TL;DR
- Rhythm Master is an Anomaly Commission in Illusion Town, located at the open plaza at the end of Fiscus Avenue, right where the road splits.
- The boss is called Beat King — approach it in the center of the plaza to begin the fight automatically.
- Beat King uses a unique rhythm mechanic: a score bar appears beneath its HP gauge and you must time your inputs — blue = dodge, yellow = jump, red = normal attack.
- Beat King is weak to Psyche damage. Build your team around Psyche characters for the fastest clear.
- After defeating Beat King, contain the anomaly to claim rewards.
- Commission rewards include the S-Rank Arc “Blow Up the Crowd”, Hunter Level EXP ×300, Annulith ×40, Fons ×15,000, Silver Carrota ×80, U-00NE ×30, Beetle Coin ×7,500, and Anomaly Material Selection Box I ×5.
- Beat King also drops Water Moon Pick — a character development material — in repeat runs.
What Is the Rhythm Master Anomaly Commission in NTE?
Rhythm Master is one of the most memorable Anomaly Commissions in Neverness to Everness (NTE). It pits you against a boss called Beat King — a music-spirit entity in Illusion Town that turns the entire encounter into a rhythm game challenge layered on top of a full combat fight.
What makes this commission stand out is that Beat King does not fight like a normal boss. At key moments during the battle, a score bar appears beneath its HP gauge and begins moving. You need to watch the colored icons on screen and perform the correct actions at precisely the right moment. Get the timing right and you deal damage. Miss it and you lose a damage window and potentially take a hit yourself.
Beyond the fun mechanic, Rhythm Master gives one of the best free weapon rewards in the entire game — the S-Rank Arc “Blow Up the Crowd”. It is considered one of the strongest free Arcs at launch and is especially valuable for Haniel and Psyche-focused builds. This alone makes Rhythm Master one of the highest-priority commissions to complete early.
This guide covers the exact location, how the rhythm mechanic works, how to beat Beat King, the best team to bring, and what you get for finishing it. For a broader look at all commissions in the game, see our Anomaly Zones guide for NTE.
How to Unlock the Rhythm Master Anomaly Commission
All Anomaly Commissions in NTE unlock after completing the main story mission Prologue Part 2. Once that is done, open your World Map and access the Anomaly Commission menu from the bottom right corner of the map. Find Rhythm Master in the Illusion Town section and click Track Anomaly to mark its location.
You also need to have the Illusion Town district accessible. Illusion Town is situated between the Unheard Shores and Bridge Crossings districts of Hethereau. If parts of the map are still fogged, our guide on how to unlock all map areas in NTE will help you clear the way.
Rhythm Master Location – Where to Find Beat King
Beat King is found in Illusion Town, at the open plaza area at the end of Fiscus Avenue, right where the road splits. Look for an open arena-like space near an office building at the entrance zone of Illusion Town. The boss does not require any special trigger condition or a specific time of day — it is available in the open world as soon as you reach the location.
Use a nearby ReroRero Phone Booth or Wertheimer Tower to fast travel close to Fiscus Avenue, then follow the tracked commission marker on your map to reach the exact plaza. If you need help setting up fast travel points in the area, check our guide on how to unlock teleport points in NTE.
How to Start the Rhythm Master Boss Fight
There is no item to interact with, no cutscene trigger, and no puzzle to solve before the fight. Simply approach Beat King in the center of the plaza and the battle begins automatically. The moment you walk close enough, the commission fight starts.
Make sure your team is fully prepared before walking into the arena. Beat King is around level 33 and can deal significant damage if you are not ready. Heal up, check your loadout, and make sure your characters have upgraded modules and decent gear before stepping in.
How the Rhythm Mechanic Works
This is what makes Rhythm Master unlike any other commission in NTE. During the fight with Beat King, a score bar appears beneath its HP gauge at certain moments. When this bar starts moving, on-screen icons appear and you need to perform specific actions with precise timing.
Here is what each color icon means:
- Blue icon — perform a Dodge
- Yellow icon — perform a Jump
- Red icon — perform a Normal Attack
You need to input the correct action at the exact moment the icon reaches the timing window on the score bar. Think of it like a traditional rhythm game — the chart moves, icons scroll in, and you respond. Nailing the timing deals damage to Beat King and counts toward breaking its guard. Missing inputs means you lose those damage windows, and the fight will take longer as a result.
The rhythm chart does not replace normal combat — it happens alongside it. Between rhythm phases, you fight Beat King as you would any other boss: dodging its attacks, dealing damage, and managing your team. The rhythm segments add an extra layer that rewards attention and quick reflexes on top of solid combat fundamentals.
Beat King is described in-game as the rhythm-themed Anomaly of Hethereau — a music-spirit that conducts the city’s noise into a literal beat chart. The encounter’s own flavor text puts it bluntly: follow the beat, press buttons when the time is right, and you are a rhythm gamer. It captures the spirit of the fight perfectly.
Beat King Weaknesses and Best Team Composition
Beat King is weak to Psyche damage. All other elements have a 20% damage resistance against it, but Psyche sits at only 16% resistance — the lowest of all six elements. If you bring Psyche-focused characters, you will deal meaningfully more damage and clear the fight faster.
Recommended Characters for Rhythm Master
- Psyche supports like Aurelia and Fadia pair well with Chaos DPS characters by enabling the Nova Esper Cycle for strong sustained damage output.
- Sakiri adds even stronger buffs and triggers the Discord Esper Cycle as an Incantation character, dealing high Break DMG to enemies afflicted with Scorch or Nova.
- Daffodil as a Chaos DPS benefits heavily from Psyche supports in this fight despite being off-element herself.
- Any strong Psyche-element Esper as your main damage dealer will give you the most efficient clear.
For full build guides on characters that work well here, check out the Aurelia build guide, Fadia build guide, Sakiri build guide, and Daffodil build guide. For a full overview of team building strategy, see our best team compositions guide for NTE.
How to Beat Beat King – Full Fight Walkthrough
Step 1 – Approach the Center of the Plaza
Walk into the open arena area at the Fiscus Avenue plaza. As soon as you get close enough to Beat King standing in the center, the fight triggers automatically. There is no option to back out once it starts, so be ready before you approach.
Step 2 – Deal Damage Normally Between Rhythm Phases
At the start of the fight, engage Beat King with regular combat. Dodge its attacks, chain your character abilities, and deal damage as you would in any other boss encounter. Focus on building up your Esper meter and keeping your team healthy. Beat King hits hard, so do not stand still and tank damage unnecessarily.
Step 3 – Watch for the Score Bar to Appear
During the fight, the score bar appears beneath Beat King’s HP gauge and begins moving. This signals a rhythm phase. The moment you see it activate, shift your focus from free-form combat to the on-screen timing icons. The bar moves quickly, so pay attention.
Step 4 – Execute the Rhythm Inputs With Correct Timing
As colored icons appear on the score bar, perform the corresponding action at the precise moment:
- Blue icon appears → press your Dodge button
- Yellow icon appears → press your Jump button
- Red icon appears → press your Normal Attack button
Time each input as the icon hits the active timing window. Successful inputs deal damage and contribute to breaking Beat King’s guard bar. The chart pattern is consistent, so after a practice run you will know what to expect and can pre-position your fingers for the right buttons in advance.
Step 5 – Continue Alternating Between Combat and Rhythm Phases
The fight alternates between standard combat and rhythm phases multiple times. Keep your DPS pressure up during the combat sections, use healing items or skills if needed, and stay sharp for each rhythm window. Do not get caught off guard by a rhythm phase while you are mid-combo on the wrong button.
Step 6 – Defeat Beat King and Contain the Anomaly
Once Beat King’s HP reaches zero, the fight ends. Do not walk away yet. After defeating it, you must contain the anomaly by interacting with the prompt that appears. This containment step is required to receive the Arc reward. Skipping it means you do not get the Blow Up the Crowd Arc, so always complete the containment before leaving the arena.
Rhythm Master Rewards
Completing the Rhythm Master Anomaly Commission gives you the following one-time rewards:
- S-Rank Arc “Blow Up the Crowd”
- Hunter Level EXP ×300
- Annulith ×40
- Fons ×15,000
- Silver Carrota ×80
- U-00NE ×30
- Beetle Coin ×7,500
- Anomaly Material Selection Box I ×5
These are among the highest reward totals from any standard Anomaly Commission in the game. The Rhythm Master sits in the same tier of commission quality as the Ride Assault commission, which also gives 300 Hunter EXP and an S-Rank Arc. Both are absolutely worth prioritizing early.
About the Blow Up the Crowd Arc
Blow Up the Crowd is an S-Rank Solid Arc and is considered one of the best free weapons available in NTE at launch. It uses a dual-layer buff system that rewards consistent damage application and smart character switching. Key things to know about it:
- It passively buffs your team’s attack and boosts Psyche damage output.
- It has an off-field ATK boost that makes even inactive characters contribute to your total damage output.
- Its stacking mechanic rewards aggressive play when the character is active on-field.
- It is currently considered the best free Arc available for Haniel in terms of both stats and skill effects.
- It works well in hybrid builds that mix support and DPS roles, making it versatile across multiple character types.
The Arc rewards aggressive rotation play rather than passive set-and-forget builds. If you switch characters carelessly, you reset certain stacks, so timing your rotations to maximize stacks before swapping is key to getting the most damage out of it. For more on how to optimize Haniel specifically, check the Haniel build guide.
Beat King as a Repeatable Boss – Water Moon Pick Farming
After you complete the Rhythm Master commission and earn the one-time Arc reward, Beat King remains in the world as a repeatable Anomaly Hunt boss. You can return to the Fiscus Avenue plaza and fight it again for additional rewards.
Repeat runs of Beat King drop Water Moon Pick — an important character development material used for ascending and upgrading characters. You need to spend 60 Character Pixel after each fight to unlock the reward pool, which is a step some new players miss. Always complete this step after defeating Beat King or you will not receive the drop.
Water Moon Pick is not available through passive gameplay, so building regular Beat King runs into your routine is the best way to keep a steady supply for your character upgrades.
Tips for Beating Beat King Efficiently
Practice the Rhythm Chart at Lower Difficulty First
Beat King is the only Anomaly Hunt boss in NTE that fully gates its damage windows behind a rhythm mechanic. If you are not used to rhythm games, the first run can feel disorienting. Try the fight at a lower challenge level first to learn the chart pattern without the pressure of dying. Once you have the sequence memorized, switching to higher difficulty levels becomes much easier because the damage windows open up aggressively on well-timed inputs.
The Chart Pattern Is Consistent
Beat King’s rhythm chart does not randomize between runs. The order of blue, yellow, and red icons follows the same sequence each time. Once you run the fight a couple of times and learn the pattern, you can pre-position your hand for the next input before the icon even appears on screen. This dramatically improves your timing accuracy.
Do Not Panic Switch During a Rhythm Phase
Switching characters in the middle of a rhythm phase breaks your combo and resets timing stacks. If a rhythm window opens, commit to it with your current character. Only switch between phases when you have a natural gap in the fight. This also applies to using the Blow Up the Crowd Arc once you have it — careless swaps reset the stacking buff.
Bring at Least One Survivability Option
Beat King hits hard at higher levels. If you go in with an all-DPS team and no healing or defensive options, the fight can end messily during the rhythm phases when you are focused on inputs rather than dodging. Bring at least one character with a reliable survival skill or healing option to cover you during the busier moments.
Always Contain After Defeating
Both first-time and repeat runs require you to interact with the containment prompt after defeat to receive rewards. It is easy to get distracted by celebration and walk away. Stay in the arena and complete the containment every single run to make sure your rewards land.
Other High-Priority Anomaly Commissions in NTE
Rhythm Master sits among the top-tier commissions for reward quality. Here are other commissions worth doing alongside it:
- Ride Assault (Raging Flames Arc) — another S-Rank Arc commission in Bridge Crossings, fight the Headless Rider at night
- Heaven’s Forsaken Anomaly Commission
- After School Anomaly Commission
- Reclaim Inspiration Anomaly Commission — gives the Mind Royale Arc
- Case of Serial Explosion Anomaly Commission
- Lonely Player Anomaly Commission
- Video Cemetery Anomaly Commission
More NTE Guides to Help You Progress
- How to Get the Free S-Class Arc Day Off
- How to Get Cartridges and Modules
- How to Get Fons Fast in NTE
- How to Pass Time and Control Weather
- Best PC Settings for NTE
- Latest NTE Redeem Codes
Download NTE and Start Playing
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Final Thoughts
Rhythm Master is one of the most rewarding and distinctive commissions in NTE. The Beat King fight introduces a rhythm-game layer to NTE’s combat that no other boss in the game replicates. It rewards players who pay attention, learn the chart pattern, and execute cleanly — and it punishes those who try to mash through it without reading the cues.
The good news is that Beat King’s rhythm sequence is learnable and consistent. A couple of runs at a comfortable difficulty will teach you the pattern, and once you have it down, the fight is fast and satisfying. The Blow Up the Crowd S-Rank Arc waiting at the end is absolutely worth the effort, and the ongoing Water Moon Pick farming from repeat visits keeps the boss relevant long after the initial commission clear.
If you are working through all of Illusion Town’s content, pair this commission with the Lonely Player Anomaly Commission and the Change Your Perspective Anomaly Commission for a full sweep of the district. And check out our complete character unlock guide to make sure your roster is ready for every challenge Hethereau throws at you.
