SSS Ranked Reincarnation: Dark Dragon Legacy - Chapter 464 - 464: first rift monster
After a few hours of traveling across the Black Sea, the island finally came into view. Even from a distance, Silva could feel a strange pulse of energy radiating from it, most likely the effect of the rift that had torn open there.
He narrowed his eyes, scanning the island through the faint mist. It was thickly forested, wild and unkempt, but at the center stood something man-made, an ancient structure built of black marble, the same type used in the Arcane Tower. That detail alone told him enough. This place had once been a settlement, long before the rift corrupted it and turned it into a monster’s nest.
The settlement’s largest building had a flat roof, wide enough to serve as a landing zone, so Silva angled the ship toward it. The engines hummed as they descended, the landing struts touching down with a soft metallic thud.
“Alright,” Silva said, stepping forward, his voice calm but commanding. “Keep your eyes open. The rift monsters here might be weak, but we’re not taking any chances. No mistakes.”
He turned to Dawn. “You’ll be helping us on this one. I know I’ve kept you out of most missions lately, but this time, you’re free to do as you wish. Take down the rift monsters. If things get out of hand, you know what to do. Contact me.”
Dawn nodded, her expression steady as she looked down at Snow, who was curled in her arms. “What about Snow?” she asked.
“She’ll stay with me,” Silva replied. “I’ll have some of my clones keep watch over her.”
Drake tilted his head. “So… we’re spreading out?”
“Yeah,” Silva confirmed. “Each of us will move toward the rift. I don’t know its exact location, but you’ll be able to sense it if you focus on the energy flow. Once you find it, contact the rest of us immediately.”
“Understood,” Drake said with a nod.
Lily, who had been silent the entire time, spoke up softly. “Be careful.”
Silva glanced at her. There was a subtle hint of unease in her eyes. “Is there something we should be worried about?” he asked.
He knew Lily’s foresight wasn’t something to dismiss lightly. If she had seen something, it was best to hear it.
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “Everything I’ve foretold up until now hasn’t come to pass, not exactly, anyway. I’m starting to think my ability isn’t reliable anymore.”
Silva gave a faint smile. “No. I think your ability is the reason we’ve avoided disaster so far. You warned me early, and I forced fate to bend to our will because of it.”
She lowered her gaze slightly. “Then… just be careful. I see something coming from the rift. I can’t tell what it is, but just be cautious.”
“That’s not an issue,” Silva said, his tone even. “Whatever it is, we’ll handle it.”
Lily gave a small nod and said nothing more.
The ship’s ramp lowered with a hiss, letting in the sound of wind and the faint hum of distant energy. The team stepped out one after the other. Snow perched quietly atop Silva’s head, her tiny eyes wide as she looked around at the strange, fog-covered island.
“Alright,” Silva said, his voice firm again. “I’ll take point. You two move around the perimeter. Eliminate any rift monsters you encounter. Remember, exterminating the abyss-born creatures is as important as closing the rift itself. Don’t hesitate. Don’t underestimate anything.”
He paused. “Is that understood?”
“Yes,” the others replied in unison.
Dawn drew her sword, a massive, double-edged blade that hummed faintly as she swung it once through the air. It had been a long time since she last wielded it, and even now, Silva could sense the restrained power hidden within her.
He remembered the night he’d trained her, the moment she’d revealed a power that didn’t belong to ordinary mortals. Something latent, buried deep, like a sleeping storm waiting to be unleashed. She hadn’t reached it then, but maybe this world would push her to.
Silva looked around at his team, then toward the dark forest that stretched before them. The faint hum of the rift could already be felt in the air, a distortion in mana itself.
“Alright,” he said quietly. “Move out.”
And with that, they split into three groups, vanishing into the shadows of the forest toward the unknown that waited at the island’s heart.
As Silva walked through the thick forest, the smell of rot, moss, and wood filled his nose. Snow sat on his neck, playing with his hair. She hadn’t really spoken much ever since he took her, and he hadn’t gotten the time to actually know her.
But he still loved her regardless, and she was special to him. As he thought about Snow, his mind drifted off to Elsa. He kind of missed everyone and wished he didn’t have to leave.
“Regardless of what it takes, I’ll make sure I get back to all of them.”
Pat pat.
Snow patted his head and then pointed to the distance in the forest. He looked there, and that was when he noticed that there was something inside the forest.
He didn’t move or speak; he just stared until a creature burst out, a lizard-like monster, at least three meters long, with long jagged claws and teeth. The tip of its tail glowed green, meaning it was a rank one.
It moved at top speed, rushing for Silva, but he didn’t react until it was close. Then he lifted his head straight up and brought it down like a meteor, his foot crashing into its head, shattering the skull on impact and sending the monster’s body down to the ground, creating a crater under its head.
“Dead in one move. Weak,” he muttered. Snow looked at the dead lizard, and for some reason, Silva’s swift strike made her smile.
Silva ignored it though, turning his attention back to the forest, he could already sense more heading his way right now.
