Oblivion Hunter: Rise Across the Stars.

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‎Lightning forked across the dark skies of Veyra-7 as the Riftstorm gathered, its violet clouds boiling like an angry sea. The ground trembled under the weight of thunder that rolled in unnatural, stuttering pulses, like the heartbeat of something monstrous in the sky.

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‎Inside the scavenger shelter, Kael Vorrin checked his blade's edge for the hundredth time. His ribs throbbed with every breath, but the pain only sharpened his focus. Across the room, Mara Voss was securing crates over the doors and windows, creating a makeshift barricade against what was coming.

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‎Lira slept on the cot, breathing steady but shallow. Her color was returning thanks to the Ascendancy Medical Core, but she was still fragile. Kael's eyes softened as he brushed her hair back.

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‎Nyx lay coiled near the door, eyes slitted, tail flicking with quiet agitation. It was more restless than Kael had ever seen it, every Rift surge outside sent shivers through its shadowy form.

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‎The shelter's old console flickered as the system chimed in Kael's visor.

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‎[SYSTEM NOTICE – MAJOR RIFTSTORM INBOUND]

‎ETA: 29 Hours

‎Forecast: Class IV Rift Energy Surge – High Aberrant Beast Activity

‎Mandatory Quest: Survive Riftstorm Onslaught

‎Duration: 6 Hours

‎Primary Objective: Protect Shelter and All Occupants

‎Reward: Attribute Points +3 (Random), Rare Beast Core.

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‎Kael's jaw clenched. "It's going to be hell," he muttered.

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‎Mara glanced at him, eyes shadowed but determined. "Good, let them come."

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‎He snorted despite the tension. "You're terrifying sometimes, you know."

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‎Her lips quirked faintly, almost a smile. "And you're a fool for sticking around."

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‎Nyx let out a low growl, its head snapping toward the sealed door. The Rift Wraith's mind-link flashed: "Movement...Fast...Many."

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‎Kael's HUD lit up...

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‎[EARLY WARNING: SCOUT BEAST PACK DETECTED]

‎Type: Rift Stalkers – 8 Entities Threat Level: Moderate (Tier I-II)

‎Distance: 650 meters and closing fast

‎Estimated Arrival: 5 Minutes

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‎Mara slammed the final crate into place and checked her rifle. "This is it....no turning back."

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‎Kael stepped closer to the cot where Lira lay. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, whispering, "Stay asleep, Lira...I'll keep my promise."

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‎The first howls rose over the wind shrill, ululating cries that made Kael's skin crawl. The Rift Stalkers were near.

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‎He and Mara took positions on either side of the barricaded entrance. Nyx crouched low between them, fur bristling, eyes glowing with Rift energy.

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‎---

‎Kael status flashed

‎[SYSTEM STATUS SCREEN]

‎Host: Kael Vorrin

‎Race: Human (Scavenger-Class)

‎Level: 4

‎EXP: 360 / 400

‎HP: 22 / 100

‎Stamina: 18 / 60

‎Status: Critical (Recovering)

‎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: 1 (Active)

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‎The door shook under the first impact, metal groaning with each savage slam. Clawed hands scrabbled at the edges, howling beasts desperate to tear inside.

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‎Kael met Mara's eyes. "On my signal."

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‎She nodded.

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‎A second crash....third.....a section of the barricade buckled. Nyx hissed, darkness gathering around its claws. Then Kael roared: "Now!"

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‎Mara ripped open the panel, light flooding the entrance as the first Rift Stalker lunged through. Kael met it with a Rift-charged blade, cleaving through its skull. Acidic blood sprayed, sizzling on the floor.

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‎Mara's plasma rifle hummed, spitting bolts of blue energy into the corridor. Each shot slammed beasts into walls or punched smoking holes through twisted flesh.

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‎Nyx became a blur, shifting between shadows, ripping Rift Stalkers apart with feral precision. The beast moved almost too fast to see, jaws flashing with dark light.

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‎But more kept coming.

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‎A Rift Stalker slammed Kael against the wall. He grunted, pain flaring in his ribs, but forced himself to stab upward, driving his blade into its throat. The creature fell, gurgling.

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‎Mara staggered as two beasts tackled her. One raked claws across her chest, shredding her jacket. She screamed in fury, bashing one with her rifle butt before firing point-blank into its snarling face.

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‎"Stay with me!" Kael shouted.

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‎"I'm not dying today!" she snarled back.

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‎Nyx pounced on the second beast pinning Mara, tearing out its spine with a sickening crunch. The Rift Wraith landed beside her, its tail flicking blood across the floor.

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‎The pack hesitated, sensing something wrong. Their howls fell silent for a moment.

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‎[PACK LEADER IDENTIFIED: RIFT STALKER ALPHA]

‎Threat Level: High (Tier II)

‎Estimated HP: 1,800

‎Special Traits: Command Roar, Adaptive Camouflage

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‎The Alpha emerged, a beast twice as large as the others, black hide shifting like liquid shadow. It loosed a thunderous roar that shook the shelter's walls.

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‎The remaining stalkers rallied, slinking into the shadows and vanishing.

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‎Mara gasped. "Camouflage… damn it."

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‎Kael focused, eyes darting to every ripple of movement. Nyx's mind-touch flickered urgently: "Eyes… above."

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‎He looked up, just as the Alpha dropped from the ceiling. It crashed into him, pinning him to the floor. Kael struggled, blade scraping uselessly against its armored chest.

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‎Mara tried to line up a shot, but one of the camouflaged stalkers slammed her aside, sending her skidding across the floor.

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‎Nyx leaped, claws slashing the Alpha's face. The Rift Stalker Alpha bellowed in rage, swiping Nyx midair and sending it crashing into a metal crate. The little Rift Wraith lay still, groaning weakly.

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‎Kael's vision went red, rage blazed in his chest. He remembered Lira's face, Mara's strength, Nyx's loyalty. He would not let them die.

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‎He grabbed his blade, Rift Strike humming with unstable energy. "Get… off… me!" he roared, plunging the blade into the Alpha's exposed neck. Rift energy exploded, sending cracks of black light through the beast's body...

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‎[CRITICAL HIT – 1,800 DAMAGE DEALT] [RIFT STALKER ALPHA TERMINATED]

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‎The Alpha convulsed, howling, before it fell limp. The other stalkers froze, their eyes going dull, and fled back into the storm.

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‎Kael shoved the carcass off, gasping, chest burning.

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‎[QUEST OBJECTIVE UPDATE: SCOUT BEAST PACK DESTROYED – PRIMARY DEFENSE SUCCESSFUL]

‎EXP GAINED: +140 Rare

‎Beast Core Acquired: Rift Stalker Alpha Core

‎

‎Mara limped over, bruised but alive. She offered a shaky hand to help Kael up. He took it, wincing, but stood.

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‎Nyx crawled back to them, blood dripping from its fur. Kael knelt, pulling it close "You did good," he whispered. Nyx pressed its face to his chest, purring weakly.

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‎Mara wiped sweat from her eyes, glancing outside. The storm's fury was only growing.

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‎[SYSTEM STATUS SCREEN]

‎Host: Kael Vorrin

‎Race: Human (Scavenger-Class)

‎Level: 5

‎EXP: 500 / 500 (LEVEL UP AVAILABLE)

‎HP: 18 / 100

‎Stamina: 8 / 60

‎Status: Critical (Exhausted, Bleeding Stabilized)

‎Strength: 6 (+1)

‎Agility: 7 (+1)

‎Stamina: 5

‎Intelligence: 6

‎Perception: 5

‎Luck: 2

‎Skills: Rift Strike (Lv. 2 – Unlocked)

‎Mutation Potential: 0%

‎Beast Companion Slot: Active (Larval Rift Wraith: Nyx)

‎Quests Available: 1 (Active)

‎

‎Kael felt the Rift energy ripple through him, a new power awakening as his body tried to knit itself back together.

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‎Outside, Rift lightning struck dangerously close, and the howling of even more beasts drifted on the wind.

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‎Mara raised her rifle, eyes hard. "They're not done with us yet."

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‎Kael glanced at Nyx, then Lira sleeping behind them. His voice was low, steel in every syllable. "Then we fight until there's nothing left."

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‎Thunder answered...

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