The Eternal Strive

The earth trembled beneath Caden's feet as a deafening roar echoed through the ruins of Velsaria. The warriors in the coliseum tensed, hands gripping weapons, eyes scanning the surroundings.

Then, without warning—the sky tore open.

A massive, jagged rift split the air above them, swirling with chaotic energy. Dark tendrils of power lashed out, and from its depths emerged a monstrous entity—its form shifting between beast and shadow, its presence suffocating.

A Riftborn.

The very embodiment of imbalance. A creature born from the unraveling of Balance itself.

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System Alert: Riftborn Detected!

Class: Rift Tyrant

Threat Level: Catastrophic

Objective: Survive.

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Caden barely had time to react before the Riftborn let out a second roar, sending a shockwave of raw energy cascading through the coliseum. The force shattered stone, sending warriors flying.

Some of the weaker fighters were instantly crushed under the pressure.

Caden gritted his teeth, his balance ability flickering as he redirected the force of the blast around him, skidding back but staying on his feet. His mind raced.

A Riftborn this powerful shouldn't exist yet. Why now?

Valerius, the Champion of Order, was the first to act. Raising his radiant blade, he shouted, "Hold formation! We push back against the darkness!"

Seraphis, wreathed in violet flames, merely grinned. "No holding back, then. Let's see what this thing is made of."

The warriors of both factions surged forward, attacking in unison despite their ideological divide. Spells, arrows, and weapons rained upon the Riftborn—but the beast barely flinched.

Caden watched carefully. Even with all their power, they're barely hurting it.

Then—the Riftborn moved.

With terrifying speed, it lashed out, its tendrils piercing through warriors like paper. The battlefield descended into chaos as the entity devoured energy itself, growing stronger with every life it consumed.

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System Alert: Riftborn Evolution Accelerating!

Balance is collapsing.

Warning: If left unchecked, it will become unstoppable.

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Caden's pulse quickened. He had faced countless enemies, but this was different. This wasn't just raw power—it was corruption, feeding on the very essence of the world.

The factions were fighting hard, but they didn't understand the real danger.

This thing isn't just here to kill—it's here to break the Strive itself.

Taking a deep breath, Caden activated his All-Knowing Eye.

His vision blurred, then sharpened—revealing the Riftborn's inner workings, its shifting weaknesses. And in that moment, he saw it—a core buried deep within its ever-changing form.

A single, pulsating point where its chaotic energy converged.

The heart of the Riftborn.

Caden tightened his grip on his weapon. He had no faction backing him, no army to command. But he knew what had to be done.

And he wasn't about to let this war end before it even began.

With a final exhale, he charged.