Chapter 150: Riftstorm Incoming
The entire universe shook when Natasha staunched the dream of her brother with her blade.
A system of lightning-shaped lines caused the illusion to shatter into pieces. A dark purple storm clouds spread across the sky of the ruins before the sky itself broke apart.
A disquieting noise rippled across every virtual domain until the programming structures sounded their utter agony. Broken data formed ash-like particles which drifted upward after the illusion shattered. The effects of her fall barely allowed Natasha to regain her balance when the event started.
The Riftstorm.
The open sky split with lightning from black static and red code that spilled downward as if it were a dark storm. The clouds churned with glitch-fire. The red electrical discharges from the storm enveloped the trees which then became deformed fractal monstrosities.
Natasha gasped and stumbled back.
The entire structure beneath her feet began to shake powerfully. Her HUD flickered, distorted. The minimap was gone—replaced by a pulsing red warning: "UNSTABLE DIMENSION – SYSTEM CONTROL LOST."
She raised her eyes as an object descended from the rift. Not rain. Not debris. Creatures.
Storm winds brought forth monsters shaped like deformed meteors which descended through the clouds. The monsters descending through the rift carried dragon boss wings that refused to develop properly along with reversed and distorted armor patterns which had belonged to elite jungle guardians. Their bodies flickered, unstable. The creatures' sight emanated like burning scans along their eyeballs.
"Hybrid spawns," Natasha whispered, recognizing the grotesque fusion of enemies that shouldn't even exist on the same server.
Her hand produced a sword by her innate skill. "Let's dance, then."
She started moving while she destroyed the first wounded enemy. At the instant her weapon touched her target a mysterious event occurred which caused the creature to disintegrate into shattered pixels while acoustic noises went haywire. But they just kept coming.
The surviving security system within the jungle emitted its emergency signal. The areas that provided safety to players were starting to fail. The non-player characters lost their cue sequences and dropped out of the gameplay randomness in their speech. The plants within the jungle altered their growth to stretch sideways against normal laws of nature.
Meanwhile—
Alison forced her way through every obstacle that challenged her.
The moment the Riftstorm started she located Natasha on herscreen. The battlefields of the jungle left Alison with physical signs of the warfare. She continued moving forward despite her left gauntlet being damaged and needing all her mana.
She wasn't losing her again.
As Ira continued moving forward she tripped and her blood streaked down her arm as she cast yet another mystical symbol. She cried out while reciting her words.
"I can hold them off for thirty seconds—no more."
In an aggressive tone Alison stated her need for only thirty seconds.
The last wall of thorny vines lost tension when she broke through to arrive at the central ruins.
At the heart of the storm field Natasha stood by herself.
When Alison reached her the woman froze with shock on her features. "Alison?"
Alison didn't stop running. The woman threw her arms around Natasha and held her firmly. Both of them quickly disappeared from their surroundings. No glitches, no monsters. Just them.
"I thought I lost you," Alison whispered.
"You almost did," Natasha said, voice hoarse. "I almost lost myself."
The seconds later Ira appeared and thrust her staff into the earth. The golden barrier sparkles to life and blocks the assaults made by infected foes as they push against it.
Natasha gazed toward the splitting in the air. "We don't have long."
After her speech the weather suddenly changed.
A lightning blast struck the ruins at one point after which a distinct shape materialized.
He carefully moved one foot in front of the other. The figure moved calmly in his worn armor that blended both historic and modern aesthetics. His glowing eyes emerged from the ruin as he passed with his unique coat made of digital patterns flowing at his back. His whole body showed his tremendous strength.
Ira gasped. "That's… impossible."
Natasha instinctively raised her sword. "Who are you?"
He didn't answer at first. He removed a shining object from the storm that took the shape of an incomplete stone. The object matched the pressure waves from the tear.
"I am the First Hero," he said finally. He spoke with an unnatural multiple voice effect as though several voice types sang together. He remained active in the game testing program forever. The hero was the first person to see this as it emerged before the game launched.
The storm howled louder.
He took a few more steps nearer while keeping the shining artifact with him. Corruption spread across the land before you joined. Prior to defending your brother you embarked on this mission. Before the jungle twisted. The game is alive—and dying."
Alison's brows furrowed. "You know how to stop it?"
"I do. When you obtain knowledge you must pay with something of value.
He lifted the artifact. The surrounding energy field reacted to what the host brought near it.
"To unlock the core path and sever the corruption, one of you must sacrifice your bond."
Natasha stiffened. "What?"
The First Hero carefully faced her while holding his position. "Your love. Or his loyalty. You can't keep both."
An intense wind blasted through the destroyed buildings.
Alison felt her heart beating powerfully against her chest wall. "What bond?"
The Hero looked between them.
Natasha and Alison.
Natasha relived all her precious memories at once including her happiest and most challenging times side by side with her intense bonds. A kiss under starlight. A promise whispered in desperation.
And then—Jaden.
Her brother. As her original purpose the game brought her to fulfill.
After a pause the First Hero resumed his speech more softly. "You must choose. A connection between two entities must end to start this path. The rift demands it."
Lightning ripped the sky again into two parts.
Time froze.
Natasha lost her control over her blade as it fell from her hands. Her lips released the words stuck inside.
Alison reached for her.
But before she could speak—
Other whispers emerged from the gap and a recognized yet damaged voice entered the scene.
"Natasha… please… don't forget me."
Her eyes widened. She turned.
And saw Jaden.
In the lightning flashes everything about him seemed to glow but his eyes and body looked broken like broken glass.
The rift flared white.