Chapter 30 – Arena of Shadows
Chapter 30 – Arena of Shadows
Guild Tournament Arc: Corrupted Battlefield
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Enigma Online PH – Sector 3 Tournament Arena (Corrupted Instance)
> System Warning: Unauthorized entity has breached this instance. Stability: 67.4% and dropping. Player safety protocols suspended.
The first Chaos Warden stepped forward from the rift—twelve feet tall, wrapped in data-scorched obsidian armor. Its right arm morphed into a blade of glitching pixels, while its left pulsated with what looked like raw script, forming and collapsing like living code. Its helm bore a vertical eye that stared at Zaphro.
> [CHAOS WARDEN - Class: CHAOS PHANTOM] [Field-Level: 280] [Directives: Purge Fractured Data, Neutralize Twilight Signatures]
Zaphro activated his interface, trying to message the GMs—but the option was gone.
"It locked us out of the system," he muttered. "We're completely sealed in."
The arena around them cracked and glitched, its marble tiles warping into jagged terrain. One of the sponsor banners blinked, flickered, then reappeared with distorted text: ROWAN LIVES.
Accel clenched his fists. "This isn't just sabotage. Rowan's rewriting the game in real time."
"He has full GM-level override," Aryus said grimly, raising his shield. "And that core... it's stabilizing corrupted commands."
The Chaos Warden roared, and three more emerged from secondary rifts.
> [Multiple CHAOS WARDENS detected. Estimated threat: Extreme.]
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Combat Phase Initiated
"Form up!" Zaphro commanded, voice steady despite the chaos.
Ayana and Erenir immediately launched aerial support—flame and frost raining down to slow the Warden's advance.
Ayana: Grand Summon Libra, Grand Summon Pisces!
She called three of her strongest summon to assist in the battle field.
Verillion chanted a defensive skill, erecting a hexagonal grid around their party.
AR0012 dashed onto a broken tower, switching to anti-corruption rounds.
"I still have what GM Akil gave me for this kind of scenario. I can weaken their script layer!" He shouted. "Just keep them off me!"
Jin and Shion combined offense: Jin's swordsmanship lifted enemy projectiles mid-air while Shion struck them down with swift slashes using Godspeed.
"These aren't raid mobs," Shion growled. "They're smart. They're adapting."
Indeed, the Chaos Wardens began recalibrating—dodging attacks they previously absorbed, striking at support first.
One charged Ayana, shattering her summoning array canceling her summons.
"Ayana, fall back!" Erik shouted, intercepting with a gravity slash.
A chain lashed out from a Warden, grabbing Erik midair and slamming him into the corrupted wall.
> [Player Erik has entered Status: Internal Code Disruption]
"He's infected!" Aryus barked. "Don't let the chains touch you!"
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Meanwhile – Unknown Sector, Code Abyss
Rowan watched from within a fractured admin mirror, surrounded by CHAOS_CORE_V2's swirling tendrils.
"They resist well," he mused, eyes glowing crimson. "But resistance is just data delay."
He typed a new directive into his forged GM console.
> [EXECUTE: CORE MERGE PROTOCOL – WARDEN SPLIT]
On the battlefield, two of the Chaos Wardens fused into a singular entity, forming the monstrous Warden Prime, now triple the size.
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Back in the Arena
"That thing's Level 320!" Ayana gasped.
Zaphro didn't hesitate. "Accel. We're using that new skill that only the two of us can do. Let's sync."
Accel nodded. The two activated a forbidden skill not seen by everyone from Vault XII event.
> [Angel Sync: Dual Descent - Shadowverse Activation]
The air tore apart as their wings merged into a double helix of divine and corrupted light. The new form glowed with chaotic grace.
Zaphro/Accel (Synced) flew directly at Warden Prime.
They dodged blade strikes that carved reality, parried attacks that shattered UI overlays, and unleashed a double-blade spin of soul-bound darklight.
The battlefield slowed for a moment.
> [Core Disruption at 47%... 51%... 60%]
Aryus used the opening to teleport to Erik's position, casting a rare Paladin tier cleanse spell.
"Null Shift!"
Erik's code stabilized, just as Aryus slammed his shield into a charging Warden, activating a rare Holy Nova burst.
> [One Warden eliminated.]
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Final Clash
As the synced duo clashed blades with Warden Prime, Ayana and Erenir created a sky rune above the arena—calling down an ancient meteorite.
The impact collided with Warden Prime and the synced angels at once.
> [CHAOS WARDEN PRIME - STATUS: FRAGMENTED] [System Stability Recovered to 71.2%]
Rowan screamed through the system, his avatar briefly manifesting in the sky—glitched and flickering, face warped by corrupted authority.
"You delay nothing! CHAOS_CORE_V2 will outlive you all!"
"You hold Version One… but I carry the Second. And unlike yours… mine evolves."
He vanished before they could respond.
The rift closed.
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System Prompt:
> Emergency Event Complete. Unauthorized Anomaly Repelled. Threat Logged. New Questline Unlocked: [Fractured Genesis] MVPs: Zaphro/Accel, Shion, Aryus.
The team collapsed into the broken terrain, exhausted but alive.