Chapter 5: Rift Behemoth and the Art of Tactical Running

Something Big Just Arrived

Daniel had been having a rough day.

First, the apocalypse.

Then, getting hunted by the Crimson Order.

Now, a mysterious assassin named Ash just told him that his cool new mutation might turn him into an actual horror monster.

And then, because life wasn't done slapping him around yet—something massive crawled out of a rift right behind them.

A deep, guttural roar shook the ruined cityscape, rattling Daniel's bones. He turned very slowly—because some instincts, like knowing when to panic, didn't need a system notification.

The creature that emerged was gigantic—at least four stories tall. Its skin rippled like shifting void energy, its six burning eyes locked onto him, and its clawed arms dripped with some kind of black, corrosive liquid that melted everything it touched.

And worst of all?

It grinned.

Daniel took a slow step back.

"…Nope."

Ash's face was grim. "That's a Rift Behemoth."

"Cool. Love that. Sounds super manageable," Daniel deadpanned.

"It's classified as a Cataclysm-Class Threat."

"Oh, that's even better. Amazing. Just what I wanted today. A giant, unkillable nightmare."

The Rift Behemoth let out another earth-shaking roar, the impact alone shattering windows in a two-block radius.

Daniel winced. "Okay, so, uh… what's the plan?"

Ash tightened their grip on their dagger. "We kill it."

Daniel scoffed. "WE? Oh, no, no, no—I'm not part of the 'we' in that sentence."

Then, as if to punctuate his point, the Rift Behemoth stomped forward, the ground caving under its weight.

Daniel pointed at it.

"See? That's a you problem."

Ash gave him a blank stare.

"You're a system user."

"Yes, and my system told me to devour and evolve—not fight things that can turn me into a decorative smear on the pavement."

Ash's eye twitched.

Daniel sighed. "Fine. I'll help."

Ash nodded.

"…By running very, very fast in the opposite direction."

Ash's eye twitched harder.

---

The Art of Tactical Running (And Screaming)

Daniel activated Blink Step, warping out of the Behemoth's immediate range.

The monster slammed its claw down, missing him by inches—but the sheer impact obliterated an entire building.

"OKAY, THAT'S UNNECESSARY," Daniel yelled mid-sprint.

Ash was already charging forward, dodging debris like an absolute psychopath. They leaped into the air, their dagger flashing as they aimed for the Rift Behemoth's eyes.

And… it did nothing.

The dagger bounced off like they had just thrown a spoon at a tank.

Ash landed on a rooftop, frowning. "Its core must be deeper inside its body."

Daniel skidded to a stop behind an overturned bus. "Oh, fantastic. We just have to dig inside a skyscraper-sized nightmare beast and hit the off switch. No problem."

The Rift Behemoth snarled, then raised both claws.

Daniel's instincts screamed at him. "I don't like that—"

The Behemoth smashed the ground.

A wave of black energy erupted outward, ripping apart buildings and warping reality itself.

Daniel barely had time to activate Blink Step, teleporting onto the remains of a nearby parking structure before the attack hit.

Everything below him?

Gone.

Just a massive crater of warped void energy.

"…Okay," Daniel gasped, hands on his knees. "New plan."

Ash landed beside him. "What?"

Daniel straightened.

"I distract it."

Ash frowned. "And?"

"And you figure out how to kill it."

Ash looked at the towering Rift Behemoth. Then at Daniel.

"…You're the distraction?"

Daniel clapped his hands together.

"Yup."

"You—who was running away five minutes ago?"

"Absolutely."

"...And how do you plan to distract something that eats reality?"

Daniel grinned.

"By being really annoying."

---

Pissing Off a Rift Behemoth

Daniel warped directly in front of the Rift Behemoth's face.

It blinked at him with six massive glowing eyes.

Daniel smiled.

"HEY, UGLY!"

The Behemoth tilted its head.

Daniel pointed at himself. "Yeah, I'm talking to you! What's the matter, big guy? You lose a staring contest with a dimensional hole? 'Cause it looks like you faceplanted into a black hole and never came back."

Silence.

Then—the Rift Behemoth roared so loud that the air vibrated.

"OH GOD, BAD IDEA," Daniel wheezed, blasted backward by the sheer force.

[Achievement Unlocked: Pissed Off an Interdimensional Horror.]

The Rift Behemoth lunged at him, its massive claw swiping with enough force to level an entire street.

Daniel barely dodged, using Blink Step to warp onto its arm.

"Oh, crap. Bad move, BAD MOVE."

The Behemoth shook violently, trying to fling him off.

Daniel clung to its arm for dear life.

Meanwhile, Ash had disappeared.

Daniel really hoped that meant they were working on a plan and not just leaving him to die.

"OKAY, ANY TIME NOW, ASH!" Daniel yelled, dodging a sudden swarm of writhing void tendrils from the Behemoth's arm.

Ash's voice crackled in his earpiece.

"I found its core. It's in its spine."

Daniel blinked.

"Great! How do we get to it?"

"…You're already on its arm. Just work your way up."

Daniel glanced at the gargantuan body of the Rift Behemoth.

Its entire back was covered in shifting void energy, sprouting spikes that looked like they could slice through reality itself.

Daniel exhaled.

"…Oh yeah. Super easy."

---

The Climb to Insanity

With no better options, Daniel sprinted up the Behemoth's arm, dodging tentacles, spikes, and explosions of void energy.

The Rift Behemoth screamed in rage, flailing wildly—but Daniel clung to it like a cockroach refusing eviction.

He was almost to its spine when—

BAM!

A sudden jolt threw him off balance.

Daniel's foot slipped.

He fell.

His heart leapt into his throat as he plummeted toward the streets below.

This is it, he thought. I'm dead.

Then—a flash of silver.

Something grabbed him mid-air.

Ash.

Using Blink Step, they warped both of them onto the Rift Behemoth's back.

Daniel stared.

"You—" He coughed. "You saved me?"

Ash smirked. "Shut up and stab the core."

Daniel looked forward—right at the glowing, pulsating mass of unstable energy buried in the Behemoth's spine.

"…Oh, that core."

Ash handed him a blade crackling with void energy.

"End it."

Daniel grinned.

"With pleasure."

---

What Happens Next?

Daniel strikes the Rift Behemoth's core.

The Remnants make their move.

The Crimson Order reveals their next target.

Daniel's mutation reaches a breaking point.

Find out next time on Ancient Legends: In the Apocalypse with My Dimension Devouring System!