Home / System / Rise of the Shield Bearer / Chapter eighteen: The Riftstorm Rising

Chapter eighteen: The Riftstorm Rising

2025-10-18 23:54:30

Thunder rolled across the horizon as Kael Ardent and Lyria fled the twisting streets of Erenthia. The bounty on his head had already drawn mercenaries, rogue knights, and Rift-hunters—all of them converging from every direction. Above, the sky crackled with ominous purple streaks, the Rift bleeding into the world, reacting to Kael’s presence.

The Shield hummed urgently against his forearm, the entity inside sensing every threat, every heartbeat of the pursuers. Kael knew this was no ordinary chase—the Crown’s wrath had become a storm, and the Shield was beginning to show dangerous new abilities in response.

[Quest Updated: Evade Capital Hunters and Survive]

[System Alert: Pursuit Intensified — High Priority]

[Rift Merge Level: 62% — Very High]

The first hunter appeared on a rooftop, a bow glowing with anti-Rift enchantments. Kael raised the Shield just in time as the arrow shattered against it, leaving a crackling imprint in the barrier’s surface. The Shield absorbed the kinetic

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Chapter thirty-two: Rift Artillery Assault
The air shimmered with heat and energy as massive Rift artillery platforms emerged from the shattered barricades of the Crown’s forces. Dark spires pulsed with unstable Rift energy, firing bolts that tore through the streets, splitting the earth, and sending civilians screaming in every direction. Kael and Lyria sprinted toward the chaos, the pulse of the Riftstorm thrumming through Kael’s veins like an untamed heartbeat. [Quest Updated: Neutralize Rift Artillery — Protect Civilians] [System Alert: Rift Merge Level — 99% — Critical Threshold] [Level Up Available: Kael Ardent — Shield Wielder] Kael raised the Aether Shield, feeling the familiar sentience awaken, whispering strategies and warnings. The system panel glowed faintly before his eyes: [Name: Kael Ardent] [Weapon: Aether Shield — Legendary] [Attack: 8] [Defense: 55] [Skills: Riftstorm Manipulation 130%, Riftwave Overload — Battlefield Scale, Adaptive Barrier — Overdrive, Rift Resonance Link, Riftstorm Environmental C
Chapter thirty-one: Counterstrike at Dawn
The first light of dawn filtered through the shattered skyline, painting fractured streets in blood-red and gold. Smoke from the previous day’s battle still clung to the air, twisting like ghosts around ruined statues and toppled pillars. Kael and Lyria crouched atop a broken overpass, surveying the reorganized Crown forces massing in the central square. From the distance, the banners of the kingdom flapped violently, whipped by the winds of the Riftstorm, which had begun to seep into the environment—trees bending unnaturally, streets cracking with glowing fissures, and the sky humming faintly with energy. [Quest Updated: Launch Counteroffensive — Defeat Crown’s Elite Reorganization] [System Alert: Enemy Elite Units Detected — High Priority] [Level Up Available: Kael Ardent — Shield Wielder] Kael gripped the Aether Shield, feeling its pulse in rhythm with the storm. The memories of past wielders whispered through him—strategies, combat intuition, survival instincts—and he allowed
Chapter thirty: The Rift Experiment Unleashed
The Elite Rift Experiment descended like a storm incarnate, blackened crystal armor glinting in the fractured sunlight, its body thrumming with raw Rift energy. Every step it took warped the cobblestones beneath it, sending tremors through the ruined city streets. Kael tightened his grip on the Aether Shield, feeling its consciousness stir, aware, alive, and hungry for action. [Quest Updated: Defeat Elite Rift Experiment — Survival Critical] [System Alert: Rift Merge Level — 100% — Possession Risk MAX] [Level Up Available: Kael Ardent — Shield Wielder] The creature roared, energy crackling from its jagged crystal spikes. Its first strike came fast—a swinging arm of unstable Rift force that could crush a building. Kael braced, raising Adaptive Barrier — Overdrive. The shield absorbed the impact, sending shockwaves rippling through the surrounding battlefield. [Skill Activated: Adaptive Barrier — Overdrive] [Effect: Full Absorption + Reflect 60% of Damage] [Experience Gained: 180
Chapter twenty-nine: The Crown Strikes Back
Dawn broke over the fractured city, but light brought no comfort. Smoke curled from shattered streets, and the air was thick with the metallic scent of blood and Rift energy. Kael and Lyria crouched behind a toppled statue of the old city hall, scanning the horizon. From the mist, banners bearing the royal crest appeared. Elite Crown forces marched forward, their armor gleaming, weapons humming with Rift-imbued energy. At their forefront strode the first wave of Rift Paladins, each a fusion of man and experimental Rift energy. Kael’s system flickered awake. [Quest Updated: Defend Against Crown Retaliation — High Priority] [System Alert: Enemy Elite Units Detected — Rift-Powered] [Level Up Available: Kael Ardent — Shield Wielder] He flexed his fingers against the Aether Shield, feeling the energy pulse stronger than ever. [Name: Kael Ardent] [Weapon: Aether Shield — Legendary] [Attack: 6] [Defense: 45] [Skills: Riftwave, Adaptive Barrier, Rift Resonance Link, Riftstorm Manip
Chapter twenty-eight: The Riftstorm Unleashed
The city groaned under the weight of the Riftstorm. Green-and-purple energy crackled through the sky, tearing at rooftops, twisting streets, and hurling debris into the wind. Kael stood atop a fractured overpass, the Aether Shield strapped to his arm. Each pulse of the Shield thrummed in tune with the storm, resonating like a heartbeat against the chaos. [Quest Updated: Execute City-Wide Counterstrike — In Progress] [System Alert: Riftstorm Energy — Maximum Intensity in Strategic Zones] [Level Up Available: Kael Ardent — Shield Wielder] Kael felt the Shield absorbing the ambient Rift energy. His vision flickered as his system interface displayed crucial updates: [Name: Kael Ardent] [Weapon: Aether Shield — Legendary] [Attack: 5] [Defense: 40] [Skills: Riftwave, Adaptive Barrier, Rift Resonance Link, Riftstorm Manipulation — 50%] [Rift Merge Status: 97% — Critical Threshold Approaching] Below, Crown forces surged forward, marching blindly into the chaos of distorted streets.
Chapter twenty-seven: The Calm Before the Riftstorm
Dawn broke over Elarion City, but the light was dim, filtered through a haze of Rift energy spiraling in the sky. The Riftstorm had expanded overnight, creeping into streets and alleys like a living entity, twisting the architecture, making familiar buildings feel alien. Civilians moved cautiously, their eyes wide with unease as errant Rift energy caused flickers in the air, briefly warping reality. Kael Ardent stood atop a collapsed overpass, the Shield strapped tightly to his forearm. Its surface glowed faintly, alive with residual energy from the Reclaimer fight. Lyria approached, scanning the city with a pair of binoculars. The streets below were a chessboard of danger—Crown patrols, opportunistic mercenaries, and unpredictable Rift distortions. [Quest Updated: Plan Counterstrike Against Crown — Priority High] [System Alert: Riftstorm Expansion — Urban Areas Affected] [Level Up Available: Kael Ardent — Shield Wielder] Kael’s interface pulsed in his vision: [Name: Kael Ardent

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Latest Chapter

Chapter thirty-two: Rift Artillery Assault

Chapter thirty-one: Counterstrike at Dawn

Chapter thirty: The Rift Experiment Unleashed

Chapter twenty-nine: The Crown Strikes Back

Chapter twenty-eight: The Riftstorm Unleashed

Chapter twenty-seven: The Calm Before the Riftstorm