Meanwhile on another floor within the Demonic Dungeon, 

 

“Welcome adventurers, I am Slaygon, the most senior of the Demons.”

 

One of the senior demons stood face to face with three adventurers in a dimly lit, eerie cavern surrounded by hell fire. 

 

Slaygon, a demon who had once appeared shriveled and skeletal, had now regained a semblance of normality after weeks of nourishment. He stood at an imposing two meters in height, his crimson skin and distinctive, curling ram-like horns setting him apart from his demonic brethren.

 

Confusion clouded the adventurers as they found themselves in this ominous realm.

 

“How the hell did we get here”

 

One of them muttered, his crossbow and short sword at the ready. 

 

“Look out! That must be one of the dungeon’s Leaders!”

 

warned another adventurer, staff aglow in a defensive stance. Yellow light emitted from the staff as it prepared to repel any assault.

 

Slaygon looked on in amusement. Humans were such frantic creatures. The last time he met one he was only a young demon and even then he remembered how easily they broke. 

 

But he wasn’t here to break them physically, he remembered a feeling that he still yearned for. 

 

Slaygon raised his hand, and the black flames that encircled him surged forward, aimed at the staff-wielding adventurer.

 

Undeterred, the adventurer jumped back to avoid the fiery onslaught while simultaneously casting a spell.

 

Slaygon watched his own flames in perplexity. "It seems not only my body but even my abilities have been stunted by malnutrition," he murmured, clicking his tongue.

 

“I summon thee Cherufe”

 

When he finished speaking as though falling through a crack in space a humanoid creature made of stone appeared. 

 

The creature was only a few inches shorter than the demon Slayon but it made up for the difference in height with a difference in bulk. 

 

“Strengthen!”

 

The next person to speak was the third adventurer who only wore leather and bandages around his fists. 

 

Instantly, the Cherufe grew twice its original size, flames dancing more intensely across its stony form. The creature roared, spewing fire and stone toward Slaygon with unimaginable force. 

 

Slayon looked on with a slight smirk and stood still as the attack was launched at him. 

 

The adventurers, believing they had the upper hand, watched as their combined assault raged. But their elation was short-lived as Slaygon emerged from the fiery onslaught unscathed.

 

Realizing the issue the adventurer with his crossbow followed up with a quick round of arrows. 

 

The crossbow-bearing adventurer, realizing the futility of the assault, launched a rapid volley of arrows, but Slaygon summoned a wall of hellfire that not only nullified the Cherufe's attack but also vaporized the arrows.

 

Aware of their predicament, the staff-wielding adventurer chanted another spell.

 

“I summon thee Kelpie!”

 

This time it was a horse-like creature that glowed with a blue hue. The horse looked perpetually wet and looked as though water was dripping from its body. 

 

“Strengthen!”

 

The third adventurer invoked his enhancing skill once more, causing the Kelpie to grow in stature and vitality.

 

With a deafening clash, the Kelpie unleashed a powerful stream of water that collided with the wall of hellfire. The sudden shift in air pressure sent the adventurers reeling back, and a dense veil of fog and steam enveloped the cavern.

Before the fog could dissipate, Slaygon seized the opportunity. He materialized behind the crossbow-wielding adventurer, who realized too late the demon's proximity.

Realizing the demon was right beside them their eyes opened wide in surprise but things were already too late. 

 

With ruthless precision, Slaygon's clawed hand clamped around the adventurer's still-beating heart. The man's eyes filled with terror as his body turned cold, and his life force ebbed away.

 

“JAKE!”

 

One of the remaining adventurers screamed, horror etched across their faces.

 

[You have produced a Lesser Phantom of trepidation]

The moment the enhancer screamed, a phantom left his body and was instantly devoured by Slaygon. 

 

[Your stats have been restored slightly]

 

Savoring the familiar taste of the Phantom, Slaygon burst into cynical laughter.

 

“I have truly missed this sensation!”

 

Slaygon, blood still dripping from his claws, tossed aside the adventurer's heart and cast a hungry gaze upon the remaining two.

 

Their eyes darted between each other and the demon, anxiety gnawing at them. In tandem, they leaped backward, and the summoner initiated another incantation

 

“I summon thee O great Headless Knight!”

 

This was the summoner's final, most potent summon. The knight stood at an imposing two meters, merging seamlessly with the Cherufe and Kelpie into one colossal entity.

Slaygon couldn't help but feel a pang of regret for permitting the summoner to live this long, but he wasted no time lamenting. He lunged toward the summoner, who was now gasping for breath, soaked in sweat.

 

In the blink of an eye, Slaygon stood before the summoner, his clawed hand slicing across the human's throat.

 

Slaygon looked as the summoner's body fell to the floor and looked back at the still assimilating creature. He thought killing the summoner would deal with the creature but it still stood there surging with power. 

 

Slaygons’ bewilderment was cut short when he heard the last surviving adventurer speaking. 

 

“Absolute Strengthen!” 

 

Slaygon looked at the adventurer in disbelief. The summoned creature was already this powerful and now after the adventurer’s skill it would be too much even for him to think about surviving. 

 

Feeling despondent about the situation Slaygon took his frustration out on the adventurer and rushed towards him with his full speed and instantly ripped the adventurer in half. 

 

Left alone with the Headless Knight that had fully assimilated, Slaygon felt his death was inevitable. 

 

He swallowed his saliva readying to accept his faith. 

 

But then he felt a euphoria he had never imagined could exist. 

 

[You have consumed a Greater Phantom of trepidation]

 

[Your stats have been restored to a large degree!]

 

Slaygon felt an unprecedented power flowing through his veins. He was in utter disbelief. He never knew there was such a thing as ‘Greater’ Phantoms of trepidations. 

 

In his time he had only seen lesser Phantoms and normal Phantoms but this ‘Greater’ breed was unheard of. 

 

Slaygon, feeling the power flowing through him, looked back at the Headless Knight and smirked.