Chapter 10: The Price of Progress
Ryo Aelren sat at a worn table in Varnholt's Adventurer's Guild, the five silvers from the Rank C Rift mission heavy in his pouch. His body buzzed with the afterglow of reaching Level 1, his muscles subtly stronger, his senses keener. The System's latest gift—Rift Sense—hummed in his mind, a faint awareness of the Rift's mana lingering even outside its branches. But the Memory Fragment—Progress: 2/10—and its whisper, Seek the forgotten, cast a shadow over his triumph. Answers were close, yet dangerously out of reach.
The guild hall was alive with noise—adventurers bartering loot, clerks shouting mission updates. Ryo's new Status Screen glowed in his thoughts:
*Name: Ryo Aelren
Level: 1
Class: None
Stats:
Strength: 4
Agility: 6 (+15% in combat, Survival Instinct)
Endurance: 5
Mana: 0
Skills:
Survival Instinct (Passive): Boosts agility by 10-15% when threatened.
Basic Strike (Active): Increases single-target attack damage by 6%.
Danger Sense (Passive): Heightens awareness of imminent threats.
Weak Point Strike (Active): Increases damage to vital areas by 11%.
Rift Sense (Passive): Detects Rift-based anomalies.
Experience: 0/200
Memory Fragments: 2/10*
Level 1. The milestone felt monumental, yet Ryo knew he was still a flea among giants. Rift Sense had guided him to the tower's rune, advancing the Memory Fragment. But what were the fragments? Why him? The System offered power but no explanations.
A familiar figure approached—Calen, his scarred face unreadable. "You look like you're plotting a war," the swordsman said, sliding into a chair. "Level 1 suits you. Don't let it go to your head."
Ryo managed a half-smile. "Trying not to. What's next?"
Calen leaned forward, his voice low. "Guild's forming a task force. Multiple Rift branches are destabilizing—more Rift-touched, more surges. They're calling it a 'crisis.' Rank B mission, but they're desperate enough to take non-Awakened. Pay's thirty silvers."
Ryo's Danger Sense prickled. Rank B was leagues beyond his skills, even with Level 1. "Why tell me? I'm barely Rank D material."
"Because you've got something," Calen said, his eyes sharp. "That call on the rune wasn't luck. You see things others miss. Join my team—Mira, Brom, Elara, and you. We'll watch your back."
The offer was tempting, but the risk was steep. Ryo's Rift Sense stirred, a faint pull toward the Rift's glow in the sky. The Memory Fragment whispered: Seek the forgotten. A Rank B mission could mean more fragments, more answers. But it could also mean death.
Before he could answer, a shadow fell over the table. Gav stood there, his dagger glinting at his thigh, his smirk cold. "Well, well. The porter's moving up. Rank B, huh? Careful, kid. Heroes die fast."
Ryo's Danger Sense flared, faint but sharp. "What do you want, Gav?"
"Just a warning," Gav said, leaning closer. "Guild's watching you. That survey, the tower—people talk. Keep playing hero, and you'll attract the wrong eyes." He straightened, tossing a mocking salute before vanishing into the crowd.
Calen's jaw tightened. "Ignore him. He's a snake, but he's not wrong about the guild. They're sniffing for something—maybe you, maybe the Rift. Join the mission, but stay sharp."
Ryo nodded, his mind racing. Gav's threat, the guild's interest, the Memory Fragment—it was all converging. He needed strength, and the System grew with danger. "I'm in," he said. "Rank B. Your team."
Calen's scar twitched. "Good. Rift Gate, dawn. Get gear—your sword's decent, but you'll need armor. Spend those silvers."
Ryo left the guild, heading to the market. With fourteen silvers total, he bought a leather cuirass for eight, its worn hide better than his tattered tunic. The remaining six he saved, the steel sword still a distant goal. As he passed a mana crystal stall, Rift Sense hummed, drawn to a small, cracked crystal pulsing faintly. It cost a silver, but its rune-like glow matched the spire's. He bought it, tucking it away.
That night, Ryo studied the crystal in his inn room. Rift Sense intensified, and the System chimed: Memory Fragment Analysis. Progress: 3/10. The whisper returned, clearer: Seek the forgotten. The key lies in ruin. His heart raced. The crystal was tied to the Rift's secrets, and the Rank B mission would take him deeper.
At dawn, Ryo joined Calen's team at the Rift Gate. Mira checked her arrows, Brom adjusted his satchel, and Elara's staff glowed with restrained mana. Calen led them through the portal, into a Rift branch unlike any before. The ground was molten stone, the air thick with ash. A ruined city stretched ahead, its crumbling spires etched with runes. Rift Sense screamed, and Ryo's grip tightened on his sword.
"Stay close," Calen said, his blade drawn. "This place is alive."
They advanced, Danger Sense and Rift Sense guiding Ryo's steps. The runes pulsed, and a roar shook the ruins. A massive Riftspawn emerged—a draconic beast, its scales molten, eyes blazing. Rank B, at least. Mira fired, Elara chanted, and Calen charged, but Ryo's Rift Sense locked onto a rune-covered obelisk nearby, its mana feeding the beast.
"Calen!" Ryo shouted. "The obelisk—destroy it!"
Calen nodded, redirecting his strike. Ryo joined him, Weak Point Strike targeting the obelisk's base. His iron sword cracked the stone, and Elara's spell finished it, shattering the runes. The beast roared, weakened, and the team pressed the attack. Ryo dodged a claw, landing a Weak Point Strike on its eye.
Experience gained. Level 1: 50/200. Memory Fragment Progress: 4/10.
The beast fell, and the ruins quieted. Calen clapped Ryo's shoulder. "You're earning your keep, kid."
Elara's eyes lingered, curious. Ryo said nothing, his mind on the Memory Fragment. The ruins held more runes, more secrets. The System was his guide, and the Rift was his path. With Level 1 and a new scar, Ryo Aelren stepped deeper into the unknown, ready for whatever came next.
To be continued…