"Damn, do you think Novak's dead?!"
"What do we do now? I knew he was shouting all night, but I didn't think he'd go this far! Did he break up with someone?"
"Break up? Novak, who was chased by our school's belle, have a breakup? Are you kidding? Do you think he's like you?"
"Shut up and call 9-1-1! Get an ambulance!"
——
Pain.
Every muscle, every organ, his head—every cell in his body screamed in agony, sending shockwaves through his nerves.
On top of that, the frantic voices of his roommates only amplified the intensity of his suffering.
But as Novak slowly regained consciousness, he let out a sigh of relief.
He opened his bloodshot eyes, looking down at the shredded quilt and dried blood that had leaked from his mouth. He didn't react.
He was alive. That was enough.
Glancing at the two familiar faces hovering around his bed, Novak's already pale complexion seemed even more bloodless. Yet, he managed a faint smile.
"It's alright, guys. No need to make such a fuss. I just drank a bit too much last night and got sick. Don't worry about it."
At those words, the tension in the room visibly lifted. Zamu, the eldest of the group, still looked concerned as he asked, "Novak, if you're feeling off, just say so. Your health is your greatest asset."
"Yeah," another voice chimed in, "I've never even seen you drink before. What's going on? Did you seriously break up with someone?"
"Heh, as if. If Novak didn't fall in love with our school's belle, Song Dane, what breakup are you talking about? Did some goddess descend from the heavens or something?"
A mocking laugh followed, tinged with a hint of sarcasm. Behind the others, a figure with black-rimmed glasses sat at the edge of the bed, clearly amused by their concerns.
"Alright, Lig, enough with the jokes!" Zamu snapped.
Lig shrugged, but before he could offer another quip, his gaze met Novak's cold, indifferent eyes. His whole body froze, as if paralyzed by an invisible force.
That look—it was all too familiar. It reminded him of the time he had visited a zoo and found himself staring into the eyes of a Siberian tiger. But this was worse.
Though Novak hadn't yet regained the fearsome strength of his previous life as the White Demon Saint, the decades of violence and survival in the apocalyptic wasteland had left him with an aura of pure, lethal intent.
For a moment, Lig thought Novak might strike, but then the oppressive gaze vanished, and Lig exhaled in relief. Still, he didn't dare crack any more jokes and quietly retreated to his bed.
Novak couldn't care less about someone like Lig. The petty jealousy and rivalries of university life were meaningless to him now.
His mind was occupied with much bigger things.
After offering a few more reassurances to Zamu and Gehn, both of them finally relaxed. With dark circles under their eyes, they left the dorm room, Zamu saying as they departed, "Get some rest. Don't worry, I'll explain things to the professor."
Novak nodded but added, "Take care of yourselves too. And don't stay up all night. During these next few days, make sure you exercise and prepare your bodies—it's like sharpening your weapons before battle."
His cryptic words confused them, but Novak didn't bother explaining further. Once they were gone, he laid back on his bed, enduring the soreness that lingered in every muscle, focusing on the changes within his body.
He had survived the injection of the zombie virus. That much was clear. His Virus Resistance talent had begun to manifest.
Although he had only injected a small amount of the virus, it was enough to turn three to five people into zombies. Yet, he remained unscathed.
As he exhaled slowly, Novak felt a flicker of disappointment. It seemed that merely resisting the zombie virus wasn't enough to fully awaken his talent ahead of schedule.
But it was a start. The previous analysis he had read in the future forums was correct—during the time leading up to the apocalypse, talent would gradually begin to awaken and grow stronger.
What level would his talent reach in this life?
As Novak pondered this, suddenly, a golden star seemed to materialize before his eyes.
Then, a shimmering blue curtain of light enveloped him.
For a moment, even Novak was stunned. But then, realization dawned on him, and the disappointment he had felt moments earlier was quickly replaced by exhilaration.
Just as he had expected, the blue light formed a series of symbols and words before his eyes, accompanied by a cold, clear voice that echoed within his mind.
[The Cosmic Will: You have been chosen as a Forerunner! Talents have the opportunity to awaken early! The Cosmic Will has descended, and the countdown to the Kepler-22b Proving Ground has officially begun: 9 days, 17 hours, 31 minutes, and 51 seconds…]
Forerunner!
He had awakened his talent early!
As Novak's excitement surged, another prompt followed:
[You have earned a special title: Forerunner!]
[Forerunner (special title, no level, title attributes take effect without being equipped): Only those who awaken their talents before the official start of the trial field possess this title. Strength, Constitution, Agility, and Spiritual Attributes +5%! Experience gain +10%!]
Damn!
Novak couldn't help but take a deep breath. Titles were special items that could increase a person's strength, just like equipment. Typically, title attributes only took effect when equipped.
But this Forerunner title was different. Its attributes were always active, which made it more valuable than countless other titles below S-rank.
And the direct increase in attributes, plus the experience boost, was incredible!
Novak had never imagined that the benefit of early talent awakening would be this immense!
Before he could fully process the implications, the most critical notification finally appeared:
[You have awakened your talent: Virus King (SSS)!]