Inside the vast desert spanning more than forty kilometers, two figures stood surrounded by a swarm of nearly thirty sand salamanders. The sunless Rift sky glowed with a muted bronze hue, heat shimmering faintly across the dunes.
Three full hours had passed since Arthur and Elyndria entered this artificial Rift. In that time, they had systematically swept through the entire region. Thanks to Fang's powerful spiritual detection, not a single monster escaped their notice.
Unlike dungeons—where one simply had to defeat the boss to exit—Rifts demanded complete extermination. Whether it housed ten monsters or ten thousand, the only way out was to kill every last creature inside.
That was why most awakeners entered Rifts in large groups. Even the smallest E-rank Rift required travel across dozens of kilometers. Finding monsters was far more difficult than killing them.
Awakeners with sensory abilities never bothered with low-rank Rifts, and those without sensory skills simply wandered aimlessly, wasting hours.
But for Arthur and Elyndria, things were different.
Fang's spiritual awareness covered a radius of several kilometers, and Arthur's Spatial Shift allowed them to teleport instantly from location to location.
Their routine was simple and ruthlessly efficient:
Fang detects → Arthur teleports → both slaughter everything → repeat.
Neither of them experienced fatigue. Arthur used NULL and spatial energy far more than mana, and Elyndria relied on Spiritorn energy, meaning neither of them faced the limitations normal novices struggled with.
Finally, as the last salamander collapsed, the air rippled.A spiraling portal materialized in front of them—the return gate.
Without pausing, they stepped through.
Arthur POV
The moment we entered the vortex, a crisp notification chimed.
[Rift Cleared]+50 Points
A smile tugged at my lips.
We were the first to return.
I expected as much.In the book, Aldric hadn't cleared the Rift. Nobody had.The test wasn't designed to be completed—it was designed to measure efficiency, teamwork, and kill count.
Aldric had no sensory skills at this point, and his partner—aside from being C-rank—was practically dead weight. Even with the system helping him, navigating a forty-kilometer Rift on foot meant losing precious time.
Finding monsters was harder than defeating them.
I glanced down at my armband.
1068 Points.
Not bad. Not bad at all.
Elyndria appeared beside me moments later, Fang dissolving into particles of shimmering Spiritorn energy. She scanned the empty return area, her expression brightening when she realized we were first.
I sat on a nearby bench, and she sat a polite distance away—though still closer than expected for an elf of her status. Her smile was soft, and there was undeniable excitement in her voice.
"Teaming up with you was really good. Because of you, we're first."
Thump—thump.
Oh no.
That smile should be a sin.
I forced myself to remain composed and leaned back casually.
"Well, thank you. I guess I really am the best."
Her cheeks puffed adorably as she flushed.
"That's not how you respond! You're supposed to say something like— 'No, you also did great. Without you, it wouldn't have been possible.'"
I broke into laughter.Watching an elven princess lecture me on humility was amusing beyond measure.
Seeing me laugh, she cracked as well—her melodic giggles spilling out uncontrollably.
"You really are different… How do you do it?"
I blinked, genuinely confused."How am I different? And what exactly did I do?"
She leaned in slightly, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret.
"I have an ability… I can sense the emotions of others. How they see the world. Their motives, their intentions. It has never failed me, regardless of rank or strength."
That… was definitely not in the book.
She exhaled softly, continuing.
"When I entered the academy grounds earlier, I felt everything—excitement, fear, expectation, joy… confidence… lust…" She wrinkled her nose slightly. "And jealousy. A lot of jealousy."
Then her eyes sharpened.
"But something else caught my attention. I sensed emptiness coming from three people standing together."
My heart stilled for a moment.Her ability must have brushed against my NULL barrier.
"When I focused, I could feel the emotions of the other two boys… but not yours. It was completely blank. Empty. As if nothing was there. Even in the Rift, when we fought together, nothing changed."
She hesitated before finishing softly—
"So… I got curious."
I listened silently.
Her talent, Spiritorn, was powerful enough to birth spirits—but emotional perception? That was new.
Then a certain line from my physique description flashed in my mind.
[Voidwalker's Gaze]—Nullifies mind, fate, and destiny-reading abilities.
Of course.
It wasn't that Elyndria couldn't read me.It was that my existence erased the attempt before it even began.
I met her eyes and offered a faint smile.
"Wanna feel what I feel?