Chapter 117: Animal World, Natural Selection!

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In the dim room, a light knock came at the door.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. After peering through the peephole and recognizing the familiar faces outside, they quickly unsealed the triple-layered security door.

Two groups, led by Zamu and Gehn, hurried inside.

"Is everything okay? How did it go?" Zamu asked, his face lighting up with joy.

"The gear Novak gave us is insane! The zombies couldn't even get close. This afternoon, we killed over a dozen, and even managed to loot an extra piece of equipment!" one of them replied excitedly.

"Yeah, we're good now! Those zombies were no big deal!" Gehn chimed in, clearly relieved.

After their first successful kill, the group had gained confidence. With the equipment provided by Novak, it seemed that ordinary zombies were no threat to the evolutionists, especially those with gifted talents.

Dung, in particular, was brimming with excitement. The newly looted equipment was now his, and the sudden boost in his stats gave him a surge of confidence. In fact, he started imagining himself reaching Novak's level of power—or perhaps even surpassing it one day. His eyes gleamed with ambition, though he failed to notice the strange glances from the other women in the room.

"Where's Novak? Is he still resting?" Zamu asked quickly.

"Yes! Brother Novak told us not to disturb him," a girl replied.

Everyone nodded in agreement, not daring to object. After witnessing Novak's overwhelming strength firsthand, they had gained a deep respect for him. No one dared to disobey.

"None of you were hurt, right?" one of the girls asked, concerned.

Dung, still riding the high of their victory, shook his head confidently. "No worries, we've got long-range weapons, and Zamu was upfront taking the brunt of it. No one got hurt."

As he spoke, his girlfriend, Andrea, bit her lip slightly before speaking up. "Brother Dung, can we talk privately? There's something I need to tell you."

The lively chatter in the room came to a halt, and all eyes turned toward the couple. The boys looked confused, but the girls exchanged knowing looks—disdain, amusement, mockery, and even jealousy.

Dung, puzzled but intrigued, followed Andrea to a side room.

"What's the matter, Andrea? Don't worry, with this gear, I can protect you. We'll survive this apocalypse and—"

"We're breaking up."

Andrea interrupted him with a calm breath, her voice devoid of emotion.

"Huh?!" Dung froze, thinking he'd misheard.

"What... what did you say?"

"I said, let's break up. It's over."

Andrea's face remained expressionless, without the slightest hint of guilt or hesitation.

Back in high school, this man had spent money to make her break up with her then-boyfriend. Now, the tables had turned.

There was a key difference between Andrea and someone like Dane. Dane came from a prominent family, one of the wealthiest in De M-anila. Andrea, however, was an ordinary person. Her parents were simple workers, and from a young age, she understood that the key to changing her life wasn't her intelligence or education—it was her exceptional beauty and figure.

"Why?" Dung's eyes widened in disbelief.

Andrea spoke with cold indifference. "Because you're worthless to me now. Just like when you told my ex that he wasn't good enough for me—what can you offer me now? What do you have left?"

Dung's face turned pale as the realization hit him. His shock quickly turned into anger. He clenched his fists and shouted, "It's because of Novak, isn't it?!"

Andrea nodded without hesitation. "Yes, it's survival of the fittest, the same thing you once told me."

Dung's eyes burned with fury, the pride he'd shown earlier crumbling. He raised his hand as if to strike her, but Andrea just sneered, standing her ground.

She knew he wouldn't hit her. Not because of any lingering affection, but because he no longer had the status to back it up. Without his rich, second-generation aura, he lacked the courage. If he laid a hand on her now, especially with her connection to Novak, it would be his end. In this lawless apocalypse, there would be only one outcome for him: death.

Dung's trembling hand eventually dropped, powerless. Andrea let out a disdainful laugh and walked out of the room, a confident smile on her face.

The room had fallen quiet. Standing by the window in the dark was Novak, observing the scene with interest. 

In the apocalypse, human nature was amplified. Novak understood this well. In modern society, people often scorned the poor and admired the powerful. In the post-apocalyptic world, seeking the protection of someone powerful wasn't just acceptable—it was a survival tactic that many envied.

The woman before him was pragmatic, and Novak respected that. In the end times, social norms and morals were torn apart. The apocalypse was more like an animal kingdom where natural selection reigned supreme.

"I've already made arrangements," Novak said to Andrea as she approached. "Someone will come to take you to a safe zone soon. There, you'll be given tasks, but your safety will be guaranteed."

He extended his hand, pulling Andrea into an embrace as he smiled. "Alright, it's late. Let's rest."

As they returned to the room, Dung emerged, his eyes filled with seething jealousy and resentment. He didn't notice the faint smirk that appeared on Novak's face, catching the shift in Dung's gaze.

Novak had never been one to leave threats unchecked. No matter how small the danger, be it an ant or an enemy, his response was always the same: eliminate it.

Otherwise, it might not trouble him directly, but it could affect those around him.

And so, under the cover of night, the smallest threat could become the deadliest danger. While the girl's cries filled the air, no one noticed the subtle sound of labored coughing, the breath of someone fading away.

In this animal world, survival followed the law of natural selection.