The Author's Viewpoint-Chapter 122 - Low Blaze

The true purpose of a Rift Expedition for Gaia Awakeners had always been clear, rapid progress. By diving into high-intensity combat against relentless monsters, they forced their bodies and minds to adapt, evolve, and break through limitations. The environment itself was their enemy: harsh, unforgiving, and constantly demanding survival through strategy and strength.

There were no exits. No easy way out.

Win or die. That was the reality.

But things took a far crueler turn when fate dumped them into an Emergency Rift. Here, it wasn’t just difficult. It was brutal. Unfair. A misstep means death.

Still, there was one way forward: hunt. Keep hunting. Kill monsters in large numbers. Use their remains for resources, growth, and power. It was a grim cycle, but it worked.

Tave’s strategy, reckless as it seemed, only worked because of one critical factor: the cave. A perfectly chosen trap.

The monsters, lured inside by the scent from the Hydra’s ring, found themselves in a place thick with Lunaris Bloom. Here, their senses dulled. Their instincts faltered. The elemental density and the strange effects of the flowers slowly drained their vitality.

And the team, prepared, and well-coordinated, took full advantage.

With the cave system mapped and every tunnel logged, and with Tave and Fang’s expert scouting, the team launched their operation twenty hours later.

By then, the monsters were weakened, disoriented, and boxed in.

Working as a unit, they moved efficiently through the tunnels. Fang took point, darting through the cave paths to detect movement and signal positions. Tave led the main strike team.

Whenever a monster was found, Finn and Darian would burst forward, pinning it down or herding it into a kill zone, while the rest of the team unleashed wave after wave of damage. Every member played their part. Every second counted.

One person was assigned solely to collecting monster cores and soul stones from each fallen creature, ensuring nothing was wasted.

Three hours.

That was all it took.

In just three hours, they had successfully eliminated every single monster that had been trapped inside the cave.

And the count was twenty-seven. Far more than Tave had originally estimated.

But the plan had held. The preparation had worked. And the execution had been flawless.

They had done it.

The team gathered once more in the main chamber after the hunt was complete. The aftermath was clear. Lunaris Bloom petals were scattered everywhere, many of them crushed under monster limbs or half-devoured by teeth that didn’t care what they consumed.

The glowing violet hue of the cave was dimmer now, as if even the flowers knew they’d been desecrated.

"Well," Elowen spoke first, "I guess this cave won’t last us forever, huh?"

"The cave’s still packed with these flowers," Finn replied, wiping monster blood from his blade. "We can keep using them... until the very last petal’s gone."

Tave gave a slow, thoughtful nod. "At most, we can probably use this strategy for another two, maybe three weeks. After that... we’ll have drained everything this place has to offer."

Velion added. "Then we make the most of the time we have. Rest smart. Fight sharper. We may even have to launch attacks before they’re fully weakened. As long as we can isolate small groups and avoid full clashes."

There was a moment of silence.

Then, one by one, everyone nodded.

They agreed.

And just like that. Two weeks passed in a blur.

The cave had become a battlefield, a sanctuary, and a training ground all at once. The team moved like a machine, their rhythm honed by countless fights and hard-earned synergy. Hunt. Rest. Prepare. Repeat.

Tave found himself sitting alone now, a little deeper in one of the quieter corners of the cave. Far enough from the others to gather his thoughts and take full account of his progress.

And it was insane.

He scrolled through his stats. His growth over the past fourteen days had been explosive. Non-stop battles, near-constant use of Gaia Force, refined tactics, and heavy strain on both body and mind. It had all paid off.

Everyone had leveled up.

And even better? They’d collected an overwhelming number of monster cores and monster soul stones.

[ Name: Tave ]

[ Level - Stage: 27 - Gaia Guardian ]

[ Elements: Blaze (Low) | Shadow (Medium) | Soul Fire (Low) ]

[ Sigils: Shadow Cloak | Hellforge Form ]

[ Relics: The Flamebound Seraph ]

[ Echoes: None ]

[ Pacts: None ]

Tave had reached level 27.

And when he saw the number flash across his status window, he couldn’t help but grin. Wide, wild, completely satisfied.

Every bit of pain, exhaustion, every sleepless night and desperate battle had been worth it.

He leaned back against the cool stone wall, letting the weight of his progress settle in. How long had they been trapped inside this Rift now? fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

Time had become a blur, days bleeding into each other without clear distinction. There was no sunrise or sunset in here. Just action and survival.

But one thing was very clear.

He had changed.

And not just in level.

His Fire element had finally evolved.

Blaze.

Tave couldn’t help but let out a breath. He had secretly hoped for another evolution path, something more single-target focused, ideal for surgical, high-precision damage.

But Blaze was a brutal advancement of Fire. It spread. It tore across the battlefield like a living storm. Less concentrated damage, but in return, the range, the scale, the sheer reach of it was overwhelming.

He could now conjure fire in massive quantities. Wide, engulfing flames that didn’t just hit one enemy. They hit everyone caught within.

And this upgrade didn’t stand alone.

Blaze directly enhanced his Soul Fire as well.

He wasn’t tapping into its full potential yet. That kind of synergy needed time. Mastery. But with every fight, every use, he could feel the feedback loop beginning to form.

And once he ascended... Once he became a Gaia Master...

Everything would shift.

His elemental abilities would evolve even further. His connection to Kaelira, the spirit tied to his Relic, would deepen. And with that, the true capabilities of his weapon would begin to unfold.

Just a little more.

If he could push just a bit harder, reach Gaia Master before they reached the final boss of this Rift, he’d be ready.

Could he reach level 30 within a month?

It wasn’t impossible.

Tave leaned forward slightly, fingers tapping against his leg as he calculated the likelihood. If they kept up this pace. Monster hunts, focused training, perfect execution. Yes, one month would be enough. At worst? Two months. And by then, he could break into the ranks of the Gaia Masters.

But that was only if everything went according to plan.

And he already knew... they couldn’t keep hunting like this forever. This cave was a limited resource. The floral energy would run dry. The monsters would change their patterns.

He’d need a new strategy. A smarter one. One that allowed them to draw enemies out and break them down without risking the team’s safety.

He exhaled, letting the thoughts drift for now.

It was time to turn his attention elsewhere.

Fang.

His loyal partner had been evolving just as rapidly, maybe even faster.

Tave sat cross-legged, eyes focused, as Fang padded toward him from the darkness of the tunnel.

"Hi, Fang," he said softly.

Fang gave a low, rumbling growl and dipped his head respectfully.

"You’ve been working hard," Tave murmured. "I think you’ve earned a reward."

A small smile touched his lips as he reached into his storage ring and pulled out a glimmering monster soul stone.

"But first," he said, voice low and firm, "let’s take a look at your updated status."