Ascenders Rift

Ding!

[Congratulations, you have completed Stage 1 of the Special Rift Quest - Kill the Three Calamities of Qeodreona!]

[Quest Rank - ???]

[Target: Valoz, the Semi-Completed Genetic Blood Lifeform | Status - Exterminated]

[Result: Because of your outstanding achievement, each party member has received 50000 MTP, 50000 EXP. The title - The First Hunters, has been received!]

[The First Hunters - A title gifted to only those Ascenders brave enough to tackle the Rift Quest on their own! (+5 to all stats)]

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As Joe and the others heard the notification and saw the details on a screen before their eyes. They each showed a trace of excitement; it seemed that their arduous work wasn't in vain.

"This... haha! I spoke too soon; look at all that EXP, not to mention the Merit Points; with that, we should more than be able to purchase some decent equipment for a change," Joe said with excitement on his face.

Emilia and Breya also had bright eyes as they saw their stat increase; they couldn't help but express their thoughts.

"Sister Breya, if it's like this, then we can level up again quickly; you'll also be able to rank up to the next Ascenders Stage," Emilia said.

"That's right, but Emmy, are you sure you're going to still wait until all of your stats have met the requirements? We've seen it firsthand, the strength of even a Single Attributed Ascender at the Second Stage is still more than enough, that's why I changed my mind," Breya said while looking at Emilia.

Emilia shook her head with a firm look in her eyes as she replied, "No, I have to do it this way; my stats are innately low to begin with, and are almost equally balanced. It's better to take the long route; I believe I'll be able to catch up when I do. Besides, my Spiritual Power is my strong point; it, along with my special talent skill, is enough to mitigate most of the difference."

"Alright, do what's best for you, Emmy, if anything. We'll just have to protect you during your weak time, or better yet, just rely on that stalker of yours." Breya said with a slight whispering tone as she vaguely glanced in Rick's direction.

Emilia also giggled at this, showing no ounce of shyness. Naturally, this was courtesy of Breya's training; she glanced at Rick noticing that he was gripping his fists as he stared at Evan in silence.

'Evan, you're ahead of me now, but soon, I believe that we will be able to have that rematch. I may not have your strength, but my speed will soon be enough to treat you like a punching bag.'

Rick thought as he still hadn't gotten over the beating he had received from that time in the college, even if he saw Evan's current skill, he wouldn't belittle his future strength gain.

Unlike Joe and the others, who were caught in their excitement, Evan remained calm as he calmly looked at his extra notifications.

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Ding!

[Congratulations, you've leveled up! Calculating total stat boosts...]

Ding!

[Calculation complete! You have met the requirements for All Attribute Ascension; shall you proceed with the transformation?]

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Evan smiled as he saw his current change; he felt that once he ascended, he would be able to handle most of the following threats.

'Excellent, with this, we will have a better chance against the others, even more so with the current increase of power in our party. Once Layla and Breya have ascended to the next stage, we should be more than capable of handling anything from either the Insect Hive or the Mother Nest. For now, we just need a little more time, just enough, and we should be able to easily—'

Evan was about to ponder something, but before he could even finish those thoughts, a new change had suddenly occurred.

With a loud rumble, the entire world around them started to quake as a bright golden light shone from the heavens, startling all lives within Qeodreona as a whole.

"What? Evan, what's going on?" Joe exclaimed as he felt the earth-shaking around him.

Rick and the others also felt it odd, but Evan had a dark look on his face as he frowned while speaking, "Guys, I had originally thought that they wouldn't be as shameless as to go against this rule, but it seems that I was wrong in my judgment."

Rick had a confused look as he asked, "Evan, what are you saying? What do you mean?"

Breya, Emilia, and Joe also looked at him intensely, hoping to get a clear reply. Evan finally sighed as he lifted his head to face the heavens and spoke, "It looks like our decisive battle is about to begin..."

"What?" The others exclaimed as they heard Evan's words, knowing full well of its implications.

"You mean that the deadline for that battle has been canceled?" Joe asked with a hint of shock on his face.

Evan stared at him and replied, "That's right; it seems that because of our victory, the date has no longer been deemed necessary."

When everyone heard this, their faces turning grave as they knew that from this point forward, the entire world of Qeodreona would undergo a drastic turmoil like none seen before.

***

In a distant location of the X Space, the strange group that had annihilated Devora gazed up at the sky with varying expressions as one hooded individual with a peculiar mask chuckled as he spoke, "And so, the true event begins..."

As if his words proved true, the sky only grew brighter and brighter as if welcoming something from a distant cosmos. Suddenly, a ball of light bolted into the world from the sky, falling directly into the X Space. It flew towards a distant continent at the edge of the world, crashing onto its surface with a loud boom.

The instant this happened, a towering tree grew from the continent, reaching a size where it could directly be seen from any corner of the X Space, bringing a deep shock to those on its inside. However, following this change, a resonant voice soon after sounded across the world.