The Rift hovered at eye level above the ground, but seemed to soar up into the stratosphere like a UFO teetering on its side and threatening to capsize. It was about the size of the castle I woke up in. I couldn’t even see the top of it with my neck craned upwards from where I stood. It glittered with an excited energy that lay siege to the ground and trees like a tornado. My own uniform fluttered in protest, and my knees wobbled. Had it not been for my staff serving as my powerful anchor, I probably would have been blown away myself by a stray pulsation.

  The Hunter parties of that Ethan Hero were already on the move, storming into it while we still dawdled outside. Those pitiful fools were only getting a head start into their beautiful deaths, weren’t they? The portal released another electrical vibration during my inner musings as it consumed their forms in a hungry light.

  The worst part about this ordeal was that it made every hair on my body crawl upward like insects. Even though we were lined up quite some distance away, we were not immune from the pressure. Several Menial-ranked Hunters had toppled over, only to receive prompt scoldings from guards nearby.

  It felt like an electric fly swatter about to smack us on one side, while a wall of spears threatened us on the other. Our party was sandwiched within the middle of the field, and not even Leah fell over among us. I glanced at them quickly, but moved back to the parties next to us. No matter who I looked at, they were equally awed by the spectacle, while I attempted to stop my own frenetic thoughts by glossing over the new translucent windows.

  ———————————————

  Kathleen Ravenclast [+74]

  (Shrine Ravenclast Menial Party)

  Temporary Party Members:

  Regis (Fighter, level 2)

  Kieron (Rogue, level 3)

  Leah (Knight, level 2)

  Kathleen (Healer, level 3)

  ———————————————

  Sure enough, it looked like I’d been inducted into a Menial-ranked party against my will. The number next to my name was presumably the amount of Status Points, and it seemed to have increased by 10. The notification tag only revealed that my Magic had failed. Tsk. Still, that freezing feeling in my hand was real magic working through my body somehow. It was the key, and I got points for it. Was the Plus Menu pitying me? Well, I’m shameless. Who was I to refuse free things?

  The atmosphere had changed drastically, stopping my internal investigation and attempts to think about anything other than the dire situation at hand. It was the Ice Queen herself, making the air around us freeze. She stepped to the front and faced us; her stern face and glowing crimson eyes revealed no intent nor warning. They were burning and defiant, commanding each of the Menial ranked Hunters to give her their utmost attention. If her mean look were a mask to hide her nervousness, it was welded on securely.

  “Hunters,” she said. Her voice wasn’t loud, yet somehow she managed to make it sound clear to my ears over the buzzing Rift. “The Rift Closing Rite is upon us. Normally, such an opportunity to prove yourselves worthy to our Family would not come so soon. However, such training cannot be wasted and so it falls to each of you to complete it now.”

  Her red eyes swept over us. I shrank behind Leah, who remained in a trance over seeing her idol give this melodramatic performance. I gathered that this Rift wasn’t a part of their little Main Family drama plans, yet they were flexible enough to toss us lambs to the slaughter anyways. As I was mulling over this, I felt Emily’s eyes linger on me for a few moments more before moving on. As usual, the reason for her sudden interest eluded me.

  “You all have been assigned to a Shrine Party. Inside, you will Hunt those Shrines and keep them alight, or die. Do not let others, Humans or Monsters, interfere with your work. Should you successfully survive the Rite, the House may recognize prowess and even lift your band.”

  May recognize my prowess, I scoffed. The little red band wrapped around my wrist was mere decoration to me. That implied they might give survivors a small pat on the back before they stabbed it. And what was with that tone? Had she grown a conscience somehow? Did she know that we were practically lambs thrown to the wolves? And she wants us to fight other Parties? I glanced at my fellow E-ranked newbies.

  A guard with a rictus of repulsion stepped between her and the crowd, opening a scroll.

  “Hunters, listen well and obey,” he shouted over the hissing portal. “This is a Practical Exam Rite. You are to enter the Rift and begin the Closing Ritual. Do not stray from Her Ladyship’s command, even if you breathe your last breath inside. This Rift must not be breached.”

  A dozen guards were passing by each group, distributing maps. How come they don’t send the guards in there? I wondered. They were all level 10s, far higher than us amateurs. Regis was the one who caught ours. He simply looked over it and gave a noncommittal grunt. Kieron snatched it out of the man’s hand, who didn’t resist. As his face remained blank while reading over the details, I felt wary around that Rogue, more than the Fighter.

  He was clearly plotting against us for some reason, and was not to be trusted in this whole bunch. Perhaps, he was in cahoots with that human blob Kevin. He shot me a glare of disapproval. I stared back with a glare of my own, making it clear that I didn’t care. This wasn’t rivalry— this was a declaration of a silent war between us. That and I just really didn’t like his face.

  He shoved the scroll into Leah’s arms and snapped. “Will you let go of that damn useless rock already? Figure out which of the two of you will hold and guard that scroll with your lives.”

  I looked at Leah, who still had a bitter look on her face towards the pair, and decided to pluck the scroll out from her arms. Let’s have a look, shall we? I smoothed out the rough texture and to my surprise, could actually read what it said.

  The plan was to find certain shrines and guard them from any stray monster that happened to slip through the raiding Hunter Parties. Apparently, being near them would keep their lights on. To stand by a bright object to be seen by all was definitely a cruel way to sentence us cannon fodder, I mused before flipping through the scroll.

  The existence of this map meant that several of their groups have explored the Rift before. That meant people can get out of it after entering it, right? A crude map was drawn inside, revealing a maze-like dungeon. The one we were supposed to go to was marked hastily, but glancing at the suspicious Kieron and the silent Regis, I doubted we were going to have a chance of surviving. A rogue in videogames was crafty and selfish, right? It was practically written on his ugly face that he was definitely going to sabotage this party.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  I also wasn’t confident in my optimistic friend here, though that trick she pulled with the potion at least showed me that she knew that the other two were bad news. Leah clutched the rock as if it was a charger, not even reacting when I tucked the map into my coat’s inner pocket. Did she trust me? Or did I simply appear weak enough to not register as one of those backstabbers even in her eyes?

  To fight my nerves, I naturally consulted my Plus Menu. It was, after all, the only game changer I had to fight this madness. A neat 74 points remained for me to use at seemingly any time. While I couldn’t quantify how each point helped when I invested it into an attribute, I knew I had to use them soon. The 100 Attack Power seemed like a waste at the time, but a new tag caught my eye when I looked down.

  The [X] above the Ritual Dagger was gone. In its place sat a singular tag with a chilling message.

  ———————————————

  — Blood Spilling Ritual Knife [Common]. Not compatible with any skills, but can be wielded.

  ———————————————

  A horrible thought lanced through me, though I recognized its plotting kind. It was like a bad friend, whispering gossip in my ears. You know what to do, Kathleen, I heard it say. The cold iron blade flashed, briefly reflecting the blue glare of the Rift’s overwhelming presence back into my eyes. If those two had no intention in following this little Rite’s game and didn’t want to work with me, then I was simply going to have to act first. I’ll be waiting to see what happens, but a gut instinct told me I was not going to have to wait for long.

  Cheering resounded over the line of Hunter Parties, stopping my vicious attack thoughts. Emily was making her move, marching resolutely into the Rift. Even under its vast blue void, she remained resolute. Good luck, you Face Slapping powerhouse. I gave a scoff as she vanished into the light. I glanced at the rest of the Menial Parties making their moves.

  The pressure in the air zapped my skin with a static sensation. It only grew more intense when I followed my Party’s lead closer towards it. There was no turning back, huh? The guards had blocked off any exit point, but no one besides me had any hint of self-preservation. Kieron and Regis both strode forward into it while I cautiously approached it, gripping my staff like a lifeline. I suddenly felt a hand seize my arm from behind, turning to see Leah staring at me.

  So, the prayer bird finally thought about letting go of that little rock pendant of hers. I caught a hidden intent glinting in her eyes. Gone was the star-struck look from beholding her idol— the familiar Ravenclast cunning was on full display for me. Leah was clearly telling me to meet in private once we enter. Or warning me of something. Either way, I nodded. Together, we stepped directly into the Rift’s portal.

  -X-

  The throne room was quiet, lit only by the flickering flames of a few lamps overhead. The man on the throne drummed his fingers over the armrest in a smooth rhythm, yet it was laced with a hint of anticipation. Lightning streaked outside through the towering arch windows above, illuminating the room in slices.

  There were traces of the Corruption and magic within every bolt. Everyone in the room could sense that a Rift had torn its way into reality, but it was like every lingering scar and shadow meant nothing to the man on the throne. He was waiting for the report, for the doors to swing wide open, and for her to step inside without a shred of respect as she usually conducted herself.

  For someone not of a Bearer, that one was something special. So she was allowed to. No, she had earned the right to be that way. His advisors stood at the ready, unable to read his gaze or bear a look at his imposing posture even as he sat. And before another bolt could bother his ears, the doors slammed wide open in the wake of a boot’s powerful kick. A barely imperceptible smile tugged at his lips. She was there, in her loud fashion, stomping in as if she owned the place.

  “What a shite hole,” she bellowed. Filigreed brooches dangled off her lapel, twinkling brightly against the dark and lightning-streaked sky, covering a layer of armor presumably constructed from the corpses of demons and monsters alike. Her eyes scoured the shocked gazes off the Nobles’ faces, then, locked directly onto— no,— through him.

  His closest advisor huffed in after her, sweating. It was clear to the man on the throne his advisor did not make any attempt to stop the belligerent Adventurer. A wise man, he mused. Stopping this force of freakish nature was a fool’s errand. His brief glance at the advisor squeezed an apologetic and somewhat sympathetic look, before he scurried around the Adventurer with a wide berth.

  She merely watched the advisor’s farce unfold with utter contempt.

  “Y-Your M-Majesty,” the advisor’s eyes were glued to the man on the throne’s shoes. “M-Master Giselle has come bearing news.”

  “Save your brabble, fool!”

  The master, Giselle, swatted the advisor aside and stood at the foot of the throne. His rambling pretenses stood no match, her swinging hand simply had a mind of its own. The King seemed to expect the unruliness, and didn’t speak on it. He even felt somewhat amused. A caged animal he had plucked from one of the prominent guilds was still, in fact, an animal. Especially one who had been donated to him by the Adventurer guild itself.

  “A Rift has dropped straight in Ravenclast’s territory,” she said, voice blank and devoid of any respect owed to a Royal King. “They’re sending their little creatures directly into it like the fools they are.”

  Oh? The man on the throne simply raised an eyebrow. He nodded to a nearby Treasurer, who sprang to his feet and quickly wheeled a groaning cart in. A large sack of coins sat directly on top of it, looking like a mountain on the verge of collapsing. The bag itself was also valuable, made of dead demon leather. The Treasurer bowed deeply with a face morphed in sheer unctuousness as he rested it before the Master. No doubt an ordinary Adventurer would pass on such material and treasure.

  But as expected, Giselle was not an ordinary Adventurer. She looked at the bag and erupted in a fit of laughter, shaking the rafters and overwhelming the rumbling thunder outside. She laughed and laughed, while the king himself watched unbothered. He had spent a long time conquering this particular character, and knew the fact that she did not set the treasure ablaze meant she had already accepted his offer. Well, she would have without his other underlying persuasions.

  “Tell it to me straight,” she spat out in between bouts of cackles. It was a miracle that she had kept her arms crossed the entire time. Her blue eyes sharpened from their amusement, piercing their hearts with fear. “What will you have me do in the great Ravenclast Territory? Cause a bit of fun? Or, raze their little playthings?”

  “There’s a certain… energy to this Rift,” he finally intoned. “Investigate it. Do whatever you want with the failed children of their Bearer, should you encounter them inside of it.”

  He tossed another small leather pouch at her feet. Its contents pulsed like a beating heart, but she ignored it as well. His temples throbbed, his patience evaporating. He unleashed a mental prodding that changed the air around them. He had been lax with Giselle, and her defiance was only growing. He did not issue a command aloud, but his gaze turned into a deadly warning, promising a fate worse than the end should she refuse his command.

  Giselle’s entire demeanor changed as another cold, fulgurant flash divided the throne room into two worlds of darkness and firelight. She didn’t speak, but the red Core burning as hot as a forge beneath her folded arms did the trick. A small flick of the man’s wrist moved as he sat on the throne, though he stared at her without a change of emotion. He channeled the Skill mentally, something only those of Royal Blood were able to do. She would obey his designs. One of her knees quaked, but her face went from being arrogant to blank, to resignation.

  Once the activation ended, an unsettling grin spread across her face. With a strong arm, she effortlessly slung the demon leather bag over her shoulder and grabbed the beating thing off the ground, not even bothering to catch the stray coins that were lost rolling into the crowd of terrified Nobles, and waved her free hand as she strode out.