet unmistakable—like the approach of a fighter jet.
Keon and Stella exchanged glances, their exhaustion momentarily forgotten.
"…You hear that?" Keon muttered.
Stella's tired blue eyes sharpened. "Yeah."
Both of them turned toward the sky, watching as the rising sun painted the horizon—just as something fast and powerful approached from the distance.