The corrupted courtyard of Level 188 trembled as the nine Chosen advanced through the pink-tinged mist. Golden notes from Daniel's Symphony of Dominion clashed violently against the swelling laughter. Windows shattered and reformed, vomiting more glassy, smiling entities onto the marble floor.
Then the laughter changed.
It deepened. It became wet. It became hungry.
From the largest central window — a massive floor-to-ceiling pane that had been pitch black until now — came a sickening sound of tearing flesh and cracking bone.
A single figure stepped through.
It was tall, humanoid in shape, but barely. Its entire body was covered in fresh, glistening blood that constantly dripped and reabsorbed into its skin. The blood was not red — it was a deep, unnatural crimson that pulsed with its own light. Where the blood touched the marble, it left smoking black stains.
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[Entity Identified: Party Creator Alpha]
Designation: The First Mutation
Threat Level: Catastrophic (Evolving)
Special Property: Fear-Triggered Mutation
The more fear present in the area, the more rapidly its body mutates and grows stronger.
Current Form: Blood Sovereign
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Party Creator Alpha had no face — only a smooth, bloody expanse where features should be. Yet when it "smiled," the blood parted to reveal rows of jagged, shifting teeth.
It spoke, and its voice was a wet, gurgling chorus of every Partygoer that had ever existed.
"Fear… delicious fear. I can taste it already."
As it finished speaking, the blood on its body began to move. Tentacles of crimson fluid erupted from its back, whipping through the air. Its right arm elongated and split into three clawed limbs. Its torso bulged and sprouted additional mouths that giggled independently.
The more the group tensed — the more fear any of them felt — the faster the mutations accelerated.
Chosen-0004 (The Blade) instinctively gripped her daggers tighter. Immediately, Party Creator Alpha's left leg split into four insectoid limbs, growing longer and sharper.
Mia's Precognitive Flare flickered as she saw dozens of gruesome futures. The entity noticed and laughed. Its chest cavity tore open, revealing a second, larger grinning maw.
"More… give me more fear," it gurgled. "The stronger your terror, the more beautiful I become."
Daniel raised the golden baton. Golden musical notation swirled faster around the group.
"Control your emotions," he ordered calmly. "Fear is its fuel. Do not feed it."
But the entity was already evolving. Blood tendrils lashed out, forcing the Chosen to dodge and counter. Every time someone flinched or showed even a flicker of dread, Party Creator Alpha mutated further — growing taller, sprouting extra eyes, developing acidic blood that hissed when it touched the floor.
Vannia's silver aura flared as she protected Mia. The moment her concern for her sister showed, two new arms burst from Party Creator Alpha's shoulders, each ending in a microphone that broadcast distorted, fear-amplifying laughter.
The entity's voice echoed from every mutated mouth:
"I am Party Creator Alpha. I was born from the first scream of joy that turned into terror. The Red Knight was crude. Partygoer 0 was sentimental. I… I am perfection. The more you fear me, the closer I come to becoming unstoppable."
It took a heavy, mutating step forward. Its body was now twice as large as when it first appeared, covered in constantly shifting, blood-soaked growths.
Daniel's eyes narrowed. He could feel the Symphony of Dominion responding to the threat, but the entity's ability was insidious — it weaponized the very emotions the Chosen were trying to suppress.
The other Chosen formed a tighter circle around Daniel, but the fear was already spreading. Even the summoned souls flickered uneasily as Party Creator Alpha's laughter grew wetter and more triumphant.
Party Creator Alpha tilted its bloody, faceless head toward Daniel.
"Come, Conductor. Conduct for me. Let me hear your orchestra scream."
Its body convulsed again — mutating even faster now — as it prepared to lunge.
The first true champion of the remaining Party Creators had revealed itself.
And it grew stronger with every heartbeat of fear in the infected Level 188.