"Shit… we've got a mid-boss."
Doyun muttered. No shouting this time.
Everyone instinctively spaced out. Formation without command.
The two Velocity Coreborn split instantly, vanishing into afterimages as they circled wide to avoid the line of fire. The Rifthowler flapped once, a heavy gust trailing lightning in its wake, crackling across the chamber floor.
"Auxiliary Core: Lightning Diffusion!"
The support shouted, slamming their hand into the ground. A shimmer of auric energy pulsed out beneath their feet, grounding the electricity before it could arc through the team.
The beast swooped low, talons dragging across the ground, aiming to crush anything in its path. The Bastion Coreborn stepped up with practiced grit.
"Bastion Core: Aegis Lock!"
An angular wall of hardened core energy erupted from the floor, intercepting the swooping strike with a thunderous clang. The impact cracked the shield—but it held.
The Precision Coreborn took the chance.
"It's diving again. Marking the wings!"
Two glowing knives soared upward, their arcs deliberate, charged with a piercing status effect. The blades struck the creature's right wing, erupting in sparks, disrupting its balance midflight.
"Now!"
One of the Velocity users zipped up the side wall, using jagged stones as springboards, and lunged midair.
"Velocity Core: Whirlstep Fang!"
A powered spiraling kick slammed into the Rifthowler's left wing. The creature shrieked and flailed, crashing awkwardly against the wall, briefly stunned.
Doyun didn't hesitate.
"Bastion Core: Combat Surge!"
His twin blades blazed red as he leapt, slashing across the Rifthowler's flank in a twin arc. The creature retaliated by screeching again—this time, its body lighting up with residual static. In an instant, it discharged a surge of electricity in all directions.
The support moved again. "Guardian's Halo!" A brief shield shimmered over each member's body, absorbing the brunt of the blast. A few grunted in pain, but they stood firm.
The beast flailed and tried to retreat upward—but with one wing shredded and the other pinned under debris from the earlier dive, it barely made it off the ground.
Doyun twirled one of his swords and narrowed his eyes.
"This ends here."
He dashed forward, aura pulsing wildly, and drove both blades into the creature's chest. The Rifthowler spasmed violently before going limp, collapsing with a loud, wet thud.
For a moment, only the sound of heavy breathing filled the chamber.
"We good?"
The Precision Coreborn asked, scanning around.
The team nodded, one by one. No casualties. Minor injuries. All things considered, they handled it well.
And in the shadows further back, Jaemin remained quiet.
Watching.
The flickering embers and steam from the dead Rifthowler's carcass cast long shadows on the stone walls, and for a moment, it all felt too familiar.
He remembered another Rifthowler. The shriek that split the air. The flash of lightning.And the way Jisoo was torn apart before anyone could even react.
It wasn't the same kind of fight back then. That team did have coordination but no synergy—didn't even have the right Rift rating. They'd walked into what they were told was a Tier 5. It turned out to be a labyrinth of death layered across multiple tiers, like walking blindfolded into a minefield.
And Jisoo had to pay the price.
Jaemin's gaze stayed fixed on the team ahead, who were already checking each other for wounds and preparing to move on. Somehow, this team had made it work. Not flawless, but effective. Like they knew what they were doing—because maybe they did. Maybe knowing it was a Tier 3 Rift made all the difference.
There was no emotion on his face. Just thought.
Maybe it was luck. Maybe it was better leadership. Or maybe it was just a Rift that followed the rules for once.
There was one more chamber left.
The boss chamber.
The air had grown heavier—thicker with core residue and the faint tremors of something waiting. Just past this next corridor… it would all end. Or begin.
"Let's take a break, y'all."
Doyun said as he plopped down near the wall, wiping sweat from his brow. The rest of the team followed his lead, dropping to the ground with tired grunts and unbuckling gear to catch their breath.
Jaemin didn't move.He just blinked.
A break? In a Tier 3 Rift?
This close to the boss chamber?
His gaze swept the chamber's jagged edges, the long shadows stretching like claws from every broken pillar and cracked ceiling stone. Any of them could hide a crawler, a scout-type Abyssal, even an early trigger for the boss itself.
This wasn't just reckless—it was stupid.
They were mere minutes from finishing the Rift.
Now they were relaxing… as if the danger had a pause button.
Jaemin remained standing, back to the wall, daggers still strapped tight, senses sharpened.
He couldn't believe it. Not after what he'd seen in the other Rift. One wrong move in a Rift wasn't a mistake—it was a death sentence.
And yet, these Coreborn sat on cracked stone like it was a damn picnic.
He clenched his jaw.
Fine. Let them rest.
But he wouldn't blink twice if something came from the shadows.
"Oy, Taemin!"
The leader called out lazily.
"It's Taeha."
He corrected, already walking over.
"Yeah yeah, whatever."
Doyun waved him off.
"We got some work for ya."
Taeha glanced back at Jaemin briefly, confused but compliant.
"And you."
Doyun turned, his grin widening.
"Jaemin—do us a little favor. Head back to the previous chamber. There was some Rift Dust scattered there. We could use it."
"You want me to collect Rift Dust? Without clearing the Rift?"
"C'mon, man. I know it's technically cheating, but hey—extra profit, right?"
Doyun flashed a greasy grin, as if it justified everything.
"It's against the law."
"The law doesn't operate inside a Rift, does it?"
Doyun countered smoothly.
"We could all use the money. Don't be so uptight."
"Then send one of your teammates."
"You're a teammate too."
Doyun said, his voice tinged with mock offense.
"And hey—we all fought the battles. You and Taeha haven't lifted a finger. Let us rest a bit. Do a small task at least."
Jaemin didn't answer right away. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Something felt off… but it wouldn't take long either way.
"Fine." He muttered, turning and heading back the way they came.
The walk back felt longer than expected. Almost too long.
It took him twenty minutes just to reach the previous chamber.
Doyun hadn't lied—there was Rift Dust scattered near the edge of the floor, faint and barely visible to untrained eyes. Not much, but enough to bother collecting. Jaemin swept it into a cloth satchel with quiet efficiency.
Then he made the return trip—another twenty minutes.
Forty minutes total.
As he approached the team's resting spot, he slowed. They were still there. Lounging around the chamber like nothing mattered. Laughing. Stretching. Waiting.
"They didn't fight the boss? Even after all this time?""They had no reason to wait for me."
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
That creeping sensation crawled up his spine—goosebumps.
His steps halted.
He looked over the group again, eyes scanning from left to right, counting instinctively.
One... two... three... four... five...six...
Wait.
Where's Taeha?
His stomach dropped.
All of them were here. Still seated. Still breathing.
But Taeha was gone.
"Where is Taeha?"
Jaemin's voice was sharp, cutting through the silence like a blade.
Doyun stretched his arms, feigning boredom.
"Relax. He's on a little mission."
The rest of the team snickered.
Jaemin's eyes narrowed.
"What mission?"
The leader grinned, eyes gleaming.
"We sent him ahead. To scout the boss chamber. See what we're dealing with."
Jaemin stood still.
He felt it. That twist in his gut.
The silence in the chamber screamed the truth.
Taeha was never meant to return.
He was the weakest. A disposable pawn for these bastards' extra cut of rift pay.
Jaemin didn't speak.
He ran.
No one said it aloud, but he understood. To them, Taeha was expendable. Jaemin had value, so they kept him safe. But Taeha? He was just dead weight in their eyes.
The world blurred around him as he sprinted down the corridor. His lungs burned. His legs pounded against the stone floor. But none of it mattered.
Only one thought echoed through his mind:
Please be alive. Please be alive. Please—
The boss chamber loomed ahead.
And then—he saw him.
Taeha.
Lying in a pool of blood.His right arm—gone.His legs—shattered.His body—twitching.His eyes—wide and wet with terror.
Still breathing.
Still crying.
Jaemin didn't even realize he'd stopped breathing until the door behind him slammed shut, locking him in.
And from the shadows, it emerged.
The Vulcurus.
A four-armed monster, humanoid yet monstrous. Taller than any beast he'd seen in the Rift. Muscle stacked over bone, black as charred steel, its presence heavier than gravity.
Power of ten Bastions.
It snarled, stepping forward.Jaemin's heart thundered in his ears.
He summoned Binary Stars, his daggers snapping into his hands.
And then—he charged.
Metal slammed against fist.
CLANG!
The blade didn't cut.The beast didn't flinch.
Jaemin leapt, brought both blades down on its skull—
CLANG!
Still nothing.
"SHIT!!"
He slashed—again and again—desperate, furious, wild.
The Vulcurus raised a massive arm and swatted him back. Jaemin hit the wall, hard. Blood filled his mouth.
Taeha's wheezing reached his ears. A gurgling, dying sound.
That did it.
Something inside Jaemin snapped.
His aura ignited.
Golden and Orange flames roared to life, wrapping his body in light like a burning sun.
He dropped his blades.
And he ran.
"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHH!"
He roared like a beast—pure rage, unhinged.
He met the Vulcurus head-on, fists blazing.
BOOM!
His punch landed on the creature's head like a cannonball.
It stumbled.
Another blow—
CRACK!
Then a third.
Jaemin didn't stop. Couldn't.
He drove his knee into its chest—then ducked under a swipe and slammed his elbow into its temple.
The beast staggered.
Jaemin dropped low and slammed a kick into its knee—
THUMP!
It buckled.
Jaemin raised his hand—telekinetically recalled one of his daggers. It flew into his grip like a lightning bolt.
He channeled his burning aura into it, until the blade trembled with power.
SLASH!
He carved into the Vulcurus's thigh.
SLASH!
The second leg—gone.
The beast collapsed—but it wasn't dead.
Not yet.
Jaemin roared again, mouth wide, voice cracking:
"DIEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!"
He leapt, using its falling body as a launchpad.
With his bare hands, he grabbed one of its massive arms—AND RIPPED IT OFF.Blood sprayed.
Then the next.
Then—
He climbed.
Grunting, snarling, screaming, Jaemin scaled the beast's body like a madman.
At the top, he recalled his other dagger, drove it deep into its neck.
This time, it cut.
Blood poured like a flood. The Vulcurus let out a choking growl.
Jaemin grabbed the beast's head.
And with a scream that echoed through the Rift—
"RAAAAAAAGHHHHHHH!!!!"
He TWISTED.
SNAP!
The Vulcurus dropped.
Dead.
Jaemin landed on his knees beside it, panting, blood coating his fists and face. Not a word left his mouth. Just the sound of his breath—rapid, shallow, savage.
Taeha groaned behind him.
Still alive.
Jaemin clenched his fists, knuckles white.
Jaemin dropped to his knees beside Taeha, eyes scanning his battered body. He placed his hands firmly on Taeha's chest, right over his still-beating heart.
"Recover."
His voice was low but commanding.
A soft, jade-colored aura flickered to life, spreading like warm light over Taeha's wounds. Flesh knit together, bones mended, and slowly his lost limbs began to regenerate.
Taeha's breathing remained heavy, ragged—fatigue weighing down every muscle. The recovery wasn't perfect. Bringing someone back from the brink of death always left a mark, a lingering exhaustion that no magic could erase.
But Taeha pushed himself up, blinking away the pain.
"Hyung..."
His voice cracked, tears welling up and sliding down his cheeks.
Jaemin saw those tears—tears he knew all too well. The kind that came after staring death straight in the eyes, after losing everything you held dear.
Jaemin said nothing.
He simply nodded.
"Follow me."
Though the Rift exit had already opened, the two made their way back toward the rest of the team—walking through the shadows of the chamber, carrying with them the weight of survival.