[SYSTEM INFORMATION]

[Welcome To The Final Floor]

<Description>

Aetheron has been imprisoned here, waiting for the time he would be released and wreak havoc on humanity.

Once the allotted time of grace has passed and the Tower finally crumbles down, he would be unleashed on humanity causing terror and carnage. To stop that, finish him off in time so he cannot leave this place.

<Quest 1>

Weaken Aetheron so he doesn’t wreak havoc on humanity 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

<Quest 2>

Take out his mount

<Additional Quest>

Defeat Aetheron

[END OF INFORMATION]

The system message came up as Paul and Lillith reached the 50th floor, making them brace their minds for the challenge that they were about to face.

Unlike the other floors were the air was cold and the silence profound, the final floor was boiling hot.

There were ghostly whispers around them too though they couldn’t see anyone.

It amplified the tension between them as they both felt spirits trying to lull them to sleep.

It tested their mental fortitude most especially Lillith. She felt her movements grow sluggish and it was all she could do to keep walking.

She looked up at Paul to see that she was the only one feeling that way. As usual, the Guildmaster was immune to what other Gifteds were susceptible to.

"I don’t know why I feel sleepy, don’t you feel it too?"

"I sense them trying to make me sleep too, it’s the effect of this floor but I’m working on it now. It should be over soon. How do you feel now?"

Lillith noticed that truly, her sleepiness and fatigue were gradually vanishing.

"What did you do?"

He smiled at her without answering as he wanted to make it mysterious.

In truth, he had just increased the aura and mana he emanated around him.

The ghosts trying to make them sleep were minions of Aetheron and lower ranked entities. In the presence of overwhelming aura, they naturally shrunk back in fear.

Looking at the place, it was hard to believe that all this could take place here.

The walls were sleek and metallic, reflecting their distorted images back at them as they moved.

This floor was different. There were no visible threats, no debris, and no eerie decorations.

It was an expansive, empty chamber illuminated by a harsh, sterile light that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once.

Paul and Lillith advanced cautiously, every sense on high alert. The emptiness of the room was unnerving, as if it was waiting to spring a trap at any moment.

"Stay close," Paul whispered, his grip tightening on his hammer.

Lillith nodded, her daggers held at the ready. They moved together, each step echoing loudly.

Suddenly, the floor beneath them began to shift. They leaped back just in time as large panels of the floor slid away.

The room started to transform, the panels rising and falling to form a complex, ever-changing maze.

"Great, just what we needed," Lillith muttered, her eyes darting around to track the movements of the panels.

"We need to keep moving," Paul said. "We can’t let this thing trap us."

They navigated the shifting maze, their movements swift and calculated. The walls moved unpredictably, but Paul’s battle instincts and Lillith’s agility allowed them to avoid being crushed.

As suddenly as it started, it ended without warning and as everywhere settled, they saw a figure appear atop a white steed.

An overwhelming urge to cower before him came on Lillith as she felt the power gap between them even from a distance.

His mount alone was too much for her to handle. It was a Grade 5 creature. With snow-white features,it bellied the great evil it possessed as no one would attribute it to a nefarious demon such as the one they were facing.

The major issue was the rider himself. He had black armor covering his entire body and held a long black staff in his hand. Two live serpents were coiled around the staff making it look grand.

The rider glowing red eyes were fixed on them with precision that it gave the unsettling feeling that he was peering into their souls.

Red lines of warbling energy could be seen in the chinks of his armor, and a huge concentration of Miasma swirled around his vicinity along with the snakes.

Paul took a deep breath when he saw the stats and he almost whistled.

"A Grade 6 demon on a Grade 5 horse..." He said, his lips curled in surprise.

He readied all his skills as he prepared to fight the higher ranked entities.

[SKILLS]

1. Perfect Worksmanship

2. Perfect Predator

3. Absolute Focus

4. Skill Interference

5. Aura (Mana and Miasma)

6. Fortitude

7. Perfect Warrior

8. Instinct

9. Invincible Will

10. Absolute Justice

11. Domination

12. War’s Legion

13. 71 Weapons Of War

14. Warlord’s Tactics

15. Absolute Chaos

16. Battle Supremacy

[Special Skill]

~ (G) Authority~

Boosts all stats and grants special privileges in certain respects.

***

Going through his skills always gave him confidence in himself whenever he was in a high stake battles.

After all, no one needed to be a genius to figure out the sheer power that Aetheron possessed let alone his steed.

Suddenly a system notification pinged out and their eyes widened as they read the message.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

<Countdown to defeat Aetheron>

(14:59)

(14:58)

(14:57)...

They nearly screamed in disbelief as they saw the time gradually tick down.

They had only been given 15 minutes to defeat Aetheron.

"Welcome, challengers," The rider’s voice suddenly echoed in the chamber. "I am Aetheron, Guardian of the 50th floor. Your journey ends here."

Without another word, Aetheron launched its attack.

It leaped off the horse which took off with deadly precision and charged at them.

The ground echoed with the energy of its movements.

~CLIPPITY CLOP!~

~CLIPPITY CLOP!~

~GALLOPPPPPP!!!!~

~ROARRRRRRR!!!~

When it got close, instead of neighing, it let out a roar which sent shockwaves flying, and they was forced back by the pressure.

An incredible surge of Miasma filled the area, more than anything Paul could dream of producing.

He was beginning to have a bad feeling about it, as the red smoke-like energy cleared and it turned to towards them for a second attack.

Paul studied it, searching for any weakness in the steed movement but finding none.

He hated to admit it but he wasn’t even sure that they could defeat the horse.