Aren's chest heaved, blood dripping from a cut across his temple. Each movement sent jolts of pain through his ribs, but his mind was sharp. The Wraithbreaker's stagger had given him a moment—just enough to think.
"Focus… adapt…" he muttered, gripping the jagged Riftstone beneath him. Gravity Shift hummed faintly through his core, Mindsteel whispering guidance, aligning his thoughts with the boss's movement.
The Wraithbreaker lunged, massive claws gouging the warped stone. Aren didn't dodge—he shifted gravity beneath him and the ground around him, sending the boss stumbling as if the floor itself betrayed it. Riftstone shards spun erratically, tumbling toward the boss under his control.
Pain seared through his side as the boss's claw grazed him anyway, tearing open a deep cut along his ribs. Blood soaked his sleeve. But he couldn't stop now.
He twisted gravity again—this time targeting the Wraithbreaker's momentum. Its huge frame faltered mid-lunge, sliding on warped air like water over rocks. Shards of Riftstone were drawn into spirals around it, buffeted by gravitational tugs, slamming into exposed gaps in its pulsing armor.
"Mindsteel…" Aren muttered, feeling the fragment stir. He sent a subtle psychic pulse toward the boss, disrupting its sense of authority and forcing micro-pauses in its attacks, small stumbles that he had to exploit quickly.
He jumped onto a tilted shard platform, blood dripping from his temple and side. Every breath was a knife, but the opening was clear. He focused Gravity Shift on a concentrated field beneath the boss's feet, making it stumble violently. Riftstone shards erupted upward from the warped floor, colliding with the boss from multiple angles.
The Wraithbreaker let out a roar, shaking the warped arena violently, but Aren felt the hesitation, the momentary weakness. He pressed forward despite the pain, manipulating gravity to propel himself mid-air, slamming a shard into the boss's chest with staggering force.
The Rift groaned violently. The boss crashed into a jagged wall of Riftstone, breaking part of it. Its scream echoed through the warped arena, the pulsing authority faltering slightly.
Aren collapsed to one knee, blood dripping freely, ribs screaming with every inhale. But he had landed the critical combination: Gravity Shift to control the battlefield, Mindsteel to manipulate its authority response.
"…Not… done…" he muttered, gripping a shard for support. The boss was alive, still dangerous—but for the first time, Aren knew he could win if he adapted further.
The Rift pulsed violently around them, reacting to his fragment, acknowledging his control.
Somewhere deep in the chaos, Wraithbreaker glared with glowing, wounded eyes. And Aren, bloodied, battered, but unbroken, smiled faintly.
"…Bring it," he said, voice hoarse. "I'm not stopping now."
Aren's vision swam from blood dripping into his eyes. Every movement hurt. Every breath tore at his ribs. Yet, he could feel it—the faint hum of Mindsteel in his skull, whispering, probing, testing the boss's thoughts, its instincts, its reactions.
"Focus… not just control the battlefield… control it," he muttered, blood trailing from his temple.
The Wraithbreaker roared, claws smashing the Riftstone platform. Aren let Gravity Shift sling him aside, flipping him midair over a jagged shard. Pain seared through his side, but he clenched his teeth. This was it.
He focused, reaching deep into the psychic pulse of Mindsteel.
I know you want to swipe… to crush… to kill. You're authority-bound… predictable…
A subtle mental tug rippled through the Wraithbreaker. Its claws swung wide—but hesitated. Just a fraction of a second. Enough.
Aren's shard slammed against the Riftstone wall, ricocheting toward the boss, and he whispered commands through Mindsteel, planting suggestions that it move left… then right… then back. Each micro-command subtly broke the boss's natural rhythm.
The Wraithbreaker faltered, confusion flashing in its glowing eyes. Its steps became hesitant, its strikes sloppy. Aren gritted his teeth, sweat and blood mixing with the grime on his face.
"Gravity Shift…" he muttered, tilting the arena beneath the boss's feet, forcing it to stumble while he amplified Mindsteel's influence. Every step it took was now slightly off—he was bending not just the battlefield, but the boss itself.
A roar tore from the creature's throat—angry, frustrated, yet… controlled. Aren could feel its authority resisting, struggling to realign. That resistance only made the manipulation more intense, more precise. He pushed further, whispering through Mindsteel: strike forward… swing wide… hesitate… fail.
It worked. The Wraithbreaker's massive claw missed its intended strike by inches. Aren slammed a Riftstone shard against its side, cracking part of its armor. Another mental push, and the boss lunged the wrong way entirely, sending it crashing into a floating platform.
Aren dropped to one knee, blood seeping through his shirt, ribs screaming, but he smiled faintly. Mindsteel + Gravity Shift was working.
He whispered to himself, grim: "…And I'm just getting started."
The Wraithbreaker roared, reeling from both the battlefield manipulation and the subtle psychic nudges. Aren could feel its authority pulsing erratically, struggling to regain control. Every move it tried was now slightly… off. Every attack, subtly sabotaged.
The Rift itself shivered around them, shards of stone twisting in response to Aren's combined powers. He was adapting, bleeding, but learning, controlling… bending the fight to his will.
And for the first time, he wasn't just surviving.
He was hunting.
The Wraithbreaker's eyes glowed brighter, the air around it distorting violently. Its body trembled with raw authority, energy pulsating like a living weight.
Aren gritted his teeth, feeling the pull of power trying to crush him, trying to bend his very mind and body. The ground warped under the invisible pressure.
"Not… today," he muttered, focusing Gravity Shift and letting Mindsteel brace him mentally.
The boss lunged, authority flaring outward in a shockwave meant to flatten him. Reality groaned. Riftstone cracked.
And then—nothing.
Aren staggered slightly, but the crushing force dissipated harmlessly around him. He blinked, chest heaving, staring at the boss in disbelief.
A system screen flickered into existence, hovering in front of him like a digital phantom:
Rift Notice: Authority effect ineffective. User possesses incompatible stat profile. 👍
The message disappeared as quickly as it appeared, leaving Aren confused—but alive.
The Wraithbreaker let out a frustrated roar, slamming a claw into the Riftstone floor instead. Its next move came faster, sharper—but Aren now knew something. Whatever this "stat" was, it made him resistant.
He smirked faintly through blood and sweat. "…Looks like I've got a little advantage after all."
The Wraithbreaker growled, a low vibration that shook the Riftstone platforms. Its eyes blazed as it slammed a massive claw into the warped ground, sending a pulse of authority surging outward.
Aren narrowed his eyes. Go ahead… try it.
The shockwave hit him full force—but the crushing weight of the authority that had flattened so many before him barely phased him. He stumbled, heart racing, but his body didn't bend. Mindsteel flared in his mind, anchoring his instincts, while Gravity Shift subtly twisted the platform beneath him, counteracting any ripple.
The boss roared in frustration, authority flaring again, each wave meant to smash him outright. But Aren's smirk grew wider. He let it hit him—once, twice—feeling the pattern, the rhythm of the attacks.
Not strong enough… predictable… he thought, blood dripping from a gash on his cheek.
With a flick of his wrists, shards of Riftstone lifted, orbiting him in concentric arcs. He pushed the next authority wave into a controlled gravitational distortion. The attack slammed into the shards and ricocheted back, forcing the Wraithbreaker off balance.
It staggered. Confusion flickered in its glowing eyes—this wasn't supposed to happen. Authority wasn't meant to be resisted.
Aren pressed the advantage. He reached into its mind with Mindsteel, nudging thoughts, planting hesitation in its instinctive strikes. The Wraithbreaker's next lunge was slightly too slow, its claws missing by inches. Aren shifted gravity beneath its feet mid-swipe, tripping the massive form just enough to send it crashing against the jagged platforms.
Sweat and blood blurred his vision, but his grin sharpened. "That's it… learn the rules of the fight."
The boss roared again, authority flaring in a furious crescendo, trying to crush him entirely. But Aren, bleeding, battered, adapting, let it hit. Mindsteel wrapped around its instincts, subtly redirecting its weight. Gravity Shift countered the force, bending the platform under him to absorb the impact.
He staggered, chest heaving, but rose unbroken.
So that's it… it can't crush me. Not fully.
The Wraithbreaker paused, sensing the anomaly, tilting its head, glowing eyes narrowing. Every movement it made now carried doubt, hesitation—an instinctive rhythm Aren could exploit.
He whispered under his breath, teeth clenched, shards circling faster: "Time to make you dance."
With precise mental nudges, he forced the boss to overcommit to a swipe. Gravity Shift spun the platform under its claws, throwing it off balance. Shards of Riftstone slammed into its exposed side, cracking armor and flesh.
Aren fell to one knee, blood dripping into his hand, chest heaving. He laughed, faint but sharp. "Not perfect… but I'm learning faster than you can adapt."
The Wraithbreaker roared, wounded and confused, realizing the boy wasn't just surviving—he was dictating the fight.
And Aren knew, with a grim satisfaction, that the next move could end the elite—or at least push it closer to the edge.
Aren staggered to his feet, chest heaving, blood dripping from his cheek and elbow. The shards of Riftstone continued orbiting him, spinning in perfect sync with his heartbeat. His vision blurred, but his mind was razor-sharp.
Alright… one limb at a time, he thought, flexing his fingers. Mindsteel—time to test the limits.
The Wraithbreaker lunged again, claws slicing through the warped air. Aren caught its massive arm in his mind, feeling the raw, jagged authority radiating from it. He didn't try to stop it completely—that would burn him out too fast. Instead, he nudged, shifted, guided its swing ever so slightly.
The boss roared, smashing a Riftstone platform beneath it instead of Aren. Shards ricocheted, smashing into its side, and the Wraithbreaker staggered, unprepared.
Yes… yes, that's it… Aren muttered, sweat stinging his eyes. I can force its balance, I can force it to make mistakes… but I can't overreach.
He pushed further, stretching Mindsteel just enough to control one leg. The boss's stride faltered mid-lunge, toppling it forward. Aren countered with Gravity Shift, bending the platform beneath it and sending it crashing into jagged stone.
A sharp, metallic crack echoed through the Rift. Blood—his and its—mixed with the Rift's pulsing energy. Aren's chest heaved. Every nerve screamed, every muscle screamed. Pain throbbed in his side, a deep, persistent ache, but he kept his focus.
I can't stop now… not yet.
He smiled faintly through the blood. "You think you can just crush me? Hah… you're slow."
The Wraithbreaker shook its massive head, glowing eyes narrowing, authority pulsing more violently than before. It swung wildly, forcing Aren to backflip off a floating shard, landing roughly on another. Pain shot through his knee, but he didn't falter.
Another system screen blinked briefly in his vision:
Warning: Physical condition critical. Focus and stamina decreasing.
Aren ignored it. This was the moment—the edge between life and death where growth happens.
He extended both hands, Mindsteel latching onto its other arm and torso simultaneously. Every pulse of authority it tried to send out was met with a subtle mental pushback. Gravity Shift warped the floating platforms in a coordinated spiral, controlling where it could step.
The Wraithbreaker screamed—a deep, resonant sound that shook the Rift itself. Its claws came down on empty air, it stumbled, it faltered.
Aren gritted his teeth, pain and adrenaline mixing. Blood dripped into his eyes, stinging, but his lips curved into a grin. "Now… let's finish this little dance."
The boss roared again, massive, desperate. Aren's hands glowed faintly with fragment energy, shards spinning faster than ever. With a precise mental tug, he forced one arm outward, leaving its side exposed. Gravity Shift tilted the platform beneath it.
Shards slammed into the open gap, tearing into Riftstone armor and flesh alike. The Wraithbreaker roared, staggering violently, almost toppling entirely.
Aren dropped to one knee, breathing ragged. Every movement had cost him, every small success pushing him closer to collapse. But he had done it.
I'm… controlling it… he thought. I'm really controlling it.
The boss's glowing eyes met his, filled with rage, but also a flicker of… respect? No. It didn't respect him. It recognized danger.
And Aren knew—this was only the beginning.
Aren gritted his teeth, chest heaving, blood dripping from cuts along his forehead and arms. Every nerve in his body screamed, every muscle burned—but his mind was sharper than ever.
Alright… this is it, he thought, tightening his grip on the Riftstone shards hovering around him. Mindsteel and Gravity Shift… all at once.
He extended both hands, eyes narrowing. The Wraithbreaker charged again, massive claws aimed to crush him like a ragdoll. But this time, Aren didn't just react—he orchestrated.
Mindsteel reached deep into its consciousness, nudging limbs, twisting its stride, forcing it off-balance. Its swings grew erratic, almost like a puppet whose strings were tugged with terrifying precision.
Simultaneously, Gravity Shift rippled through the platforms, tilting, spinning, warping the very floor beneath the monster. Every step it tried to take became a calculated mistake. The Wraithbreaker roared, authority surging outward—but the force that should have crushed him barely made him stagger.
Yes… yes… this is it… Aren gritted his teeth. His bloodied hand clenched a shard, channeling both powers in perfect synergy. The Rift trembled around them, shards orbiting him like deadly satellites.
The Wraithbreaker's movements slowed. Its massive claws barely grazed him as he vaulted over a rotating shard, blood from his side smearing across his arm. The system flashed a warning briefly:
Warning: Critical stamina. Risk of collapse.
He ignored it. This was the moment. The edge. The point where growth demanded sacrifice.
Aren focused, letting Mindsteel take full control of one arm, Gravity Shift manipulate its center of gravity, and shards slam into its exposed torso simultaneously. The Wraithbreaker staggered violently, its roar echoing like a quake through the Rift.
Pain lanced through Aren's legs, his arms, his side, but he held on. He gritted his teeth through the blood, feeling the fragment in his chest pulse like a second heart, lending him strength.
"Not… today," he gasped, a twisted grin on his face. "Not… now."
The shards collided with the Wraithbreaker in perfect timing. Gravity Shift twisted the floor beneath it, sending it crashing to its knees, while Mindsteel guided its arms uselessly outward. The boss slammed down, breaking Riftstone beneath it, but it couldn't get close to Aren.
Aren fell to one knee, gasping for breath, shards still spinning at deadly speed. Blood ran freely down his arms, face, and legs, but his eyes burned with focus.
I'm… controlling it… he thought, heart hammering. I'm really controlling it.
The Wraithbreaker glared at him, massive chest heaving. Its authority surged one last time, desperate—but Aren's dual powers held firm.
This is… how you test limits, Aren muttered, a hint of awe in his voice. This is how you break the ceiling.
The Rift shuddered violently, reacting to the collision of raw authority and fragment energy. Aren's body ached, screaming for rest, but the thrill of dominance—the terrifying, exhilarating feeling of bending the impossible to his will—kept him upright.
He clenched his fists, shards spinning faster, Mindsteel locking the boss's limbs. Gravity Shift tilted the floor beneath it.
The Wraithbreaker roared, stumbling backward. Its eyes burned with recognition of danger. It wasn't over yet, but for the first time, it was hesitant.
Aren smiled faintly through the blood. "Not bad… but you're going to have to do better than that."
Aren staggered slightly, shards spinning around him like a lethal halo, chest heaving. Blood streaked his face and arms, and every muscle screamed in protest—but he could feel it now. The rhythm of the Rift. The flow of the battle. The weight of the Wraithbreaker.
The boss roared, lunging again, authority surging outward in a desperate, crushing wave. But Aren was ready. Mindsteel lashed into the Wraithbreaker's mind, forcing its limbs to betray it. Gravity Shift twisted the ground beneath it, tilting, spinning, tearing the footing from under the massive creature.
Every strike the Wraithbreaker tried to land was deflected or countered. Every claw swipe was dodged, manipulated, or redirected. Aren's blood dripped from cuts, his shirt soaked, but his focus never wavered.
This ends now.
He concentrated, letting both powers flow in perfect synchronization. Mindsteel locked the Wraithbreaker's arms rigid, tilting them just enough to expose the chest. Gravity Shift ripped the floor out from under it, twisting it violently. Floating shards crashed into the exposed core, amplified by Rift energy and the fragment inside Aren's chest.
The Wraithbreaker screamed, massive body convulsing, as Aren pushed everything he had. The shards struck again and again, relentless, precise, unstoppable. The authority pulses from the boss collided with Aren's fragment, but the boy held his ground, controlling the chaos.
Then, a massive pulse of energy exploded from Aren's chest. Mindsteel's influence and Gravity Shift's manipulation converged perfectly, breaking the Wraithbreaker's balance, crushing its defenses, and sending it crashing to the jagged Riftstone floor.
The boss let out one final, deafening roar before shattering under the combined force of Aren's powers. Pieces of Riftstone and warped flesh dissolved into the Rift's void. The fragments of the boss's authority faded, leaving a lingering pressure, but it was done.
Aren collapsed to one knee, panting, blood running freely down his arms and face. His clothes were torn, cuts raw and painful, but the fragments of energy around him hummed in approval. The Rift itself seemed to quiet, acknowledging the victory.
He wiped a hand across his brow, gritting his teeth. "Finally… done."
The system flashed once, bright and simple:
Quest Complete: Wraithbreaker Defeated ✅
Aren slumped back against a floating shard, exhaustion pressing down on him. But underneath it all, a small, satisfied smile crept across his bloodied face.
I did it… I really did it.
The Rift pulsed faintly, but no more enemies approached. For the first time, the Wraithbreaker's authority was gone, leaving only the boy, the shards, and the fragment guiding him forward.