The alarm went off at 5:00 AM exactly one week after their first Mandatory Mission.
Riri woke instantly, her body already moving before conscious thought caught up. Samael stirred beside her, his arm tightening around her waist in reflexive resistance before he released her.
"A-Rank," he said. Statement, not question.
"A-Rank," she confirmed.
They'd spent the past six days preparing. Rest, stat optimization, equipment checks, formation drills with all four companions. Every variable they could control had been accounted for. Every contingency planned.
A-Rank was three tiers above E-Rank minimum. Content designed for parties of twelve to fifteen Players. Boss mechanics that required coordination and strategy. Environmental hazards that could kill in seconds.
They were attempting it as a Bonded pair.
Riri rolled out of bed and moved through the morning routine with mechanical precision. Shadow-Weave set, Desert Viper's Fang, Cloak of Shadow Resistance. Ring of Endless Stamina on her right hand. Every piece of A-Grade equipment or higher, optimized for her build.
Samael dressed in silence beside her, dark tactical gear and his upgraded blade. Twenty-six thousand Combat Power. The highest in the Hub according to the leaderboards that System #2 had cheerfully shown her yesterday.
Her own Combat Power sat at 18,247. Combined with her four companions—Loki at 3,200, Kirin at 2,800, Vesper at 1,400, Vermillion at 2,100—their effective strength approached fifty thousand.
On paper, they were ready.
They ate protein bars standing in the kitchen. Efficient. Practical. No wasted time on conversation they'd already had a dozen times over the past week.
Loki waited by the door, Alpha's Aegis gleaming. Kirin stretched his wings, Drake Scale Armor integrated perfectly. Vesper materialized on Riri's shoulder. Vermillion descended from the ceiling.
All four companions at full HP, gear optimized, ready for deployment.
Samael's hand found the nape of Riri's neck. The touch was brief, grounding. "Stay within barrier range."
"I will."
"If something goes wrong—"
"I extract immediately." She turned to face him. "We've been through this."
His jaw tightened. Through the Bond she felt his concern, sharp and focused entirely on her safety. The past week of rest had included three separate conversations about contingency protocols, all of which had ended with him making her promise to prioritize survival over mission completion.
"I love you," he said.
"I love you too." She pulled him down and kissed him. "Now let's go prove we can clear A-Rank."
They left the Sanctuary together.
---
The Mission Gate Zone was quiet at 5:45 AM. Most Players were still sleeping or preparing for later deployments. The A-Rank section sat isolated at the zone's far end, behind reinforced barriers that pulsed with contained energy.
Only one other party waited near the Gate. Eight Players, all Level 28 or higher, studying the mission parameters with the focused intensity of people who knew exactly how dangerous this was going to be.
Their gazes tracked to Riri and Samael when they approached. Lingered on the rose-gold [BONDED] tags. Dropped to the Combat Power displays.
18,247 and 26,856.
One of them, a woman with a greatsword, spoke quietly to her party leader. He nodded and moved his group away from the Gate, giving Riri and Samael space.
Smart. They'd recognized the gap in Combat Power and decided not to compete for deployment timing.
Riri pulled up the mission interface.
[SHATTERED CATHEDRAL - RANK A]
[Objective: Eliminate the Corrupted Archbishop]
[Estimated Duration: 6-8 hours]
[Minimum Players: 12 | Maximum Players: 20]
[Warning: Boss has multiple phases]
[Warning: Environmental corruption increases with each phase]
[Warning: No safe zones within cathedral grounds]
Six to eight hours. Boss fight with phases. Increasing corruption. The same difficulty scaling they'd seen in B-Rank, amplified.
"Formation?" Riri asked.
"Standard deployment. You coordinate companions and manage adds. I handle boss aggro and phase mechanics." Samael's attention stayed on the Gate. "Barrier stays active unless MP drops critical. Vermillion focuses HP coverage on you first, me second."
"Kirin?"
"Aerial bombardment during phase transitions. Ground assault otherwise." His gaze shifted to her. "And you stay within twenty meters. No exceptions."
"No exceptions," she agreed.
They confirmed entry simultaneously.
The containment barrier dropped. The Gate activated, portal energy surging from dormant to active in three seconds. Dark purple light spilled across the plaza, carrying the smell of incense and rot.
Samael walked through without hesitation.
Riri followed, companions falling in around her.
The light swallowed them.
---
The world reformed into gothic architecture and ambient wrongness.
Riri's boots hit cracked marble. The cathedral's interior stretched upward into vaulted ceilings that disappeared into shadow. Stained glass windows lined the walls, their images twisted into scenes of violence and despair. The air tasted like old blood and funeral flowers.
[SHATTERED CATHEDRAL - RANK A]
[Objective: Eliminate Corrupted Archbishop Morvain]
[Environmental Corruption: Stage 1 - Moderate DoT]
[Warning: Boss is dormant until altar desecration]
The corruption debuff appeared immediately.
[Cathedral Corruption - Stage 1]
[Effect: -25 HP per minute]
[Effect: -10% to all healing received]
Twenty-five HP per minute. Worse than B-Rank's starting corruption. And the healing reduction meant Vermillion's drain would be less effective.
"Barrier," Samael said.
Kinetic energy pulsed outward, creating the familiar translucent dome. The corruption debuff changed.
[Cathedral Corruption - Stage 1 - REDUCED]
[Effect: -8 HP per minute while within barrier]
[Effect: -5% to all healing received]
Better. Manageable. Vermillion could offset eight HP per minute easily.
The cathedral's main hall stretched ahead, pillars supporting the vaulted ceiling, rows of pews leading to an altar at the far end. The altar glowed with sickly light, pulsing in rhythm with something deeper in the structure.
"Altar desecration triggers the boss," Riri said, reading the notification.
"Which means we clear the hall first." Samael moved forward. "Adds will spawn between us and the altar. Standard elimination."
Movement flickered in the shadows between pillars.
[Corrupted Clergy - Level 28 - Elite]
[HP: 4,200/4,200]
Level 28. Two levels higher than B-Rank's enemies. Elite classification. HP pools over four thousand.
Eight more shapes materialized from the shadows.
[Corrupted Clergy Pack - 9 enemies]
"First contact," Samael said. "Kirin, opening strike. I'll compress. You and Loki clean up."
The pattern they'd perfected over four missions executed flawlessly.
Kirin's lightning struck the center of the pack. Electricity arced between robed figures, the smell of burning flesh mixing with incense. Samael's kinetic compression crushed six targets simultaneously. Riri shadow-stepped into range, Desert Viper's Fang finding exposed throats. Poison stacked. Loki tore through weakened enemies. Vermillion's drain wrapped around survivors.
Combat time: two minutes, forty seconds.
[Pack Eliminated]
[Experience gained: 47,520 (×3 multiplier applied)]
More experience per kill than B-Rank. The reward scaling was significant.
They moved deeper into the cathedral. More packs spawned—ten enemies, then twelve, then fifteen. Each wave slightly larger, slightly harder, testing their coordination.
Thirty minutes into deployment, they'd cleared six packs. Seventy-three Elite enemies eliminated. Their formation was tight, execution perfect, resource consumption minimal.
"This is manageable," Riri said.
The words had barely left her mouth when the cathedral's atmosphere changed.
The corruption intensified without warning.
[ENVIRONMENTAL CORRUPTION ADVANCING]
[Stage 1 → Stage 2 - EMERGENCY ESCALATION]
[New Effect: -40 HP per minute (120 HP per minute outside barrier)]
[Warning: Boss mechanics initiating early]
[Warning: Phase 1 beginning]
The altar at the cathedral's end erupted with dark light. The glow spread across the floor in pulsing waves, corruption seeping into the marble like ink through water.
A figure materialized above the altar. Tall, robed in ecclesiastical vestments that had rotted to black, eyes burning with wrong light.
[Corrupted Archbishop Morvain - Level 32 - WORLD BOSS]
[HP: 85,000/85,000]
[Phase 1/4: Desecration]
Level 32. Four levels higher than the standard adds. World Boss classification—the highest threat tier in A-Rank content.
And eighty-five thousand HP.
"Phase mechanics starting early," Samael said, his voice tight. "The mission parameters were wrong."
Through the Bond, Riri felt his calculation shifting. They'd prepared for a standard boss fight with predictable phase transitions. This was accelerated mechanics, corruption escalation happening thirty minutes too soon.
The Archbishop raised one skeletal hand. Dark energy gathered in his palm.
[Corrupted Archbishop Morvain uses Desecration Wave!]
[AoE - 800 damage + Corruption Stack]
"Barrier won't hold that," Samael said. "Scatter formation. Move!"
Riri shadow-stepped left. Loki broke right. Kirin lifted into the air. Vesper disappeared into shadow. Vermillion scattered into six separate butterflies.
The Desecration Wave exploded outward from the Archbishop in a sphere of dark energy. It hit the cathedral floor and spread like liquid corruption, covering everything in a twenty-meter radius.
Samael's kinetic barrier absorbed most of the impact, but the force cracked it. Visible fractures appeared in the translucent dome.
[Barrier Integrity: 73%]
The Archbishop descended from the altar, floating three feet above the corrupted ground. His burning eyes fixed on Samael.
[Corrupted Archbishop Morvain targets: Samael Santoro - Highest Threat]
"I've got aggro," Samael said. "Standard boss protocol. I tank, you damage."
He moved forward to engage the Archbishop directly. Kinetic energy gathered around his hands, preparing to counter the next attack.
The Archbishop's skeletal hand rose again. But this time, the dark energy didn't gather in his palm.
It gathered behind him.
A second figure materialized from the corruption. Taller than the Archbishop, wreathed in shadow that didn't reflect light, eyes burning with the same wrong color.
[Unknown Entity Detected]
[Analyzing...]
[ERROR - Classification Failed]
[Reclassifying...]
[VOID CARDINAL - Level 38 - SPECIAL BOSS]
[HP: 150,000/150,000]
[Warning: This enemy should not exist in A-Rank content]
[Warning: Mission parameters compromised]
[Warning: Emergency extraction recommended]
Level 38. One hundred fifty thousand HP. Special Boss classification.
An S-Rank threat.
In an A-Rank mission.
"Extraction!" Samael's voice cut through the cathedral. "Riri, extract now!"
The Void Cardinal moved.
Not fast. Instant.
One moment it stood behind the Archbishop. The next it was in front of Samael, skeletal hand wrapped around his throat, lifting him off the ground.
[Void Cardinal uses Existence Drain!]
[Target: Samael Santoro]
[Effect: 2,000 HP per second + Stat Reduction]
Samael's HP bar plummeted.
[HP: 2,847 → 847]
Two thousand damage in one second. His barrier shattered completely. Blood poured from his mouth where the Void Cardinal's grip had crushed something internal.
Through the Bond, Riri felt his pain. Sharp and overwhelming, cutting through every other sensation. His Stamina dropped to zero. His MP pool emptied trying to maintain barrier integrity against an attack that had bypassed it entirely.
"SAMAEL!" Riri's scream echoed through the cathedral.
The Void Cardinal turned its burning gaze to her. Its skeletal face showed no expression, but through the Bond she felt its intent.
Eliminate the primary threat. Then eliminate the support.
Samael's hand moved with desperate speed despite the Void Cardinal's grip. Kinetic energy gathered in his palm, not for attack but for propulsion.
The force exploded outward, throwing Riri backward across the cathedral floor. She hit marble hard enough to crack stone, the impact driving air from her lungs.
[HP: 1,234 → 892]
"Extract!" Samael's voice was raw, blood bubbling from his mouth. "That's an order! EXTRACT!"
The Void Cardinal's grip tightened. Samael's HP dropped to 247.
Critical. Nearly dead. Seconds from termination.
Through the Bond, Riri felt everything. His pain, his terror—not for himself but for her—his absolute certainty that she needed to leave immediately, his willingness to die if it meant she survived.
The extraction portal materialized at the cathedral's entrance. Gold light, salvation, thirty meters away.
Riri looked at it. Looked at Samael dying in the Void Cardinal's grip. Looked at her four companions who had frozen in place, waiting for her command.
The mission was compromised. An S-Rank boss in A-Rank content. Deliberate trap or system glitch, it didn't matter. They couldn't win this fight.
Extraction was the smart choice. The only choice.
Samael's HP dropped to 147.
Through the Bond, she felt him trying to push her away. Trying to force her toward the portal through sheer will, using their connection to communicate what his crushed throat couldn't speak.
*Go. Please. I love you. Go.*
Riri's hand tightened on Desert Viper's Fang.
The extraction portal pulsed, waiting.
Samael's HP hit 47.
One more second and he'd be gone. Permadeath. No respawn. The Bond would sever and she'd feel him die through their connection.
She had to choose.
Extract and live.
Or stay and die together.
Time slowed to crystalline clarity.
The Void Cardinal's grip tightened for the killing blow.
Samael's eyes found hers across the cathedral, dark and desperate and full of love.
*Go.*
Riri made her choice.