The room screamed.
Not in a "monster roars" kind of way. No. The room itself screamed—stone grinding, shadows twitching, the air vibrating like someone just dropped a violin in a blender.
A figure emerged from the spiral altar. Not walked—emerged. Like ink pouring from a cracked cup.
It had a face.
Then three.
Then none.
[Boss Encounter: Corrupted Shrine Guardian – Lv. ???]
[Warning: Class-Linked Entity Detected. Alignment instability risk: HIGH]
Kazuki's vision blurred.
Symbols lit up in his HUD. Text in languages he didn't know scrolled by, flickering like they didn't want to be read. His body locked up—stuck between adrenaline and existential dread.
"Hey!" Darin shouted. "Ladle guy! You wanna move?!"
Kazuki snapped out of it just as the Guardian swung a limb made of stone and bad decisions in his direction. He rolled—barely—smashing into Vera.
"I told you," she hissed, "don't touch anything glowing!"
"I didn't! He did!" Kazuki pointed at Darin.
"I regret nothing!" Darin yelled as he clashed swords with the Guardian and was immediately launched into a wall.
Vera chanted a spell—arcs of magic wrapping around her like armor. A barrier went up around Kazuki.
"Stay behind me."
"Gladly," he muttered, still dizzy from the visions.
Mistral leapt from his hood and landed on the altar, claws glowing with runes. "That thing is anchored to your curse. I can feel it."
"Wait—mine?!"
"It's feeding off your corruption, dumbass!"
"Oh good! I love being a battery for evil!"
Kazuki reached deep into the system, trying to activate anything that would help.
[Pain Conversion – Ready][Battle Instinct – Active][NEW: Soul Rebound – Ready]
The Guardian lashed out. Vera blocked the first blow. The second broke through. She stumbled.
Kazuki activated Soul Rebound and dove in—taking the hit full force.
[Damage Taken: 26][Corruption Increased: +2%][Rebound Damage Dealt: 20 – Spirit Type]
The Guardian staggered.
Kazuki, less "stood heroic" and more "collapsed dramatically," wheezed, "It works. It hurts, but it works."
Vera blinked at him. "You tanked that?"
He smiled weakly. "I am made entirely of mistakes and poor life choices."
Darin rejoined the fight with a second sword he absolutely wasn't supposed to have.
"Dual wielding time, baby!"
"Where did you get that?!"
"I found it in a skeleton!"
"Of course you did."
The fight turned chaotic—magic, blades, flailing limbs, and one point where Kazuki bit the Guardian out of desperation. (It didn't work, but it surprised everyone.)
Then, Mistral chanted something ancient.
The altar pulsed.
The Guardian froze.
Vera launched a spell that ripped the sky open inside the chamber.
Darin landed the final blow—dramatic spin, glowing swords, anime protagonist energy.
The Guardian exploded into ash and whispers.
Silence.
[Boss Defeated: Corrupted Shrine Guardian][Quest Complete: Shrines of the Broken One – 1/7][Level Up: 5 → 6][New Trait Acquired: Dream-Touched (Passive)]
Kazuki collapsed to the floor.
Vera sat down beside him, chest heaving.
Darin lay sprawled on a rock, smiling like an idiot.
Mistral paced on the altar, muttering, "One shrine down. Six more chances to die horribly."
Kazuki stared at the ceiling and whispered, "This was supposed to be a side quest."