Lucien's steps were quiet but firm as they pressed deeper into the Rift. The shadows around them pulsed faintly with stray aether, and every flicker of light carried a hum of danger.
He had made up his mind, this wasn't just a test anymore. Every monster here was a chance, a step forward, a piece of the strength he needed to climb higher.
Beside him, Cael adjusted the grip on his blade. "We're really doing this, huh?" he said with a low chuckle, trying to sound casual but betraying a hint of excitement.
Lucien's eyes stayed ahead. "You said you wanted to grow stronger. This is how it starts."
He didn't need to say more. His tone carried quiet conviction, the kind that came from someone who had already decided what he wanted. Cael nodded, his grin fading into focus as they pushed forward.
The mist thickened as they moved, the light bending oddly through the air. Then Lucien's interface flickered to life before him, faint blue letters appearing in his vision.
▓▒░ [Proximity Alert – Hostile Lifeform Detected] ░▒▓
Lucien raised a hand, signaling Cael to stop. They crouched low, moving carefully as the sound of scraping claws echoed nearby.
It didn't take long before they saw it, slender, wolf-like but covered in dark, stone-like plates. Its eyes glowed faint amber, and thin trails of steam curled from its fanged snout. It paced along the cracked ground, muscles tensing with each step.
The system interface projected again, clearer this time:
▓▒░ [Species: Stonefang Direwolf]
[Rank: E]
[Affinity: Earth]
[Traits: Hardened Hide, Tremor Step, Enhanced Bite]
[Essence Yield: 350 EP] ░▒▓
Lucien's eyes scanned the details quickly. "A Direwolf. Stronger hide, faster than the boars," he murmured. "We'll need precision, not brute force."
Cael nodded. "I've fought wolves before, but this one's thicker. Probably won't go down easy."
Lucien's lips curved slightly. "Good. Then it's worth the trouble."
They took their positions, Lucien and Lyra to the left, Cael to the right, moving in quiet coordination. The moment they stepped out of cover, the Direwolf's head snapped toward them. Its low growl vibrated through the ground before it lunged.
Thud- thud- thud!
The beast was fast, faster than Lucien expected. Cael barely dodged its first pounce, rolling aside as claws sliced through the dirt.
"Move!" Lucien called, already reacting. Lyra shimmered forward, her ethereal body glowing bright. She slashed across the Direwolf's flank, her light leaving a thin scar that barely marked the hardened hide.
The Direwolf snarled, turning sharply toward her. Its claws swept through her form harmlessly, passing through her like mist. Lyra spun back, light forming again around her hands as she countered with a burst of energy that struck the wolf's shoulder.
Cael jumped in from the side, his sword cutting down at the exposed joint. The blade connected with a dull crack, but the beast hardly slowed. It twisted, slamming him backward with a violent shove.
Crash!
Cael hit the ground but rolled up quickly, his breathing sharp. "It's tougher than it looks!"
Lucien's voice cut through the chaos. "Don't trade power. Work the angles. Keep it moving!"
Through the Minor Sync link, Lucien's senses expanded, he could feel Lyra's vision blending with his own. For brief moments, the world seemed wider, sharper. He could see the flicker of movement behind him before it happened, hear the tremor in the ground that warned of a step.
When the Direwolf tried to circle them, Lucien was already shouting, "Cael! Behind you!"
Cael twisted just in time, blocking a strike that would've torn through his side. "I still don't know how you do that," he said, straining as he parried the blow.
Lucien grinned faintly. "Call it teamwork."
They fell into rhythm again, guided by instinct and the faint shared pulse between Lucien and Lyra. Each time the beast lunged, Lyra's light blurred across its path, drawing its attention away while Cael cut into its legs and sides.
The Direwolf, however, wasn't some mindless creature. With a sudden stomp, the ground rippled beneath them.
Boom!
Lucien staggered as loose stones shot upward, the shockwave throwing his balance off. "Tremor Step— damn it!"
The beast followed immediately, leaping toward him. He raised his sword, but before it struck, Lyra darted between them, taking the blow head-on. Her ethereal body absorbed the impact, dispersing into fragments of light before reforming beside him.
Lucien steadied himself, breathing hard. "Good work," he said softly, his tone steady but filled with focus.
Cael charged again, his sword flaring with a faint blue arc as he swung. The strike glanced off the Direwolf's shoulder, pushing it back slightly.
They were holding their ground, but it wasn't enough. Each attack was answered with equal ferocity, and it was clear the creature still had more strength to spare.
All around them, faint sounds echoed through the Rift. Shouts, crashes, the flare of emergency signals going off. Lucien caught sight of a faint glow in the sky, then another. Some of the others weren't faring well.
He clenched his jaw. "We need to finish this. Fast."
Cael nodded, panting. "Then tell me what to do."
Lucien's mind worked fast. He watched the Direwolf circle again, muscles twitching as it readied another pounce. Lyra floated beside him, her light flickering faintly as she waited for his command.
He whispered under his breath, "Alright, let's end this."
He focused inward, pulling up the system interface again.
▓▒░ [Essence System Function: Temporary Reinforcement Available]
[Target: Lyra]
[Cost: 120 EP] ░▒▓
He didn't hesitate. "Do it."
A soft hum filled the air as light threads extended from his hand to Lyra. Her glow flared brighter, her form sharpening until she looked almost solid. The ground trembled faintly under the surge of aether.
The Direwolf didn't understand what it was seeing—but it felt the threat. It roared, charging straight for Lucien.
"Now!" Lucien shouted.
Lyra moved like lightning, her figure vanishing in a burst of silver light. She reappeared right beneath the beast's neck, blades of light bursting outward.
Slash! Crack!
The Direwolf howled, stumbling back as her strike carved through the hard plates protecting its throat. Cael didn't miss the opening. He surged forward with all the power left in him, his sword cutting deep across the exposed wound.