Death Smith - Book 1 - Chapter 11

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Discount grenade launchers

Six months ago.

September, 13 AR.

United Kingdom, London, St Thomas' Hospital.

“Stop playing with that or you’ll go blind,” Dieter said, as he watched the two younger men near him check out their status as Rifters. Naturally, the comment forced Thomas and Lance to spring to life. No doubt this was out of embarrassment. It wasn’t the first time Dieter had seen the young men glancing at their status screen that contained their information as Rifters. A Rifter couldn’t see another Rifter’s status screen, but Dieter knew the tell-tale signs when Rifters lost themselves in their status screen or inventory.

Both Lance and Thomas had announced their decision to become Rifters a few days ago after having discussed it at length with one another, Daniel, Dieter and Thomas’s family. There was still a lot of uncertainty and fear there, but they had decided to become proper Rifters and never feel as helpless again as they had felt inside their first Rift. Daniel had told Dieter that he intended to guide these new Rifters in the beginning and help get their feet wet.

They heard Dieter chuckling as he finished packing his bags and put on a clean shirt. His chest was an assortment of newer and older scars, with many of them originating from the last Rift encounter.

Compared to before, Dieter was now speaking German, knowing full well that the lads could understand him with ease now that they were Rifters.

“I still don’t see how you allowed that stubborn old fool to be the one to pick us up by car. You have noticed that Daniel only has one arm, right?” Dieter asked, shaking his head as he suppressed a hidden grin, picking up his bags and whistling once to wake the little Hans that was resting on the sofa in the room.

Lance and Thomas could now understand any language uttered by a Rifter. This was due to them having survived a Rift and now having a white-shard in their chest. In their minds, it was as if Dieter was speaking English to them, unless they forced themselves to listen carefully. Lance and Thomas wouldn’t be able to understand non-Rifters that spoke German, seeing as the white-shard was a necessity.

Daniel had explained that it was universal to every Rifter, the ability to understand one another. Essentially, it allowed perfect communication with any Rifter, allowing better cooperation within the Rift. There were theories about why this was the case. Some figured an evolutionary process, others thought it was an innate ability, some even claimed it was by design. The latter was worrying, seeing as it made the Rifts an intentional aspect instead of something random.

Thomas was quick to break the silence, teasing the large German Rifter. “Well, we would have suggested you drive, but you were taking your sweet time in recovering. Speaking of which, do you need me to carry you downstairs?”

Lance simply rolled his eyes as he heard Thomas laughing. He then made his way out the door, letting the nurses know Dieter was checking out. They had taken care of the paperwork beforehand. The only thing they needed to do now was to help Dieter with his bags and getting him and the Rift-hound back to his apartment.

Dieter would have been fine on his own, having mostly recovered in the last two weeks, but Daniel had insisted on it. Daniel claimed that ‘true Rifters’ could count on one another. By the time Thomas and Dieter reached Lance, he had already called for the elevator.

A few of the staff said their goodbyes to Dieter and the Rift-hound, having spent a long time with the two of them.

The hospital had discharged both Lance and Thomas last week, after the young men had cleared both a physical and mental test. They would have additional check-ups in the following days, all provided by the GRRO. Thomas’s family had visited the two of them every day and had gotten to know Dieter and Daniel, the heroes that had saved ‘the boys’. Lance and Thomas had stayed in touch with the Rifters afterwards, visiting them as much as they could, wanting to learn from them and to offer their gratitude in any way they could. For now, Lance and Thomas were free to go. It was quite amazing to realise that the young men had only needed a week before they were physically fine. Thomas had quite a few lacerations when he had left the Rift and Lance had several fractures, but their elevation to being a Rifter came with a sturdier body that was quicker to recover.

“You realise we are going to feed you some actual food, right? None of the hospital food you have gotten used to. I was thinking burgers or ribs,” Thomas said while nudging Dieter in the side.

“Thomas don’t forget about actual hot sauce. Or chips!” Lance pitched in.

At the mention of ribs, the Rift-hound barked excitedly. The sound instantly drew the eyes of people within the hospital when the elevator doors opened. Even though St Thomas’ Hospital had a specialized wing for Rifters, and frequently hired Rifters that had healing abilities, it was still an alarming thing to see a large Rift-hound barking suddenly.

“Hans, no. You are on a diet, remember?” Dieter said sternly as he locked eyes with the powerful creature, sharing something that went beyond a mere bond. Dieter, with his powerful frame, blue eyes, and blonde hairs, drew just as many eyes. His shirt was slightly open to expose the white Rift-shard that marked him as a Rifter. With each passing day, Thomas dressed more and more like Dieter, copying his style. No doubt to show off his Rift-shard.

“Burgers sound good,” Dieter said as the men exited the hospital and found Daniel outside, leaning against his car. The green range rover looked expensive, but obviously within the price range of an experienced Rifter like Daniel. The man clapped Dieter on the shoulder before he hugged him, leaving the younger men to place the bags in the car.

“You know you shouldn’t be driving with one arm,” Dieter said, as he nudged Daniel against his right arm that ended just above the elbow.

Daniel merely snorted before he questioned Dieter. “So, when I am driving a car, you turn into my overprotective mother. But you are more than fine with me joining you in some unknown Rift with only one arm?”

“Yes, exactly. They are different things. Besides, you need your right arm to shift gears,” Dieter replied before Daniel laughed, slapping the hood of the car as he replied.

“It is an automatic. And you realise we Brits have the steering wheel on the other side of the car, right?” Daniel responded, a soft smile forming.

“I... argh,” Dieter finally blurted out, stepping into the car with a blank expression while Daniel continued to laugh with both Lance and Thomas chipping in when they realised what had just happened.

* * * * *

Two weeks had passed since the hospital had discharged Dieter. During those weeks, the young Rifters had gotten a crash course on how to be a Rifter from both Daniel and Dieter. The latter had finally said his goodbyes to Lance and Thomas because of Dieter meeting up with his teammates again.

Still, Daniel had kept them rather busy. The young man had gotten their GRRO Rifter credentials and had passed the physical and written test. After picking up their new Rifter credentials, Daniel had taken Lance and Thomas to the GRRO sanctioned ‘Workshop’.

It was located a few miles west of London and covered the size of a large warehouse, with several floors and underground sections. Security was impressive in the workshop, with both military and GRRO security on site. People could only enter it with proper clearance from the GRRO or if they were Rifters with proper credentials.

Both Daniel and Dieter had explained what the Workshop was, yet actually seeing it was something else. Everywhere they looked, they could see large shops filled with merchants selling Rift-based items or buying them. There were weapons on sale, armour and even some smaller vehicles, useful tools, and devices. On other floors, there were information brokers, Skill-shard sellers, alchemists, and medical professionals. The place smelled of leather, oil, and fire.

The GRRO documented every item that someone bought, sold, or made within the workshop. In this way, a buyer would know the quality of the item, its properties and how used it was. Rifters frequently brought items back from the Rifts, selling them for a hefty profit. Still, most sellers offered items that were made on Earth. Anyone could smelt metals found in a Rift and make weaponry or armour from it. But an item made by a Rifter who had the crafter or smith class would usually be far more useful and powerful, as well as have slots to house upgrades.

Lance’s eyes went wide at what he could see, but even wider at the cost of these items. He could see a shop that was selling electronic devices, including phones. Most of them going for thousands of pounds, at the very least. Realising just how valuable his cracked phone was, he suddenly felt uncomfortable.

A second later, Lance couldn’t take it anymore and pulled his phone out of his jeans before it vanished into his Rift inventory.

[You have stored an item in your inventory]

Daniel had watched Lance’s reaction, smiling as he placed a hand on Lance’s shoulder and guiding him towards Thomas, who was checking out heavy weaponry.

“Dude! They have a grenade launcher here! A bloody grenade launcher! Lance don’t tell me you don’t want one of them. Or two!” Thomas commented, nearly jumping up and down with excitement. He, like Lance, had seen the price tag, but figured it was something that they could afford soon. Luckily, Daniel was there.

“Boys, you would need to have some serious credit to buy these and pay for the upkeep and ammunition,” Daniel explained, stating how much a single grenade would cost and how rare ammunition generally was. Rifters could only bring Rift exposed materials. Buying additional parts of ammunition could quickly lend a Rifter in serious debt.

Emanating some sober mentor energy, Daniel steered the young men towards another shop. “Here, let’s check this out,” Daniel explained, pointing at an assortment of bows, crossbows, and throwing daggers. All of them looked sturdy and reliable, not to mention made mostly from steel or wood.

“Many Rifters prefer these types of tools. They made them from ores found or mined inside the Rifts. They can take a beating and the cost of repair or maintenance is manageable. Not to mention you can usually reuse a bolt or arrow,” Daniel told the young men before nodding to the shopkeeper, having done business with her on multiple occasions. He then pointed at other stalls that had melee-oriented tools and basic protective equipment.

“Lads, most Rifters start out with minor jobs. Acting as either muscle in mining jobs or hauling equipment. They go by many names, yet most people simply refer to the latter as Porters.”

“That sounds… glamorous,” Thomas said somewhat deflated.

Daniel replied quickly as his gaze shifted towards Thomas. “It beats bleeding out in a random Rift just because you got cocky.”

“Y-yeah. Sorry. I just got excited,” Thomas quickly apologised. Daniel nodded at that, seeing as he could understand the excitement.

Daniel then led them past some booths that had recruiters for local Guilds, spokespersons for local companies. The latter often hired Rifters for regular jobs as either porter or as muscle to keep the porters safe. Even the GRRO had people on site to recruit Rifters in their organisation. They wanted experienced Rifters to help maintain structure and order.

“Come on. I want you to meet someone,” Daniel said as he led them towards a recruiter for a company that frequently employed Rifters as porters. A company logo was fastened on his jacket. ‘R.A.M.’

* * * * *

Four days later, the two young Rifters stood in front of another Rift, watching the pulsating black energy flare up now and again. Thomas narrowed his eyes as he observed it closer. “Is it just me, or does it look smaller compared to the one at the hospital?”

“I’d hope so,” Daniel commented to Thomas as he signalled the young men that they were to follow him further towards the Rift.

‘It feels strange being so close to a Rift again,’ Lance thought as he continued to watch the mass of black energy. Daniel had persuaded both Lance and Thomas to join him inside a Rift, this time with plenty of backups and lots of preparation. It had terrified the young men at first, but Daniel’s words had made sense when he explained just how different an average Rift would be for them. Experiencing that would strengthen their resolve at becoming proper Rifters, as well as lessen the fear of a Rift. The quicker they did so, the easier it would be.

Like most Rifts, there were layers of protection fastened around it. Large nets and rope created an almost spherical protective layer around it, preventing major incidents when Rifters cleared the Rift. There were mobile housing units installed behind the cage of nets. These structures contained a small barracks, an office for the overseers of the site, as well as private cubicles for the Rifters that would clear the Rift.

“They ranked this Rift as a level two. It differs vastly from the level seven that we experienced together,” Daniel explained, pointing at the size of the Rift and how it even felt weaker than what they had experienced.

Each time a Rift-event was closed, the Rift would decrease in strength and shrink. Companies such as Rift-based Advanced Metallurgy, or R.A.M., were one of many that profited from these Rifts. Daniel pointed at the large metal bins that were near the main office.

“The setup is actually quite simple. Companies such as R.A.M. buy up deeds of ownership of smaller Rifts from the government. In exchange for their guarantee that they will clear it and not risk public safety. In return, they let the Rifts grow a few levels before clearing it repeatedly. This creates the opportunity to mine precious minerals or harvesting rare items from the inhabiting monste-.”

“So, sort of like a farm or a mine, right?” Thomas asked, interrupting Daniel in his eagerness.

As the two men continued to discuss the situation, Lance thought about how he felt about this sort of thing. It was easy to point a finger at companies such as R.A.M. and claim that they were seeking profit out of a horrible event. On the other hand, it was companies such as these that were supplying a sizeable number of resources to manufacturers of weapons and armours. Rifters with better equipment could more reliably clear Rifts because of this.

‘As one might suspect, the world isn’t just black or white,’ Lance thought before he followed Daniel’s instructions to check their gear one last time before they went in. They had gotten a job as a porter, meaning that they and a dozen others would mine and harvest rare resources within the Rift. Other Rifters would clear out the enemies.

Compared to the fine chain-mail and leather armour Daniel was wearing, not to mention the thick steel armour other Rifters were wearing, Thomas and Lance looked rather under-equipped.

Both were wearing the standard porter gear that R.A.M. issued porters for the duration of the event. The gear comprised thick leather gloves and boots. A sturdy padded green overall with the R.A.M. insignia on the shoulders. For extra protection, they got to wear a thick iron breastplate and helmet. It was all machine or non-Rifter made, meaning it lacked any specific boons. Even without upgrades, the quality of an item made by a Rifter classed as a smith or crafter was usually far better.

Feeling the weight of the armour, it surprised Lance at how easy it was to move. “It feels… lighter than I expected,” Lance said, sharing what his thoughts.

“Most people think that wearing armour is cumbersome, but in reality, it is not that restrictive. And besides…” Daniel replied, pointing at Lance with a smile. “You two aren’t your former selves anymore. You are Rifters now and your strength will only grow from now on.”

His words ran true in the young men. As an achievement for surviving their first Rift, the encounter had awarded them the rank of Level 1 and had 3 extra attribute points left to distribute. As per Daniel’s advice, they had spread the points out in their Strength, Endurance, and their Agility. A Rifter’s base stats started around 10, slightly above your average non-Rifter.

[Endurance:] [10] (+1)

[Strength:] [10] (+1)

[Agility:] [10] (+1)

The effects of those additional points spend were subtle, yet they were there. It was in the way how they healed, mending wounds and broken bones in a matter of a week. Their bodies felt lighter and more energetic, with both Lance and Thomas now able to wear large bulky iron armour without really feeling all that bothered by it.

Daniel watched the light in their eyes and nodded. It satisfied him at what he was seeing there. “Good. Now, dig deep and find your resolve,” he said finally.

Slowly, the Rifters moved towards the Rift. The combat-oriented Rifters rushed in first. The porters would head in when sixty seconds had passed. Sixty seconds later, Thomas and Daniel ran towards the Rift and jumped in, with Lance at their heels.

Before Lance went inside, he threw a small pebble he had picked up from the ground towards the Rift. The pebble disintegrated the moment it hit the black Rift energy.

“Here goes nothing!” Lance yelled before he inhaled deeply and rushed into the violent mass of black energy. His body suddenly pulled inwards before everything turned dark.

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Author: Osirium

Copyright: 2021 OsiriumWrites

Released: 2021