Virus King [Translation]

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[You have defeated the Dungeon Boss 'Dark Priest' (Level 15) – Experience gained: 45,000 points (distributed based on battle contribution).]

[Level up! Current Level: 9. You have earned two free attribute points!]

[Secret Realm cleared. You may exit at any time.]

[The Secret Realm 'Devil's Village' has been cleared for the first time! It is now permanently unlocked for future entries, and all evolutionists will experience a 5-day cooldown.]

[Detected: Evolutionary No. 001 and his team have cleared this dungeon for the first time. Would you like to pay to release a dungeon guide video?]

Novak had reached level 9!

It was only the tenth day since the apocalypse officially began, and he'd already reached level 9. 

Such rapid progression was unheard of!

Even considering the time it took to awaken his power after the initial outbreak, Novak hadn't gained much experience prior to the end of the world. Yet now, in such a short period, he'd achieved incredible growth.

This speed made Novak confident—few on the entire Kepler could rival him!

This wasn't because he'd killed large numbers of low-level zombies. In fact, his targets had been far more challenging—enemies far above his own level. 

For most evolutionists, defeating enemies stronger than themselves was a daunting task, especially those above level 10. The power gap between levels past 10 and those below was vast. Yet for Novak, it had become routine.

Beyond the level-up, Novak's biggest gain from this dungeon run was the loot. 

While the two pieces of equipment that dropped were decent, Novak was more focused on collecting the full Plague Set as his main gear before making any job transitions. Besides, the gear he'd just acquired was meant for level 10 and above—it was of no use to him now and would likely just end up stored away in his system storage.

More importantly, what truly excite Novak was the demonic bloodline he had refined and devoured during the battle.

[Incomplete Low-Level Demon Blood Essence (D)]

[Item—Blood Potion]

[An extremely incomplete demon bloodline. Though it only contains a sliver of power, it can serve as the seed for future demonic growth.]

[Requirements: Level ≥ 5]

[Weak Low-Level Demon Blood Essence (C)]

[Item—Blood Potion]

[A weak demonic bloodline. It holds minimal power but can still serve as a foundation for developing demonic abilities.]

[Requirements: Level ≥ 7, Constitution ≥ 10]

To Novak, these were weak, subpar potions. 

However, for ordinary evolutionists, such low-level bloodlines were invaluable foundations for growth. 

Currently, there were only two types of blood essence in his possession. Compared to the A-level blood potion and B-level blood essence he'd obtained from slaying stronger foes, these items were practically worthless.

But even so, this was typical output from the dungeon's secret realm.

Despite the low quality, the sheer quantity was notable—Novak had collected 21 D-grade blood essences and 4 C-grade blood essences.

Given how overpowered the Blacklight Virus was, it would have been unreasonable to expect top-tier blood essence from these weak demon villagers. But the volume of the spoils was at least guaranteed.

Novak couldn't help but wonder: if he were to refine the Hell Messenger's bloodline at the Red Star Mental Hospital using the Blacklight Virus, would he be able to extract A-grade demon blood essence again?

As he slowly exited the now-cleared demonic village, Novak gave no thought to the option of releasing a video guide for this first dungeon clear.

For him, and for some other top-tier evolutionists, the first clearance of a Secret Realm was trivial. 

——

The rising fame of the 'White Emperor' continued to spread across the forums, not only within the Faeloria Country but across the entire Kepler.

All over the world, evolutionists from various nations were hearing about this powerful figure from the Faeloria Country, a man from the East who stood above the rest.

The only thing that slightly irked Novak was that, just the day before, the Vinland Country had produced the first team of evolutionists to clear a Hard-level dungeon.

As a result, the prestige from being the first to clear a Hard dungeon had slipped out of his grasp.

Though the two prestige points lost weren't a big deal to Novak, it still a pity since if he was not in a hurry, it would be his.

In this post-apocalyptic world, it wasn't just about individual evolution—it was about the evolution of civilizations. 

And each nation's evolutionists were part of a larger camp.

Shaking off the cluttered thoughts that clouded his mind, Novak casually tossed the pile of blood essences into his personal warehouse, placing it directly in front of his 'Gluttonous Face'.

Though Novak felt a tinge of disdain for the quality of these blood essences, he noticed something interesting—the 'Gluttonous Face' didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, it appeared rather pleased to have something to consume, no matter the grade.

Satisfied, Novak let the creature feed and turned his attention elsewhere. With such an abundance of blood essences, it would take the 'Gluttonous Face' a good while to finish them. Naturally, Novak had no intention of waiting around.

Once again, the entire city of De M-anila passed swiftly beneath his feet. This time, Meimei clung tightly to Novak's back as he raced across the landscape. 

Mutated zombies and beasts occasionally appeared along their path, but none stood a chance against Novak's lightning-fast movements. Before they could even comprehend his presence, they were left as mangled corpses, trampled underfoot.

In less than half an hour, familiar road came into view once more.

The combination of his spirit-like agility and his ability to fly over walls made Novak's speed almost unfathomable. It was hard to imagine what kind of superhuman velocity he'd reach if he further activated the 'Blacklight Virus' enhancements.

That thought brought his attention to his evolution points. Beyond devouring the demonic villagers from dozens of Secret Realms, the most crucial gain was always his evolution points.

Previously, after pushing the 'Blacklight Virus' to an 8% evolutionary level, only 1 point remained. But after devouring the pure-blooded demon Orlando yesterday and clearing out the demon village today, his evolution points had steadily climbed. Though the points gained from lower-level enemies weren't remarkable, he had accumulated a total of 40 points!

Novak's eyes gleamed at the number. The next upgrade required 19 evolution points. With each enhancement, the cost rose by 2 points, but with 40 now in hand, he could push the 'Blacklight Virus' to 10%—a significant milestone.

At 10%, new branch abilities would likely unlock. Whether it was his combat instincts, the ability to walk over buildings, or the speed of a spirit, Novak knew his power was on an unstoppable trajectory of growth.

Pushing himself even harder, Novak increased his speed. Half a day passed in the blink of an eye, and soon he was back within the familiar streets of De M-anila. His knowledge of the city allowed him to weave through the urban area with ease, but as he moved, something caught his attention.

Novak's frown deepened as he and Meimei reached the top of a massive building, gazing southeast over the city. Below them, countless zombies filled the streets, a massive horde gathering. The heart of the outbreak wasn't just anywhere—it centered around De M-anila University and the nearby G-1 Road.

Even more concerning was the direction in which the horde was moving—slowly but surely, it was headed straight for the Ocean Blue Villa district.

Novak furrowed his brow, 'I've only been gone three or four days, and things have already escalated to this extent?'