"Fool, do you even know who Kal Kyzer Vonmorth is? In his first Rift, he fought thousands ofmonsters. Each towered like a mountain, wielding flaming spears and lightning chains. Hefought them alone. Alone for weeks—and walked out without a single scratch." — Melfo the Sage
Bahaim Empire-unknown rift.
A skinny, blood-soaked figure staggered forward.
An axe was buried deep in his left shoulder. Blood was gushing out from multiple wounds, leaving a dark trail across the ground. Every step and ragged breath reminded him how close he was to death. Still, he kept walking. Ignoring the pain.
"You won't make it."
A cold male voice echoed in Kal's mind. He didn't flinch. It wasn't the first time he had heard it. Ignoring the voice, he lifted his gaze toward the bright light at the end of the mile-long bridge, swaying above the endless void.
Almost there,just a few more steps.
KRAAAAAAK! KRAAAAAAK!
Suddenly, a high-pitched cry pierced Kal's ears, it grew louder and louder.
"They are catching up faster," Kal thought to himself. He recognized the sound. It was from Jumping Rabbits.
Unlike ordinary rabbits, they ran on two legs. Their bloodshot eyes glowed in the darkness, and their front teeth looked like jagged spikes sharpened against stone over the years.
"Oho ho ho… looks like they've caught up," the voice said again. "There's still time..."
Kal ignored both the voice and the approaching danger, quickening his pace. The glowing object ahead grew larger as the distance between them shrank.
But the closer he got, the clearer it became. The light… might not be what he thought it was. He stopped in front of the glowing light and stretched out his hand.
Instead of an exit, his hand touched a rough surface. It wasn't an exit; it was just a glowing wall. As if someone had simply pasted the glowing light onto a solid wall of stone, as if someone wanted to play a prank.
"H-how can this be? How can this just be a dead end?" Kal staggered backward. The hope that he had finally found a way out was shattered instantly. The thing he thought was a door… was not a door at all. It was a dead end. A glowing dead end.
"Ahahaha…" The voice laughed inside his head, mocking him. "How does it feel, knowing you walked straight to your own death? That's why you should listen to your seniors. There is still time."
"Fuck you." Kal cursed his past self for agreeing to this. "I should have thought it through. I should have realized it was a trap."
But there was no point in regretting now. It was already too late. His body barely responded. His vision darkened, his thoughts slowed, and his last strength gradually seeped away. Soon, he wouldn't even be able to stand.
Kal turned his head. Behind him, the sounds of monsters grew louder. The Jumping Rabbits had caught up. Now he could clearly see them, hundreds of them pushed and tramped over each other as they ran. Some were even shoved off the bridge by others. But that didn't matter. There were simply too many of them.
"Look at their teeth," the mysterious voice whispered. "They're going to shred you to pieces. Think carefully. There isn't much time left."
Kal clenched his teeth. Only two options remained. Fight. Or jump. Both meant death.
He grabbed the small axe and yanked it from his shoulder. Blood burst out, warm and heavy, probably the last he had left. Ignoring the pain, he tightened his grip on the axe and looked at the thousands of rabbits rushing toward him.
Then suddenly, a face appeared in his mind. An old woman standing in front of a small house, leaning on her cane, looking in his direction. "Wherever you go, don't forget to come back before dark."
The only person he had left in this world. The only person who would be alone if he died here. The only person who had taken him in.
"So," the mysterious voice said again, "What do you think?"
Kal clenched his teeth. There wasn't much time to think. He didn't know what the voice wanted from him. But one thing was clear. For now, he needed to survive. He needed to repay his grandmother. He needed to find the bastards who sent him here. Before that… he could not die.
"I accept."