Chapter 108: Terrible Infection!
Everyone's eyes turned to the distant figure.
The Hell Messenger, Vale, suddenly froze in place.
The hellfire, a deep purple-black flame, still raged wildly around him, but it no longer spread as it had before. The flames, which had once engulfed Novak and the others, that should be burning them to ashes, faltered.
A sneeze had interrupted the spellcasting completely.
Vale was momentarily stunned. Without pausing to think, he glared at Novak and shouted once more.
"Go to hell!"
The flames reignited and stretched out, but this time they barely reached a meter before another, louder sneeze snuffed them out. Apart from a few lingering sparks in the air, the fire vanished entirely.
What in the world is happening?
For the first time, Vale realized something was amiss. As a devil, creatures known for their cunning, he sensed this wasn't right. Yet, despite the growing alarm, the mucus dripping from his nose seemed unstoppable.
What in the world is this!?
Meimei, Ian, and Crow exchanged bewildered glances. The Hell Messenger, so fearsome moments ago, now appeared absurdly out of sorts. They were all frozen in place.
A cold? Could it be?
But how could a supernatural being—a devil—catch a cold? Such a thing wasn't even whispered about in legends!
Vale himself stood dumbfounded.
He was a devil, an envoy of Hell! Mortal diseases should have nothing to do with him!
What was happening? Why was he sneezing and suffering from a runny nose?
But this was only the beginning.
Vale could feel his constitution weakening. His strength and agility were declining rapidly. Not only that—his focus was slipping. The flames engulfing his body gradually diminished, fading with each passing second.
This sensation, this growing frailty, felt disturbingly familiar.
It reminded him of his days as a human—a memory of weakness.
"F...r..."
His voice cracked, hoarse, like the broken wheeze of an old bellows, sputtering in frustration.
Novak stood by with a faint smile on his face, unperturbed.
Devils were not the same as demons. Devils excelled in intelligence, trickery, and manipulation, wielding hellfire and potent spiritual powers. Some even possessed incredible speed. But devils had a fundamental flaw—compared to demons, their constitution was significantly weaker.
This was the devil's Achilles' heel.
The Hell Messenger before them, Vale, was no exception. He might have power, but his constitution was fragile. For Novak, this was the key.
The terrifying flu virus began spreading through Vale's body at a speed visible to the naked eye.
His constitution was just above 30—quite high for a 12th-level boss. Novak had already witnessed his agility, strength, and spiritual prowess. His spiritual power alone had disrupted Crow's fear-linked spell, causing it to collapse. Without Ian's bloodline shielding them, Novak would have been in deep trouble. The mental shock was so intense that Novak could barely continue fighting, though it hadn't killed him outright.
And then, there was the searing heat of the hellfire.
But now, the weakness in Vale's constitution was enough.
"Cough, cough…"
In the dark hallway, all eyes focused on Vale. He looked like a patient with tuberculosis, coughing and growing weaker with each breath.
What is going on!?
No one knew, but they all assumed Novak must have caused this.
What kind of ability could do such a thing?
At that moment, everyone began to truly understand Novak's talent. His earlier warning—"Wear a mask"—echoed in their minds.
This was terrifying!
Novak did not need to strike again. Vale's coughs grew more violent, each one seeming to rip through his chest. His breathing became labored and frantic, like someone drowning, gasping for air.
But it was useless.
Vale clutched his mouth, staring at the blood he had coughed up. His consciousness and spirit began to blur. He still couldn't understand why, as the supreme devil and apostle of Hell, he was now plagued by a human illness.
Why was this happening to him?
He was unwilling to accept it. He gazed helplessly at the four figures in front of him, their shapes growing increasingly indistinct, but there was nothing he could do.
Inflammation flared.
The flu virus had entered its second stage, and now it was moving into the final phase.
In just one minute, Vale had gone from coughing fits to utter disorientation, teetering on the edge of unconsciousness. This was normal—once the virus reached the asthma stage, it reduced all attributes by one point per second. Sixty seconds was enough to strip sixty points from his attributes.
Complete exhaustion!
Finally, Vale leaned against the wall, struggling to breathe. His movements grew more desperate, but the sound of his breathing faded, becoming fainter and fainter. His chest barely moved anymore.
Novak watched as the terrifying figure before him—a being that had oppressed them moments ago—collapsed with a dull thud to the floor.
The sound echoed crisply through the corridor.
A Messenger of Hell, a level 12 boss from a nightmare-level dungeon, had fallen without putting up any resistance.
The three onlookers were utterly stunned. They stared at Novak, their green-robed ally, their expressions filled with shock and awe.
At the same time, a message appeared in their minds, delivered by the Cosmic Will:
[You have slain the dungeon boss, Hell Messenger and Corrupted Mental Hospital Director Tempra Vale (Level 12). You have gained 130,000 experience points (based on battle contribution).]
[Your level has increased to 8. You have earned two free attribute points!]
[The Secret Realm, "Red Star Mental Hospital," has been cleared for the first time. It is now permanently unlocked and can be entered again in 7 days!]
[Ding! It was detected that evolutionary No. 001 and team members have cleared the Secret Realm for the first time. Would you like to release the video guide and made it pay to play?]