NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 10: Chapter Nine: Echoes of the Past
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The stasis chamber's pale lights flickered, illuminating Kael's sweat-streaked face as he stared at the woman suspended in the pod. Every breath rasped in his chest, ribs aflame with pain. But his mind spun faster than his injuries could slow.
Was this… a clone? Or something else entirely?
Mara Voss leveled her rifle at the shadows behind them, keeping an eye on the Rift Maw Lurker's shifting silhouette as it slithered across the far hall. Nyx pressed close to Kael's side, eyes glowing cold blue, its mind-touch pulsing with anxious urgency: "Choose…danger grows…"
The system window loomed in Kael's mind, harsh and unwavering.
[QUEST UPDATE – THE WHISPERING SIGNAL]
Objective Complete: Locate Human Subject.
Reward Choice (Permanent):
-Download Subject Data (Unlock Hidden Skill Path)
-Recover Ascendancy Medical Core (Possible Cure Component for Lira)
-Extract Bio-Core Sample (Enhance Beast Companion Growth)
Kael's heart pounded. Each option held promise and peril, but when his eyes fell on the faint, almost familial features of the woman in the stasis tube, memories of Lira's frail, fever-wracked body overwhelmed everything else.
"I'm getting that Medical Core," he growled.
He slammed his palm against the console, confirming his choice. The stasis tube hissed, internal arms moving with surgical precision to remove a small, pulsating crystal from the woman's chest cavity. Kael snatched the Ascendancy Medical Core, warm and faintly glowing.
[REWARD ACQUIRED: ASCENDANCY MEDICAL CORE – CLASS ALPHA] Possible Cure for Severe Rift-Induced Mutagenic Fever (Lira Compatible: 92%)
Mara cast a look of awe and relief at Kael. "That's our ticket to saving your sister."
Before Kael could respond, a low, wet roar echoed through the corridor. The Rift Maw Lurker's massive body slammed into the outer wall, dust and rusted metal showering them as it sensed their presence fully.
[WARNING: HOSTILE RIFT BEAST FULLY AWAKE – TIER II+ RIFT MAW LURKER] Estimated HP: 4,000+
Special Traits: Acidic Spit, Prehensile Tongue, Armored Hide
Weakness: Soft Tissue Beneath Jaw Plates.
"Time's up!" Mara shouted, yanking Kael back as Nyx darted forward, flickering between shadows to distract the beast.
The Rift Maw Lurker smashed through a barricade of old crates, its cavernous maw opening wide enough to swallow a man whole. A stream of corrosive spit sizzled across the floor inches from Kael's boots.
"Nyx, now!" Kael yelled.
Nyx reappeared under the beast's chin, slashing with claws wreathed in Rift energy, but the hide was like stone. Only shallow cuts marked the creature.
Kael clenched his shard blade, Rift energy crackling around the metal. He rolled under another swipe of the beast's tongue, eyes fixed on the pale underjaw. He let out a feral scream and leaped, Rift Strike activating.
He slammed the blade into the soft tissue under the jaw plates. The Rift Maw Lurker howled, its acidic blood spraying in thick gouts.
[CRITICAL HIT – 1,500 DAMAGE INFLICTED]
The beast reeled but wasn't dead yet. Its tongue lashed out, wrapping around Kael's waist, yanking him into the air. Mara opened fire, her plasma bolts searing but bouncing off its armored flanks.
Nyx leaped from the shadows, eyes blazing, and ripped into the tongue. The beast shrieked, hurling Kael aside. He smashed into a console, pain exploding through his side...
[WARNING: HP 22 / 100 – Internal Bleeding Detected]
He groaned, fighting to stay conscious. His hand fell on the Ascendancy Medical Core, still warm.
Then the System chimed softly:
[OPTIONAL ACTION AVAILABLE: CONSUME ASCENDANCY MEDICAL CORE]
Effect: Instantly restore Host HP and remove bleeding.
Risk: Core intended for Lira, permanent loss if consumed.
Kael's mind spun. If he used it, he might survive, but Lira's only hope would be gone. Every second felt like an eternity as the Rift Maw roared, its fangs slamming down toward Nyx.
"Damn it…" Kael rasped.
Before he could decide, Mara threw herself between the beast and Nyx, firing point-blank into its wounded jaw. Energy bolts blasted deeper into the soft tissue, searing it black.
Nyx hissed triumphantly, jaws locking on the tongue stump. With a powerful wrench, the Rift Wraith tore it free. Acidic ichor sprayed wildly.
The Rift Maw Lurker convulsed, thrashing against walls until its massive form collapsed, finally dead.
[HOSTILE TERMINATED – QUEST UPDATED]
EXP GAINED: +120 Rare Beast Core Acquired: Rift Maw Lurker Core.
Kael fell to his knees, blood dripping from his lips. Mara rushed to his side, helping him sit up. Nyx padded over, pressing its head against his chest with a worried purr.
"Kael, stay with me," Mara said, voice fierce but cracked. "You can't die now."
He forced a weak laugh. "I'm… not… planning to."
The System pinged softly in his visor.
[QUEST COMPLETE – THE WHISPERING SIGNAL]
Rewards:
Ascendancy Medical Core (Class Alpha)
Rare Beast Core (Rift Maw Lurker)
EXP +120
Then....Kael checked his system status.
[SYSTEM STATUS SCREEN]
Host: Kael Vorrin
Race: Human (Scavenger-Class)
Level: 4
EXP: 360 / 400
HP: 22 / 100
Stamina: 14 / 60
Status: Critical (Internal Bleeding)
Strength: 6 (+1)
Agility: 7 (+1)
Stamina: 5
Intelligence: 6
Perception: 5
Luck: 2
Skills: Rift Strike (Lv. 1)
Mutation Potential: 0%
Beast Companion Slot: Active (Larval Rift Wraith: Nyx)
Quests Available: 0 (Awaiting Update)
Outside the ruined chamber, distant Rift thunder rolled across the sky. The Rift tear widened further, casting a sickly light over Veyra-7's wasteland.
Kael took a shaky breath, clutching the Medical Core to his chest. His mind churned with fear and hope for Lira and the revelation that his bloodline was somehow connected to the Ascendancy's experiments.
"Let's get home," Mara whispered, helping him stand. "And then… we find out who did this to your family."
Kael nodded grimly. "And I will surely make them pay."
Above, in the Rift's heart, something massive stirred, watching, waiting.
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