WHEN the sun rose in the East, Jullian was already ready for his routine run - dressed in a white tank top with a hoodie, black jogging pants, and Adidas sneakers, with earbuds tucked in both ears as La Campanella played from his phone.
It had been a month since Jullian started his new life, and he'd finally adapted to the modern Valerius Empire. Unlike his first day, when he'd stared at a toilet thinking it was a dry well until a nurse explained its purpose, he now moved through the world with ease. After running 100 laps around the park track, he stopped to stretch and cool down before plopping onto a bench, still panting lightly.
Jullian appreciated the beautiful scenery before him--people strolling with their significant others or walking their dogs along the paths. It was so peaceful and quiet that he closed his eyes as a cool breeze touched his skin.
"Let's go to the rift do do do and fight monster do do do~ Let's whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! And let's shing! Shing! Shing!"
Mikhail sang, twisting the lyrics of a trending children's song and shattering the morning quiet. Jullian tried to ignore him, but the tiny prince repeated the tune over and over until he finally snapped.
"SHUT UP!" Jullian shouted, drawing startled glances from passersby who stared at him like he was crazy.
Mikhail crossed his arms and pouted. "I won't stop bothering you until you enter a rift!" He acted exactly like a typical brat.
"And I told you I won't. So stop whining," Jullian shot back.
But Mikhail only escalated, throwing a full tantrum like a five-year-old denied a toy. "I want to go to the rift! Let's go to the rift!" he whined repeatedly, making Jullian's annoyance grow.
He was two seconds away from tossing the tiny nuisance into a nearby trash can when he heard someone yelp. Looking up, he saw an old man on the ground.
True to his kind nature, Jullian rushed over to help him stand.
"Thank you, son. You have a kind heart," the old man said, gripping Jullian's hand tightly.
Jullian scratched the back of his neck, feeling shy. "It's nothing, gramps. Please be more careful from now on."
As they spoke, Mikhail floated closer and peeked out from behind Jullian's head, watching the old man intently.
"Anyway, let me give you a gift for your kindness," the old man said, reaching into his pocket.
"No, really--I don't need anything," Jullian tried to decline politely.
The old man just laughed. "Nonsense! I have no use for it anymore anyway."
Mikhail's eyes suddenly widened. As the man's sleeve rode up, a strange all-black tattoo was revealed on his forearm-a split mask with a fox tail wrapped around one side and a tattered raven wing extending from the other.
"JULLIAN! DODGE!" Mikhail screamed.
The warning came just in time. The old man whipped out a knife and swung it straight at Jullian's chest. Jullian bent backward in a fluid arc to avoid the blade, then jumped several feet away. That's when he saw the weapon was coated in a sinister violet aura, and the man's eyes glowed with the same eerie violet light.
"Be careful, Jullian--it's a Forgotten Disciple!" Mikhail warned, hovering close to his shoulder.
"I don't know what that is, but I won't go down that easily," Jullian said, shifting into a defensive stance.
The old man cackled maniacally before charging forward, slashing his knife through the air with unnatural speed, leaving a trail of mana with every swing. Jullian dodged each strike effortlessly, his years of training as an Esper kicking in. When the attacker lunged to stab him, Jullian caught his wrist, twisted it sharply, and when the old man tried to punch him, he ducked low before using a shoulder throw that sent the old man flying ten meters across the grass.
"What the hell was that about? Why would he suddenly attack me?" Jullian asked, still staring at the man lying motionless on the ground.
"I don't know if I'm right, but I think he's a believer of the Forgotten God, Kael," Mikhail answered.
Jullian was about to asked more about the forgotten deity when the old man suddenly let out a guttural, inhuman growl. A violent surge of dark violet mana erupted from his body, twisting the air around him. His bones cracked loudly as his frame contorted, muscles swelling and tearing through his skin.
His flesh began to rot and split, hardening into rough, corpse-like layers as veins bulged beneath the surface. His eyes sank deep into their sockets, glowing with a savage hunger, while his jaw stretched unnaturally wide. Jagged fangs forced their way through his gums, and his fingers elongated into claw-like talons slick with blackened blood.
Jullian watched in horror as the man's humanity vanished, replaced by a grotesque, feral creature--its posture hunched, its movements twitching and unnatural, like a corpse dragged back to life by cursed power.
When the transformation was complete, the creature released a piercing, animalistic shriek.
[Monster Name: Undead (C rank)]
The monster lunged straight at him. Stunned by the horrific change, Jullian froze--but just as the monster's claws were about to tear into his chest, a gunshot rang out.
Jullian looked up to see a blonde-haired man standing a few meters away, holding a sleek gun that crackled with residual energy. A cigar dangled from his lips, and his sharp red eyes fixed on Jullian with an intense gaze.
"If you freeze up like that, you'll be killed in an instant," the man said, and his gun vanished in a flash of light.
Jullian scoffed, trying to play it cool. "Well! I'm just an F-class Esper--my abilities wouldn't have done much against that monster anyway."
The blonde man removed the cigar to exhale a plume of smoke, then stepped closer and gently caressed Jullian's cheek with his thumb. "Then be careful. In these days, monsters appear everywhere."
Jullian felt a jolt of electricity where the man touched him--warm and unexpected, like sunlight breaking through clouds after a long storm. A strange feeling settled in his chest, soft and unfamiliar as the subtle, fragile start of something he couldn't name, but recognized deep in his bones.
He swatted the man's hand away, his face flushing slightly as he forced a cocky smile. "Don't worry, I can handle myself now."
The blonde man stared at him for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Jullian nodded curtly, bid him goodbye, and started jogging away, leaving the man standing there, his gaze following Jullian until he disappeared around a corner.
...
Meanwhile, in Thrive Corporation's meeting room, the Thrive Guild gathered with shareholders to discuss two key agenda items. The shareholders were already complaining to the CEO about the strange appearance of a rift within an active rift, offering various ideas for countermeasures if it happened again, while Guild members waited silently for their leader.
"What if we update our rift tracking devices to detect if a secondary rift forms inside an active one?" one shareholder suggested.
But another disagreed. "Upgrading the devices would require massive amounts of energy stones, selenite, and money--and there's no guarantee it will work. I suggest adding training for Espers to be prepared if another rift appears unexpectedly during combat."
"The Espers can't be prepared if it happens while they're already fighting monsters," the first shareholder retaliated.
The debate continued until the door opened and Avgust entered the room. Instantly, the room fell silent, and standing shareholders returned to their seats.
"The meeting hasn't started yet," Avgust pointed out as he sat to the CEO's left. "Yet you old men are already getting grumpy."
The shareholders clamped their mouths shut, some clearing their throats in embarrassment. While Avgust was officially just the Guild leader, he was actually Thrive Corporation's major shareholder and the fourth prince of the Valerius Empire. Though not the current crown prince, he commanded both fear from the corporation's leadership and respect from Espers for his immense power.
The CEO signaled the Chairperson to begin.
"First, we'll discuss the rift that appeared in the South," the Chairperson said, activating a projector to display images of a crack glowing red and black beneath the water at Aqua Beach. "According to our rift investigators, it contains only A-rank monsters, and based on mana consistency, they conclude the rift will expire in three weeks."
Rift expiration--a phenomenon where mana accumulates at the rift entrance. If the mana thickens and the rift doesn't close promptly, the seal preventing monsters from escaping will shatter, and all the monsters will emerge into the Empire--a second catastrophe known as Rift Break. The stronger the mana, the shorter the expiration date.
"Fortunately, our Guild won the expedition rights," the CEO said, looking at Avgust. "The question is who will lead the mission."
"My team will handle it," Avgust stated casually. "We leave next Monday."
No one objected. Everyone knew Avgust's team would close the rift on time, and shareholders would likely oppose if another team were sent instead. Plus, they were eager to move to the second agenda.
When the Chairperson asked for questions or suggestions, the room remained quiet.
"Our next agenda is the rift that appeared within an active one yesterday," the Chairperson continued.
A shareholder at the end of the table raised his hand, and his question made everyone in the room tense--everyone except Avgust.
"Could this be a sign that another Black Rift will appear again?"
Silence fell, and the tension in the room grew thick.
"Mr. Arundel, has the Saintess had any new precognitions regarding the Black Rift?" the CEO asked first, breaking the tension in the room.
"As of now, the Saintess has not received any specific visions about the Black Rift," the Chairperson answered.
Relief washed over the shareholders, and they resumed debating their earlier suggestions until the discussion grew heated once more.
"What if we research rift expiration timelines first, then revisit countermeasures?" Avgust suggested.
When Mr. Norman, one of the shareholders, asked for clarification, Avgust explained: "Since the rift entrance has a seal keeping monsters inside until Rift Break, we have time to clear the first rift and observe how long the secondary rift takes to expire."
Mabel noticed the shareholders were still confused and added, "That means if the secondary rift has a short expiration, we can deploy standby Espers. If it lasts longer, the main team can handle it."
The shareholders nodded, agreeing the Guild's suggestion made sense, and it won unanimous approval. When the CEO asked for further input and none came, the meeting adjourned.
As Guild members left the room, Mabel stretched her arms. "Thank goodness! That grueling meeting with the old folks is finally over!"
"Then let's go hit a pub before the next rift expedition!" Larsson suggested, and everyone cheered in agreement.
Fei approached Avgust, who was walking a few steps behind the group. "Sir Avgust, would you like to join us?" she asked shyly, her face red as she fidgeted in front of him-looking like a teenager finally working up the courage to talk to her crush.
Avgust smiled. "I can't this time-maybe next time. Enjoy yourselves, but drink moderately," he warned, "or I'll throw you all into a monster den if you're hungover on expedition day."
"Yes, sir!" they replied in unison, knowing Avgust would actually do it.
...
When Avgust reached his office in the Thrive Guild tower, he gazed out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the city skyline. He thought of the man in the park, and a small smile touched his lips. Then he remembered the monster that had attacked, and his expression grew serious.
"Was there an unknown rift that broke nearby?" he mumbled to himself, then grinned. "Maybe I should investigate that incident myself."