The ground trembled harder now, the vibrations sharp and persistent beneath Axton's feet. His heart raced as the familiar hum of the Rift's unstable energy pulsed through the air. The System flashed warnings in the corner of his vision, but his thoughts were clear — this was no mere random breach. The Rift was opening wider than before, and whatever was coming through, it was bigger than a Wraith.
[Riftborn Entity Detected – Level: C+ (Multiple Entities)]
[Warning: Dimensional Breach in Progress]
Objective: Contain the Rift and Secure the Area]
Time Limit: 30 Minutes
Reward: Riftborn Essence | Additional Power Gains | New Quest Branch Available
Axton didn't waste a moment. He turned and sprinted for the door, his legs carrying him faster than he'd expected. The old library was situated near an industrial zone, and the roads here weren't particularly busy — which meant fewer civilians in immediate danger. But it also meant less backup if things went south.
As he burst out of the library, he spotted Rei and Kenji already heading toward him. They'd been on high alert, no doubt, because Kenji was holding a strange device in his hand — something like a modified smartphone but brimming with tech he'd obviously tinkered with.
"Another breach," Axton said, voice tense. "Multiple entities. We need to act now before it gets out of control."
Kenji nodded, flicking a switch on his device. The screen lit up, showing a chaotic web of signals and distortions spreading across the area. "I'm tracking the Rift's epicenter. It's not far from here. And—" He stopped, his eyes scanning the screen. "Something's wrong. The Rift's not just weakening—it's amplifying."
"What do you mean, amplifying?" Rei asked, glancing over Kenji's shoulder. "Like, getting bigger?"
"No," Kenji said, shaking his head. "It's pulling more power from the environment, like it's feeding off the city's energy. It's... it's adapting."
Axton felt a knot tighten in his stomach. The Rift wasn't just a random event. Something or someone was actively manipulating it.
"We'll figure out the details later. Right now, we need to close it before we have a full-scale invasion on our hands," Axton said, his voice hardening. He glanced back at the distorted skyline. "Let's go."
---
They moved swiftly through the streets, the tension mounting with every passing minute. Axton could feel the distortion in the air intensifying as they approached the Rift's location. The familiar hum of the dimensional breach was deafening now, but there was something else — something colder.
They turned a corner, and the source of the disturbance became clear.
In the center of a large, open plaza, the Rift had torn a jagged tear in the fabric of space itself. The edges of the Rift shimmered with an eerie glow, and through the tear, Axton could see dark, shifting shadows. These weren't just entities spilling out — they were guardians of the Rift, but not the kind that protected it.
[Riftborn Guardians Detected – Class: B+]
[Entity Designation: Dimensional Sentries]
[Warning: These Entities are Autonomous and Aggressive]
Objective: Seal the Rift and Neutralize the Guardians]
Time Limit: 30 Minutes
The moment the Sentries saw them, they charged. They were towering figures, humanoid in shape, but their forms flickered between solid and translucent, shifting like the Rift itself. Their eyes burned with unnatural light, their bodies rippling as if they were part of the very tear in reality.
Rei cursed under her breath. "Those things aren't exactly friendly."
"Stay sharp," Axton warned, his pulse quickening. "We have to act fast."
---
Axton didn't hesitate. The Rift Tear ability was still cooling down, but Dimensional Shift was available. He immediately activated it, feeling his body phase out of reality for a split second, just long enough to dodge a deadly blast of energy from one of the Sentries. He appeared behind the first one, his energy blade already forming in his hand. With a swift motion, he struck.
[Skill Activated: Rift Tear (Critical Strike)]
[Skill Unlocked: Dimensional Laceration – High Damage]
The Sentry staggered, its form flickering violently as the Rift's energies ripped through it. It screeched, a soundless cry that filled the air. But it wasn't dead — just weakened.
Rei tossed a small device at the second Sentry. It exploded on impact, releasing a burst of kinetic energy that pushed the creature back. "Get back! I've got a way to destabilize their energy fields. They'll need to be hit hard to go down."
Kenji pulled out another device, a short-range EMP emitter, and fired it toward the Rift's epicenter. "We need to cut the Rift's power supply, or we're just delaying the inevitable!"
The ground shook again as another wave of energy surged from the Rift. More Sentries appeared, their bodies flickering in and out of existence, each one more dangerous than the last. Axton could feel the strain of the fight building, but he refused to stop.
His team wasn't backing down either. Kenji was firing off more EMP bursts, and Rei was in the thick of it, using her quick reflexes and makeshift explosives to disorient the creatures.
Axton pressed the attack, his sword crackling with dimensional energy. The Sentries kept coming, their attacks growing more frenzied, more powerful. It was only a matter of time before the Riftborn figured out their strategy.
---
[Skill Unlocked: Dimensional Flux (Active)]
[Warning: Use of Dimensional Flux may cause irreversible damage to local reality. Recommended use only in extreme circumstances.]
Axton clenched his teeth. This was it — the ultimate ability granted by his Riftborn Class. But using it would cost him.
He took a deep breath and activated the skill.
[Dimensional Flux: Active]
Effect: Unstable Dimensional Energy Surge – High Damage (Area of Effect)
---
The world around them shimmered as Axton's power expanded, drawing the very fabric of reality into a chaotic vortex. The ground cracked open, rips of pure energy forming a swirling maelstrom of light and shadow. The Sentries shrieked as the energy overwhelmed them, their forms twisting in agony as they were consumed by the flux.
A moment later, the plaza fell silent. The Rift, still open but now unstable, flickered violently. Axton collapsed to his knees, the energy drain overwhelming him. The power of the Flux was too much, but it had worked. The Sentries were gone, their bodies dissipating into particles of light.
Rei rushed to his side, her expression softening for the first time in the heat of battle. "Axton, you're crazy."
Kenji shook his head, visibly relieved but cautious. "We need to finish this. The Rift's still active, and we've just pushed it closer to full collapse."
Axton's voice was rough. "We can't keep fighting like this. I'm out of options. We need to find the source of the breach."
---
[Quest Update: Locate the Source of the Rift]
Objective: Investigate the Heart of the Rift – Determine the Catalyst Behind the Disturbance
Time Limit: 48 Hours
Reward: Unlock Class Evolution Opportunity (Advanced) | Riftborn Essence | New Allies
---
Axton looked up at the swirling Rift above him, his mind already racing with the new objective. Whatever was behind this, he was getting closer to uncovering the truth. And when he found it, he'd have to face it — head-on.