The door creaked open with a sound that scraped at their minds like claws over stone. A wave of corrupted air swept past Junzo, Rina, and Kai as they stepped into the next chamber of the Obsidian Cathedral. The dark mist was thicker here. Each step echoed unnaturally, as though the sound itself was being devoured by the dungeon.
Their Corruption Meter ticked higher.
> Corruption Level: 9%
Effects: Slight stat drain (-2% to all stats). Visual distortion begins.
> Rina (Lv. 71 – Arcane Empress): "The corruption is growing faster the deeper we go."
> Junzo (Lv. 69 – Abyss Slayer): "We'll use the cleansing potion after the second Guardian. We can't waste it yet."
> Kai (Lv. 70 – Shadow Striker): "What's that sound…?"
A distant humming echoed throughout the hall. It wasn't mechanical or magical. It was… singing.
And it was getting closer.
[Dungeon Alert – Guardian Zone Reached]
Boss Detected: The Choir of Madness
Level: 75 (Shared Level)
HP: 4,000,000 x 5 (Five Choir Maidens)
Type: Ritual Boss / Group Fight
Status Effect: Hypnotic Song – Causes random status debuffs every 60 seconds.
Special Rule: If all five maidens are not defeated within 30 seconds of each other, they resurrect.
The room was a black cathedral amphitheater, lit by floating candles of blue fire. At the center stood five pale, robed women, their faces obscured by porcelain masks. Each sang a different tone, creating a maddening harmony that seeped into the minds of the players.
> System Warning: Willpower Check Failed. Player Rina afflicted with [Delirium: +20% MP cost].
Player Junzo afflicted with [Hallucination: 10% chance to miss].
> Rina: "They're casting mental magic through their voices. I'll suppress it with sound-nullification runes."
> Kai: "I'll silence one of them at a time. Junzo, call targets!"
Junzo marked the first maiden Soprana, the one in crimson robes then rushed forward with a flicker of violet speed. His blade crashed into her defense, and her tone wavered. At that moment, Rina cast Rune of Echo Silence, muting the entire left side of the room.
> Soprana: [HP 4,000,000 → 2,600,000]
Kai blinked behind Altoa, the third maiden, and plunged a dagger into her back, activating Bleed of Shadows, dealing 150% damage over 5 seconds. The entire room vibrated as the harmonies grew unstable.
> System: Harmony Disrupted! Status Effects Paused for 10 Seconds!
They took advantage of the gap. Rina unleashed Arcane Cometfall, slamming magic meteors into two of the maidens simultaneously. Junzo activated Abyss Chains, pinning another to the floor as Kai rotated to assist with timing.
> Rina: "Their resurrection window is short. We need to drop all five at once!"
> Junzo: "Split damage bring each down to 10% then burst!"
They worked like a machine. HP bars were leveled down together.
Soprana: 390,000 HP
Altoa: 410,000 HP
Mezza: 398,000 HP
Tenorra: 404,000 HP
Bassa: 412,000 HP
> Kai: "NOW!"
Kai activated Shadow Execution, a finisher that dealt 2x damage to targets under 20% HP. Rina followed with Nova Cascade, her most devastating burst spell. Junzo used Void Rift Cleave, a move that slashed across all five simultaneously.
> System Alert: Choir Sync Broken. Resurrection Sequence Failed.
> Boss Defeated – Choir of Madness
EXP Gained: 2,500,000
Loot Dropped:
– Mask of Broken Harmony (Rare Accessory – +10% Resistance to Mind Effects)
– Songshard Crystal x3 (Crafting Material)
– Abyssal Note (Quest Item)
Corruption Level: 12%
Visual distortion intensified. Player vision slightly blurred.
> Rina: "Using the cleansing potion now. We'll hit 20% if we don't."
[Potion of Cleansing used. Corruption reduced to 2%.]
> Junzo: "We're halfway to the heart of the Cathedral. Next guardian will be worse."
> Kai: "What's that sound now… footsteps?"
The door behind the boss altar opened not to the next room, but to an unexpected visitor.
A player stood there one they hadn't seen before.
He was clad in blackened steel armor with a red visor helmet. His nameplate read:
> ???
Level: 85
Class: Forbidden Reaper
Guild: None
Corruption: 93%
> Unknown Player: "You're in the way. Leave now... or die with the rest."
Before they could respond, he raised a hand and a wave of black energy surged forward.
> System Alert: PvP Mode Enabled – Cathedral of Zorath
> Junzo: "He's rogue PvP?!"
> Rina: "A corrupted player... He's turned into a dungeon entity!"
The screen began to shake. The system recognized the new threat and issued a special update.
> World Notification:
New Dungeon Sub-Boss Identified: Player Reaper – Level 85 (??? Class)
Optional Objective: Defeat or Escape.
And in that moment, the Obsidian Cathedral no longer felt like a dungeon it became a battlefield.