Thanex had barely walked a mile when the feeling hit him.
A subtle shift in the air.
The kind of instinct that had kept him alive through years in the outskirts.
Danger.
His body reacted before his mind fully processed it.
He stopped walking.
The ruined battlefield around him fell silent.
Broken pillars stretched across the landscape like the bones of some ancient giant. Shattered stone platforms floated slowly in the air above the cracked ground.
In the distance, faint movements of other monsters continued among the drifting ruins.
But the danger wasn't there.
It was behind him.
Thanex's muscles tightened slowly.
The Void inside him stirred.
A quiet ripple of unease spread through his chest.
Something powerful had entered the area.
Don't move too fast.
That instinct whispered through his thoughts.
Running blindly could trigger a predator's instincts.
But standing still might give him a moment to understand the situation.
Thanex slowly turned his head.
The ruins behind him shifted slightly.
Dust slid down the side of a broken stone arch.
Then something massive stepped forward.
The ground trembled.
"Crap", Thanex's breath caught.
The creature emerged fully from the shadow of the ruins.
It was enormous.
Easily three times taller than a normal human.
Its body looked vaguely humanoid, but horribly distorted. Long limbs stretched unnaturally far from its torso, ending in claws shaped like curved blades.
Six glowing eyes stared down at him from a skull-like head.
Each eye burned with pale violet light.
Its skin looked almost translucent, like layers of pale shadow wrapped tightly around a skeletal frame.
Thin veins of dark energy pulsed slowly beneath the surface of its body.
The creature tilted its head slightly as it studied him.
Thanex felt a cold chill run down his spine.
He had seen monsters before.
But this one…
This one felt different.
The pressure coming from the creature alone was overwhelming.
His instincts screamed a warning.
Unfettered-rank monster.
The words formed instantly in his mind.
He had heard the classification system many times before while working as a canary.
The monsters were ranked from The Blighted, to Unfettered, Heretic, desecrator, tyrant, abyssal, and the world consuming Cataclysm.
These ranks showed the increase in the level of power that these beasts, know as hollow- creatures possessed.
The Hollow creatures were monsters possessed by the taint, and their power progression were of the dark and corrupt kind.
The resonants on the other hand, followed the progression of Order and light.
They were ranked from the Unclaimed, Bound, Legate, Sovereign, Overlord, Transcendent, to The Eternals which were practically gods.
He was pretty sure he was as strong as a resonant of the Unclaimed rank.
Afterall he had just awakened, although under complicated circumstances.
Thanex took a step back.
Blighted-rank monsters were the weakest.
Dangerous to normal humans, but manageable for trained Resonants.
Unfettered-rank monsters were far worse.
Fast.
Intelligent.
And powerful enough to kill experienced Rift explorers with ease.
Thanex's stomach tightened.
That's not something I can fight.
Not yet.
His new power was real.
He had survived the Subrift.
He had killed his first monster.
But that didn't make him unstoppable.
And the creature in front of him?
It radiated danger like a living storm.
The monster's six eyes narrowed slightly.
It had clearly noticed him.
Thanex froze.
Every survival instinct inside him told him the same thing.
Run.
But running too early might trigger the creature to attack instantly.
He forced himself to remain still for one more second.
The monster took another step forward.
The ground cracked beneath its weight.
Its long claws scraped slowly against the stone.
Thanex could feel the pressure in the air increasing.
The Void inside him stirred uneasily.
Even the ancient darkness within his soul seemed wary of the creature.
That decided it.
Thanex moved.
He spun around and ran.
The moment he did, the monster reacted.
A thunderous roar exploded behind him.
The sound shook the surrounding ruins.
Thanex's heart hammered violently in his chest as he sprinted across the broken landscape.
His new body moved far faster than it ever had before.
The Inchor of Chaos surged through his veins, pushing his muscles to their limits.
Stone shattered beneath his feet as he leaped across cracks in the ground.
The wind rushed past his face.
Behind him—
The monster chased.
Thanex risked a glance over his shoulder.
The sight nearly made him stumble.
The Unfettered rank creature moved unbelievably fast for something so large.
Its long limbs propelled it across the battlefield with terrifying speed.
Each step covered enormous distances.
Broken pillars shattered as the creature smashed through the ruins in pursuit.
Too fast.
Way too fast.
Thanex pushed harder.
His muscles burned as he increased his speed.
The Void around him reacted instinctively.
Dark currents flowed around his body like invisible wind, reducing resistance and helping him move faster.
Still…
The monster gained ground.
Thanex's mind raced.
Think.
Running blindly wouldn't work forever.
He needed terrain.
Something to slow the creature down.
Ahead of him, the ruins thickened.
A collapsed structure stretched across the landscape like the remains of an ancient fortress.
Broken walls formed a maze of stone corridors and fallen pillars.
Thanex sprinted directly toward it.
Behind him, the monster roared again.
The sound vibrated through the air like thunder.
Thanex leaped over a fallen statue and dove between two shattered columns.
The narrow gap forced him to slow slightly.
The monster smashed straight through the pillars behind him.
Stone exploded outward as the creature forced its massive body through the ruins.
Thanex's breathing grew heavier.
"Chaos", he hissed.
His body was strong—but not limitless.
He could feel the energy from the Inchor slowly draining as he pushed himself harder.
This thing won't stop.
The realization settled into his mind with cold clarity.
Predators rarely gave up once they chose their prey.
Thanex turned sharply around another corner of broken walls.
Fragments of floating stone drifted above him.
The maze of ruins stretched endlessly ahead.
Still the monster chased him.
Closer now.
Too close.
Thanex could hear the scraping of its claws against the stone behind him.
The sound echoed through the ruined corridors.
His thoughts darkened slightly.
So this is how it goes.
He had survived the Subrift.
Defied the Void.
Escaped death itself.
And now he might die running through a broken battlefield.
A bitter laugh almost escaped his throat.
Typical.
Thanex clenched his jaw and pushed forward again.
No.
If he was going to die…
It wouldn't be while giving up.
The Void surged faintly around him again as his determination hardened.
He leaped across another shattered wall and landed hard on the other side.
The monster crashed through the ruins behind him seconds later.
Its six glowing eyes locked onto his back.
Thanex ran faster.
The broken battlefield stretched endlessly ahead.
And for the first time since gaining his powers…
Thanex felt truly helpless again.