Chapter 139: Terrifying Evolution Points!
(For more chapters, visit my patreon.com/Fanfic69)
---
Before the Walls
Daphne had not rested or closed her eyes for a full day and night. Her elevated level and naturally strong constitution helped her endure the exhaustion, but even she couldn't ignore the creeping worry gnawing at her.
The sight before her—a seemingly endless tide of corpses—left her uneasy.
"If this tide continues at this rate," she thought, "we won't be able to hold out for three days and nights."
Just as that thought crossed her mind, something caught her attention.
Her amethyst pupils, a gift that granted her extraordinary vision, picked up subtle changes in the horde. At the very edge of the swarm, the zombies seemed to be moving away, retreating as if no longer interested in attacking.
"They're leaving... because there's no flesh or blood for them to devour?"
It wasn't unusual. Zombies, after all, were drawn to living flesh, and without anything to consume or any loud disturbances to lure them, they would typically wander off.
But this situation was different. This was during the defense of the city, where zombies had been relentlessly throwing themselves against the city walls, driven madly toward the gathered survivors. The sheer force of the undead wave was like a storm with no end in sight.
Yet now... they were retreating?
Daphne's thoughts raced. A realization hit her, and without hesitating, she sent a message to Novak:
[Daphne: You succeeded!]
Unfortunately, there was no immediate reply from the other side.
Daphne shrugged it off. Standing atop the city walls, her gaze remained fixed on the distant horde, thousands of meters away. The battle below was still raging—countless evolutionaries fought valiantly on the front lines. Their bodies bore the brutal marks of battle: claw slashes, bite wounds, and torn armor.
Thankfully, the zombie serum had been prepared well in advance. No one had to fear the infection of the zombie virus—at least not anymore. Even those with open wounds from their skirmishes were safe from becoming one of the undead.
Through the ongoing live broadcast, many who were watching finally understood the situation at this gathering place—the fortress they were defending. It revealed three crucial strengths:
The evolutionaries fighting on the front lines were not just survivors—they were hardened warriors, experts in combating the undead. These men and women were evolving into true elite soldiers of the apocalypse.
The towering city Wall of Roshan, made from a fleshy mountain, continued to extend, absorbing and consuming everything in its path. Even if some zombies broke through the frontline defenses, the wall ensured they couldn't breach the gathering place and threaten the survivors.
The most important asset: the zombie serum. Viewers noticed that none of the evolutionaries showed any concern for their zombie-inflicted injuries. Even those who had been wounded earlier showed no signs of infection, confirming the city held a serum that provided immunity to the zombie virus.
However, the true cornerstone of the defense was Novak. His immense power and evolutionary prowess had made him the strongest force on the battlefield. As a one-man army, he played the most vital role in constructing and safeguarding the gathering place. He was its soul, its protector.
Soon enough, Novak reappeared on the battlefield. The sight of the retreating zombies did not surprise him. He had anticipated it. The death of the Lord, the leader controlling the zombies, had caused the mental hold over the horde to wane.
The zombies, no longer under the Lord's influence, were scattering. Even the mysterious guiding force of the universe that had been driving them toward the city seemed to be losing its grip.
The most difficult phase of the siege was now behind them. With the initial waves dealt with, defending the city no longer seemed like an impossible task.
After all, this was only the beginning of the apocalypse. The truly chaotic mutant beasts and evolved mutants had yet to emerge.
As for the vast number of zombies that the Biochemical Disaster required him to eliminate, that task couldn't be completed overnight. Right now, Novak lacked any large-scale destruction abilities, and taking down zombies one by one was tedious and inefficient.
Standing atop the city wall, his voice muffled by the beak-shaped mask, Novak issued orders:
"Let them fall back and get some well-deserved rest. The remaining zombies can be taken care of by other evolutionaries and the weapons we've left on the walls."
Although there were still a number of zombies remaining in the distance, without the overwhelming force of a full horde, they posed no real threat. Without the relentless tide of the corpse wave, these zombies were no more dangerous than drifting weeds.
After giving his instructions, Novak tossed several items toward Daphne.
"Here are the spoils of war. Distribute them accordingly," he said, then leaped down from the wall and headed back toward the villa in the center of the district.
He made a quick stop to speak with Meimei, before returning to his main villa. The unexpected corpse wave had forced him to delay many of his original plans.
Although Zogwort had been evasive, Novak knew the man was still somewhere near the villa district. Even though his curiosity burned within him, Novak didn't dare to open the evolutionary secret warehouse just yet.
Novak was not willing to take unnecessary risks—not when safety was still a viable option.
But there was something more pressing for him to deal with at the moment.
After issuing orders not to be disturbed unless absolutely necessary, Novak made his way to the attic bedroom on the top floor of the villa.
He had spent a full day and night killing zombies. After devouring three mutants, his Blacklight Virus evolution points had soared to an unprecedented level.
The relentless slaughter had taken its toll on his body, but the virus within him had consumed an untold number of zombies throughout the night. Despite the time needed for his Blacklight Virus to fully digest the influx of matter, it was clear he had wiped out an immense number of the undead.
Coupled with the evolution points he'd gained from devouring the demon villagers earlier, Novak finally collapsed onto his bed, exhausted. A glance at his Virus King talent made him stop in his tracks, his eyes widening in surprise.
[Blacklight Virus: Initial awakening, current awakening level: 8%! Each re-evolution adds 1% to the awakening progress. To advance using evolutionary points, you need 19 points! You can also spend evolutionary points to unlock additional evolutionary branches of the Blacklight Virus!]
[Current exclusive Blacklight Virus evolution points: 204 points]
Even Novak couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath.
Considering how far he had come, he checked the progress of his title as a Zombie Slayer, which required him to kill 10,000 zombies. Astonishingly, in just a short amount of time, he had already completed more than half the task!
Though he had only personally devoured about one-fifth of the zombies he'd fought, that still amounted to thousands. However, as his virus continued to evolve, the evolution points he gained from devouring lower-level zombies had begun to diminish significantly.
Yet here he was, with over two hundred evolution points—a number that would have once seemed unimaginable. Novak felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
Without further hesitation, Novak activated the evolution points, setting off a chain reaction of continuous evolution and further awakening of the Blacklight Virus.