The Eternal Strive

Caden wasted no time. With the silver emblem still pulsing in his palm, he took one last look at the battlefield where he had defeated the Harbinger of Discord. The world was shifting, and he was at the center of it.

The Ruins of Velsaria lay far to the east, beyond vast forests, treacherous mountains, and war-torn lands. The system's time limit—ten days—wasn't just a guideline. It was a warning.

As he activated his movement technique, Strivewalker's Step, golden and dark energy intertwined beneath his feet, propelling him forward at incredible speed. The landscape blurred past him as he crossed miles in mere moments, his body attuned to the perfect balance between control and chaos.

Yet, even with his speed, the journey wouldn't be simple.

---

System Alert: Territory Warning!

You are entering the Riftlands.

Threat Level: High.

Dominant Forces: Rogue Scions, Strive Cultists, and Beasts of Discord.

---

Caden gritted his teeth. The Riftlands… I don't have time for distractions.

The Riftlands were known as a lawless territory, a place where warriors who failed their paths wandered in despair or sought vengeance against fate itself. Some had once been great, others merely bitter souls clinging to power.

The moment Caden entered its jagged valleys, a presence flickered nearby.

His grip tightened on his sword. They're watching me.

Shadows moved along the rocky cliffs, whispers echoing through the wind. Then, without warning—attack.

A dozen figures leaped from the darkness, weapons gleaming, their eyes burning with either madness or raw ambition. Their leader, a tall man clad in battered armor, wielded twin curved blades crackling with unstable energy.

"You reek of the Strive," the man sneered. "That power doesn't belong to you."

Caden exhaled. "You're wasting my time."

The leader's eyes flickered with fury, and his group charged.

Caden's mind snapped into focus. He activated Essence Infusion, pouring his power into his weapon. His Balance Shift ability pulsed, making him untouchable as he weaved between the attacks, striking with pinpoint precision.

One, two, three—down.

The leader snarled, his movements growing erratic. "I won't let you—"

Caden vanished, reappearing behind him in a flash of golden and dark energy. His blade sliced cleanly through the man's weapons, shattering them into dust.

The rogue Scion collapsed to his knees, his breath ragged. "What… are you?"

Caden's voice was calm but firm. "Someone who doesn't have time for this."

With a final burst of power, he knocked the man unconscious, leaving the rest of the ambushers too stunned to act.

---

System Alert: Threat Eliminated.

No Time Lost.

Reputation in Riftlands: Neutral → Cautious.

---

Wasting no further time, Caden resumed his journey, his speed increasing.

Hours passed, then a full day. The terrain shifted from jagged cliffs to dense forests, then to vast, barren plains. He encountered more rogue warriors, stray beasts, and ancient remnants of past conflicts, but none slowed him down for long.

By the seventh day, he finally reached the outskirts of Velsaria.

The ruined city stood before him, its towering structures broken yet still imposing. The air crackled with unseen power. This place wasn't just a battlefield—it was a graveyard of forgotten champions.

And now, it was the meeting ground for a war that would decide the fate of Balance itself.

Caden took a deep breath.

The Gathering of the Scions had begun.