The Rift Rat Alpha lowered its body, crimson eyes locked onto Arin. Around it, the remaining Rift Touched Rats began circling the four survivors, their claws scraping against the concrete as they waited for their leader's command.
Arin's eyes narrowed. "Don't underestimate it. The Alpha is boosting the others."
Kael glanced at the swarm surrounding them. "Twenty something rats, one giant rat, and we're still underground. Fantastic. Whoever designed this dungeon clearly hates teenagers."
Liora raised one hand, crimson energy gathering around her fingers. "Stop complaining and fight."
Kael grinned. "That's my favorite kind of encouragement."
The Alpha suddenly opened its mouth.
A deafening screech exploded through the chamber.
«[Skill Detected: Alpha Command Lv.1]»
«[Twenty One Rift Touched Rats have received the Alpha Enhancement.]»
«[Enemy Attributes Increased by 20%.]»
«[Trinity System Note: You have approximately three seconds before they reach you. Running away is still an option. A very sensible option, actually.]»
Kael blinked.
"Did the system just tell us to run?"
Arin ignored the message. "Kael, left side. Liora, right. I'll take the Alpha."
Liora nodded. "Understood."
Kael's green aura erupted around his body as bone began forming over his forearms and shoulders. "Finally."
The rats charged.
Kael stepped forward and slammed both fists into the floor.
Green energy surged through the concrete.
A line of bone spikes erupted from the ground, forcing several rats into the air. Kael immediately followed, leaping upward and smashing one creature after another with reinforced fists.
"Come on!" he shouted. "Who's next?"
Three rats attacked from behind.
Kael twisted around, but one of them was already too close.
A crimson thread sliced through the creature's body before it could reach him.
Liora stood several meters away, her blood threads floating around her like crimson serpents.
"You're welcome."
Kael looked at the severed creature.
"That's twice you've saved me today."
"Try making it three times and I'll start charging."
Kael laughed. "Put it on my tab."
Another wave attacked.
Liora's expression sharpened as she moved her fingers.
The blood threads multiplied.
Five became twenty.
Twenty became dozens.
They moved through the air with frightening precision, wrapping around limbs, piercing bodies, and pulling enemies away from their formation.
But the Alpha didn't move.
It was watching.
Waiting.
Arin noticed.
His purple aura intensified.
"That's strange."
Liora glanced toward him. "What?"
"The Alpha isn't attacking."
Kael crushed another rat beneath a bone reinforced fist. "Maybe it's scared."
The Alpha's head suddenly turned toward Kael.
Kael stopped.
"...I take that back."
The creature crouched.
Arin's eyes widened.
"Kael!"
The Alpha disappeared.
It moved so quickly that even Arin almost lost sight of it.
Kael barely raised his arms before the creature slammed into him.
BOOM!
His body flew across the room and crashed through a concrete pillar.
"KAEL!" Liora shouted.
The Alpha immediately turned toward her.
Arin vanished.
Purple shadows swallowed his body.
He reappeared between the Alpha and Liora, a condensed shadow blade forming in his hand.
The Alpha's claws struck.
Arin blocked.
The impact sent a shockwave across the room.
His feet slid backward several meters.
His arms trembled.
"Strong..."
The Alpha attacked again.
Arin ducked beneath the claws and drove his shadow blade toward its throat.
The creature twisted away.
The blade cut across its shoulder instead.
Dark blood splashed across the floor.
The Alpha roared.
«[Critical Hit Detected.]»
«[Rift Rat Alpha has entered an enraged state.]»
«[Special Ability: Rift Frenzy activated.]»
«[Trinity System Note: Congratulations. You have successfully made the giant murder rat angry.]»
Arin stared at the message for half a second.
"...Seriously?"
Kael suddenly crawled out from the rubble.
"Did the system just insult the monster?"
Liora blocked another rat with a blood barrier.
"It insulted us too."
Kael grinned.
"Okay, I like it."
The Alpha attacked again.
This time, it was faster.
Much faster.
Arin barely avoided the first strike.
The second grazed his shoulder.
The third forced him backward.
He couldn't keep defending.
His current power was too unstable.
The system suddenly flashed.
«[Combat Analysis Available.]»
«[Recommendation: Stop fighting the Alpha head on.]»
«[Its agility exceeds yours.]»
«[Exploit its turning speed and blind spot.]»
«[Trinity System Note: In simpler terms, Arin, stop trying to win a fistfight with a creature twice your size.]»
Kael burst out laughing.
"HAHA! It roasted you!"
Arin's expression darkened.
"Focus."
"I'm focusing. I'm also enjoying this."
Liora smiled faintly. "The system has a point."
Arin ignored both of them.
He watched the Alpha.
Its attacks were powerful.
Its speed was incredible.
But every time it changed direction, there was a brief delay.
That was enough.
"Kael."
"Yeah?"
"Can you immobilize its legs?"
Kael's grin returned.
"Now that's a question I like."
He slammed his palms together.
Green energy exploded outward.
Bones erupted from the ground.
The Alpha noticed and leapt.
But Liora was already waiting.
She flicked her fingers.
Crimson blood threads wrapped around one of the creature's hind legs.
The Alpha snarled and pulled.
The threads began breaking.
Liora gritted her teeth.
"Now!"
Kael slammed his fist into the floor.
A massive bone structure erupted beneath the Alpha.
The creature's leg became trapped.
For one second.
Only one.
But one second was enough.
Arin disappeared.
Purple shadows swallowed the room around him.
The Alpha turned its head.
Too late.
Arin emerged above it.
His entire arm was covered in condensed purple darkness.
"Shadow Fang."
He drove his attack downward.
CRACK!
The blow struck the Alpha's skull.
The creature collapsed onto the concrete.
But it wasn't dead.
It struggled.
Its claws scraped against the floor.
Liora's blood threads immediately wrapped around its neck.
"Hold it!"
Kael charged.
Green energy exploded across his body as a massive bone blade formed along his forearm.
"With pleasure."
He swung.
The Alpha's head hit the floor.
Silence.
The remaining rats froze.
Then they scattered toward the rift.
Arin looked at them.
"Don't let them escape."
Liora's eyes flashed red.
Her blood threads shot across the chamber.
One after another, the remaining creatures fell.
The final rat disappeared beneath the unstable rift.
Kael rushed toward it.
"Got you!"
He raised his fist.
Then stopped.
The creature suddenly vanished.
Kael stared at the empty darkness.
"...Did it just escape?"
The Trinity System appeared.
«[Enemy Escaped.]»
«[Rift Touched Rat has returned through the Proto Rift.]»
«[Warning: Unknown entity has acquired combat data from this encounter.]»
Arin's expression hardened.
"That's bad."
Liora nodded.
"The creatures are learning."
The Proto Rift suddenly trembled.
Then it began shrinking.
The purple black fracture collapsed inward until nothing remained.
The room became completely silent.
For several seconds, none of them moved.
Then Kael looked at the dead Alpha.
"So..."
He pointed at it.
"Do we get something for killing the giant murder rat?"
The system responded immediately.
«[Target Defeated.]»
«[Rift Rat Alpha Core Obtained.]»
«[Experience Reward: 450]»
«[Additional Reward: Minor Rift Fragment.]»
«[Hidden Quest Completed.]»
«[Reward: Trinity Synchronization +2%.]»
«[Current Synchronization: 74%.]»
The three stared at the final notification.
Liora blinked.
"Hidden quest?"
Arin looked toward the place where the rift had disappeared.
"We weren't given that objective."
Kael shrugged.
"Maybe the system likes surprises."
A second notification appeared.
«[Trinity System Note: Not bad.]»
«[You defeated an enemy significantly stronger than your current individual combat capabilities.]»
«[Recommendation: Rest before attempting another battle.]»
«[Also, Kael should stop punching things without a plan.]»
Kael's mouth dropped open.
"Why am I always the one getting roasted?"
Liora laughed.
Arin shook his head.
"We have more important things to worry about."
Kael pointed at the system window.
"No. This is personal now."
The system remained silent.
That was probably for the best.
The four gathered around the remains of the Alpha.
Elias stared at the core glowing faintly inside its body.
"So that's what you've been talking about."
Arin looked at him.
"What?"
"The cores."
Elias pointed at the glowing object.
"You've been acting like you've done this before."
The three exchanged a brief glance.
Elias noticed.
He wasn't stupid.
He simply didn't know the truth.
Liora crouched beside the corpse.
"The energy inside the core can strengthen awakened abilities."
Elias looked at the trio.
"How do you know?"
Arin answered calmly.
"We don't."
Elias frowned.
"You literally just said..."
"We're making an educated guess."
Kael immediately nodded.
"Very educated."
Elias stared at him.
"You sound like you're lying."
Kael smiled.
"I am a terrible liar."
"At least you're honest."
They carefully extracted the cores from the dead creatures.
The Rift Touched Rat cores were small and gray, while the Alpha's core was considerably larger and carried a faint crimson glow.
Arin held his core.
The moment he absorbed it, purple energy surged through his body.
Kael's green aura flared.
Liora's crimson aura intensified.
Their powers resonated.
«[Core Absorption Successful.]»
«[Experience Acquired.]»
«[Minor Stat Increase Detected.]»
«[Trinity Resonance Stabilized.]»
The three exchanged surprised looks.
Kael flexed his fingers.
"My power feels stronger."
Liora nodded.
"Mine too."
Arin looked toward the empty space where the Proto Rift had existed.
"But this wasn't supposed to happen."
He checked the date on his phone again.
April 3rd.
Ten days remained.
Yet they had already encountered a dimensional creature.
That meant their knowledge of the future could no longer be treated as absolute.
The timeline was changing.
And they were responsible for part of it.
Arin turned toward the others.
"We need to be more careful from now on."
Kael nodded.
Liora stood.
"And we need more information."
Elias looked toward the stairs.
"So what's next?"
Arin glanced at the time.
"Go home."
Kael stared at him.
"After fighting twenty seven mutant rats and a giant monster, you're telling us to go home?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because we have school tomorrow."
Kael's face went blank.
He looked at Liora.
Then Elias.
Then Arin.
"...The apocalypse is ten days away and we still have homework."
Liora laughed.
"Welcome back to normal life."
The four began walking toward the exit.
Arin remained behind for a moment.
He looked back at the empty space whereescaped.
The unknown entity that had acquired their combat data.
And the fact that the timeline was already deviating.
Then the Trinity System appeared one final time.
«[Trinity System Note: You are correct to be concerned.]»
«[Something has changed.]»
«[Prepare accordingly.]»
Arin stared at the message.
For the first time, the system's words didn't feel like a simple notification.
They felt like a warning.
He turned and follow the others to head home.