Virus King [Translation]

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The morning sun was dazzling, but its brightness seemed irrelevant in the face of the world's end.

Dane subconsciously glanced at the man from last night but realized that the only person in the vast gymnasium had vanished without a trace.

Standing off to the side was Daphne, fully dressed.

Dane now felt nothing but disdain for her. How could she act so innocent after what happened last night?

Shameless!

However, when Daphne met Dane's gaze, she smiled faintly and said, "Dane, get up and have something to eat. I have work to do today. Novak is downstairs making breakfast."

Dane shot her a blank stare, still not fully recovered from her earlier daze, and then let out a snort. No matter what had happened, Novak's cooking was still enticing!

Two hours later...

In the De-M-anila Ocean Blue Villa Area, perched on a hill overlooking the Bay River, they stood before a giant sewer pipe. A foul, rotting stench wafted through the air.

The luxurious breakfast Dane had devoured earlier now churned in her stomach, threatening to overwhelm her.

Even in the apocalypse, Miss Song Dane was still very much the same Miss Song Dane!

Daphne continued to pamper her, while Novak found amusement in teasing Dane—the once-proud beauty who had become his "good daughter" just the day before.

What happened last night could be considered the final blow.

Despite the chaos of the world, the little princess had somehow remained shielded from its harsh reality. Even Ruri, the nurse, had already killed a few zombies, yet Dane still held her place as the group's pampered one.

But now, standing before the sewer, her face was ashen, as if she'd turned to stone.

Novak glanced at her with a faint smile.

Aside from the few women who had made it to the White Emperor Palace, only his loyal confidante was left to evolve.

Yesterday's massive sewer had now transformed into an equally massive vortex before their eyes.

Twelve hours had passed.

The old sewer had become a secret realm dungeon—a Rift!

As Novak led the team forward, the cosmic will echoed in their ears:

[You have entered the Normal-level secret realm: Old Sewer (Level 5-10)!]

At that moment, the sunlight outside disappeared completely. Dane screamed instinctively, but Novak pulled her into an embrace.

"Don't worry, just enjoy the ride," he reassured her.

He never intended for the young lady to get involved in the fighting. It was better to rely on the others.

Sure enough, Daphne stepped forward, an amethyst dagger materializing in her hand, which she passed to Nicole.

Nicole's talent was exceptional:

[Way of the Assassin (Class A): Strength and agility growth +2! Agility in the shadows +30%! First strike speed +100%! Additionally, the user's breath becomes more concealed!]

This was an incredibly practical, top-tier Class A talent. Though it lacked the complex growth potential of an S-tier skill, it made things easier in the early stages.

It had to be said that folk talents like this adapted quickly. On this path, it wasn't about merely gaining strength in life-or-death situations; it was almost like taking a field trip—albeit to an extraordinarily strange location.

Novak didn't make the first move this time; instead, he guided Nicole. Yesterday's training, attribute boosts, and enhanced equipment had given her confidence. Facing the terrifying giant rat, she was no longer as scared or nervous as before.

"Good work."

In less than ten minutes, the scarred giant rat lay dead at their feet. Not a single member of the group was injured.

A large part of that was thanks to Aria, the nurse, and her remarkable talent:

[Timely Rescue (Class B): Injury and stamina recovery speed +100%! Can also be applied to others, allowing quick recovery of injuries and stamina.]

A powerful support talent, indeed. Novak suspected this was all connected to the preparations he had made before the apocalypse. Aria and Daphne had even killed zombies with their own hands.

The well-organized mission left the group feeling exhilarated. Even Dane found herself interested in participating in the dark sewer adventure.

In the end, when they encountered the Rat King, Novak only intervened when they were in serious danger. The main fighters were Daphne and Nicole, both of whom had reached their first tier of evolution, alongside their trusted subordinates.

During the battle, they managed to test two of the Rat King's skills: summoning rats and spitting venom.

Both were dangerous abilities, but with Novak leading the group, there was room for trial and error in combat.

In the end, Nicole's amethyst dagger pierced through the Rat King's pupils, driving deep into its brain, killing the monstrous creature.

At the same time, the voice of the Cosmic Will echoed once again in everyone's mind:

[You have killed the dungeon boss 'Plague Rat King (Level 7)', gained experience: 1000 points!]

[The secret realm has been cleared. You may exit at any time.]

[The 'Old Sewer' secret realm dungeon has been successfully cleared for the first time, unlocking it permanently. All participating evolutionaries are now in a 36-hour cooldown period.]

[It has been detected that Evolutionary No. 001 led the team to clear the dungeon for the first time. Would you like to release a paid video guide of the dungeon?]

Another one?!

In his previous life, having exclusive access to secret realm video guides was highly coveted by countless evolutionaries. Yet, during the early days of the apocalypse, this seemed like an incredibly insignificant matter.

Without a second thought, Novak made his decision.

[Cosmic Will: Evolver 'Novak 'White Emperor' and members of the Faeloria Country faction… have cleared the Old Sewer (Level 5-10) of the normal-level secret realm! The video guide of this dungeon has been permanently saved. Viewing price: 10 copper coins!]

[Cosmic Will: Evolver 'Novak 'White Emperor' and the Faeloria Country faction… have cleared the Common-level dungeon and uploaded the first strategy video, increasing their overall reputation by 114.9 points!]

Another first-time dungeon clear!?

It was him again!?

The other evolutionaries were stunned. However, the difficulty of this secret realm didn't seem to be as high as the previous one, and the rewards reflected that. What was even more surprising this time was that the mysterious powerhouse—White Emperor—wasn't alone. He had team members!?

Of course, the viewing price of 10 copper coins was enough to turn many people away. But three days had already passed since the apocalypse began, and currency wasn't as scarce as before.

Yet, when those who could afford it clicked to watch the video, they were left utterly speechless.

Bringing women into a secret realm?! Was he surviving in the apocalypse, or just strolling through his private garden?

Wasn't this a bit too indulgent!?

At that moment, the minds of all the evolutionaries, who had been struggling to survive in the harsh world, were completely shattered!