—1013th Assault of the Shattered Silence
The edge of the Rift trembled like thunder, and tides of energy tore at the boundary between reality and the void. It was a presence far beyond Shawn's comprehension—like countless minds awakening from slumber all at once, pressing against every fiber of his nerves.
The system interface flickered uncertainly. Lucy's figure began to shimmer, her hand pressed against her temple, eyes sharp as blades.
"This is their one thousand and thirteenth assault," Lucy murmured, almost to herself.
"According to the accord we made with Chairman Da, they should've stopped attacking us."
Shawn stared at her in confusion.
Almost before the words left his lips, the Rift's edge exploded. A jagged black fissure extended outward like a devouring chain reaching into the real world.
From the darkness nearby, several blurred entities surged forth. Their forms were unstable, their appearances shifting constantly—masses that seemed composed of flowing data, fragmented consciousness, and unknown organic matter.
Each one twisted, replicated, and distorted with every second.
They had no eyes, yet each tremor of their forms made Shawn feel as if his soul was being directly stared into.
"They're not O.S.S.! Not like the ones I've seen before!" Shawn responded instinctively.
Flashes of past encounters ran through his mind: the first time being hunted across star systems, the false wind-core trap in Daoyuan Park, the siege at Earth's Megalithic Palace, the destruction of Yiyuan Villa, the battle to defend the Meta Genesis Realm...
"No, These are the true O.S.S. What you saw before were only their proxy shells."
Lucy's voice cut through like a blade.
"They aren't the product of any one civilization... They're more like self-organized fragments of multidimensional consciousness—Error Correctors."
"Error correction?" Shawn echoed under his breath.
Lucy didn't respond immediately. Instead, she extended her hand and traced complex geometric patterns into the void. Dozens of halos intersected like planetary orbits, forming a dynamic shield that enveloped the two of them in layers of radiant energy.
"Listen to me, Shawn. Entire civilizations have been 'silently deleted' by them, leaving behind unexplainable gaps in recorded history."
Shawn's throat tightened. He watched as the O.S.S. entities hurled themselves against the protective barrier. Though temporarily repelled, hairline fractures had begun to spread across the light shield.
"Why are they attacking the Rift?" he shouted.
Lucy's gaze was steady but tinged with suppressed fury. "Because the Rift connects to the Source Realm. We built this bridge to repair the severed connection between reality and the Source—but to the O.S.S., this kind of unification is intolerable."
She paused, as if suppressing a deep unease… or memory.
"They are the architects of separation. The Rift is a threat to them—a flaw that must be erased."
Just then, one of the O.S.S. breached the outer wall of energy, shrieking as it lunged forward. Shawn instinctively stepped back—only to see a silver-white ring rise beneath Lucy's feet.
"Guardian Protocol: Phase One, deployed," she intoned.
A spear formed from glowing runes materialized in her hand. She gripped it tightly, her silhouette flaring with primordial sigils as she struck.
Light and shadow collided. The air ruptured with spatial fractures, as if reality itself were breaking apart at the core of the battle.
But the O.S.S. were no ordinary lifeforms. They were like corrupted consciousness on playback—death was only a brief pause. The scattered entity reformed mid-air, splitting into two offspring units.
"This isn't combat—it's delay," Lucy hissed between clenched teeth.
Shawn had never seen her so anxious. Forcing himself to focus, he turned to the system core interface, still flickering.
[Energy Channel Activated: Riftborn Access Confirmed]
Suddenly, Lucy's earlier words echoed in his mind—something about the "core fragments," the medium linking the Bridge and the Source of Consciousness. Maybe… just maybe…
He took a deep breath and placed his hand on the Thunder Core at his chest.
In that moment, a searing wave of energy surged through his body—not passively received, but truly merging. His thoughts, emotions, and memories resonated with the Rift itself.
A golden glow spread across his eyes. The space around him bent subtly, and from within the Rift, a phantom bridge of light slowly unfolded.
One of the O.S.S. dove toward him, but stopped short as if hitting an invisible wall. It convulsed, distorted, then curled in on itself—finally dissolving into a faint spark at Shawn's feet.
Lucy's eyes widened. "You did it... The Central Core in your body has begun to resonate!"
But then her face paled. "No! Shawn, you can't maintain this state for long. They'll all target you at once."
As if on cue, more O.S.S. began to gather beyond the Rift. They swarmed like a tide of conscious viruses—dark, endless, and unrelenting.
Shawn felt a wave of dizziness. His awareness blurred. It was as though he stood at the intersection of countless overlapping universes, each one whispering in an unknown tongue.
Lucy caught him, steadying his body. "You are the Riftborn. You must not collapse now."
She swept her hand, activating the jump module inside the Rift.
[Targeting Core Fragment Coordinates…]
"The next shard is locked in," Lucy shouted. "Enter the passage—now!"
Shawn looked toward the ever-growing wave of enemies, then back at the luminous bridge that was starting to close. He clenched his jaw—and leapt into the light.
The world tore apart once more.
In the instant before he vanished, Lucy glanced back at the collapsing edge of the Rift.
"O will of the Source Realm, guide his path."
Then she turned, alone, to face the oncoming swarm of the O.S.S. horde.
In that moment, she stood like a lone rune etched against the devouring void—silent, unwavering, the final bastion between fate and oblivion.