The sirens wailed as the rift pulsed above the ruins of East Sector 17. The air shimmered, warped by the unstable energy leaking from the tear in space. Around it, barricades and half-destroyed buildings marked the boundary between what humans called the "safe zone" and the abyss beyond.
Aiden Cross tightened his grip on his worn iron sword. Its edge was dull, chipped from too many cheap repairs. The blade wasn't the only thing falling apart. His armor hung loose, held together with tape and stubbornness. Even the cracked badge on his chest, the emblem of the Raider Association looked like it wanted to give up on him.
"E-Class team, move in," barked the squad leader, a bulky man with a scar running across his jaw. "Remember, stay behind the frontliners. Support only. Don't play hero."
Aiden nodded automatically, though the words burned. He was always told not to play hero, not to push his limits, not to get in the way. After all, what could the weakest Raider do? His Awakening had been pathetic. No skill, no class, no bonus stats. Just a measly Strength rating of 7. The system had labeled him "Unfit for combat," but poverty didn't care about system warnings.
He needed the pay. Mira's treatment wasn't cheap.
The rift ahead flickered, spilling out a tide of twisted creatures. They resembled wolves, but their skin was made of hardened stone, and their eyes glowed a deep crimson. The team surged forward, the sound of steel clashing against fangs echoing through the broken streets.
Aiden stayed in the back, slashing at whatever slipped through. Each swing drained his stamina. Each breath came out ragged. He was too slow, too weak, but he forced his body to move anyway.
"Left flank! Watch the left!" someone yelled.
Aiden turned too late. One of the stone wolves lunged at him. Its claws raked across his shoulder, tearing through his armor. Pain exploded through his body. He stumbled, blood spilling down his arm.
"Damn it, Cross! Pull back!" shouted the leader.
He tried. His legs refused to cooperate. The creature lunged again, jaws wide then a flash of blue light cut through the air.
A sword gleamed like a streak of lightning. The wolf fell in two halves.
"Honestly, Aiden," said a familiar voice. "You're going to get yourself killed one of these days."
It was Lena Hart, B-Class Raider, leader of another team assigned nearby. Her armor shone with polished runes, her expression calm and sharp. The sight of her filled Aiden with a mix of relief and shame.
"I had it under control," he muttered.
She raised an eyebrow. "Sure. You looked like you were making friends with that thing." She reached into her pouch, tossed him a healing vial. "Drink it. And next time, stay out of the front lines. You're too soft for this kind of raid."
He wanted to argue. Instead, he just drank the potion. The burning pain dulled, but it didn't wash away the bitterness. Too soft. Too weak. Too useless. The words clung to him like chains.
Hours passed before the last monster fell. The rift began to shrink, its unstable energy folding in on itself. When it vanished completely, the Association agents moved in to collect cores and log casualties. Two Raiders didn't make it back. The survivors lined up to receive their pay, small envelopes that barely compensated for the risk.
Aiden's share was pitiful. Enough for food and maybe a fraction of Mira's hospital fee.
He walked home under a dark sky filled with floating rift lights, tiny remnants of dimensional energy drifting like fireflies. The world looked peaceful, but it was an illusion. Every glow in the distance marked another wound in reality.
The apartment he shared with Mira was small and cold, the wallpaper peeling. Inside, the rhythmic beeping of the medical monitor greeted him.
She was asleep, a tangle of black hair over her pale face. Tubes connected her to the life-support unit, a cheap model he'd bought secondhand.
He sat beside her, removing his armor piece by piece. His body ached, his shoulder throbbed. He stared at his trembling hands.
"How much longer can I keep doing this?" he whispered.
The system window flickered before his eyes, projected by his wristband.
> Name: Aiden Cross
Class: None
Level: 9
Strength: 7
Agility: 9
Endurance: 10
Mana: 3
Title: None
Nine levels in three years. It was laughable. Most Raiders surpassed that in weeks.
He clenched his fist. "I'll find a way. I'll get stronger, Mira. Somehow."
But the words felt hollow.
The next morning, he got a message from the Association - urgent recruitment for a new raid. Temporary team, C-Class difficulty, good pay. He hesitated. C-Class was far above his level. The survival rate for someone like him was practically zero.
Then he saw the payment amount. Enough to cover Mira's next surgery.
He pressed Accept.
The ruins of Old Haven were eerily quiet. The new team consisted of twelve Raiders, all strangers. Their leader, a confident C-Class named Ronan Vale, briefed them quickly.
"Simple job," Ronan said. "In and out. The rift's unstable, but the Association wants it cleared fast before it spreads. Stick together, don't wander off."
Aiden kept his head down, double-checking his gear.
When they entered, everything changed.
The world around them warped into a cavern lit by veins of glowing crystal. The air buzzed with mana. Strange markings covered the walls, symbols older than language itself.
"Something's wrong," muttered one of the Raiders. "C-Class rifts don't look like this."
Then the gate behind them slammed shut.
> Alert: Dimensional distortion detected.
Rift difficulty reassessed: A-Class.
The color drained from everyone's faces. Aiden's breath caught in his throat.
Monsters emerged from the darkness, towering figures made of shadow and bone. One swing from their claws tore through armor like paper. Screams echoed. Blood splattered across the stone floor.
"Retreat! Fall back to the gate!" Ronan shouted.
But the gate was gone.
Aiden fought desperately, hacking at a lesser monster. His blade cracked. His strength failed. One of the giants slammed him into a wall. Bones cracked. Vision blurred.
He collapsed beside a broken crystal, its light pulsing faintly. His consciousness faded.
Through the haze, he saw system messages flooding his vision.
> You have sustained fatal injuries.
All stats will be reset upon death.
Do you wish to accept death? [Yes/No]
He reached out instinctively. His fingers brushed the crystal.
It shattered.
A new message appeared.
> Error. System breach detected.
Protocol overridden.
You have broken the Level Limit.
Welcome, Level Breaker.
A blinding light engulfed him. For a moment, he felt every fiber of his being burn and reform, like his body was rewriting itself from the inside out.
When the light faded, the cavern was silent. The monsters were gone. The air felt heavy with power.
Aiden opened his eyes. His wounds were gone. His sword was whole again. The system window flickered back to life, but something was different.
> Level: ???
Class: Level Breaker
All limits removed.