With a couple of hours to spare, Alari trained with Elias in the training yard. A few nearby soldiers snickered at his novice form, but he ignored them.

  “Don’t use just your arms. You should strike in sync with your movements, using your whole body,” Elias corrected him on his basic overhand swing.

  In addition to critiquing his attack, Elias also reminded him about his footwork any time he reverted to his old habits. The practice wasn’t physically straining, but by the end of an hour, Alari was beginning to lose focus. Martial training just didn’t click the same way his crafting or magic pursuits did.

  “Did you expect to be a sword master after only several days?” Elias chided him.

  “No, I just thought I would be at least satisfactory in the basics,” Alari said.

  “As with many things, there are foundations which must be built upon. It might be frustrating to spend so much time on them, but a solid base will help you more than flashy techniques,” the swordmaster said sagely before adding, “If it's bothering you that much, you could invest your last point into Swordsmanship or a broader martial Skill.”

  Alari considered it, then shook his head. “Eventually, I want to get to a point where I won’t need it at all. If that happens, it would be a wasted point. Besides, I have already invested more in physical Attributes than I’d like.”

  “You invested two points.”

  “I know, think of all the wasted mana,” Alari exclaimed with mock severity.

  With their training done, they made their way to the mess hall. It was still early enough that the space wasn’t fully packed with soldiers, though there were still a fair number about. Breakfast was oatmeal that hadn’t quite solidified. Fortunately, there were some dates and cinnamon for flavor.

  Thanks to his massive frame, Roland was easy to spot. He had his usual beaming smile, while his sister Lia looked worn down and ragged, hunched over her bowl and eating mechanically. It was a sharp contrast to her usual rigid and upright posture.

  “Are you alright?” Alari asked Lia in concern as they joined them at their table.

  “I’m tired and kept pushing myself to the mana exhaustion limit several times. I’ll be fine,” she reassured him.

  “What did you learn from the soldiers?” Elias asked Roland.

  Roland leaned in and spoke in a hushed voice, “Not surprisingly, morale has gone to shit. It isn’t just this latest attack; there has been a surge in monster activity for several months. Everyone is worn down, and desertion is starting to become an issue. A logistics officer said supplies are tight, and if there is any delay in the supply caravans, they will need to begin strict rationing.”

  “Did any of them have theories on why this was happening?” Elias asked.

  “Mostly just the usual: racism, incompetent leadership, that sort of thing. The one that made the most sense to me was the idea of inner turmoil caused by the emperor’s death. With the various noble families squabbling amongst themselves, it makes sense that the border forts would be somewhat neglected. However, that doesn’t explain the monsters’ coordination.”

  “There’s more bad news. Maeve took a look at the rift last night, and she thinks it’s incredibly close to stabilizing, likely within a few days,” Elias added.

  “How is that possible? It should be weeks until it was that close,” Roland exclaimed. Unfortunately, no one had any answers.

  “The closer a rift is to stabilizing, the more powerful or numerous the monsters are. It also comes with increased rewards, a more potent rift core, and an increased bounty from the guild. The increase in difficulty scales faster as it gets closer, with the steepest rate just before it stabilizes. We were expecting this rift to have about a month left; the guild doesn’t like to cut things this close, especially since this rift is within a day's march of the fort,” Elias explained for Alari's benefit.

  Lia chimed in, “Should we consider recruiting someone else, just for this delve. No offense, Alari, but you're still pretty green. This would only be temporary; we still want you on the Silver Blades.”

  “None taken. I’ll defer to your judgement; If you don’t think I can handle it, then I can’t handle it.”

  The others looked to Elias, who considered it for a moment, then shook his head. He spoke in a hushed voice, “You all know how the border forts are. There might be a few moderately talented soldiers, but most are the dregs. This post is a punishment, willingly chosen only by the desperate or the most civic-minded. Besides, if we try poaching one of the fort's best men, the commander might try imprisoning or conscripting us again, only this time he would have the legal basis for it.”

  “So, I’m still coming with?” Alari asked.

  “That is up to you, but know that death is a real possibility for any of us, especially you. However, given the severity of the situation, we will need all the help we can get. So, I’m hoping you will join us, regardless of the risks,” Elias admitted.

  Alari was about to answer, but before he could, Lia held up a hand. “He should know what he is facing before making his choice.”

  Elias nodded, “I’ve done this rift many times, and it is known for being particularly annoying, though far from the most dangerous. We will be teleported just outside the ruins of a city. Inside, there is a single monster watching over the core. The problem is that the creature is a powerful necromancer with plenty of resources at its disposal. Expect to see hordes of reanimated skeletons, zombies, ghouls, and potentially even a few more potent undead.”

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “Because they are technically constructs, they also don’t give any essences, though they do still give slayer experience. That’s the real reason no one wants to do this rift, besides Elias,” Roland added bitterly.

  “The plan is for the four of us to keep the necromancer's attention, while Maeve and Bashir search for and assassinate the target. Also, we could get lucky and find the core unguarded; if so, they could absorb it, giving us multiple avenues to victory,” Elias explained.

  Alari considered the information. While he wasn’t thrilled by the prospect of facing hordes of undead, it also didn’t sound that bad. If he wanted to be an adventurer, it would involve taking risks. Still, he wouldn’t accept risks without considering future contingencies. Mobility seemed like the obvious improvement vector; Enhance, which could temporarily increase physical attributes, like a shot of adrenaline, could help. However, the most direct option was a spell that provided short-range teleportation: Blink, which he bookmarked as a potential option to buy later.

  Blink (4 TP)

  Type: Arcane, Dimensional

  Effect: Teleport the caster and any chosen objects they are touching to an observable location.

  Mana Cost Factors: distance teleported and total mass.

  Speaking resolutely, Alari reaffirmed his commitment, receiving solemn nods from his party members. With that decided, they turned to the logistics: everything that wasn’t essential would be left behind. Fortunately, there would still be weapons for Alari to artifice, as each of the Silver Blades carried multiple weapons as backups. They still needed provisions for several days, just in case the rift dragged on longer than they hoped. So, most of the items left behind were comforts, such as cooking supplies, spare clothing, and soap.

  The rift itself was about twenty kilometers lightward and was technically in the wastes. The distinction wasn’t overly problematic; the wastes were simply defined by the point at which light was too potent for grass to grow. The resulting terrain was sandy, rocky, and desolate. Alari wasn’t sure how the tribesman survived in such an environment, and he had a newfound respect for the quiet hunter.

  Eventually, Maeve and Bashir joined them; both of them looked a bit haggard but determined. They ate quickly, then gave a quick summary of what they had seen. Both had seen multiple roaming patrols of demons, but they had managed to slip past undetected. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be the case for the rest of the Silver Blades. So, not only would they be hiking through increasingly hot terrain, but they would also be fighting along the way.

  Each of them donned their armor and strapped weapons to their hips. Noticing Lia struggling a bit with her pack, Alari moved to help her. She nodded to him in thanks, but he barely noticed as he studied the way the weight was distributed.

  “Can I make a slight alteration to your pack? It should improve the balance,” he explained.

  “By all means,” she consented.

  Using the Alter Shape spell, he adjusted the straps' length so the weight rested more on her hips than on her back. It was a subtle improvement, one she likely wouldn’t notice right away, but over the course of the day, it should be slightly more efficient.

  “Thank you,” she said with a radiant smile, her eyes locking with his.

  Alari looked away, embarrassed by the attention for something so trivial. “It was nothing,” he said awkwardly.

  With their preparations made, they departed without delay. The soldiers posted at the wall gave them disparaging glares, but didn’t challenge them. Bashir ranged ahead, while Maeve covered their rear. Elias led them at a significantly faster pace than on previous days. Alari doubted he would have been able to sustain the pace without his increase in physical attributes; as it was, he was breathing heavily and sweating profusely. Fortunately, the improved weight distribution and better armor materials reduced chafing and mitigated the heat, making it somewhat bearable.

  They had been traveling for just over an hour when Bashir came sprinting back. A moment later, a pack of eight Algran came into view, covering several meters with each bounding stride. Alari realized he would have been easily caught if he had been in Bashir's position, but the hunter just outpaced them, running faster than an Olympic sprinter while armored and holding a bow. At some unspoken signal, he stopped and turned around, several arrows materializing in his free hand. He nocked and fired in one fluid motion. The arrow found its mark, sinking into the closest Algran at center mass. He continued firing with the speed of a semi-automatic rifle, and most hit their target. Unfortunately, the demons were tough enough that a single hit didn’t incapacitate them, but it did slow them. Eventually, a few fell after repeated injuries.

  The other Silver Blades weren’t idle, rushing to their comrades' aid. After a brief hesitation, Alari drew his arming sword and rushed to join them, a step behind the others. Their group reached Bashir a moment before the demons, and fierce melee ensued.

  Roland let out a primal shout and brought his greatsword down in a powerful arc. His opponent easily saw the attack coming and ducked under the blow. However, instead of trying to reverse his swing, Roland used the blade’s momentum, spinning in a circle and gaining speed. When the blade came down for a second time, the demon was too slow, and the force of the blow sheared through and cleanly bisected the tough creature.

  Not to be outdone, Elias raised a pair of longswords. On Earth, it would have been impractical to dual-wield blades of this size, but thanks to the system, he seemed to do so with ease. That would have been impressive by itself, but the veteran quickly displayed a level of ambidexterity and coordination that defied human physiology. It was as if he had two brains, one controlling each arm, like some sort of human-octopus hybrid. His combination of strikes quickly overwhelmed his opponent's defenses, and with a powerful strike, the monster’s head was separated from its body.

  Even Lia, whom he had considered the healer, was more than capable. She wielded a thinner blade, closest to a rapier, and fought like a fencer. Her footwork was immaculate, as she effortlessly avoided attacks like she was dancing a waltz. Meanwhile, she deftly wielded her weapon, thrusting the sword into her opponent repeatedly. The lighter weapon didn’t inflict much damage, but the adage ‘death by a thousand cuts’ seemed to apply to demons as well.

  Perhaps the least skilled melee combatant was Bashir, as he was likely the newest adventurer besides himself. Using his opponent's overeagerness to close the distance, he leveled a spear and braced it into the ground. Unable to stop midcharge, the demon impaled itself on the waiting weapon.

  Alari was so transfixed with his teammates’ prowess that he almost failed to notice a demon that had circled and come for him. It closed the distance between them in seconds, not giving him time to come up with a plan or get aid from his comrades. At the last second, the demon gained a burst of speed and lowered its horns, attempting to gore him.

  Panicked, Alari brought the sword down in an overhead chop. Somehow, he remembered his training, putting the force of all his muscles behind it. The blade struck true, and thanks to the supernatural sharpness, it cleaved through horn and bit into the creature’s skull before getting lodged in its brain, killing it instantly. Unfortunately, the creature’s momentum didn’t abate just because it had been slain, so the dead weight slammed into Alari. The demon was larger than the average person, making the force greater than that of a professional linebacker tackling a middle-schooler. Fortunately, the point of the remaining horn didn’t penetrate the armor thanks to the improvements to his armor.

  A moment later, he was slammed into the ground, and even with the STF hardening and dissipating the force, he still had the wind knocked from his lungs. An instant later, his unprotected head whiplashed into the ground, and everything went dark.