Chapter 17: The Blade's Truth
Ryo Aelren sat on the edge of his creaking cot in Varnholt's cheapest inn, the weight of his steel short sword balanced across his knees. The blade's polished edge caught the flicker of a single candle, its gleam a stark contrast to the chipped iron sword he'd discarded. His pouch held twenty-five silvers, enough for better gear or a month's survival, but his mind was consumed by the System's latest chime: Rift Memory Progress: 8/Unknown. The voice—The archive's heart beats—pulsed in his thoughts, as did Veyra's cryptic promise: The archive awaits. The cracked mana crystal in his pouch glowed faintly, its rune-like pulse syncing with his Rift Sense, a tether to the Rift's ancient secrets.
The guild hall's clamor drifted through the thin walls—adventurers boasting, clerks shouting mission updates. Ryo summoned his Status Screen, its glow a quiet anchor in the dim room:
*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: 150/300
Rift Memory: 8/Unknown*
The Rift Memory—visions of a lost civilization, its rune-carved spires crumbling under a cataclysm that birthed the System—felt like a half-remembered dream. Each fragment revealed more: cities of light, mana-forged machines, a war against an unseen force. Veyra's knowledge of the archive hinted at a truth the guild feared, and Gav's accusations—calling Ryo "unnatural"—tightened the noose. Calen's team was his shield, but the Rift's pull was stronger. The archive's heart beats. Ryo needed to find it, to understand why the System had chosen him.
A sharp knock at the door snapped him from his thoughts. Danger Sense flared, sharp and immediate. Ryo gripped his sword, his voice low. "Who's there?"
No answer, only the creak of boots outside. Danger Sense spiked, and Ryo moved, flattening against the wall. The door burst open, and Gav stepped in, his dagger glinting, eyes narrow with malice. "Thought you'd hide forever, porter?"
Ryo's Survival Instinct hummed, his agility primed. "What do you want, Gav?"
"You're a problem," Gav hissed, stepping closer. "Guild's sniffing, and you're the scent. Runes, relics, surviving Rank A's—you're no nobody. Spill it, or I'll carve it out."
Ryo's Danger Sense screamed as Gav lunged, dagger aimed at his chest. Survival Instinct kicked in, boosting his agility by 15%. Ryo sidestepped, his steel sword flashing up to parry. The blades clashed, sparks flying. Gav was fast, an Awakened rogue, but Ryo's Weak Point Strike targeted his wrist, forcing the dagger to clatter to the floor.
"You're done," Ryo said, his voice steady despite his racing heart. Experience gained. Level 2: 160/300.
Gav snarled, clutching his wrist. "This isn't over. The guild'll bury you." He fled, leaving Ryo shaken but resolute. Gav's attack confirmed it—the guild's eyes were on him, and the Rift Memory was no coincidence. He needed to move, to stay ahead.
At dawn, Ryo reached the guild, his reinforced leather vest and greaves snug, his steel bracer gleaming. The job board held a new posting: Neutralize Rift Core, Rank A. Reward: 70 Silvers. The description mentioned a "rune-etched heart" in a deep Rift branch. Rift Sense roared, and the voice echoed: The archive's heart beats. This was it—the archive's core.
Calen found him at the board, his scar stark in the morning light. "You're eyeing the core mission," he said, his voice low. "It's suicide, even for us. But the guild's desperate—Rift surges are spreading, and they're blaming relics. Veyra's on it, and she asked for you."
Ryo's Danger Sense prickled. Veyra's involvement was a double-edged sword—her knowledge could unlock the Rift Memory, but her motives were unclear. "I'm in," Ryo said. "Your team?"
Calen nodded. "Mira, Brom, Elara, Jorik, and you. Meet at the Rift Gate, noon. Get supplies—food, bandages. This one's deep."
Ryo spent five silvers on provisions—dried meat, a waterskin, and a healing salve—leaving fifteen. At the Rift Gate, the team gathered, tension thick. Mira's bow was strung, Brom's satchel heavy, Elara's staff pulsing, and Jorik's spear gleamed. Veyra stood apart, her black cloak stark, the rune-etched scepter from the last mission in her hand. Her eyes met Ryo's, a silent challenge.
"Core's in a citadel," Calen said. "Neutralize it, get out. Rank A Riftspawn—expect the worst."
The portal opened, revealing a Rift branch of obsidian spires and glowing rivers of mana. The citadel loomed, its rune-covered walls pulsing like a heartbeat. Rift Sense screamed, guiding Ryo past mana traps. The voice thundered: The heart awaits. The team moved silently, but the air grew heavier, the runes brighter.
Inside the citadel, the core—a massive rune-etched crystal—pulsed in a vast chamber. Guarding it was a Rank A Riftspawn: a behemoth of crystal and shadow, its form a swirling mass of blades. Calen charged, his sword sparking. Jorik's spear pierced its hide, Mira's arrows sought weak points, and Elara's lightning cracked. Brom's ward held, but the behemoth's blades tore through, grazing Calen's arm.
Ryo's Survival Instinct boosted his agility, and he flanked the behemoth, Weak Point Strike targeting a glowing core in its chest. His steel sword cracked it, drawing a roar. Experience gained. Level 2: 200/300.
Veyra reached the core, her hands tracing its runes. "It's the archive's heart!" she shouted. Ryo joined her, Rift Sense locking onto a central rune. He struck with Weak Point Strike, shattering it. The behemoth faltered, and the System chimed: Rift Memory Progress: 9/Unknown. The voice roared: The heart is yours.
The behemoth swung, its blade grazing Ryo's greaves. Pain flared, but Danger Sense guided him clear. Elara's spell and Jorik's spear finished the beast, and Veyra grabbed a fragment of the core—a glowing rune stone. The citadel shook, runes flaring. "Portal!" Calen yelled.
They fled, diving through as the branch collapsed. In Varnholt, the guild paid seventy silvers, Ryo's share seventeen, bringing his total to thirty-two. Veyra vanished with the rune stone, whispering to Ryo: "The archive's truth is near."
The System chimed: Rift Memory Progress: 10/Unknown. The voice thundered: The archive reveals. Visions flooded Ryo's mind: a council of ancients, forging the System to bind the Rift, a betrayal sealing their fate. The Rift Memory was a map to power—and danger.
Calen grabbed Ryo's shoulder. "You're in too deep, kid. What's driving you?"
"Truth," Ryo said, his scars burning. The guild, Gav, Veyra—the Rift's heart was his path. With Level 2 and his steel sword, Ryo Aelren would seize it, no matter the cost.
To be continued…