The pressure radiating from the {Demon Peer 'Gunthafer'} was suffocating, a heavy, physical weight that seemed to bend the very water pressure around his twisted frame. This was the true 'Status' of a Higher Floor being.
Among the {Demons} I had encountered since the Tower became a reality, he was the first high-ranking entity to manifest so completely. I had crossed paths with the high-ranking demon {Moira} during the 'Black Auction' event, but that had been a controlled environment for 'Rankers'. I had even faced a fully manifested 'Undead Litch', the 'Guardian of the 12th Gate of Hell', but that creature was more of an 'Undead' than a true 'Demon'.
Normally, a being of this caliber would be unable to manifest in the Lower Floors without paying a hefty price in 'Probability'. Yet, the Nebula [Pandemonium] had been pushing their luck, manifesting frequently and with terrifying stability. In all my VR accounts, I had never seen them move this fast or this aggressively.
It was a grim realization. A massive amount of 'Life Force' could be converted into the price for 'Probability' to bypass the Tower's 'Restriction'. For {Demons}, who viewed other species as mere fuel, this was a favorable trade, though it still had its limits. The graveyard of 'Sea Creatures' behind me was likely the battery that had allowed {Gunthafer} to step onto this Floor in his full, hideous glory.
Scanning his information, one Skill stood out above the rest: [Absolute Wall]. It was one of the rare 'Absolute Series' Skills, existing on the same conceptual tier as my own [Absolute Cancel] and [Absolute Manipulation]. With that active, approaching him was going to be a nightmare.
"[Activating 'Hell's Summon' Lvl ???!]"
{Gunthafer} raised his hand, and a series of small, jagged 'Gates' tore open in the water. Aquatic demons began pouring out, shrieking as they collided with my 'Shadow Soldiers'. It was a clash between two seemingly immortal armies, each fueled by their caster's energy. {Demons} are spiritual beings with near-bottomless reserves, and I knew that if this turned into a war of attrition, I would be the one to run dry first.
However, I wasn't just standing there. Before {Gunthafer} had emerged, while the demonized 'Nymera Warriors' were occupied by my shadows, I had whispered the location of the 1st Pillar to Thorvek. I watched from the corner of my eye as he slipped into the palace, unnoticed amidst the chaos, wearing the 'Litch's Robe' I had given him.
"{... You have a delicious smell for a human..}" {Gunthafer} spoke, his voice a low vibration that rattled my bones. He seemed completely unbothered that I was currently laying siege to his base of operations.
"[Activating The Exclusive Skill, 'Alchemy of the Abyss: Breath of Dissolution' Lvl ???!]"
A mist of dark, oily energy erupted from his body, blanketting the entire field. I felt the 'Shadow Soldiers' sluggishness as the debuff took hold, while the demonic summons surged with a renewed, violent strength.
"[Activating 'Water Lightning' Lvl 1!]"
"[Activating 'Hell Flame' Lvl 5!]"
I made my move. Streams of lightning, cloaked in the dark, dancing tongues of [Hell Flame], snaked through the battlefield. It was a precise magical dance; the arcs of energy bypassed the shadows and struck only the targets I recognized as enemies.
"{Hoo? A human wielding the divine 'Hell Flame'? You continue to surprise me, mortal!}"{Gunthafer} exclaimed, his red eyes widening in genuine excitement.
The lightning streams converged, racing toward the {Demon Peer} with enough heat to boil the surrounding water.
"[Activating 'Absolute Wall' Lvl ???!]"
An invisible barrier shimmered into existence. The attack was instantly dispersed and then absorbed by the unseen 'Wall', leaving {Gunthafer} completely untouched.
If I was going to deal with this {Demon Peer}, I had to shatter that [Absolute Wall] first. Normally, I would have used [Absolute Cancel] to render his defenses null and void, but the Skill was still on cooldown after the tax of removing the 'Curse' from King Grienfield. I needed a different strategy, and I needed it before Thorvek was discovered inside the palace.