It was not hard for the students to blend in, most especially when it was known that some people had been here before them.
With the help of Gilbert, Annette and the twin, the drifters were provided with basic knowledge about survival in a desolate land like this.
The best were picked and a city claimed by monsters was taken back.
It now served as their refugee center, shielding them from the stronger monsters that couldn’t be dealt with immediately.
The next thing Gilbert sort to do afterwards was gather information about what happened.
Not much was known by other continents. It was just a sudden they, monsters started reaching the borders.
The first incidence claimed lives of hundreds, this warranted the academy to dispatch its strongest drifters—protectors.
Protectors were sent to the border to protect monsters from crossing over to the Central Plains.
And that operation so far had been splendidly successful. Even though there was no idea where so much monsters were coming from and why they are able to easily cross despite it being a vast ocean.
Nothing was known of when the Starlock Continent fell and became a monster infested land. Although many blamed it on the fact that they were only a small continent that should have merged with one of the continents nearest to them.
But because of a mighty empire sitting within it… Starlock earned its right to become a continent.
After much questioning. Gilbert was able to find out what had happened.
It was not the rift that was am issue.
Even though only three nations stood on Starlock Continent, they were more than enough to stop the onslaught of a rift, challenge it and close it down before something happens.
Most especially, the Luinngard Empire. A formidable nation that very few was known of—even that few were things known from books.
Such as all the imperial family having only white hair.
The real problem that faced Starlock Continent was the kind of rift that suddenly appeared in their realm.
All of a sudden, four rifts appeared at their cardinals. East. North. West. South.
The people were quite shocked but since it was a rift and they still had time before its shattering, they didn’t think much about it and began to prepare to venture inside.
However, one night. Another rift appeared in the center.
This rift was different…it shattered immediately after appearance and began to vomit different kinds of monstrositties.
The people were overwhelmed by the numbers and voraciousness that these critters attacked with.
No matter how many kills, they just kept coming…till they had covered the continent.
Razing everything to the ground.
Of course… except one place. Luinngard Empire.
Even in this chaos there stood as a formidable pillar but selfish and nonchalant towards the state of their neighboring countries.
Their bothers was locked and contact was cut away from outside. The empire had all that they needed for survival and times when more is needed.
They would send out an expedition team.
Or sponsor survivors on the outside, help them survive by supplying them with their needs, while they hunt monsters and minerals for the empire.
It was a cruel state to be in.
As time went by… the gates only became once. The four cardinal rift did not shatter even after its shattering date was due.
Shattering differed based on rift tier. The most that it takes for a tier I rift to shatter is fourteen days, tier II; twenty-one days, tier III; forty-three days, tier IV; sixty days, tier V; sixty-nine days, tier VI; seventy-one days, tier VII; seventy-five days, tier VIII; eighty days, tier IX; ninety days, tier X; hundred days.
And even though all the rift that appeared at the cardinal points were tier III nothing happened after forty three days.
So the two nations formed an alliance and ventured into the rift at the center to close it down as it seemed to be the the problem.
But they never came back.
What bewildered Gilbert most in this information was thar all these rifts were tier III rift.
‘Perhaps Starlock Continent was just really weak, we’d have taken care of tier III rifts with no noise’ was how he felt.
However, hearing what Annette was saying…something sounded wrong and impossible.
“Tier IV? That’s impossible. They all confirmed it to be tier III for us!” Gilbert retorted, his voice striking through the air with thundering ferocity.
Annette dropped the bottle she was holding and folded her arms. And began to speak, her voice dancing out with steamy breath.
“I don’t think the people were lying either. Out of four rifts, I personally investigated two with my team. And there was something about them… if indeed the natives are not lying then there is only one suspicion coming to mind.”
Gilbert frowned and replied her, muttering:
“A deviant rift…”
His words were audible enough to reach the ears of the first three sears both on his left and right.
The young lady with scarlet eyes and black hair turned her impeccably beautiful face to him and asked:
“What’s a deviant rift?” Her voice was adorn with a tender grace.
Gilbert looked at her and sighed, then his voice rolled out, tingling with respect towards the inquirer. He said:
“A deviant rift is an abnormal rift. There are different types. Some could be ones that shatter quickly after appearing like the rift at the border of this kingdom. Or ones that masquerades as a weak tier, hiding its soul energy and revealing its true tier the moment drifters enter it.”
He lingered before continuing:
“The most dreaded ones… are the types of rift that can grow”
All their eyes widened in shock. Except the scarlet eyed lady. The expression on her smooth face barely changed.
“The fact that one of this rift grew means that we must quickly begin to act. I believe that with our strength and numbers. We can close down the four rifts…”
Someone raised his hand causing Gilbert to stop and call him out:
“Yes Eric?”
The scrawny boy stood up, bowing and tardily adjusting his round glasses.
“I’m just being objective really…an entire nation was not able to clear these rifts…isn’t it ignorant of us to think we can?”
One of the guys seated at the table with green beautiful hair and a porcelain skin looked towards Eric with a warm smile smeared on his face.
His enchanting voice rang through the room even though he spoke softly.
“And what would you have us do then? Sit around till our damnation comes?”
Eric bowed his head, “I’m sorry…” He trembled before the beautiful male and lowered his head.
Gilbert sighed and cautioned:
“This is the last time I will allow Bram”
The green haired boy stood up and bowed his head towards Gilbert, smiling sincerely.
“I’m sorry sir”
Then he sat down, smiling with both his eyes and lips.
“Since I have listened to the last report from Raven and her team personally. I will skip that and make an announcement based on the information we have at hand.”
He paused and breathe, a brief silence hung in the before he continued:
“We will be venturing into the gate at the northern Starlock pole. I think it is only right to close it down before any further anomalies happen.”
His eyes glided around, burrowing into the eyes of all ten team leaders before him.
“We have prepared for this for six months. Do not be scared. We are more than ready to close those rifts and fight our way back home. When you arrived here… you guys were weak and hopeless brats. But now, I only see drifters who will soon become masters, brave hearts and valiant souls. Do not fret, you guys are strong enough to do this…”
With that the meeting was dismissed and everyone went to prepare personally, to venture into a hell that one of them has been living for the past six months!