Chapter 23 – Behind The Curtain
The silence stretched across the planet like a second skin.
Not the silence of peace. Not of calm.
This was the hush of something vast and watching—of a world holding its breath after a divine sentence had been passed.
All around the Earth, the sky remained still.
Blue and clouded in some places. Gray and cracked in others. But beneath it… the world was no longer the same.
---
🌍 [SYSTEM NOTIFICATION — GLOBAL]
> [The Arena has begun.]
[Rift Activity: Ceased. Spontaneous Monster Spawns: Disabled.]
[EXP can only be earned via Dungeon Exploration or Player Combat.]
[World Tier: Ω (Omega) – Rank: 999+]
[World Elimination: Possible.]
[First Global Event Initiates In: 24:00:00]
---
From the Amazon basin to the ruins of Seoul, from the scorched sands of Egypt to the mangled streets of Berlin, the Arena began to overwrite reality.
The first signs were the Gates.
Massive, golden-ringed structures—identical in design to the one that loomed over the Canadian wilderness—appeared across the globe. Not crashing down, not summoned through magic, but simply… existing where they had not before.
In New York, a Gate shimmered into place on Liberty Island, its glow reflecting off the half-submerged Statue of Liberty.
In Nigeria, it floated above the ruins of a once-bustling Lagos bridge, humming like a tuning fork tuned to another dimension.
In Tokyo, it hung just beyond the shattered skyline, anchored to nothing, yet casting its glow across the rusted buildings below.
Even Antarctica, untouched and silent since the Rift apocalypse began, gained one—buried halfway in the ice like a half-sunken wheel of divinity.
Each Gate was accompanied by a massive Dungeon beneath it—sealed for now, but alive. Watching.
---
The ground itself responded.
Where once Rift monsters roamed freely, now the System reshaped the battlefield:
Forests rewired themselves, branches curling in unnatural patterns to form underground maze-like temples.
Oceans spat up coral towers, glowing with impossible colors, each harboring hidden Dungeons within.
Mountains cracked, revealing stairways made of crystal and black metal leading into unknown depths.
In the Sahara, an ancient ziggurat lifted from the sand, its summit pulsing with red runes.
And above it all, a strange hum—inaudible to the ear, yet undeniable—began to resonate in the air itself. Like the heartbeat of a world no longer solely Earth.
---
The Players, scattered and broken, reacted in different ways.
Some wept, overwhelmed by the magnitude of what had just begun.
Some gathered into prayer—worshipping the golden figure who had spoken as a Messenger of the System, believing salvation had arrived.
Others, the dangerous ones, saw opportunity.
Across several nations, PvP factions emerged overnight:
In the ruins of São Paulo, Ashborn Path announced their first blood offering—killing rival Players to harvest their gear and souls.
In France, Crimson Climb began broadcasting training regimens, promising to reach the Global Top 100 by the end of the first Event.
In what was once Moscow, a nameless warband painted their faces in black and gold, calling themselves the "Arena's Firstborn."
Meanwhile, other groups worked desperately to shield civilians, retreating into old military shelters, metro stations, and broken cities.
Not all conflict resumed.
Some looked to the sky… and simply waited.
---
[SYSTEM UPDATE]
> [World Dungeon Network Activated]
[Random Monster Encounters: Disabled]
[Dungeon Difficulty Scaling: Engaged (Minimum Rank C-)]
[Floating Gates Linked to Global Ranking Trials]
[Event Participation Restriction: Level 30+ Required]
[Countdown: 23:54:11]
---
As time ticked forward, the golden Gates pulsed slowly, synchronized across continents. Each one mirrored the others.
Some flickered slightly—unstable, perhaps waiting for something.
In Canada, one such Gate floated above a frozen forest clearing. Beneath it, blackened roads led toward a collapsed metro hub. The snow around the gate didn't fall—it hung in the air, suspended by the System's gravity, giving the entire scene the look of a frozen painting.
And the Gate pulsed.
Once.
Then again.
It was waiting for the hour to strike zero.
It was not alone.
There were dozens like it.
Hundreds.
All around the world.
Each one a doorway.
Each one a test.
Each one a promise:
Prove yourself.
Or die in the first round.
….
The wind carried the smell of cold ash and blooming decay.
Clara and Andrew soared low over the remnants of northern Italy. Towns lay shattered beneath a soft snowfall—unnatural, conjured not by climate, but by a Dungeon's residual aura. The sun filtered dimly through a veil of shifting clouds, distorted as if the sky itself had fractured into layers.
Below them: twisted vineyards, cracked fountains, ruined villas. Some places shimmered faintly, marked with pale silver threads—Dungeon threads, faintly visible to those attuned.
Andrew squinted downward. "There."
Clara followed his gaze. Amid the vines and broken earth stood a cathedral, ancient and elegant, but half-submerged in frost and vines. Its steeple had crumbled, and shattered stained glass littered the ground like fractured rainbows. A golden pulse resonated beneath it—slow and heavy, like a heartbeat.
They landed quietly in the courtyard.
As soon as their feet touched the ground, the System spoke.
> [Dungeon Discovered: The Hollow Basilica]
Rank: B+
Status: Unclaimed
Condition: Stable – Timeflow Dilated (x2)
First Clear Reward: ???
Danger Level: Elevated – Shadow and Chaos Detected
[Would you like to enter?]
Y/N
Clara nodded. "We need this."
Andrew didn't hesitate. "Let's end it fast."
Their fingers brushed the gate together.
> [Dungeon Entry Confirmed]
Players: Andrew – Lv. 29 | Clara – Lv. 29
Estimated Time: 4 hours (Real Time)
Dungeon Stabilizing...
The world blinked—
—and the cathedral consumed them.
—--
They emerged into silence.
The air was cold, heavy, and alive with whispers that had no source. The interior of the Hollow Basilica was vast—grander than the structure outside could contain. Endless pews stretched into the shadows, carved from obsidian and etched with runes. A once-glorious altar floated mid-air, suspended above a chasm of black mist.
The only light came from stained glass windows, glowing despite no sun. Each pane shifted colors slowly, pulsing with a mind of its own. Some depicted angels. Others… monsters. Many were shattered.
> [Dungeon Activated – Zone 1: Choir of Wailing Saints]
From the pews, shadowed forms rose. Dozens of them. Headless figures in tattered choir robes, mouths wide open at their necks. From those holes came a choral scream—a harmony of agony that rippled like knives.
Clara unsheathed her short sword, her eyes already glowing with icy blue and fiery crimson. "I'll draw them!"
She sprinted down the central aisle, her wind magic hurling pews aside. As the first Wailing Saints lunged, she dropped low and unleashed a burst of freezing mist, halting their advance.
Andrew vanished into shadow, then reappeared mid-air behind two of them, his sword cleaving through spectral flesh. The figures didn't bleed—but they shattered like glass, screams trailing behind.
> [EXP Gained: +287]
[Shadow Step – Skill Level Up → Lv. 6]
[Swordsmanship → Lv. 8]
More surged from hidden alcoves, some singing in a low, suffocating chant that made the air feel heavier. Clara flared with fire, scattering them with a whip of burning wind. Andrew closed his eyes, extended his hand—
—and from the shadows, three Umbra Constructs rose like silent wolves, tearing into the chanting ones.
But something was wrong.
As they advanced toward the second corridor, a ripple passed through Clara. Her magic pulsed—too violently. It spiked, cracking the ground under her feet. She staggered, clutching her chest.
"Clara—!"
"I'm okay—" she hissed, voice distorted. "It's… just loud. The Chaos—wants out—"
Andrew summoned shadow threads to anchor her feet and stabilize her stance. "Hold on. We're not done."
---
[Zone 2 – The Reflecting Hall]
They pushed deeper.
A hallway made entirely of mirrors welcomed them—walls, floors, even the air seemed reflective. Their own images danced around them, distorted, warped, split across thousands of surfaces.
And then the images began to move without them.
> [New Threat: Mirrorbound Paladins – Lv. 31]
[Objective: Break the Reflection Anchors]
Armored knights, identical to Andrew and Clara, stepped out of the glass. Same weapons. Same stance. No emotion.
It wasn't a mimicry. It was a test.
Andrew's double fought like him—but with no hesitation, no restraint. The fight was surgical. Brutal. Every weakness exploited immediately.
Clara fought her reflection in a whirlwind of ice and flame. But the clone knew when to dodge, when to counter. Her fireballs exploded too early. Her wind sliced nothing but walls.
They were losing—until Clara gritted her teeth and screamed.
A shockwave of wind compressed and detonated, flattening her copy. Clara's skin began to crackle with dark red sigils—Chaos influence intensifying—but she pressed on.
Andrew smiled faintly and whispered, "You're not the only one with secrets."
He stepped forward and merged with his own shadow.
> [Skill Used: Umbra Fusion – Experimental Phase]
[Error… Override Complete.]
[Success.]
His reflection blinked—too slow.
Andrew's blade flashed from behind. The glass shattered.
---
[Boss Room Unlocked – Bishop of the Mirror Choir]
A door opened—eight meters tall, rimmed with silver flames. A chorus echoed from beyond, beautiful and unnatural.
The Bishop waited within.
The cathedral beyond the silver door was darker than the rest—lit only by suspended mirrors, floating in perfect symmetry. The pews were gone. The floor was marble so polished it reflected the ceiling like water. At the center, a single figure knelt in silent prayer.
The Bishop of the Mirror Choir.
He wore robes layered in glass filaments, his face hidden behind a shattered mask. In one hand, he held a mirror-framed staff. In the other, a bell made of soulglass.
When he stood, the entire room changed.
> [Dungeon Boss Engaged: Bishop of the Mirror Choir – Rank B+] [Special Effect: Adaptive Reflection – Skill duplication enabled]
[Skill: Choral Displacement – Mirror Phasing active]
Clara didn't wait.
She launched forward, a gust of wind propelling her straight at the bishop—only to be met by a shimmering copy of herself, reflected from one of the hanging mirrors.
It moved perfectly. Every twitch, every step—synchronized. The moment she struck, her own flames exploded back in her direction, twisted sideways.
She was hurled across the cathedral, crashing into a pillar.
Andrew narrowed his eyes. The bishop hadn't moved.
Only watched.
"I'll deal with him," Andrew said softly. "Shatter the anchors."
Clara nodded through gritted teeth.
---
Andrew's shadow tendrils danced between mirrors, aiming for the Bishop—but each attack was swallowed, redirected, or reversed by the reflections. Even his Umbra Constructs were duplicated, forcing him to fight his own creations.
Then the bell rang.
> DONG.
Time stuttered. Mirrors multiplied. Clara screamed as dozens of distorted versions of herself emerged from the glass, casting chains of flame and ice in perfect coordination.
The Bishop opened his mouth.
Not to speak.
To sing.
A pure, discordant melody rang through the air, warping it. Andrew dropped to one knee instantly, blood trickling from his ears. Clara screamed and threw up a shield of wind, but it vibrated until it shattered.
> [Warning: Harmonic Pressure Detected] [Mental Resistance Below Threshold – Effects Reduced by 30% (Clara)]
"Sound magic," Clara grunted, her fingers twitching.
Andrew stood, forcing his shadows to close the space. Umbra Constructs surged, fangs bared—but each one that neared the Bishop was reflected by floating mirrors and torn apart midair.
He growled. "These mirrors… they're extensions of him."
"We need to shatter the song," Clara said through gritted teeth.
"I'll bring him down. You break the mirrors."
And then Andrew vanished.
Clara shot upward, propelled by wind, her eyes blazing.
---
Andrew collided with the Bishop. Shadow-cloaked blades met spectral hands of mirrored glass. Every strike he landed was echoed back—reflected slashes following him like curses. Blood bloomed across his side.
> [HP: 72%]
He didn't stop.
He couldn't.
The Umbra around him thickened. He vanished into his own shadow once more.
Below, Clara unleashed a cry.
Chaos surged.
Her magic spiraled out of control—threads of fire, ice, and wind woven into a deadly helix. For a moment, her aura darkened, and the stained-glass sigils around her eyes glowed.
> [Chaos Overdrive – Stage 1: Unlocked] [Effect: Triples all elemental output for 60 seconds – Unstable]
With a scream, she flung a spiral of pure elemental force upward. The blast tore through three of the Bishop's mirrors, reducing them to glittering shards.
The song faltered.
Andrew seized the moment.
> [Skill Activated: Dark Absorption – Level 1]
[Target: Bishop of the Mirror Choir – Core Extraction in Progress…]
[Warning: Resistance Detected. Proceeding…]
[Override Condition Met.]
The world slowed.
Shadows swirled around the Bishop's chest. His mask cracked. A distorted scream echoed across the mirrors. His form twisted—not killed, not exploded—but pulled inward.
Sucked into Andrew's hand.
> [Boss Essence Absorbed.]
[Skill Gained: Reflection Nullification (Passive)]
[Dark Absorption – Skill Level Up → Lv. 3]
[EXP Gained: +14,500]
[LEVEL UP → Andrew: Lv. 30]
[LEVEL UP → Clara: Lv. 30]
The Dungeon trembled.
Stained glass burst in slow motion.
The shadows… calmed.
---
They landed hard—back in the real world.
The cathedral behind them crumbled to dust, a quiet wind blowing it into memory. The Dungeon Thread flickered, then faded. The mission was complete.
Clara panted, sweat trickling down her brow. The sigils around her eyes dimmed. "That was… not fun."
Andrew glanced at his hand, still twitching from the absorption. "That power… it's real."
They locked eyes.
No words. Just understanding.
They had both changed.
And with their goal accomplished they took the road
….
Italy fell behind them like a dream dissolving at sunrise.
They soared together, riding the jetstream of wind and shadow. Clara generated a constant tailwind, slicing through the sky like a bullet of flame and ice. Andrew rode behind her, his Umbra Constructs serving as invisible wings, flattening air resistance and cloaking their flight.
They passed over France in a blur, crossed the English Channel as dusk bled into night, then veered northwest across the North Atlantic.
> [Time Remaining Until Arena Event: 09:52:08]
[New Dungeon Zones Detected Beneath Atlantic Ridge – Avoidance Recommended]
[Player Rank: Rising… Global Leaderboards Locked Until First Event Completion]
The ocean below wasn't calm.
Black storms moved in perfect circles beneath them—Dungeon vortexes. Massive floating ruins passed slowly in the fog, like islands of ancient civilizations. A few times, Clara paused, instinctively steering away from something enormous beneath the water.
Something watching.
They didn't speak much.
They were focused. Exhausted. Alive.
---As they neared the east coast of Canada, a storm broke beneath them—but they flew through it untouched. The Gate pulsed far ahead, golden and waiting, suspended above a frozen metro plaza.
They landed just one hour before the Event.
But they could not enter.
> [Access Denied – Global Gate Event Entry Locked Until: 00:00:00]
[Warning: External Hostile Presence Detected Near Gate Threshold]
[Intrusion Attempt: Partial Layer Breach Prevented by System]
[Prepare Accordingly.]
Clara's heart skipped.
"What does that mean—'external presence'?"
Andrew's eyes scanned the swirling air above the Gate.
A shadowy silhouette flickered just outside the shimmering threshold—a dark ripple pulsing with malevolent intent, but barred by an invisible wall of System energy.
> [System Alert: Tier 6 Challenger Approaching Arena Layer Ω]
[Full Entry Locked Until Countdown Completion]
[Ranking Combat Trial Begins In: 01:00:00]
Andrew's hand tightened on his blade.
"We're not the only ones waiting for this ladder to open."
...…
Andrew — Status Window (Level 30)
Name: Andrew
Level: 30
Class: ????
Stats:
Strength: 150 (+50 boss absorption)
Speed: 130
Agility: 140
Intelligence: 120
Resistance: 110 (+20 mental resistance)
Mana Pool: 250
Passive Skills:
Shadow Empowerment (Night): +10% all stats, +20% damage output in shadows
Mental Fortitude: +20 resistance vs. mental/chaos attacks
Active Skills:
Shadow Step (Lv. 6 | Cooldown: 5s)
Shadow Glide (Lv. 5 | Cooldown: 3s)
Umbra Constructs (Lv. 8 | Damage Multiplier: 3.0×)
Dark Minions (Lv. 8 | Damage Multiplier: 2.2×)
Shadow Explosion (Lv. 8 | Damage Multiplier: 2.5× | Cooldown: 15s)
Dark Fog (Lv. 5 | Cooldown: 20s)
Equipment:
Shadow Longsword (+35% magic damage)
Shadow Cloak (+25% evasion)
—-----
Clara — Status Window (Level 30)
Name: Clara
Level: 30
Class: Tri-Elemental Mage / Swordmaster
Stats:
Strength: 160
Speed: 145
Agility: 135
Intelligence: 170
Resistance: 100
Mana Pool: 350
Passive Skills:
Elemental Mastery (Focused): Can wield two elements at full power simultaneously. Third element is suppressed (-50% damage).
Combat Flow: Seamlessly combines martial arts and elemental magic for chained attacks.
Bond of Proximity: +15% mana regen and +10% damage output within 20 meters of Andrew.
Chaos Stirring (Dormant): Unstable magical surges under stress; no control.
Active Skills:
Instant Spellcasting (Lv. 7 | Offensive only)
Fire Slash (Lv. 8 | Damage Multiplier: 2.8×)
Ice Spike (Lv. 8 | Damage Multiplier: 2.5×)
Wind Gust (Lv. 8 | Damage Multiplier: 2.1×)
Elemental Barrier (Lv. 6 | Cooldown: 20s)
Chaos Surge (Lv. 5 | Cooldown: 30s)
Backlash (Chaos Surge):
+15% mana drain and unstable elemental control for 10 seconds post-activation.
Equipment:
Twin Short Swords (Elementally Attuned)
Chaos Amulet (+15% elemental damage and mana pool)