"An A-Rank skill? This makes it even more interesting. Who would have thought I'd see one so soon."
"With that kind of ability, there's no telling what he can pull off… I should constantly be on guard around him."
Even worse, despite being on high alert ever since arriving, I had failed to sense the dome's existence.
"A very unpredictable skill it is..."
However, the surprises did not stop there.
"Name's Seraphina Williams," said the tanned and athletic woman, who showed no hesitation in facing Julius one-on-one.
[Howl of the Worgen (Rank C)]
Assimilate the form of a Worgen, an ancient race of apex predators who triumphed under the blood moon's presence.
The metamorphosis effect is determined by the user's strength, endurance, and vitality.
- So it's a werewolf of sorts? It's way more versatile than Julius' dragon scales, that's for sure.
Continuing with the introductions was the cheerful black man with a British accent.
"Hi mate, my name's Robert Colt. Don't let her get under your skin, I'm sure you'll fit right in with the team," he said, trying to lift my spirits with what felt like a well-meaning but misplaced optimism.
The man clearly played the role of the group's peacemaker, the socially adept one trying to get along with everyone.
But such a personality felt inconsistent with the times we lived in. It made me question the depth of his kindness.
As if to challenge that thought, the analysis of his skill popped up.
[Vessel of Life (Rank C)]
Turn the user's body into a vessel capable of accumulating small amounts of life energy from other living organisms.
Grants the ability to use spiritual healing without the use of a spirit medium or contract.
Vessel capacity and life drain are determined by the user's magi and vitality.
- A healing skill… the doctor would certainly be interested in this one.
As I looked around the room, the red-haired man briefly met my eyes—then turned and left with a look of disappointment.
"Oh, don't mind him. His name's Ricardo," Robert said.
"No last name?"
"Well… not that I know of. The two of us were the first to join the Guild and even cleared a Rift together, but he's never told me his last name."
I didn't care much about his attitude, but his abrupt exit proved inconvenient. Due to the number of auras the [Eye of Truth] was trying to process simultaneously, it had failed to analyze Ricardo's skill in time.
"After that, Joseph and Hannah joined. It was only yesterday that Seraphina entered the group."
- Hannah, huh?
At the back of the room sat a young woman, quiet and distant, not eager to meet me.
I stared at her. Half a minute passed. No result from the contact lens.
- What's wrong? There's no way she doesn't have a skill...
With the others focused on Julius, I found a chance to investigate further with Tsormug's help.
"Can you see if she has established a Spirit Contract?" I whispered, suspecting the [Eye of Truth] might be blind to Spirit Power.
{Unless she summons her spirit or borrows its power, it is impossible for me to know.}
{If it were me during the Dark Ages, then yes—but now, neither of us can peer into the Spirit Realm.}
- That's of no use.
- For the glasses guy to keep her close, there must be a reason.
I took a step toward her. She flinched—then stood up and walked away to the other side of the room.
In that brief instant when our eyes met, my sixth sense picked up something subtle but unmistakable.
- Fear…?
- But what could I have done to make her afraid of me?
My thoughts were interrupted by the soft sound of footsteps in the hallway—and the presence I recognized immediately.
"Took you long enough, Rick," I said loudly, turning just as the door opened.
The rest of the room turned toward me in confusion, not having sensed his approach.
Rick grinned.
"Indeed, Jay. It really is awfully rude of me to keep you waiting—especially after personally inviting you to join the Phoenix Guild."
Alongside him stood a woman with short blond hair and a deep scar running across her face. Her aura didn't belong to a challenger, but the fierceness in her eyes gave off a deeply unpleasant feeling.
Looking closer, I sensed strange patches in her body devoid of life force—cold, metallic blanks in the stream of energy.
- Bionic implants.
"I hope you've all made proper introductions," she said, stepping aside for Rick to address the group.
"We've secured a new set of Rifts."
Rick took a step forward.
"To begin with, Mister Colt will enter a low-frequency Rift with a group of recruits. His task will be to ensure their safety and evaluate their performance."
- So they're sending experienced challengers into weak Rifts with rookies, to cultivate their talents and expand the guild's power.
- But how will they ever face true danger if there's always a safety net?
"Joseph and Hannah will be responsible for clearing a Rift in the center of District 12. With the mayor pressing us hard, I expect you to finish it quickly."
He then turned to the rest of us.
"The three of you will head to the outskirts, near the Mountain Range. Your objective is to enter a Rift showing unusual Magi density."
Seraphina frowned, obviously objecting to the team composition.
"Easy now, Miss Seraphina," Rick said smoothly.
"I know you prefer to work alone, and I respect that. But this Rift has been open for some time. The military's Alpha Team may soon intervene. We can't afford a Rift Break, especially when we're still trying to establish ourselves in the current landscape."
After a moment's silence, she nodded.
"Fine. But those two better not get in my way."
She turned her back to us and walked off, asserting her dominance like a queen over pawns.
Before Julius could fire back, she was already halfway down the hall.
"The cars are waiting outside," the bionic woman said curtly.
"Let's go punch some alien motherfuckers then," Julius grinned, cracking his knuckles.
---
Outside the building, a six-seater SUV waited, engine rumbling. Seraphina was already inside.
Julius marched ahead and sat directly opposite her, staring her down with that wild glint in his eye.
Two prideful brutes in a confined space.
- This ride's gonna be exhausting.
As I reached for the back door, movement caught my eye—Rick, standing beside a sleek luxury vehicle, beckoning me.
"Something you want to say?" I asked.
"How about a more comfortable ride to the site?" he offered. "There's something I want to discuss with you."
I nodded at Julius to go on without me and stepped toward Rick's car.
---
The mountains were tall and lifeless.
Feared by climbers for their steep ridges and jagged edges, many had perished on these slopes, losing focus for even a moment.
The Rift's entrance lay at what climbers called the "Final Ascent," the last brutal stretch before the peak.
When the vehicles could go no further, we disembarked. The guards began setting up camp.
"We'll wait for your safe return," one said quietly, placing a picture of his daughter beside his tent.
Rick said his farewells and returned to the city, leaving us—backpacks heavy with rations, spare clothes, and artifacts—to climb the final path to the Rift.
---
At over 3,000 meters above sea level, we could see the clouds brush below us.
The wind howled, stinging our faces.
Beads of sweat froze where they formed.
The experience would almost feel cathartic if we were not about to head into the unknown, with dangers far beyond whatever we could expect.
My discussion with Rick had left me pondering my next steps, but alas, that would have to wait until we finished the mission... if we survived this time.
"Phew, this is really damn high," Seraphina sighed.
After three and a half hours of climbing, the difference in altitude was beginning to affect us.
However, we had finally reached our destination.
An enormous rift the size of a 3-story building was in front of our eyes.
The energy emanating from it was immense, and it felt as if it would break in any minute.
At the very least, if the Rift were to break, no massive casualties would arise since it's very far away from civilization.
And so, with the resolve to survive another brush with death… I looked at my two teammates, and without a word, we entered the Rift.
---
[Meanwhile, in an unknown dimension]
A loud and furious voice echoed from the tallest peak of the Haegen mountain range.
"Two years!!! … for two years we have been sowing the seeds to take control of the Crown"
The shrouded figure yelled in a seemingly hyena-like voice.
"And it was all ruined in a span of minutes!!"
The voice originated from none other than the Grand Sorceress Alleynder, a mage who had reached the pinnacle of Spatial magic in the Elyan kingdom.
Being one of the very few individuals who could travel between dimensions without the need of a rift, one could say that the verminous creature held one of the most precious authorities in existence.
In front of her was a creature that towered over 20 meters tall, which almost resembled a dragon, if not for it having four arced wings - one of which appeared to have been brutally severed.
It's greyed out white scales shone in the presence of the light, while its sharp teeth and yellow eyes would bring terror to anyone who saw it.
Its appearance excluded radiance and dominion.
An unmistakable symbol of absolute strength.
"Erebius...", the witch called to the dragon.
"The state of Elyan Kingdom is in turmoil..."
"King Gyorm is dead... the people have learnt about the chimeras' existence and the experiments made by the Crown... A rebellion is brewing...."
"No doubt the 'others' will take notice of our actions there"
{Dragon's Speech}"This is a major setback, Alleynder... That dimension showed great promise"
As the dragon spoke, the surroundings began to shake.
The dormant spirits that encompassed all life in the air appeared to lose their vitality with every passing moment.
Even the Grand Sorceress, a master of Spirit Magic, felt weakened in the presence of the dragon's characteristic ability.
{Dragon's Speech}"The affinity for Elyans to handle corruption yet remain sane could have proven an invaluable trait"
{Dragon's Speech}"But even your strongest specimen could not remain sane and died off!!"
The dragon's voice was filled with contempt for the witch.
After regaining her composure from the dragon's ability, the Grand Sorceress stared at the dragon's eyes and roused her authority.
The air around her became heavy, and space appeared to distort.
"Erebius the Wingless..."
At the sound of the name he hated most, the dragon's eyes were immediately filled with anger and malice.
"The chimeras were still in the prototype stage, and far from being able to handle corruption"
"And unless you want one of your remaining wings pulverized... I would suggest you don't activate your skill in front of me"
At that moment, she raised her arm, pointing her open palm to one of the dragon's remaining wings, in a gesture that indicated she could rip it off at any moment if she wished to.
{Dragon's Speech}"You dare!?"
{Dragon's Speech}"Draw your last breath, spirit user, for your lungs will be filled with flames and your skin melt off"
Locked in a standstill, the two forces were prepared to wipe out all life within a 30-kilometer radius if they were to fight.
And that would be the case, had an unexpected presence not manifested in the middle of their altercation.
A most sinister aura engulfed them when a crimson red shroud appeared in front of them.
{Devil's Speech}"Kneel..."
At the shroud's command, both the witch and the dragon released their powers and immediately fell to the ground, their limbs uncontrollably moving in the most undignified and bizarre manner of being forced to kneel.
Both the witch and the dragon were visibly shaken by the shroud's power, even more because this was only the manifestation of a shroud and not the actual body of the caster.
{Devil's Speech}"What is done is done, we all knew that the chimera experiment always had a certain risk of failure"
{Devil's Speech}"We have set our plans in motion so that a small setback will not affect the grander scale of our goal"
{Devil's Speech}"However, loose ends need to be tied..."
{Devil's Speech}"Erebius, enter the Elyan dimension and remove any trace of our intervention, especially the residue of corruption in the chimeras"
{Devil's Speech}"Lay waste to the Kingdom of the Elyans... leave only molten magma and black smoke"
Upon hearing that her entire race was to be wiped from existence, the Elyan witch appeared visibly shaken, but alas, did not react.
After a brief pause, the creature behind the shroud arced a large smile.
{Devil's Speech}"My comrades... we are so close to achieving our centuries-old wish"
{Devil's Speech}"The revival of our eminence, the Lord of Chaos, is close..."