Chapter 91: Count Down
The Gate of Hell, once so dark and foreboding, was now illuminated by the eerie light of Cheol Su and Alari's wrath. Their movements were a beautiful, deadly dance, a symphony of steel and blood that sang the song of death.
But even as they made progress, the number of demons seemed to swell, pouring forth from every nook and cranny of the infernal depths.
**20:58:51...20:58:50...20:58:49**
**Demons Slain: 501**
The tide of demons was unrelenting, their numbers swelling like a rising flood. Cheol Su's Rampage skill, though potent, could not keep up with the swarm, and Alari was being pushed to her limits, her movements beginning to falter.
"Cheol Su," Alari called out, her voice strained, "we can't keep this up forever.
**20:58:51...20:58:50...20:58:49**
**Demons Slain: 501**
The tide of demons was unrelenting, their numbers swelling like a rising flood. Cheol Su's Rampage skill, though potent, could not keep up with the swarm, and Alari was being pushed to her limits, her movements beginning to falter.
"Cheol Su," Alari called out, her voice strained, "we can't keep this up forever. **20:19:59...20:19:58...20:19:57**
**Demons Slain: 726**
Cheol Su heard the desperation in Alari's voice, but he knew she was right. At this rate, they would be overrun by the demons' sheer numbers.
He spun around, cleaving through a pack of demons that had nearly surrounded them. Then, without warning, he deactivated his Rampage skill.
"Alari, we're falling back!" he shouted, his voice piercing the clamor of battle. The demons, sensing weakness in their adversaries, surged forward with renewed vigor. But Cheol Su and Alari were already in motion, retreating deeper into the shadows.
As the demons chased after them, the two fighters darted down a narrow passageway, the sounds of the demons' pursuit echoing behind them.
They ran, twisting and turning through the labyrinthine halls of the Gate of Hell, until at last, they emerged into a chamber, hidden away in the very heart of the demon realm.
**19:14:12...19:14:11...19:14:10**
"Now!" Cheol Su bellowed, his voice ringing out through the cavernous chamber. With a surge of adrenaline, he activated two of his most powerful skills simultaneously: Dragon Flames and Shadow Steps.
The chamber burst into a maelstrom of chaos, an inferno of shadow and flame. With inhuman speed and precision, Cheol Su struck at the demons, each blow fueled by the reckless abandon of his Rampage skill.
Dragon flames engulfed the nearest demons, their screams of agony melding with the sizzle of their burning flesh.
**18:44:23...18:44:22...18:44:21**
**Demons Slain: 987**
Cheol Su tore through the demon horde with ease, his blade an instrument of carnage and destruction. But as he dispatched demon after demon, he became aware of something amiss.
Alari was nowhere to be seen.
The realization sent a jolt of fear through his veins, slicing through the haze of bloodlust.
"Alari!" he shouted, his voice desperate, frantic. Cheol Su's eyes widened at the sight before him. Alari stood upon a grisly mound of demon corpses, her form silhouetted against the eerie red light of the infernal realm.
But it was not just the mountain of corpses that caught his attention. Alari's once-emotionless features were twisted into a feral snarl, her eyes burning with the corrupting power of the void.
**Demons Slain: 1,100 (Overkill Bonus: 300 XP)**
**Experience Points: 4,500**
As the notification of a new skill appeared, Cheol Su could only stare at Alari in awe and trepidation. She was a force of nature, the embodiment of the void itself, her every movement radiating a power that seemed to ripple through the very fabric of the Gate of Hell.
"Alari," he whispered, his voice a hushed, reverent whisper, "what have you become?"
Alari's lips curved into a wicked smile, her voice a low, throaty growl. Her eyes go blur and faint then her transformation receded, her body returning to its normal, human form. She jumped down from the grisly mound of demon corpses, landing gracefully on the cold, hard ground.
"Yes, we've cleared the floor," she said, her voice once again cold and detached. "We must move on to the next challenge."
She looked at Cheol Su, her violet eyes glinting in the flickering light. "Are you ready to continue?" At your service my liege she responds softly. And with that, Alari and Cheol Su pressed forward, leaving the carnage of the Gate of Hell behind them. But as they ventured deeper into the Tower of Chaos, the weight of the challenges ahead loomed over them. The fifth floor, awaited them.
The time to rest and recover was over. The time to face their greatest challenge yet had come.