I arrived at the Stability Training Complex ten minutes early, presenting my badge to an automated scanner that pulsed with muted blue light. The building stood as a squat, utilitarian structure on the eastern edge of Lighthouse City—deliberately positioned near the barrier where dimensional energy fluctuations could be safely contained while remaining accessible to low-tier raiders like myself.
"Raider Volt. F-tier. Level 6," the system announced clinically. "Remedial Training: Dimensional Stability Fundamentals. Authorized. Proceed to Chamber 14."
The narrow corridor leading to the training chambers was lined with dimensional energy absorption panels—technology developed during the Great Consolidation following the Devastation. I'd read about them but never seen them up close. Their surface rippled faintly when approached, drinking in excess energy that might otherwise accelerate dimensional thinning.
Chamber 14 contained only a single interface terminal, a neural-feedback chair, and viewing screens covering three walls. The fourth wall remained conspicuously bare—reinforced with stabilization alloys that could contain dimensional anomalies should the training simulations trigger any inadvertent manifestations.
I sat in the chair, feeling the neural connectors adjust to my physiology as the system initiated.
DIMENSIONAL STABILITY FUNDAMENTALS
TRAINING SESSION 1 OF 7
COMPLETION REQUIRED WITHIN 14 DAYS
The terminal hummed to life, projecting a holographic timeline that stretched across the viewing screens. It began at year 2222—nearly eight centuries ago.
"Your recent incident in Crystalline Labyrinth demonstrates a critical misunderstanding of dimensional mechanics," stated the automated instructor, its voice calibrated to convey both authority and mild disappointment. "To prevent further targedy, you must comprehend why Stability exists and what happens when dimensional protocols are disregarded."
The timeline illuminated key historical points as the instructor continued.
"In 2222, dimensional rifts first appeared. Initially classified as scientific anomalies, the military quickly monopolized access after discovering the resources within. For eight years, they believed the situation was controlled."
The screens shifted to show archival footage—soldiers in pre-Devastation combat gear engaging what I recognized as F-tier monsters. Their tactics were laughably primitive by modern standards—no understanding of dimensional energy.
"In 2230, everything changed. The first E-tier rifts emerged, overwhelming military containment. By 2333, after a century of devastating losses, over 70% of Earth's pre-Rift population had perished. Conventional military forces proved completely ineffective against D-tier and above entities."
The screens displayed global maps comparing Earth before and after. Before: densely populated continents with sprawling cities. After: isolated points of light surrounded by vast swaths of monster-controlled territory. Current estimates showed human-controlled territory at less than 12% of Earth's surface—and even that required constant defense.
"The turning point came in 2333 when the first Source-tier entity—what we now call the Emperor—established Stability. Without this intervention, humanity would have faced extinction within decades."
The neural connectors transmitted subtle emotional undertones with this information—a programmed sense of reverence for Stability that I instinctively resisted.
"Today, in 3000 CE, we face an acceleration crisis. Observe the mathematical formula that governs rift manifestation frequency."
A formula appeared: ?s/?t ∝ (Emperor's tier)^2
The instructor continued, "Rift manifestation frequency is proportional to the square of the Emperor's tier—currently at S-tier Source level 100. This creates a paradoxical situation: the power that maintains our civilization also attracts dimensional incursions at an escalating rate."
The screens displayed global rift data: yearly increases in density, severity, and complexity. I shifted uncomfortably, remembering the crystalline appendages reaching through my dimensional fracture.
"Status participation rates continue their downward trajectory—a direct consequence of escalating F-tier instability and difficulty thresholds. Our initiatives to help civilians unlock their status have yielded diminishing returns year over year. Data analysis reveals a counterintuitive pattern: the more assistance during formative periods, the more rapidly people hit developmental plateaus in tier progression.
The statistical probability of any individual reaching S-tier—already a vanishingly small figure—continues to contract at an alarming rate. This high-tier deficit has directly impacted our reclamation campaigns, which have either stagnated or lost ground since 2970, reversing centuries of hard-fought progress. To be clear: our challenge isn't insufficient numbers of low-tier raiders like yourself—it's the resulting bottleneck in the high-tier raider pipeline. Observe the following demonstration."
The screens displayed footage from "reclaimed" territories—Greenzone (former Washington DC), Nexusfields (Eastern-Europe), and Canyonwatch (Andes). Each required constant raider presence to maintain even minimal stability. When raiders withdrew, footage showed rift entities rapidly reclaiming territory through broken dimensional barriers.
"Beyond our city barriers lies a world fundamentally altered by dimensional contamination. Breach zones create areas where physics itself operates differently."
The display shifted to show three distinct types of breach zones:
Zone Alpha (F-tier to B-tier contamination): Mutated flora and gravity anomalies
Zone Beta (A-tier contamination): Time dilation where one hour equals one minute of real time, causing memory erosion
Zone Gamma (S-tier contamination): Conceptual physics where reality itself becomes language-dependent
"The exponential power scale between tiers cannot be overstated," the instructor emphasized as mathematical models displayed on screen. "While an F-tier entity might possess the destructive capacity of conventional explosives, an S-tier entity can rewrite local physics. S-tier Knight (Level 60-69) entities alone outclass entire armies. S-tier Source (Level 100) entities like the Emperor can manipulate reality on a conceptual level."
The neural feedback chair transmitted a sensory approximation of dimensional pressure—just enough to demonstrate the crushing weight of higher-tier energy without causing actual harm.
"You created a temporary bridge to a higher dimensional plane—precisely the kind of incident that accelerates rift evolution. Such evolution events weaken the already tenuous stability of our remaining territories."
The screens displayed Lighthouse City's barrier systems—multiple overlapping fields of energy specifically calibrated to reject dimensional incursions below B-tier. Outside these barriers, continuous footage showed monsters roaming freely through ruins of pre-Devastation civilization. The contrast between the ordered safety within and chaotic danger without was stark.
"This concludes introductory session one. Six sessions remain to be completed within your 14-day mandatory period. Failure to complete training will result in immediate status suspension."
As I disconnected from the neural interface, the true scale of what I'd been participating in became clearer. My personal ambitions to advance rapidly through the tiers seemed suddenly trivial against the backdrop of humanity's precarious existence. The dimensional breach I'd caused wasn't just a personal setback—it was another crack in the fragile shield protecting what remained of human civilization.
Six more remedial training sessions to complete. Six more days of suspension. I needed a more refined strategy. I had to prepare for the next time my Fractures caused the barrier to collapse. Whatever waited beyond the barriers, whatever had reached through my fracture, was merely one fragment of a reality humanity was slowly failing to contain.
The fine had been substantial—20000 credits. The incident report sat in my Network profile like a permanent scar, visible to anyone who bothered to check. I stood outside the Equipment District with 35,862 credits remaining—still a significant sum for an F-tier raider, but far from the small fortune I'd accumulated before.
Stepping into the Shopping District felt different this time. Mandatory remedial training had consumed fourteen days, though I'd accelerated the process by scoring exceptionally well on the mastery examinations. The knowledge gained was worth the time investment. I was now confident the incident wouldn’t easily repeat. I wouldn’t allow myself to be stopped by this I just had to do better.
My old equipment was beyond salvaging. All had been recycled for material credits, providing a small addition to my budget. I headed toward a shop I hadn't visited before—"Raider's Essentials"—a modest storefront with a reasonable selection of F-tier gear. I bought their standard F-tier package. Flexible composite-armor with a damage reduction mod and a Nanosteel Blade with increased durability. My previous Channel Blade broke way too fast for my liking and I could work around the mana issue.
The entire thing cost 9,700 credits—a substantial investment but necessary given my previous equipment losses. I spent another 2,000 on consumables.
With equipment secured, I headed to the RMC to browse F-tier rift listings. Given Stability's scrutiny, I needed to refine my rift selection.
The Network console displayed available options, each with clearance statistics and observer warnings. Three candidates emerged as optimal:
F-21109: MAGNETIC ANOMALY
F-28775: FROST CAVERNS
F-12483: WHISPERING FOREST
I purchased all ten available slots for each. Three solo passes cost 3,267 credits, leaving me with 9,895.
As I confirmed the reservations, a notification pinged my wrist implant:
STABILITY OBSERVER ASSIGNED: AGENT THORN
OBSERVATION PROTOCOL: NON-INTERFERENCE
REPORT SCHEDULE: POST-EXPEDITION
My assigned Stability observer materialized beside me, a lean and wiry man with augmented eyes that glowed with a faint, unsettling blue. The insignia emblazoned on his uniform confirmed his D-tier status, placing him several ranks above my own.
"Raider Volt," he stated, his voice devoid of any discernible emotion. "I am Agent Thorn. My function is observation only. Proceed as normal."
I stepped through the shimmering portal into the F-21109: MAGNETIC ANOMALY, the air instantly growing thick with metallic particles that clung to my skin and filled my lungs with a gritty, metallic tang. Floating debris, ranging from microscopic filings to large chunks of machinery, orbited complex magnetic nodes scattered throughout the rift, creating a chaotic web of dangerous paths and unpredictable trajectories. The observer, Agent Thorn, followed silently, maintaining a constant, respectful distance.
My Hazard Detection immediately highlighted all the critical elements of the chaotic environment: shifting zones of magnetic polarity that could either attract or repel metallic objects with tremendous force, creating unpredictable currents and hazardous pathways; concentrated hotspots of metallic debris that presented both immediate dangers and potential opportunities for tactical exploitation; and the Central Magnetic Core, the heart of the rift, whose erratic pulse patterns dictated the flow of energy and the stability of the dimensional fabric.
Three Flux Hunters, predatory creatures resembling metallic wolves with particles of ferromagnetic material orbiting their bodies like miniature moons, prowled the outer perimeter of the rift, their movements mirroring the chaotic flow of magnetic energy. Without hesitation, I charged directly towards them, my Nanosteel Blade humming with contained energy and my senses focused on the imminent engagement.
"Create Hazard," I commanded, manipulating the gravitational field in a localized area to form a concentrated gravity well that suddenly and unexpectedly pulled the largest of the Flux Hunters off its feet, disrupting its balance and forcing it to struggle against the unnatural force. First Fracture Charge accumulated, surging through my nervous system and triggering Reactive Fracture Tether, flooding my senses with adrenaline and amplifying my speed and reflexes by 50%. The world seemed to slow around me, granting me a heightened awareness of the rapidly unfolding situation.
I capitalized on the disoriented Hunter's vulnerability, slashing through its exposed flank with my Nanosteel Blade, the superheated edge slicing through its metallic hide with minimal resistance. The creature's metallic particles scattered into the surrounding space, disrupting its form and weakening its connection to the magnetic field. The remaining two Hunters circled warily, coordinating their approach and searching for an opening in my defenses. Time was of the essence; this was a narrowing window of opportunity that demanded decisive action.
"Invert Hazard," I called out, manipulating the magnetic forces in the immediate vicinity. Reversing a repulsion field that had been naturally separating the Hunters, I transformed it into an attraction field that forcefully pulled the creatures together, disrupting their coordinated movements. They crashed violently into each other, the impact momentarily stunning them and creating an opportunity for further exploitation. Second Fracture Charge accumulated, the surge of power renewing my speed boost and sharpening my focus.
Ahead, a swirling vortex of magnetic shrapnel began to spin wildly, the metallic fragments coalescing into a chaotic barrier that effectively blocked the most direct path to the Central Magnetic Core. Perfect. This unpredictable element would allow me to dictate the engagement on my own terms.
"Amplify Hazard," I commanded, channeling my energy to amplify the intensity of the shrapnel vortex. The magnetic forces intensified exponentially, accelerating the metal fragments to lethal velocities and transforming the chaotic barrier into a whirling maelstrom of deadly projectiles. Third Fracture Charge accumulated, the surge of power surging through my nervous system and pushing me to the limits of my control.
The air shuddered violently, the very fabric of reality straining as the accumulated Fracture Charges unleashed their combined energy and tore open a dimensional rift. My trait manifested its power, pulling a massive thunderstorm from another dimension into this already chaotic environment. Lightning arced between the floating metal objects, creating a chaotic web of electrical energy that filled the chamber, adding another layer of unpredictable danger to the already volatile situation.
I laughed, seizing the opportunity afforded by the dimensional chaos. Forked lightning bolts arced unpredictably across the chamber, vaporizing one of the remaining Hunters with a blinding flash of energy, reducing it to nothing more than a scattering of ionized particles. Propelled by my enhanced speed, I sprinted towards the Central Magnetic Core, the air crackling with energy as I narrowly evaded the chaotic electrical discharges that erupted around me, dodging between bolts of lightning and weaving through the swirling vortex of shrapnel. The lightning storm began to fade as I approached the Core's outer defenses – automated turrets that launched superheated metal projectiles with pinpoint accuracy, a final line of defense designed to repel any intruders.
"Negate Hazard," I commanded, focusing my energy to negate the magnetic zone surrounding the nearest turret, disrupting its targeting systems and destabilizing its internal components. The turret immediately overloaded, its internal safeguards failing as it exploded in a shower of sparks and molten metal, clearing a path through the automated defenses. First Fracture Charge accumulated, surging through my system and bringing my speed boost back online.
I darted between the failing turrets, exploiting the gaps in their coverage and drawing closer to the Central Magnetic Core. The last remaining Hunter leapt at me from behind, its jaws crackling with magnetic energy, prepared to deliver a final, desperate attack.
"Create Hazard," I called out, manipulating the gravitational field beneath the creature to generate a localized gravity sink that drastically increased the force acting upon it. The Hunter crashed into the ground with bone-crushing force, its momentum abruptly halted as it slammed against the metallic surface, disorienting it and preventing it from completing its attack. Second Fracture Charge accumulated, renewing my speed boost and providing me with the edge I needed to secure my victory.
The Central Magnetic Core pulsed erratically as I approached, its protective systems reacting to my presence and generating a powerful repulsion field that pushed everything away, making it difficult to get close. Perfect timing. The erratic pulse of the core coupled with the already destabilized field would give me just the opportunity I needed.
"Consume Hazard," I commanded, overriding the standard protocols and diverting the energy from the Core's repulsion field, absorbing it into my own systems to replenish my depleted reserves. The energy surged through me, revitalizing my body and reinforcing my defenses. As the energy flowed, the Third Fracture Charge accumulated, pushing me closer to the brink of dimensional instability.
MP: 50 → 75
HP: 80 → 100
STAMINA: 60 → 85
Reality fractured once more, the accumulated Fracture Charges unleashing their combined energy and tearing a massive spatial tear from another dimension into the heart of the rift. Metal objects of all sizes, from microscopic particles to large chunks of machinery, were violently ripped from their positions, orbiting a central vortex in chaotic and deadly patterns. The remaining Flux Hunter, caught within the tear's gravitational pull, was torn apart by the immense forces, its metallic form disintegrating into its constituent atoms. Thanks to my passive Resilience, a trait that reduced the effects of dimensional hazards by 50%, I managed to withstand the devastating forces and escape the immediate vicinity of the tear.
Harnessing the chaotic magnetic currents generated by the tear, I propelled myself directly toward the Central Magnetic Core, using the powerful forces to accelerate my movement and close the remaining distance. My Nanosteel Blade, now humming with absorbed energy, crackled with contained power, ready to deliver the final blow. With a precise and calculated strike, I severed the Core's primary connection to the dimensional matrix, destabilizing the entire structure and causing the rift to collapse in on itself. A wave of distorted energy washed over me, followed by a sensation of disorientation, and moments later, we materialized back in the sterile and predictable environment of the RMC.
[RIFT CLEARED: MAGNETIC ANOMALY]
SURVIVAL RATE: 100% (SOLO)
CONTRIBUTION: VOLT (100%)
LEVEL: 6 → 7
F-tier cores × 2 = 198 credits
Magnetic Flux Components 14 units × 45cr = 630cr
Polarized Metal 9 units × 55cr = 495cr
Hunter Claws 6 units × 40cr = 240cr
SOLO BONUS (×10)
TOTAL (Network): 15,630cr
LEVEL UP! I was now Level 7. I immediately allocated my new attribute point to Speed.
SPEED: 6 → 7
The portal to Frost Caverns shimmered, its crystalline blue light painting the air with fleeting frost patterns that resembled intricate snowflakes. I stepped through without hesitation, the familiar tingling sensation washing over me as I ignored the silent observer who maintained a constant, respectful distance.
Frost Caverns unfolded before me, a realm of breathtaking beauty and lethal peril sculpted by unimaginable forces. Immense ice chambers stretched into the distance, their scale dwarfing any structure I'd encountered before. The ethereal glow of phosphorescent crystals, embedded deep within the vaulted ceiling, cast long, dancing shadows that played tricks on the eye. Each exhale plumed into dense clouds of vapor that lingered unnaturally long in the frigid air, swirling like miniature blizzards before slowly dissipating. My trait’s Hazard Detection immediately highlighted the danger: patches of exposed ice capable of flash-freezing exposed flesh within seconds, camouflaged crevasses hidden beneath deceptively solid snowdrifts, and vast sections of the cavern ceiling riddled with stress fractures, threatening to collapse under the slightest disturbance.
[F-TIER RIFT: FROST CAVERNS
Base Requirement: Reach the Central Ice Spire and retrieve the Permafrost Core]
The first challenge presented itself immediately—a field of ice spikes that grew and retracted in rhythmic patterns, blocking the most direct path forward. I didn't bother studying their patterns.
"Amplify Hazard," I commanded, targeting a thermal vent barely visible beneath the ice. The heat tripled in intensity, instantly melting the nearest ice spikes and creating a steaming passage. First Fracture Charge accumulated, triggering Reactive Fracture Tether. My speed surged by 50% as the world seemed to slow around me.
I dashed through the newly formed passage, my speed boosted by the slick surface. The thermal backlash from the amplified vent created a temporary fog bank that burned my face—perfect cover as the first Frost Wraiths materialized ahead.
These spectral entities phased through ice walls, leaving trails of intensified cold that crystallized the air itself. Three surrounded me, moving in coordinated patterns to create overlapping cold zones.
"Invert Hazard," I commanded without hesitation, reversing a nearby cold zone into concentrated heat. The thermal shock shattered one Wraith instantly as Second Fracture Charge accumulated, refreshing my speed boost.
The remaining Wraiths adjusted their tactics, one phasing into the ceiling while another retreated through a wall. I didn't wait for their return. With enhanced speed, I sprinted through the chamber, racing toward the next section.
A vast chasm appeared ahead, its depths lost in darkness. Narrow ice bridges crossed at various points, each looking treacherously fragile. Rather than testing their strength, I studied the ceiling structure.
"Create Hazard," I commanded, forming a localized pressure zone directly above. The brittle ceiling cracked perfectly, dropping a massive ice column that created a stable bridge. Third Fracture Charge accumulated.
The air distorted violently as reality tore open. A blizzard from another dimension poured through—not the gentle snowfall, but razor-sharp ice shards propelled by hurricane-force winds.
I laughed, taking advantage of the dimensional chaos and my increased Speed. The dimensional storm tore through the chamber, obliterating several returning Frost Wraiths while I crossed the newly formed bridge through the fractured reality.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
As I approached the entrance to a vast ice tunnel, the residual energies of the dimensional storm began to dissipate, the air growing still and heavy with cold. The floor beneath my feet, once jagged and uneven, had been worn smooth and polished, as if something immense and tireless had repeatedly traversed this passage over countless years.
I activated a Rejuvenator, the device emitting a soft hum as it injected a carefully calibrated cocktail of stimulants and restorative nanites into my bloodstream. The energy coursed through my veins, pushing back the creeping tendrils of exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm me after the exertion of manipulating dimensional forces.
EXHAUSTION: 65 → 15
STAMINA: 100 → 50
The tunnel mouth widened abruptly, spilling into a massive cavern that dwarfed even the largest chambers I'd encountered thus far. Dominating the center of the space was the Ice Spire, a colossal crystalline structure that reached towards the cavern ceiling like a frozen geyser. Surrounding the base of the Spire were dozens of intricate ice formations, sculpted by centuries of wind and sub-zero temperatures into shapes reminiscent of frozen ocean waves, creating a disorienting labyrinth of reflective surfaces that distorted light and sound. And patrolling this icy maze, a silent and implacable guardian, was an Ice Behemoth. The creature was truly massive, easily the size of a small building, its body composed entirely of interlocking crystalline plates that absorbed and refracted the ambient light into hypnotic patterns of shimmering color.
"Negate Hazard," I commanded as soon as I spotted a concentrated cold zone near the entrance. The area normalized instantly, temperature rising to merely uncomfortable. First Fracture Charge accumulated again, speed boost activating.
I darted between ice formations, using my enhanced speed to remain just ahead of the Behemoth's awareness. The creature moved with surprising grace for its size, each step freezing the ground in expanding circles of absolute zero.
"Create Hazard," I called out, the command activating the ability as soon as its cooldown timer expired. Focusing my intent, I warped the gravitational field in a localized area, creating a distortion that wrenched several of the larger ice formations from their moorings and sent them crashing down directly across the Behemoth's path in a shower of glittering ice crystals. Second Fracture Charge accumulated, surging through my nervous system and refreshing my Reactive Fracture Tether, further amplifying my speed and reflexes.
The creature responded with a deafening roar, its voice an inhuman bellow that resonated through the cavern, creating visible sound waves that caused the moisture in the air to flash-freeze into shimmering ice particles that hung suspended in the air. Unfazed by the sudden obstacle, the Behemoth smashed through the fallen formations with terrifying strength, its immense crystalline body pulverizing the ice into a cloud of razor-sharp shards that flew in all directions like deadly projectiles. My advanced combat armor absorbed the brunt of the impacts, preventing serious or life-threatening damage, but the force of the impacts still registered, momentarily staggering me and dropping my HP to 75/100.
I circled behind the Behemoth, keeping a safe distance. I assessed the Ice Spire's structure, searching for weaknesses or vulnerabilities. The central chamber, the heart of the Spire, was visible through the translucent, glacier-blue ice walls, the Permafrost Core nestled within pulsing with an almost palpable energy. However, reaching the Core required navigating the labyrinthine interior of the Spire and, more importantly, somehow bypassing the Behemoth that stood sentinel at its only known entrance.
"Amplify Hazard," I commanded, channeling my energy into the earth and targeting a dormant thermal vent located directly beneath the Behemoth's current position. The geothermal energy surged violently, intensifying threefold in a matter of milliseconds, rapidly melting the surrounding ice and creating a pool of superheated water that quickly began to boil, weakening the Behemoth's footing. Third Fracture Charge accumulated, the raw energy coursing through me and tingling at my fingertips.
Reality shuddered, the fabric of spacetime momentarily unraveling as the accumulated Fracture Charges unleashed their combined power. A dimensional tear ripped open above the cavern, pulling through a pocket of superheated magma from another dimension – a world where volcanic activity reigned supreme. Molten rock, glowing with an intense orange light, poured through the fracture, instantly vaporizing the surrounding ice and filling the cavern with a blinding cloud of superheated steam.
The Behemoth roared in a mixture of pain and confusion, its icy domain abruptly transformed into a chaotic battlefield of opposing elements. The superheated steam obscured vision, creating a disorienting fog that clung to everything, while the rapidly melting ice created unpredictable currents of scalding water that surged across the cavern floor. Rivers of magma, now cooled to a viscous sludge, burned glowing channels through the ancient ice floor, further destabilizing the environment.
Exploiting the dimensional chaos, I sprinted directly toward the Ice Spire's entrance, using my enhanced speed and agility to navigate the treacherous terrain. The Behemoth, disoriented and struggling to adapt to the sudden shift in its environment, was momentarily unable to react, allowing me to slip past its massive form and dive into the Spire's entrance. The Permafrost Core pulsed with blue-white energy at the center of a crystalline chamber, its freezing aura projecting an invisible barrier that counteracted even the intense heat of the encroaching magma, preserving a pocket of frigid stability within the heart of the chaos.
The Behemoth recovered from its momentary disorientation with alarming speed, its massive crystalline legs pounding against the ice floor as it charged toward the Spire entrance with thunderous steps that sent tremors through the entire structure. I had mere seconds to act before it reached me.
"Invert Hazard," I commanded, focusing my will and targeting the Permafrost Core's innate freezing aura. The field inverted almost instantaneously, the chilling energy reversing its polarity and emitting a wave of intense heat that radiated outwards, weakening the surrounding ice structure and causing hairline fractures to spiderweb across its surface. First Fracture Charge accumulated once more, flooding my nervous system with adrenaline and reactivating my Reactive Fracture Tether, granting me a renewed surge of speed and heightened reflexes as I reached out and grabbed the destabilized Core.
The entire Ice Spire groaned and shuddered as the supporting ice gave way under the combined assault of the inverted aura and the encroaching magma. Sections of the ceiling began to collapse, sending showers of ice crystals and pulverized rock raining down around me. The Behemoth roared in frustration and rage behind me, its massive form trapped in a rapidly collapsing chamber filling with scalding steam and rising tides of superheated water.
"Create Hazard," I called out, channeling my remaining energy to create a localized gravity distortion directly in front of me as I reached the tunnel leading back to the main cavern. The distortion pulled me forward with incredible force, propelling me through the opening and granting me a final burst of acceleration. Second Fracture Charge accumulated, the combined speed boosts allowing me to outpace the cascading debris and the accelerating collapse of the Spire.
EXHAUSTION: 70/100
HP: 65/100
I spotted the extraction point pulsing ahead, its telltale energy signature growing stronger as the dimensional tear began to stabilize, the fabric of spacetime slowly mending itself as the chaotic energies dissipated and balance began to reassert itself. The observer stood waiting patiently near the extraction point, a data pad held loosely in one hand, their expression as unreadable as ever. Irrelevant. My mission was complete.
The dimensional rift snapped shut behind us, the transition instantaneous as we materialized back in the sterile, climate-controlled environment of the RMC. The weight of the Permafrost Core, now safely secured, felt almost insignificant compared to the ordeal I had just endured.
[RIFT CLEARED: FROST CAVERNS
SURVIVAL RATE: 100% (SOLO)
CONTRIBUTION: VOLT (100%)]
LEVEL: 7 → 8
F-tier cores × 3 = 297 credits
Permafrost Fragments 12 units × 70cr = 840cr
Wraith Essence 8 units × 65cr = 520cr
Eternal Ice 15 units × 45cr = 675cr
SOLO BONUS (×10)
TOTAL (Network): 23,320cr
SPEED: 7 → 8
With each increment of Speed, my perception of the world underwent a subtle but profound transformation. Movements became more fluid, almost effortless, and my reaction times sharpened to the point where I could anticipate events before they fully unfolded. Starting with a baseline Speed of 8 and augmented by Reactive Fracture Tether's 50% boost, I could now move with a precision and alacrity that made even F-tier Elite entities seem sluggish and clumsy by comparison. The silent observer continued to document observations in meticulous detail, their gaze unwavering but their expression impossible to decipher. Just one more dimensional rift to endure under this constant surveillance, and then I could finally resume my carefully calculated advancement strategy unhindered, free from the scrutiny of the RMC's oversight.
After a short rest to reduce my Exhaustion and let the First Aid-Nanogel to restore my Health I was ready to continue. The entry portal to Whispering Forest pulsed with a warm, inviting amber light, its rhythm mimicking a slow, deliberate breath. I stepped through without hesitation, the familiar disorientation of dimensional transition momentarily blurring my senses as I ignored the silent observer who maintained their customary position a few steps behind.
The forest materialized around me with an almost unnerving sense of immediacy. Towering trees, their trunks wider than most buildings, stretched upwards beyond the limits of my vision, their colossal canopies blotting out the sky. Their bark shimmered with subtle, shifting colors that seemed to respond to the changing light, and their leaves moved with an unnatural purpose, swaying in patterns that defied the gentle breeze. Most distinctive of all was the constant, barely audible whispering that filled the air, a chorus of unintelligible words that seemed to resonate deep within my mind, responding to my presence with an almost sentient awareness.
[F-TIER RIFT: WHISPERING FOREST
Base Requirement: Find and silence the Whisper Nexus
Alternative Path: Collect 7 Echo Fragments]
My Hazard Detection immediately registered a multitude of environmental dangers within my designated 50-meter detection radius, painting my vision with a complex overlay of tactical information. Acoustic anomalies manifested as shimmering distortions in the air, indicating areas of concentrated sonic energy. Conceptual hazard zones rippled with invisible power, highlighting locations where the whispers could potentially warp or alter physical reality. Perception-warping fields distorted distance and direction, making navigation a treacherous endeavor. And finally, unstable terrain was flagged in numerous locations, warning of animated tree roots that could suddenly spring to life, entangling unsuspecting trespassers in their woody embrace. The remnants of my previous dimensional manipulations—two Fracture Charges—already pulsed within me, adding another layer of complexity to the situation.
I advanced cautiously, using my Hazard Detection to map the intricate patterns of danger that permeated the forest. The whispers intensified with each step, coalescing into intricate sonic webs that shimmered in the air, threatening to solidify into physical barriers if disturbed. Three Echo Mimics, humanoid entities composed entirely of solidified whispers, emerged from behind the gnarled and twisted trunks of ancient trees ahead, their amorphous forms rippling and distorting as they absorbed the ambient sounds of the forest.
"Create Hazard," I commanded, channeling my energy to manifest a focused distortion of the ambient sound field – a sonic wave nearly identical to the acoustic anomalies I had detected throughout the forest. The carefully calibrated wave pulsed outwards, disrupting the Mimics' sensory input and temporarily disorienting them, disrupting their ability to perceive and react to my presence. Third Fracture Charge accumulated, the surge of power building within me.
The air shuddered violently, the very fabric of reality straining as the accumulated Fracture Charges unleashed their combined energy. The resulting dimensional tear pulled something utterly foreign and fundamentally antithetical to the Whispering Forest into this realm of subtle sounds and sentient trees—an inferno. Roaring flames erupted from the fracture, spreading rapidly through the undergrowth and leaping onto the towering trees. Fire and whispers, two opposing forces colliding and creating chaotic interactions where they met. The ancient trees, which had evolved over millennia to manipulate sound and subtle energies, now burned with an unnatural intensity, releasing trapped whispers that manifested as screaming faces in the swirling smoke, their silent agony now amplified by the roaring flames.
I didn't laugh this time. The consequences of my dimensional manipulation had taken an unexpected turn. The dimensional backlash, in its chaotic and unpredictable nature, had formed directly across my intended retreat path, effectively cutting off my safest and most logical route. The Echo Mimics, initially stunned by the sudden and violent environmental shift, were already demonstrating their remarkable adaptability. They began absorbing the sounds of the fire – the crackling of burning wood, the roar of the flames – and incorporating them into their very forms. Their whisper-bodies, once composed of pure sonic energy, now flickered and crackled with dancing flames, transforming them into something far more dangerous and unpredictable.
EXHAUSTION: 40
My Reactive Fracture Tether active, surging power through my nervous system. However, navigating through a forest of burning, sentient trees required far more than just raw speed. The whispers had become frantic and distorted, no longer the subtle and melodic murmurings I had initially encountered, but violent and aggressive sonic bursts that formed auditory projectiles capable of penetrating flesh and disrupting neural pathways. Each step was a gamble, a dance between speed and survival.
I dodged and weaved between the burning trunks of the sentient trees, using my enhanced speed and agility to stay one step ahead of the collapsing foliage and unpredictable bursts of flame. One of the Echo Mimics, its form now wreathed in fire, intercepted my path, its flaming whisper-body launching concentrated sound projectiles that cut through the air with the force of solid objects. I managed to deflect one projectile with the edge of my Nanosteel Blade, the impact sending vibrations up my arm, but another slipped past my defenses and sliced across my left shoulder, tearing through my armor and leaving a searing trail of pain in its wake.
HP: 67
"Negate Hazard," I commanded, focusing my will and targeting a nearby perception-warping field that distorted distances and made accurate targeting almost impossible. The field normalized instantly, the shimmering distortion vanishing to reveal the Mimic's true position – much closer than it had initially appeared, its burning form a significant threat. First Fracture Charge accumulated, surging through my system and once again refreshing my Reactive Fracture Tether, flooding me with a renewed burst of speed and focus.
I dispatched the creature with two precise and economical strikes of my Nanosteel Blade, the superheated edge cleaving through its burning whisper-form with minimal resistance. Its body dissipated into fragments of scorched sound and drifting ash, leaving only the faint scent of burnt ozone in the air. However, the dimensional fire continued to spread, consuming everything in its path and creating unpredictable and often dangerous interactions with the forest's native hazards. Where the flames met the conceptual whispers, reality itself seemed to waver and distort, forming small, isolated pockets of contradictory physics where the very laws of nature seemed to break down.
The path ahead led deeper into the burning forest, where Echo Fragments – crystallized remnants of the forest's sentience – glowed with an increased intensity due to the ongoing dimensional disruption. I spotted the first fragment embedded in the charred and twisted trunk of a tree now wreathed in flames, its surface pulsing with a faint, internal light.
"Invert Hazard," I commanded, selecting a nearby acoustic anomaly – a localized zone that absorbed and dampened sound. I reversed its polarity, transforming it into a sound-amplifying field that pulled the frantic whispers away from the burning trunk, creating a temporary pocket of relative silence. Second Fracture Charge accumulated, the surge of power once again refreshing my Reactive Fracture Tether and sharpening my focus.
I extracted the fragment from the burning tree, its crystallized sound structure pulsing against my palm, the faint vibrations resonating with a strange and unsettling energy. Six more of these fragments remained scattered throughout the increasingly dangerous and volatile terrain, each one guarded by the forest's increasingly desperate defenses. The silent observer maintained his distance, documenting every detail of my actions with unwavering focus, but offering no assistance or intervention.
The dimensional fire began to slowly fade, its energy dissipating as the dimensional rift struggled to maintain its connection, but the forest's response intensified, the sentient trees themselves fighting back with increasing ferocity. Roots erupted from the ground in coordinated attacks, attempting to ensnare my feet and immobilize me, while branches twisted and contorted to form living barriers, blocking my path and forcing me to improvise. Leaves detached from the trees and condensed into sharp, aerodynamic projectiles, propelled by an unseen force, whistling through the air with lethal intent. The Whispering Forest was no longer merely reacting to my presence; it was actively trying to eliminate me.
"Amplify Hazard," I commanded, channeling my energy and tripling the intensity of a nearby conceptual hazard zone – an area where the whispers possessed the power to alter reality. As the hazard intensified, the whispers themselves became visible, coalescing into glowing text that floated through the air like holographic projections. Their meaning, previously just beyond my comprehension, suddenly became clear and comprehensible: defensive algorithms designed to protect the forest, intricate protective patterns woven into the fabric of the dimension. Third Fracture Charge accumulated, the surge of power pushing me to the limits of my control.
Reality fractured once again, the accumulated Fracture Charges unleashing their combined energy and tearing another dimension into existence. This time, the Fracture pulled through an electrical storm– a swirling vortex of ionized air and crackling energy. Lightning arced between the towering trees, illuminating the forest with blinding flashes and interacting chaotically with the fading fire and the omnipresent whispers. Where all three elements met – fire, whispers, and electricity – small dimensional pockets formed, tiny rifts that offered fleeting glimpses of other realities, alternate possibilities, and fractured timelines.
EXHAUSTION: 65/100
I activated a Rejuvenator, the device injecting a precise blend of stimulants and restorative nanites into my bloodstream, pushing back the creeping exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm me.
EXHAUSTION: 65 → 15
STAMINA: 100 → 50
The electrical storm, despite its inherent dangers, provided an unexpected benefit: enhanced illumination. The blinding flashes of lightning revealed hidden paths through the forest's intricate defensive systems, highlighting gaps in the interwoven roots and flickering points of weakness in the whispering barriers. I collected the third and fourth fragments in rapid succession, exploiting these newly revealed pathways, though not without cost. A stray lightning strike hit a nearby tree, sending a shower of splintered wood and superheated bark through the air, several fragments piercing my left leg, causing localized pain and minor tissue damage.
The forest grew more maze-like, the existing pathways shifting and reconnecting in patterns that defied normal geometry, creating disorienting loops and impossible intersections. My Hazard Detection highlighted an increasing number of hazards, the forest's defenses growing more complex and insidious. Gravity wells formed beneath fallen trees, threatening to trap me in localized distortions of spacetime. Time-dilating fields warped the flow of time, causing whispers to repeat in endless loops, driving those trapped within to the brink of madness. And conceptual traps, far more dangerous than physical obstacles, threatened to alter my perceptions permanently, rewriting my very understanding of reality.
"Create Hazard," I commanded, focusing my will and generating a localized gravity distortion that yanked several animated roots from the ground, disrupting their coordinated attack patterns and clearing a path through the encroaching vegetation. First Fracture Charge accumulated, surging through me and activating Reactive Fracture Tether once again, granting me a renewed burst of speed and focus.
The fifth fragment was guarded by a Guardian Whisperer, an Elite entity that manipulated sound with devastating precision and deadly efficiency. Its form resembled a humanoid constructed entirely of visible sound waves, constantly shifting and reforming, its body a symphony of interwoven frequencies. Where the electrical storm's lightning struck it, the energy was instantly absorbed and redirected, channeled into powerful sonic projectiles that pulsed with raw destructive power.
I circled the Guardian cautiously, analyzing its attack patterns and carefully studying its movements while dodging its increasingly accurate and relentless attacks. My enhanced speed barely kept me ahead of its acoustic barrage, the air around me crackling with energy as the sonic projectiles tore through the forest. One particularly powerful blast caught me square in the chest, the advanced Resonance Mesh woven into my armor distributing the impact across my body but not negating it entirely. The force of the blast staggered me, momentarily disrupting my focus and dropping my HP to a dangerously low 40.
"Negate Hazard," I called out, focusing my will and negating a nearby time-dilating field that had been distorting the Guardian Whisperer's movements, making it nearly impossible to predict its attacks. As the field collapsed, the Guardian's movements normalized, its attack patterns becoming more predictable and revealing a momentary gap in its defenses. Second Fracture Charge accumulated, the surge of power coursing through my system and refreshing my Reactive Fracture Tether, once again amplifying my speed and reflexes.
I struck decisively, exploiting the brief window of opportunity to launch a targeted assault. My Nanosteel Blade, humming with contained energy, severed the Guardian Whisperer's primary sound wave – the nexus of its being and the source of its devastating power. The creature destabilized instantly, its meticulously constructed form collapsing into fragments of crystallized sound that scattered across the forest floor like shattered glass. The fifth fragment, previously shielded by the Guardian's presence, floated free from its decaying core, drawn towards the others in my possession by an unseen force.
Locating the sixth and seventh fragments required navigating through the worst of the storm-damaged forest, braving terrain ravaged by the combined forces of fire, electricity, and dimensional instability. Ancient trees had been shattered by lightning strikes, creating treacherous fields of splintered wood and exposed root systems that threatened to ensnare my feet at every turn. The frantic whispers concentrated in these areas, feeding on the conceptual damage and the psychic residue of destruction to form new and even more dangerous hazard patterns.
"Invert Hazard," I commanded, focusing my will and inverting a nearby perception distortion field that had been obscuring the true nature of the surrounding terrain. What had initially appeared as an impenetrable wall of debris and fallen trees revealed itself to be a complex but navigable path, a hidden route through the devastation that allowed me to bypass the most dangerous obstacles. Third Fracture Charge accumulated, the surge of power pushing me to the limits of my control and granting me a momentary clarity of vision.
The dimensional fracture manifested directly ahead, a grotesque tearing in the fabric of reality that pulled absolute, utter silence from the void between dimensions. In a forest defined by whispers, ambient sounds, and sentient echoes, this silence acted like antimatter, a destructive force that erased all acoustic phenomena wherever it spread. Trees touched by the spreading silence zone froze completely, their conceptual animation halting abruptly as the sustaining whispers vanished, leaving them as lifeless husks in a realm of perpetual stillness.
I immediately recognized the potential of this unnatural silence and exploited it to my advantage, retrieving the sixth fragment from a now-immobilized animate trunk, the whispers that animated it extinguished by the encroaching void. The final fragment, the last piece of the puzzle, pulsed with an intense energy atop a massive stump at the center of a clearing – the petrified remnant of what must have been the forest's largest and most ancient tree, now a silent testament to the power of dimensional disruption.
The clearing was heavily guarded by multiple Echo Mimics, each one significantly more powerful and strategically adapted than any I had encountered thus far. These evolved entities had undergone rapid transformations during the dimensional disturbances, incorporating elements from the chaos to enhance their already formidable abilities. Some crackled with residual electrical energy drawn from the dissipating storm, others burned with the lingering flames of dimensional fire, and a few possessed the unsettling ability to weaponize silence itself, projecting localized voids that erased both sound and movement, creating pockets of absolute stillness and sensory deprivation.
"Amplify Hazard," I commanded as soon as the ability refreshed, channeling my energy and tripling the intensity of a gravity well that had formed beneath the largest and most imposing of the Mimics. Their colossal forms collapsed inward under the amplified gravitational force, temporarily immobilizing them and disrupting their attack patterns. First Fracture Charge accumulated, surging through my system and activating Reactive Fracture Tether, once again amplifying my speed, agility, and reflexes.
I sprinted for the central stump, my movements a blur as I dodged and weaved between the evolved Mimics, exploiting the momentary chaos to create an opening. My Nanosteel Blade dispersed two that blocked my path directly, the superheated edge slicing through their forms with deadly precision. Their destabilized bodies scattered into fragments of sound and energy, temporarily disrupted but beginning to reform, their tenacious hold on existence refusing to be extinguished.
The final fragment pulsed with an even greater intensity than the others, its crystalline structure resonating with the six I had already collected, as if beckoning me towards it. The moment my fingers closed around it, all seven fragments began to harmonize, the individual energies merging and coalescing to create a unified frequency that spread throughout the forest, resonating with the trees, the whispers, and even the very air itself. The ambient whispers, once a chaotic cacophony of disjointed sounds, synchronized with this new pattern, becoming coherent and harmonious, their fragmented thoughts coalescing into a unified voice.
The forest itself seemed to settle, the chaotic energies subsiding as the dimensional rifts began to close and the fabric of reality slowly repaired itself. The hostile entities, sensing the shift in power and the stabilization of their conceptual foundation, began to retreat, their aggression diminishing as the forest regained its equilibrium. The extraction point materialized near the collection site, pulsing with the same warm amber light as the entry portal, signaling the completion of my mission and the opportunity to escape this dimensionally scarred realm.
[RIFT CLEARED: WHISPERING FOREST
SURVIVAL RATE: 100% (SOLO)
CONTRIBUTION: VOLT (100%)]
LEVEL: 8 → 9
F-tier cores × 3 = 297 credits
Echo Fragments 7 units × 80cr = 560cr
Solidified Whispers 14 units × 55cr = 770cr
Guardian Essence 1 unit × 200cr = 200cr
SOLO BONUS (×10)
TOTAL (Network): 18,270cr
LEVEL UP! Another attribute point allocated to Speed without hesitation.
SPEED: 8 → 9
The observer, his task completed, filed his report and departed without uttering a word, his presence as fleeting and enigmatic as his purpose. I was once again alone, ready to chart my own course.
[TIER ADVANCEMENT OPPORTUNITY
Successful completion of E-tier rift will qualify for E-tier advancement.
Warning: F-tier equipment functionality disabled in E-tier rifts unless BOSS-class.]
It was time to rank up, to test my limits and push beyond the boundaries of my current capabilities. Securing a solo pass for an E-tier rift would require a significant investment, costing me approximately 10,000 credits per slot, a tenfold increase compared to the relatively trivial cost of an F-tier pass. It was undeniably foolish to attempt a rank up alone, without the support of a team or the tactical advantages of specialized expertise, but my resolve was unshakeable. I was committed to this path, driven by an insatiable desire for advancement and a quiet confidence in my own abilities. Furthermore, I was currently flush with resources, boasting a substantial balance of 78,115 credits, more than enough to cover the costs. As I prepared to return to my designated habitation unit, something entirely unexpected happened:
[NEW CLEAR SPEED WORLD RECORD]
[SUBMIT NAME? YES/NO]
There was no way...
[NEW F-TIER WORLD RECORD SET: 3-BACK-TO-BACK RIFTS 7 HOURS AND 48 MINUTES AS F-TIER SOLO. THIS ACHIEVEMENT SURPASSES THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 8 HOURS AND 16 MINUTES]
