---
Chapter 55: The Next Rift
After defeating the Grave Abomination, Ray's team rested briefly.
Mina patched everyone up with healing magic, and they scavenged what little loot remained from the battle.
Lucas even found a broken silver shield, muttering, "Tch, needs repair."
Ray silently moved a bit away.
In his hand gleamed the Grave Abomination Core Fragment he hadn't shown to others.
Seventeen's voice echoed lightly.
> "Your Domain absorbed it perfectly. Now, your beast trees will grow their beasts 10% faster."
Ray's eyes sharpened.
Faster growth = bigger army.
And this was just the start.
---
"Everyone ready?" Ray asked.
Lucas, Kai, Mina, and Ellie nodded.
Even though they were exhausted, excitement flickered in their eyes.
They could feel it — they were getting stronger.
A short distance ahead, the mist parted.
A dark fissure in the air shimmered — the second Rift portal.
System Notification:
> [Minor Rift - Level 2 Opened]
[Difficulty: F to F+]
[Warning: Unstable environment inside.]
Seventeen warned softly:
> "Inside this Rift, environment changes every few minutes.
Beasts adapt faster. Stay alert."
Ray's heart pounded.
They stepped through together.
---
Inside the Rift
CRACK!
Thunder rumbled overhead.
The ground was uneven, blackened like burnt glass.
Twisted trees grew sideways, and rivers of green mist flowed unnaturally across the landscape.
Already, monstrous shapes moved in the distance.
"Monsters are... bigger here," Mina whispered.
Ray nodded grimly.
The team shifted into defensive formation.
Suddenly—
SHRIEEEEK!
A pack of beasts charged from the left.
They looked like wolves, but had scaly skins and burning yellow eyes.
---
System Notification:
> [Scaled Hellhounds - F+ Rank]
[Pack Size: 8]
Seventeen laughed.
> "Perfect. Time to practice real combat, little king."
Ray smirked.
"Spread out. Don't cluster!"
The team broke formation instantly:
Lucas tanked the lead hounds, shield up.
Kai rained arrows from the rear.
Mina boosted Lucas's defense and slowed enemy movements.
Ellie dashed among the beasts like a whirlwind.
Ray stayed behind.
He raised his hand—
"RISE!"
[Skill: Rise Undead]
The corpses of the Hellhounds Ray's team killed earlier trembled — then rose up, snarling, turning against their former pack.
Half the enemy forces were caught off-guard.
Kai whistled.
"Man, Necromancers are scary."
Ray chuckled darkly.
He wasn't done yet.
"Chain them."
[Skill: Necrotic Chains]
Black, spiked chains shot from the ground, wrapping around the Hellhounds' legs and necks.
Helpless, the beasts were slaughtered one by one.
---
Within minutes, it was over.
The last Hellhound fell with a thud.
Everyone panted but grinned.
Ray walked calmly among the corpses, collecting Monster Cores and loot.
Kai picked up a weird, thorned dagger.
Mina found a small glowing herb.
Lucas found... a rock.
("Why do I always get rocks?" he muttered.)
---
Seventeen's voice was cheerful.
> "Good, good. But don't relax yet. The deeper you go... the worse it gets."
Ray nodded.
He opened his System Inventory quietly:
12 F-Rank Beast Cores
1 Rift Key Fragment
3 Healing Herbs
1 Minor Beast Egg (???)
His eyes paused at the Minor Beast Egg.
Seventeen chuckled.
> "Keep it safe. You might hatch something useful."
Ray stored it carefully.
His army needed every boost it could get.
---
Suddenly—
The ground trembled.
A roaring howl echoed from deeper inside the Rift.
The mist thickened.
In the distance, a massive shape rose from the river of green mist.
Ellie whispered, stunned:
"What the hell is that...?"
Seventeen's voice turned serious.
> "Careful, little king.
That's an Elite-class monster."
---
Chapter 56: The Mistborn Terror
The mist twisted violently as the monster fully emerged.
Ray's eyes widened slightly.
The creature was gigantic — almost 6 meters tall, hunched, with rotting green skin and a skeletal wolf-like face.
Its claws were long and sharp enough to tear through steel.
A deep growl rolled across the Rift.
System Notification:
> [Mistborn Terror - Elite Class]
[Rank: F++]
[Warning: Adaptive Regeneration Detected.]
[Ability: Mist Possession, Fear Howl, Acidic Blood]
Seventeen's voice rang urgently:
> "This one's tricky. You must hit hard and fast.
If you drag the fight, it'll adapt and heal."
Ray grinned coldly.
"A perfect test."
---
"Everyone, formation Alpha-2!" he shouted.
The team snapped into place instantly.
Lucas at front, shield up.
Mina and Kai at the sides.
Ellie moving around the battlefield like a shadow.
Ray hung back slightly, directing.
The Mistborn Terror charged with terrifying speed.
BOOM!
Lucas blocked the first blow — barely.
His shield cracked with the force.
"Sh*t, it's a monster!" Lucas barked.
"Hold!" Ray commanded.
Kai fired charged arrows, each tipped with magic.
THUNK!
THUNK!
The monster flinched but didn't slow.
Mina threw a Holy Bolt — light magic burning into its side.
The Mistborn howled in rage, thick mist pouring from its wounds.
Mist Possession Activated!
The monster's form blurred, splitting into three illusions.
"Illusions!" Mina cried.
Ray narrowed his eyes.
"No... real body still bleeds."
He watched sharply — one of the three had blood dripping.
"LEFT!"
Ellie moved like lightning, slashing into the left one — and hit real flesh.
The Mistborn roared again, furious.
Ray lifted both hands.
"NECROTIC CHAINS!"
Black chains erupted from the ground again, wrapping its legs.
The Mistborn struggled, breaking a few, but was slowed.
---
Ray's mind raced.
Can't let it regenerate... need to crush it quickly!
"Lucas! Kai! Full burst! Ellie! Target joints!"
"Got it!"
Lucas charged with a shield bash, stunning the monster.
Kai unleashed a flurry of explosive arrows, each impact shaking the monster's body.
Ellie zipped around, targeting knees and ankles with brutal precision.
Mina supported with buffs and healing, keeping everyone alive.
Ray built up mana.
His Rise Undead skill pulsed — but no fresh corpses around.
He needed a bigger hit.
He called out:
"Seventeen!"
> "You have enough points. Use the [Corpse Explosion Prototype]!"
Ray didn't hesitate.
"DO IT!"
Mana flooded the battlefield.
---
Under the Mistborn Terror's feet, black veins spread rapidly.
BOOM!
A massive corpse explosion burst upward, swallowing the monster in black fire and shrapnel of bone.
The shockwave knocked everyone back.
Dust and mist roared outward.
Ray stood steady.
His eyes burned with focus.
---
System Notification:
> [Mistborn Terror: Severe Damage Inflicted.]
[Weakness: Acid Core Exposed.]
There!
Through the clearing mist, Ray saw a glowing green organ beating in its chest cavity.
Without thinking, he sprinted forward.
"ELLIE! COVER ME!"
Ellie nodded, dashing ahead to distract the wounded monster.
Ray conjured a shadow spear.
Pouring every drop of his mana into it, he threw the spear with deadly force—
SCHLINK!
The shadow spear pierced the Acid Core cleanly.
The Mistborn Terror let out a gurgling shriek — then collapsed, its massive body convulsing once... twice... then going still.
---
Silence.
Only their heavy breathing filled the Rift.
System Notification:
> [Mistborn Terror - Defeated!]
[Reward: Elite Beast Core x1 | Mistborn Heart (Rare Material) x1 | 300 Academy Points | Rift Key Fragment x1]
---
Ray stumbled slightly but caught himself.
Seventeen's voice was light, almost proud.
> "You did well, little king. Very well."
Lucas fell back, panting.
"Holy crap... we're alive?"
Kai collapsed onto a rock, grinning weakly.
"That was insane."
Mina smiled, healing Lucas and herself.
Ellie dusted off her hands casually, like it was just another Tuesday.
---
Ray walked to the corpse.
He placed a hand on it.
"Rise."
[Skill: Rise Undead - Success!]
The Mistborn Terror's body trembled, then slowly got up — now under Ray's control.
Seventeen laughed gleefully.
> "Congratulations!
You now have your first Elite-class Undead Beast!"
Ray smiled thinly.
The tide was starting to turn.
His army... was beginning.
---
To be continued in Chapter 57: Consolidation and Growth
---
---
Chapter 57: Consolidation and Growth
The mist around the battlefield faded slowly, revealing the brutal aftermath of the fight.
Blood, broken ground, shattered weapons — all left behind as marks of their first true battle as a party.
Ray stood silently in front of the Mistborn Terror's undead body, its green glow now faint and tamed.
System Notification:
> [Elite Undead Added: Mistborn Terror]
[Current Undead Roster: 12/50]
[Passive Skill Unlocked: Mist Camouflage (Field)]
Seventeen's voice came gently:
> "Mist Camouflage can be expanded inside your Domain later.
Right now, it's a bonus for your Undead — making them harder to detect in battle."
Ray nodded, processing everything.
But the others were still catching their breath.
---
"Alright..." Ray said loudly, gathering the team.
"Time to divide the loot."
He opened the System window and displayed the rewards.
Loot List:
[Elite Beast Core (F++ Rank)]
[Mistborn Heart (Rare Material)]
[300 Academy Points (team total)]
[Rift Key Fragment x1]
Lucas whistled.
"That's... way more than expected."
Kai leaned closer. "Beast Core first.
Who's taking it?"
Ray smiled slightly.
"I'll hold onto the Core.
We'll use it later — maybe during ranking trials.
It's better as a group investment."
No one argued.
Ray's leadership had proven itself in the fight.
Ellie spoke next, her voice calm:
"The Mistborn Heart is alchemical material.
Could be sold for heavy coins... or kept for crafting."
Mina nodded.
"And Rift Key Fragment?"
Ray's eyes gleamed.
"Three more fragments, and we can open a secret Rift Gate.
Expect higher-level loot inside."
Everyone looked excited at the prospect.
---
They quickly decided:
Ray kept the Beast Core.
Mistborn Heart would be sold later and profits split equally.
Academy Points would be evenly divided.
Rift Fragment kept by Ray as team leader.
---
System Notification:
> [Academy Points: +75 each (Distributed)]
---
Lucas laughed as he read his System tab.
"Man, we're rich already!"
Kai grinned.
"This is only the beginning."
Ray, meanwhile, was already opening his personal menu.
---
God Shop - Domain Upgrade Section
Available Points: 14,700
New items unlocked after defeating an Elite Beast:
[Frostwolf Tree] — 10,000 Points
(Spawns Frost Wolves daily. Max Capacity: 10)
[Shadow Grass Patch] — 3,000 Points
(Enhances stealth inside Domain.)
[Bone Forge] — 12,500 Points
(Mass-produce bone weapons.)
Seventeen's voice hummed excitedly:
> "Little king, your army needs a backbone.
Trees to spawn beasts, Grass to protect them, and weapons to arm them."
Ray nodded.
"I'll buy Frostwolf Tree first."
---
System Notification:
> [Frostwolf Tree Purchased!]
[Planting inside Domain...]
---
Somewhere deep in Ray's hidden Domain, a mighty silver tree began sprouting, its roots pulsing with cold energy.
At the same time, Ray could faintly feel new life stirring.
Frost Wolves.
Beasts of cold and loyalty — tough, fast, and intelligent.
Seventeen whispered:
> "First wolf will spawn tomorrow morning.
Guard your Domain carefully."
Ray smiled coldly.
It was happening.
Slowly but surely, his private army was forming.
---
Meanwhile, Lucas tapped Ray's shoulder.
"Captain, what's next?"
Ray looked around at the tired, excited faces of his party.
He spoke slowly:
"Next... we head back to the Academy.
Report the Rift cleared.
Prepare for Ranking Trials."
Kai's grin widened.
"Finally... real fights against students."
Ellie's eyes gleamed with quiet bloodlust.
Mina smiled warmly, adjusting her staff.
Ray looked up at the fading sky.
The Academy, the Rankings, the Missions...
This was just the first step.
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