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Chapter 44: The Rift

A violent wind filled with energy waves blew over the group. The happy faces had given way to tight expressions, each holding their weapon firmly in the face of the invitation from this mouth of hell.

They knew that from this moment on, their lives were at stake, it might be the last time they could set foot on familiar ground. Silently, Kraim walked in front, followed by Eryl and the rest of the group.

Hope, very driven by this moment, kept his eyes wide open to fully enjoy the experience of his very first raid. Once he made contact with the portal, he felt all the energy focus on his body and lost his footing momentarily, but as he fought in the air to keep from falling, he regained his balance. He was disoriented, processing what had just happened, and was looking at his hands.

"Mr. Hope?" Liliana, noticing his stop, called out to him.

"Ah... Oh, sorry, I kinda... What..."

As his gaze shifted in focus, he realized the universe around him. A minute ago, they were in the scariest forest he had ever seen, but where he was right now was nothing like it.

Two rows of pillars surrounded them, leading to a huge ruined temple. The ground was covered with old slabs broken into pieces, strange black vegetation, moss, or a cemetery of trees on giant rocks which seemed to serve to prevent any escape, in the surroundings and a redder sky than a pool of blood.

The young man was well known for his confidence, but for the first time ever, he felt an indescribable feeling that turned his stomach. Or maybe not, it was the second time, the first time was when he almost saw his death coming at the hand of a young man behind him.

Kraim looked around for a moment and focused on the temple.

"Stay on your guard, these rocks are a perfect place to launch a sneak attack."

Everyone nodded and as he started walking, they followed him. The young hero felt immense pressure on him and started to tremble, Mercy, behind him, noticed him.

"Hey, you're not scared are ya?"

"Huh? No! No, of course, I'm just very impatient. It's my first time in a rift and I want to make a blast."

"Ah, good then, but just in case, it's just a D-rank rift y'know? Even you should be able to do right here so don't freak out, K?"

"I'm not freaking out, and what do you mean even me? I've never been in a rift but I've read every book about them, I'm the 3rd best student in my classroom, see."

Erick turned around, mockingly.

"Good, a scholar, must be nice to learn about the rift on a school bench. Go ahead, teach us about them."

"Really?"

Erick's intentions were probably to ridicule the young boy but he didn't realize that he barely managed to give him more confidence.

"Well, you see, a rift isn't really dangerous, it's true that it's vast and no one knows if each rift isn't just another world or a simulation, but all you have to do in each case is kill the boss, once it's..."

"Shit, I was kidding, shut the hell up!"

"What? But you're the one..."

Exasperated, Kraim shouted at them.

"Alright, now you shut your mouth! You, the knight, do you realize where you are? Monsters can hear you and will come if you make noise."

Hope hunched his back, embarrassed.

"Fucking privileged people... Let the rifts to the real emissaries." Kraim murmured, but everyone had heard this hidden insult.

"Can you control your animosity a little more or are you planning to put a tantrum till the end?" Freya asked coldly.

"What did you say?"

He stopped, more annoyed than ever.

"Well, you see, a rift isn't really dangerous, it's true that it's vast and no one knows if each rift isn't just another world or a simulation, but all you have to do in each case is kill the boss, once it's..."

"Shit, I was kidding, shut the hell up!"

"What? But you're the one..."Exasperated, Kraim shouted at them.

"Alright, now you shut your mouth! You, the knight, do you realize where you are? Monsters can hear you and will come if you make noise."

Hope hunched his back, embarrassed.

"Fucking privileged people...Let the rifts to the real emissaries." Kraim murmured, but everyone had heard this hidden insult.

"Can you control your animosity a little more or are you planning to put a tantrum till the end?" Freya asked coldly.

"What did you say?"

He stopped, more annoyed than ever.

"I said, can you impersonate the role of a leader and stop this game? You can keep your private problem for yourself but stop making a fool of your guild."

The two looked at each other fiercely, the others were worried that the situation could explode but Kraim started to laugh, hands on hips.

"You've got guts, got that from daddy and mommy? Fine, fine, I will let my arrow speak next. Hey, you the shaman dude."

Dora raised his head, intrigued to be mentioned at this moment.

"Since you can't be of use and we need to pamper the nobles, God only knows why they're here anyway, you're on the duty of protecting them, understood?"

"What? But I need to... I can fight too."

"It's an order, you're useless here so behave!"

Dora frowned, on one hand, he wanted to participate in the fight for his quest, and on the other, he was annoyed by the possibility of Kraim pouring his anger on him.

Leon and Erick did not miss this opportunity.

"You can't be of use, like before, you knew that from the beginning, so just behave."

"Yeah, you've always been dead weight, at least now you have an excuse."

He laughs, this scene, which is reminiscent of Dora's departure from Shining Sword, was unbearable for Marie. She was about to walk towards them when Freya held her arm.

"Eh?"

"Why are you angry? The person in question doesn't want to defend himself, so let him face the consequences." She turned toward Kraim "Fine, he'll do that, he'll stay in the safe zone, so no more senseless insults from now on." ".

The group looked at each other in embarrassment, Liliana looking at the ground while Lilith's hands shook. Hope looked even more defeated and shook her head.

"If it were me, I'm sure you'd suddenly remember how to speak."

"No wonder he was defeated by a golem, what a waste of time." Cid shrugged.

The group leaves, more tense than before. Zuri, worried about her knight, inquired about his condition, but the young man no longer reacted.

"Kuku... You put on a good show... Hey, don't ignore me... Ok, you don't owe me anymore, is that okay? Hello? It's not a big dungeon anyway, you'd be bored here."

"It's called a "rift", don't shame Saint Nova."

Freya intervened in their discussion, startling Zuri.

"Heh? P-President Freya?"

"... We are not in the academy, so forget the honorific."

"Y-yes my lady! Thank you, my glorious lady! Oh my God, she talked to me!"

Freya looked at her, letting her perfectly unphased face give way to an expression of astonishment. She decided to ignore Zuri and just focus on her main target.

"... Anyway, I wonder why you were surprised, you're the one who faked his true rank, did you expect people to take you seriously? You're reap what you saw."

"What's this about fakin'?" Mercy joined the conversation. "S'this why everyone has a problem with ya?... Oh, You, I recognize your face, you're this weirdo who poisoned the canteen food right?"

"Eh? It wasn't poison but METAMORPHOSIS potion, people like to exaggerate."

"... It was you?!"

"Lol, but I wonder how you didn't get expelled for that, I'm a big fan of you y'know."

They were chatting cheerfully on the back, and Erick glanced regularly at them.

"Hmph... This guy always manages to get surrounded by girls, see that, Sana?"

The girl didn't react, not even with a gaze. Erick sighed in annoyance.

"Well, at least for once he isn't smiling, it's already a..."

"Everyone! Get ready!" Kraim exclaimed as he materialized an arrow in his hand.

They looked at him in astonishment for one moment before realizing.

"D-damn!... How did we not notice..." Leon focused a white aura on his greatsword.

Morgiana stood on guard near Sana, and everyone else took position.

"What's going on? Is it beginning? What are we doing?!" Hope fidgeted, much to Erick's anger.

"For fucking sake, just shut up!"

"Do you have a problem with me? What's your deal?"

Suddenly, a black projectile brushed against his head and died in the hands of Eryl, another one flew toward the 3 nobles but disappeared right in front of Dora.

Eryl opened her hand, and a black spike disintegrated into dust.

"Sir Balder, you need to be more cautious of your surroundings if you wish to continue on this path. It seems like we were the ones hunted."