"Sister Daphne, I never expected to see you alive!" Lea cried out as she embraced Daphne, who was dressed in a long black gown. In that moment, all the fear and grief she had bottled up seemed to finally break free.
"My husband is dead, my entire family is gone... it's just me and Line left! Waaaa..." she sobbed.
Daphne held Lea in her arms with a soft smile and gently patted her back. "It's alright, I'm here. Even if it's just us, we'll survive this apocalypse. We don't need anyone else to help us. We women are strong enough to make it on our own."
Despite her comforting words, Daphne's expression didn't fully match her tone. As she held Lea, her nose twitched, catching an all-too-familiar scent on her friend.
That smell... Daphne had been intimately acquainted with it in the past few days. But today, the scent was heavy and clung to Lea.
Her eyes flicked toward Novak, who had just entered from outside the courtyard. She wanted to glare at him, but her gaze softened into one of restrained frustration instead.
Novak seemed entirely unaffected, casting a brief glance at the two women before walking into the villa. He had no interest in overseeing the cleanup of the villa grounds himself—slaying low-level zombies offered him minimal experience at this point.
Besides, De Manila City was crawling with zombies, and he could easily reap the benefits of devouring them whenever he wanted. What really mattered now was making preparations to venture into the heart of De M-anila.
The post-apocalyptic world held endless opportunities, and Novak had no intention of letting them slip by.
In his previous life, Novak had only been an E-level talent holder. If not for narrowly escaping death and being fortunate enough to become a demon hunter, he never would have risen to prominence in the apocalypse. But this time, the early stages of the apocalypse were filled with potential, even here in De M-anila City.
De M-anila was one of the great cities of Faeloria and held many secrets. It had advantages that even the rest of Faeloria couldn't boast of in the early days of the apocalypse.
And Novak's sights were set on a special item—something that had never been obtained in his previous life.
After a few more moments of comforting Lea, Daphne composed herself and approached Novak without showing any signs of displeasure. Her expression calm, she asked, "The raid has started. What's our next step?"
Novak glanced at her, then casually patted his thigh. Daphne immediately understood the signal.
"Once we've cleared out all the zombies in the villa area, have the non-combatants begin bulldozing the surrounding villas. We'll expand outward, with Villa No. 2 as the center, and use the area as a city lord's mansion and gathering point."
"And the most important part," Novak added, "is to kill the zombies and feed their remains to the Roshan Wall. We'll use it to enclose the villa area and then expand outward, layer by layer, as it grows."
He continued, "Form combat teams with those capable of fighting. Send them into the surrounding villas to clear out the zombies and level up."
Daphne nodded in agreement. Then, Novak turned his attention to something more pressing. "What's your talent?"
Without hesitation, as if she had anticipated the question, Daphne answered promptly:
"[Amethyst Pupil (S-level)]: It can transform anything in my line of sight into amethyst crystals, for both defense and attack. Each time my mental power reaches a certain threshold, more abilities will be unlocked."
Amethyst Pupil? Novak's gaze flicked to Daphne's purple eyes, surprised by the revelation. S-level talent? This woman had really lucked out by sticking with him.
Noticing Novak's reaction, Daphne quickly added, "Oh, and it has an initial ability called Insight into the Crystal. I can see the evolutionary abilities, talents, and attributes of anyone whose mental power isn't too much higher than mine. The rest of the abilities will be unlocked once my mental power reaches 20."
Now Novak was truly impressed. Insightful abilities like that were invaluable in the apocalypse.
Being able to assess an opponent's powers, attributes, and abilities ahead of time granted a huge advantage in battle. For someone like Novak, who aimed to rule, this talent was indispensable.
For the first time, Novak smiled, nodding in approval. "Not bad. Use it well. But remember the rule: don't neglect leveling up. Dane and Aria have me to protect them, but I know you have ambitions. The best foundation for those ambitions is strength."
Daphne gave a firm nod, then slyly rolled her eyes as she asked, "So, what should we do about that woman?"
Her tone was clearly laced with jealousy, and Novak raised an eyebrow, unsure if she was being serious or just teasing. He didn't entirely believe it but still replied calmly, "Just assign her a position, like Ruri. I'll take care of her when I return."
"Return? You're leaving?"
Novak's smile was light, almost teasing. "Staying here won't help either of us grow stronger. The same goes for you. Eventually, you'll have to venture out and hunt zombies beyond the Ocean Blue district."
Daphne looked at him, concerned. "Where are you going?"
"Metro M-anila," Novak replied with a mysterious smile.
But he wasn't about to leave just yet. Novak never acted without preparation. There was still one more task to complete before his departure.
---
Novak's mind focused briefly on his abilities:
[Virus King (SSS)]: A supreme control over any bacterial or viral infection within yourself. You can harness any virus, and with each new infection, you gain talent evolution points and unlock new abilities. Current evolution points: 2.7.
He had used the Blacklight Virus to devour two zombies earlier, earning one evolution point. However, those points were currently dedicated to evolving the Blacklight Virus, and it was clear that a higher level of awakening would require far more.
For now, Novak was content with activating the Blacklight Virus's basic powers. His next move would be to unlock an ability that would allow him to move even more efficiently.
[Evolution of Infectious Diseases]: Traditional disease infections are commonly spread through physical contact or exchange of bodily fluids. Some diseases, like those transmitted through droplets, can evolve to spread through unknown, more advanced methods at higher evolutionary levels.
In Novak's opinion, among the three evolutionary branches controlled by the Virus King, this branch, which focuses on infectious diseases, was perhaps the weakest.
After all, diseases like the common cold, tuberculosis, and the plague—though historically deadly—are not regarded as terminal illnesses even in modern society, let alone in a world of evolution.
Even if he mastered these abilities, so what?
But Novak couldn't help but think about the mental illness-like infections within this branch.
While mental illnesses are common in today's world, Novak felt confident that his "Virus King" talent held much greater potential, waiting to be unlocked.
The Blacklight Virus didn't need to be hurried. Clearing out the villa area was time-consuming, and Novak didn't want to waste his precious time on such minor tasks.
With this thought, Novak turned his focus back to the Virus King talent—specifically, the evolution of infectious diseases.
In an instant, the special evolutionary branches appeared before his eyes again:
- [Respiratory Droplet Infection]: Allows large-scale infection through breathing. The infection cycle is moderate, with relatively weak power, depending on the constitution of the target. Abilities include cold, flu, tuberculosis, infectious pneumonia, etc.
- [Liquid Infection]: Enables large-scale or targeted infections through liquids. The infection cycle is short, and the power is strong. Abilities include weakening the immune system and causing organ failure.
- [Spiritual Infection]: Allows mass or targeted single infections through mental power. The infection cycle is extremely short, and its power depends on both the user's and the target's mental strength. Abilities include anxiety, schizophrenia, and mental breakdown.
The last option, Spiritual Infection, was out of reach. It required even more evolution points than the Blacklight Virus, and Novak wasn't in a position to invest in it yet.
As for Liquid Infection... well, Novak wasn't ready for that either.
Though liquid transmission could happen through a variety of means—mice, fleas, mosquitoes—Novak had his doubts. After all, what flea or mosquito could possibly pierce the constitution of an evolved human or even a zombie?
It seemed a bit far-fetched.
So, Novak decided to focus on Respiratory Droplet Infection, which seemed the most reliable and effective option.
[Awaken Respiratory Infectious Diseases? This will cost 2 evolution points.]
It required more evolution points than his previous awakening of the Blacklight Virus, but Novak had made up his mind. He didn't hesitate, pouring all his accumulated evolution points into this ability.
Suddenly, Novak felt a strange sensation—something powerful building within his lungs. It was as if with a single breath, he could now release a viral cloud that would infect anyone who inhaled it.
The sensation was both strange and exhilarating. He knew that with just one exhale, those nearby would be immediately infected, their health compromised.
Moments later, the Virus King talent tree gave him his first feedback.
[Respiratory Infection Awakened. New ability acquired: Influenza.]
Wait, influenza? Novak paused. The idea of using something as mundane as the flu—a disease so familiar and harmless by modern standards—made him feel slightly at loss. But he quickly regained his composure and focused on the specifics of this newly acquired ability.
Novak initially assumed it would function like the Blacklight Virus, requiring continuous upgrades to strengthen its power. To his surprise, the "influenza" wasn't just another ability; it was a talent skill!
Similar to the Blacklight Virus's "Devour" ability, yet fundamentally different.
[Influenza (Talent Skill): Exhale the flu virus, infecting all targets within range. The incubation period depends on the difference between your Constitution and that of the target. The maximum time is 30 minutes, and the shortest is 1 second. Once infected, the target's Constitution decreases, and they experience sneezing fits every few seconds. Sneezing lowers concentration, disrupts mental abilities, interrupts spellcasting, and reduces physical attack accuracy.]
(Note: The effectiveness of this talent skill is directly tied to the user's Constitution.)
Novak's eyes widened in disbelief. He had initially thought the Virus King's infectious disease abilities were trivial. But now, seeing this flu ability in action, he realized how wrong he had been!
Lowering constitution was just the start.
But sneezing? In the middle of a life-or-death battle? The potential consequences were staggering.
Imagine two warriors locked in a standoff, each waiting for the other to show a sign of weakness. Suddenly, one of them sneezes at a critical moment. What happens then?
More importantly, mental abilities would be weakened, chanting spells disrupted, and physical attacks thrown off balance.
For instance, if someone like Ian, with strong mental control abilities, were to sneeze mid-battle, the power of his mind control would be severely diminished.
Or Vince, whose water-element spells required careful chanting—what if he sneezed and lost his concentration?
Even a spear wielder like Overlord could suffer disastrous consequences if he sneezed while aiming a powerful strike.
The implications were too chaotic to even imagine!
Novak's heart raced as he realized that this flu skill, which he had initially dismissed, was a game-changer. This wasn't just a minor debuff—it was a rogue-level ability that could turn the tide of any battle!
With a renewed sense of excitement, Novak turned his gaze back to the Virus King's evolutionary branches, specifically the respiratory infections.
However, his enthusiasm was quickly tempered by the cold reality of the next level of evolution.
[Do you wish to deeply awaken respiratory infectious diseases? This evolution requires 30 evolution points and Constitution > 80.]
Novak sighed and promptly closed the talent tree. There was no way he could afford such a steep price right now.
But one thing was certain: the Virus King's potential was far greater than he had initially thought!