The Crimson Hollow Rift's cavern exhaled a metallic tang that clung to Mason Reid's throat; the crimson veins along the walls pulsed faster now, their light bathing the frost-choked floor in a surreal glow.
His Shadeforged armor, Tier C and etched with shadow runes, shifted with each cautious step; its faint hum grounded him against the whispers that gnawed at his mind: The Hollow sees you; it knows your name.
The ward relic at his belt pulsed, a steady rhythm that dulled the voices but couldn't silence them entirely. Mason's shard blade, gripped tightly, glowed faintly with shadow energy; his Veilstrider sigil burned, a searing reminder of the Rift's pull.
Kael's voice, low and commanding, broke the silence: "Scouts, sweep the eastern passage; we need to secure the Rift's perimeter."
Mason nodded, signaling Coren and Elise to follow; their footsteps were muted against the frost, but the cavern's pulse seemed to swallow all sound. The team's victory over the Ashen Covenant's ambush lingered like a bruise; Brant's shield was cracked, and Syl's healing runes flickered with strain.
Lena's wards, still glowing faintly, shielded the group from the Rift's distortion; her steady gaze met Mason's briefly, stirring a flicker of trust he wasn't ready to name.
The eastern passage narrowed, its walls thick with crimson veins that dripped a viscous, glowing liquid; Mason's sigil flared, a sharp heat that made him wince.
The System chimed, its clinical voice cutting through:
***
[Objective Updated: Secure Rift Perimeter; Secondary Goal: Investigate Anomalous Energy Source].
***
He relayed the prompt to Coren, who notched an arrow, his face pale; Elise's daggers gleamed, her voice a whisper: "This place feels alive, Reid; it's watching us." Mason's stomach tightened; the whispers surged: You are its heart; you cannot hide.
The passage twisted downward, the air growing heavier with each step; Mason's Rift Step ability hummed in his limbs, ready to bend space if needed. A faint hum emanated from the walls, syncing with the veins' pulse; his ward relic's pulse weakened, and the whispers grew clearer: Touch the veins; claim their power.
He shook his head, focusing on a cluster of runes etched into the stone ahead. The System identified them:
***
[Rift Conduit – Tier B+; Function: Energy Amplification].
***
Mason signaled a halt, his blade raised; the runes glowed brighter, and the ground trembled.
A shadow flickered in the passage's depths, too swift for a human; Mason's senses sharpened, his Veilstrider training kicking in.
The System warned:
***
[Threat Detected: Rift Stalker – Tier B; Behavior: Ambush].
***
He crouched, gesturing for Coren and Elise to take cover; the stalker's form materialized, a lithe creature with claws like blackened steel and eyes that glowed crimson.
The whispers roared: It knows you; it hunts the Hollow's key. Mason activated his ward relic, its pulse steadying him; his stamina was at 85%, but the fight's toll loomed.
The stalker lunged, its claws slashing through the air; Mason used Rift Step, flickering three meters left as the attack grazed his armor, shaving 100 HP. His Veil Pierce skill ignited, shadow energy surging through his blade; he struck the stalker's flank, drawing a spray of dark ichor.
The System logged:
***
[Damage Dealt: 220; Stalker HP Reduced];
***
His stamina dropped to 75%. Coren's frost-runed arrow hit the stalker's leg, slowing it; Elise darted in, her poison runes sizzling against its flesh. The stalker screeched, its eyes locking onto Mason; the whispers urged: End it; claim its essence.
Mason's Ascendant Strike flared, shadow energy cleaving through the stalker's chest; it collapsed, dissolving into smoke.
***
[Kill Confirmed: Rift Stalker – Tier B; Essence Gained: 50 Units].
***
He panted, his HP at 1000; Syl's distant healing runes restored 150 HP, her voice faint but steady. The passage grew quiet, but the veins pulsed faster; Mason's sigil burned, and the System chimed:
***
[Anomaly Detected: Conduit Overload Risk].
***
He glanced at the runes, their glow now erratic; the whispers murmured: You must bind it; you are the Hollow's will.
Kael approached, their void energy coiling like smoke; "The conduit's unstable," they said, their voice calm but edged with urgency.
Mason relayed the System's warning, his mind racing; Lena's wards flared, shielding the team from a sudden pulse of crimson energy.
Her voice was soft but firm: "We need to neutralize it, Reid; it's feeding the Rift."
Mason nodded, his fingers brushing the conduit's runes; a jolt of energy surged through him, his sigil blazing. The whispers screamed: You are the Hollow's vessel. He staggered, Lena's hand steadying him; her touch was brief, but it cut through the chaos.
The conduit's runes pulsed wildly, their crimson light bathing the passage in a frenetic glow; Mason's sigil burned hotter, a searing pain that threatened to overwhelm him.
The System's prompt lingered:
***
[Objective: Neutralize Conduit Overload; Warning: Mental Stability at 60%].
***
His ward relic's pulse was faint now, barely holding the whispers at bay; their words were a relentless chant: Bind the conduit; become the Hollow's heart. He clenched his jaw, focusing on Kael's orders to stabilize the runes; his shard blade trembled, its shadow energy dimmed from the stalker fight.
Lena wove a new ward, its blue light clashing with the crimson glow; her eyes were sharp, scanning the conduit's runes. "It's a power sink," she said, her voice steady despite the cavern's hum. "We need to channel its energy elsewhere."
Mason nodded, his mind grappling with the whispers' pull; her calm was a quiet anchor, though he pushed the thought aside, wary of distraction.
The System offered a prompt:
***
[Tactical Option: Channel Energy via Sigil – 65% Success Chance].
***
He relayed it to Kael, who nodded, their void energy coiling tighter.
Coren and Elise guarded the passage's entrance, their weapons ready; Brant and Torren's crew formed a defensive line, their faces etched with fatigue. Syl's healing runes glowed faintly, her stamina visibly waning; Mason's HP stabilized at 1100, but his stamina was at 70%, the relic's boost fading.
The conduit's hum grew louder, a discordant rhythm that made his sigil flare; the whispers urged: Touch it; claim its power.
He hesitated, his fingers hovering over the runes; Lena's voice cut through: "Reid, focus; we're with you."
Mason pressed his hand to the conduit, his sigil blazing; a surge of crimson energy coursed through him, his vision swimming.
The System chimed:
***
[Skill Unlocked: Hollow Pulse – Unique Tier; Effect: Channel Rift Energy for Enhanced Strikes].
***
The whispers roared: You are bound; you are its blade. He staggered, his HP dropping to 1000 from the strain; Lena's ward pulsed, shielding him from a crimson shockwave.
Her hand gripped his arm, her voice sharp: "Stay with us, Reid; don't let it take you." Her touch grounded him, a fleeting connection he didn't dare dwell on.
The conduit's runes stabilized, their glow softening; the System logged:
***
[Objective Progress: Conduit Neutralized; Reward: 100 Essence].
***
Mason panted, his stamina at 60%; the whispers faded to a murmur, but their echo lingered.
Kael's voice was grim: "Good work; but the Rift's still active."
Mason glanced at the conduit, its runes now dim; the Hollow Pulse skill thrummed in his veins, a power both thrilling and unsettling. He caught Lena's gaze, her expression unreadable but steady; a silent understanding passed between them, though he buried it deep.
A low rumble shook the passage, and shadows coalesced at its far end; the System warned:
***
[Threat Detected: Rift Wraiths – Tier B-; Count: 6].
***
Mason's heart sank; the Covenant's ambush had weakened them, and now the Rift itself was striking back. Kael's void energy flared, but the team was battered; Mason's new skill hummed, its crimson energy unfamiliar but potent.
He raised his blade, Hollow Pulse igniting; shadow energy mixed with crimson light, his strikes sharper. The System logged:
***
[Damage Dealt: 260; Wraith HP Critical];
***
His stamina dropped to 50%.
The wraiths screeched, their claws slashing through the air; Mason dodged, his Rift Step flickering him to safety. Coren's frost arrows slowed one wraith, while Elise's poison runes crippled another; Brant's shield absorbed a barrage of claws, sparks flying.
Lena's wards deflected a crimson shockwave, her voice steady: "Focus on their cores!"
Mason struck again, Hollow Pulse carving through a wraith's chest; it dissolved, the System logging:
***
[Kill Confirmed: Rift Wraith – Tier B-; Essence Gained: 40 Units].
***
His HP dipped to 950, a claw grazing his arm; Syl's runes restored 100 HP, her face pale with effort.
The team fought as one, their coordination strained but effective; Kael's void blasts cleared the remaining wraiths, their bodies unraveling into smoke.
***
[Objective Progress: 80% Perimeter Secured].
***
Mason panted, his stamina at 40%; the passage grew quiet, but the veins pulsed faster, as if the Rift was waking. Lena's wards faded, her breaths heavy; she nodded at Mason, a quiet acknowledgment that stirred something in him, though he pushed it down. The whispers murmured: The Hollow is not sated; it hungers still.
The cavern's crimson veins pulsed with renewed vigor, their light casting grotesque shadows across the frost-choked floor; the Rift's core, stabilized but still active, hummed with a low, menacing rhythm.
Mason's shard blade felt alive in his hand, its shadow energy pulsing in time with the Hollow Pulse skill; his stamina crept back to 50%, the ward relic's pulse a faint comfort.
The System's notification lingered:
***
[Objective: Complete Perimeter Security; Warning: Rift Distortion Intensifying].
***
His sigil burned, a dull heat that seemed to draw the veins' attention; the whispers were clearer now: Feed the Hollow; give it your strength.
Kael's voice cut through, sharp and urgent: "Scouts, check the northern alcove; we need to ensure no conduits remain."
Mason nodded, leading Coren and Elise through the cavern; their footsteps echoed, the frost crunching louder under the veins' pulse. The team was battered, their faces etched with exhaustion; Brant's shield hung low, and Torren's crew muttered complaints, their bravado gone.
Lena's wards glowed faintly, her focus unshaken despite the strain; Mason caught her eye, her steady presence a quiet reassurance he didn't expect.
The northern alcove was a maze of crimson veins, their pulses almost liquid, dripping onto the frost; a stone altar stood at its center, etched with runes that glowed with a sickly light.
The System identified it:
***
[Rift Nexus – Tier A-; Function: Core Amplifier].
***
Mason's sigil flared, a searing pain that made him stagger; the whispers screamed: Claim the nexus; become the Hollow's heart. He gripped his ward relic, its pulse nearly gone.
Coren's voice was tense: "That thing's dangerous, Reid; we need Kael." Mason nodded, but the nexus's hum was hypnotic, pulling him closer.
Kael arrived, their void energy coiling around the altar; "It's the Rift's anchor point," they said, their voice low. "Destroy it, and the Rift collapses; leave it, and the Covenant will return."
Mason's mind raced, the whispers urging him to act; he raised his blade, Hollow Pulse igniting. The crimson energy surged, his strike carving into the altar's runes; a shockwave erupted, his HP dropping to 900.
The System logged:
***
[Damage Dealt: 300; Nexus Integrity Reduced];
***
His stamina hit 30%, his vision blurring. Lena's ward pulsed, shielding him from a crimson backlash; her voice was sharp: "Reid, pace yourself!"
The altar retaliated, crimson tendrils lashing out; Mason dodged, his Rift Step flickering him to safety. Coren's frost arrows struck the tendrils, slowing them; Elise's poison runes sizzled, weakening their grip.
Brant charged, his shield absorbing a tendril's strike; sparks flew, his armor cracking. Mason struck again, Hollow Pulse flaring; the altar's runes dimmed, the System logging:
***
[Nexus Integrity Critical].
***
The whispers roared: You are its end; you are its beginning. He staggered, the voices nearly breaking him; Lena's ward flared, her hand brushing his shoulder, grounding him.
A final strike shattered the altar, its runes dissolving into smoke;
***
[Objective Complete: Rift Perimeter Secured; Reward: 250 Essence, Tier B Relic Voucher].
***
The cavern trembled, the veins' pulse slowing; Mason's sigil cooled, the whispers fading to a distant hum. His HP stabilized at 950, Syl's runes working overtime; the team panted, their faces pale under the fading crimson light.
Kael's voice was grim: "The Rift's stable, but the Covenant's not done; we move at dawn."
Mason glanced at the altar's remains, the Hollow Pulse skill a heavy weight in his veins; it was power, but at a cost he didn't yet understand.
Lena approached, her wards dim but her eyes clear; "You're tied to this place, Reid," she said softly, her voice carrying a quiet concern.
Mason nodded, his throat tight; her insight was unnerving, but her calm was a lifeline he couldn't ignore.
The System chimed:
***
[Hidden Objective Unlocked: Investigate Hollow's Origin].
***
The cavern grew quiet, the frost still underfoot; Mason's sigil pulsed once, a faint echo of the Hollow's call. He gripped his blade, the team preparing to leave; the Rift was tamed, but its secrets lingered, and Mason knew they would haunt him still.