Thump.
Lurra collapsed onto the nearest rock, brushing the sweat off her forehead.
"Fuck, it's finally behind us."
"Hmm?" Zoran raised an eyebrow. "Of course. I killed it, didn't I? Agh, Lurra, you shouldn't have refused Arcane Scripture's calls. You'll fear such weak monsters for the rest of your life."
Gloom reflected in her eyes.
"With all due respect, Mr. Zoran, but staying in our world was my decision. Furthermore, though I will never become an Awakened, I can still make my Core stronger."
"Yeah, but you'll never reach the next Rank. Any Bearer will smash you on the floor and pass on."
Lurra shook her head.
"I realized I'd be more useful here - at the fortress, than buried under the earth somewhere in the Astral Dimension."
Each Keeper had only three chances.
Some decided to use them, others chose a different, quieter path.
It couldn't help but make Kain think again about his future.
'I can't say I share Lurra's position, but she's right about something.'
He looked around, shadows flashing in the distance.
'I can stay on the homeworld. A secure life and the power to put me above the common people. Sounds like a good offer, right?'
No.
The curse was running through his blood. The chase would never end.
Kain had only one chance to rid himself of the burden of his origin.
He clenched his fist. "I must become stronger. There is no other choice."
Time passed unnoticed as figures appeared in the distance. Some were holding roots, horns, fruits, and a few crystals - the benefits of the expedition.
'Wow, I'm sure all this is worth quite a lot. How long have we been here? Half an hour? Hah, and the most important thing hasn't happened yet!'
Georg stepped forward, Sylvia following behind him. Blood stained her hand, she went through her fight as well.
"Zoran, 9:35 left. In less than ten minutes, the next Surge should happen. Right there." Georg pointed ahead.
In the distance was a particular spot, different from the rest.
A circle of white crystals covered an empty field, around it stood a particularly bright four columns, their light wandering toward each other, but no Stray Specter dared to use those paths.
This was the place of the Rift. That was the place where it moved at the Portal stage, disappeared, and now reappeared at every Surge.
"So... What exactly do we expect at the Surge?" Kain asked.
Morbia had explained to him how the Surges worked, but he wanted to be aware of every detail.
"Monsters, for starters."
Oddly enough, Zoran decided to answer.
"That's the most boring option and the fastest. It will happen with a weak Surge. We expect a Surge of medium to high power. There will be more monsters, and they will be stronger, most importantly - the Artifacts or even the Soul Stones will appear. Also, the energy pulse will help new resources to grow. Every Surge is a second breath for any Nest."
Georg nodded in affirmation.
"So don't stress out and stand by your mentors. They will protect you. In case of an unforeseen threat, we will have to rely on Mr. Zoran."
"Yeah..." Zoran yawned. "That's exactly why I'm here. I'm something like your assurances that the expedition will be a success. Boring, but someone has to do the boring work, right?"
The next few minutes passed in silence.
Everyone was preparing for the big event. Some with slight wariness, some with excitement.
Morbia approached Kain from the side, who was staring intently at the field.
"What's the matter? Think you can summon the Rift with your gaze?"
"Nah, it's just... If I'm getting this right, even though we know when the Surge will appear, we don't know how powerful it will be."
Morbia shrugged. "Yeah, something like that. But there are more than a dozen Keepers here. This is the First Threat Nest. Nothing to worry about."
"Hmm..." he hummed. "Just, am I wrong in saying it all comes down to sheer luck?"
From the look in her eyes, he understood.
'Shit. Luck isn't my strong side. What's my strong side anyway? Complaining?'
Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.
Almost at the specified time, with a minimal margin of error, the Surge began.
An active shudder went through the entire Nest. None of the monsters dared to step out of the shadows, and even the Stray Specters stopped their routes.
A lone pulse traveled beyond the dark field as a white orb appeared out of nowhere. The space around it was distorted like a black hole or supermassive star.
Several sparks flew out of the orb covering the Faint Chasm in bright white spots - the new, most energy-rich areas. Runes floated above the bright ground, and in some spots, the outlines of Artifacts showed up.
"They're coming." Lurra frowned as she prepared for battle.
At the next pulse, dozens of figures emerged from the orb - monsters well known to them. The Grim Seekers, Hunters, Reapers, and a few of the Stray Specters.
Kain narrowed his eyes. 'Hmm, do they come from the same place? Is it the same process every time?'
"Everyone, prepare for battle!" Georg exclaimed as he took a step forward. ''Once all the monsters arrive, the Rift will close as the Surge will be completed. We'll kill the monsters, gather new resources, and return to the fortress!"
Usually, the leader was the strongest. But if the strongest didn't care, any suitable candidate could take that place.
A few encouraging phrases, a confident speech, and a fiery gaze were enough to make people believe in you. At least on the battlefield.
Suddenly, Kain noticed something.
For the first time, Zoran narrowed his eyes. He didn't like what he saw. It wasn't a good sign for anyone.
Lurra gulped. "Something's wrong... Why is the Surge still active even though the monsters aren't coming anymore?"
Immediately after her words, the orb shuddered, becoming taller and more elongated like a gap in space.
A new pulse, much more powerful than the last, came out, shattering the crystals and sending violent streams of wind toward the Keepers.
Then, a dark hand emerged from the gap, with long, sharp fingers, slowly stretching the gap's edges.
Something was striving to enter their world.
Something wanted to return the Faint Chasm to its former glory, and it needed strength, sacrifice - energy from the waiting Awakened.