After the smoke had cleared, seven bears remained. They'd learned from their companion's mistakes, staying at a close range waiting for another opening.

Before Moon could initiate an attack, a heavy presence arrived.

Moon's eyes turned towards the direction he felt the malicious killing intent that was practically oozing.

Through the thinning smoke further in, a shape emerged. It was a large bear, almost as large as the grizzly.

[Forest Bear Alpha]

[Level: 19]

Roar!

The remaining bears responded to the roar, emboldened by its presence; they charged as one.

.♢♢♢♢

Isabelle stood before the portal, her hands clenched instinctively as she stared at the dark portal.

Five minutes had passed since the young awakener had entered, according to multiple eyewitnesses.

It was five minutes of excruciating silence.

The response team stood ready, with their weapons drawn, positioned to intercept anything that came through.

The response team had already removed the idea of the awakener coming out alive from the rift. A B-Rank rift wasn't something that any powerful awakener could just clear, whilst they had heard about how he had killed the beasts that came out. Those weren't nearly as threatening as what was hidden inside the rift of dangers.

So, they expected beasts to start coming out at any minute.

B-rank rifts were death traps for solo awakeners. Even powerful teams composed of high-level first sanctuary awakener's treated them with caution. Whoever that young man was, whatever power he'd displayed outside, going in alone was suicide.

♢♢♢♢

Moon abandoned using fire entirely.

In the current environment, it wasn't a good idea to use fire. It was more of a nuisance to himself than to the bears.

It was incredibly unpredictable and caused unnecessary collateral damage.

So, he decided to opt for his strongest element, but the one that drained his mana the most.

Lightning.

His staff didn't have the ability to conduct lightning, so he was unable to use it. Blue-white arcs started dancing between his fingers. The alpha felt threatened by the power, but it was too late to back down.

Electricity exploded outward from his hands, arcing through the wet earth where his water had soaked into the soil. The bears convulsed as current surged through them, all seven simultaneously, their bodies locking up, smoke rising from their fur.

Four bears died before they could even fall.

[You have killed a level 14 Forest Bear.] [You have gained 40 lives]

[You have killed a level 15 Forest Bear.] [You have gained 50 lives]

[You have killed a level 13 Forest Bear.] [You have gained 40 lives]

[You have killed a level 14 Forest Bear.] [You have gained 45 lives]

The alpha lunged at Moon, aiming for Moon's throat.

Moon met it head-on. His staff caught its open mouth, wedging between massive teeth. The creature bit down, trying to break the staff.

Moon then left the staff in its mouth, before ducking under an attack the bear tried to deliver using its claws and made direct contact with its body.

Zap! Zap!

Lightning was released from his hands, directly to the alpha's body. The alpha's body went rigid as thousands of volts coursed through it. Its eyes rolled back immediately, as the muscles spasmed uncontrollably.

Before long, smoke poured from its mouth.

Moon yanked his staff free and moved back from the alpha's body as the two remaining bears tried to attack him.

[You have killed a level 19 Forest Bear Alpha.]

[You have gained 300 Lives.]

Two bears were left. Both were stunned and injured.

Moon ended them with water lances—pressurised strikes that pierced through skull and brain. They were not a threat; he didn't want to waste his mana by using lightning on them.

[You have killed a level 14 Forest Bear.] [You have gained 55 lives]

[You have killed a level 15 Forest Bear.] [You have gained 65 lives]

[You have reached level 18!]

Silence fell over the forest, broken only by the crackling of dying fires and Moon's steady breathing.

He surveyed the carnage that he had left in his wake. If he hadn't stopped the rift, the bodies would have been those of humans.

His mana reserves were lower now, the lightning had drained him more than he'd like, but still sustainable. His body slightly ached from impacts absorbed by his cloak, but he was alive. Very much alive.

Moon turned toward where he sensed the rift's exit, the dimensional tear that would return him to Earth.

Time to go home.

♢♢♢♢

The portal flared.

Isabelle's entire body tensed as she felt the portal's energy flare, which meant something was approaching. "Weapons ready!"

The response team raised their arms and got into position. Preparing for whatever beast emerged.

A figure stepped through wearing a black cloak, his hands in his pockets.

The awakeners froze, their weapons still raised, unable to process what they were seeing.

Moon blinked in the sudden daylight, his eyes adjusting back. He took in the armed team, the defensive positions, and the woman in the Association uniform staring at him with an expression of absolute shock.

Recognition hit both of them simultaneously.

"You," Isabelle breathed, her voice hollow with disbelief.

Moon met her gaze calmly. "Manager Isabelle. I didn't expect to meet you so soon."

Behind him, the rift's energy began to destabilise. The portal flickered, shrinking, the dimensional connection severing now that the source had been eliminated.

Within seconds, it collapsed entirely, leaving nothing but empty air where the tear had been.

The rift had been completely cleared by one person in less than ten minutes.

Isabelle opened her mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, but no words came out.

Moon simply walked past her, heading toward the street where civilians were still gathered, watching in stunned silence.

"I'm going home, it's been a long day," he said over his shoulder.

Isabelle stood frozen, her mind refusing to accept what she'd just witnessed.

The young awakener who'd registered that morning.

He'd just solo-cleared a B-rank First Order rift like it was a training exercise.

"What the hell are you?" she whispered to his retreating back.

Moon didn't answer. He was already thinking about dinner, a shower, and whether his new apartment's bed was as comfortable as it looked.

The rift was handled. His level had increased, he saved a lot of lives, and he had reaped a lot of lives.

His mission was accomplished. Everything else was someone else's problem.

The leader of the awakener response team looked at Moon's withdrawing figure before glancing back at Isabelle. "Manager, are you not going to question him? It's standard protocol to at least get a statement about what happened inside."

Isabelle remained silent for a long moment, her eyes still fixed on Moon's back as he disappeared into the dispersing crowd of civilians who parted for him like water around a stone.

Finally, she shook her head. "I know, but he isn't standard. Also, he looked tired. I will let him rest for now before summoning him for official questioning later."

The team leader nodded, accepting the explanation even if he didn't entirely believe it. In his eyes, Moon had walked out of that rift steadier than most awakeners emerged from routine hunts.

Whilst Moon had handled the rift, minimising casualties to single digits rather than the triple digits they'd been expecting, damage had still been done.

"Listen up! Post-rift protocols are in effect. Secure the perimeter and ensure no stragglers remain. I want a sweep of every building within two blocks."

The awakeners moved immediately, responding to clear orders.

"Medical teams are already en route," Isabelle continued, checking her comm device. "When they arrive, coordinate triage. Priority goes to the injured, then psychological support for witnesses."

She turned to Rebecca, who'd arrived with the second wave of Association personnel. "Contact headquarters. Initiate victim identification protocols. Cross-reference casualties with resident databases and start the notification process. I want families informed within the next few hours."

Rebecca's face was pale but determined. "Understood, Manager."

"Also, set up the compensation process. Any civilian affected by this rift breakage, whether it's property damage, injuries, or trauma. They complete the standard reimbursement forms. The Association will compensate them as per policy guidelines. Make sure people know we're here to help, not just to clean up." Isabelle added, her tone softening slightly,

It wouldn't bring back the dead. Wouldn't erase the trauma of watching neighbours torn apart by monsters. But it was something. A gesture that said their suffering mattered, that the system hadn't completely failed them.

Even if it had. Even if one young awakener had done more than the entire official response structure had managed.

Isabelle's hands clenched briefly before she forced them to relax. After giving out the remaining orders of documentation, evidence collection, and media containment. Isabelle turned her back on the scene and headed toward her vehicle.

She still had some matters to deal with and reports to file about the rift breakage that had struck a block under her turf.

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