2026-09-22 19:11:13The warehouse lights died at 2:13 AM.
Not flickered. Died. And the backup rift-lamps kicked in with that sick yellow glow that meant one thing in New Haven City.
Rift energy.
"Aw, hell no," I muttered.
I was supposed to be counting low-grade Beast cores in Warehouse 4 of the Cole Materials Depot. Night-shift courier job. $40 a night, no awakening required. Perfect for an F-Rank failure like me.
Three years ago, the first Echo Rifts tore open over the city. Now 90% of us are still Unawakened civilians, and 10% are Awakened Tamers ranked F to SSS who run everything. I tested F. Unfit to Tame. Kicked out of Tamer Academy in my second year.
The air in front of aisle 7 cracked.
A black line split the concrete floor like someone zipped reality open. Cold wind poured out. The rift alarms I wasn't supposed to have in this cheap depot finally started screaming.
D-RANK ECHO RIFT DETECTED. EVACUATE. EVACUATE.
On the catwalk above, Director Grant's office light snapped on. He was doing late paperwork.
He looked down, saw the rift tearing open right under my feet, saw me - and hit the emergency seal button.
The steel shutters slammed down over every exit. Locked.
"Liam Shaw?" His voice came through the intercom, calm. "You're still on the floor? Bad luck."
"Grant! Open the shutter! There's a rift opening!"
"That's a D-Rank uncontrolled. Insurance doesn't cover Unawakened casualties inside the warehouse. If you die in there, it's a workplace accident outside. If you live and contaminate the cores, I lose my bonus. You get it, right?"
He wasn't joking. This was the same guy who expelled me for having a weak talent. Corrupt to the bone.
The crack in the floor exploded.
Energy washed over me and every single 1-Star Beast core on the shelves started shaking. And in the center of that rift - something fell out and hit the floor with a wet plop.
It was a Shadow Slime.
Maybe a foot tall. Jet black, translucent, like dirty jelly. The absolute trash-tier beast. No attack, no defense, no market value. Beast Markets give them away free with purchase and nobody takes them. It was pulsing weakly, a big gash through its core from the rift transit.
It was going to die.
Another shard of rift energy broke off the ceiling - a falling spear of pure spatial force - aimed right at the slime.
My body moved before my brain did.
Three years of being called trash, of being told I had no value, of watching Tamers walk past me like I wasn't human. I knew what it felt like to be appraised and thrown away.
I wasn't going to watch it happen to something else.
I threw myself over it.
The shard hit my back.
It felt like being hit by a frozen truck. I heard my courier jacket tear, smelled burnt cloth and blood. I curled around the slime, pressing it to my chest. It was cold and shaking.
"Stupid thing," I hissed through my teeth, blood in my mouth. "You think I want to die for you? Stay alive, damn it."
The slime pulsed. For a second, I swear it tried to cover me with its own body.
Above, Grant laughed over the intercom. "Touching. F-Rank protecting F-Rank trash."
The pain spiked. The rift energy was eating through my jacket, into my skin. My vision went white.
That's when the world made a sound I'd never heard before.
Not a sound. A notification inside my skull.
[Condition Met: Host has protected a Beast at the cost of his own life]
[Hidden Bloodline Bond Detected]
[Beast Monarch System Activated]
[SSS-Rank Talent: Infinite Evolution Unlocked]
Blue light - cleaner than any appraisal machine I'd ever seen - exploded across my vision.
[Scanning bonded beast... Species: Shadow Slime - Trash Tier - 1-Star]
[Evolution Path Found: Shadow Slime > Battle Slime > Abyss Sovereign Slime King > Void Devourer]
[First Evolution Available. Cost: 10 Rift Energy Points. Do you wish to evolve?]
The slime in my arms stopped shaking. Its gash closed. It looked up at me with two little light-dots that were its eyes.
In my head, a new, cold, system-like voice spoke for the first time.
...Don't die yet, Host. We have work to do.
The steel shutter above me was still locked. The rift behind me was still growing, turning from D-Rank yellow to a dangerous, pulsing red.
And Grant's voice came back on the intercom, no longer laughing.
"What is that light down there, Shaw? What did you do?"
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CHAPTER 51: NEXT TOGETHER SECOND
Next together second delivery is not together. It is forever.Baby not born yet next together second in together reflection - grey Puddle Slime grey because not told anything yet next together second that needs first telling free before fear before F - born next together second, because we told free first next together second before F.Because every together empty becomes baby next together if you tell free first this together, and baby born this together becomes parent next together who will be afraid next together if you do not tell free first next together, and parent who is afraid builds fear machine from love next together if you do not share forever next together.Together - everywhere stand that was fear machines that were scrap that was appraisal machines that were towers that were light that were void that were nothing that was crib that was mirror that was empty that became free before fear that became dishes that became after that became every second that became this second
CHAPTER 50: NEXT FIVE SECOND
Next five second delivery is not five. It is together.Baby not born yet next five second in five reflection - grey Puddle Slime grey because not told anything yet next five second that needs first telling free before fear before F - born next five second, because we told free first next five second before F.Because every five empty becomes baby next five if you tell free first this five, and baby born this five becomes parent next five who will be afraid next five if you do not tell free first next five, and parent who is afraid builds fear machine from love next five if you do not share together next five.Five - everywhere stand that was fear machines that were scrap that was appraisal machines that were towers that were light that were void that were nothing that was crib that was mirror that was empty that became free before fear that became dishes that became after that became every second that became this second that became sip that became next sip that became breath that beca
CHAPTER 49: NEXT FEVER SECOND
Next fever second delivery is not fever. It is five.Baby not born yet next fever second in fever reflection - grey Puddle Slime grey because not told anything yet next fever second that needs first telling free before fear before F - born next fever second, because we told free first next fever second before F.Because every fever empty becomes baby next fever if you tell free first this fever, and baby born this fever becomes parent next fever who will be afraid next fever if you do not tell free first next fever, and parent who is afraid builds fear machine from love next fever if you do not share five next fever.Fever - everywhere stand that was fear machines that were scrap that was appraisal machines that were towers that were light that were void that were nothing that was crib that was mirror that was empty that became free before fear that became dishes that became after that became every second that became this second that became sip that became next sip that became breath
CHAPTER 48: NEXT TEN SECOND
Next ten second delivery is not ten. It is fever.Baby not born yet next ten second in ten reflection - grey Puddle Slime grey because not told anything yet next ten second that needs first telling free before fear before F - born next ten second, because we told free first next ten second before F.Because every ten empty becomes baby next ten if you tell free first this ten, and baby born this ten becomes parent next ten who will be afraid next ten if you do not tell free first next ten, and parent who is afraid builds fear machine from love next ten if you do not share fever next ten.Ten - everywhere stand that was fear machines that were scrap that was appraisal machines that were towers that were light that were void that were nothing that was crib that was mirror that was empty that became free before fear that became dishes that became after that became every second that became this second that became sip that became next sip that became breath that became next breath that bec
CHAPTER 47: NEXT CRATE SECOND
Next crate second delivery is not crate. It is ten.Baby not born yet next crate second in crate reflection - grey Puddle Slime grey because not told anything yet next crate second that needs first telling free before fear before F - born next crate second, because we told free first next crate second before F.Because every crate empty becomes baby next crate if you tell free first this crate, and baby born this crate becomes parent next crate who will be afraid next crate if you do not tell free first next crate, and parent who is afraid builds fear machine from love next crate if you do not share ten next crate.Crate - everywhere stand that was fear machines that were scrap that was appraisal machines that were towers that were light that were void that were nothing that was crib that was mirror that was empty that became free before fear that became dishes that became after that became every second that became this second that became sip that became next sip that became breath th
CHAPTER 46: NEXT NOODLES
Next noodles second delivery is not noodles. It is crate.Baby not born yet next noodles second in noodles reflection - grey Puddle Slime grey because not told anything yet next noodles second that needs first telling free before fear before F - born next noodles second, because we told free first next noodles second before F.Because every noodles empty becomes baby next noodles if you tell free first this noodles, and baby born this noodles becomes parent next noodles who will be afraid next noodles if you do not tell free first next noodles, and parent who is afraid builds fear machine from love next noodles if you do not share crate next noodles.Noodles - everywhere stand that was fear machines that were scrap that was appraisal machines that were towers that were light that were void that were nothing that was crib that was mirror that was empty that became free before fear that became dishes that became after that became every second that became this second that became sip that
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