Chapter 155: The Real Difficulty Of The Missions! 

Looking back at the entire mission, Novak hadn't faced any real danger!

An SSS-level mission—yet it seemed like such tasks weren't that difficult after all.

Not even worthy of such a high mission ranking?

But only Novak knew the immense price he had paid!

And that price? Nothing else but his most valuable asset—time. Time beyond imagination.

Throughout this mission, there was no clear indication of progress.

He couldn't even be sure if the outcome he was seeking would be there at the end.

He had wasted an entire year!

A year spent during the most tumultuous time of his life.

What does a year mean in such circumstances?

Of course, this was Novak's perspective.

In fact, it was this uncertainty that made the task so incredibly challenging.

But why was Novak so certain that his mission was now complete?

The answer was simple: He could no longer detect any possibility of cultivating more plague seeds in his hand.

Over the past year, he had traversed the entire Western Continent, parts of the Eastern Continent, and even Africa.

Most crucially, he had ventured into the icy wilderness of Siberia.

There, in the ancient permafrost, he uncovered a virus that had lain dormant for tens of thousands of years.

Combining this ancient virus with the Black Death strains he had gathered, a genuine "Plague Hand" was forged in his left hand.

Novak was convinced there were no more viral species left to discover on this planet or within its lands.

The power he gained from the countless victims of the Black Death was already overwhelming; it was enough, even for him.

And yet, he didn't dare gamble.

If, after all the time he had wasted, and the opportunities he had painstakingly seized, he still couldn't form the SSS-level job transfer scroll he so desperately desired—then he would have lost everything!

Time wasted, opportunity squandered—there would be nothing left to fight for.

His steps were slow but deliberate as he walked.

Florence.

The city where his journey had begun one year ago. Now, Novak had returned.

Where it started, it would end.

Novak took a deep breath.

His figure appeared suddenly in the heart of the city, inside the grand cathedral that stood at its center.

In this city, afflicted by other diseases, devout believers prayed fervently to their gods, begging for mercy and salvation.

Today, Henry—the once homeless man saved by Novak—had risen to become the High Priest of this church. He might even become the future Pope of the entire Plague Sect.

Novak's presence went unnoticed by all.

"All things decay, yet all life endures."

This was the motto of the Plague Sect, deeply inscribed in the recesses of this cathedral.

Novak silently made his way through the church, collecting the last remaining plague seed.

This was the sole reward Novak had earned from this Secret Realm.

By obtaining the Black Death Plague Seed through the Plague Seal, he could now absorb the Black Death itself within a certain radius.

Because of this, the plague that should have ravaged the land for years was brought to an abrupt end within just one.

And in the process, Novak had gathered Black Death seeds from tens of millions of souls.

After seizing the final plague seed from the church, Novak stood on the hill outside Florence.

At this moment, the light of the setting sun bathed Novak's dark green robe, casting a brilliant shimmer across it as if countless stars were scattered upon the fabric.

Simultaneously, Novak became fully aware of the evolutionary interface he had long ignored, snapping back to full consciousness.

No matter how long he spent in the secret realm's dungeon, it remained nothing more than that—a mere dungeon.

Novak hadn't lost sight of his position.

[Submit the mission 'Black Death (SSS)' and exit the current secret realm dungeon?]

(Note: Once submitted, this action is irreversible. After exiting, you cannot return to the dungeon. Please choose carefully.)

Throughout the past year, Novak had seen this notification appear countless times.

He always felt that what he had gathered was nearly sufficient, yet the constant fear of losing or missing something vital held him back. What if he overlooked something essential? What if the plague seeds he'd collected weren't enough to form the SSS-level job transfer scroll he desperately needed?

Because of this nagging doubt, Novak went beyond the scope of the SSS-level mission itself. Even after quelling the ravages of the Black Death, he didn't rush to leave. Instead, he continued searching, scouring for every possible virus and plague seed.

However, now Novak finally felt ready—there was no more hesitation.

Perhaps this was the true challenge of an SSS-level mission.

After all, a task of this magnitude was bound to be filled with strange and uncertain elements.

There was never a clear standard for completing it, forcing each evolutionary to rely on their judgment. Maybe this was part of the challenge itself—an endless guessing game.

Yet, Novak was confident he had done all he could.

In this moment, as he questioned whether he had given his absolute best, he felt no lingering doubts, no regrets.

Even if, in the end, this secret realm came to a close;

Even if it required sacrificing a saint-level existence, with the realm collapsing and the mission failing;

Even if his long journey turned out to be futile, leaving him without the coveted SSS-level job transfer scroll;

Or if he couldn't secure the elusive scroll from Zogwort—

Novak still wouldn't regret it—not even now, at this decisive moment.

This was why he had waited until now.

[Yes!]

With firm resolve, Novak made his choice.

A beam of light shot up into the sky in an instant!

Novak instinctively raised his left hand.

Beneath the plague glove, his left hand, formed by countless plague seeds, was raised unconsciously.

At that moment, it seemed as though a dark green light began to coalesce.

And in that very instant, across the entire continent, countless tiny points of light—imperceptible to ordinary people—began converging toward Novak's location.

High in the sky, Novak observed the light spots approaching him slowly.

With each one that appeared, Novak's mind echoed with faint, solemn prayers:

"May the glory of my Lord endure forever."

"May the blessing of my Lord..."

These voices were filled with devotion!

They were the prayers of the followers of the Plague Sect, accumulated over time.

And now, these voices merged with the virus seeds he held.

In that moment, the light enveloped Novak, and then the voice of the Cosmic Will reverberated:

[Mission completed. Task reward forming....]