The ground trembled as the remnants of Ghorrath's corpse crumbled into bone dust, swept away by a foul wind that carried the stench of decay. The first Abyssal Pillar was shattered, but victory brought no comfort only a heavier sense of urgency.
> System Notification:
Moraz'Thur's awareness of your actions is increasing.
Eclipse Progress +7%
Obsidian Cathedral Awakening Phase: 1 of 5
> Junzo (Lv. 64 – Abyss Slayer): "Every time we push forward, he pushes back harder…"
> Rina (Lv. 68 – Arcane Empress): "That means we're getting close. The enemy only reacts when it's afraid."
> Kai (Lv. 67 – Shadow Striker): "Then let's give it something to fear. Cradle of Rot's next, right?"
Junzo nodded, tightening the grip on his evolving blade, Abyss Fang. The next target was deep within a fungal canyon known as the Cradle of Rot, a massive infected biome that once served as a healing ground for druids and herbalists. Now, it was a festering jungle of venomous spores, parasitic beasts, and biomechanical fungi that walked on legs of roots and bone.
[System Location Unlocked – Cradle of Rot]
Corruption Level: 89%
Recommended Party Level: 70+
Environmental Debuff: Plague Spores (Stackable Poison Damage)
Visibility: Obscured by Toxic Fog
Respawn Disabled Until Zone Boss is Defeated
> System Update: Infection Tolerance Unlocked
Due to exposure to Abyssal Contamination, you have gained minor resistance to rot and toxins.
Junzo (Abyss Slayer) – Passive Trait Gained: Abyss Immunity I
(Reduces damage from all plague and rot-based sources by 15%)
Their descent into the Cradle began with a brutal welcome.
Ten minutes into the zone, they were already swarmed by Rotspike Hounds creatures with fungal tumors bursting from their skulls, their bodies half-digested and screaming. Rina barely had time to cast a barrier before one leaped at her, only for Kai to appear behind it, his daggers carving out its infected heart in a blink.
> Kai: "There's no end to these things!"
> Rina: "The spore nests must be nearby. They're multiplying every time we kill them!"
> Junzo: "Then we burn the nests first."
Using his new skill Eclipse Pulse, Junzo sent a wave of searing black-and-white energy through the jungle, causing entire thickets of corrupted fungi to erupt into ash.
But the true danger wasn't the wildlife it was the Abyssal Pillar hidden deep in the valley, guarded by a monster known only as Mother Rot.
[Zone Boss Detected – Mother Rot, Brood Queen of Decay]
Level 80 – World Mutation Class Boss
HP: 13,000,000
Traits: Hive Mind, Regeneration, Area Domination
Environment Control: Rotfield Spore Dome
Special Rule: Boss gains power based on active spore colonies
Recommended Players: Raid x30
> Rina: "We need to clear out the colonies first. If we fight her with full spore count, we're dead."
> Kai: "I'll split off. Shadow Step through the perimeter and take them out with poison disruptors."
> Junzo: "No, we do it together. If even one of us drops, we can't recover. These bosses are no longer just numbers they're intelligent."
They began clearing the outer nests, each defended by dozens of mutated minions and Spore Fiends giant sentient mushrooms with faces that screamed as they died. Each nest destroyed weakened the dome around Mother Rot's lair.
> [System Log – Spore Colonies Destroyed: 4/6]
> Junzo: "Almost there. Let's prep. Full buffs. Potion cooldowns reset?"
> Rina: "Ready. Summoning Arcane Guardian."
> Kai: "Toxins loaded. Let's do this."
As the dome shattered, the stench hit them first.
Then came the sound the wet, horrible gurgling of something ancient and bloated.
Mother Rot descended from the ceiling of a fungal tree, her body an amalgam of insect legs, bloated eggsacs, and a humanoid torso that was stitched with roots. Her voice crawled into their minds like worms:
> "You are the sickness… not I… I am the cure for your kind…"
[Boss Battle Initiated – Mother Rot]
Phase One: Toxic Rain (Deals AoE poison, DoT over 20 seconds)
Broodbirth (Summons 10 Rotlings every 60 seconds)
Ground Eruption (Deals 50% HP to anyone stationary)
Junzo activated Abyss Domain, reducing Mother Rot's resistance and increasing Light damage. Rina countered with Arcane Seal Field, trapping Rotlings within an energy cage while Kai shredded them from the shadows.
Suddenly, Phase Two triggered.
[System Alert – Phase Two Unlocked]
Mother Rot has merged with her environment. Regeneration increased. HP restored: +2,000,000
New Ability Unlocked: Hive Rebirth
All Rotlings resurrect after death unless incinerated.
> Junzo: "She's healing faster than we can hurt her!"
> Rina: "Switch to anti-regeneration runes! I'll use mana drain!"
> Kai: "I'll target the sacs on her back. They're glowing now weak points!"
The fight pushed their limits. Junzo nearly fell when a tentacle burst from the ground and skewered his left shoulder, but he countered with Void Splitter, slicing off a limb and triggering a massive bleed.
As the battle reached a climax, Junzo drew on the power surging within Abyss Fang.
[Skill Unlocked – Abyss Awakening Lv. 1]
Temporarily unleash the true form of the Abyss Slayer.
All stats +80%, Damage vs. Corrupted +150% for 30 seconds.
Cooldown: 1 hour
He became a blur of shadows and white-hot light, slicing through Mother Rot's core in a berserker fury. With a final Eclipse Breaker, her body exploded in a cloud of shattered spores.
[Boss Defeated – Mother Rot, Brood Queen of Decay]
EXP Gained: 2,800,000
Junzo Leveled Up: 64 → 66
Rina Leveled Up: 68 → 69
Kai Leveled Up: 67 → 68
Loot Acquired: Abyssal Pillar Key x1
Rotweaver Cape (Epic – Resistance +20%)
Brood Queen's Core (Material – Required for Abyssal Weapon Upgrade)
> Junzo: "Two pillars down. One more left."
> Rina: "And the Obsidian Cathedral waits."
> Kai: "How much time is left before the eclipse ends everything?"
> System Notification:
Eclipse Countdown: 36 in-game hours remaining…