In the darkened realm, a faint mist lingered, casting an eerie haze over everything.
Novak was certain that if any other evolutionary entered here, they'd be completely infected and corroded by the airborne fungal virus within a minute—no matter their strength. Without a swift exit, their remains would be left as corroded bones, ravaged by countless fungal spores.
There was simply no other outcome.
The fungal virus saturating the air was incredibly potent, marking this as a true hell-level dungeon. Unlike ordinary secret realms, the peril here wasn't just from unseen enemies and hostile creatures but from the intensely hazardous environment itself.
Every second spent inside drained 3 Constitution points—meaning that, unless they had high resistance, even an evolutionary with 180 Constitution points would be reduced to a frail corpse within a single minute.
The implications were staggering.
But Novak had little reason to worry. The fungal virus's corrosive effects were extreme, yes, but he'd yet to employ any defensive measures. Outfitted in the plague suit from the old sewer dungeon and the beaked mask, he'd likely mitigate much of the environmental threat.
Evaluating his strategy for the plague sewer, Novak exhaled slightly, then proceeded forward.
The dark sewer was filled with drifting green mist. Occasionally, pools of thick green liquid collected underfoot, each brimming with a highly concentrated fungal virus. For ordinary evolutionists, even a brief encounter with these fluids would inflict lasting debuffs, worsening their chances of survival throughout the dungeon.
But for Novak, it was different. As he passed, the green plague beneath him evaporated, dissipating into a fine mist under his control, which granted him significant evolution points and further enhanced his Virus King talent.
In the presence of the plague, Novak was in his domain.
The sound of his footsteps echoed crisply through the sewer, attracting the attention of the labyrinthine sewer's elusive resident.
''...''
A familiar sound reached Novak, and he frowned.
'Another rat?'
With all the power the plague system commanded, could it not manifest a more imposing creature? If this continued, he'd start feeling like the actual king of rats.
Novak sighed, but when he looked ahead, he froze, momentarily surprised.
It was, indeed, a rat… but this one was different.
Standing at approximately 1.12 meters tall, the creature bore a massive, rodent-like head with faintly glowing green eyes. But the rest of its body was disturbingly un-rat-like. It stood on its hind legs like a human, towering over the sewer floor, and in its two upraised, clawed arms, there was a glint of something deadly.
The Eye of Secrets provided Novak with swift, clear feedback:
[Mutated Ratman (Level 17)]
[A rat species mutated under the effects of a powerful fungal plague, gaining intelligence, a human-like form, and a progressively stronger physical build…]
[Attributes: Abbreviated]
[Skills: Plague Claw, Rapid Recovery, Speed Boost…]
"Hiss? Ratmen?"
There were many demi-human races across the worlds, like the goblins who worship the God of Trade, Zogwort, and the sturdy dwarves and elegant elves. But a ratman…?
"Squeak…"
Without giving Novak a moment to ponder, the mutated ratman lunged forward, claws gleaming with malicious intent.
Just three steps from Novak, moving with such speed that the narrow sewer left no room to dodge, the mutated ratman suddenly halted, frozen in place.
In the next moment, this once fierce, ugly creature simply dropped to its knees before him, completely subdued.
Novak paid it no mind and continued deeper into the sewer. Behind him, the mutated ratman, who moments ago was ready to devour him, now obediently followed like a tamed pet.
This was the power of "Plague"—the occupational ability of the Bane class.
Any creature tainted by plague or poison, so long as its total attributes were weaker than Novak's, could be entirely controlled by him. This was his power of 'authority'.
Even a level 17 creature like the mutated ratman was no exception.
When it came to sheer stats, Novak feared no one.
In the trials of gods and demons, every ten levels presented a threshold, each step up bringing significant increases in power. Although level 20 wasn't quite as pivotal as level 10—where professionals gained major boosts—the gap between them remained considerable.
It was for this reason that Novak hadn't yet ventured to the tenth level of the Abyss to challenge the level 30 demon lord "Aodu" and claim the tenth floor.
As levels increased, so did strength after every job change, and while Novak wasn't afraid of death, he saw no reason to seek it out unnecessarily.
This encounter marked Novak's first time testing the power of "plague." He discovered he could command the giant plague rat with zero mental exertion.
It was as effortless as instinct.
This meant that, as long as the conditions were right, Novak could control an unlimited number of plague creatures.
No limits at all.
In that moment, Novak began to fully grasp the true scope of the Scourge of Life's ability.
He could even feel his skills—Plague Sun and Black Death—gaining a slight boost from controlling the mutated ratman. Though small, the increase was still significant because it came without any resource cost.
Like a hamster gathering food for the winter, each creature he controlled added to his reserves.
This power wasn't merely about commanding them; each controlled creature seemed to feed into his own strength.
Initially, he thought his control over such creatures might be temporary, like a lord's command over zombie mutants, giving a boost only when actively used.
But he realized now that wasn't the case.
Turning back, Novak looked at the mutated ratman. Granting it permission to move freely, he observed how it immediately resumed behaviors driven by its survival instincts, just as a wild creature would.
This could only mean one thing: a reliable and sustained means of enhancement.
With this revelation, an audacious idea began to form in Novak's mind.