The orb used by Captain Ventura did something to the rift. Our results were not clear at first because we treated the rifts as alien entities but once we reevaluated our criteria and accepted the rifts as natural occurrences, we noticed a single powerful energy spike leaving the rift.

We need more orbs to test it. If we can prove that these rifts either communicate with some higher authority or create a larger superstructure, then we may find a way to control them.

Willow Croft’s personal note sent to Waxilium Earl

The exotic rarity rift was located in southern France instead of Spain.

There was a short briefing about the safety measures and standards but most of this was for show. At this point, Keynes was sure that Windsor tried to buy his loyalty.

The exact location of the rift had been omitted during the briefing but it wasn’t a big deal. Southern France was a gigantic resort for the rich with artificial lakes and amusement parks and should be easy to navigate.

Once they arrived, the troopers began breaking camp. Tents were raised, supplies unpacked and distributed.

Keynes started to see the pattern in Windsor Freeman’s behaviour. He blamed Jamaica on Waxilium Earl but the President was the one pressuring the lord to ‘make’ Keynes ready. It didn’t absolve Waxilium Earl in Keynes’s eyes but Windsor’s impatience was obvious. Was this because he feared the mysterious person with the Broken Talent? Assuming the Broken Talents aren’t a myth.

It'd help explain his obsessive secrecy, otherwise, why hadn’t he built an infrastructure around the rift ahead of time? It’d be so easy to build a few metres high wall around the rift with machine guns fixed on top of the wall. It’d create the perfect killing ground.

Wouldn’t that be an easy way to farm essence? For all Keynes knew, the rifts that weren’t cleared, still spawned rift monsters to this day. He didn’t know at what rate but wasn’t that insane? The uncommon rift gave him twice the amount of essence from a common one. How much essence would a Level 2 exotic rift provide? Assuming that a Level 2 common rift provided 1% to a Level 2 person, then uncommon gave 2%, rare 4% and exotic 8%.

Eight percent!

This amount of essence was insane. This single rift could perhaps level up people faster than the Scottish cluster.

But no walls had been raised, no infrastructure had been built. Nothing was here.

They assigned one of the smaller tents to Keynes. Apart from him, only the President and Pullman Pizzaro had their own tents. The two large tents were for the troopers. Keynes wondered why higher-level officers weren’t present; or were they hidden among the troopers?

He tried to judge troopers’ levels by their spiritual auras which was rather counterproductive as the troopers had a solid grip on their auras.

Keynes waited in his tent, observing the rushed preparations. Bags with sands were used to make a low barrier in front of the rift.

The rift itself was nothing but a delicate distortion in the air, about a metre above the ground.

Then the machine guns were propped on the sandbags and aimed at the rift. Unless they had bullets made out of Level 1 materials, Keynes didn’t think they would be very effective. Farther away, Keynes saw snipers. The rift was located in a small valley, it gave the snipers a good vantage point. But, at the same time, they didn’t even clear the trees from the valley, which worked for Keynes.

Either Freeman thinks I swallowed the bait or they may have more troopers hidden outside the valley. Crap. But on the bright side, it appears that they don’t know about the tracker.

As the preparations winded down shortly past noon, Keynes considered another threat he needed to be aware of.

Pullman Pizzaro.

Windsor would most likely enter the rift to soak the precious essence while the troopers outside would take care of the monsters that got out.

Without a doubt, Pizzaro had been tasked with watching Keynes. Even now, Pizzaro remained close.

It’s bothersome that I don’t know his Talent. It’d make the whole plan easier. Going forward, I need to find a way to see the Talents of other people.

Some Talents could pose a threat to Keynes. He didn’t want to leave it to fate.

One thing Keynes learned though, Pizzaro was still Level 3.

For some reason, Windsor hasn’t let his sidekick level up. It doesn’t make sense. Why?

Assuming that Pizzaro didn’t max out his attributes he would have only a 75% penalty, which wasn’t far off from Keynes’s 70% penalty. It was easy to level up the Level 3s in places like the Scottish cluster. Why didn’t he ascend to Level 4 then?

Did they really wait for this rift to open? It was possible but didn’t sit well with Keynes’s reasoning.

Then the time arrived. Windsor came to Keynes personally.

“This is your moment,” he said quietly. Except for Pizzaro, no one else was close to eavesdrop on them unless he had some Level 5s or 6s among the troopers. “Are you ready to join me, Keynes? You can be one of the greatest, sit at the table with the most important players and help us make the world a better place.”

The answer was ‘no’ but Keynes couldn’t pick this route right now. Openly confronting Windsor like some Ardas from the Thousand Dead Suns series was the quickest way to find himself chained.

“Yes,” he lied then added truthfully. “I’d love to learn more about the secret history.”

Pizzaro didn’t react, which could mean anything but at least he didn’t call out his lie openly.

“Good,” Windsor nodded, seemingly relieved. “You will. There are secrets that make the rifts look inconsequential.”

Keynes emptied his mind because while strongly suspecting the lie, he couldn’t help himself but wonder what these secrets were.

“Mr President, can I?” Pizzaro asked.

Windsor looked at his sidekick.

“We’ve wasted too much time already. I won’t wait any longer. Whatever Keynes hides, it’s his to share in his own time. Now,” Windsor gestured toward the rift. “You have the floor.”

Keynes nodded, his heart rate spiked up but he held expression neutral as best as he could. He set off toward the rift, counting steps in his head just to occupy his mind. This was the moment.

“Kid,” Windsor called out.

Keynes froze, unable to turn around.

“Remember what we told you in the briefing. If you cannot open the rift without causing the outbreak, then don’t open it.”

“Yes.” His reply was weak but he couldn’t do anything about it, nerves got the better of him.

As he neared the rift, one thing nagged at him though. Not a single High Lord was present. Was this because Windsor Freeman kept the truth from them?

Not likely. The base in Jamaica hosted over a hundred people. There’s no way that nothing has been passed over to High Lords.

Even among the hundred, Freeman brought here there had to be some of the High Lords’ loyalists.

Forget the High Lord, idiot! Keynes snapped at himself in his mind. Curious or not, you’re sidetracking your thoughts. You won’t get another chance to escape.

Stopping a metre from the rift, Keynes took a deep breath. Then he heard steps behind. Windsor Freeman came from the right, he wore a flame-red combat robe with matching boots. In his right hand, he held a staff. At least four different rings gleamed on his fingers.

“Bring it on,” he said almost in a playful tone.

No longer having the emotional affliction actually sucked. It was weird to perfectly recall how it’d felt to have his emotions completely suppressed. Remembering it helped him a little as he calmed down and focused on the distortion.

“You good?” He asked when Keynes didn’t reach for the distortion.

Keynes nodded but Windsor Freeman’s gaze didn’t leave him, it hardened. Oh, what now?

“What it is that you fear sharing with me?” Didn’t you say it was mine to share? Of course, you did. I should’ve known better than running my mouth in front of people with unknown Talents. Now I have to suffer.

“If I can be honest, I am just worried. We know nothing about the rifts. We don’t even understand why they were sealed in the first place. Only a fool can ignore the peril they pose. It’s fear I’m hiding.”

It sounded convincing in his head and hopefully, Windsor wouldn’t want to continue this pointless conversation. It was not the time for that.

“You don’t sound like someone afraid of them though,” Windsor Freeman said, relaxing a bit. “You’ve grown. If you stay by my side, I will make you a High Lord sooner than you can imagine.”

“I’d be honoured.” No thanks.

Keynes had no way of knowing if the President bought his lie but judging by his lack of reaction, it seemed so.

“I’m glad to hear this,” he replied then turned to the troopers. “Listen up, we’re going to open the rift in a moment. You remember what happened in Jamaica, so be ready.”

“Yes, sir!” the troopers replied.

Those had to be some kind of elite if they were privy to such secrets. Keynes took another look and noticed a few differences between troopers from the Scottish cluster city and those here. Their combat uniforms looked sharper, they had a modified cut and didn’t have insignia.

“You have the floor, Keynes Kid,” the President reminded him again.

Yes.

Keynes closed his eyes.

I can’t postpone it any longer.

He only hoped that Kaito Ren found his parents and kept them safe. Once this level is open, I must ensure my family start levelling up. They cannot rely on others.

Rift (Exotic)

Level

2

Status

Sealed

Requirements

-

Modifiers

-

Details

This rift contains a higher number of monsters and a boss (overcharge effect).

Affinity

Earth, Exotic

Special Status

Overcharged, Unexplored

It was a refreshing change to be able to see the whole interface of the rift before unsealing it. Knowing what waited inside for them would be even more suitable but hey, where would be fun and thrill of the unknown?

Keynes took another breath. This was the moment—

“Remember,” Windsor Freeman said from behind. “If you cannot open the rift without rupturing it, then do NOT open it. You’ll train before the next attempt.”

Seriously…

Freeman was afraid of the next outbreak but for a different reason, one might believe. If Keynes opened only the rifts the World Government wished, the rest of the world would be at a disadvantage. If Level 1 rifts brought insane wealth into the world, what kind of treasure awaited in Level 2 rifts?

But there is cost, he reminded himself. And am I ready to shoulder the burden?

The answer was ‘no’ but if he couldn’t do it he’d remain a prisoner of this man next to him.

I am sorry…

Attempting to open the rift…

The Rift’s Status: Sealed.

Lockpicking initialised…

Like the last time, Keynes lost awareness of his surroundings.

Do you wish to unseal the rift?

Yes/No

So he was strong enough to open the rift without rupturing it. He didn’t test his newly gained strength but he felt it wouldn’t disappoint him.

He picked ‘No’ and used his Will and Mind on the seal tearing it apart. The last time, this had been done by Waxilium Earl’s powerful Talent that pushed Keynes far beyond his capability. It’d been a mess, but Keynes remembered everything that had happened and understood the process with all its nuances, trivialising it.

Do you wish to rupture the seal?

Yes/No

***

Windsor Freeman stood four steps from Keynes Kid, extending his Spirit toward the boy and trying to ‘see’ what was happening. He didn’t like to feel blind. Since that pest Ventura had murdered Polloc and then Curt and his followers had killed many promising researchers, Windsor couldn’t find anyone trusted and skilled enough to work with the boy on his Talent. Freeman needed to find a way to extract the Talent from him. There were warnings all over the damned brat. The change he’d undergone, he couldn’t be trusted—

“Mr President!” Pullman shouted from behind. “STOP HIM!”

Windsor blinked at the unexpected command but he didn’t keep Pizzaro around for sentimental reasons, he was a valuable asset.

Windsor moved, shoving Keynes Kid away from the rift. Because he had to be careful not to kill him on the spot, he didn’t even use half of his speed.

He turned his head to Pizzaro.

“Chain him, Pullman—”

At that moment monsters jumped out of the rift, stealing Windsor’s attention.

***

System Warning: Rupture Detected!

The rift opened successfully.

The Rift’s Status: Open (Ruptured)

System Warning: Rifts Outbreak detected!

System Warning: Risk of the Greater Rift appearance increased!

System Warning: Chaos Magic detected!

Keynes blinked, feeling the invading wrongness pressing against his mind—

Then, as if hit by a train, he was shoved to the side. He grunted sensing his health dip but nothing seemed broken.

Several other system warnings appeared but he ignored them as he jumped to his feet. Monsters poured out of the rift and… holy crap. They were humanoid with black tusks protruding from their mouths, their skin was brown and at least forty percent of their bodies were covered by patches of earth.

In less than twenty seconds, there were thirty of them. Keynes hated Windsor Freeman but he couldn’t deny the man’s power. Aura of flames exploded out of the President, the monsters it touched recoiled with a painful scream.

Then fireballs started flying out of his staff.

Crap.

Someone’s hands caught Keynes, he whirled with a speed that startled him and Pizzaro.

“What—”

Keynes’s fist landed on Pizzaro’s face, sending him to the ground. Troopers were too focused on the rift and the monsters because these monsters weren’t simply taking damage from Freeman. Clumps of compacted earth appeared in their hands and they began throwing them at everyone.

Pizzaro got to his feet.

“You got strong.”

“You have no idea,” Keynes replied with overflowing confidence, but in reality, he was terrified by the next outbreak, by the wrongness that still pressed against his mind, by too many system warnings, by what would happen if he failed to escape.

“But we have contingencies.”

A light shot out Pizzaro’s hand and by the skin of his teeth, Keynes managed to dodge it. His chest felt like a cage hosting some wild and very angry animal.

The spell hit one of the troopers dropping him on the spot. Whatever it was, it had to be avoided. The chaos around them increased as more monsters came out of the rift. Some troopers began shooting when the President decided to enter the rift.

Keynes was clearly stronger than Pizzaro and the President’s aide knew it. The constant roars and bellows coming from the monsters throats’ made it impossible for Pizzaro to call out for help. The only thing that stopped Keynes from attacking him head-on was that damned spell. Maybe he could withstand it, who knew, but it wasn’t the best moment to test his Purified Body.

The help came from the most unexpected source.

Essence.

The moment the monsters started dying, which took them a few moments, the essence came crashing like a tsunami. And it was nothing like Keynes had experienced before. The thickness and amount of the essence was insane. Troopers grunted, shocked by the sudden pain that caught them at the worst possible moment. Their bodies were too weak to accept such a potent essence. Pizzaro was no different.

Only Keynes was unaffected. His Purified Body reacted to the essence, converting at an incredibly fast pace, then the lesser cultivating technique Keynes had learnt kicked in and he started following its guidance. Thick like a syrup essence circulated throughout his body, entering places Keynes hadn’t been aware of before. And there was a core inside him, hidden from his senses—

A pain shook him out of a blissful moment.

A compacted clump of earth hit him in the back. The monsters’ hungry stares were locked on him.

Keynes pulled the katana out of his dimensional pouch and began retreating backwards, keeping his eyes on the monsters. Each time they threw the earth at him, he dodged. Some came running at him and he learned that their Level 2 skin was very tough to cut.

Earth Troll (Exotic)

Level

2

Abilities

Earth Skin – Increased resistance against fire and physical attacks (passive).

---

Children of Earth – Touching uncovered soil increases regeneration by 10% (passive).

---

Earth Shaping – an ability to create clumps of earth (active).

Details

Exotic dweller of rifts known for his relentless nature.

Crap, these earth trolls are crazy. Earth Skin sounded like a big deal and from what Keynes saw, Freeman relied on fire. He’d have a hard time with the boss.

Not my problem.

The earth troll took several hits to the neck before his body collapsed, dead. Essence blasted into Keynes from point-blank, its intoxicating effect almost made him stay there and kill the rest but this wasn’t his plan.

He gave the dying troopers and Pizzaro one last glance and started running away.

The chaos and the essence worked like a charm. The only issue was the snipers. Did they see what Keynes did? They had to. But they didn’t shoot for some reason.

Keynes left the makeshift camp. All troopers had rushed toward the rift and no wonder, the sounds of slaughter were making him sick. It was his luck that at the critical moment, the troopers decided to save their fellow troopers instead of chasing him.

He froze fifty metres from the patch of the trees near the exit from the valley. Something was wrong. The snipers didn’t shoot, and Pizzaro had warned him that they had contingencies.

Keynes turned toward the slope and as he reached it, he started climbing up.

“STOP HIM!” a familiar voice bellowed. He glanced back and saw Charles Hellescott accompanied by five black-clad troopers. They jumped out of the trees and ran toward him.

You must be kidding me.