The D-tier rift entrance pulsed with energy that made the air shimmer, its signature significantly more complex than any E-tier rift I'd encountered. Standing before it, I double-checked my equipment one final time. My scout gear fit perfectly after numerous expeditions, and my attribute distribution heavily favored Speed—a tactical choice that had proven effective again and again.
"Time to see what D-tier is really about," I muttered, stepping through the dimensional barrier.
The transition was smoother than expected. No falling, no disorientation—just a simple step from the wasteland into a vast stone chamber unlike anything I'd encountered before. The room was perfectly square, at least fifty meters on each side, with walls of polished obsidian that reflected the soft blue light emanating from geometric patterns etched into the ceiling.
Most striking was the floor—an intricate mosaic of colored tiles arranged in concentric patterns that seemed to shift subtly when viewed from different angles. The entire space felt meticulously designed, artificial in a way that previous rifts had not.
[D-TIER RIFT: ARCHITECT'S GAMBIT
BASE REQUIREMENT: CLEAR ALL FIVE CHAMBERS
ALTERNATIVE PATH: NONE]
HP 100/100, MANA 100/100, EXHAUSTION 0/100
FRACTURE CHARGES: 0/7
My Matrix Vision immediately activated, scanning for energy pathways and hazards, but I found... almost nothing. Unlike the hazard-rich environments of previous rifts, this chamber contained only a single, barely perceptible anomaly—a faint heat distortion near the center of the room.
"What is this?" I whispered, extending my Hazard Sense outward. The 100-meter radius revealed nothing beyond that single, weak thermal fluctuation. The emptiness was disorienting after becoming accustomed to environments teeming with dimensional dangers to manipulate.
Movement caught my attention. Four geometric shapes emerged from recesses in the walls—perfect cubes that hovered a meter above the mosaic floor. As they advanced, the cubes unfolded and reconfigured, transforming into humanoid figures of gleaming metal. Their limbs moved with unnatural precision, each joint rotating in ways that defied organic movement.
The constructs aligned themselves equidistant from each other and from me, forming a perfect square. Their featureless faces suddenly split open, emitting ear-piercing sounds in patterns too structured to be random—a language, but nothing remotely human.
"Well, hello to you too," I responded, assessing my options.
Without abundant hazards to manipulate, my standard tactics would be severely limited. The single thermal distortion was barely enough to work with. I approached it cautiously, maintaining awareness of the constructs, which continued their synchronized movements but made no aggressive actions.
"Bend," I commanded, attempting to move the thermal distortion behind one of the constructs.
MANA: 100 → 90
FRACTURE CHARGES: 0 → 1
The hazard shifted position as directed, but its effect was minimal—a slight wavering of the air, nothing more. The constructs responded immediately, their movements accelerating. One launched itself toward me with shocking speed, metal limbs reconfiguring into blade-like appendages.
I dodged the first attack by mere centimeters, the construct's blade arm slicing through the air where my head had been a fraction of a second before. My Speed attribute allowed me to react, but the construct adjusted its trajectory with mathematical precision, anticipating my movement pattern.
"Phase," I commanded, becoming invisible for three seconds.
HP: 100 → 90
FRACTURE CHARGES: 1 → 2
The combination of Bend (Core Skill) followed by Phase (Movement Impact) should have triggered the Reality Freeze combination effect, but with no specific target designated, it fizzled without result. I would need to be more precise.
As visibility returned, I found myself surrounded by all four constructs, their movements perfectly coordinated. They attacked simultaneously from different angles, forcing me to dive and roll across the mosaic floor. One construct's blade caught my shoulder, the impact partially absorbed by my armor but still causing damage.
HP: 90 → 80
"Shape," I commanded, attempting to transform the weak thermal distortion into something useful—a barrier between me and the nearest construct.
HP: 80 → 70
FRACTURE CHARGES: 2 → 3
The thermal energy solidified into a translucent shield, but its substance was thin and fragile. It shattered on the first impact from a construct's blade, providing only a momentary reprieve.
I needed to understand the rules of this environment. Previous rifts had been abundant with hazards, allowing me to flex the full capabilities of Reality Matrix. Here, I was resource-starved, forced to make do with minimal material.
"Rend," I called out, creating a hazard aligned with the environment—a small gravity distortion.
MANA: 90 → 80
FRACTURE CHARGES: 3 → 4
My skin developed fracture-like cracks as the fourth charge activated, enhancing my Hazard Sense range to 500 meters and my Speed by 50%. The world slowed perceptibly as my neural processing accelerated.
The expanded Hazard Sense revealed... nothing new. The chamber contained no additional hazards beyond what I'd created. This was going to be challenging.
The gravity distortion formed as commanded, but its effect was minimal—barely enough to cause a slight pull on nearby objects. The constructs seemed entirely unaffected, continuing their relentless advance.
One construct lunged at me, its body reconfiguring mid-air into a more aerodynamic form. I sidestepped, using my enhanced Speed to position myself so the attacker collided with another construct. The impact produced a discordant metallic sound, but both machines recovered almost instantly, their movements unimpaired.
"Infusion," I commanded, drawing properties from the gravity distortion into my next physical attack.
HP: 70 → 60
FRACTURE CHARGES: 4 → 5
Crimson energy crackled around my form as the fifth charge pushed the Matrix closer to its threshold. I felt the pull of gravity concentrate in my right fist, enhancing the force of my next strike.
I ducked under a horizontal slash from the nearest construct and drove my gravity-infused fist into its midsection. The impact created a localized gravitational pulse that disrupted the construct's internal mechanism. It staggered backward, movements momentarily erratic.
"Now we're getting somewhere," I muttered, backing toward the center of the room to gain maneuvering space.
"Amplify," I called out, targeting the gravity distortion I'd created earlier.
HP: 60 → 50
FRACTURE CHARGES: 5 → 6
The combination of Infusion (Creation Impact) followed by Amplify (Modify Impact) triggered the Hazard Cascade combination effect. The gravity distortion tripled in intensity, while affecting two other points in the room—creating a small thermal fluctuation and a minor spatial distortion.
Crimson energy haze surrounded me as the sixth Fracture Charge activated. My perception expanded dramatically, Hazard Sense now covering 1000 meters while my Speed doubled. The constructs seemed to move in slow motion compared to my accelerated state.
I carefully avoided generating a seventh Fracture Charge. I wanted to maintain this enhanced state without triggering Matrix Implosion, which might be counterproductive in this hazard-poor environment.
Using my greatly enhanced Speed, I launched into an acrobatic assault on the four constructs. I vaulted over the first, using its shoulders as a springboard to gain height, then twisted in mid-air to deliver a devastating kick to the second's head. The third attempted to intercept me as I landed, but I rolled under its attack and swept its legs, the improved gravitational effect helping to pull it off balance.
The fourth construct, showing more adaptive behavior than its companions, reconfigured its limbs into ranged weapons. It fired metallic projectiles with pinpoint accuracy, forcing me to perform a series of backflips and sideways cartwheels to avoid being hit.
"Negate," I commanded, nullifying the thermal fluctuation that had been created by the cascade effect—not because it was dangerous, but to trigger another useful combination.
HP: 50 → 40
FRACTURE CHARGES: 6 → 7
Reality fractured as the Matrix Implosion triggered, consuming all seven Fracture Charges. Through the dimensional tear poured a flash flood of liquid metal that defied the physics of this realm.
The molten substance spread across a thirty-meter radius, flowing with sentient precision toward the constructs. Even with 90% reduction from Hazard Resilience, the metallic flood affected me significantly—the substance was unnaturally heavy, slowing my movements and conducting heat that penetrated my armor.
HP: 40 → 30
EXHAUSTION: 0 → 25
The constructs seemed to recognize the liquid metal as a greater threat than me. They retreated to different corners of the room, their screaming intensifying in frequency and volume. The metallic flood pursued them briefly before dissipating into the floor mosaic, the tiles absorbing it like thirsty sponges.
I used the brief reprieve to catch my breath and reassess. Three of the four constructs had sustained damage, their movements less fluid than before. The fourth remained pristine and dangerous. I needed to deal with that one next.
"Fuse," I commanded, absorbing the small spatial distortion that remained from the earlier cascade effect.
MANA: 80 → 70
FRACTURE CHARGES: 0 → 1
HP: 30 → 60
Refreshed by the absorption, I charged the undamaged construct. It responded with calculated precision, its limbs transforming into a defensive configuration with blades extending in multiple directions.
"Shift," I commanded, moving one meter to the side while gaining 0.5 seconds of invulnerability.
MANA: 70 → 60
FRACTURE CHARGES: 1 → 2
The brief invulnerability allowed me to move inside the construct's defensive perimeter. I delivered a series of rapid strikes to what appeared to be critical junctions in its structure. The machine attempted to reconfigure to counter my attack, but each punch disrupted its transformation sequence.
With a final, decisive strike to its central core, the construct collapsed into its component parts, geometric shapes scattering across the mosaic floor.
The remaining three constructs, damaged but still functional, retreated toward the far wall. A previously invisible doorway materialized, sliding open to reveal the next chamber. The constructs passed through it, their movements suggesting not retreat but redeployment.
I approached the doorway cautiously, noting that the next room appeared similar but with a different mosaic pattern on the floor—this one arranged in spiral formations rather than concentric circles.
"One down, four to go," I muttered, stepping through into the second chamber.
The second room contained six constructs rather than four, their forms more complex—hexahedral rather than cubic when in their compact state. As they unfolded, they revealed more intricate limb structures and what appeared to be mounted weapons.
The chamber contained only two minor hazards—a small electromagnetic disturbance near the ceiling and a almost imperceptible gravity fluctuation in one corner. Both were so minimal that they barely registered on my Hazard Sense.
"Bend," I commanded, moving the electromagnetic disturbance directly between me and the approaching constructs.
MANA: 60 → 50
FRACTURE CHARGES: 2 → 3
The constructs halted momentarily as the electromagnetic field passed through their position, their movements stuttering briefly before resuming. The effect was minor but confirmed my suspicion—these machines were susceptible to electromagnetic interference.
The constructs split into two groups, attempting to flank me from both sides. Their coordination was impressive, movements synchronized with millisecond precision. They emitted more of those structured screams, possibly communicating tactical information.
"Shape," I commanded, transforming the electromagnetic disturbance into a crude spear of concentrated energy.
HP: 60 → 50
FRACTURE CHARGES: 3 → 4
My skin developed fracture-like cracks as the fourth charge activated, enhancing my Hazard Sense and Speed once again. The world slowed around me as I accelerated, the constructs' movements becoming more predictable.
The electromagnetic spear formed in my hands, crackling with blue-white energy. It was crude but functional—a weapon I could use against the machines. The problem was, I had very little experience fighting with handheld weapons. My combat training had focused on unarmed techniques and environmental manipulation.
I awkwardly thrust the spear toward the nearest construct, missing its center mass and only grazing its shoulder. The contact disrupted its movement briefly but caused no significant damage. My second thrust was equally ineffective, the weapon's unfamiliar weight and balance throwing off my timing.
"Emerge," I commanded, teleporting to the gravity fluctuation in the corner to gain some distance.
HP: 50 → 40
FRACTURE CHARGES: 4 → 5
My Dimensional Feed passive activated as I materialized within the gravity fluctuation, my first encounter with this specific hazard.
HP: 40 → 60
The constructs adjusted their formation, still approaching with methodical precision. I needed to use the electromagnetic spear more effectively, but wielding it felt awkward compared to my usual fighting style.
"Rend," I called out, creating another electromagnetic disturbance to supplement my weapon.
MANA: 50 → 40
FRACTURE CHARGES: 5 → 6
The combination of Emerge (Movement Impact) followed by Rend (Core Skill) triggered the Hazard Bloom combination effect. The electromagnetic disturbance I created expanded from a 10-meter radius to a 30-meter radius, encompassing all six constructs.
Crimson energy haze surrounded me as the sixth Fracture Charge pushed the Matrix closer to its threshold. My perception expanded to extraordinary levels, allowing me to see the individual electromagnetic fields surrounding each construct.
The expanded electromagnetic disturbance caused visible disruption in the constructs' movements. They stuttered and jerked, their coordination temporarily broken. I seized the opportunity, charging forward with the electromagnetic spear held before me.
Despite my unfamiliarity with the weapon, the constructs' disrupted state made them vulnerable. I managed to drive the spear through the central mass of one machine, then used it as leverage to vault over two others. Landing behind them, I swept the spear in a wide arc, catching three constructs simultaneously in its electromagnetic field.
The combined effect of the spear and the expanded disturbance was devastating. Four of the six constructs collapsed, their internal mechanisms overloaded by the electromagnetic interference. The remaining two retreated, reconfiguring into defensive formations.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
I pressed my advantage, careful not to use any more skills that would trigger a seventh Fracture Charge. Using pure physical ability enhanced by my doubled Speed, I engaged the remaining constructs in close combat.
My first opponent fired a series of metallic projectiles, which I avoided with a sequence of cartwheels and flips. I closed the distance rapidly, ducking under its defensive limbs and striking upward with the electromagnetic spear. The weapon pierced its central core, causing a cascade of internal failures that rendered it inoperable.
The final construct proved more challenging. It had apparently adapted to the electromagnetic interference, its movements no longer affected by the ambient field. It reconfigured into an offensive form optimized for close combat, limbs transforming into whip-like appendages that could strike from multiple angles simultaneously.
I dodged the first series of attacks, but one whip caught my ankle, sending me tumbling across the mosaic floor. The construct pressed its advantage, advancing rapidly with all appendages poised to strike.
EXHAUSTION: 25 → 40
Rolling to my feet, I abandoned the electromagnetic spear, which had proven too unwieldy for my fighting style. Instead, I relied on my enhanced Speed and martial training, slipping inside the construct's reach to deliver a series of precise strikes to what I hoped were vulnerable junctions.
The machine adapted quickly, reconfiguring to protect those areas, but each change created momentary vulnerabilities elsewhere. I exploited these openings ruthlessly, gradually dismantling the construct joint by joint until it could no longer maintain structural integrity.
As the final machine collapsed, a doorway appeared in the far wall, revealing the third chamber. I paused to catch my breath, noting that my electromagnetic spear had dissipated along with the hazard that formed it.
"Two down," I muttered, approaching the next doorway with caution.
The third chamber presented a new challenge—eight constructs, these even more complex than the previous ones. They unfurled from octahedral forms, their limbs reconfiguring into weapons I hadn't seen before. The chamber itself contained three minor hazards—a small thermal fluctuation, a negligible electromagnetic disturbance, and a tiny spatial anomaly.
"This is getting ridiculous," I said to myself, eyeing the meager hazards with frustration. "Reality Matrix thrives on environmental manipulation, and there's barely anything to work with here."
The constructs began their approach, moving in perfect coordination. Their screams seemed more aggressive than before, the alien language carrying unmistakable hostile intent.
"Fuse," I commanded, absorbing the thermal fluctuation to restore health.
MANA: 40 → 30
FRACTURE CHARGES: 6 → 7
HP: 60 → 90
Reality fractured as the Matrix Implosion triggered, consuming all seven Fracture Charges. The dimensional tear manifested as crystalline growth—a sudden eruption of geometric crystal structures that grew from the mosaic floor at impossible speeds.
A thirty-meter radius of crystal formations expanded outward, creating a maze-like structure of translucent barriers. The constructs found themselves separated and contained by crystal walls that responded to their movements, growing to block their paths whenever they attempted to advance.
Even with 90% hazard reduction, the crystalline growth affected me significantly. Crystal shards erupted from the floor beneath my feet, forcing me to constantly shift position. Small crystals even formed on my armor, growing rapidly until I brushed them away.
HP: 90 → 80
EXHAUSTION: 40 → 65
I used the crystal maze to my advantage, isolating constructs one by one. The first machine found itself trapped in a crystal enclosure with me, its movements hampered by the confined space. I attacked relentlessly, targeting joints and connection points with precision strikes enhanced by my experience.
As each construct fell, I moved to the next, using the crystal barriers as cover and guidance. The machines attempted to coordinate, their screams echoing through the crystalline maze, but the barriers prevented effective cooperation.
By the time the crystal growth receded, I had disabled five of the eight constructs. The remaining three had adapted to the situation, coordinating their movements to trap me in a corner of the chamber.
"Bend," I commanded, moving the electromagnetic disturbance directly between me and the approaching machines.
MANA: 30 → 20
FRACTURE CHARGES: 0 → 1
The constructs pushed through the weak electromagnetic field with minimal disruption. They had clearly evolved beyond the vulnerabilities of their predecessors.
"Shape," I called out, transforming the spatial anomaly into a barrier between me and the constructs.
HP: 80 → 70
FRACTURE CHARGES: 1 → 2
The combination of Bend (Core Skill) followed by Shape (Integration Impact) triggered the Compound Hazard combination effect. The spatial barrier gained additional properties—increased density, electromagnetic resonance, and a slight gravitational effect.
The enhanced barrier proved more effective, the constructs unable to pass through its reinforced structure. They adjusted quickly, however, reconfiguring into ranged attack modes and firing projectiles over the barrier.
I ducked and weaved, avoiding most of the projectiles but taking hits from two that penetrated my armor at the shoulder and thigh.
HP: 70 → 61
"Shift," I commanded, moving one meter to gain temporary invulnerability.
MANA: 20 → 10
FRACTURE CHARGES: 2 → 3
"Negate," I called out, nullifying the barrier I had created to clear my path for a counterattack.
HP: 61 → 51
FRACTURE CHARGES: 3 → 4
My skin developed fracture-like cracks as the fourth charge activated, enhancing my Hazard Sense range and Speed once again. The world slowed perceptibly as I accelerated, the constructs' projectiles becoming easier to track and avoid.
I charged the nearest construct, moving in a zigzag pattern to avoid its fire. Reaching it before it could reconfigure for close combat, I delivered a series of rapid strikes to its central mass, focusing on points where its transformation mechanisms connected.
The machine collapsed in a shower of geometric components, its structure failing under the precise assault. Without pausing, I spun to engage the second construct, which had already begun reconfiguring for melee combat.
"Amplify," I commanded, targeting the remaining electromagnetic disturbance in the room.
HP: 51 → 41
FRACTURE CHARGES: 4 → 5
The electromagnetic field tripled in intensity, creating visible distortion in the air. The construct I was engaging stuttered momentarily, its transformation sequence interrupted by the amplified field.
I capitalized on this hesitation, grabbing one of its partially transformed limbs and using it as leverage to flip the entire machine onto its back. Once grounded, I targeted what appeared to be power conduits, severing them with precise strikes.
The final construct, having observed the fate of its companions, attempted a strategic retreat. It reconfigured into a spherical form and began rolling toward the far wall at high speed.
"Infusion," I commanded, drawing electromagnetic properties into my next physical action.
HP: 41 → 31
FRACTURE CHARGES: 5 → 6
Crimson energy haze surrounded me as the sixth Fracture Charge activated. My Hazard Sense expanded to 1000 meters while my Speed doubled again. The fleeing construct seemed to move in slow motion from my perspective.
I sprinted forward, easily overtaking the rolling machine. My electromagnetically infused strike disrupted its momentum and structural integrity simultaneously. The construct unfolded involuntarily, its limbs splaying outward before collapsing into component parts.
As the final machine fell, a doorway materialized in the far wall, revealing the fourth chamber. I approached it cautiously, aware that my resources were dwindling and the challenges were escalating.
"Halfway there," I muttered, stepping through into the next room.
The fourth chamber contained ten constructs, their forms evolved beyond those in previous rooms. They unfolded from dodecahedral configurations, revealing multiple weapon systems and what appeared to be dimensional shielding. The room contained only a single hazard—a barely perceptible dimensional ripple near the ceiling.
EXHAUSTION: 65 → 80
"This is getting ridiculous," I muttered, eyeing the paltry environmental resources with frustration. The lack of hazards to manipulate was clearly by design.
The constructs approached in a pincer formation, clearly intending to surround me. Their movement patterns suggested they had learned from their predecessors' defeats, adapting to counter my tactics.
"Rend," I commanded, creating a gravitational hazard aligned with the environment.
MANA: 10 → 0
FRACTURE CHARGES: 6 → 7
Reality fractured as the Matrix Implosion triggered, consuming all seven Fracture Charges. The dimensional tear manifested as quantum uncertainty—a zone where probability itself became fluid, causing objects and entities to exist in multiple potential states simultaneously.
Within a thirty-meter radius, reality became probabilistic rather than deterministic. The constructs found their forms fluctuating between various configurations, unable to maintain a single stable state. Some existed simultaneously as both offensive and defensive forms, their limbs occupying multiple positions at once.
Even with 90% hazard reduction, the quantum uncertainty affected me significantly. My movements became probability distributions rather than definitive actions, each step placing me in slightly different positions simultaneously. The sensation was profoundly disorienting, like trying to coordinate a body that existed in multiple slightly offset versions at once.
HP: 31 → 21
EXHAUSTION: 80 → 95
I pushed through the disorientation, forcing myself to focus on the constructs. Their quantum state made them vulnerable—unable to coordinate their many potential configurations into effective action. I targeted the nearest machine, my own probabilistic state actually creating an advantage as the construct couldn't determine exactly where to defend.
The quantum uncertainty collapsed after several seconds, reality resolving into a single state once more. In that time, I had managed to disable three constructs, exploiting their configuration confusion.
The remaining seven machines quickly adapted, forming a defensive perimeter and analyzing my movements with visible scanning beams. I was in a precarious position—low on health, out of mana, and nearing exhaustion. The lack of environmental hazards severely limited my options.
"Fuse," I attempted to command, but with zero mana, the skill failed to activate.
I needed to be strategic. Without mana for Core Skills, I couldn't trigger combination effects. I would need to rely on Impact Skills and pure physical ability until my mana regenerated naturally.
"Phase," I commanded, becoming invisible for three seconds.
HP: 21 → 11
FRACTURE CHARGES: 0 → 1
With my health reduced to a critical 11 HP. The invisibility bought me precious seconds to reposition and reconsider my approach.
I used the brief invisibility to move behind a section of the mosaic floor that had been damaged during the quantum uncertainty event. As visibility returned, I ripped up a section of loose tile and hurled it at the nearest construct with all my strength. The improvised projectile struck its sensor array, disrupting its targeting systems temporarily.
"Link," I commanded, attempting to forge a connection between the dimensional ripple near the ceiling and the damaged section of floor.
HP: 11 → 1
FRACTURE CHARGES: 1 → 2
The skill activated, creating a tenuous connection between the two points. It wasn't much, but it created a local instability that manifested as a slight gravitational pull. I used this minimal effect to enhance my next leap, gaining just enough additional height to vault over two constructs and land behind their defensive perimeter.
Now inside their formation, I engaged in desperate close combat, targeting what had proven to be vulnerable joints on previous models. The constructs attempted to reconfigure to defend themselves, but their tight formation actually hindered their movements, causing them to interfere with each other.
I disabled one construct by driving my fist through its central processor, then used its collapsing form as a shield against attacks from two others. Ducking behind this improvised cover, I yanked out a component that appeared power-related and hurled it at another construct's sensor array, causing a localized overload.
With exhaustion nearly maxed out, my movements became labored, each action requiring tremendous effort. Four constructs remained, and they had adapted to my interior position, spreading out to eliminate the formation problems.
Just as the situation seemed most dire, I noticed something—a faint glow emanating from the mosaic tiles where the constructs stood. The pattern was responding to their presence, accumulating energy with each step they took.
"Interesting," I muttered, then began moving in a specific pattern, deliberately leading the constructs across particular sections of the mosaic. Each step they took intensified the glow beneath them.
When all four remaining constructs stood on the precise points I'd maneuvered them to, the accumulated energy discharged upward in pillars of light. The machines froze in place, caught in some kind of stasis field generated by the floor itself.
I staggered forward, exhaustion making each step a monumental effort, and systematically disabled each immobilized construct. As the final machine collapsed, a doorway appeared in the far wall, revealing the fifth and final chamber.
"One more to go," I whispered, struggling to remain upright as I approached the final challenge.
The fifth chamber was smaller than the previous ones, its mosaic floor arranged in a complex pattern that seemed to shift and rearrange itself constantly. At the center stood a single massive construct—not a simple geometric form but a towering humanoid figure composed of countless smaller components that flowed and reconfigured continuously.
The chamber contained two minor hazards—a small gravitational anomaly near the entrance and a faint thermal distortion circling the central figure. Both were minimal, barely registering on my Hazard Sense.
The central construct—clearly the boss of this rift—examined me with glowing sensors. It emitted a complex series of sounds that echoed throughout the chamber, the alien language carrying unmistakable challenge.
I was in terrible shape—1 HP, 0 MANA, and 95 EXHAUSTION. But I had made it this far, and I wasn't about to give up now. I needed to be smart and patient, waiting for natural regeneration and consumables to restore at least some of my resources, but I couldn’t wait too long this rift was extremely weird. Who knew what would happen if I had idled too long.
MANA: 0 → 50
HP: 0 → 21
The boss construct made the first move, its massive form suddenly separating into dozens of smaller components that swarmed toward me like a metallic hurricane. I dove to the side, barely avoiding the initial assault.
"Shift," I commanded, moving one meter with brief invulnerability.
MANA: 50 → 40
FRACTURE CHARGES: 2 → 3
The brief invulnerability allowed a deadly component to pass harmlessly through my position. The boss immediately reconfigured, components flowing back together to form a more concentrated attacking form.
I engaged in a desperate game of evasion, using the changing floor patterns to predict where the boss would attack next. The mosaic tiles seemed to telegraph the construct's intentions, glowing slightly before each assault.
"Bend," I commanded, moving the gravitational anomaly directly into the path of the boss's next attack.
MANA: 40 → 30
FRACTURE CHARGES: 3 → 4
My skin developed fracture-like cracks as the fourth charge activated, enhancing my Hazard Sense range and Speed once again. The world slowed perceptibly as I accelerated, the boss's movements becoming more predictable.
The gravitational anomaly disrupted the boss's attack pattern slightly, causing a momentary hesitation in its component flow. I used this brief opening to put more distance between us, continuing my strategy of controlled retreat and observation.
The mosaic floor's pattern was changing more rapidly now, responding to both my movements and the boss's attacks. I began to see a pattern—specific configurations preceded specific attack forms. If I could decode this relationship, I might gain a crucial advantage.
With a small amount of health and mana restored, I felt slightly more confident. The boss construct assembled into a new configuration, components forming what appeared to be ranged weapons. The floor pattern shifted to a spiral formation, tiles glowing with increasing intensity.
"Fuse," I commanded, absorbing the thermal distortion circling the boss.
MANA: 30 → 20
FRACTURE CHARGES: 4 → 5
HP: 21 → 51
Refreshed by the absorption, I charged directly at the boss, ducking and weaving through the projectiles it fired. The mosaic floor shifted to a new pattern beneath my feet, and I adjusted my trajectory accordingly, anticipating the boss's next reconfiguration.
The construct transformed as expected, shifting to a defensive formation to counter my direct approach. I altered my attack at the last moment, sliding beneath its guard to strike at a section where component density seemed lower.
My strike connected, disrupting the flow of components briefly. The boss responded by dispersing entirely, becoming a swirling cloud of metallic parts that surrounded me from all directions.
"Sync," I commanded, adopting the properties of the gravitational anomaly I had previously moved.
HP: 51 → 41
FRACTURE CHARGES: 5 → 6
Crimson energy haze surrounded me as the sixth Fracture Charge activated. My Hazard Sense expanded to 1000 meters while my Speed doubled again. The gravitational properties I'd synced with created a localized field that affected the boss's component cloud, pulling pieces inward against their programmed trajectory.
The construct struggled to maintain its dispersed form against the gravitational effect. Components collided with each other, creating cascading disruptions throughout the cloud. I capitalized on this confusion, targeting key components that appeared to coordinate others.
"Rend," I called out, creating an electromagnetic hazard aligned with the environment's properties.
MANA: 20 → 10
FRACTURE CHARGES: 6 → 7
Reality fractured as the Matrix Implosion triggered, consuming all seven Fracture Charges. The dimensional tear manifested as time dilation—a bubble of accelerated time that aged everything within it at hundreds of times the normal rate.
Within a thirty-meter radius, time flowed like a raging river. The boss construct's components began to deteriorate, their surfaces oxidizing and connections weakening as centuries of wear occurred in seconds. The mosaic floor beneath darkened and cracked, tiles wearing down from millennia of nonexistent foot traffic.
Even with 90% hazard reduction, the time dilation affected me significantly. My body experienced days of aging in moments, muscles aching with accumulated fatigue and joints stiffening from accelerated wear. The sensation was profoundly disorienting.
EXHAUSTION: 95 → 99
As the time dilation bubble collapsed, the boss construct attempted to reassemble, but many of its components had degraded beyond functionality. The remainder formed a smaller, asymmetrical version of its original humanoid shape, movements jerky and uncoordinated.
I pressed my advantage, targeting connections that showed the most severe degradation. The construct fought back with desperate intensity, its attacks powerful but increasingly predictable as its adaptive capabilities diminished.
"Shift," I commanded, moving one meter to avoid a particularly vicious attack.
MANA: 10 → 0
FRACTURE CHARGES: 0 → 1
The boss construct seemed to realize its vulnerability, components rapidly reconfiguring into a final, concentrated attack form. It charged forward with surprising speed, all remaining resources committed to this single assault.
I stood my ground, analyzing the attack pattern and the floor mosaic simultaneously. At the precise moment when the floor pattern shifted to a specific configuration, I stepped onto a particular tile. The boss construct followed exactly as predicted, positioning itself at the exact center of the mosaic.
The floor erupted with energy, pillars of light similar to those in the previous chamber but far more intense. The boss construct froze in place, caught in a stasis field generated by the very room it was designed to protect.
With the last of my strength, I approached the immobilized construct and systematically disabled its remaining functional components, targeting power conduits and central processing units. The machine shuddered and emitted one final, complex series of sounds before collapsing into a pile of inert geometric shapes.
[RIFT CLEARED: ARCHITECT'S GAMBIT
SURVIVAL RATE: 100% (SOLO)
CONTRIBUTION: VOLT (100%)]
[LEVEL 10 → 11]
The extraction point materialized beside the collapsed boss, pulsing with welcoming energy. I staggered toward it, completely drained but victorious. This D-tier rift had challenged me in ways I hadn't anticipated, forcing me to adapt to an environment almost devoid of the hazards my abilities were designed to manipulate.
As reality shifted around me, returning me to the wasteland outside Lighthouse City, the rift dropped its rewards:
D-tier core × 1 = 9,999cr
Geometric Components: 247 × 650cr = 160,550cr
Alien Construct Processor: 12 × 3,400cr = 40,800cr
Time-Weathered Mosaic Tiles: 35 × 1,200cr = 42,000cr
Quantum Uncertainty Fragment: 8 × 2,100cr = 16,800cr
BASE TOTAL: 270,149cr
SOLO BONUS (×10): 2,701,490cr
I examined the readout:
Name: Volt D-tier, Level 11, REALITY MATRIX
Total Credits: 4,089,130
The attribute selection screen hovered in my vision.
[SPEED 10 → 11]
As the sun set over the wasteland, I began the long trek back to Lighthouse City, my mind already processing the lessons from this unique challenge. The Architect's Gambit had forced me to operate outside my comfort zone, revealing both weaknesses and unexpected strengths in my approach. Since my armor was low tier it barely functioned in the D-tier rift. My fists were broken and my forearm was fractured. It hurt bad, I should have prepared more I was too hasty and almost died. The Void Reject fight made my overconfident. Even though this rift had been a lot easier since the BOSS had been nowhere near the pinnacle classification, I should have taken it more seriously. In the end it had been worth it, with four million credits I could buy some high-end E-tier BOSS class equipment that functioned in D-tier rifts properly.
The distant silhouette of Lighthouse City grew clearer as I approached, its spires gleaming in the dusk light. My first D-tier rift was behind me.