The Crimson Hollow Rift's cavern pulsed with an unnatural rhythm; crimson veins along the walls throbbed like a heartbeat, casting eerie shadows across Mason Reid's path.
His shard blade, Tier C and faintly glowing with shadow energy, trembled in his grip as he scanned the darkness; the System's warning about Ashen Covenant forces lingered, a cold weight in his chest.
The relic anchor's runes still glowed where Kael had placed it, stabilizing the Rift's core; yet the air grew heavier, charged with a malice that made his Veilstrider sigil burn.
Mason's ward relic pulsed at his belt, its faint hum a fragile shield against the whispers that clawed at his mind: You are bound to the Hollow; you cannot flee. He shook his head, focusing on the cavern's uneven floor, where crimson frost crunched under his boots.
Coren and Elise flanked him, their weapons drawn; Coren's bow was notched, his knuckles white, while Elise's daggers glinted with green runes. The team's breaths were shallow, their faces pale under the Rift's light; even Torren's crew, usually brash, stood silent, their Tier B gear gleaming but their eyes darting nervously.
Mason glanced at Lena, her blue wards shimmering as she reinforced the team's defenses; her calm focus stirred a flicker of reassurance in him, though he buried it, wary of distraction.
The System chimed, its voice stark:
***
[Threat Confirmed: Ashen Covenant Forces – Tier C+ to B; Estimated Count: 12; Objective: Neutralize Hostiles].
***
A low rumble shook the cavern, and shadows shifted at the far end; Mason's senses sharpened, his Veilstrider training kicking in as he signaled the scouts to take cover.
He crouched behind a jagged stalagmite, his heart pounding; the footsteps grew louder, deliberate, accompanied by the clink of armor and a faint chant that made his sigil flare.
The whispers surged, clearer now: They seek the Hollow's heart; you must claim it first. He gritted his teeth, his ward relic's pulse steadying him; the System's distortion warning flashed, his mental stability at 65%.
Kael's voice cut through, low and urgent: "Scouts, flank left; identify their positions."
Mason moved with Coren and Elise, their steps silent against the frost; the cavern's walls narrowed, forcing them into a tight passage where crimson veins pulsed faster.
His Rift Step ability hummed in his limbs, ready to bend space; a flicker of movement caught his eye, a cloaked figure wielding a staff tipped with black flame.
The System identified it:
***
[Ashen Covenant Acolyte – Tier C+; Skill: Emberfall].
***
Mason signaled a halt, his blade raised; the acolyte's chant grew louder, and the air crackled with heat. He glanced at Elise, who nodded, her daggers poised for a strike.
The passage opened into a wider chamber, where six acolytes stood in a semicircle; their black robes shimmered with runes, and their staffs glowed with crimson energy.
Behind them, a larger figure loomed, armored in spiked plate and wielding a greataxe; the System marked it:
***
[Ashen Covenant Enforcer – Tier B; Skill: Ruin Cleave].
***
Mason's stomach tightened; the enforcer's presence was a physical weight, its gaze locking onto him as if it sensed his sigil. The whispers roared: You are the key; they will break you. He activated his ward relic, its pulse dulling the voices; his stamina was at 80%, but the fight hadn't even begun.
Elise whispered, her voice tense: "We can't take them head-on; too many."
Coren nodded, his arrow trained on an acolyte; Mason calculated their odds, his mind racing. The System offered a prompt:
***
[Tactical Option: Ambush – 70% Success Chance].
***
He relayed the plan to Kael via a silent gesture; the Voidshaper's nod was barely perceptible, their void energy coiling like smoke. Mason's fingers tightened on his blade; the Covenant's chant reached a crescendo, and the chamber flared with crimson light.
The ambush erupted in a blur of motion; Mason activated Rift Step, flickering behind an acolyte as his Veil Pierce skill ignited. His shard blade sank into the acolyte's back, shadow energy erupting in a silent burst; the System logged:
***
[Damage Dealt: 240; Acolyte HP Critical].
***
The acolyte collapsed, its staff clattering against the frost; Mason's stamina dropped to 70%, the relic at his belt pulsing to ease the strain. The whispers surged, a chaotic chant: Blood for the Hollow; you are its blade. He shoved them down, his focus narrowing to the enforcer's roar as it charged.
Elise struck next, her daggers carving into another acolyte's side; green runes flared, poisoning its blood as it screamed. Coren's arrow found a third acolyte's chest, frost runes slowing its movements; the chamber echoed with the clash of steel and the crackle of magic.
The enforcer swung its greataxe, its Ruin Cleave skill sending a shockwave of crimson energy; Mason dove, the attack grazing his armor and shaving 150 HP. The System warned:
***
[Minor Concussion Risk; HP: 1090].
***
He rolled to his feet, his ward relic's pulse steadying his vision.
Kael's void energy surged, a black wave that consumed two acolytes; their screams cut off as they dissolved into ash. Brant, the tank, met the enforcer's charge, his shield glowing with Tier B runes; sparks flew as the greataxe clashed against it, the impact shaking the cavern.
Lena's wards pulsed, deflecting a barrage of Emberfall flames from the remaining acolytes; her voice was steady, calling out positions: "Three left, near the veins!"
Mason caught her eye, a brief nod passing between them; her calm was a lifeline in the chaos, though he didn't dwell on it.
Torren's crew joined the fray, their swords and runes cutting through the acolytes; Gav's fire rune scorched the chamber, its heat searing Mason's skin. Lira flanked the enforcer, her blade nicking its armor; it roared, its axe sweeping in a wide arc that forced her back.
Mason used Rift Step again, appearing at the enforcer's flank; his Ascendant Strike flared, shadow energy cleaving into its arm.
The System logged:
***
[Damage Dealt: 280; Enforcer HP Reduced];
***
His stamina plummeted to 50%, his breaths ragged. The whispers screamed: Break them all; the Hollow demands it. He staggered, the ward relic barely holding the voices at bay.
The enforcer turned, its axe aimed at Mason; he dodged, but a crimson shockwave knocked him back, his HP dropping to 940.
Syl's healing runes glowed, restoring 200 HP; her voice was strained: "Stay up, Reid!"
Mason nodded, his blade raised; the remaining acolytes fell under Kael's void blasts, but the enforcer was relentless. Lena wove a new ward, its blue light shielding Brant from a crushing blow; her focus was unshaken, and Mason felt a spark of admiration he quickly suppressed.
The System chimed:
***
[Objective Progress: 75% Hostiles Neutralized];
***
The fight was turning, but the enforcer's power was overwhelming.
Mason rallied, his Veil Pierce striking the enforcer's leg; shadow energy flared, slowing its movements. Coren's frost arrow hit its shoulder, ice spreading across its armor; Elise darted in, her poison runes sizzling against its flesh.
The enforcer roared, its axe glowing with crimson runes; Kael's voice was sharp: "Focus it down!"
Mason's sigil burned, the whispers urging him to strike; he channeled Ascendant Strike again, his blade carving deep into the enforcer's chest.
The System logged:
***
[Critical Hit: 350 Damage; Enforcer HP Critical];
***
His stamina hit 30%, his vision blurring.
The enforcer fell, its body dissolving into crimson smoke;
***
[Kill Confirmed: Ashen Covenant Enforcer – Tier B; Essence Gained: 80 Units].
***
The chamber grew quiet, save for the team's heavy breaths; Mason's HP stabilized at 1100, Syl's runes working overtime.
Kael's gaze swept the chamber, their voice calm: "Regroup; the Rift isn't stable yet."
Mason glanced at Lena, her wards fading as she caught her breath; her steady presence lingered in his mind, a quiet strength he wasn't ready to name. The whispers softened, but their echo remained: The Hollow is not done with you.
The cavern's crimson veins pulsed faster, their light bathing the team in a surreal glow; the Rift's core, stabilized but still active, hummed with a low, ominous rhythm.
Mason's shard blade felt heavier in his hand, its shadow energy dimmed from the fight; his stamina crept back to 40%, the ward relic's pulse a steady comfort.
The System's notification lingered:
***
[Objective: Complete Anchor Stabilization; Warning: Rift Distortion Intensifying].
***
His sigil burned, a dull heat that synced with the veins' rhythm; the whispers were faint now, but their words were sharp: Step into the heart; become the Hollow. He clenched his jaw, focusing on Kael's orders to secure the chamber.
The team spread out, their footsteps echoing in the cavern; Brant adjusted his shield, his face etched with fatigue, while Torren's crew muttered among themselves.
Lena approached Mason, her wards dim but her eyes clear; "Your sigil's reacting to the Rift," she said softly, her voice carrying a quiet concern.
He nodded, unsure how to respond; her insight was unnerving, but her calm grounded him, a fleeting connection he pushed aside.
The System chimed:
***
[Secondary Objective: Investigate Rift Anomalies];
***
A new prompt marked a vein-covered alcove at the chamber's edge.
Mason led Coren and Elise to the alcove, his senses on edge; the crimson veins here were thicker, their pulses almost liquid, dripping onto the frost. A faint hum emanated from a stone pedestal, its surface etched with runes that glowed faintly; the System identified it:
***
[Rift Fragment – Tier B+; Function: Unknown].
***
Mason's sigil flared, a searing heat that made him wince; the whispers surged: Touch it; claim its power. He hesitated, his ward relic's pulse weakening.
Coren's voice was tense: "That thing's alive, Reid; don't touch it."
Kael approached, their void energy coiling around the pedestal; "It's a conduit," they said, their voice low. "The Covenant wanted it; we can't leave it."
Mason's mind raced, the whispers urging him to act; he reached out, his fingers brushing the runes. A jolt of energy surged through him, his sigil blazing; the System chimed:
***
[Skill Unlocked: Hollow Pulse – Unique Tier; Effect: Channel Rift Energy for Enhanced Strikes].
***
His vision swam, the whispers roaring: You are the Hollow's vessel. He staggered, Lena's hand on his arm steadying him; her touch was brief, but it cut through the chaos.
The cavern shook, and new shadows emerged; the System warned:
***
[Ashen Covenant Reinforcements – Tier B; Count: 8].
***
Kael's void energy flared, but the team was battered; Mason's new skill hummed in his veins, its power unfamiliar but potent. He raised his blade, Hollow Pulse igniting; shadow energy mixed with crimson light, his strikes faster and sharper.
The System logged:
***
[Damage Dealt: 300; Acolyte HP Critical];
***
His stamina dropped to 20%, but the skill's rush was intoxicating. Lena's wards shielded him from a fire rune, her voice sharp: "Focus, Reid; don't lose yourself!"
The fight was brutal, the Covenant's numbers pressing the team; Brant's shield cracked, and Syl's runes flickered under the strain. Mason's Hollow Pulse carved through two acolytes, their bodies dissolving;
***
[Essence Gained: 60 Units].
***
Kael's void blasts cleared the rest, but the cavern trembled, the Rift's core flaring.
The System chimed:
***
[Objective Complete: Rift Stabilized; Reward: 200 Essence, Tier C+ Relic Voucher].
***
Mason's sigil cooled, the whispers fading; he panted, his HP at 900, Lena's wards still glowing around him.
Kael's voice was grim: "We're not done; the Covenant's after something bigger."
Mason glanced at the pedestal, its runes dark now; the Hollow Pulse skill felt like a chain, tying him to the Rift. Lena's gaze met his, her expression unreadable but steady; he nodded, a silent promise to stay grounded.
The team prepared to move, the cavern's pulse slowing; the Hollow's call was quiet, but Mason knew it would return, and he wasn't sure if he could resist it next time.