Chapter 175:  Lord Of The First Floor!

Gone! 

The cooldown—'it's gone?!'

Novak stared in disbelief at the scene before him, his eyes widening involuntarily. In his hand, the Time Hourglass flickered faintly, now manifested in a translucent, ethereal form.

The ability to reverse time that came with the Time Hourglass had always been extraordinary—defying the natural order. But now, Novak realized its true potential: the power to return to the past!

This... this is true rebirth!

Such a heaven-defying power was what truly made the Time Hourglass invincible.

He had always known this, but until now, there had been a severe limitation: the ability could only be used once. After that, a cooldown of more than 70 years followed—essentially locking it away until his next lifetime. Because of this massive restriction, Novak had often disregarded it as a viable option.

But now, in the face of the conflict between the abyss's will and the hourglass, that limitation has been wiped clean!

Though there were still restrictions—such as only being able to return to the moment he entered the Well of the Abyss—it was more than enough!

Novak knew exactly what this meant. 

His eyes sparkled with new light, and not even the darkness of the Abyss Well could dim its light.

At this moment, he seemed to grasp a deeper understanding of the Time Hourglass. 

The will of the abyss was a force so powerful that even the Cosmic Will couldn't interfere with it. The fact that the hourglass could challenge such a force spoke volumes about its significance!

But now was not the time to dwell on these thoughts. 

Novak's gaze shifted to the prompts that had finally appeared before him.

[The trialist's condition has returned to peak. Enter the trial.]

[Current Abyss Lord on the first floor: None. Extracting the imprint of a previous Abyss Lord to form a level 10 phantom. Prepare for the trial!]

Novak took a deep breath. The trial was approaching faster than he had anticipated.

The abyss was gathering.

In an instant, his surroundings shifted, his vision transformed. 

Within the Abyss Well, it felt as though the entire abyss itself was contained. Yet, this was also the first layer of the abyss—the first simulated layer.

[Condensed Demon Lord: Lesser Demon Balkh, (Level 10). No additional battle conditions.]

The ominous voice echoed once more within Novak's heart, and the darkness that surrounded him swiftly faded away.

He found himself once again on the first layer of the abyss.

But Novak knew everything before him had changed.

His gaze sharpened as the first opponent appeared.

A hulking figure stood before him.

While not as towering as some of the more massive demons, this demon was a towering presence nonetheless. Among the many demon types, few were as physically imposing as this one.

Balkh, the demon warrior, dwarfed any demon warrior Novak had previously encountered. The difference between those lesser demons and Balkh was like night and day.

The first layer of the abyss was infamous for its fierce competition. It was where the most newborn demons were born, fighting for dominance. Those who survived would ascend to the next level of the abyss, and rarely would a demon lord remain on the first floor.

But Balkh had.

And now, Novak was face to face with him.

In the depths of history, within the abyss's will, there are remnants—undeniable fragments that linger.

It is because of these remnants that this moment has come to pass!

The towering demon warrior scanned his surroundings, his voice heavy with disbelief:

"What is this?! Has this king not perished?! How could I return to life again? The great will of the abyss…"

His gaze locked onto Novak's distant figure, his lips curling into a savage, eager grin.

"The great will of the abyss stands above! To give me another chance to fight! This king will tear your limbs off with his bare hands and devour them one by one! How dare a foolish human approach the abyss!"

With those words, a massive broadsword materialized in his grip.

In an instant, his hulking form surged forward, moving with speed that far outclassed that slow-witted Kou Tao murloc!

This... this is the strength of a demon lord, even one at the lowest level, remembered by the will of the abyss!?

Interesting!

Novak, far from panicking, charged forward without hesitation. Hellfire blazed across his body as he realized that, in the face of such an adversary, holding back would only mean death. No matter his mastery or the strength that surpassed ordinary humans, this was a foe that could kill him!

The blood-red Tyrant's Claw flared to life.

As the massive broadsword came crashing down, Novak countered by unleashing a devastating biochemical disaster, but never once did he think to evade. With the power of the hourglass of time backing him, he intended to discover just how powerful even the lowest-ranked abyssal demon lord could be.

Just as his claws extended toward his enemy, a smirk played across Balkh's lips.

From the greatsword came a pitch-black arc, a Half Moon Slash, materializing in an instant!

'Crack!'

The broadsword's impact on Novak's claw echoed loudly, but the terrifying force of the Half Moon Slash carried through, striking Novak's body.

A gaping wound opened across his chest! His snow-white ribs lay exposed, and beneath them, his organs visibly pulsed with life.

"Hahaha! A foolish human, so eager to throw his life away! But no matter—having witnessed the power of the abyss, I, Balkh, The King of this floor will end your insolence!"

He swung the massive sword once more, but Novak ignored it.

His shattered bones began to reconnect, and around the jagged wound, new flesh began to sprout and knit together! The horrifying gash healed before Balkh's very eyes, the process rapid and undeniable.

"Huh?! Now this is getting interesting! Well then, let this foolish human taste the true power of this king! Roar!"

Clearly, Balkh, having been resurrected by the abyss's will, reveled in his newfound chance to fight—even going so far as to indulge in his lengthy taunts. Yet being chosen by the abyss was testament enough to his immense strength.

With a thunderous roar, Balkh's skin turned crimson, his greatsword bathed in blood-red light. Then, without warning, a terrifying shockwave surged toward Novak.

The blood-red wave tore through the ground as though a tank had carved its path.

Novak quickly sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the brunt of the force, but even then, searing pain coursed through his back!

No sooner had he evaded, then another blood-red wave came crashing down, launched from Balkh's massive sword. Novak became a blur of movement, struggling to get close. He finally understood just how overwhelming the trial before him was!

If this was only the first floor, then what would the demon lords awaiting him beyond be capable of?

But it didn't matter. That's what made it exciting!

Novak's eyes glowed crimson. The endless shockwaves of sword energy couldn't halt his relentless advance, nor could they stop the icy glint of his massive claws, ready to strike once more!