Ch 5 - Pixies

They were so screwed.

That was all Evan could think as the pixies flew around them. They might look small and harmless, but he refused to be fooled by appearances. Anything encountered inside a Rift was dangerous. And it was highly unlikely to find something that could be reasoned with. Considering Evan’s string of horrendous bad luck, there was no chance he would ever run into the "nice" kind like the ones in children’s stories. Judging by their grinning faces, these things were thinking less about flowers and tea and more about ripping eyeballs out or gnawing flesh off bones with their sharp little teeth.

"We gotta run!" Evan said as he grabbed Yuyan’s arm and pulled her up.

The girl stumbled, and from her uneven steps, Evan could tell the fall must have twisted her ankle. Yuyan grimaced in pain but didn’t protest.

The pixies didn’t attack outright. Instead, they circled the pair in a widening ring, occasionally darting forward to rake their claws across exposed skin and leave shallow gashes. Evan knew the creatures could overwhelm them in seconds if they swarmed together, yet they deliberately held back, treating the two as playthings. Their mocking laughter made their intentions clear. To them, Evan and Yuyan were nothing more than helpless prey.

As they passed another tree, a low-hanging branch came into reach. He reached out, intending to use it as a makeshift weapon, when Yuyan grabbed his hand.

"No, don’t!" Yuyan said. "These pixies live inside the trees! They only came out because you broke that other branch!"

"Just great!" Evan said as he dodge away from another swipe, the claws leaving a slash on his cheek.

How was he supposed to know these little monsters were hiding inside trees? This was a life-and-death situation, and he hadn’t exactly paused to think before snapping off that branch to kill the wolf.

"Kekekekekeke!"

"What should we do then?" Evan said.

At this rate, both of them would die from a thousand cuts. He wasn’t sure if the claws were poisonous or just sharp, but every wound sent a sharp sting of pain through his body.

"These are Woodbound Pixies," Yuyan said. "Um, the book said that if you encounter them, the best thing to do is move as far away from their host tree as possible. They don’t like to stray too far from home."

"Should’ve said that sooner!"

The two picked up the pace, desperate to widen the gap between themselves and the demented buzzing fiends. The monsters responded by growing increasingly agitated. Their flight quickened, and their strikes became more vicious.

"Aaaah! My hair!" Yuyan screamed as one particularly vicious pixie latched onto it and gave it a brutal yank. It pulled so hard he could almost see strands being ripped from her scalp.

Evan picked up a nearby rock and threw it hard at the monster. It dodged at the last moment and stuck out its long silvery tongue at him.

"Bastard," Evan muttered. He picked up more rocks and, as they continued moving, threw them at the pixies, trying to keep them away. Yuyan followed along, but it quickly became clear that these monsters were far more agile than they could handle. Their rocks flew everywhere, never hitting a single one.

To make matters worse—

Crack!

One of Evan’s thrown rocks instead struck a tree branch, leaving a deep split.

"Oh no," Yuyan said.

The two bolted from the tree, desperate to put as much distance between themselves and the swarm as possible, but the pixies nesting within were already pouring out. The assault intensified as their numbers doubled, while their maddened laughter echoed through the forest, following Evan and Yuyan as they fled.

Fwish!

Gashes appeared all over their bodies as skin and clothes were torn. One hit Evan in the eye. He barely managed to shut his eyelid in time, but a deep cut still ran across it.

That’s definitely going to scar, Evan thought as he pressed his palm over the bleeding wound.

But that was the least of his worries. The assault grew fiercer until Evan and Yuyan were forced to hunker down, shielding their vital areas. It bought them only a few moments. Pinned beneath the relentless barrage, they had no way to move, while remaining there meant certain death.

Is this how I’m going to die? Evan thought. He had only just been dumped into this other Earth today, and now he was going to die because his System hated him. Yeah, that sounded about right for his life.

If this was how it ended, maybe it wasn’t so bad that he got transmigrated. At least his last meal had been great. He recalled Reid’s smiling face as he watched Evan eat his homemade noodles.

Would he be sad? Most likely. He would grieve the loss of his little brother, never knowing that another soul had already taken his place. Maybe that was for the best. If Evan died here, Reid would never have to learn the truth.

Fwoosh!

"Kek!"

The pixies’ demented laughter was cut short as a massive sword was flung through the air. It cut down several of the monsters in a single sweep, though the others managed to dodge. They snickered at the failed attempt, but Evan’s eyes widened as the sword curved back like a boomerang and struck more of them on its return, cutting them down midair.

The sword flew back into the massive grip of Harlan. His warm eyes now burned with intensity as he stared at the monsters tormenting Evan and Yuyan.

"Stay down, kids!" Harlan shouted as he swung his sword.

A gust of wind blades erupted from the strike, cutting down the remaining monsters. They shrieked as they fell, their bodies crashing to the ground in bursts of dust.

"Evan! Yuyan!" Marcus said as he ran from behind Harlan toward them. "Are you guys okay?"

"Do I look okay to you?" Yuyan asked, glaring at him through her disheveled hair and cut-up face.

"Um… no."

"Here, I’ve got some potions that you can use." Harlan sheathed his sword and pulled out small vials from his gear pouch.

Evan examined the thumb-sized glass vial, sealed with a tight cork stopper. The liquid inside was a faint, glowing red, thick like diluted syrup rather than water. Even in stillness, it seemed to glow faintly when it caught the light.

Glancing at Yuyan, he saw her pour some onto her handkerchief and dab it on the worst of her wounds before drinking the rest. Following her example, Evan dabbed some on his bleeding eyelids and other deeper wounds before consuming the potion.

Though the potion looked a bit like syrup, it tasted nothing like it. The moment it touched his tongue, Evan was met with a thick, metallic bitterness. A dry, burning sensation remained in the back of his throat long after he swallowed.

Evan coughed.

"You’ll get used to it," Harlan said, patting him on the back.

I hope not, Evan thought.

"How did you guys end up being chased by pixies?" Marcus said. "I thought you guys knew better than to mess with Woodbound Pixies’ trees."

"It’s not my fault," Evan said, shooting a glare at Yuyan.

"I-it’s not my fault either!" Yuyan protested, her cheeks flushing. "I was staying still in the spot I found myself in after getting sucked into the Rift, but then a Six-Eyed Wolf found me and started chasing me. Am I supposed to just let it maul me?"

"And then you found me and got me into trouble too," Evan said.

"You were the one who broke the tree branch!"

"To save your life!"

"Okay, okay, I see what happened," Harlan said with a smile. "You guys did well. Emergency guidelines are useful, but reality doesn’t always fit neatly into rigid rules. Still, I’m very glad you two are okay."

"So what are we going to do next?" Evan asked. With an actual Awakener now with them, he could feel the tight coil of anxiety around his heart easing a bit.

"Let’s assess our situation first," Harlan said. "Based on the monsters we've encountered, I suspect we're inside a B-rank Rift. Both Woodbound Pixies and Six-Eyed Wolves are commonly found in dungeons of this level."

The three students nodded.

"Good news is that it’s not hard at all to clear a dungeon like this," Harlan said.

Seeing his reassuring smile, Evan suspected the man was trying to calm them down, but the issue was that he knew something Harlan didn’t. "But if that’s the case, where’s the rescue team? The Rift opened right inside an Outer Zone Security Station. Shouldn’t we see another Awakener aside from you?"

Marcus and Yuyan frowned.

"That’s true," Marcus nodded. "Based on the guidelines, if conditions permit it, an incoming rescue team will release a flare to inform trapped civilians of their presence. And with this dungeon being an open field, we should be able to see one."

"But how long has it been since we were trapped here?" Yuyan asked. "It’s possible they’re still preparing to send a team."

Harlan checked his wristwatch and said, "Around an hour has passed since we entered. With a dungeon of this level, we can expect to wait anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours."

"So we should wait some more?" Marcus said.

Yuyan’s expression tightened.

"Let’s find a good place to rest while we wait for rescue," Harlan said. "I’ve got a flare with me, and I’ll send it up after another hour."

Yuyan and Marcus nodded, while Evan bit his lip. He doubted that waiting longer would help. He wasn’t sure what this dungeon being irregular meant, but he felt like rescue wouldn’t come for them.

***

Reid was in Zone 19 of the Western Sector, providing field support alongside Hye-jin for a newly formed Rift that had appeared a short distance from the barrier. Its estimated rank was A, prompting an immediate response from the authorities. Once the bureau pinpointed its likely location, residents were swiftly evacuated, and the area was placed under quarantine.

Without warning, Reid’s and Hye-jin’s phones chimed at the same time. [Alert: Potential B-rank Rift detected. Location: Outskirts, Western Sector, Zone 3, Outer Zone Security Station. Three students are currently unaccounted for. One C-rank Awakener entered the Rift shortly after their disappearance. Immediate verification and response requested.]

A cold, unseen grip seized Reid’s heart as he heard those words.

"Hye-jin, I’m going there," Reid said. Without waiting for her response, he climbed into his field response vehicle and drove toward the newly formed Rift.

It took him more than half an hour to reach the site, even with the elevated expressway cutting through the inner Outskirts. By the time he arrived, barricades had already been erected around the B-rank Rift.

One officer moved to stop him, but Reid showed his badge and identification. Realizing he was from the Rift Control Bureau, the officer stepped aside.

"I heard the Rift Response Unit is still on its way, sir," the officer said.

"I was nearby handling another incident and thought I’d check on this one," Reid replied. "What’s the situation?"

"The Rift appeared approximately fifty-five minutes ago and immediately pulled in three nearby students, two males and one female. The C-rank Awakener serving as their tour guide entered shortly afterward. The remaining students have been evacuated to safety, and a team of Awakeners has assembled to enter the Rift."

"Do you know the students’ names?" Reid asked.

The officer checked the written record on his tablet and said, "According to the teacher, the children who are missing are Zhao Yuyan, Marcus Reed, and Evan Whitfield."

Reid drew a slow breath. His fear had been confirmed, but there was no time to dwell on it. He approached the group of Awakeners gathered near the Rift. Fully equipped, they stood in a tight formation, weapons secured at their sides.

After a brief exchange, Reid returned to his vehicle and opened the rear compartment. With the officers’ assistance, he assembled the equipment needed to assess the Rift. While the devices initialized, he sent a message to headquarters confirming his arrival.

Under normal circumstances, he would have been with Hye-Jin assisting with A-rank Rifts as backup. Higher-ranked Rifts were more unstable and unpredictable, and a single monitoring system wasn't always enough. But there was no way Reid could stand by while his brother was trapped inside one.

Moments later, the scan confirmed it was a B-rank dungeon. Although the signal suggested it was neither particularly large nor especially threatening, the unusual energy wavelength made Reid frown.

"I think it should be safe for you to enter," Reid said as he handed the Awakeners communication devices synced to his equipment.

If his assessment was correct, the Rift was stable enough to permit one-way communication. The team inside could relay information or request backup if necessary, which eased some of Reid’s concern. Higher-ranked Rifts rarely afforded that luxury.

"However, there is something off with the data. I fear there is a chance this could be an Irregular Rift," Reid warned.

"Irregular?" the team captain frowned.

"Yes, but the fluctuations seem minimal, and the chance of it increasing in rank is extremely low," Reid said.

Was the captain considering calling it off? Reid wondered. Entering a Rift always carried risks, especially when dealing with irregular ones. The danger could come from time distortions, mutated enemies, or, in the worst cases, a sudden increase in the Rift’s rank. An urge to enter the Rift himself welled up inside Reid.

"Let’s do it, Captain," another Awakener said. "Harlan and the three kids are trapped inside. We can’t just sit on our asses like this."

"Yeah, our team has three B-ranks and two C-ranks with us. We can handle this!" another added.

The captain nodded. "Alright, let’s head in."

Reid nodded as well. "Rest assured, I’ll send backup as soon as it becomes necessary."

The team of five Awakeners marched toward the open Rift, with the captain leading the way. He raised his hand and reached toward the portal—

Bzzzt!

Sparks flew.

The captain pulled his hand back as a floating System window appeared before him.

[Entry Limit: 4 / 5]

"…What?"

A/N:

Dun dun dun! Only one more person can enter the Rift! Who do you think will be the one to save our poor MC?

Helpful Awakeners: time to save them!

System: How about no.

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