Chapter 7
Yoon Taesung sprinted through the twisted labyrinth of the rift, his boots kicking up dust and shards of broken bone as he ran. The air had thickened with a pressure that sank deep into his skin, chilling him to the marrow. The trees, if they could still be called that, loomed like dead things—branches clawing at the sky, the bark split and bleeding a black, viscous fluid. Behind him, the aura pulsed. Heavy. Hungry.
It wasn't just powerful. It was ancient. Like something that had been waiting for a very, very long time.
His breath came fast, not from fear—at least, not entirely—but from the instinctive recognition that he couldn't win this fight. Not now. Maybe not ever. Not unless something changed.
But there was no time to think. The forest blurred past him, and the distorted terrain of the rift twisted in ways that mocked logic. A clearing opened ahead, and he jumped from a ridge, landing hard. His legs buckled, but he caught himself, rolling with the momentum. He scrambled to his feet and kept moving.
The presence followed. Slowly. Like it knew he couldn't escape.
No monsters barred his path now. They had vanished into the shadows, retreating from whatever was behind him.
And that scared him more than anything else.
He reached a crooked hill where the rift's terrain cracked into sharp jagged platforms. There, panting, he slid down behind a warped stone pillar and opened his system menu with a thought.
> [System Menu Opened]
> Available Rift Points: 920
He'd earned them from the lower-tier monsters he'd slaughtered on his way in. His reward for efficient violence.
> [Shop]
A list flickered before him. Weapons, gear, consumables. Most were beyond his current means. But he wasn't looking for fancy. He needed something lethal. Now.
He skimmed the categories until something caught his eye.
> Item: Ghost Fang Blade (Uncommon)
Type: One-handed sword
+35 Attack Power
Passive: Ignores 15% of target's armor
Durability: 70%
Cost: 850 Points
It wasn't top-tier, but it was better than the rusted crap he'd picked up earlier. And better yet—it had armor penetration.
He confirmed the purchase.
The blade materialized in a shimmer of light, and he grasped it instantly, feeling its balance. Light. Sharp. Silent.
Perfect.
> [Ghost Fang Blade Acquired]
Just in time.
A low groan echoed through the trees, as if the rift itself were crying out. The pressure increased, pressing on his chest like an invisible hand.
Taesung didn't waste another second. He bolted again, this time toward the nearest unstable zone—the edge of the rift where he could escape. His legs burned, his lungs ached, but he kept moving.
The terrain turned treacherous, the ground cracked and shifting. Shadows stretched unnaturally, slithering around him. A beast lunged from the side—a malformed wolf with two heads and spikes growing from its spine—but he didn't stop. He ducked low, slicing through its leg with a swift strike.
Blood sprayed black and steaming. The wolf howled, stumbling, but Taesung was already past it.
Another appeared—a centipede the size of a truck, mandibles clicking. He leapt up, landed on its back, ran along its body, and sliced clean through its eye. It shrieked, convulsing, but he landed and kept running.
The presence was closer.
He could feel it now. Not in his senses, but in his bones.
A will.
A consciousness.
It knew him.
He reached the ridge. Just beyond it, the rift wall flickered—unstable, but still there. He could pass through if he timed it right.
Behind him, something stepped into view.
He turned his head just enough to see it.
And froze.
It was tall. Not monstrous in size, but wrong in shape. Humanoid, but exaggerated. Its limbs were too long. Its skin was gray, stretched tight over sinew. Eyes like burning coals. And no mouth. Just a face that stared with pure malice.
It wasn't just a boss.
It was an entity.
It watched him.
Taesung moved.
The thing did too.
In an instant, it was upon him. He raised the Ghost Fang Blade. It struck.
Steel met claw.
The shock ran up his arm. The blade held—barely—but he was thrown back, skidding across the ground.
The presence loomed.
Taesung gritted his teeth, forced himself to his feet.
It moved again.
He rolled to the side. The ground where he'd stood exploded. Cracked open like a crater.
He didn't wait. He sprinted for the unstable exit, the rift wall humming with static.
One second.
Two.
He leapt.
The rift closed behind him with a soundless clap.
He landed hard on concrete, sprawling across the empty parking structure where he'd first entered.
Silence.
Normal air.
His heart pounded like a war drum in his ears.
He lay there for several seconds, staring at the ceiling.
Alive.
Just barely.
"Fuck," he whispered.
He sat up, wiped blood from his chin. His jacket was torn. His blade, nicked.
He looked around. The city skyline blinked in the distance. The sun had dipped toward the horizon.
The rift was gone.
He'd escaped.
But that thing...
Taesung stood, body still tense, mind racing.
It hadn't chased him out.
That meant it couldn't leave.
For now.
He checked his system menu again.
> [Available Rift Points: 210]
> [Kill Count in Rift: 23]
No bonus for the boss. Because he hadn't killed it.
But it had seen him.
And he'd seen it.
A new window popped into view, unexpected.
> [New System Message]
Threat Level Identified: Unknown Class Entity
Classification: Cataclysm-Ranked Presence Detected
Special Note: Survival confirmed. Adaptation unlocked.
> [Skill Obtained: Predation Instinct - Passive]
Description: Heightened threat recognition. Your body reacts faster to overwhelming entities. Minor stat boost to reaction speed and evasion.
His fingers curled.
So the system knew that thing was beyond the rules.
Predation Instinct.
It wasn't a strong skill. But it was earned. Survived.
He closed the system window.
A siren wailed in the far distance. The world went on, unaware of what waited in that rift.
Taesung turned toward the city.
He couldn't fight that thing now.
But he would be back.
And next time, he wouldn't run.