The air inside the rift carried weight. It wasn't just thicker — it pressed against the lungs, humming faintly like a heartbeat buried deep beneath the soil. Every breath Ael took was heavy with Ether, every step made the world shimmer faintly around the edges of his vision.
Amanda led the way, blade drawn, eyes sharp. The forest they'd emerged into was both breathtaking and wrong — trees made of translucent bark pulsing with pale light, their leaves whispering without wind. Faint motes drifted upward from the ground like sparks from a dying flame.
"Stay close," Amanda murmured, voice low. "E-rank doesn't mean safe."
Ael nodded, his senses alive in a way they never were outside the rift. He could feel it — the movement of Ether currents brushing along his skin, the resonance of his own core pulsing in sync.
They advanced in formation. Brandon and the twins took point with Amanda, while Ael and the healer, Celis, stayed toward the back. The deeper they went, the stronger the pressure became. It wasn't long before the first sound broke through the hush — a low growl, guttural and wet, echoing from behind a cluster of glowing roots.
The creature stepped into view — hunched, pale, with long limbs and skin stretched taut over bone. Its eyes were glassy black orbs, its mouth lined with needle-like teeth. When it exhaled, mist hissed out, corroding the nearby grass.
"Darkness Wolves," Brandon said under his breath, raising his blade. "Pack of three. Take the left."
The creatures lunged as one.
The team moved like a well-oiled machine — Amanda intercepting the central wolf mid-leap, her blade flashing in an arc of silver light; Brandon caught another with a shield bash that cracked bone.
Ael reacted instinctively. Ether surged from his core, threads of light winding through his veins as he whispered, "Ethereal Weaponry."
The air around his hand shimmered, condensing into a pale spear that vibrated faintly, alive with restrained power. He lunged forward, the movement smooth and precise, and drove the spear cleanly through the wolf's chest. The creature let out a strangled, distorted howl before collapsing into ash-like particles that dissolved into the air.
For a moment, everything froze.
Ael exhaled, his breath clouding faintly in the Ether-heavy air. Deep inside him, he felt something — a spark, a faint vibration through his core, like a pulse of heat spreading through his body. His senses sharpened momentarily, vision brightening. He didn't need to see numbers to understand what had happened.
Experience… it's flowing into me.
He said nothing, stepping back as Amanda dispatched the last wolf with a clean decapitation.
"Not bad, rookie," Brandon said, turning with a grin. "Didn't even hesitate."
"Good reflexes," Amanda added curtly, though there was approval in her tone. "Stay sharp. More of them will come once the scent spreads."
Ael nodded. His pulse still pounded in his ears, but not from fear. The Ether within him was stirring differently — smoother, more responsive. So that's what leveling feels like, he thought, though he didn't dare show the realization.
They pressed on.
The forest deepened into a tangle of glowing vines and mirror like pools that reflected the sky in impossible ways. Each step echoed faintly, like walking through a dream. The silence didn't last long.
This time, they came upon a clearing where twisted birdlike creatures perched among the branches — feathers like shards of obsidian, eyes glinting red. Shadeclaws. They moved in eerie synchronization, tilting their heads in unison as the team entered.
Amanda raised her hand silently.
Three. Two. One—
The clearing exploded into motion.
Shadeclaws shrieked, their wings slicing through the air like razors. Amanda's sword glowed faintly as she cleaved through two in a single motion, Brandon shielding the twins as Fire bolts whistled past.
Ael drew Ether into his palms again, shaping it this time into twin daggers of condensed light. They hummed faintly, vibrating with unstable power. He stepped forward into the fray.
One of the Shadeclaws dove straight at him. He twisted aside, the creature's talons grazing his shoulder, and with a fluid motion, he slashed upward. The blade met no resistance — the creature split cleanly, disintegrating into motes.
His Ether surged again, pulsing warm through his chest.
That makes four.
Every kill carried the same sensation — that subtle, radiant rush of warmth, the expansion of something invisible within him. But he kept his face composed, his breathing even. He couldn't let them see.
"Rookie!" Brandon called. "Behind you!"
Ael spun just in time to see a Shadeclaw diving low. He thrust both hands forward, instinct taking over. Ether coalesced instantly into a barrier of pale light — a curved wall that shimmered like glass. The creature slammed into it, wings snapping, before Ael dismissed the spell and countered with a dagger strike that finished it off.
Amanda landed beside him, eyes flicking briefly to the faint Ether residue still clinging to his hands. "You're good with control," she said. "Most E-ranks can't sustain two constructs without backlash."
"Just… practiced," Ael replied quietly.
Her gaze lingered a moment longer before she turned away. "Stay that way."
They continued deeper, battling through scattered groups of monsters — Darkness Wolves, Shadeclaws, and the occasional twisted elemental that lashed out with bursts of unstable mana. Each fight honed Ael's rhythm. His movement grew sharper, his control cleaner. Every time the warmth spread through him again, his Ether core pulsed with greater stability, expanding in quiet increments.
After hours of progression, the group finally reached the rift's heart — a clearing surrounded by colossal crystal formations. The air here was denser than anywhere else, rippling faintly with distortion.
Amanda halted, raising her hand. "This is it," she said. "The Rift Core. Be ready — the guardian will appear the moment we disturb it."
Brandon drew his sword with a sharp click. "Standard formation?"
"Standard formation," she confirmed. Her gaze flicked to Ael. "Stay near the rear. I'll handle the boss's aggro; you support from range."
Ael nodded, though his pulse had already quickened.
The Rift Core pulsed once — a deep, resonant hum that vibrated through their bones — and the air tore open.
The creature that emerged was massive. Eight feet tall, vaguely humanoid, but its body was made of obsidian-like armor fused with molten veins of Ether. Its face was a jagged mask of crystal, and its chest burned with an exposed core of light.
"An Obsidian Warden," Amanda muttered. "Tough hide. Aim for the joints or the core."
The creature let out a soundless roar, the ground trembling beneath its weight.
Amanda charged first, her sword glowing with condensed fire mana. Brandon followed, shield raised. Sparks flew as their blows struck the Warden's body, each impact echoing like thunder.
The twins fired coordinated volleys of Fire bolts, bursts of color that shattered harmlessly against its armor.
The other three mages handled control and support spells that helped the team better coordinate.
Ael watched for an opening. His hands trembled faintly, Ether pooling instinctively at his fingertips.
"Ethereal Weaponry," he whispered.
This time, the weapon that formed wasn't a spear or dagger — it was a longbow, pure light drawn into shape from nothing. He pulled back on the string, a glowing arrow forming between his fingers.
He aimed for the Warden's left knee joint and released.
The arrow struck with a resonant crack, Ether bursting outward in a white flare. The creature staggered, dropping briefly to one knee.
Amanda didn't miss her chance — she dashed forward, her sword slicing through the exposed gap and drawing a shriek of fracturing crystal.
"Nice shot, rookie!" Brandon shouted.
The Warden swung a massive arm, sending a shockwave that sent half the team sprawling. Ael barely rolled aside in time, shards of stone slicing across his cheek.
The ground split where the creature struck, molten lava seeping from the cracks.
Ael rose, panting, Ether swirling around him uncontrollably. He forced it into focus, compressing it until it pulsed with pure pressure.
He extended one hand forward. "Barrier."
A translucent dome snapped into existence just as another wave of force erupted from the Warden. The impact rippled across the barrier's surface like raindrops on water, the air crackling from the strain. Ael's teeth clenched — his Ether was draining fast.
Amanda noticed, eyes flashing. "Hold it just a bit longer!"
She gathered her Mana, blade flaring white-hot, and with a scream, plunged it deep into the Warden's chest. The creature convulsed, roaring silently as fractures spread across its body, light leaking through, it gave her a punch that sent her tumbling several feet away.
Ael saw his chance.
He dismissed the barrier, Ether reforming instantly in his hands — twin lances this time. He hurled them both at the Warden's chest.
The first struck the open wound. The second pierced straight into the exposed core.
For a heartbeat, everything went still.
Then the creature erupted — light spilling outward in a silent explosion that tore the air apart. The team shielded their eyes as fragments of the creature dissolved into radiant mist.
When the light faded, only Ael stood in the center of the clearing, chest heaving, his Ether bow fading into sparks.
The warmth flooded him again — stronger this time, overwhelming. His core pulsed, expanding, stabilizing, evolving for the second time in that raid. He could feel it — his body adapting, his control sharpening.
Level three.
But he said nothing.
Amanda approached, wiping a streak of crystal dust from her cheek. "You're full of surprises, rookie," she said with a small, rare smile. "That shot saved us a lot of trouble."
Brandon clapped him on the back, laughing. "Guess the Guild Master wasn't exaggerating."
Ael managed a faint smile, though his vision swayed slightly. The last traces of Ether flickered around his hands and vanished — the same way Sun of Oblivion had faded when he'd exhausted himself before.
He exhaled shakily, eyes drifting toward the dissolving fragments of the Obsidian Warden. "It's over…"
Amanda nodded. "Good work, team."
As they prepared to exit the rift, Ael lingered a moment longer, watching the faint trails of light drift upward like fireflies. His hands trembled, both from exhaustion and exhilaration.
Inside, beneath his calm expression, his Ether core still glowed faintly — alive, expanding, he couldn't wait to see how his status improved.
He smiled faintly.
This was only the beginning.