Chapter 272: Temporal Rift

*QUEST NOTIFICATION*

Find the Artifact

The two guardians of Infernofrost Ridge has tasked you to get the artifact that split their souls into two. The task of getting it will be difficult but the guardians believe that you can do it. Retrieve the artifact and activate it in order to fuse the two back together.

Condition: Fuse the souls of the two guardian birds using the artifact that you will recover.

Reward: All the rare herbs in the Infernofrost Ridge and 100% experience points.

Failure: Lose 5 levels

"Kack! Why is the punishment for failure too great? Those five levels were raised due to continuous hunting from the frozen areas. I even died a few times due to over exhaustion and I will lose that just because of one quest. I should complain to the developers about this." Adrian thought in his mind.

"We shall guide you to the entrance of the place as we will use the energy we stored in order for you to reach that place." The cryophoenix and the phoenix stated simultaneously.

"You mean the place where the item is stored is not in this world but in a different realm." Adrian stated.

"We stated that you are perfect for this mission because of your abilities. The place you are going to is not another realm but it is still considered as part of this realm." The cryophoenix stated.

"You will be in this realm but not entirely the same as some things might change or much different than what you expect them to be." The phoenix added.

"Now I am just confused. Can you go straight to the point? I mean I get that being cryptic and such is the way for you higher beings but that is not the case with me. So please just tell me exactly where will I go?" Adrian stated in a slightly irritated tone because he will sacrifice five levels if he fails.

"We told you that you are perfect for this because you will enter a rift in time that will send you to the time period of when we last remember the artifact to be." The phoenix stated.

"The artifact has been lost in time and would probably take you years to find in this time period." The cryophoenix added.

"You are telling me to bend or rather break the rules of our race. If they find out about this then I might as well be detained for how many years. Or worse I might have to become an errand boy." Adrian protested.

"How is being an errand boy the worst punishment compared to detainment?" The phoenix questioned.

"It is a lot worse. A chill just ran down my spine because I imagined it." Adrian replied while he shivered at the thought.

"Just tell me what I need to do. As long as it is a point in time that the artifact disappeared from history then I can get it without affecting the timeline. I will not change the past if I used that approach." Adrian replied as he no longer has a choice but to succeed.

Adrian can no longer reject the mission because if he did so then it would registered as a failure. If that happened then five levels would be automatically cut from him. He had to take the risk and just play it smart so that he would not change the timeline.

"The last known time period that the artifact is about four hundred years ago. There was a great war during that period in the east continent because of all the divine beast weakening. The whispers of the dark god reached the continent which made some of the people lust for power." The cryophoenix stated.

"Fine. Let us depart because wasting time here would mean my deadline draws near." Adrian stated.

The cryophoenix led Adrian and his soulbounds to the point where the two opposing temperatures intersect. The phoenix is also waiting for them there physically because Adrian only talked to it telepathically when he went to see the cryophoenix. Adrian reached the location and he noticed a peculiar rift in front of him.

An ordinary player that is not a Daemos will not be able to see this rift. The rift looks like space is bending in front of him. If one were to describe it to those that cannot see it then it would look like raging water.

Adrian remembers that any person could enter a temporal rift if they were unlucky enough. They would be able to enter it but not the other way around except if they are of the Daemos race. This is one of the reasons why temporal rifts are closed immediately if detected. It seems that the two guardian birds did something in order to conceal the temporal rift.

The phoenix and the cryophoenix then started to use their energies. The elements of fire and ice started to escalate. Kanlaon even felt a surge of power due to this as he felt energized. The energies of the two guardian birds are then focused on Adrian not on the portal.

Adrian thought it was odd but then the idea suddenly hit him that he must not be strong enough to fight wherever or whenever he is going. The system notifications that Adrian received has proven his hunch.

[You have been bestowed the energies of two great beings.]

[For a limited time, your level will be raised to 500 and all stats will become 1000.]

[You will only be granted this boon for the remainder of this quest. Once the player fails or gives up, the power up will dissipate.]

Adrian is filled with immense power due to what the two guardian birds did. He was not the only one though as even his soulbounds became level 500. They did not change their forms but they gained a temporary title called 'Natural Calamity'.

Title: Natural Calamity (Temporary)

Effect: All attacks deal wide area damage regardless if it is a single target attack. 100% of the total damage will be dealt on the surroundings.

Description: A title given to monsters that become so powerful that the world could no longer keep them at bay. Flee in terror when you encounter monsters with this title. Since the title is temporary, it will disappear when the monster returns to his original state.

"So when my soulbounds reach level 500 then they will get that title. I am both excited and disappointed because that would still take a long time." Adrian muttered.

He immediately used Polymorph on Sirius and Saena. Kanlaon turned into his human form while Charon is told to turn invisible. Adrian could guess that he will not join the battle but this mission would be about using his mind.

The two guardian birds look like they are exhausted but could still stand up straight. Adrian's abilities changed because he got temporary titles like his soulbounds which is 'Master of Space and Time'.

Title: Master of Space and Time (Temporary)

Effect: Able to influence time and space just by using your own mana. You are able to bend both to your will as long as you think of it.

Description: A title given to the strongest of the Daemos that can use both time and space magic. You are basically godlike at this point but do not use your power for mischief. Once the title bearer returns to his original level, it will disappear.

Due to the temporary title that Adrian got, he can see that the temporal rift is actually unstable. It could send him back in time but it might disappear once he enters it. Adrian immediately used the perks of his newly gained temporary title. Adrian waved his hand and the unstable temporal rift became stable just enough for him to pop in and out of it.

"I will get going now. I will try my best to find that artifact in no time. You said it can separate souls which means it would surely react to me because I am the Shephard of Souls. I hope." Adrian stated.

"You do not have to worry because our power will react if you are in close vicinity of the artifact. We would have told you about its image but that part of our memory is erased. It seems that we lost some of our memories due to our soul being split." The phoenix stated.

"We do not even remember our real self. All we knew was that we were once the object of other's faith." The cryophoenix added.

"Can you send me a mental image of what the others wore back in that era because I need to fit in? I need to be able to safely pass off as a resident of that time period." Adrian asked.

The two guardian birds then sent a mental image to Adrian but it just came to him as an image from the system notification. Adrian changed his look to fit in the narrative of the east continent. He used the attire of what a sage would use because he has tamed beasts. He even changed his hair to become long and tie it in a ponytail.

"I will get going then." Adrian stated as he entered the temporal rift.