Draven burst through the dust.
His body shot into the air—
Only to find a massive fist descending directly toward him.
**BOOM!**
The Rift Breaker swung with enough force to shatter the surrounding stone.
Draven's eyes narrowed.
He didn't retreat.
Instead—
His arm snapped upward.
**BANG!**
His palm collided with the creature's fist.
The impact forced his body downward for an instant.
But Draven immediately used the creature's massive fist as a platform.
His arm tensed.
Mana surged through his body.
He pushed off.
**BOOM!**
His body shot higher into the air.
The Rift Breaker's arm continued moving beneath him.
Draven twisted his body sideways.
His feet landed against the creature's forearm.
For a brief instant—
He stood there.
Then—
His knees bent.
Mana gathered beneath his feet.
**BOOM!**
Draven launched himself again.
His body shot upward along the creature's arm.
The Rift Breaker's crimson eyes followed him.
Its other arm immediately swung toward him.
Draven twisted through the air.
The massive fist passed beneath him.
He continued climbing.
His crimson eyes remained locked onto the creature.
*...One more.*
His hands tightened.
Strands of mana wrapped around his arms.
Then—
Draven accelerated toward its chest.
Another fist came from the side.
Draven caught it through the corner of his eye.
He barely had time to react.
**BOOOOOOM!**
The massive fist slammed into him.
The impact sent him flying through the air.
For a moment—
Everything went silent.
The Rift Breaker stared at the point of impact.
Its enormous fist remained suspended.
Then—
Its fingers suddenly stopped.
Something was holding them.
Draven's hand was tightly wrapped around one of the creature's fingers.
His body hung beneath its clenched fist.
Blood covered his face.
His clothes were torn.
Several bones had been shattered by the impact.
Yet—
They were already healing.
**Crack.**
A broken arm snapped back into place.
Another fracture rapidly sealed.
The wounds across his chest closed one after another.
Draven slowly raised his head.
His crimson eyes met the creature's molten gaze.
"...Got you."
The Rift Breaker's eyes widened slightly.
Draven released its finger.
His body dropped.
Then—
He twisted in midair.
His feet landed against the creature's forearm.
**BOOM!**
Mana erupted beneath his feet.
Draven crouched for only an instant.
Then—
He launched himself forward.
**BOOM!**
His body shot along the creature's arm.
The Rift Breaker roared and swung its other arm toward him.
Draven accelerated.
His crimson eyes remained fixed on its chest.
Strands of mana began gathering around his fist.
*...Don't waste time.*
*...I only need one more.*
Draven launched himself forward.
**BOOM!**
His body became a blur.
The Rift Breaker raised its arm—
Too late.
Draven's fist drove straight into its chest.
**CRAAAAASH!**
His arm pierced through the creature's armored hide.
Black blood exploded outward.
The Rift Breaker's enormous body convulsed.
Draven's hand reached deeper.
His fingers searched through the creature's flesh.
Then—
They closed around something solid.
The core.
His grip tightened.
**CRACK!**
He ripped it free.
The creature's roar abruptly weakened.
Its enormous body staggered.
Dark Abyssal mana immediately began pouring from the exposed wound.
Draven pulled the core toward himself.
The Folding Mesh activated.
Strands of mana spread from his body and wrapped around the leaking energy.
Every trace was dragged toward him.
He absorbed it without hesitation.
His crimson eyes remained fixed on the core.
*...Almost there.*
Behind him—
The Rift Breaker's body began collapsing.
Its massive knees buckled.
The enormous creature crashed onto the ruined ground.
**BOOOOOOM!**
Dust surged outward.
Draven continued absorbing the dissipating Abyssal mana.
Blood ran down his face.
He didn't even bother wiping it away.
The last traces of energy streamed toward him.
The Folding Mesh pulled them into his body.
Then—
The remaining Abyssal mana vanished completely.
Silence returned to the ruined chamber.
Draven slowly lowered his arm.
His fingers tightened around the Abyssal Core.
The dark crystal pulsed faintly within his grasp.
He stared at it for a moment.
Then—
A faint smile appeared on his bloodied face.
*...That's it.*
*...The final one.*
He closed his fingers around the core.
"...Done."
Draven's grip tightened around the core.
Then—
A massive fist came crashing toward him.
He shifted sideways.
**BOOM!**
The fist passed inches from his body.
Before the Rift Breaker could recover—
Another fist came from behind.
Draven twisted in midair.
The second fist swept past him.
He landed briefly on the creature's arm before pushing away.
**BOOM!**
His body shot toward the shattered remains of the battlefield.
Ahead—
The remains of one of the Rift Breakers Aldric had already killed lay scattered across the ruined stone.
Draven landed beside it.
Without wasting a second—
He reached into the remains.
His fingers closed around the core.
He ripped it free.
Then immediately moved again.
A blur crossed the chamber.
He reached the second Rift Breaker Aldric had killed.
Its body had already begun breaking apart.
Draven reached inside.
**CRACK!**
The second core came free.
He tucked both cores away and moved again.
Moments later—
Draven appeared in a relatively open section of the ruins, far enough from the Breach that the constant emergence of creatures was no longer directly around him.
Aldric descended from above.
His dark wings slowly folded behind him.
He hovered a short distance away.
His eyes moved toward Draven.
"...So?"
Draven remained silent.
Aldric tilted his head.
"...You collected everything you needed?"
Draven looked down at the cores in his hands.
"...Yeah."
Aldric nodded.
"...Good. Glad you finally noticed."
He turned toward the distant Breach.
"...Then let's get the hell out of here before—"
"...Not yet."
Aldric stopped.
He slowly looked back.
Draven lowered himself to the ground.
The two cores in his hands dropped beside his feet.
**Clink.**
He still held another core.
The Folding Mesh immediately activated.
Strands of Abyssal mana began flowing from the crystal.
Draven absorbed it.
His crimson eyes remained fixed on the core.
Aldric stared.
"...What are you doing?"
Draven didn't answer.
The mana inside the core continued pouring into him.
His veins slowly became more prominent.
Blood trickled from his nose.
He ignored it.