Chapter 16: The Archive's Shadow
Ryo Aelren's steel short sword rested against the inn's wall, its edge catching the flicker of a single candle. The twenty silvers in his pouch felt like a lifeline, but Veyra's parting words—Find me when you're ready for the truth—gnawed at him. The System's chime echoed in his mind: Rift Memory Progress: 5/Unknown. The voice, now a constant presence, urged: The archive lives. His cracked mana crystal pulsed faintly, its rune-like glow a tether to the Rift's ancient secrets.
His Status Screen glowed, a testament to his climb:
*Name: Ryo Aelren
Level: 2
Class: None
Stats:
Strength: 5
Agility: 7 (+15% in combat, Survival Instinct)
Endurance: 6
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: 100/300
Rift Memory: 5/Unknown*
Rift Memory—visions of a lost civilization, its rune-carved cities swallowed by a cataclysm—hinted at the System's origins. Veyra's knowledge of the archive, her connection to the runes, made her a dangerous ally. The guild's scrutiny, fueled by Gav's accusations, tightened like a noose. Ryo's scars itched, reminders of how far he'd come—and how far he had to go.
A soft tap at the door stirred his Danger Sense, faint but sharp. Ryo gripped his sword. "Who's there?"
"Brom," came the healer's warm voice. "Got a proposition, lad."
Ryo opened the door, and Brom stepped in, his satchel slung over his shoulder. The healer's grin was steady, but his eyes held worry. "Heard the guild's buzzing about you," he said. "Gav's spreading poison, saying you're tied to the Rift surges. Calen's got a mission to keep you out of sight—Rank A, relic hunt, sixty silvers. There's a new face joining us. You in?"
Ryo's Rift Sense flared at the mention of a relic. The archive lives. A Rank A mission was a death sentence for a Level 2, but the Rift Memory pulled him toward it. "Who's the new face?" he asked.
"Jorik," Brom said. "Spearman, un-Awakened but tough. Calen trusts him. Dawn, Rift Gate. Get some gear—you'll need it."
Ryo nodded, and Brom left. He spent ten silvers at the market on a steel bracer for his sword arm, leaving ten. The weight of his reinforced leather vest and greaves grounded him, but Rift Sense buzzed with the mana crystal's pulse. He focused on it, and the System chimed: Rift Memory Analysis. Progress: 6/Unknown. The voice sharpened: The archive beckons.
Sleep brought fractured dreams—runes flaring, Veyra's eyes, a city crumbling under a violet sky. At dawn, Ryo joined Calen's team at the Rift Gate. Mira's bow was strung, Elara's staff glowed, and Brom's wards shimmered. A broad-shouldered man with a scarred spear—Jorik—nodded at Ryo. "Heard you're good with runes," he said, his voice gruff but friendly.
Calen's scar twitched. "Rank A relic, deep in the branch. Expect heavy resistance. Objective: secure it, get out. Veyra's leading us to it—guild's orders."
Ryo's Danger Sense spiked. Veyra stood nearby, her black cloak stark, the rune-etched orb in her hand. Her smile was sharp. "The Rift calls you, Ryo. Let's see if you answer."
The portal opened, revealing a Rift branch of twisted stone and glowing thorns. The ruins were dense, their runes pulsing with raw mana. Rift Sense guided Ryo past traps, but the air grew heavier, the voice louder: The archive beckons. The relic—a rune-etched scepter—lay in a sunken shrine, guarded by a Rank A Riftspawn: a colossus of crystal and shadow, its form shifting like liquid.
Calen charged, his sword sparking against its hide. Jorik's spear pierced a joint, Mira's arrows sought weak points, and Elara's lightning crackled. Brom's ward held, but barely. Ryo's Survival Instinct boosted his agility, and he flanked the colossus, Weak Point Strike targeting a glowing crystal in its chest. His steel sword cracked it, drawing a shudder.
Experience gained. Level 2: 150/300.
Veyra reached the scepter, her hands tracing its runes. Ryo's Rift Sense screamed—the scepter was the archive's key. He joined her, Weak Point Strike shattering a rune to weaken the colossus. The System chimed: Rift Memory Progress: 7/Unknown. The voice roared: The archive opens.
The colossus swung, its fist grazing Ryo's bracer. Pain flared, but he dodged, Danger Sense guiding him. Veyra grabbed the scepter, her eyes blazing. "You see it," she whispered. "The archive's truth."
The shrine shook, runes flaring. Calen shouted, "Portal!" Ryo guarded Veyra as they fled, the colossus's claws tearing stone. They dove through, emerging in Varnholt as the branch collapsed. The guild paid sixty silvers, Ryo's share fifteen, bringing his total to twenty-five.
Veyra vanished, but her words lingered: "The archive awaits, Ryo." The System chimed: Rift Memory Progress: 8/Unknown. The voice thundered: The archive's heart beats. Ryo's scars burned, his steel sword heavy with purpose. The guild's eyes, Gav's threats, Veyra's secrets—the Rift was a puzzle, and Ryo Aelren was its key. He'd find the archive, no matter the cost.
To be continued…