Virus King [Translation]

Tad finally breathed a sigh of relief, clutching his beloved video camera close.

Ruri, who had been watching him from the side, gave him a contemptuous look. The beautiful host had seen his cowardly behavior earlier, and any good impression she had of him had completely vanished.

If it hadn't been for his insistence on running back to the hill to fetch his camera, wasting precious time, she wouldn't have spared him another glance.

Her focus shifted instead to the man in front of her—Novak. His strikingly handsome features were hard to ignore. Even as a host for De-Manila TV, someone who had encountered many attractive celebrities in the entertainment industry, none of them compared to the man standing before her.

But it wasn't just Novak's looks that drew her in. Unlike the delicate celebrities who flinched at the sight of blood, Novak exuded a raw power that felt almost inhuman.

Suddenly, Novak opened his eyes and caught Ruri staring at him. "Enjoying the view?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Ruri's cheeks flushed instantly. Embarrassed, she looked away. Novak's gaze then turned to Tad.

"Did you record the scene earlier?"

Tad quickly nodded.

"Let me see it."

Tad handed over the footage, and Novak reviewed the video. This time, the camera quality was even better than the one they had used in the basement—professional equipment coupled with the high vantage point provided a far more comprehensive recording.

In the footage, the massive, grotesque mountain of flesh could be seen falling apart under relentless attacks. Like a helpless titan, it was torn to shreds until nothing remained but scattered chunks of meat.

The speed of Novak's dark, shadowy figure was terrifying. Even when the video was slowed down to its maximum, his movements were so fast that his face remained a blur, impossible to capture.

Satisfied with the footage, Novak gave a nod of approval. Without delay, he began uploading the video to Chat Group No. 001. While the upload processed, he glanced at the chat and finally got around to watching the video uploaded earlier by "Overlord."

The screen displayed a man in his thirties. He was tall and powerfully built, with a noticeable feature—he wore chainmail, like an ancient general. But this wasn't a costume or ornament; Novak could immediately tell it was real armor, actual combat gear.

Impressive, Novak thought. In his previous life, this man would go on to become the terrifying "Overlord," a fearsome ruler with unmatched strength. Seeing him now with such high-level gear, so early in the apocalypse, was truly remarkable.

However, what caught Novak's attention the most was the spear the man wielded. Rumor had it that Overlord always carried a unique, growable weapon known as the Overlord Spear. Some speculated that this spear was what allowed him to continuously grow in power.

Now, watching the video, Novak could confirm those rumors. The spear was likely even more extraordinary than people had guessed.

But as Novak watched the footage, he couldn't help but compare. Unlike his own brutal, efficient massacre of hundreds, Overlord's battle was less overwhelming—he faced only a dozen zombies, and his technique, while solid, was still raw in Novak's eyes.

Despite that, Overlord's spear skills were worth noting. It was clear that even before the apocalypse, this man had trained extensively with the weapon. His movements were polished, and he handled the spear with impressive precision.

Still, Novak couldn't resist a sly grin. Poor guy doesn't know who he's up against, he thought. In the early days of the apocalypse, many pioneers believed themselves to be invincible. Novak enjoyed giving them a reality check.

With that thought, he finished uploading the video without any further commentary, though the smile on his face hinted at his amusement. Once the biochemical virus could no longer be contained and people were forced to face the chaos from their homes, they would soon realize just how dire things were.

---

Meanwhile, in Yanao.

In the whole of Faeloria, there were only two places where the last remnants of traditional martial arts could still be found: Lion City and Yanao City. Here, meager traces of the ancient arts lived on, and within one of Yanao's spacious martial arts halls stood a man polishing his spear.

This man, with thick eyebrows and sharp eyes, was Don Au Relius—heir to the traditional martial arts of Overlord Spear and Eight Extremes Fist. But now, he had become a pioneer in the Trials of Gods and Demons.

Not just any pioneer, though. Au Relius possessed the S-rank talent "True General Soul."

[True General Soul (S): The heroic spirits of your ancestors watch over and protect you! You can master all long weapons with ease, increasing proficiency by +200%. Experience Points can be used to further activate and enhance your weapon skills.]

This talent allowed AuRelius, already a skilled martial artist, to unleash his full potential. Confident in his abilities, he believed he ranked among the very best of the pioneers.

It wasn't until he stumbled upon Chat Group No. 001 that he realized just how many pioneers had already emerged. But even after seeing the terrifying speed of "White Emperor" in the video, Relius wasn't fazed.

Those zombies are nothing but cannon fodder, he thought. In his own video, he'd only faced a dozen zombies—not because he couldn't handle more, but because there weren't more to fight. If he had been surrounded by as many as White Emperor, he was sure he could have performed just as well—if not better.

In fact, if he could find a large horde of zombies to battle, he could quickly gain enough experience to unlock the next levels of his talent, "True General Soul."

However, what AuRelius didn't expect was what happened later that day.

He had uploaded his video in the morning, and though White Emperor hadn't responded, by the afternoon, things took an unexpected turn.

A notification appeared in the chat:

[Group Leader 'White Emperor' of Chat Group No. 001 has released a new video and announcement. All members can view it freely!]