《Riftbound》


 Chapter 1: Falling Into the Unknown

    A deafening roar echoed through the sky as space tore open, ripping through reality itself. From the rift, a figure plummeted, dazed and half-unconscious, free-falling through the air.


    When he finally regained consciousness, he realized he was still falling¡ªfast. Acting on instinct, he channeled his ether energy, steadying himself just in time to land safely on the ground.


    He barely had a moment to breathe before someone else came crashing down¡ªright on top of him.


    Then it happened again. And again. And again.


    Pinned beneath a pile of bodies, the first man let out a loud groan. ¡°Holy crap, you guys are heavy as a truck. Get off me!¡±


    The others scrambled off, each groaning from the rough landing. They sat on the ground, catching their breath before introducing themselves.


    The man who had been crushed first spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m Orion.¡±


    Orion wore a black hooded suit, his long-sleeved black cloak swaying slightly as he adjusted his position. The next to speak was the one who had landed directly on top of him¡ªa muscular man with tanned skin, battle scars, and wild red hair.


    ¡°I¡¯m Garrik,¡± he said. ¡°And¡­ sorry, Orion.¡±


    Next, a girl with short black hair, dressed in a sleek bodysuit, introduced herself. ¡°I¡¯m Nyx.¡±


    Beside her, a robed girl quickly bowed her head apologetically to Orion before saying, ¡°I¡¯m Lysara Valen. I¡¯m a mage.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    The last of them, a man wearing a high-tech armored coat, crossed his arms. ¡°I¡¯m Vex.¡± His sharp gaze landed on Orion. ¡°You¡¯re unusually composed. Do you know anything about this place?¡±


    Orion ignored him completely and turned to Lysara. ¡°Are you from a medieval period?¡±


    Lysara nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Vex, annoyed at being ignored, tried again. ¡°Orion, do you know anything about this place?¡±


    Once again, Orion ignored him.


    Nyx, watching the exchange, struggled not to laugh. She turned to Orion and repeated Vex¡¯s question. ¡°Do you know anything about this place?¡±


    Orion finally answered. ¡°No. But this is a rare¡ªyet not impossible¡ªoccurrence when someone is swallowed by a rift. Only one person in history ever made it back¡­ and they instantly aged and died.¡± He paused before asking, ¡°By the way, are you from the future?¡±


    Nyx nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    That was the last straw for Vex. His patience snapped. ¡°Are you even listening to me?!¡±


    Orion glanced at him. ¡°I¡¯m right next to you. No need to scream. You look so young, but you act like an old man.¡±


    Vex scowled. ¡°I¡¯m not an old man.¡±


    Orion smirked. ¡°Yes, you are.¡±


    Vex glared. ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are.¡±


    ¡°NO, I¡¯M NOT¡ª¡±


    ¡°Old man. Old geezer. Gramps. Uncle¡ª¡±


    The group finally lost it. Nyx covered her mouth, shaking with laughter. Garrik clutched his stomach. Lysara giggled behind her hand.


    Vex¡¯s face darkened. His patience was gone. He pulled out his weapon and aimed it at Orion. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    Orion, unfazed, kept talking. ¡°This place feels terribly similar to Star Wars, so we should probably avoid both the Empire and the rebels.¡±


    Nyx blinked, amused. The others, however, exchanged confused looks.


    ¡°What¡¯s Star Wars?¡± Lysara asked.


    Vex, growing more enraged, snapped, ¡°Are you chickening out of this fight?¡±


    Orion smirked. ¡°Fine. Come at me.¡±


    The two of them stood up. Nyx watched with interest, while Garrik cheered them on.


    Vex gripped his spear. ¡°What¡¯s with the mask? Too embarrassed to remove it?¡±


    Orion adjusted his hood. ¡°No. If I take it off, I¡¯ll be surrounded by girls, so I prefer to keep it on. Even your wife would leave you for me.¡±


    Vex twitched but said nothing. Instead, he lunged.


    Vex¡¯s instincts flared, and he jumped back just in time. No openings, huh?


    Deciding to go on the offensive, Orion closed the distance between them in a blink. In one swift motion, he snatched the gun from Vex¡¯s waist, grabbed his elbow, and twisted it behind his back, forcing the spear from his grip.


    Vex gritted his teeth. Damn, he¡¯s fast. Unable to break free, he lashed out with his leg, aiming for Orion¡¯s head.


    Orion dodged, releasing his hold. Vex saw an opening. He aimed his spear at Orion¡¯s shoulder¡ªonly to have it snatched away once more.


    In a flash, Orion cocked the gun and aimed it directly at Vex¡¯s heart.


    Vex¡¯s breath hitched.


    ¡°You know,¡± Orion said casually, ¡°if I can take my enemy with me¡­ it¡¯s not so bad.¡±

 Chapter 2: A Familiar Face from the Past

    The air between the two fighters was thick with tension. Orion aimed his gun for a direct kill, his golden eyes locked onto Vex. But unexpectedly, he tossed the gun toward Vex instead and smirked.


    "That was entertaining. I got to move my body a bit. Thanks, Vex."


    Vex lowered his spear, letting out a breath as Orion turned to leave, heading back toward the others. Just as he was walking away, a portal¡ªsimilar to the one they had all fallen from¡ªsuddenly tore open in the air.


    Before Orion could react, someone fell straight through, landing directly on top of him. A cloud of dust rose from the impact. Coughing, Orion quickly recognized the person and immediately panicked. In a split second, he teleported his mask and cloak into his alternate space.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The person scrambled to their feet, brushing off dust while bowing slightly. "I¡¯m so sorry! Are you alright?"


    Orion quickly stood up as well, shaking his head. "It¡¯s not a problem, First Legion Commander."


    As the dust settled, the others finally got a clear look at the newcomer¡ªa stunning young woman with long silver-white hair and striking blue eyes. She looked around, her gaze landing on Orion. Her eyes widened in shock.


    "Orion?! You¡¯re here too?!"


    Before Orion could say anything, she threw her arms around him in a tight hug.


    Everyone stood frozen in surprise.


    Orion, however, was struggling. "Commander... I can¡¯t breathe...!" he wheezed.


    Celia quickly let go, flustered.


    Lysara stepped forward, her curiosity piqued. "Orion, could you introduce us to your friend?" she asked sweetly.


    Orion sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, sure. Everyone, meet Celia. She was the First Legion Commander of the military unit I used to serve in."


    As everyone turned their attention to Celia, Nyx suddenly spoke up. "Orion, why do you wear a mask when you have such a handsome face?"


    Orion flinched, caught off guard.


    Celia, now curious, turned to face him. "Mask? What mask?" she asked, confused.


    Before Orion could come up with an excuse, the ground beneath them rumbled violently, cutting the conversation short.

 Chapter 3: Into the Abyss Embrace

    The ground collapsed beneath them, and everyone plummeted into what seemed like an endless abyss. Vex called out, "Orion, can you create ether strings?"


    Orion smirked. "Yes, I can," he replied. With a glint in his golden eyes, he accelerated his descent, passing Celia, Nyx, Garrik, and Lysara. As he fell, he released ether from his fingertips, weaving a vast web of pure energy. The web caught everyone, breaking their fall safely.


    Amazed by the sight, Nyx whispered, "It''s simply beautiful¡­ the inner white energy, and as it expands, it turns purple. I''ve never seen anything like it."


    Lysara nodded in awe. "This is my first time witnessing something so mesmerizing."


    "So this is ether energy¡­" Vex muttered, his usual composed expression shaken.


    Garrik was left speechless, while Celia stood in a daze, completely captivated by the brilliance of Orion¡¯s ether. However, Orion quickly reminded them of their situation.


    "Stay focused," he said. The group jolted awake, as if snapping out of a trance.


    "I''ll create steps. Follow me."


    For thirty minutes, they descended further into the unknown. The tunnel seemed endless.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Celia finally spoke up. "Shouldn¡¯t we be heading up instead? Why are we going deeper?"


    Orion shrugged. "It¡¯s a gamble. If it''s a giant monster, we¡¯re heading straight to our graves. But if it¡¯s a high-ranking dungeon or a spatial rift, we might find a powerful artifact. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s worth the risk?"


    Nyx crossed her arms. "And what if it''s nothing special?"


    "Then we take refuge here," Vex replied.


    Celia placed a hand over her mouth, stifling a chuckle. Then, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, she teased, "Orion, what if this dungeon is filled with giant insects? What will you do then?"


    Orion visibly tensed but quickly tried to mask his fear. "So what if it is? Just focus on moving forward."


    Vex narrowed his eyes, noticing Orion¡¯s reaction but choosing to remain silent.


    After two hours of traveling, they finally reached the bottom. The moment they stepped onto solid ground, they found themselves in an entirely different world.


    Lysara looked around in awe. "Is this a dungeon? It¡¯s my first time entering one."


    Vex raised an eyebrow. "You''ve never been inside a dungeon before?"


    Flustered, Lysara nodded.


    Orion gently took her hand, offering a reassuring smile. "Don¡¯t worry. If you ever need help, I¡¯ll be here."


    Lysara¡¯s face turned crimson as Orion¡¯s white hair gleamed under the glow of nearby luminous plants.


    For the first time, everyone could clearly see Orion¡¯s appearance. Vex suddenly dropped to his knees. "Orion, I beg you¡ªplease teach me how to use ether!"


    Orion scrutinized Vex carefully. Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, he finally responded. "No matter the circumstances, never kneel before anyone. But I cannot teach you ether."


    The group was stunned.


    Nyx frowned. "Why? He went as far as begging you."


    Orion sighed. "Learning ether is not easy. Out of ten thousand, only a handful survive the process, and even fewer actually succeed in wielding it. What if he ends up dying? It''s too dangerous. Controlling ether isn¡¯t as simple as walking in the park."


    Vex clenched his fists. "I don¡¯t care. I¡¯ll do anything to learn it!"


    Orion stared at him for a moment before smirking. "Then prove your worth."


    With a flick of his wrist, he summoned two crystal orbs. "These will absorb the mana released when you kill monsters. The more you slay, the darker they become. If you win¡­ I¡¯ll teach you ether.


    "So, do you accept?"

 Chapter 4: The Hunt Begins

    As Vex struggled with his decision, Garrik spoke up. ¡°Orion, I want to play this game too.¡±


    Nyx smirked. ¡°Yeah, it sounds like a good challenge. Can we all participate?¡±


    Orion crossed his arms, looking at them with a knowing expression. ¡°That¡¯s fine. You can all join, but remember¡ªyou cannot help each other. And Vex, are you sure you want this?¡± His golden eyes gleamed under the dim dungeon light. ¡°Ether is not easy to master. The pain is unbearable. It will make you want to kill yourself. Even I tried¡­ at least three times.¡±


    Vex clenched his fists but didn¡¯t waver. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯ll do whatever it takes.¡±


    Orion sighed before nodding. ¡°Alright. In five hours, the crystals will teleport you all back here. Take one each.¡± With a snap of his fingers, four additional crystal orbs materialized in front of them.


    Celia stepped forward, smirking. ¡°Alright, then. Five¡­ four¡­ three¡­ two¡­ one¡­ go!¡±


    Without hesitation, everyone sprinted in different directions. However, as soon as Orion left, Garrik, Lysara, Nyx, and Celia immediately regrouped with Vex.


    Vex narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why are you all heading in the same direction as me? We¡¯re supposed to hunt separately.¡±


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Nyx shrugged. ¡°You looked pitiful.¡±


    Vex groaned in frustration. ¡°If you¡¯re only here to rub salt in the wound, I¡¯d rather hunt alone.¡±


    Celia chuckled. ¡°Do you know anything about Orion¡¯s fighting style?¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°Because I do. Better than anyone else. I can help you win, which means you¡¯ll have a real chance at learning Ether.¡±


    Vex hesitated but ultimately agreed. Garrik grinned, eager to fight alongside him.


    Lysara, however, looked concerned. ¡°Will Orion be okay on his own? His Ether has already drained significantly. I¡¯m worried.¡±


    Nyx smirked. ¡°If Celia¡¯s here with us, it means Orion isn¡¯t completely dependent on Ether. He¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Lysara still felt uneasy, but she didn¡¯t argue.


    Vex turned to the group. ¡°Should we go deeper into the forest?¡±


    Garrik immediately nodded. ¡°Yes. The deeper we go, the stronger the monsters, and the more our crystals will darken.¡±


    Celia, Lysara, and Nyx, however, were hesitant.


    ¡°If we go too deep, plant monsters will ambush us,¡± Celia pointed out. ¡°Not to mention the increase in poisonous creatures.¡±


    Nyx folded her arms. ¡°Yeah, and there¡¯s a higher chance of running into something way out of our league.¡±


    Lysara added, ¡°We could also fall into a trap. We have no way to communicate with Orion, and doing something reckless could put our lives at risk.¡±


    Vex exhaled sharply. ¡°We need to take the risk. Orion wouldn¡¯t have issued this challenge so confidently if he didn¡¯t have a plan to win. If we hesitate, we¡¯ll fall behind.¡±


    Despite their hesitation, the group ultimately agreed and ventured deeper into the dungeon.


    After a while, Nyx tensed. ¡°Something¡¯s not right. This place is too quiet.¡±


    ¡°We should turn back,¡± Lysara suggested uneasily.


    Vex scowled. ¡°We haven¡¯t encountered a single monster. That¡¯s odd¡­¡±


    Celia furrowed her brows, deep in thought. ¡°¡­Could this be Orion¡¯s doing?¡±


    Vex turned to her. ¡°How can you be so sure?¡±


    Celia hesitated. ¡°I mean¡­ he¡¯s skilled in setting traps. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if he¡¯s already taken down the monsters around here.¡±


    Before anyone could respond, a deafening roar echoed through the dungeon. A massive, mutated minotaur emerged from the darkness, towering over them.


    Garrik¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement, and before anyone could stop him, he charged.


    ¡°Garrik, wait!¡± Vex shouted.


    But it was too late.


    The minotaur swung its enormous battle hammer with terrifying force. The ground trembled as the weapon came crashing down¡ªright toward Celia and the others.

 Chapter 5: The Unyielding Knight

    As the Minotaur''s hammer was about to crush Garrik, Celia used her gravity manipulation technique, amplifying the force on the beast. In an instant, the Minotaur was crushed completely, leaving the others stunned.


    The crystal orb flew toward the Minotaur¡¯s corpse, absorbing the mana released from it. As the orb turned light red, Celia smiled, proud of herself. The others praised her, further boosting her confidence.


    Garrik frowned. "You didn¡¯t even enter the battlefield, just sneak attacked it."


    But everyone ignored him.


    Nyx asked, "What was that?"


    Lysara crossed her arms. "You¡¯re strong."


    Vex smirked. "This is the power of Orion¡¯s Legion Commander."


    Garrik, stunned at being ignored, grumbled under his breath.


    Hidden in the shadows, Orion watched everything carefully.


    Come on, kitty cat, don¡¯t get distracted. The disappearance of one Minotaur will put the others on high alert. I believe you know that very well. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if a Mutant Minotaur appeared.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed through the dungeon.


    Nyx judged the situation. "Looks like the disappearance of their companion enraged them."


    A Mutant Minotaur charged toward them at high speed.


    Before they could react, it was already upon them. Their happy expressions vanished.


    Celia took command. "Garrik, draw its attention!"


    Garrik obeyed, attacking the Minotaur head-on. Celia dashed behind it, manifesting a blue-flaming aura sword. She aimed for its neck.


    Sensing danger, the Minotaur turned reflexively, about to attack Celia.


    Orion, watching from the shadows, panicked.


    Should I wait here? But what if this is an unusual monster? No, I can¡¯t risk it.


    In an instant, he teleported near Celia, slashing with his longsword. The Mutant Minotaur was sliced apart in seconds.


    Celia, caught off guard, fell¡ªbut Orion caught her in his arms.


    She smiled up at him.


    Orion, still on edge, asked, "How can you smile when your life was in danger just a moment ago?"


    Then, realization dawned on him. His mischievous grin returned as he covered his mouth. "Wait¡­ could it be that you like being carried like a princess in my arms?"


    Celia¡¯s face turned bright red. "N-No! I just¡­ forgot about the Mutant Minotaurs'' energy sensitivity!"


    Nyx leaned toward Lysara, smirking. "I think you have a strong competitor."


    Lysara, flustered, jumped away. "W-What are you saying?!"


    Vex narrowed his eyes. "Orion, what are you doing here?"


    Orion shrugged. "I was worried about you all. I couldn''t directly help, so I was watching from the shadows."


    Before anyone could reply, a knight in golden armor suddenly leaped forward, attacking Orion.


    Orion blocked the strike, struggling against the force. "Who are you? Why are you attacking us?"


    Celia, seeing an opening, decapitated the knight instantly.


    Everyone was stunned by her quick action.


    Then, before their eyes, the knight¡¯s head regrew.


    Recognizing Celia as the biggest threat, the knight lunged at her.


    Orion understood immediately. "It¡¯s a monster!"


    He teleported, slicing the knight into pieces. But almost instantly¡ª


    The knight regenerated.


    Garrik, frustrated, punched with full power¡ªhis aura-clad fist blew up the knight¡¯s head.


    Yet, the knight got up again.


    Nyx narrowed her eyes. "It¡¯s regenerating from another source. First, we need to destroy it."

 Chapter 6 – The Immortal Knight

    The knight''s armor was slashed apart once more, its body collapsing lifelessly onto the ground. Everyone watched in silence, their breaths heavy.


    "Finally¡­ it''s over," Nyx muttered, wiping sweat from her forehead.


    But Vex didn¡¯t relax. Something felt off.


    Clink.


    A sharp, metallic sound echoed through the dungeon. The knight¡¯s body twitched¡ªthen, piece by piece, its armor pulled itself back together.


    ¡°What a monster,¡± Celia whispered in disbelief.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t he just die?¡± Nyx cursed.


    Orion clenched his teeth, his frustration boiling over. "FUCK! He just keeps regenerating!"


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Garrik cracked his knuckles. "Let''s see how long he can keep this up."


    Lysara, who had been casting spell after spell, furrowed her brows. "Something¡¯s wrong¡­ my magic isn¡¯t affecting him." She bit her lip. "Does his core have infinite mana?"


    Orion''s golden eyes narrowed. "Not just infinite mana¡ªhe has infinite stamina too." His blade clashed against the knight¡¯s armor again and again, but the creature didn¡¯t falter.


    Celia, dodging an incoming strike, turned to Orion. "You''re a hitman. You''ve fought monsters before. You must know some weakness we can exploit!"


    Orion scoffed between attacks. "How old do you think I am? This is my first time seeing something like this!"


    Celia smirked. "I don¡¯t know¡­ 160 years?"


    Orion faltered for a moment. "Huh?"


    Celia, still dodging, continued teasing. "Centuries, maybe?"


    Orion, thoroughly annoyed, growled. "Shut up and keep attacking!"


    Garrik seized the moment, grabbing the knight¡¯s head and slamming it into the ground with all his strength. The dungeon shook from the impact.


    Yet, in mere seconds, the knight''s body reformed.


    Before anyone could react, the monster moved.


    With blinding speed, its sword sliced through Orion¡¯s longsword. A flash of steel. A crimson arc.


    Orion was sent flying, crashing into the stone wall with a deep wound carved across his chest.


    "Orion!" Lysara cried out, dashing toward him.


    Celia, her heart pounding, rushed after her. "Is he okay?!"


    Lysara trembled as she pressed her hands against Orion¡¯s wound, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "His condition is¡­ very delicate."


    Something in Celia snapped.


    With rage burning in her veins, she charged at the knight¡ªher attacks now fueled by pure fury.