Chapter 212: The Episode Before The Copy!

The Red Star Mental Hospital remained as eerie as ever.

However, unlike before, there were now people lurking in hidden spots around the hospital grounds. Real people, not other creatures or zombies—these were genuine evolutionaries.

The light radiating from the surrounding vortex of the secret realm seemed to have drawn a crowd of curious onlookers. Novak took in the scene and quickly understood the situation.

As the end of the month approached, the strength of the evolutionaries had clearly grown, and ordinary zombies were no longer a significant threat to the more advanced among them. Now, they could venture out of their safe zones to explore the surroundings.

After all, it was impossible to acquire high-quality equipment, rare skills, or prized job transfer scrolls by merely defeating common zombies. For that, Secret Realms were ideal. Within Capital City this past month, guides and walkthroughs for other dungeons had started circulating, helping evolutionaries plan their approaches. But none had garnered as much attention as the Red Star Mental Hospital.

This was the only Nightmare-grade dungeon in Capital City with a published strategy guide. Its reputation had spread widely due to its unparalleled drops and experience gains, making it highly desirable. Naturally, evolutionaries from nearby had flocked here, hoping to test their skills and perhaps reap some of the dungeon's rewards.

In fact, it felt almost like an online game—a large-scale dungeon where players would gather, form parties, and stock up on supplies. Although there were no merchants here, the bustling scene was unmistakably similar.

Novak and his team were quite a sight. Ian was outfitted in gear acquired from the Red Star Mental Hospital, marking him as no ordinary adventurer. Zezelia, despite her unremarkable appearance, was accompanied by three eerie paper effigies, with two small puppets perched on her shoulders, their eyes rolling in an unsettling, lifelike manner. Even Ian kept his distance from her.

Then there was Novak, the leader, clad in sinister, black-and-red armor lined with thorn-like barbs. His imposing appearance set him apart from the other evolutionaries, many of whom wore everyday clothes that hardly counted as gear. The trio's entrance immediately drew attention.

As soon as Novak and his group approached the dungeon entrance, someone stepped forward to block their path.

"Hold up, you three!"

The voice stopped them in their tracks. Novak turned, locking eyes with the speaker.

"Something you need?" he asked, his tone cool.

Their interrupter was a bald young man in his twenties, exuding a powerful, almost intimidating aura. He scrutinized Novak and Zezelia with mild interest, but it was Ian, peering eagerly into the hospital, who sparked a flicker of recognition.

The young man furrowed his brow. "I'm Aaron. Surely you've heard of me?"

Novak was taken aback. He glanced over at Ian, who looked just as puzzled.

Aaron? Which Aaron?

Before the apocalypse, the name Aaron might have brought to mind a famous figure from the nearby country. But it was a common enough name, akin to "John Smith." And since Novak had spent most of his time in the Abyss, he was hardly up-to-date on Kepler's goings-on.

At that moment, Zezelia leaned in to whisper, "Recently, there were two Normal-level dungeons and a Difficult-level secret realm here in Capital City—this Aaron was the one who cleared them all."

Evidently, the bald man had overheard Zezelia's words, and a satisfied smile spread across his face.

"Just call me Brother Ron," he declared, exuding a smug confidence.

Sure enough, in Capital City, the evolutionaries ought to know his name.

If it weren't for the difficulty in locating these Secret Realms, and the gradual rate at which his inherent strength developed, Aaron might have claimed a top spot in clearing these dungeons. He couldn't yet rival White Emperor's renown, but he believed he was on the verge of making a global name for himself.

After realizing who Aaron was, Novak raised an eyebrow. "And? What do you want?"

Aaron smiled faintly. 

"Everyone knows about Red Star Mental Hospital, right? The nightmare-level dungeon that White Emperor and the legendary Group 001 cleared for the first time? To this day, very few people in Capital City have what it takes to tackle this place.

"I'm at level 9," Aaron continued, "and I even have an A-rank talent. I've gained some modest recognition in those strategy videos." His tone was humble, but he couldn't hide the pride on his face.

"This time, we planned to challenge Red Star Mental Hospital ourselves, like those bosses from Group 001. But a few teammates got busy and couldn't make it, so we have some spots open. You all look pretty well-equipped. Want to join us?" Aaron paused, then added, "But just so you know, as captain, I'll be deciding how we split the rewards."

Novak looked him over, suppressing a sigh. Where did this guy come from with such confidence?

"No need," Novak replied coolly. "The three of us are enough…"

Aaron's expression turned incredulous. Three people? Surely they couldn't be thinking of tackling the Red Star Mental Hospital on their own? "Are you serious? Even Group 001, led by White Emperor himself, needed four people to clear it…"

As he spoke, Aaron's companion tugged at his sleeve.

"Boss… boss…" the younger man whispered urgently.

Annoyed, Aaron glanced over. Strong evolutionaries weren't easy to come by, and this teammate wasn't helping. In the future, if he were to establish a base, he would need people of this caliber. But his companion didn't seem to understand that.

He shot the younger man a glare, but his companion leaned in and whispered, "Brother Ron, that chubby little guy over there… isn't he the one from Group 001 in that Red Star Mental Hospital clearing video?"

Aaron froze, then looked at the well-geared little man nearby, twirling several daggers in the air. His eyes went wide.

As he watched, the daggers seemed to float effortlessly under the young man's control.

Silence fell.

Now, when Aaron looked at Novak, something clicked. Those eyes… they looked familiar.

Sweat trickled down Aaron's forehead as he pieced it all together.

This realization did nothing to deter Novak's original goal. Seeing Aaron momentarily stunned, Novak turned his gaze back toward the hospital gate. Ian smiled and gave a quick wave.

"Well, Brother Ron, if you've got nothing else, we'll be heading in first."

Aaron snapped out of his daze and quickly gestured with an open hand. "Please… go right ahead."

As Novak and his group disappeared into the swirling vortex of the dungeon entrance, Aaron exhaled in relief. He felt lucky not to have antagonized these legendary figures from Group 001. Otherwise, Brother Ron might have met his end before he even left his school days behind.

Noticing the confused stares from his companions, Aaron regained his composure and let out a dry laugh.

"Did you hear that? Even the bosses from Group 001 called me Brother Ron. Stick with me, and I'll make sure you all make a name for yourselves in this apocalypse!"