Elian moved slowly toward the Rift of the Dark Covenant, lost in thought. However, his path was blocked by a soldier in heavy armor, armed with a spear.
"Stop! This area is closed! If you haven't noticed, you're standing in front of a Rift!" the soldier growled.
Elian measured him with a cold gaze.
"So what?"
"Are you a hunter?" the soldier frowned.
"No," Elian replied calmly.
"Then you have no business here! Hunters are the only ones allowed near the Rifts."
"And what if I tell you I can close it?" Elian smirked.
The soldier frowned, but before he could respond, the air suddenly shook, and the Rift split open with a deafening crack. A massive shadow burst out from within.
The soldier recoiled in horror.
"This... impossible... According to the information, this Rift was supposed to open in a few days!"
A creature emerged from the rift, cloaked in thick darkness. Its red eyes gleamed, and the very aura of the being was so ominous that the air trembled with tension.
"Step aside," Elian said calmly, walking past the soldier.
"W-what..?"
"Don't worry. I'll close it. Now get out of here, while you're still alive."
The monster roared, and the ground shook. Its massive clawed paws easily tore through the air, leaving black trails in space. The soldier was paralyzed with fear, but Elian just smirked. He took a step forward — and vanished.
In the next instant, he appeared directly in front of the monster and punched it in the chest. A powerful explosion echoed — the monster was thrown back dozens of meters, crashing through several buildings.
However, the creature didn't die. It howled in fury and charged again. Its claws, capable of tearing through steel, shot toward Elian, but he easily dodged, leaving behind only a blurred trail.
"Too slow," he said coldly.
Elian raised his hand, creating a resonant pulse. The shockwave sent the monster flying back, but it got up again, unwilling to surrender.
"Stubborn," Elian muttered in annoyance.
The monster gathered dark energy around itself, condensing it in its mouth. In the next second, it unleashed a destructive blast of power that raced toward Elian.
But he didn't move. He simply stretched his hand forward — and the attack stopped, as if it had collided with an invisible wall.
"We won't wait for my turn," he said, clenching his fist.
There was a snap, and the space around the monster erupted. A fiery explosion consumed the creature, tearing it apart. The ground shook, and a wave of destruction spread across the area. When the smoke cleared, there was no trace of the monster left.
The air trembled again, and the Rift, as though obeying an invisible force, began to contract. Dark streams of energy spiraled, quickly disappearing into the point of rupture. Soon, the space closed, leaving only a calm sky.
Elian exhaled, brushing the dust off his shoulder, and turned to the stunned soldier.
"Uhm... where can I become a hunter?" he asked calmly.
The soldier swallow
still unable to believe what he had just witnessed.