The eerie twilight of the corrupted sky refused to fade, a constant reminder of Moraz'Thur's rising influence. Aetheria no longer followed day and night cycles the time of light was over, and darkness ruled.
Junzo and his team had less than 60 in-game hours before the final eclipse would reach its zenith. The journey to the Obsidian Cathedral, nestled deep within the Shadow Rift, was still over 800 kilometers away. And it wasn't just distance that blocked their path it was everything the System could throw at them.
[System Warning – Abyssal Domain Detected]
You are entering a Tier 4 Corruption Zone. Level 70+ enemies will spawn frequently. All fast travel, teleportation, and mounts disabled.
Only players marked with "Abyss Slayer's Presence" may survive this environment.
Junzo looked back at Rina and Kai. The three had just crossed through the shattered gates of the Fallen Sanctuary, a once-protected holy ground that was now home to twisted, nightmare-warped creatures.
The stones beneath their feet were scorched black, etched with abyssal runes. The corrupted air caused even Rina's magic barrier to flicker.
> Kai (Lv. 66 – Shadow Striker): "Feels like the game turned into survival horror overnight."
> Rina (Lv. 67 – Arcane Empress): "My mana regen's cut in half here… this zone suppresses all regeneration."
> Junzo (Lv. 63 – Abyss Slayer): "We stick together. Don't engage unless we're sure we can win. We can't afford to wipe not now."
Junzo pulled up the World Map. The path to the Obsidian Cathedral led through three major corrupted landmarks:
1. Gravewind Valley
2. The Cradle of Rot
3. Veinforge Ruins
Each area pulsed with darkness on the map. At their current pace, they'd need to level up more before taking on what waited inside.
[Quest Update – Side Mission Activated]
"Cleanse the Pillars" – Optional World Event
Destroy 3 Abyssal Pillars anchoring Moraz'Thur's power.
Rewards: EXP, Abyss Keys, Hidden Skill Unlock
Failure: Eclipse Progress +5%
The team decided to detour first toward Gravewind Valley. Rumors in the global chat mentioned a raid boss named Ghorrath, the Bone Harbinger, spawning there, guarding one of the Abyssal Pillars.
> Junzo: "If we take that thing out, we might weaken the corruption radius. Plus, we could use the EXP and drops."
> Rina: "Alright. Just know… only guilds have managed to take that thing down before. And we're just a party of three."
> Kai: "Correction. We're the party of three."
[System Log – Gravewind Valley]
Entering Corruption Zone: Level 72+ Enemies Present
Visibility reduced. New status applied: "Soul Fracture" – -10% Max HP every 10 minutes.
Within the valley, death whispered in the wind.
Bones rose from the blackened earth like twisted flowers. Spectral figures drifted silently, only visible through Rina's detection spell. Each step the team took was one closer to the core of the corruption.
Then… it happened.
[World Boss Encounter – Ghorrath, the Bone Harbinger]
Level 78 (Elite Raid-Class)
HP: 10,000,000
Affinities: Undead, Darkness
Special Traits: Soul Chain, Resurrection, Bone Swarm
Recommended Party Size: 20+ Players
Ghorrath emerged from beneath a mountain of bones, its massive skeletal frame wrapped in chains that radiated void magic. Hollow eyes glowed crimson, and each footstep shook the valley.
> Kai: "Ten million HP?! And it has a resurrection trait?!"
> Rina: "We'll need to burst it down during its second phase. That's when it's weakest."
> Junzo: "Then we start strong."
> [Skill Activated: Abyssal Domain]
Junzo conjures a localized field that suppresses abyssal energy, reducing enemy defenses by 30% and increasing all Light-type damage by 50%.
Duration: 60 seconds.
> [Skill Activated: Arcane Storm – Rina]
Summons 50 arcane bolts of compressed mana. Each bolt deals AoE magic damage and has a chance to stun undead-type enemies.
> [Skill Activated: Phantom Blades – Kai]
Creates shadow clones that strike simultaneously from blind spots. Critical chance x3 for 20 seconds.
Ghorrath roared. Chains burst from its body and wrapped around Rina. She was thrown through the air and slammed into a pillar of bone.
> [Status Effect: Soul Chain] – Target Bound. Defense -50%. Continuous Damage Applied.
> Rina: "Ugh… I'm okay! Keep going!"
Junzo's sword shimmered. The Abyss Fang absorbed the dark energy around him and morphed.
[New Skill Unlocked – Eclipse Slash]
Channel the essence of corrupted light. Slashes deal 3x damage to Undead and Abyssal monsters. Triggers bonus explosion when used in an Abyssal Domain.
> Junzo (yelling): "ECLIPSE SLASH!"
The blade arced with light and black flames, striking Ghorrath square in the skull. The explosion tore half its face off and sent it crashing back.
> [Critical Hit! 920,043 Damage Dealt]
Phase Two Triggered – Resurrection Begins…
But they didn't stop. Rina summoned a barrage of light runes to pin it down, and Kai teleported to its spine, unleashing a shadow drill through the marrow.
> [Final Blow – Abyss Fang Pierces Core]
[World Boss Defeated – Ghorrath, the Bone Harbinger]
EXP Gained: 2,100,000
Junzo Leveled Up! Lv. 63 → 64
Rina Leveled Up! Lv. 67 → 68
Kai Leveled Up! Lv. 66 → 67
Loot Obtained: Soulbreaker Rune (Epic)
Abyssal Pillar Key x1
Bone Harbinger Cloak (Legendary – Shadow Armor)
> Junzo: "One pillar down."
> Rina: "And two more to go."
> Kai: "...Guys, the sky just got darker again."
The group turned their gaze skyward.
The eclipse had devoured another sliver of sunlight. The hourglass of the world was bleeding out faster than ever.
> System Notification:
Moraz'Thur has noticed your interference.