The screech from the abyssal horror still hung in the air.

The cavern's luminescent light pulsed with rhythm, casting an otherworldly hue on the combatants. Asher could feel the an ominous aura emitting off of the abyss sentry, a cold, deep call that was as alluring as it was terrifying.

With a sudden burst of speed that belied its size, The Drowned lunged forward, its trident slicing through the air towards Asher.

He rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the deadly prongs, and his guardian countered with a swing of its shield, aimed at the creature's side.

The Drowned’s uncanny perception was unsettling,

it felt like it's eyes pierced beyond the physical realm to the very essence of beings.

The guardian’s protective stance in front of Asher seemed almost futile as the creature discerned the true source of its life force.

With an almost dismissive agility, it dodged the guardian’s attacks, its focus locked unwaveringly on Asher.

Asher's heart skipped as The Drowned surged past the guardian, its intention clear—it was aiming for him, the nexus of the guardian's existence.

He had not expected to encounter a creature with such a profound understanding of their bond, a creature that saw the guardian not as a separate entity but as an extension of Asher's ability.

Just as The Drowned closed in, the guardian acted with desperate speed, unleashing its Provoke skill [https://i.imgur.com/Jh70ESi.png [https://i.imgur.com/Jh70ESi.png]]. The creature's charge came to an abrupt halt, its attention snapped back to the guardian.

Asher felt a momentary rush of triumph, believing he had regained control of the situation.

However, the feeling was short-lived.

In the depths of his memory, Asher recalled his battle with the zombified warden, a being impervious to taunts due to its innate resistance.

The Drowned, the Abyssal Fishmen Sentry, has activated [Sentry Stance]. All status effects currently impacting the user are now purged.

[Sentry Stance]

https://i.imgur.com/Jx9ROuA.png [https://i.imgur.com/Jx9ROuA.png]

"Of course, he had to also have one." Asher realized as The Drowned shook off the effect of the provoke skill with chilling indifference.

Asher understood he was facing an opponent with capabilities that rivaled boss ranked monster. This was no mere beast acting on instinct but a creature with the intelligence to discern and counteract strategies.

Asher's encounters with champion-ranked monsters were few, but each had been a harrowing testament to their might, far eclipsing the power of floor's respective bosses.

He recalled his battle with the Widowblood, a formidable foe birthed from the broodmother's sacrifice—a creature that wielded powers which defied explanation. In this heightened difficulty- the hard mode, Asher had learned to expect the extraordinary, where the impossible became the norm.

The evidence was clear and present; the champion before him, possessed strength that transcended the floor's requirement. It had not just bested but personally executed the boss of its own kind, a demonstration of its superior strength.

With the gravity of the situation pressing upon him, Asher's voice cut through the cavern's tension, clear and commanding. "Stay with me, fight smart," he called out to his guardian. "This creature knows our bond—if I fall, you fall with me."

The guardian, responding to Asher's voice, adjusted its stance, ready to adapt to the fluid dynamics of this unprecedented battle.

Their enemy, was not just another adversary; it was a being that recognized the interconnected fates of Asher and his guardian.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

This understanding made it a far more dangerous opponent than any they had faced before.

The guardian, ever vigilant, stayed unwaveringly close to Asher, using its shield to deflect each of the fishmen's fierce attacks. The creature's strikes were powerful and precise, but the guardian's defense was a formidable barrier, its shield moving with precision to protect Asher.

Asher, meanwhile, found himself in a precarious situation. He was unable to launch any offensive skills to assist his guardian, forcing them into a defensive posture, with the guardian absorbing the brunt of the onslaught, and Asher thinking of an opportunity to turn the tide.

Despite the guardian's commited defense, Asher knew they couldn't maintain this passive stance indefinitely. They needed to shift the dynamics of the battle. As the guardian parried another blow, Asher spotted his chance.

"Time to change the game," Asher muttered. He focused his energy, summoning the dark tendrils of 'Agony' once more. With a swift motion, he unleashed the curse towards The Drowned.

The sudden shift in the situation was like a cold shock to Asher. As the tendrils of 'Agony' that were meant to weaken his enemy changed color from dark purple to a sinister dark green, it became evident that something had gone terribly wrong.

The curse, intended to debilitate, was instead being absorbed and transformed, empowering the very creature it was meant to hinder.

Asher's heart sank as a system notification appeared, clarifying the grim reality:

The Drowned, the Abyssal Fishmen Sentry, has activated [Reverse Flow]. All action speed debuffs will have their effects reversed.

[Reverse Flow]

https://i.imgur.com/RBzvnjS.png [https://i.imgur.com/RBzvnjS.png]

This revelation hit Asher with the force of a physical blow. The Drowned, already a formidable foe, was now enhanced by Asher's own skill. The creature's movements, which should have slowed, became alarmingly faster. Each strike, more forceful and swift, turned him into a whirlwind of deadly efficiency.

"A counter ability..." Asher muttered, realization dawning on him. He had walked into a trap of his own making, his reliance on 'Agony' backfiring spectacularly.

The guardian, sensing the shift in his enemy power, adjusted its tactics, moving to intercept the faster, more potent attacks. But even its reliable defense struggled under the relentless and now enhanced assault.

Asher knew they were at a critical juncture. The advantage they thought they had gained had turned the battle into an even more perilous struggle for survival. His mind raced, searching for a new strategy, a way to counteract the unexpected turn of events.

"Think, think!" Asher urged himself. He had to find a weakness, a chink in the abyssal creature's armor.

Asher's mind raced, but every strategy he conjured seemed futile against the empowered might of the drowned.

His skillset, though diverse, offered no clear solution to the predicament they now faced.

The creature's newfound speed and strength, a direct consequence of his own actions, had tipped the scales dramatically.

In a blur of motion, The Drowned struck with overwhelming force. The guardian, despite its best efforts, was caught off-guard by the sheer power of the attack. With a mighty blow, it was sent reeling through the air, crashing into Asher.

Thud!

"Aghr!"

The force of the impact propelled them both across the cavern, their bodies slamming into a nearby wall with a bone-jarring thud.

Pain shot through Asher's body, his breath knocked out of him. He lay there, dazed.

As he struggled to regain his senses, the grim realization settled in - they were outmatched. The Drowned, already a formidable foe by nature of its rank and level, had become an insurmountable adversary.

The moment of reckoning was upon him. The harsh truth that he had bitten off more than he could chew loomed large in his mind. Asher had faced many dangers in the tower, but this was different.

This was a champion-ranked creature, a being that surpassed the very concept of a boss monster. And now, with its abilities enhanced further by his own skill, it seemed invincible.

Despair crept into Asher's heart, the weight of inevitable defeat pressing down on him. He had pushed his limits, challenged the odds, but this time, it seemed the tower had the upper hand.

As the embodiment of the abyssal raised its trident for the final blow, Asher's guardian, unwavering in its loyalty, positioned its battered shield to protect its master one last time.

The guardian stood firm, a silent sentinel even in the face of certain defeat, taking the barrage of sharp, penetrating attacks that unleashed with relentless fury. Each strike diminished the guardian's health points, visibly draining its vitality with each successive blow.

Asher, witnessing the guardian's steadfast defense, felt a surge of resolve mixed with anguish.

He couldn't let his guardian, his companion through countless trials, fall like this. His hand moved instinctively towards his healing ability, ready to pour his mana into sustaining the guardian's fading life.

But in that moment of desperate struggle, a spark of inspiration struck him. Amidst the chaos and the looming shadow of defeat, a new strategy began to form in his mind. It was a gamble, a last-ditch effort born from the urgency of their plight.

Asher realized that conventional tactics were futile. To turn the tide, Asher needed to gamble with their own lives.

His decision was made in a heartbeat. He lowered his hand, abandoning the intention to heal his guardian.

Instead, he focused all his energy on a single, decisive gamble — a last resort born out of desperation and the slim hope of turning the dire situation around.

https://i.imgur.com/lfo7qHa.png [https://i.imgur.com/lfo7qHa.png]

"Death's Caress, you're our last hope!" he declared.

==========================

https://i.imgur.com/3TGWPkT.png [https://i.imgur.com/3TGWPkT.png]