The air chilled as I stepped across the interdimensional boundary and into a long tunnel that stretched into the darkness. I couldn’t find any traces of artificial excavation from the yellow glow of the flashlights as they danced across the walls.

  My skin prickled at the wrongness of this place, like my body somehow knew this place shouldn’t exist within reality.

  I took a slow breath and looked around at the jagged walls around us, subtly tuning my hearing for any sign of movement…

  And there was movement, just mostly from the decidedly unsubtle mercenaries stomping along in front of me. I narrowed my eyes at them as they continued forward. The way they moved stiffly in their armor was odd… almost like they were unfamiliar with it. Maybe it was second hand gear?

  That would explain why it wasn’t maintained as of recently.

  “Hey, keep up.” Myra whispered in my ear, patting my shoulder as she passed by, “There’s a time for drifting off, just not during a mission where the slightest loss of focus could get ya killed.”

  “Oh. uh, yeah. Sorry,” I fell in line behind her as we followed the loud mercs ahead of us, albeit more cautiously than them.

  She was right. I shouldn’t be overanalyzing everything I saw. Not while in a dangerous rift that could have hidden dangers lurking around every corner. I refocused my attention to the dark tunnel, the distant echo of water droplets plinking against stone touching my ears.

  I couldn’t help but throw an annoyed look at the other mercs as we moved deeper into the darkness. The rhythmic thud of their boots hitting the ground continuing to grate against my new senses. I knew it wasn’t entirely their fault, but still.

  “So,” I whispered to Myra, hoping to break the tension, “What causes these rifts to form anyway? I didn’t see any mention of it online.”

  “Good question,” she answered, keeping her voice low, “as far as we know, the rifts are a byproduct of the Magi-Towers, according to official sources at least. unfortunately, the Admin restricts a lot of the knowledge concerning the tower’s inner workings, so we don't know for sure.”

  “If the Towers are causing rifts, why are they still in use? isn't it dangerous to have rifts randomly forming throughout the city?” I tilted my head in confusion, remembering the day I was attacked by scale-hounds that escaped from a rift.

  “That’s the strange thing.” Myra acknowledged, “They didn’t used to be random, temporary rifts. It all started about five years ago when the entire northern district was suddenly overrun with with rifts that spawned endless hordes of monsters. So many people lost their lives, the whole area had to be cordoned off. What’s even stranger, the rifts there weren’t blue like they normally are, they were a burning red, like a fucking gateway to hell. not to mention the monstrosities that crawled out, they were completely different from what you’d normally see in a rift.”

  “That is strange,” I agreed, but something was still bugging me, “Why didn’t the Admin do anything about it? With how everyone describes her, couldn’t she just fix it?”

  “That’s what everybody been asking,” Myra just shrugged, “but for some reason, she hasn’t been as active lately beyond a few World Notices.”

  “Okay... What’s a W—”

  Myra halted suddenly and raised a closed fist, signaling to hold position. I immediately stopped in my tracks, but even with my enhanced hearing, nothing stood out.

  I threw a confused glance toward the redhead as she met my gaze, giving me a snarky grin as she pointed upwards. My eyes drifted upwards — and that’s when I saw them.

  Black, mollusk-like protrusions clung to the ceiling, blending in near perfectly with the stalactites. I watched in horrid fascination as one silently cracked open at the tip, allowing a long, dripping tongue snake downward towards its unsuspecting prey.

  My eyes widened in concern as the group walked right into an ambush predator’s trap.

  I was about to call out to them, but Myra just shook her head at me, the snarky grin still remaining. ‘Watch’ she mouthed, completely unconcerned as she observed the lead mercs shoulder brushing against the sticky, black appendage.

  *Thwack!*

  The tongue lashed out, coiling around the mercs arm and yanking him upwards towards the waiting maw above.

  “Shit!” The large man shouted in rising panic as he quickly fumbled for a knife sheathed on his belt. He found it just in time to slash through the fleshy tongue before the creature could clamp its jaws around him, causing him to plummet heavily to the ground.

  The others swung their rifles to the ceiling, lighting it up with bolts of light, finally realizing the danger they were in. I quickly joined them, I wouldn’t say no to free EXP.

  A flurry of movement erupted above as the field of hungry predators sprung to life, lashing down at the hapless crew below.

  I would’ve been among them if Myra hadn’t stopped me, I realized as I continued to blast away at the writhing mass above.

  The other mercs reaction was chaotic and desperate. They stumbled over each other as they yelled out in panic. Their heavy armor protecting them from immediate harm as they unloaded their laser-guns at anything that moved.

  They were making good progress. Many of the mollusks went still as they were filled with burning holes.

  One of the mercs suddenly started shouting in panic as his armor began to seize up, the creature’s corrosive secretion soaking into the joints and servos.

  Seeing this, the rest of them blasted away with renewed gusto, finally killing off the last of the disgusting creatures. A foul smell permeated the tight corners of the tunnel, granting little reprieve from the putrid stench.

  I lowered my pistol as Myra watched from the side, disdain souring her expression as she scoffed at the pitiful display the other mercs had shown.

  “And that, is why you pay attention to your surroundings in an uncleared rift,” She stated just loud enough for the others to hear “They might as well have worn a sign saying, ‘Fresh Meat! Please Eat!’. I would rate them as a three out of ten. They were loud, sloppy, and oblivious. A terrible combination of incompetence.”

  “Oh? And why didn’t you say something if you knew they were hiding there?” I could hear his knuckles audibly crack as he clenched his fists in anger at her comment, “You just let us walk right into an ambush!”

  “Yep,” Myra calmly shrugged, a mocking grin creeping onto the corners of her mouth, “Didn’t you say something about nothing in this rift being able to harm you?”

  The large merc clenched his fists and took a threatening step towards her, his anger reaching its breaking point. Only stopping when one of his men grabbed his arm, holding as he whispered in his ear.

  “Now’s not the time, boss.”

  I looked down to avoid the angry glares shot my way, not wanting to get involved. I understood his anger, but Myra was right.

  As a leader, you needed to be aware of your surroundings, or you could get your whole squad killed. And since no one got hurt, this was a great learning experience. Even if Myra could have been a bit nicer about it.

  But, more importantly...

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  [Experience Gained]

  [Experience Threshold Not Reached]

  I couldn’t help but smile as I checked my status. Progress was always good to see. And, thanks to Myra, I wasn’t even in any danger this time!

  “Listen to your man, big guy.” Myra mocked relentlessly. “Consider it a lesson in vigilance!”

  I winced as she continued egging him on. Did she have a death wish or something? Even I knew it wasn’t a good idea to anger people necessarily.

  “Just you wait, bitch.” The leader spat under his breath as he yanked his arm free of his subordinate’s grasp and spun around, stomping down the tunnel once more.

  “What were those things anyway?” I asked to change the subject as we carefully stepped around the black goo covering the floor.

  “Sucker-Mollusks,” She answered dismissively, “Some Rank 2 rifts like this one have them, but they are a bit rare. Pretty easy to deal with if ya know what to look for though. Make for good target practice when you’ve got some distance.”

  “I see, thanks for telling me,” I wondered if she was just being nice to me so I’d join her team, or if she was normally this helpful to newbies.

  We followed the other mercs deeper into the rift. The walls of the tunnel beginning to take on a reddish tint.

  I could hear the echo of water growing closer with every step.

  “What Rank were those scale hounds from earlier?” I asked quietly, careful not to let my voice carry through the dark corridor.

  “Scale hounds are technically Rank 1 monsters, but everyone thinks that rating is bullshit. They are easy enough to take down with laser bolts, but with their highly cut resistant scales, you’re basically screwed when they get too close, especially when in large numbers.”

  A low growl suddenly echoed through the cave, unfamiliar to my ears.

  “Speak of the devil.” Myra muttered, bringing her rifle to her shoulder.

  I quickly followed suit, my father’s training kicking in as I leveled my pistol downrange.

  The loud stomping of the other mercs ceased a moment later as their movement grew more cautious.

  An eerie silence fell over us, as we slowly moved forward, heads on a swivel.

  “Contact!” a merc shouted, opening fire into the darkness. His fellows following suit soon after, lighting up a large cavern with blasts of laser bolts.

  I followed Myra, pistol at the ready, as she stepped forward into the opening the other mercs left when they entered the cavern. And shuddered in fear at what I saw.

  A massive creature charging at the mercs, shrugging off almost everything they were throwing at it.

  It was immense, easily triple the height of a man, Its body covered in hard, chitinous armor that reminded me of the first monster I’d ever encountered in this world. It had no head, just a massive, hunched body supported by two thick, trunk-like legs. Two long arms sprouted from its shoulders, ending in two fingers that gleamed like scythes.

  The merc group was being pushed back under its brutal onslaught. But for some reason, instead of flanking or spreading out, they were all stepping back towards the exit.

  “Take cover!” Myra said urgently as she pulled me behind some loose boulders, “that’s a Reaver! They shouldn’t spawn in rank 2 rifts. Something’s off about this.”

  A blinding flash erupted across the cavern, followed by a concussive band that sent my ears ringing.

  A flash-bang! I realized in a panic as held my stinging ears. Don’t they know to call out when using those so you don’t hurt friendlies?

  “Sorry ladies!” the lead mercs voice laughed mockingly in my ear as blurry forms rushed by, “Nothing personal! We’ll finish it off after you weaken it for us!”

  Everything suddenly clicked into place. The poorly maintained armor. Their clumsy movement. The arrogance. It all made sense now.

  These people killed other mercs to scavenge from their corpses!

  The guttural roar of the Reaver shook the cavern as it thrashed around, its senses likely just as dulled as ours. A small mercy.

  I blinked several times, attempting to regain my sight as my vision and hearing slowly returning to normal levels.

  Why were they so certain we’d have to fight this thing? Couldn’t we just escape down the tunnel?

  My questions were answered as I turned around. My hope, thoroughly squashed as I felt the familiar tug of magic pull at my chest as they sealed the opening with some kind of shimmering barrier… sealing the exit and preventing us from escaping.

  “Fucking bastards!” Myra snarled, as she realized what they’d done. She rushed over to the glowing wall of force and slammed her fist into it, causing it to buzz and crackle, but it didn’t budge.

  “Those bastards planned for this!” She spat in disdain at the betrayal as she turned her attention back to the Reaver. Its massive form slowly regaining its senses.

  Myra looked torn as she glanced from the monster to me, stuck in a terrible situation.

  “Sorry to ask you this,” Myra clasped my shoulders, genuine regret filling her eyes, “But I need you to flank it, draw its attention. My rifle can’t get past its armor, but it has a weak spot underneath its arm. It is only exposed when it’s about to attack.”

  My eyes widened in fear as I realized what she was implying. She needed it to attack me so she could get a clear shot. She was asking me, a newbie with no experience to risk my life. To trust someone I’d just met.

  But what choice did I have? We were stuck in here with a vicious monster with no way out. Trusting her was my best shot of survival, and she hadn’t done anything to cause distrust yet. If anything, she’s been more helpful than most people down here.

  I drew a shaky breath and forced myself to nod, not trusting myself to voice a reply. I swallowed hard as I lowered myself into a running stance, preparing to dash across the open cavern.

  My nanites would save me If I got hurt, right? Could they even repair the amount of damage that creature was capable of?

  I couldn’t waste anymore time, I had to go now.

  I pressed off the cold stone underneath my feet, sprinting as fast as I could, dodging around stalagmites as I fired several rounds at the behemoth. All of them sparking uselessly off its chitin.

  An earsplitting roar shook the cavern again as the Reaver fully recovered from the flash-bang. I could feel its malevolent gaze turn to me just as I reached the cavern wall on the other side.

  I leveled my pistol at the charging beast and fired. Hoping, that against all odds, my laser bolts would find a weak point, that Myra wouldn’t miss her shot, that I’d walk out of this alive.

  My shots impacted uselessly against its chitin in a shower of sparks. It was on top of me now, its gleaming scythes raised in the promise of swift death.

  I didn’t stop to think as I ducked to the side in a desperate roll. The impact of the scythe smashing into the rock sent tremors through the ground, nearly knocking me off my feet. Shards of razor sharp stone exploded past me as I narrowly managed to avoid its frenzied blows.

  I scrambled back to my feet, instincts screaming at me to flee. Why hadn’t Myra taken her shot yet? I didn’t know how much longer I could hold on! I risked a brief, panicked glance in her direction, but couldn’t make her out.

  Diving behind another group of stalagmites, I aimed my pistol at its underarms as it prepared for another attack. I could see the unarmored joint where the weak point was and pulled the trigger.

  But it was an exercise in futility. My shots missed their mark, splashing pointlessly against the distant stone ceiling.

  Its scythes hovered over my for a brief moment, before crashing down toward my head at an angle. I tried to dodge, but my foot snagged on a loose rock, sending me stumbling down to the hard, uncaring stone.

  The scythe-like arm, by some miracle, missed me. Instead tearing through the stone to my left. The impact sending me crashing into the wall, knocking the air from my lungs.

  I doubled over in pain, hacking up a mouthful of blood. I was sure I had broken something, but I didn’t have the luxury of staying still. I struggled to lift myself off the cold floor, my body shaking in protest at every movement.

  A shadow fell over me.

  I looked up just in time to see a scythe slashing toward my face.

  *Bang!*

  A single bolt of energy impacted its vulnerable underarm, throwing off its swing just enough to save me from impalement.

  The creature howled in pain as it switched targets, turning its fury towards the one who hurt it. Greenish blood gushed from its wound as it charged Myra’s position, noticeably slower than before.

  It was dying! We just needed to outlast it.

  Myra dove to the side as it crashed through the jutting stone like a bull in a china shop. Short blasts of laser bolts echoed through the cavern as she fought back, barely getting a few shots off while dodging the deadly scythes. But none made it past the beasts looming shell.

  I joined in, firing a few blasts from my pistol, hoping the bolts would at least offer a distraction. If the monster noticed them, it did not show it.

  Myra dodged under a scythe as it made one last ditch attempt to cut her to ribbons, but she didn’t see the second careening toward her abdomen.

  “Myra!” I called out in shock as the sharp appendage tore through her armor and flesh, spraying red blood across the gray stone wall.

  The creature roared one last guttural call before collapsing in a mass of chitin, as if celebrating that it was able to drag its enemy down with it.

  [Experience Threshold Reached]

  [Upgrading Nanite Swarm...]

  [Upgrade Successful]

  [Efficiency Levels at 1.5%]

  [1 Skill Point Gained]

  I skidded to her side, ignoring the pop-up, a sense of dread filling my gut.

  There was so much blood. Her entire stomach area was just… gone.

  “N-Nyxia…” Myra gasped, fumbling weakly for a red spray can at her belt. “M-medical… foam.”

  I grasped the red canister in my shaking hands, quickly skimming through the instructions before applying it to the bloody, gaping hole in her gut. The foam hissed out and expanded to fill the gaps, stifling the bleeding, but how much could it really do when there was so much missing?

  I looked at the can more thoroughly now that I had a moment, but found nothing concrete about its effects beyond ‘best magical healing gel on the market!’. There wasn’t even an ingredients list, so couldn’t even try to verify that claim with my limited knowledge.

  I didn’t know what to do now. I couldn’t get out with the forcefield blocking the only exit. I didn’t know much about medicine apart from some basic first aid. Was there even anything else I could do?

  I felt so helpless as I watched her draw in ragged breaths.

  My hearing suddenly picked up the sharp hum of the forcefield disengaging, along with multiple footsteps slowly approaching.

  “Hey, looks like they took down the Reaver all on their own! What are the odds of that, boss?”

  “Ha, makes our lives easier! Never expected the rift destabilizer to spawn a Reaver.”