Novak wasn't in any rush to delve deeper into the plague sewer.
To him, this sewer had transformed from just another dungeon for killing monsters and leveling up into something far more valuable: his personal armory.
Of course, if he wanted to keep the plague creatures he'd mastered, he'd have to bring them out of the dungeon with him, just as he had once done with the Somi Blades he controlled at the start. This was only possible if he managed to extract them.
Ordinarily, bringing a horde of plague ratmen around with him might seem unnecessary—and rather undignified for the Abyss Master, the White Emperor. Despite their strength, these creatures were undeniably unsightly.
But within his own domain, Novak was confident that there was likely no being across the heavens or myriad worlds who could claim greater power. Not even the gods dared to boast such authority.
After all, even the gods were uncertain about the true vastness and depths of the Abyss. Novak himself, despite his title as the Master of the Abyss, hadn't fully explored its lowest layers. He sensed that below the 600th level lay even deeper realms. However, these lower abysses seemed barren, and even the 590th layer barely held a coherent concept of "world."
Not that it mattered. Among the countless realms of the Abyss, there were worlds upon worlds. While some were inhospitable to even demons, Novak held the Abyss authority to transform any of them. He could reshape a level of the Abyss just as Gabul, the god of the undead and master of the 400th layer, had done.
With this power, he envisioned converting a layer of the Abyss into a "Plague Garden"—a corrupted land teeming with boundless legions of plague creatures. He would wield control over every plague entity within this Abyss domain, intensifying his plague power to unprecedented levels and amplifying his Scourge of Life skill countless times over!
The prospect brightened Novak's eyes. This kind of empowerment was far more valuable than mere combat and leveling.
With this in mind, he ventured once more into the depths of the plague sewer.
As he descended, the plague mist thickened, and more mutant ratmen emerged, clustering around him. Before long, Novak found himself surrounded by dozens of these creatures—and their numbers continued to grow.
Then, Novak encountered a different kind of creature within the sewer.
This creature had an unusual appearance, bearing no resemblance to any known beast. It looked somewhat like an oversized, hardened mushroom.
[Spore Replicator (Level 20)]
[A plant-based organism formed through special plague-infected cell fusion. It excretes acid with explosive force comparable to a cannonball.]
[Attributes: Abbreviated]
[Skills: Acid Bomb, Rapid Growth, Self-Destruct...]
This creature was slow-moving, almost stationary, like a turret. But its destructive power was formidable, and at level 20, it was vastly stronger than the mutated ratmen. Upon death, it detonated in a powerful acid explosion, capable of corroding everything around it with terrifying force.
Gradually, Novak's presence seemed to bring the entire plague sewer under his command.
Among the sewer's inhabitants, there were numerous advanced monsters—several level 20+ mutant ratmen and even a more terrifying plague creature known as the "Dark Giant Ratman."
Despite their strength, these creatures were still subject to Novak's plague authority and his superior attributes, bending to his will.
In the next moment, Novak spotted the boss of the plague sewer.
Towering at a height of 1.56 meters, this ratman stood apart from the others. Unlike the typical ratman, it wielded a peculiar crossbow, preparing its bolts by smearing them with saliva, which glowed a dark, toxic green.
Novak's approach caught the ratman's attention.
[Plague Source Ratman Archer (Level 25—BOSS)]
[This creature is one of the primary sources of plague infection—the first ratman to mutate directly from infection. It has far greater intelligence and strength than other ratmen and guards the sewer's depths to ward off intruders.]
[Strength: 672, Agility: 854, Constitution: 521, Spirit: 195]
[Skills: Rapid Shot, Full Barrage, Stealth Ambush, Scattershot…]
"Damn!" Novak's eyes narrowed, and he instinctively took a step back.
But it was too late. The archer ratman, still coating its crossbow bolts, turned its intense gaze toward him.
With over 800 agility, this ratman was the most formidable foe Novak had encountered! Even the powerful Duke of Hell Zepar he had faced earlier didn't come close to matching this strength.
This was a level 25 boss, with stats far beyond what Novak had expected.
If Novak hadn't recently upgraded his Blacklight Virus to 17%, boosting his power considerably, this mutated ratman would have left him with little chance to fight back. The experience felt reminiscent of the "Lord of the Underworld Gabul" trial in the Abyss, where he had faced a similar overwhelming might.
However, Novak recognized the ratman's glaring weakness: its low mental power.
With a swift exertion of plague energy, he sent a wave of mental influence toward the creature. A look of struggle flickered across the ratman's face, confirming that while the plague authority could control weaker beings, this boss-level ratman was a different challenge.
Not only was the plague control insufficient, but even the Hell Call Shepherd's Horn, radiating a wave of mental influence, bounced off the ratman instantly, leaving Novak muttering angrily.
"Cheap junk! Wasn't this supposed to work on creatures with lower spirit attributes?"
Novak understood, though: at level 13, trying to control a level 25 boss was pushing his limits. The gap in levels created an innate resistance to control abilities.
"Fine, then I'll test my own strength!"
Novak's eyes burned with coldness as he activated the dark green Plague Sun, focusing it directly on the ratman boss. Plague energy surged from his pupils, intensifying the infection.
But even his powerful plague abilities, which worked so effectively on demons, had limited impact on this ratman. After all, a monster born of the plague would naturally possess high resistance.
As soon as Novak began his attack, the ratman vanished, slipping into stealth. The next moment, a crossbow bolt emerged from the shadows, streaking toward Novak like a flash of lightning.