Sylas had clearly explained to Clarissa and the others that their family needed more slaves, and the criteria were specific: they had to be beautiful and virgins. Only those who met these conditions would be accepted. Once such newcomers joined, Sylas's power would be enhanced.
Though Sylas didn't tell them about the system, he did explain his reasons for seeking women, which helped them understand and support his actions. Clarissa and the others knew that the world was becoming increasingly dangerous, and the stronger Sylas became, the safer they would be. This understanding led them to willingly cooperate by filming and uploading the video.
While the internet still functioned, many areas had poor signal reception. Despite this, the video caused a sensation online. Reactions to the video were mixed. Some looked down on Clarissa, thinking she had fallen from grace, while others recognized the practicality of her actions—after all, survival was at stake.
The video emphasized that there was only one man in the household, with the rest being women, which many found appealing. It was clear that being with one man was far preferable to being abused by a group of men. Additionally, the video showcased an entire room filled with food, enough to last for many years, which enticed many women.
Soon, Clarissa received numerous messages asking for help. She reviewed them one by one, but unfortunately, most did not meet the criteria. Either the senders were too unattractive or the distance was too great to realistically offer help, given the current state of transportation. Rescue efforts could only be made within the city.
Meanwhile, Sylas continued his nightly hunt for mutated zombies, strengthening his abilities further.
In the video, Clarissa also mentioned that they would only rescue local beauties, but these desperate women, on the verge of starvation, often ignored this detail. They saw the opportunity for rescue and immediately sent their addresses to Clarissa.
Clarissa sighed as she reviewed the messages, noting that none met the criteria. "Wait, here's one that might be suitable," she said. "This person's name is Wendy, a dance teacher. She's currently at Dragon Tower on the eighteenth floor, about twelve kilometers from our neighborhood. Wendy is very beautiful, so she should meet the criteria."
Clarissa forwarded Wendy's information and address to Sylas, leaving the final decision to him.
"So, does this mean we'll have another person joining us?" Sydney asked, a bit exasperated.
"Our family will definitely grow, so you should make your decisions soon," Clarissa said, looking at both Hayden and Sydney seriously. "Otherwise, the more people there are, the fewer opportunities you'll have."
With four women in the group, Clarissa and Lillian were already Sylas's partners, enjoying the closest relationship with him. Sydney and Hayden had yet to make their decisions.
Clarissa continued earnestly, "Honestly, I shouldn't be saying this because fewer people mean less competition for me. But given the current situation, you should understand. We shouldn't compete against each other but unite. As more people join us, our strength will grow. Only with greater strength will we have a better chance of survival."
"There are others besides Sylas who have awakened superpowers. We can't be sure if there's someone even stronger out there. If a more powerful individual harbors ill intentions toward us, what will we do then?"
"So, we must prepare for the worst before it happens and help Sylas become even stronger," Clarissa continued. "Only then will we be truly safe."
While Clarissa was persuading the other women at home, Sylas was out hunting mutated zombies. His phone was set to silent mode, ensuring no sound would alert anyone to incoming messages.
The King of the Night ability was incredibly effective. With a 50% boost to his combat power, Sylas found it much easier to kill these mutated zombies. The area within a five-kilometer radius had become Sylas's hunting ground. Whenever he spotted a mutated zombie, he would immediately choose to kill it.
After several hours of combat, Sylas had killed dozens of mutated zombies. The accumulated energy allowed his fire manipulation ability to advance to level two. As his fire control leveled up, Sylas felt a surge of heat within his body. This fiery power burned away impurities and hidden injuries.
The process lasted for about three minutes. Afterward, the intense heat subsided, and a thick layer of grime was expelled from Sylas's body—impurities that had been purged. Sylas felt stronger and more perfected. This physical transformation was merely a side effect of the ability upgrade. The real change was that his fire manipulation ability had become significantly more powerful.
Sylas closed his eyes, feeling the energy of his newfound ability. His fire manipulation skill had now advanced to level 2. Level 2 abilities were significantly more powerful than level 1. Not only did this upgrade enhance his physical body, but it also brought substantial improvements to his ability.
Sylas carefully attuned himself to his enhanced power, quickly mastering his control over fire. The level 2 fire manipulation ability was far more potent than its level 1 counterpart, especially in terms of control.
He opened his palm, and a fireball quickly formed in his hand. Though it was only the size of an egg, it contained the full power of a level 1 fireball spell. Previously, using fireball required time to charge, but now it was instantaneous.
Walking to the window, Sylas looked down at the zombies on the street and casually threw the fireball. The fireball shot out like a sniper bullet, piercing through a zombie's head and continuing through several more down the street. That single fireball killed at least twenty zombies. Its power far exceeded that of a sniper bullet.
This impressive effect was partly due to the King of the Night's boost, but it also demonstrated the immense strength of a level 2 ability.
Sylas stepped onto the balcony, unconcerned about exposing himself, and began attacking the zombies in the street. He raised both hands, and small fireballs quickly formed in his palms. With a forward push, these fireballs shot out like missiles, accurately hitting the zombies below.
In just one attack, he killed dozens of zombies. This precise control was something a level 1 ability could not achieve.
Sylas gathered another fireball in his hand, this one growing larger and larger until it reached the size of a soccer ball. He launched the large fireball into the distance. It streaked through the night sky, traveling over 200 meters before exploding mid-air. The attack range had extended to 200 meters, a significant improvement from level 1.
He aimed his palms at the ground, where the streets were teeming with zombies. Flames shot out from his palms like twin flamethrowers. The intense heat instantly ignited any zombies it touched, quickly turning the street into a sea of flames.
The burning zombies let out eerie cries as they ran in all directions, creating a horrifying scene. Even Sylas felt a shiver run down his spine. He stopped the flames and turned his palms towards the burning street. This time, instead of emitting fire, he absorbed it. In a flash, the flames from the ground and the zombies were drawn back into Sylas's palms.
This was true fire manipulation—not just generating fire, but also retracting it. However, absorbing the fire consumed Sylas's mental energy and did not replenish it.
After advancing to level 2, Sylas's fire manipulation gained a new application. He leapt down to the street and quickly formed a flame whip in his hand. The whip initially extended to five meters, but it was unstable at that length. Gradually, Sylas adjusted the whip, shortening it to three meters, where it became stable and cohesive, resembling a glowing red-hot iron chain.
With a flick of his wrist, the flame whip struck the zombie in front of him with a powerful snap.
As the flame whip flew through the air, it sliced the zombie in front of Sylas cleanly in half. Sylas wielded the flame whip expertly, cutting through the horde of zombies with ease. The flame whip was incredibly agile, almost like an extension of Sylas's own arm, hitting its mark precisely.
Unlike explosive attacks, the flame whip's strikes were cutting attacks. It worked like a laser blade, slicing everything in its path into two. The ordinary zombies stood no chance against the flame whip's assault.
Strong, incredibly strong. Although it was a melee weapon, the flame whip's attack style greatly pleased Sylas. The only downside was the considerable energy consumption. Using a regular katana to kill these ordinary zombies wouldn't have drained him at all, but the flame whip consumed much more energy. Despite this, Sylas was very satisfied with its power.
"Let's test it on a mutated zombie," Sylas thought to himself.
Without hesitation, Sylas leapt onto a nearby tall building, looking down to scout for mutated zombies. The nighttime streets were teeming with mutated zombies, making it easy to spot one.
Soon enough, a large, hulking mutated zombie came into Sylas's view. Sylas approached it cautiously. The strength-type mutated zombie noticed Sylas's approach and let out a low growl.
Sylas's expression remained calm. He had killed many mutated zombies before, so there was nothing new or surprising about it. He got within three meters of the mutated zombie and then, with a swift motion, lashed out with the flame whip.