Chapter 177: Elite Demon!

Compared to Baphomet from the first floor, the figure now before him appeared significantly thinner.

If the abyss itself, its will, had any form of intelligence, wisdom, or self-awareness, then at this moment, Novak would curse it wholeheartedly.

Why?!

Why is it that both are supposed to be level 10 phantoms, yet this one holds a second-rank class?!

Is this fair? Is it?!

And this was only the tenth floor!

Was this truly a trial fit for a human to complete?

Cursing inwardly, Novak stretched out his arm, readying his biochemical disaster weapon once again.

"A human? Trying to pass the great trial of the Abyss' Will? Hah! I, the great Odu-sama, admire your courage, but even with mere level 10 strength, I will still kill you!"

Ignoring Odu's pompous taunts, Novak exhaled slowly, the flu virus spreading into the air as he immediately launched an aggressive assault.

Though he wasn't at his peak due to cooldown restrictions, and the enhancement from the Hellfire Burning Body hadn't yet activated, his strength, agility, and constitution had already reached levels far beyond what ordinary humans could fathom.

However, Odu, seemingly testing the waters, refrained from using any abilities and swung his massive battle axe in a straightforward, brute-force attack. In this direct clash of strength and agility, Novak didn't come out entirely on top.

But even more surprised than Novak was Odu. He stared in disbelief at the human standing before him.

How could this be? He had a class change advantage! He carried the bloodline of a true demon. Although inferior in rank, demon blood—even from a lesser lineage—shouldn't lose to a level ten ordinary humans who hadn't undergone any class change yet!

Could it be that this human was the offspring of a dragon? Or did he carry the blood of a Behemoth Titan?

How else could they compare in strength?

Realizing his mistake, Odu immediately discarded his arrogance. A deep crimson aura surged across his body—a transformation, much like a Super Saiyan awakening.

The Elite Demon Warrior class, while considered a lower-tier profession in the abyss, wasn't as weak as it seemed. For some demons, simply unlocking their latent potential allowed them to ascend to this class effortlessly.

However, this did not mean that the class was weak in any sense.

With the power of the demon bloodline, Odu's weapons and body surged with strength, elevating him to a new level of power.

This was the essence of an Elite Demon Warrior.

Had Novak not held any trump cards, he might have opted to slowly wear down his opponent using the flu virus, a cautious but plausible strategy.

But Novak 'did' have a trump card, and his goal was clear—to pinpoint the weaknesses of these enemies and find ways to defeat them more efficiently.

Without hesitation, he charged forward once more, his mind driving the telekinetic flying sword.

'Crash!'

The massive battle axe swung downward, smashing into Novak's left arm, nearly severing it completely. His arm dangled by a thread of flesh, yet Novak didn't even flinch. He stared at the rampaging demon warrior with cold resolve, undeterred by the pain or the damage.

There were distinct differences between Odu and other low-level demon warriors, but some key similarities remained. For example, like most demon warriors, his agility was lacking. Once their 'Saiyan' skills were activated, their sanity would diminish, and their defence would weaken.

However, during the battle, Novak discovered two unique, somewhat foolish abilities that Odu possessed beyond the usual shockwave of sword energy and battle blood frenzy.

One was that Odu's agility increased the more severe his injuries became.

The other? Well, it was happening right now.

Novak's attack, which came at the cost of his own arm, was blocked by the demonic blood armor that had enveloped Odu's entire body. The armor neutralized the impact, balancing out the strong attack power with reinforced defenses—a hallmark of a second-rank class.

Still, Novak wasn't discouraged. He barely paid attention to his limp, nearly useless arm, focusing instead on identifying Odu's vulnerabilities.

"Die..." 

Odu's eyes, now glowing a vicious scarlet, reflected nothing but madness. In his eyes, Novak was nothing more than prey, a helpless victim incapable of resisting the inevitable death blow.

And it appeared to be true.

Novak's body was riddled with injuries, sustained in his effort to pinpoint Odu's weakness. Even with his Living Cells and the regenerative power of the Blacklight Virus, the damage was too extensive to recover quickly enough.

But Novak didn't care.

When he saw Odu's massive battle axe swinging down, his eyes suddenly gleamed with insight.

The demon blood armor, which was likely a basic second-rank skill for elite demon warriors, undoubtedly had its own weakness. And there it was—beneath the raised battle axe, in Odu's armpit, a small, unguarded gap.

It might seem insignificant at first glance, but this was the opening Novak had been waiting for.

The giant axe descended swiftly, and Odu's savage voice bellowed, "Die, filthy human!"

To Odu, Novak was like a bothersome fly—tenacious, more so than even the most persistent demon, and with an uncanny ability to heal quickly from his wounds, a trait that grated on Odu's nerves.

Finally, Odu thought, the challenge would be over. He'd crush this overambitious human.

But in that very moment, when Odu believed victory was his, Novak's eyes flickered with sudden brilliance. In an instant, the human warrior, who seemed on the brink of death, surged back to life.

With no hesitation, Novak's biochemical weapon shot forward, piercing straight through Odu's exposed armpit and driving into his heart.

'Thud!'

The demon's resilient body kept him from dying immediately, but Novak didn't bother waiting for the end. He muttered to himself, reflecting on the fight:

"Elite Demon Warrior, an advanced class of demon warriors. The demonic armor covers the entire body, but the armpit seems to be the weak point. Or maybe it's just this guy's weakness... I can't be too careless."

Under Odu's unwilling gaze, Novak stamped on his head, ending the fight and turning the demon warrior into a vanishing phantom.

Without hesitation, he moved on to the next trial—preparing for the challenge of the eleventh layer of the abyss.

What Novak didn't expect, however, was that for the first time since entering the tenth floor, he had been forced to use the time-reversing ability of the Time Hourglass.

——

[Time Backtracking: Set a "perfect state" marker on yourself that you can activate during battle. When used, all injuries and negative conditions are removed, and all skill cooldowns are reset.

This skill has the highest priority in activation! Cooldown: 1 hour]

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