The Catacombs yawned open like the mouth of a giant skull. Bonefish skeletons drifted in the water, their hollow eyes glowing.
The HUD displayed a chilling warning:
ZONE: Sunken Catacombs (Tier IV)
Permadeath Active.
Warning: All damage applies to player consciousness.
Haruka shivered. "This doesn't feel like a game anymore."
"It's not," Mirelle said. "Not in here."
They stepped into the gloom.
The first room was eerily quiet. Moss-covered statues of fishermen lined the walls, their faces twisted in agony.
Suddenly, one statue moved.
Dungeon Miniboss Detected:
DROWNED ANGLER (Lv. 12)
Special: Hypnosis, Water Pressure Slam, Line Snare
Its hollow eyes flashed, and Haruka's vision warped. Shadows of skeletal hands reached for her throat.
"Haruka! Focus!" Soren's voice cut through the fog.
She cast Abyssal Net, but the creature tore through it. A glowing fishing line snaked from its mouth and wrapped around her leg.
"Help—!"
Soren lunged forward, slashing the line. "Don't let it drag you under!"
Mirelle slammed her rod-tool into the floor, activating Kelp Barrier.
"Eamon, buffs—now!"
Eamon's overlay flared. "Tide Surge: Party Attack Up +20%!"
Haruka's HUD blinked.
Critical Chance Unlocked:
• New Skill Acquired: Moonlit Cast – Summon spectral fish to strike enemies.
"Moonlit Cast!" Haruka cried. Glowing fish streamed from her rod, piercing the Angler's chest.
The creature shrieked and dissolved into foam.
Miniboss Defeated.
Loot: Sunken Key (x1), Angler's Heart (x1).