"[Activating 'Curse Breath' Lvl ???!]"
{Gunthafer} didn't wait for my next move. He exhaled a cloud of oily, violet mist that coalesced into dark 'Runic Symbols', snaking through the water to entwine around my limbs. These were his 'Curse' spells made manifest, designed to rot the 'Life Force' of any creature.
"[Notice: Your Passive Skill 'Longevity' has nullified the 'Curse' on your body!]"
I felt the cold touch of the 'Curse' for a split second before it dissolved into nothingness. Thanks to the Passive Skill [Longevity] I had copied from Leo long ago, coupled with the purifying nature of my 'Chaos' energy, Status Effects of this grade were useless against me. It would have been a different story if my opponent were a tier above a {Demon Peer}, but for now, I was untouchable.
"[Activating 'Glacial Dominion: Glacial Prison' Lvl 7!]"
I countered immediately, thrusting my hand forward. The water around {Gunthafer} flash-froze, forming a jagged, reinforced dome of ice. The [Glacial Prison] was meant to entomb him, but it didn't even last a second. The moment the ice touched the perimeter of his already active [Absolute Wall], it shattered into a million sparkling diamonds, unable to bridge the gap to his physical body.
"{As interesting as you are, and as commendable as it is for you to have the courage to attack me... I do not have the time to spend leisurely with you, human,}"{Gunthafer} declared. His amusement was fading, replaced by a cold, business-like focus. He reached into his [Inventory] and pulled out a heavy book bound in black-and-red scales.
"[Notice: The 'Status' of an 'Ancient Mana' has been detected from the Item 'Tome of the Underworld'!]"
"[Notice: The Effects of the Item 'Tome of the Underworld' have been reduced to 20% of its original power.]"
If my memory of the 'Tower of Trials' lore served me, this 'Ancient Mana' belonged to beings far older than the current generation of {Demon Kings} or {Constellations}. Even at a mere 20% of its potential, such power coupled with his [Absolute Wall] made the situation lethal.
"{◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️}"
As {Gunthafer} began to chant, the 'System' actively censored his words. The 'True Language' of the ancients was a sound no human ear was meant to process and its 'Status' was so high that 'Probability' on the Lower Floors would never allow it to be heard clearly. Yet, the physical manifestation of the spell carried through regardless.
The seabed groaned and buckled, long cracks spiderwebbing across the palace floor. From the dark depths of those fissures, a massive 'Skeleton Arm' erupted. Its very existence seemed to strain the reality of the floor, its structure glitching and flickering as the Tower tried desperately to simplify its appearance into something the environment could contain.
Having played through thousands of accounts in the VR days, I recognized that hand instantly. The 'Skeleton Arm' lunged toward me, radiating a 'Status' so oppressive that my 'Shadow Soldiers' and {Gunthafer}'s own demonic summons cowered in 'Fear', their forms flickering as they tried to retreat from the primordial aura.
"[Activating 'Hell Flame' Lvl 5!]"
"[Activating 'Sword Energy' Lvl 5!]"
I drew 'Erravoth' in a single, fluid motion. I coated the blade in [Hell Flame], [Sword Energy], and funneled a massive surge of 'Chaos' energy into the steel until the blade hummed with a blazing intensity. There was no point in dodging; a summon of this caliber would hunt me to the ends of the Floor. I had to break it.
"[Activating 'Heavenly Demon's Technique: Fourth Form: Abyssal Vortex' Lvl 4!]"
I launched myself into a high-speed, spinning thrust. I became a localized hurricane of 'Chaos' and fire, meeting the 'Skeleton Arm' head-on in a deafening clash of conceptual 'Status'.
"[Notice: The 'Status' from the 'Ancient Mana' is fighting against the 'Status' of the 'Chaos' energy!]"
At my current level, the 'Abyssal Vortex' alone wasn't enough to shatter an 'Ancient' manifestation. I felt the 'Skeleton Arm' beginning to crush my momentum, its cold, dead weight pushing back against my spin.
"[Activating The Exclusive Skill, 'Crimson Constellation Sovereign: Stellar Fate Rapture' Lvl 1!]"
I poured the power of the stars into the strike. [Stellar Fate Rapture] flared, attacking the 'Status' directly rather than the physical manifestation. With a sound like grinding mountains, I carved straight through the 'Skeleton Arm', shattering the ancient bone into dust.
I didn't stop. My momentum carried me forward until the tip of 'Erravoth' slammed directly into the invisible surface of {Gunthafer}'s [Absolute Wall]. The impact sent a shockwave through the water, clearing the silt for miles.
{Gunthafer} stared at me from behind his barrier, visibly caught off guard by my sudden explosive strength. But more annoyingly, he wasn't afraid. A twisted, perverted smile spread across his face, his red eyes gleaming with a newfound, obsessive interest that made me felt uncomfortable. It was as if he wasn't looking at a threat anymore; but an interesting subject.