The city streets buzzed with life. Hovercars hummed overhead while pedestrians moved in predictable patterns, oblivious to the hidden fractures in reality that lurked in alleys and forgotten corners. Biro walked cautiously, his senses taut, the F-grade Omniversal fragment thrumming faintly within him, as though aware that today would mark his first true encounter with this new world's dangers.
The fragment was subtle—he could feel its presence in the back of his mind, a low, persistent vibration. It whispered instinctively, guiding his attention toward anomalies: a flicker of distorted air, a shadow that did not belong, the faintest pulse of energy at the edge of his perception. Biro paused. The fragment urged him forward.
It was an alley not far from his apartment, narrow and poorly lit. The walls were covered in fading advertisements and graffiti, but beneath the surface shimmered a faint distortion, like heat rising off a pavement. Biro's pulse quickened. This was his first rift, a thin tear in the fabric of reality that had opened here, unnoticed by ordinary eyes.
He stepped closer, testing the air. The rift pulsed, and a low growl resonated from within. Biro's instincts screamed caution, but curiosity—and the fragment's subtle urging—propelled him forward.
From the rift emerged a creature unlike anything he had ever seen. It was quadrupedal, roughly the size of a large dog, its body covered in shifting scales that refracted the dim light. Eyes like molten gold fixed on him, and from its maw came a hiss that sent a chill down his spine. A low "F-level" indicator shimmered faintly above the creature, visible only to his system panel.
[System Panel – Rift Encounter Detected]
Monster Type: Low-Level Rift Spawn
Power Grade: F
Recommended Action: Caution advised
EXP Reward: Minor
Biro swallowed, his heart pounding. The fragment thrummed with recognition, sending waves of warmth through his chest. He could feel the creature's energy, small yet predatory, like a shadow waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Without fully understanding why, he crouched slightly, readying his body.
Instinct took over. The creature lunged, claws scraping against the concrete. Biro moved, more agile than his normal body should allow. The fragment's influence subtly augmented his reflexes; he dodged with surprising ease. Panic mixed with exhilaration. He could sense the creature's intent, almost like it was a conversation of forces rather than words.
With a thought, Biro extended his hand. The fragment responded, releasing a small pulse of energy—simple, raw, uncontrolled—but enough to stagger the creature. It growled, retreating slightly, assessing him. Biro felt a thrill, the first tangible proof that he was not entirely powerless, that the essence within him—though faint—could shape outcomes.
The creature hesitated, then lunged again. This time, Biro rolled forward instinctively, narrowly avoiding its claws. His mind raced, analyzing patterns, movements, weaknesses. He could not yet summon fire, lightning, or psychic power. All he had was the fragment, a raw pulse of omniversal potential, responding to his will imperfectly, unpredictably. Yet it was enough to defend, to survive, to learn.
Minutes—or perhaps hours—passed in what felt like an eternity. Biro dodged, struck, and observed. The fragment pulsed stronger with each near-miss, feeding him subtle insights: the creature favored right-side attacks, it recoiled from sharp noise, its energy was unstable when cornered. Finally, with a controlled release of the fragment's energy, Biro sent a surge that drove the creature back into the rift, which snapped shut behind it with a faint echo.
Biro sank to his knees, chest heaving, pulse racing. The apartment, the city, the distant hovercars—everything felt simultaneously familiar and alien. He had survived his first real trial, relying on instincts and the fragment within him.
Unknown to him, far above, hidden in a nearby office tower, his parents observed discreetly. His father's expression was unreadable, his hands folded behind his back, while his mother's eyes were wide with cautious pride. They said nothing. No words could risk revealing the truth: that Biro Kael carried the fragment of a Mythic-level bloodline, that the boy had potential beyond imagination, that their family's power remained a secret, even from him.
"Soon," his father murmured softly, "he will begin to understand. But not yet."
Biro rose, brushing dust from his clothes. The fragment thrummed, alive and responsive, hinting at the challenges and lessons to come. He did not yet know the extent of his power, nor the depths of the world he had been reborn into. But he understood one immutable truth: survival depended on vigilance, awareness, and the awakening that had begun within him.
And the world, with all its rifts, monsters, and hidden dangers, would test him in ways he could scarcely imagine.
This was only the beginning