The world tilted—stars wheeling overhead, the ground rushing up (or was it away?), cold air burning his lungs as he gasped—
[EMERGENCY PROTOCOL ACTIVATED!]
[PURCHASING: Protective Barrier Shield - EXTREME (Cost: 200 SP)]
[CURRENT SP: 613→413]
[DEPLOYING NOW!]
A sphere of shimmering golden light erupted around Alex's body—crackling into existence milliseconds before he would have hit the rocks below. The barrier absorbed the impact with a sound like a gong being struck, the force reverberating through Alex's bones but not breaking them.
He bounced once—the shield holding—then hit the rushing river with a tremendous splash.
The freezing water was a shock even through the barrier—the river swollen with snowmelt, moving fast, carrying him downstream with terrifying speed.
[SHIELD HOLDING! But Host, this is a PROBLEM!]
[Current status:
Shield duration: 30 minutes maximum
River speed: VERY FAST
Direction: Downstream toward... oh no. OH NO.]
