Not once, not twice and not even thrice had Jin owed his life to the little carbuncle. She was more than his lucky charm. Everything he had began with her. And yet again, she saved his hide the moment he least expected it.
A translucent barrier flared around Jin and the others, absorbing the Anpu Statue’s deadly ray. The attack dissipated harmlessly, but the group remained frozen in shock. The statue let out a grating shriek of frustration, its crimson-golden eyes dimming as it paused to recharge. All except Emilia, whose sharp gaze locked onto the small, furry creature perched on Jin’s shoulder.
“Frank?” The girl’s voice was soft and hesitant. “What is that?”
Jin’s fingers stilled against Viridiana’s warm fur.
Damn it.
Of all the people to notice, it had to be her – the one person with lips as poisonous and potent as her magic.
Viridiana chirped, nuzzling his palm. The carbuncle’s loyalty was undeniable, but so was the risk. Whether in RIFT or the real world, monsters were targets, no matter how harmless. Unlike the American Confederate, where people minded their own business, in Neo-Tokyo, everyone’s business was their business. Understanding people like Old Man Sid, Mr George Armstrong and Elise were too far and too few in between.
And Jin had tried his best, even begging Bahamut to turn her ethereal and spend time inside the parallel sub-space – as the God-Emperor called it – ensuring that no one, except those that he trusted with his life, knew the full extent of his powers.
He forced a grin. “A friend. A very precious one who saved our skins.”
Emilia’s eyebrows shot up. “A friend? Since when do Herbalists keep monsters as pets? Or as friends?”
Jin’s hand clamped over her mouth before she could say more. Her eyes widened, but she didn’t struggle. “You want to live through this?” he muttered. “Then play along. Please?”
She nodded instantly. And once she pulled free, she shot a glance at Jin, then Viridiana and back at the man again before shaking her head. “A Lowenhald never forgets gratitude when she is owed one. Between the two of you, I owed my life three times now.”
“So, we good?”
Emilia shot out a smirk that sent cold sweat down Jin’s forehead. “Maybe… but it will be better if you allow me to pet her.”
“Vee?”
“Krikiri…kri…”
Despite possessing the
The carbuncle leapt from Jin’s shoulder and landed on Emilia’s. Seeing her giggling brought some joy to Jin’s heart. Not only was it rare, but it was also a nice change from her ever-obnoxious and bratty noble lady persona.
“Frank. If you have such an amazing pet, and from the way you behave and how you have been using your skills, I don’t think you’re an Herbalist either. So, why didn’t you come out with it?”
Jin didn’t answer her. Instead, his focus remained on the Anpu Statue, which was trying to free itself from the pyramid. And then he glanced at the other Players, now struggling to their feet.
“Emilia?” Jin’s voice turned cold and serious.
The girl stood up straight, as if she were called to attention. “Y-Yes?”
“You like taking credit, don’t you?”
“Credit?” Emilia’s voice was a couple of pitches higher. “After all that you have done, you think I’d take all that credit? No, Frank. I won’t. The old me might, but…”
“But what?”
Emila held the hem of her robe, her eyes cast downward, and when she spoke, her voice trembled. “Look at every one of us. I-If any of us listened to you earlier, then this… this would’ve never happened.”
“What’s done is done. No point-“
“No! You could have left us for dead!” Emilia’s voice broke, and tears streamed down her cheeks. “B-But you didn’t. You even r-returned for me. Despite how I treated you. What I said to you… and… and you expect me to take all the credits?”
Jin patted the girl’s head, and Emilia took the opportunity to wipe her tears on his sleeve, much to his amusement.
“Can I trust you with a little secret of mine?”
Emilia looked up, still with traces of tears in her eyes and nodded.
“I don’t want anyone to know the extent of my powers and skills, or even Viridiana’s existence. Should that ever come out, not only mine, but your life would also be in grievous danger. So, from this moment on, anything this little carbuncle does, claim it as your own. So, can you do this?”
After a moment of silence, the girl nodded once again. “But doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
“Good. Because the third ray is coming our way.”
“W-What?!”
The barrier shuddered as the next ray slammed into it, the impact dissipating within the translucent surface. Unlike the dragon breath that Viridiana once shielded Jin from, Anpu’s light ray was only a fraction of that. Nonetheless, it was still forceful. The sand beneath their feet trembled, and someone – Ka Fei, maybe – let out a pained groan.
Jin didn’t flinch. “Sandstorm’s buying us time from that blasted statue reaching us. But as you can see, it still doesn’t stop him from hitting us with long-range magic skills. That thing can fire twice in one round, and after that, it needs to recharge.”
“But that was the third one!”
“You mean the first of the second round,” Jin said, already scanning the path ahead of them. “Next one hits, we move. No more delays.”
“Are you out of your mind?!” Emilia pulled on Jin’s sleeve. “Forget running. Half of us could not even stand. And what about him? H-He… couldn’t, right?”
“Good thing I don’t need them to.” He crouched beside the Player that Emilia tried to rescue back in the pyramid. Jin then hoisted the man over his shoulder like a sack of rice. “You want to live? Then you need to adapt. Fast. Can’t run? Fine. Either you ride my back, or I drag you. And I only have one back.”
Emilia gasped, her hand barely covering her agape mouth. “You can’t do that. I-It’s cruel.”
“Watch me.” His voice was cold and calm. “We’re not dying here. Not when our escape is in sight.” He jerked his chin towards the distant shimmer of the desert. “Ten kilometres. Viridiana’s barrier will hold. But can your legs do it? Or do you want me to carry you like a princess you are?”
For a heartbeat, she stared unblinking at Jin – at the nonsense he spouted, at the way he believed every word he said, how his muscles coiled and were ready to move and at the cold determination in his eyes. Then she swallowed hard and nodded. “Fine. But if we die, I’m haunting you first.”
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Jin barked a laugh. “If we live, you owe me dinner. Deal?”
“Deal!” Emilia went ahead and helped another Player up.
The fourth ray struck. It broke against Viridiana’s barrier and dissolved into nothing. Jin and Emilia were already in motion. His voice cut through the panic, ordering those who could run to move. For the rest, he didn't wait. He cast his threads, lashing the slow and the broken, dragging them across the desert sand. It was a cold, unconventional wrath; it forced the hesitant to their feet, fleeing not only from the rays, but also from Jin.
Emilia cast whatever buffs she could. She granted them stamina and speed, a borrowed strength to keep their legs moving on longer. But she was no healer. The pyramid had swallowed those with such abilities. Without dedicated healers, their wounds remained unhealed. And those with the deepest wounds were left with nothing but the heat of their own pain.
But pain was the proof that they still lived.
***
A knot of panic tightened in Jin’s chest.
They reached the promised land at the limit of their strength. The RIFT portal shimmered like a mirage through the desert – their one-way ticket out of this hell.
Yet, standing right in front of it, like a bunch of clueless tourists on a battlefield, were Old Man Sid, Ironshield, and a handful of Players and Cleaners who should’ve known better.
“What the actual fuck are they doing?!” Jin snarled, his voice a mixture of anger, relief and desperation. “Standing there like it’s a goddamn tea party?!”
Jin cursed his luck. The only thing those idiots were about to welcome was a funeral – theirs and his, if they didn’t move their arses.
“Oi, you brain-dead mongrels!” Jin roared, his voice cutting through the howling wind as he dragged his battered rag-tag of a group closer to the portal.
This time, Ironshield’s head snapped up, his good eye locking onto their arrival.
“Is that you, Frank. I was worried–“ A smile appeared on his face that was soon wiped off, replaced with a frown. “What the hell happened to you?! And the rest?!”
“Get the fuck out!” Jin bellowed, shoving a half-conscious Player he had been carrying the whole time into Ironshield’s arms. “I expected you to be here. Not the rest of the lot. I didn’t drag these idiots this far just to watch everyone die of stupidity!”
“What do you mean? It’s nothing but a sandstorm.”
Before Jin could talk sense into Ironshield, the desert sand shuddered. Another ray attack slammed into Viridiana’s barrier, the force of it knocking two of the wounded Players at the back of the group to their knees.
Before the dust even settled, Ironshield was already barrelling towards them, Old Man Sid and the other three instructors hot on their heels to aid the rest. Sprinting for more than ten kilometres across the deadly desert – their lives hanging by a thread – tested every Player, even the veteran ones.
In the end, only Jin and Emilia remained standing, wheezing as they reached the portal. Exhaustion claimed the rest; some had even fallen unconscious. Yet, despite being dragged for more than half the journey, none had suffered so much as a single abrasion. It was thanks to thin pieces of silk cloth that acted both as a makeshift stretchers and blankets.
As Instructor Lila and the others including Old Man Sid worked on triage, Jin and Emilia rested nearby. The red-haired girl then provided him with a couple of premium healing salves. With one gulp, Jin recovered at once. Even the ache and fatigue that coursed throughout his body disappeared. And in return, Jin offered the girl some jerky. Delighted, she gulped it down piece by piece as if she had never eaten anything for a few days.
“Oi, Frank.” Ironshield came over. “What the hell happened back there? What with all these injuries? These are not caused by the sandstorm. Or is it?”
Jin’s laughter sounded hollow. Broken.
“That,” he said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder towards the direction they ran from earlier.
“That?”
“You’ll see soon enough.”
And as if on cue, the Anpu Statue emerged across the horizon. First, its head. Then its body and lastly, its legs. Even from this far away, they could feel the desert groan beneath its weight as it locked onto them, its glowing eyes burning with the promise of swift annihilation.
“Oh, feck me sideways!” Old Man Sid stopped breathing, his face going sheet-white. “What in the fucking world is that?!”
“Divine retribution for being greedy mofos,” Jin snapped. “Now move your wrinkled arse and get everyone through the portal!”
Old Man Sid didn’t need telling twice. With a bark of orders, he and the others sprang into action, hauling the Cleaners through first, then the worst of the wounded. Emilia stayed behind, her hands glowing as she stabilised the ones who could still walk.
Ironshield didn’t take his eyes off the lumbering monstrosity bearing down on them. “Talk to me. What the hell is that?”
Jin offered no answer. His focus lay elsewhere. Towards the safety of the others, who, much to his immediate relief, have escaped. Of the Cleaners, Old Man Sid was the last to leave. Eustace and Ka Fei each received the same potent salves that Emilia provided, while the other Players under Instructor Lila’s care have started to come to. Instructor Cho and Instructor Hanma brought those with grievous injuries out through the portal before re-entering.
“I guess this is good enough.”
“Good enough?” Ironshield corked an eyebrow. “What are you talking about, Frank?”
“That fucker has been chasing us non-stop,” Jin said as he stood and patted the sand off his pants. His eyes were now locked on the foe he was talking about. “We are in a safe zone for now, but it’s still not enough. That thing might follow us back home.”
“You've got to be kidding me! This is an evolved RIFT. You said so yourself!”
“Look at the timer. And your system log.”
Ironshield did as Jin directed. The mission objective had been cleared, and the System’s timer had reset, replaced by the standard 48 hours closing announcement. Yet, the Anpu Statue was still chasing them.
“Remind you of anything?” Jin asked. “It sure did with mine. Dragons and shits.”
“It can’t be…”
Ironshield trembled. The memories he had tried to shake off returned to haunt him. He fell to his knees, muttering the names of the teammates he once lost.
Jin clapped the veteran’s shoulder. “Let's solve that old ghost of yours. And for myself, I don’t plan to find out another theory on evolved RIFTs. Class is over, you know.”
Ironshield’s jaw clenched. He shot a glance at Jin’s face, and straight away, he knew that look. Knew what it meant.
The man had already made his choice. He had had enough of running away. And now, he was going to be the hunter.
Ironshield’s grip tightened around his shield. “But how? If you know a way, we must defeat it. Our world will be damned if an evolved Boss Monster escaped this portal. It won’t be any Cataclysm. It will be the worst ever! And I damn well won’t let it happen under my watch.”
Jin’s smile widened. “Now, that’s the Ironshield I know. Good to have you on board, partner. Mind if we get a few more? I happen to know a way to win this.”
While Ironshield got to gather the rest, Jin went about his plan alone. What he didn’t tell him and the others was that he’d already seen their chance.
During the initial fight, Bahamut bestowed him the power of < Third Eye > to see his enemy’s details. Now, Anpu Statue’s HP was less than half. The sandstorm had worn it down more than they realised. And then there was the real advantage:
Jin’s base critical rate? Zero per cent. With Fenrir’s amalgamation? Twenty-five.
The math was simple. One in four attacks would crit. But with only a one per cent chance to shatter the Gem of Life per crit, he’d need a hundred critical hits to guarantee success.
Four hundred attacks.
Ironshield, returned with the reinforcement, wiped sweat from his brow. “Frank. You sure we can beat this thing?”
Jin scanned the ad-hoc party. There was Emilia, Ka Fei and Eustace. The trio of Instructor Lila, Instructor Hanma and Instructor Cho completed the SeComm’s team. But that wasn’t all of them. Somehow, Ironshield managed to convince the other Players to join the ‘hunt’.
Daisy. That big-sized guy whose name was Brun. And a few more Players who had recovered from their earlier ordeal. Seeing the size of the party, Jin laughed. The rest looked on with mixed expressions.
“You alright, Frank? Is this too little?”
Ironshield came forward, followed by the rest, with Emilia standing beside him, worried that Jin had finally lost it.
Jin didn’t answer. Instead, he turned and looked at the horizon. Anpu Statue loomed closer. “Sun’s high up.” He grinned. “And so are our odds.”
He then paced around, nodding to himself before shooting yet another smirk. The confident and assuring smirk.
“Everyone! Listen up! Ironshield might have told you things, but let me confirm it myself. I have a plan to take that giant bastard down. But I need all your cooperation to make it work!”
Jin’s gaze met with Ironshield’s first. His jaw clenched as he rubbed the stump of his left arm. “Evolved Boss Monsters…” His voice was a deep growl while his knuckles turned white, gripping the remain of his limb. “Took my arm last time. Took my friends. If you say we can win… then yeah. It’s about time these bastards paid for what they’ve done.”
“Good man.” Jin clapped him on the shoulder. “What about the rest of you? Stupid enough to join us?”
No one answered. They exchanged glances at each other with worried expressions. Jin knew it. Whatever plan he had in mind, it was no use if the morale was low. In the Player’s world, he was a no-name rookie.
But Ironshield was different. His voice boomed throughout the area. “Like I said earlier, this is voluntary. If you’re staying, you fight. If you’re running, go now! But remember, fortune favours the bold!”
“And without some tears and blood, there will be no reward!” Instructor Lila chimed in, skipping towards Jin and wrapping her hand around his body, her chest pressed on his back. “And I’ll follow Frankie darling, anywhere~”
After an initial bout of silence, a chorus of “Yes, sir!” rang out.
Jin could only shake his head in disbelief after watching Ironshield and Instructor Lila charm full at work. Despite contradicting personalities, they had the commanding presence, steadying calmness and leadership in abundance. But more than that, he felt something rarer: everyone here respected the two. And Jin himself couldn’t even get his own team to listen half this well.
It didn't matter now. Humbled, yet resolute, Jin stepped forward. The time for doubts was over; it was now the time to take action.
"Listen up," he commanded. "Here is the plan."
This chapter marks the 40th chapter, released on the final day of year 2025. It has been topsy-turvy year for me personally and releasing this story during the November Writathon (albeit with a different placeholder name) is one of the best decision I could do for myself. A challenge that I shirked many years before that.
And it survived, thanks to all of you. And it will grow, also thanks to your supports. *wink* *wink* So, if you haven't already, leave a comment. And don't forget to follow or favourite the story (sorry for the shameless request hehe)
So, as we come into the new year of 2026, let me amongst the first one to wish all of you a Happy and Prosperous New Year. May the 'System' bless you with great stats and abilities.
- IceMelonTea