Two costly scans later, Keynes finally found himself in front of a Level 7 rift. He was confident about clearing it but a tiny speck of doubt still floated at the periphery of his mind. The jump in difficulty between Level 5 and 6 was substantial and Alice warned him that the jump between Level 6 and 7 would be quite similar, and while he had never been in any real danger in a Level 6 rift, mastering his attributes required to leave safety completely. Even the presence of another ascender would negatively affect it.

  According to Alice, neither spiritual companion nor a bond had a major effect but they would, too, have some impact.

  I cannot delay the bond much further. There's no way I can master my attributes in a few days.

  Weeks at best if you go alone into Level 8 rifts, Alice said. But three Levels of difference without any gear or preparation sounds like a sure way to kill yourself.

  What if I have no choice, Alice?

  Alice didn't argue further. They'd had this argument thrice already and neither of them wanted to back off. They both were stubborn, but also a little right. Keynes knew his progress slowed down to a crawl, and not only he had a target on his back, but he wanted to save Earth from an invasion. On the other hand, achieving his goal meant pushing himself to a breaking point.

  He unsealed the rift, noting an increase in difficulty. He would still have been able to open this rift without a Lofty upgrade but not without removing the Overcharged Effect.

  A Level 8 may be an issue, he admitted.

  It will be, Alice added. Even if you unseal it, it will likely have only a 50% chance at removing the Overcharged Effect.

  That was an unexpected restriction. Regardless, he had to first test his mantle in the Level 7 rift.

  Alice hadn't been able to enter it to do a reconnaissance so they'd go inside blind. Normally, there was nothing wrong with that, but if this was a rare or higher rarity rift, things could get dicey.

  ***

  The sky was heavily cast with dark clouds. An occasional lightning spread beneath, revealing an enormous wasteland.

  You lost 20% of mana, Alice warned him. Yeah, the mana cost of his Talent at Lower Levels was nearly zero so the cost increase was quite steep.

  A Level 7 rift, if it had a boss, it would be Level 8. He realised that even among ascenders basic attributes jumped to 53 from 46 between Level 8 and Level 7. Likely, very similar scaling applied to rift monsters followed a compounding increase. Obviously, with Vitality II, Keynes learned that numerical values weren't everything.

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  Do you think rift monsters also can have tiered attributes? He asked Alice.

  I don't know the answer to this question, but I'd be shocked if that wasn't the case, she replied.

  "The air is safe to breathe for you," the spacesuit AI informed him.

  Keynes dismissed the spacesuit and gagged. The rift smelled of smoke, each breath felt suffocating. Was the AI trying to kill him? But no, a quick look at his HP told him that the air, indeed, wasn't harmful.

  "What a horrible place," he muttered, while spreading his spiritual senses. The rock and sand scenery wasn't toxic but it wasn't alive either, not even a shrub in the range of his spiritual aura.

  "It feels like a battlefield," she said.

  If this was a battlefield then where were the bodies?

  "Do you sense any monsters?" Keynes asked.

  "Not sure."

  "Not sure?"

  "Just a hunch."

  "Since when you're having hunches?"

  She turned her head toward Keynes, showing a fake exasperation.

  "Let's focus on the task at hand, shall we?"

  Keynes nodded, smiling, then started walking.

  "Keynes, don't take this rift lightly," Alice said from behind. "I have a bad feeling about this place."

  He understood her worries but couldn't give in to them.

  Apart from the lightning in the sky and brief gusts of wind, the rift appeared almost still, waiting. The further he walked, the more uneven the terrain became, mounds became hills and hills came small mountains. Despite all of this, it didn't have the alien feel of the planet they were on. The rift resembled the Earth's scenery. That was strange but he didn't question it.

  Eventually, they entered a twenty metre deep and 5 metre wide canyon, and even encountered a few dead shrubs. But where the hell did the smell of smoke come from?

  The canyon ended with a massive basin. In the centre of the basin was a fire pit with flames climbing up ten good metres. Above the fire, skewered by metal rod, was the largest single piece of meat Keynes had ever seen in his life. It was easily the size of a sperm whale. At one far end of the basin was a pile of bones, all larger than Keynes.

  That meat is the source of the smoky smell, Alice said.

  Yeah, the bottom part of the meat is completely charred, Keynes added.

  Okay, but who did—

  Keynes threw himself to the side. The place he'd stood exploded under an impact from a car-sized wooden mace.

  "WHATSSS WEEERD INSSECT," a giant said, as he eyed Keynes. He was at least twenty metres tall.

  What's going on?! Keynes, I can't see what attacked you! Alice said, her voice drenched in fear.

  To make the matter worse, the giant looked at Alice, seemingly being able to see her and gave them a yellow-toothed smile.

  "FOOOOD."

  Leave now, Alice. He can see you. It's some kind of a giant but his spiritual energy is hidden from us.

  Not only that. When the giant moved, the ground didn't shake. Was he a phantom or ghost?

  But the spot where the mace impacted turned into a small crater of crushed rock. If that hit Keynes… could that actually one shot him? There's no way. Especially with Vitality II. But still…

  The giant raised the mace again but if not for Keynes's eyes, he would say there was nothing.

  It was time to show the monster what the Fourth Degree was capable of.