studiobondurri Chapter 156 Rift 1
Chapter 156 Rift 1
"Let's skip the dire wolves," Vell said, glancing at the quest board with disinterest. "We're not here to waste time on entry-level tasks."
[Agreed. Though it seems most newcomers start with these basic quests.]
'That's because most newcomers aren't us.' He turned to his group. "The guild master mentioned something about special challenges for those marked by the tower. That's where we'll start."
Regina nodded in approval. "Finally. I was worried we'd have to pretend to be novices."
They made their way to the special missions counter, ignoring the curious looks from other adventurers. The receptionist started her usual welcoming speech but stopped when she saw his expression.
"Just show us the restricted quests," he said.
She hesitated for a moment before pulling out a different crystal. This one showed far more interesting opportunities - unstable dimensional rifts, corrupted tower guardians, and zone-wide anomalies that needed to be contained.
"These are typically handled by established teams," she warned. "Even those marked by the tower usually start smaller-"
"This one," he pointed to a particular listing. "The reality fracture in the eastern district."
[Master, that's listed as extremely dangerous. Perfect.]
The receptionist looked concerned. "That area has been quarantined. The last three teams-"
"We'll take it," Regina cut in, recognizing the glint in Vell's eye. "Send the details to our player cards."
"...Ok, one moment please." Before she could begin, a voice called out.
"Hey, fresh meat! You're in our hunting ground!"
The shout came from behind them, followed by heavy footsteps. A group of five players approached, their gear marking them as experienced tower dwellers. Their leader, a tall man with a scarred face and ornate armor, wore the smug expression of someone used to throwing his weight around.@@@@
[The leader's strong, but nothing special. Low apprentice at best.]
Vell didn't bother turning around. "How long until the information is ready?"
"Oh, not too long," she replied, not being threatened by the players approaching.
"THmm, might be enough time to play with out guests."
The leader's face darkened. "Listen here, you arrogant-" He reached for Vell's shoulder.
Regina moved. One moment she was beside Vell, the next her blade rested against the man's throat. Her expression hadn't changed at all.
"We're working," she said quietly. "Leave."
Jolly peered over her shoulder, watching as the holographic display adjusted itself as they walked. "Look how it even shows elevation changes and underground passages. And those little dots must be other players?"
"The Tower's technology is beyond anything in our world," Regina commented, studying her own card. "Though I suppose that's to be expected from something that can create entire reality zones."
Ada swiped her finger across her card's surface, cycling through different overlay options. "Environmental hazards, monster spawns, safe zones... it's all here. Even shows real-time weather patterns."
[Master, your card has additional functions the others can't see.]
He glanced down at his card, noting the extra layers of information visible only to him. Power readings, dimensional stability metrics, and something called "reality coherence indexes" pulsed across his display.
"The fracture's about two kilometers east," he said, watching the pulsing red warning zone on his map. "Looks like it's affecting about three city blocks."
Jia's ears twitched as she looked at the danger zone. "The scents are getting stranger the closer we get. Like... like reality is burning."
They turned down a street that was surprisingly empty for mid-day. The few people they did see were hurrying in the opposite direction, some casting nervous glances over their shoulders.
"According to this," Regina said, bringing up a detailed report on her card, "the fracture appeared three months ago. Started small, but it's growing. Last team that went in reported seeing 'impossible geometries' and 'physics violations' before their cards went dark."
[The mana readings are off the charts. Whatever caused this tear, it's not natural even by Tower standards.]
'Is this why the system wanted me to come into the tower? It can't expect me to eat that powerful thing right? I will die. '
[I am sure there is a safer way, you will figure it out.]
The buildings around them started showing subtle signs of distortion – windows that reflected things that weren't there, shadows that fell in the wrong direction, and stones that seemed to shift when viewed from different angles.
"Cards say we're entering the outer impact zone," Ada reported, watching as new warning indicators lit up across her display. "Dimensional stability at 82% and dropping."
Wren whistled softly. "The detail on these readings is incredible. Back home, we had to rely on gut feelings and guesswork for stuff like this."
"The Tower provides tools fitting for its challenges," Regina said, then paused as her card projected a new alert. "Hold up – massive energy spike ahead."
The air in front of them shimmered and twisted, reality itself seeming to fold in impossible ways. Through the distortion, they could see what looked like fragments of other places, other times, all bleeding together in a kaleidoscopic mess.
Vell's card displayed information that made him smile. This wasn't just some random anomaly – there was a pattern to the chaos, a purpose behind the destruction.
"Everyone ready?" he asked, though he already knew the answer. His family had faced worse odds before. Continue your adventure with My Virtual Library Empire
[This should be fun. Shall we show the Tower what real chaos looks like?]
'Let's not get too carried away,' he thought back, but he was grinning. 'At least not until we understand the rules better.'
They stepped forward together, towards the heart of the fracture, their cards automatically adjusting to track the increasing reality distortions around them. Whatever waited inside, it should be afraid on what was coming its way.