Virus King [Translation]

[Let's end this year with a bang! 🎉 For every 1 review, I'll upload 1 chapter!

The extra chapters, along with the regular daily uploads, will kick off at the start of 2025!

P.S.: For those interested only.]

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Contrary to what Novak had expected, there wasn't a strong stench in the sewer.

Compared to the incinerator he'd visited earlier, this place was much more bearable.

Daphne explained:

"This isn't the main sewage pipeline for Ocean Blue Villa District. Initially, they had planned for it to be, but later, the court tightened environmental pollution regulations. Wastewater, especially sewage from toilets, was prioritized to be diverted away from the Bay River. So, after the construction was completed, it was stopped.

The sewers in Ocean Blue District were reconstructed, but this pipeline was still used—not for sewage but for rainwater and domestic waste. 

Unexpectedly, it's turned into a paradise for rats."

Novak nodded. That explained why the smell wasn't so bad.

However, while the odor wasn't strong, the sewer was damp and filthy, with water flowing down from the mountain. Bacteria were surely thriving here.

The entrance to the massive sewer was twice the height of a person. In the deepest part of the dark tunnel, it felt as if countless pairs of eyes were watching them, making the group uneasy.

Unlike Novak, they had been tormented by these rats day and night.

If not for Novak's intervention, this stronghold might have already collapsed. They might even have been forced to relocate.

Speaking of which, in her past life, Daphne had built Re-M-anila City, and the foundation had originally been in this very De-M-anila Ocean Blue Villa Area.

But thinking back on it, the memory felt surreal.

If not for Novak, Daphne would likely still be trapped in some building with the survivors from the city. Building a base during the early stages of the apocalypse would have been out of the question.

But the apocalypse had dragged on for decades. Countless powerful figures had risen, only to fade into obscurity over time.

Even in his past life, after being killed by the Dark Goddess, his fate was likely no different.

A few old friends might have mourned him briefly before moving on.

If you don't ascend to godhood, you're nothing more than an ant.

Novak's resolve hardened as these thoughts passed through his mind.

Glancing at the anxious group around him, he said:

"Let's move!"

They entered the damp underground passage, leaving the sunny exterior behind. Only now, as they moved deeper inside, could they fully sense the oppressive darkness and the unsettling sound of chewing from the depths.

Novak stepped forward and crushed a rat under his boot—a rat that seemed less afraid of humans than it should be.

Blood splattered, some of it landing on his zombie-leather boots.

As the rat died, a notification from the Cosmic Will appeared in the minds of more than a dozen people:

[Hidden condition achieved: Special mission triggered—"The Border of the Sewer"!]

[The Border of the Sewer (Class E)]

[In the old sewer lies the harbinger of plague. It is an ideal location to be transformed into a secret realm, but catalysts are needed for a smooth transformation.]

[Mission Objective: Kill 500 mutant rats, 50 mutant giant rats, and 1 Plague Rat King. Investigate the source of the rat mutation.]

[Mission Reward: 2,000 Experience Points!]

Novak's pupils contracted slightly, and a spark of excitement flashed in his eyes.

It's real!

Like the incinerator, this sewer had the potential to become a secret realm, naturally forming from the trials of gods and demons. Such dungeons had to be triggered by evolutionaries completing specific tasks.

Without completing these tasks, the secret realm would never form.

This was an incredible opportunity!

If this sewer could truly be turned into a secret realm, the mutant rats causing chaos would become a contained threat. Killing them would be easy, and they'd never escape from the secret realm.

Instead, the dungeon would become a treasure trove for future evolutionaries to gain experience, gather materials, and collect equipment!

Such a resource would be invaluable to any stronghold!

Of course, the first step was to complete the mission.

The others' eyes lit up with excitement.

It wasn't because they understood the value of a secret realm; their excitement came from seeing the 2,000 Experience Points listed as a reward.

Two thousand experience points!

A low-level zombie only gave 1 point of experience. A mutant rat provided more, but even then, it was just 5 points!

These experience points would be enough to set them far ahead of the average person.

They also realized that, without Novak leading the way, completing this mission would have been a distant dream.

It felt like the mission's emergence was the signal for them to act!

Sunlight no longer reached the sewer's depths.

At the far end of the tunnel, glowing red eyes in the darkness brought their march to a halt.

An evolutionary behind Novak switched on a high-powered flashlight, and in an instant, the sewers echoed with high-pitched squeals.

"Squeak... squeak..."

The scene before them was enough to make anyone's skin crawl.

A torrent of gray rats surged toward them, screeching as they ran!

But amidst the sea of rats, there were also giant mutated ones, as large as ten loyal guards put together.

Novak remained unfazed.

The smaller, unmutated rats were nothing to worry about. The only real threat came from the giant mutant rats.

But Novak had come prepared.

The evolutionary guards, whose loyalty had been confirmed, had already switched to their upgraded guns and equipment.

This gear was obtained by Novak after killing zombies at De M-anila University the day before.

For him, these items were of little use, barely worth an attribute point.

However, for the evolutionaries—who were not much stronger than the average person—wearing this equipment almost doubled their stats across the board, aside from spiritual power!

Facing these mutant rats, whose agility surpassed ordinary zombie evolvers, the guards were more than ready.

Novak's real interest lay in the sewer itself and its potential to become a secret realm.

There was definitely something hidden here.

In the early days of the apocalypse, opportunities truly were everywhere!