Chapter 199: The Abyss Shakes! 

The abyss—the eternal realm of shadow, a place where time and sky seemed to stand still.

In that moment, two beams of light erupted upward.

The dark green glow spread like a thick mist. Zogwort, anticipating the change, quickly donned an alchemical mask. Within the endless fog, born of plagues, countless microscopic creatures seemed to writhe and churn, drawn in instinctual reverence around their new master.

'The Scourge of Life', with fungi and viruses that consumed everything in their path, was released, seemingly finding freedom as the scroll shattered. The creatures in the mist chanted, worshiped, proclaiming allegiance to their king.

Yet this green wave of pestilence was quickly dominated by another force—a dark purple light that blanketed the entire first layer of the abyss.

Atop the Abyss Well, a matching wave of purple and black rose to the sky, synchronizing with the power released by the shattered scroll.

Countless demons across the abyssal plane stared in awe at the Abyss Well, at the colossal pillar of darkness that pierced through the entire level. Within this shadowed beam, a figure seemed to be born—the new Abyss King, the embodiment of its authority, now fully realized.

The abyss was the cradle of all demons, their origin, their lord.

Now, from the depths of the Abyss Well, an essence poured forth, compelling even lowly demons to kneel in reverence.

Never before had the demons, each fiercely independent, been so united. But today, it was undeniable.

On the hundredth layer of the abyss, Shadow Sword Demon Gilbert, one of the demon lords, looked upon the Abyss Well from his stronghold in Castlevania, stunned. As a third-tier demon saint, he trembled at the sight of the power emanating from the well. He recalled his recent battle with a challenger—one whose boldness and strange talents had shaken him but seemed destined to fail. How had that mortal reached this level?

Not only was Gilbert baffled, but nearly every other lord across the layers was equally confounded.

'On the 279th layer,' the Lord of Beasts, Baphomet, stared in disbelief at the towering dark beam of light. Momentarily frozen, he grumbled, "That human… Hmph. Even if he did achieve it, no mere mortal will control me."

'On the 350th layer,' Winifred, middle head of the abyssal hydra, who usually kept his eyes shut, now opened them, eyes wide with astonishment. "How the hell… that frail human? He passed Yeenoghu, conquered Meikanxie, and defeated Aga Reiss? Impossible!"

"If it's true, I might finally have books on the human world to read!"

"Yes, he knows our poetry. He's not so different from us. It explains his strength!"

"By the way, what's his name?" came the question.

"Novak..."

'On the 437th layer,' the succubus queen Meikanxie bolted upright from her bed, startling her attendants mid-routine. She ignored their surprised stares, as well as the faint traces of pain and ecstasy left by the lashes on her skin—sensations she welcomed to dull the relentless fire of her own desires.

Only this kind of feeling can weaken her desire, and let her relieve the special pleasure that makes people involuntarily obsessed.

But now, the scene in front of her eyes made the succubus queen regain her senses and looked behind the palace.

In an instant, her figure vanished, reappearing at the core of the 437th layer of the abyss, behind her grand palace, standing before the vast Abyss Well.

An indescribable energy radiated from it, cloaking a hazy, indistinct figure. As one born of the abyss, Meikanxie understood precisely what this meant—she recognized the nature of this energy and power instinctively.

The succubus queen's entire body trembled as she sensed the subconscious pressure of the abyssal will upon her, pressing down as if acknowledging a sovereign presence within itself.

"Is it real? How… how could this be?"

Though subdued by the abyssal will, her tail betrayed her thoughts, swaying with a barely-contained thrill.

'On the five hundredth floor of the abyss,' Aga Reiss, in contrast to the other lords—even those of divine rank—was wholly overcome. He dropped to his knees before the Abyss Well, his blindfolded face contorted with elation, and shouted into the darkness with fervent reverence:

"O great king, my most exalted master! At last, you have returned in your full glory! The abyss shall bow eternally at your feet! You will lead us, you will lead the infernal legions to triumph over the heavens and all worlds! You will reign as the King of Gods, the God of Gods! The endless abyss shall be your sole divine realm! And we, basking in your glory, shall achieve immortality!"

The entire abyss shook with the surge of power, and every demon, every divine being, felt the gravity of the moment. Emotions across the layers ran complex and turbulent.

Countless beings, even from other realms, could not help but fix their gazes upon the abyss, at the unknown changes!

At that same moment, Novak's closed eyes finally opened.

Simultaneously, a message from the Cosmic Will reverberated within Novak's mind—and in the hearts of all evolutionists within the Trial of Gods and Demons:

[Evolutionary 'White Emperor' has successfully completed the job transformation. The Gods and Demons Trial has now entered the evolution phase, and the ranking list for each country is now open...]