Reawakening: SSS-Rank Villain's POV-Chapter 89 - 4 Days Of Breaking Records!

Lucian didn't linger in the empty hall after resurrecting the weak Baltzer shadow. He recalled it instantly, the faint crimson light merging into his arm, barely visible next to the stronger tattoos of Levi and the now-destroyed Alphas.

He stepped back towards the shimmering portal that marked the exit of the first floor. But instead of choosing to ascend or return to the Lobby, he chose a different path or to say, the same path.

"I wish to challenge the first floor."

The world dissolved and reformed. Once again, the thick, humid air of the Lizardman swamp filled his lungs. The croaks and buzzes were instantly familiar. Lucian eyes refocused and he came to and he didn't pause one second.

His first few runs were brutal displays of overwhelming force and sheer overwhelming might!

He activated Crimson Shadow Step immediately, transforming into a red blur that tore through the swamp like a piercingly sharp sword!

He reached the main encampment in record time, blasted through the Elite guards like they were made of paper, he kicked open Balzer's door, and ended the Lizardmen King's life with a single, overwhelming [Sovereign's Devastation] thrust before the boss could even finish its angry roar.

[Floor Cleared!]

[First Floor Cleared (Repeat)]

[Repeat Clear Reward: +1 to Random Stat, 500 Exp, +200 Relic Coins, Bronze Chest (1x)]

[+1 Strength!]

[New Record Set! Previous Record: [00:05:12] | New Record: [00:02:45]]

[Record Breaking Bonus: +10 to all stats, 1000 Exp, +1000 Relic Coins, Silver Chest (1x)]

[System notice: You have broken the solo clear record for this floor. Would you like your name updated on the Primordial Codex?]

"Yes."

[Primordial Codex Updated: Floor 1 Solo Clear Record Holder - Lucian Morningstar!]

He resurrected the new Baltzer shadow, recalled it, looted the chest, and immediately re-entered.

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Run after run followed. Each time, Lucian pushed himself harder, faster. He experimented.

On one run, he summoned Levi and the eight Infernal Mastiff Alphas the moment he arrived.

"Levi, clear the path!" he commanded. "Alphas, flank! Destroy everything!"

Levi roared, the World Splitter Axe carving massive swathes through the swamp vegetation and any Lizardmen foolish enough to be nearby. The Alphas spread out, their Shadowflame Breath incinerating patrols, their Bonecrusher Jaws leaving mangled corpses in their wake. Lucian followed Levi's destructive path, focusing solely on reaching the boss hut.

He burst through the door. Balzer stood, hammer raised, already facing the entrance due to the commotion outside.

"[Mountain-Cleaving Slash]!" Lucian roared, not holding back a single bit as he struck out.

The golden-red crescent ripped through the air, bisecting Balzer and the throne behind him instantly.

[Floor Cleared!] ... [+1 Physique!]

[New Record Set! Previous Record: [00:02:45] | New Record: [00:01:58]]

[Record Breaking Bonus: +10 to all stats, 1000 Exp, +1000 Relic Coins, Silver Chest (1x)]

"Yes."

[Primordial Codex Updated!]

He resurrected another Baltzer shadow. His army was growing stronger, each new shadow a weaker copy of the Lizard King, but it was still a shadow nonetheless.

He tried different tactics. Sometimes using only his speed and spear techniques, focusing on precise, minimal movements.

Other times unleashing the full might of his shadows from the start. He even practiced coordinating the Alphas' breath attacks to clear large areas simultaneously.

He rerolled the loot from the Bronze and Silver chests after each run, consuming minor stat gems, occasionally getting a slightly better potion or a piece of Uncommon gear he instantly rerolled again, often into trash. His remaining Reroll charges dwindled.

[Reroll Activated: 1 Use Consumed | Remaining Rerolls: 3]

[Target: Mana Potion (Common)]

[Rerolling...] 55x

[Reroll Success! Item Upgraded!]

[New Item: Minor Mana Elixir (Uncommon)]

[Reroll Activated: 1 Use Consumed | Remaining Rolls: 2]

[Target: Crude Leather Bracers (Common)]

[Rerolling...] 3x

[Reroll Failure! Item Regressed!]

[New Item: Torn Rag (Trash)]

He broke his record again, pushing it under ninety seconds by optimizing his path and using Crimson Shadow Step combined with Shadow Pounce for near-instantaneous movement between key points.

[New Record Set! Previous Record: [00:01:58] | New Record: [00:01:29]]

[Record Breaking Bonus: +10 to all stats, 1000 Exp, +1000 Relic Coins, Silver Chest (1x)]

"Yes."

[Primordial Codex Updated!]

He kept pushing. Down to eighty seconds. Seventy-five. Seventy.

[New Record Set! Previous Record: [00:01:10] | New Record: [00:01:08]]

[Record Breaking Bonus: +10 to all stats, 1000 Exp, +1000 Relic Coins, Silver Chest (1x)]

"Yes."

[Primordial Codex Updated!]

Each record break yielded precious stat points. His base stats climbed steadily, making each subsequent run fractionally easier, allowing him to shave off milliseconds.

He collected Baltzer shadow after Baltzer shadow. They were all Elite rank, significantly weaker than his original Knight-rank Baltzer, but they were numerous.

[Blood Shadow Awakened: Baltzer (Elite)]

[Blood Shadow Slots: 30/100]... [50/100]... [70/100]...

Finally, after what felt like countless runs spanning nearly a full day within the Tower's distorted time flow, he hit a wall. His latest record stood at one minute and three seconds. He tried everything – different shadow combinations, varying skill orders, pushing his speed to the absolute limit – but he couldn't break the 63-second barrier. He was already moving faster than sound for most of the run, eliminating obstacles instantly. There was simply no more time to shave off with his current abilities.

He had also accumulated exactly 72 Elite-rank Baltzer shadows, filling a significant portion of his Blood Legion slots.

[Blood Shadow Slots: 100/100] (72 Elite Baltzers, 1 Knight Baltzer, 1 Knight Levi, 8 Knight Infernal Mastiffs, + Kyra ??? Rank = 83 + Kyra) - Correction: Slot calculation needs refinement based on merging. After merging Alphas, he had 1 Knight Baltzer, 1 Knight Levi, 8 Knight Alphas + Kyra = 11 + Kyra. Adding 72 Elite Baltzers would bring him to 83 + Kyra slots used out of 100.

Standing in the desolate swamp after his final failed record attempt, Lucian sighed. The relentless grinding had yielded enormous stat gains, but he had reached the limit for this floor. It was time to consolidate.

He focused his will, drawing upon the connection to all the Baltzer shadows. "Baltzer," he mentally commanded the original, Knight-rank shadow.

The slightly smaller, crimson-tinted Lizard King shadow materialized before him, bowing its head. Its eyes held a flicker of intelligence.

Then, Lucian focused on the 72 weaker, Elite-rank Baltzer copies stored within his shadow space. "Blood Shadow Meld!" he commanded, pouring mana into the upgraded skill. This wasn't a minor fusion; this was a mass integration focused on a single target.

[-15,000 Mana]

[Targeting Base Shadow: Baltzer (Knight)]

[Integrating Auxiliary Shadows: Baltzer (Elite) x72...]

[Initiating Major Rank Evolution Fusion... Luck Factor: Extremely High!]